"I didn't expect that after taking my money, you'd still make me take you to the amusement park."
"I was really shocked at that time. Before I even had the chance to say anything, you just dragged me along."
"You didn't know the way, so you led me around on the main road for several rounds. By the time we finally got to the amusement park, it was already dark."
"Back then, I was actually quite resistant to strangers. I didn't want to interact with anyone or talk. Speaking of this, I remember you asked me if I was mute. I still remember the pitiful look in your eyes."
"I thought, being mute wasn't so bad. At least I didn't have to talk."
"But you talked so much! You kept chatting all day long. I was thinking at that time, how could someone talk to themselves for so long? Later I realized that you weren't really talkative. You just hadn't been that happy for a long time."
Chi Yu said whatever came to his mind as he carefully recalled what had happened all those years ago. He didn't notice the expression on Jiang Zhirou's face.
Jiang Zhirou just stared blankly at him. The emotions in her eyes shifted from shock, surprise, and disbelief to sudden calmness.
Chi Yu's voice still rang in her ears.
"Before you went home, you said something to me. Do you still remember?"
Saying this, Chi Yu looked at the woman in front of him and spoke word by word.
"You said..."
Jiang Zhirou met Chi Yu's gaze and silently repeated in her heart.
"Don't you have a home either? How about we be a family?"
"Don't you have a home either? How about we be a family?"
The two voices echoed simultaneously.
Jiang Zhirou felt a pang in her nose. She tried hard to hold back her emotions and keep the tears from flowing.
So... the quiet older brother back then was actually Chi Yu...
Jiang Zhirou couldn't quite put her finger on her emotions at this moment, but a huge wave of joy completely engulfed her.
Just then, Chi Yu's voice rang out again.
"You seem to be back to that brave and bold self from that time."
Chi Yu's words seeped into Jiang Zhirou's ears, penetrated her skin, and slowly made their way into her veins. As the blood circulated, they reached the very depths of her heart.
She couldn't wait to tell him that she was that little girl from back then. But reason screamed in her ear, warning her that the little girl in Chi Yu's eyes was Chen Qingmian, not her.
She couldn't say anything. She couldn't do anything.
"You were so young back then. You probably don't remember it anymore."
Suddenly, Chi Yu reached out and ruffled her hair.
After all, he had dropped many hints to Qingmian before, but she had completely forgotten about it.
"It doesn't matter if you don't remember. Fortunately, we didn't lose each other in the end."
Chi Yu's voice was gentle, but to Jiang Zhirou, it felt like thousands of sharp swords stabbing directly into her heart. The raw pain wrapped around her.
She would rather not have known that the little boy back then was Chi Yu than to be in this situation now, knowing it was him but not being able to admit it.
Jiang Zhirou took a deep breath, lifted her eyes to look at him, and forced a smile. "I really don't remember. But it's okay. We still have plenty of time to create more new memories."
The moment she said she didn't remember, a flash of disappointment quickly crossed Chi Yu's eyes, but he quickly recovered. He nodded at Jiang Zhirou. "Yes, we still have plenty of time."
Just then, Jiang Zhirou looked up at the time and exclaimed, "You're going to be late for work. Hurry and go."
As she spoke, she climbed out of bed and pushed him towards the door.
"Does it not hurt anymore?" Chi Yu looked at her sprightly manner and turned to ask.
If he hadn't said that, it would have been okay. But once he did, all her attention was focused on her body, and suddenly every part of her ached.
Her little face immediately drooped.
Chi Yu smiled, stopped in his tracks, and simply picked her up horizontally.
"There's nothing urgent at the company for now. I've arranged everything. I'm on leave this week to spend time with you."
Hearing this, the woman in his arms instinctively thought he had postponed his work because of her. She immediately tried to struggle out of his arms.
Chi Yu saw through her thoughts at a glance. He held her firmly in his arms, looked down at her, and said, "Don't worry. The leave was arranged a long time ago. It has nothing to do with your investigation."
As soon as he said this, Jiang Zhirou immediately fell silent. She looked at the man and playfully joked, "It seems I'm being over - sensitive this time."
Chi Yu paused slightly and also joined in the joking. "Indeed."
"Your 'indeed' my foot." Jiang Zhirou playfully punched him in the chest.
The two of them joked and played all the way. Their moods were clearly much better than before.
Some things were much better said out loud than kept bottled up inside.
Jiang Zhirou understood this truth, and Chi Yu was starting to learn it too.
Chi Yu carried her to the dining room. "Sit here and wait for me for a while."
After saying that, he turned around and walked towards the kitchen.
A little while later, he came out with a plate in his hand.
Jiang Zhirou stared blankly at the croissants, Danish pastries, and bagels on the plate.
"What's this...?"
Chi Yu placed the plate on the table. "I don't know if it's because you stayed in Country A for a while, but I've noticed that your taste has become more Western - oriented recently. You prefer to eat these for breakfast. I've hardly ever made bread before. This is my first time. Try it and see if it's good?"
Hearing his words, a strange light flashed in Jiang Zhirou's eyes. Her heart felt wrapped in something warm.
"Are you using me as a guinea pig?"
She deliberately joked, as if this could keep her emotions from fluctuating too much.
Chi Yu raised his eyebrows. "Yes, let my baby be a guinea pig once."
Saying this, Chi Yu picked up a sliced bagel from the plate and put it into Jiang Zhirou's mouth.
Chi Yu seemed to have a special talent for cooking. Before Jiang Zhirou had even swallowed the food in her mouth, she mumbled, "Is this really your first time making it?"
"Uh - huh." Chi Yu nodded. "How does it taste? Do you like it?"
Jiang Zhirou stuffed another piece into her mouth and gave him a thumbs - up, expressing her love without hesitation.
She chewed the food and spoke at the same time.
"I think with your cooking skills, it's such a waste not to open a restaurant."
As soon as she finished speaking, Chi Yu looked down at her. "Haven't I already opened one?"
At first, she didn't understand. It took her a while to figure out what Chi Yu meant. She looked at him, her eyes full of disbelief. "The dishes at Mumin Building... weren't they all developed by you?"
Chi Yu reached out and gently flicked her forehead. "It seems our baby isn't too stupid after all."
Jiang Zhirou stared blankly at him. No wonder Mumin Building hardly ever opened to the public. No wonder none of the dishes there were ones that Chen Qingmian didn't like.
It turned out that everything had its reasons.
Suddenly, she remembered a sentence she had read somewhere.
"Don't love someone who is only good to you. Love someone who is good in themselves."