newbobooks Chapter 927 I Almost Didn’t Recognize Him
Chapter 927 I Almost Didn’t Recognize Him
Teng Zijing held An Yu's hand with one hand and grabbed Jiang Chengyu's wrist with the other hand and pulled them into the living room. His knuckles turned pale from the force.
Jiang Chengyu stumbled, his shirt cuffs pulled askew, his face full of impatience, he lowered his voice and struggled again:
"That's enough, Master Jing, let go. How can we continue to pull and tug with so many people watching?"
Teng Zijing refused to let go, but instead tightened his grip. As soon as he stepped into the living room, he shouted at the top of his voice, "Grandpa, I brought the person back to you!"
The living room was silent. Teng Zijing did not stop and walked straight to the flower pavilion in the backyard.
Sure enough, as soon as I walked out of the back door, I saw the familiar figure in the flower pavilion.
The old man was playing chess with Mu Xiaoji, the black and white chess pieces arranged in an orderly manner on the stone chessboard.
Hearing the sound, they both raised their eyes at the same time, their gazes fixed on the door—
Jiang Chengyu frowned, his jawline tensed, obviously having been pulled hard;
An Yu followed beside them, with a slight shyness on her cheeks and a plain brocade box in her hand. When she saw everyone looking at her, she nodded quickly in greeting.
The tension in the air grew even stronger. Seeing this, An Yu gently broke free from Teng Zijing's hand.
She walked forward carrying the brocade box, and when she stood in front of the old man, she bent her waist slightly, bowed deeply at a ninety-degree angle, and said in a sweet and respectful voice:
"I wish Grandpa a life as long as the pines on the southern mountains, and as blessed as the waters of the East China Sea. May you enjoy a long and healthy life for years to come."
He held the brocade box in front of him with both hands, and the lotus pattern embroidered on the box shone softly in the sunlight.
The old man put down the chess piece in his hand, the wrinkles on his face smoothed out, and he smiled and waved his hand:
"Kid, I told Zijing before that today is just a family gathering, there's no need to spend so much money."
"Grandpa, this is a gift from your granddaughter-in-law. Only if you accept it can Xiaoyu feel at ease."
Teng Zijing came over, took the brocade box and placed it on the stone bench beside him.
His tone was full of protective ruffian airs, and he secretly gave An Yu a reassuring look.
Jiang Chengyu then walked forward and held the dark brown wooden box he had been holding in his hands above his eyebrows.
The box is made of a whole piece of ebony, with delicate cloud patterns carved on the edge, giving it a solid texture.
He stood in front of the old man, his previous impatience subsided a little, and his tone became much calmer:
"Old Master wishes you a happy birthday. When we met last time at the base, I learned that you have a unique understanding of tea art, so I specially found a set of tea sets as a token of my appreciation. Please accept it!"
After hearing Jiang Chengyu's words, the old man laughed out loud and tapped the stone table lightly with his knuckles:
"You are quite observant! You saw through my little preference at a glance."
After laughing, he threw the black chess piece in his hand into the jar and called Jiang Chengyu over. He dodged and looked expectantly:
"Come on, just in time to save the day. Mr. Mu is an excellent chess player. I've been playing against him for a long time, and my mind is almost at a loss. Come over and help me continue the game."
But Jiang Chengyu didn't move. He kept his eyes down for a long time without saying a word. His fingertips were unconsciously clenched into fists, and his expression was a little distant.
The old man was stunned for a moment, and asked with a bit of surprise: "Boss Jiang? What's wrong with you?"
"I... don't know how to play chess." Jiang Chengyu finally uttered a few words, his voice a little low, avoiding the old man's gaze.
As soon as these words fell, Mu Xiaoji suddenly laughed softly, his eyebrows curved.
When he looked at Jiang Chengyu, there was a familiar warmth in his eyes: "Mr. Jiang's chess skills are unparalleled in the world, and it's hard to find an opponent. Hehe, it's just that my chess skills are not worthy of playing against you."
Jiang Chengyu suddenly raised his head and looked at Mu Xiaoji, his eyes filled with complicated emotions——
There was surprise, helplessness, and a hint of tenderness hidden deep inside.
Mu Xiaoji met his gaze with his bright smile still on his face, his eyes sparkling as if he was silently joking with his beloved "little monster", without any sign of strangeness.
Mu Xiaoji turned his head to look at the old man, nodded slightly, and said apologetically:
"Old man, I drank too much tea just now. I'm going to the bathroom and will be back soon."
The old man raised his hand and waved, indicating that he could do as he pleased, and his eyes fell back on the chessboard in front of him.
He also urged Jiang Chengyu: "Don't stand there, sit down quickly, the game hasn't been decided yet."
Mu Xiaoji stood up and left the pavilion. As soon as he reached the door of the living room, he caught a glimpse of Gu Ze standing under the pomegranate tree in the yard, looking towards the living room, as if he was waiting for someone.
He didn't plan to go up and greet people, so he quietly walked around the guests in the corridor and headed towards the dessert table where Jiang Shuo and Zhou Xue were.
Just now Jiang Shuo saw Zhou Xue was bored, and the old man said that even children like desserts.
There were various fruit desserts in the yard, and Jiang Shuo was asked to take Zhou Xue to eat dessert;
I'm worried that the two children will get cavities from eating too much dessert, so I want to find them and ask them to drink more hot water.
But just after taking two steps, Gu Ze's voice came from behind, with deliberate joy:
"Mr. Mu, what a coincidence? When did you return to Kuncheng? We haven't seen each other for half a year.
You look more rosy and plump than before!"
