Xingxing bumped into Xiaoran, then disappeared from their sight coldly.
"So full of personality!"
Ye Chenhan, who was distracted, had his attention drawn by Xiaoran's remark. He watched Xiaoran's eager gaze following Xingxing into the distance, finding it amusing.
A cold-faced child meeting an enthusiastic child? The house was bound to be lively.
"Qianqian, come here. Uncle will take you to play on the swing," Ye Chenhan crouched down and called.
Before Qianqian could swing even twice, Xingxing interrupted. Qianqian, still wanting to play, eagerly ran to Ye Chenhan.
Gripped under his arms, Qianqian was lifted high into the air.
"Here we go, playing on the swing!"
Xiaoran and Yuze followed.
Emerging from the room, Ye Ziyu stood on the stairs looking towards the dining room.
"Xiaoran?" she inquired, her gaze falling on the little boy with his back to her, drinking water. "Why did you change clothes?"
As she walked over and reached out, the boy in front of her deftly dodged her hand.
"What's wrong?" Ye Ziyu thought Xiaoran was being moody.
Just as she was about to ask again, the boy turned his head, leaving her stunned.
He wasn't Xiaoran!
Xingxing glared at her, forcefully put down the cup he was holding, and went upstairs, ignoring her presence.
Ye Ziyu stood rooted to the spot, her mind still reeling from the shock.
Who was he? Why did he look so much like Xiaoran?
Xingxing went upstairs and happened to encounter Di Mingjue coming out.
"Where did you get these clothes?" Di Mingjue reached out and took the baseball cap off Xingxing's head.
Taking a closer look, he realized the child in his arms wasn't Xiaoran at all.
Xingxing glared fiercely at Di Mingjue. The sudden embrace made him detest it, wanting to destroy any part of him that had been touched.
While Di Mingjue was still dazed, Xingxing kicked at his inner thigh and wriggled free from the arm wrapped around his waist.
"Don't touch me!"
Di Mingjue instinctively reached out, but was stopped mid-air by the hateful voice filled with disgust.
Xingxing suppressed the hatred in his heart and left with resentment.
It was only later that Di Mingjue realized the child in front of him merely resembled Xiaoran, but was not Xiaoran.
With this thought, he went downstairs.
Ye Ziyu was still recalling what had just happened. As her gaze met Di Mingjue's, they both spoke about their encounters simultaneously.
"The Ye family has a child who looks very much like Xiaoran!"
"You saw him too?" Di Mingjue asked in surprise.
Ye Ziyu nodded, looking at her empty palm. "I mistook him for Xiaoran and he even detested me."
"Me too," Di Mingjue said, sitting beside Ye Ziyu. He spoke of his thoughts. "I always feel like this child harbors hatred towards me."
The look he gave when he left made even an adult like him feel unnerved.
"Enemy?" Ye Ziyu thought he was exaggerating. "Are you mistaken? He's just a child of a few years old. You have no past grievances, so why would he hold a grudge against you?"
While the logic was sound, Di Mingjue felt something was not quite right.
Seeing him still pondering, Ye Ziyu waved her palm in front of him. "Alright, you're too nervous. Stop thinking about it and go see where the children have gone."
As soon as she finished speaking, the children's laughter drifted in from outside the door.
Ye Chenhan carried Qianqian in his arms, had Xiaoran on his back, and held Yuze's hand as he walked towards the living room with difficulty.
"Be careful, be careful, don't fall!"
"Xiaoran, why are you climbing on someone else?"
Ye Ziyu ran forward with a worried expression.
"Don't worry, he won't fall."
Just as Ye Chenhan finished speaking, Xiaoran's wrist felt a pain, and he retracted it, dropping a considerable distance.
The weight on his back slid down, and with no free hand, Ye Chenhan was startled into a cold sweat.
Fortunately, Di Mingjue noticed in time and his outstretched hand happened to catch Xiaoran's backside. He then lifted him off his back and gently tapped his head, "Naughty!"
Ye Ziyu, with a stern face, took Qianqian from Ye Chenhan's arms, looking at the calm Ye Chenhan with slight displeasure.