Chapter 85: Chapter 85: Forgotten Memories Gradually Recover

Ji Zeqiu’s mind wandered off when he heard about Lin Xu’s hospital check-up. He kept thinking, had she fallen ill? And if so, what sickness could it be…

He had just told himself that he should stay calm for a while, not to project his mother’s image onto her, and to treat her like anyone else.

Yet, another voice in his head emerged, telling him.

Even if you treat her as anyone else, it’s normal to show concern if you know the other person is sick.

After much internal struggle, he finally found a reason to convince himself. Just as he was about to call Lin Xu, he received a message from her.

Willow Wadding: “Can I stay at the Ji Mansion for a few days?”

Ji Zeqiu’s reply came almost instantaneously.

Zeqiu: “Why?”

Willow Wadding: “Aren’t you staying with the film crew these days? I’m a bit bored being home alone, so I thought of staying at the mansion for a while. Is that really not okay?”

Willow Wadding: “PitifulKitty.jpg”

The kitten in the picture had teary eyes, irresistibly inducing sympathy, very much like Lin Xu’s usual way of feigning pitifulness.

Ji Zeqiu’s face gradually darkened as he looked at the kitten expression pack.

Zeqiu: “Is there anything else, besides this?”

Willow Wadding: “No, that’s it.”

Willow Wadding: “Ah, and remember to take care of yourself while you’re out. Be careful not to get hurt while filming, and watch your diet. You had gastroenteritis last time…”

Lin Xu sent many caring reminders, which would usually annoy Ji Zeqiu, and then he would take screenshots to send to Ji Tingyang while mocking him.

But right now, he had no such inclination.

His gaze swept over the full screen of text, yet he could not find the information he wished to see.

His expressionless face was clouded with gloom.

Why hadn’t she told him about her sickness?

Did she find him less reliable than Ji Tingyang, so she said nothing and moved to the mansion for Ji Tingyang to take care of her?

“The male supporting role has NG-ed more than a dozen times already, and the shooting has been continuously delayed. It probably won’t be our turn today. How about we go back to the hotel and rest?” The agent came over from the director’s side, muttering under his breath.

Seeing Ji Zeqiu’s grim expression, he was momentarily shocked, “What’s wrong? Don’t you feel well?”

“I’m not going back to the hotel. I have something to take care of,” Ji Zeqiu said, heading straight for the exit.

All the way, Ji Zeqiu was agitated and restless. Unconsciously, he found himself driving to the Ji Mansion. A wave of annoyance passed through his eyes.

Why had he driven here?

But since he was here, why not sneak in for a quick look?

As long as he saw that she was alright, he would leave.

Thinking so, Ji Zeqiu lightened his footsteps and entered.

He immediately saw Lin Xu sitting on the sofa, alongside a Ji Tingyang.

In the next moment, he saw Ji Tingyang wrapping his arms around Lin Xu. Before Ji Zeqiu’s displeasure could rise, he heard Ji Tingyang’s voice tinged with a whiny tone that was not easily detected.

“Mother, would you please come back and stay here?”

Ji Zeqiu was shocked and lost color in his face, feeling a ringing in his ears, his thoughts came to a complete halt, and he stood rooted to the spot.

Mother?

Why was Ji Tingyang calling her ‘Mother’?

Did he, like Ji Zeqiu, see Lin Xu as similar to their mother and was treating her like a shadow?

Or perhaps…

Ji Zeqiu’s mind was in chaos, his brain seemingly rusted, unable to turn.

In the living room.

Lin Xu extended her hand and gently stroked Ji Tingyang’s head, a faint smile hanging on her lips, “You used to accompany me shopping so unwillingly as a child, why have you become so clingy as you’ve grown up?”

Xiao Tingyang had always been a cold and distant child, not liking to be held, nor fond of going out with her.

Back then, she even discussed with her husband with sadness, wondering if their oldest son didn’t like her.

To her surprise, he had completely changed his personality as he grew up.

Hearing her teasing, Ji Tingyang’s ears turned red, and he didn’t make a sound for a long time.

Meanwhile, at the entrance of the Ji Mansion, Ji Zeqiu’s figure had long since disappeared.

He drove away, in a daze as he returned to his apartment.

The place felt much lonelier without Lin Xu, darkness filling the entire apartment.

Ji Zeqiu didn’t turn on the lights, collapsing straight onto the couch and lying face down.

Only one question repeated in his mind.

Why?

The next morning.

Persistent ringing kept sounding off in the apartment.

The phone kept ringing, automatically hanging up only to ring again.

It conveyed a determination to ring indefinitely, until someone picked up.

Ji Zeqiu turned over on the couch with a frown, his long arm picking up the mobile phone from the floor and carelessly placing it to his ear to answer, his voice hoarse, “Hello, what is it?”

“What is it? You’re asking me what it is?!” The agent roared angrily, “Where on earth have you run off to! Don’t you know you have scenes to shoot today!”

“I forgot,” Ji Zeqiu rubbed his forehead, irritable, “I have something to do today, so I won’t be going.”

The agent was fuming, “The whole crew has been waiting for you for half a day, and now you say you can’t make it, do you want tomorrow’s headlines to be all about your diva behavior and not showing up?”

Ji Zeqiu was indifferent, “Just ask the director for a leave, that’s all.”

“You’re telling me to ask for a leave now, at the last minute, do you want the director to blow up at me!” the agent hysterically protested.

Because today was supposed to be Ji Zeqiu’s shooting day, the location, props, and supporting actors had all been prepared in advance, and his absence now meant he was standing up the entire crew.

Moreover, the schedules of other actors had been fixed well in advance, it wasn’t easy to adjust on the fly.

Just the waste of today would cost the crew how much time and money.

Thinking about it made the agent’s head ache, “Big brother, do you think you’re too famous already?”

Ji Zeqiu paid no attention to his complaints, casually saying, “Just make up any excuse you like, say I got hit by a car or something. Anyway, don’t disturb me today.”

After speaking, he turned off his phone.

Ji Zeqiu lay on the couch for a while longer, and through the night, Ji Tingyang’s call of “mother” still echoed in his mind.

After a long while, he abruptly got up, grabbed his car keys, and left the house.

Arriving at the Ji Mansion once more, both Ji Tingyang and Lin Xu were absent.

Seeing him, the butler thought he was looking for Ji Tingyang, and said, “The eldest young master went out with Miss Lin, I’ll pass on the message to him.”

“No need, I came back to get some things, not to see him,” Ji Zeqiu replied without breaking stride, heading straight to his old room.

Under the bed hid an old wooden box, its once glossy surface now mottled and faded.

Ji Zeqiu had hidden all the things related to his parents in this wooden box, abandoning it here when he moved.

He pulled out the wooden box, a thick layer of dust accumulated on it, sealing the years inside that he yearned for.

The box was reopened by him, as if opening Pandora’s box, those memories he had tried hard to forget gradually came back.