Mu Xiaoji stopped and turned around slowly, with a perfect smile on his face. His tone sounded warm, but there was a sharpness in his words: "Gu Ze, long time no see.
I received a call from Jingye the day before yesterday morning, saying that the old man invited me to a family dinner, so I rushed back specially."
He raised his hand and gently patted his waist and abdomen, his smile becoming even wider. "Isn't it that I've gained weight now that I'm back with my parents and have so many people pampering me?"
Before, Gu Ze mocked him, and Jiang Chengyu had chosen to leave him and live with Gu Ze.
Mu Xiaoji just came back from a heart and lung transplant and needs someone to take care of him and rest.
Although he no longer has Jiang Chengyu's considerate care, he still has the love of his biological parents Shen Rou and Song Shijie in Kuncheng, and his adoptive parents Mu Huiying and Dean Guo in G City.
Now Mu Xiaoji wanted to return these sarcastic words to Gu Ze intact. Gu Ze naturally understood what Mu Xiaoji meant.
Gu Ze saw Mu Xiaoji turned and walked towards the dessert table while talking, and hurriedly followed him.
His face was filled with a deliberate familiarity, and his tone was filled with a bit of shameless provocation:
"I haven't seen you for more than half a year. I know that Mr. Mu still misses Cheng Yu."
He paused deliberately, as if to show off something, "Don't worry, Cheng Yu is living well by my side. He is happy every day and his life is very fulfilling."
Mu Xiaoji was reaching out to take a piece of exquisite macaron, but when he heard this, he paused.
Then he couldn't help but burst out laughing, and there was a hint of sarcasm and understanding in the laughter.
He turned around, holding the pink and white dessert in his hand, and looked at Gu Ze with clear eyes:
"Thank you. I can tell that the little monster is very happy and fulfilled with you."
Having said that, Mu Xiaoji took a bite of the dessert and savored it for a moment.
His eyes swept over Gu Ze lightly, and the subject suddenly changed: "Come to think of it, when I came back this time and saw the little monster, I almost didn't recognize him."
He raised his eyebrows slightly, with just the right amount of doubt in his tone, "I wonder if you, the big star Gu, are short of money?
If you really have no rice to cook, you might as well tell me. Although I, Mu Xiaoji, am not rich,
I still have the ability to help out, but I can't just watch my old friend...end up like this.
Gu Ze was stunned by these words, and the smug smile on his face froze instantly.
Mu Xiaoji's words were like a fine needle, piercing through the illusion he had deliberately created.
He subconsciously thought of Jiang Chengyu when he first met him - Jiang Chengyu at that time had a well-proportioned figure.
His posture was upright, his cheeks were rosy with health, and his eyebrows were filled with lingering vigor and vitality.
Even if it just stands there quietly, it is like a poplar growing towards the sun, exuding vigorous vitality from head to toe.
But what about him now? He was so thin that you could almost see the outline of his shoulder blades, his cheeks were sunken, and his skin was the sallow yellow of long-term malnutrition.
The eyes that used to be full of light are now covered with a layer of lingering fatigue.
The whole person exudes an indescribable sense of desolation and vicissitudes, like a fallen leaf that has been repeatedly ravaged by wind and frost, and no trace of its former spirit can be found.
Gu Ze's face turned pale and blue. He opened his mouth, but found that he couldn't find a suitable word to refute.
Mu Xiaoji's seemingly innocuous words were actually like a soft knife, accurately stabbing the place where he felt most guilty.
Gu Ze turned around and left the noisy courtyard without saying a word.
The laughter and the clinking of cups behind him gradually receded like the tide, leaving only his lonely figure.
I walked aimlessly along the winding stone road, and finally stopped by the rockery waterfall. I found a bluestone shaded by trees and sat down alone.
The water of the waterfall hits the rocks, splashing tiny drops of water, which bring a cool and refreshing feeling to his face, but it cannot dispel the stagnation in his heart.
He just lowered his eyes and stared at the red carp swimming leisurely in the pond.
The carps, covered with bright scales, sometimes gathered together to stir up ripples.
Sometimes they suddenly disperse, their tail fins sweeping across the water, leaving fleeting ripples.
In the huge pond, lotus leaves are spread out on the water surface, some of them are graceful and elegant, holding up their green umbrellas.
Some are slightly tilted, as if they are too lazy to bear the summer heat. Pink and white lotus flowers are dotted among them, some are in full bloom, their petals spread out like the hem of a girl's skirt;
Some are still half-opened buds, bulging and somewhat shy;
Some have already produced small lotus pods, which hang their heads low and hide deep among the leaves.
They are uneven but well-arranged, and when illuminated by the afternoon sun,
The water droplets on the leaves reflected tiny rays of light, making people's eyes slightly dizzy.
A few dragonflies flew in from somewhere, their wings as transparent as gauze, circling lightly above the water.
From time to time, they stop on the half-opened lotus buds, with their slender claws gently resting on the petals, as if whispering to the summer elves.
A red dragonfly landed on the lotus flower closest to Gu Ze.
The wings occasionally flapped, bringing up a very light breeze, and even the petals trembled slightly.
Gu Ze watched all this, and the vitality in the pond seemed to be separated from him by an invisible barrier.
He thought of what Mu Xiaoji had just said and Jiang Chengyu's current appearance. He felt like something was blocking his heart and he felt suffocated and uneasy.
The roaring sound of the waterfall made the surroundings even quieter, so quiet that I could hear the chaotic thoughts buzzing in my heart.
He stretched out his hand, trying to reach for a lotus leaf in the pond, but his fingertips only touched the cold air.
Just like his current situation, he was clearly in this bustling courtyard, but he felt like an outsider and couldn't grasp anything.