CH 70

Christmas had been turned into a Valentine’s Day of sorts by relentless marketing efforts over the years, and the streets were filled with people. Ji Yao spent almost an hour stuck in traffic before finally arriving at his destination in a somewhat dazed state.

First, he went to the hotel to drop off his things and check in. Then, he followed the entrance to Disney Town, not going too far before spotting Jiang Heng and Amber coming from a distance, seemingly there to pick him up.

Amber was dressed casually, with a style similar to Jiang Heng’s. She had a thick red cape draped over her, was holding a Duffy bear in her arms, and had a Star Daru small waist bag around her waist. From a distance, she looked like a mix-and-match candy spirit.

In contrast, Jiang Heng kept it simple. He wasn’t dressed like a businessman but had a beige coat over his casual attire, looking warm and gentle, like a recent college graduate.

Ji Yao saw them from afar and couldn’t help but squint and wave as they approached.

Jiang Heng smiled in response and then let go of Amber’s hand, allowing her to rush toward Ji Yao like a little cannonball. He leisurely followed behind.

Amber’s footsteps were surprisingly fast as she sprinted over, hugged Ji Yao’s legs, and looked up at him with a mischievous grin. She politely greeted, “Sister-in-law!”

Ji Yao: “???” Her words were confidently spoken and resonated loudly, even more than a public announcement, causing passersby to turn their heads in surprise.

Ji Yao took a deep breath and momentarily didn’t know how to correct her misconception.

“It’s not my fault,” Jiang Heng, who had come closer, suppressed his laughter and said, “Blame her dad. Her dad insists on calling his brother’s partner ‘sister-in-law.'”

Charles was a China enthusiast with an almost fanatical interest in Chinese culture. Unfortunately, he had become a self-taught half-baked expert and was overconfident in these strange matters, which inadvertently led Amber into the same situation.

“I’m not your sister-in-law,” Ji Yao handed the portable charger he had bought on the way to Jiang Heng and then bent down to face the little candy spirit, saying calmly, “I’m your brother-in-law.”

“Taking advantage of me in front of the child?” Jiang Heng couldn’t help but laugh. “You should have waited until I wasn’t close before saying that.”

Ji Yao acted as if he hadn’t heard and stood up with a smile. He extended a hand to Amber and held hers.

Jiang Heng didn’t mind too much; he naturally walked over to Ji Yao’s side and held Ji Yao’s other hand, leaning in to whisper in his ear.

“I’m tired,” Jiang Heng complained softly, “I’ve ridden the small minecart with Miss Amber twice already, and everyone else are kids or young girls. I feel out of place there.”

“You’re the one who insisted on coming to a fairy tale theme park,” Ji Yao teased, holding back his laughter. “Auntie originally suggested spending Christmas at home, but you didn’t agree.”

“Today is their wedding anniversary,” Jiang Heng said, “and Amber is here too. It wouldn’t be right for me to monopolize my mom.”

Speaking of Charles and Xiaotong, Ji Yao seemed to have just remembered something. He looked around and asked in confusion, “Where are the two of them?”

“They went off to have some alone time,” Jiang Heng said. “We agreed to meet in front of the castle after picking you up.”

Compared to Amber, who couldn’t participate in many activities due to her height, Charles and Xiaotong clearly felt more at ease in this theme park.

Charles was an artist with an almost fanatical enthusiasm for childhood and empathy, even in his fifties. As for Xiaotong, she had a natural sense of freedom and romance in her bones. When the two of them were together, their intelligence seemed to regress to childhood.

According to Jiang Heng, they went crazy as soon as they entered the theme park and were last seen in line for the Honey Pot ride before parting ways.

Jiang Heng checked his watch and said, “It’s almost time for us to meet up with them. Shall we head in that direction?”

Ji Yao nodded, and Jiang Heng naturally let go of Ji Yao’s hand and instead wrapped his arm around Ji Yao’s waist, leading him in the direction of their rendezvous.

Ji Yao lowered his head and glanced Jiang Heng’s hand around his waist, raising an eyebrow. He obediently followed Jiang Heng’s steps without saying anything.

During their courtship, Ji Yao had noticed that Jiang Heng could be quite clingy at times. He seemed to enjoy intimate gestures and was always affectionate.

Three years had passed, and Jiang Heng had matured, but this particular habit had not changed.

In front of the castle, Xiaotong and Charles were already waiting. When Ji Yao and the others approached, they were passionately taking pictures.

Amber ran over from a distance, squeezed her way between them, and made a scissor hand gesture.

Xiaotong’s eyes lit up when she finally noticed Ji Yao and Jiang Heng. She walked over with a warm smile and gave Ji Yao a big hug.

