Rebirth: Pampered by My Children and Husband

Chapter 226: Chapter 226: Pinky Promise

Lin Xu typically bought necklaces and earrings, rarely rings.

So, the moment Ji Tingyang saw this ring, he knew it must have been a gift from Xie Changyan.

Just the thought of Xie Changyan proposing to Lin Xu, trying to snatch his mother away from him, intensified the icy chill within him.

Ji Tingyang had always been worried about Lin Xu abandoning them to choose a new life, and it seemed to be gradually approaching.

He gripped Lin Xu’s hand tighter, his dark eyes like ink seemingly harboring a storm, a tempest brewing.

Lin Xu’s fingers massaged his furrowed brow, explaining, “There wasn’t a proposal, don’t imagine things.”

“But…” Ji Tingyang hesitated, his gaze returning to the ring on her hand.

“It’s just a simple gift, really not what you think,” Lin Xu reassured, cradling his cheek, her clear eyes roundly fixing on him, “Don’t you believe what I say?”

The gloom on Ji Tingyang’s face slowly faded, and he pressed his lips together before saying, “I believe.”

But his eyes still held dissatisfaction, “Mother, don’t wear it.”

Seeing it, he would be reminded of Xie Changyan.

Lin Xu knew he felt insecure and could only assure him time and again, “Haven’t I promised you that we will always be together as a family?”

“Even if I wear this ring or not, we’ll always be together, right? How about I promise you that?” Like cajoling a child, Lin Xu extended her pinky to hook his, making a promise.

This familiar gesture momentarily stunned Ji Tingyang.

Memories he had forgotten suddenly flooded in.

“Mama had a lot of work and forgot to pick you up from kindergarten today, can you forgive me?” Lin Xu crouched in front of Ji Tingyang, a pitiful look in her eyes as she pleaded for his forgiveness.

He didn’t know who he got it from, but Ji Tingyang would always have a stern face, even though he was just a four or five-year-old child.

He turned his little face away, huffily refusing to look at her.

“Mama will make a pinky promise with you, I guarantee I will pick you up from kindergarten tomorrow,” Lin Xu’s pinky hooked Ji Tingyang’s chubby little hand.

“The teacher says, if you pinky promise, you must keep your word,” Ji Tingyang said in his soft voice.

Lin Xu nodded frantically, “I definitely won’t forget tomorrow.”

Whether his mother did pick him up from kindergarten afterwards, he couldn’t remember anymore.

But looking at their linked pinkies, Ji Tingyang grasped her hand back, a wave of nostalgia washing over him.

Perhaps because Lin Xu had pacified him, Ji Tingyang was exceptionally generous today in allowing her to visit Xie Changyan at the hospital.

Of course, Ji Tingyang would be going with her.

“We’ll go back right after delivering dinner to him, not a minute longer,” Ji Tingyang reminded her for the eleventh time on the hospital elevator.

Lin Xu couldn’t help but laugh, “Alright, alright, I got it, no need to nag like an old man.”

Upon arriving at the patient’s room.

Lin Xu found that Xie Changyan’s health was indeed recovering as well as he had said.

All the dense array of medical devices previously attached to him had been removed, the gauze on his head was gone, and he could even get out of bed now.

He was sitting by the window in a chair, flipping through a book nonchalantly yet quickly. It wasn’t clear whether he had finished reading or was just flipping pages at random.

Hearing noise, Xie Changyan looked up.

As soon as Lin Xu entered, her eyes met his, which brimmed with warmth, more so than before.

She felt a sense of déjà vu, pausing for a moment. Before she could figure it out, Xie Changyan put down the book he was holding.

“I think I smell the aroma of food,” he said.

Lin Xu snapped back to reality and walked over, placing the thermal lunch box on the table in front of him, “Did I come too late?”

“The timing is just right,” Xie Changyan replied with a light smile at the corner of his mouth.

As Lin Xu took the dishes out of the thermal lunch box, a trace of pride crossed her face, “These are all recipes I got from the nutritionist. They said these are the best for nourishing the body, and I’ve already tested the taste. They’re all delicious.”

“They do look delicious, you even forgot to wipe the oil from the corner of your mouth,” Xie Changyan chuckled, reaching out to wipe the grease from the corner of her mouth.

The pad of his thumb gently caressed her lips, inadvertently brushing her rosy lips.

Lin Xu’s heart skipped a beat, her cheeks flushing with a wave of heat, and she knew without looking that her face must be very red.

She fumbled with her sleeve, wiping her mouth in a messy fashion, “There, now it’s gone.”

“Now the clothes are dirty,” Xie Changyan shook his head with a tone of helpless amusement, “How can you still be like this…”

“Hmm? What did you say?” Lin Xu asked, looking at him.

Just as Xie Changyan was about to speak, Ji Tingyang’s voice, cold as frost, rang out from the side, “The food has been delivered, and we should leave now.”

Ji Tingyang glared fiercely at Xie Changyan, as if he wanted to bore a hole through him with his stare.

He moved his hands and feet in front of Lin Xu so casually, clearly not any kind of gentleman.

Lin Xu looked hesitant, stuttering, “Are you in such a hurry? Why don’t we wait until he’s finished eating before leaving, so we can take the thermal lunch box back with us?”

Ji Tingyang’s lips were pressed tight, his face full of displeasure.

He knew it.

As soon as his mother saw Xie Changyan, she was unwilling to leave.

She had agreed with him that they would leave after delivering the food, but now she wanted to wait until Xie Changyan had finished eating.

“I promise, as soon as he finishes eating, we will leave,” Lin Xu pleaded with those round, imploring eyes of hers.

Ji Tingyang’s heart softened, and before he knew it, his head nodded involuntarily.

A flicker of annoyance passed through his eyes.

During the meal, a doctor came to check the room, saying he needed to prescribe some more medicine for Xie Changyan.

Upon hearing this, Lin Xu immediately followed the doctor to the office, leaving the two incompatible men behind in the sickroom.

The atmosphere in the sickroom became somewhat silent for a while, so quiet that only the sound of Xie Changyan’s chopsticks could be heard.

“How have you been these past dozen or so years?” Xie Changyan was the first to break the stiff silence between them.

Ji Tingyang’s eyes narrowed slightly, his gaze wary as he responded, “How I’ve been is none of your business.”

“Lin Xu may like you, but I certainly don’t. No matter how you try to ingratiate yourself, I will never agree to you two getting married,” he said harshly.

Xie Changyan seemed to hear something amusing, his tone filled with a pleasant hint, “And your disapproval makes a difference?”

Ji Tingyang hesitated for a moment, realizing the truth as well.

Whatever Lin Xu did, the one to make compromises would always only be himself in the end.

Just like before, she delayed their return home once more.

With a few sweet words, he found himself unable to resist compromising.

Perhaps in the end, he would even watch as Lin Xu and Xie Changyan got married.

As long as his mother was happy…

With that thought, Ji Tingyang’s face suddenly turned grim, adamantly rebutting, “Anyway, you are just a substitute in her heart; she would never marry you.”