Rebirth: Pampered by My Children and Husband

Chapter 231: Chapter 231: Sowing Discord

Aunt Zhang had prepared the meal, and under Ji Yuqiao’s insistent request, Xie Changyan stayed for dinner.

During the meal, Ji Tingyang’s gaze wandered toward Lin Xu from time to time.

Remembering Lin Xu’s words that she didn’t like her father, Ji Tingyang’s expression was listless, his eyes tinged with a hint of dejection.

He couldn’t believe she would abandon her father because of Xie Changyan.

With that thought, Ji Tingyang’s deep eyes became even more woeful, staring straight at Lin Xu.

Feeling his intense gaze, Lin Xu felt a chill in her heart and reluctantly picked up a piece of meat for Ji Tingyang, flashing him a forced smile.

Ji Tingyang struggled with the idea of not eating her offering as a form of protest, but after a short while, he still shamefully put the meat into his mouth.

“Cough cough…”

The sudden coughing sound drew everyone’s attention.

Lin Xu looked over and saw Ji Zeqiu coughing in her direction again. “What’s the matter, is your throat uncomfortable?”

Ji Zeqiu: “…No.”

“Oh, then eat.”

Lin Xu didn’t mind.

As long as it wasn’t a physical discomfort, she was relieved.

However, not even a few seconds later, Ji Zeqiu pressed his fist to his lips and coughed again softly.

When Lin Xu looked over, Ji Zeqiu put on a serious face and eyed the dish in front of her. “That meat looks very fragrant; I wonder how it tastes but it’s a bit too far away for me to reach.”

There was a hint of regret in his tone.

“It’s delicious, Second Brother, let me get it for you.” Ji Yuqiao stretched her arm out and placed the meat into Ji Zeqiu’s bowl.

Looking at the piece of meat in his bowl, Ji Zeqiu’s countenance immediately fell. “Who wanted you to do that?”

Mother had picked vegetables for Ji Tingyang and hadn’t done the same for him yet.

“If you wanted Lin Xu to pick it for you, you should have just said so.” Ji Yuqiao clicked her tongue disdainfully and took the meat from his bowl back to her own, “Wasting my effort, give me my meat back.”

Ji Zeqiu swiftly glanced at Lin Xu, his expression awkwardly fleeting.

Ji Tingyang hadn’t said anything but had just gazed adoringly at mother, and she had started picking food for him.

Ji Zeqiu had thought that Lin Xu would also pick food for him eventually, but after waiting for a long time, it never happened.

Did his mother not see him as her son anymore?

As he sulkily poked at the rice in his bowl, Lin Xu finally picked some food for him.

Spicy braised shrimp, beef, steamed fish… eventually, she picked a bit of each dish for him.

As the dishes slowly piled into a small mountain in his bowl, the corners of Ji Zeqiu’s lips gradually curved upwards.

Seeing his concealed joy, Lin Xu breathed a sigh of relief and hastily made sure to distribute food evenly to Ji Yuqiao as well.

Watching Lin Xu bustling about, Xie Changyan’s expression carried a hint of disapproval, “They can pick up their own food; you’re spoiling them too much.”

“It’s just picking up food now and then, how is that spoiling them too much?” Lin Xu argued back.

Not long ago, they were just six or seven-year-old children, and even the daughter needed to be fed by her.

And with her son looking at her so pitifully, what was wrong with her picking some food for him?

Xie Changyan frowned but before he could speak, someone beside him chimed in, “We’re a family; what’s wrong with her spoiling us?”

In the presence of the person in question, Ji Zeqiu provocatively sided with Lin Xu, “He actually dared to criticize you; he doesn’t like you at all. You should tell him to get lost.”

Ji Tingyang rarely nodded, agreeing with Ji Zeqiu’s words.

He couldn’t wait for Lin Xu to see Xie Changyan’s true colors and for the two of them to break up quickly.

Lin Xu had a teasing smile in her eyes as she looked at Xie Changyan with great interest.

Let’s see how he handles this.

Xie Changyan’s eyebrows slightly raised, his finger sweeping across her cheek, accompanied by a low chuckle, “How could I not like you? I’m so fond of you that I can’t think of anything but tea or food; your image is all that fills my mind~”

His deep voice spread by her ear, carrying a hint of seduction, and Lin Xu’s cheeks suddenly reddened.

This man, saying such things in front of a child, isn’t embarrassed at all.

Lin Xu glared at Xie Changyan, her eyes carrying a coy and shy resentment.

Ji Tingyang’s face suddenly fell again, and the prejudice in his heart against Xie Changyan deepened a bit more.

So much so that when he saw Xie Changyan the following evening at a business dinner, he did not give him any good looks.

“Why are you here?” Ji Tingyang asked coldly.

This man is like a lingering spirit.

Not only coming to his home, but he also encounters him at business functions.

“It’s like this, I just happened to be discussing a contract at Xie’s today, and when I saw President Xie, I thought I’d invite him over, for everyone to dine together,” a man explained.

No sooner had the man finished speaking than someone tugged at his arm, whispering in his ear, “President Ji and Young Master Xie are like water and fire, incompatible. How could you put them together?”

The man looked shocked at his companion, as if hearing this for the first time, “Really? Then… what should I do?!”

Now it seems neither of them could be asked to leave.

The people around him sighed and patted his shoulder, “You’re on your own, buddy.”

The man’s face instantly showed a mournful expression.

Ji Tingyang wasn’t too fond of Xie Changyan, but Xie Changyan didn’t care and looked at him with slightly raised eyebrows: “It seems we really do have fate.”

Ji Tingyang looked away coldly.

Who wants to have fate with him?

Xie Changyan pulled out a chair and sat down, casually crossing one leg over the other on his knee.

“Aren’t we going to eat? What are you all standing around for?” he glanced at the stunned people around him.

Upon hearing Xie Changyan’s words, those in the private room came back to their senses, chiming in unison, “Right, right… let’s eat, let’s eat…”

Ji Tingyang felt a ripple of irritation flash in his eyes, he tugged at his tie, considering leaving.

But seeing the nonchalant Xie Changyan, he felt that leaving now would mean losing to him, and so he sat back down.

“President Ji.” A woman with a graceful figure approached Ji Tingyang, her movements carrying a touch of flirtation, “Our company appreciates your support these past days. Let me toast to you~”

Ji Tingyang emptied the glass of wine in one swig.

“President Ji really can hold his liquor~” the woman said with a smile, her hand reaching for his shoulder.

Just as she was about to lean in, Ji Tingyang’s presence turned suddenly frosty, “Get lost.”

The woman was startled, her body shuddering, and she didn’t handle her wine glass carefully, spilling a few drops onto Ji Tingyang.

The displeasure in Ji Tingyang’s eyes grew more intense.

The woman’s complexion turned pale, and her voice shook, “I’m sorry, President Ji, it wasn’t on purpose, let me clean that up for you.”

Ji Tingyang’s already irritated mood became even colder and more intimidating; he shook off the woman’s hand that tried to clean up, “Don’t touch me with your filthy hands.”

Just when everyone was too scared to utter a word, Xie Changyan’s voice rang out, “Who taught you to speak like that?”

“What, you want to teach me manners now?” Ji Tingyang shot back coldly.