“I heard from Xiao Heng,” Xiaotong whispered in Ji Yao’s ear, “Thank you for being willing to reconcile with him.”

Ji Yao was momentarily stunned. He subconsciously turned to look at Jiang Heng, but Jiang Heng was engaged in conversation with Amber and didn’t notice his gaze.

“Not at all,” Ji Yao withdrew his gaze and smiled. He said softly, “Thank you for accepting me into this family.”

Xiaotong looked at him with gentle eyes and a pleased smile on her face.

“I’m someone who has experienced a failed marriage before, and even though I’m older, there’s nothing I can teach you,” Xiaotong said softly and earnestly. “But all i can say is that, love itself may be impulsive at times, but it also needs to be nurtured. Whatever happens in the future, I hope you can persevere and not easily give up on each other.”

“Don’t worry,” Ji Yao said earnestly, “we will do our best to be with each other for a long time.”

As they spoke, Jiang Heng finally managed to extricate himself from Amber’s clingy enthusiasm. He turned to look at Ji Yao and Xiaotong and asked with a smile, “What are you two doing standing there? Come over, Amber wants to eat ice cream.”

Ji Yao said seriously, “We were talking about your childhood history.”

Ji Yao intended to keep this bit of “elderly experience” as a little secret between him and Xiaotong. Xiaotong understood and nodded in agreement.

“Really?” Jiang Heng chuckled. “I don’t have any dark history. I was a good student every year when I was a child.”

“That’s right,” Xiaotong smiled. “That’s why we’re praising you.”

With a wink at Ji Yao, Xiaotong walked away with a cheerful smile and held Amber’s hand to buy ice cream with Charles.

The ice cream area was filled with children, and Jiang Heng didn’t feel like squeezing through with them. He slowed down and leisurely walked with Ji Yao toward that direction.

That day, Disney was crowded with people. As they walked, Amber would occasionally bump into people’s legs, so Charles bent down to pick her up and held her in his arms.

In the crowd, Xiaotong seemed to remember something and turned to say a few words to Amber, causing both Charles and Amber to burst into laughter simultaneously.

Jiang Heng gazed at the backs of the three of them from afar, with a faint smile on his lips.

Ji Yao had initially stood on the outskirts of the crowd, watching them, but as he continued to watch, he felt a bit uneasy.

The barriers of time and space did exist. No matter how much Xiaotong loved Jiang Heng, the fact remained that she had a new family now. She could make it up to Jiang Heng or sacrifice time with her husband and daughter to be with him. But in moments like these, their family atmosphere was so integrated, harmonious, without guilt or subtle boundaries.

Just like how Jiang Heng should be among them but remained outside the crowd, he had unknowingly become an outsider in Xiaotong’s life.

In front of the ice cream cart, Xiaotong took an ice cream from the counter and handed it to Amber. She adjusted the cape for her, and Ji Yao’s gaze landed on the ice cream in Amber’s hand. He fell silent for a moment, then suddenly turned and walked away.

Jiang Heng grabbed his arm in confusion. “Where are you going?”

“I’ll be back in a moment,” Ji Yao said.

Jiang Heng didn’t think much of it, assuming that Ji Yao needed to use the restroom or buy something. He reminded him not to get lost and let go of his hand, waiting for Xiaotong and the others to come out.

Ten minutes later, Ji Yao returned, and Jiang Heng was about to ask where he had gone when Ji Yao handed him a large rainbow-shaped lollipop.

“Don’t eat ice cream in this cold weather,” Ji Yao looked at the sky, the ground, and the castle, deliberately avoiding Jiang Heng’s gaze, “Have some candy instead.”

Jiang Heng looked at the lollipop, then turned to look at Amber in the crowd holding ice cream. Suddenly, he realized something.

He twisted the candy around in his hand, somewhat helplessly saying, “Is it really necessary? I’m already this old, do I need to compete for this?”

“Only kids eat snacks,” Jiang Heng teased, wanting to put the candy back in Ji Yao’s hand. “By the way, I should get you one too.”

“Don’t want it?” Ji Yao stepped back to avoid his hand and asked, “we can never be too old to make up for time and experiences lost”

Jiang Heng was momentarily taken aback by his words. He opened his mouth, hesitated for a moment, and surprisingly didn’t respond.

After a while, he gradually snapped out of his dazed state. He raised an eyebrow, this time not insisting on giving the childish rainbow lollipop back. Instead, he held it in his own hand.

“Alright,” Jiang Heng pretended to sigh, looking extremely helpless. But there was a suppressed smile in the corners of his eyes and lips. He had taken advantage of the situation and playfully put the lollipop behind him. He said with a smile, “I’ll hold on to it, is that okay?”