CH 51

mrs. xiaotong was an interesting person. if you were to extract a few labels from her life, the first one would definitely be “free-spirited.”

at the age of seventeen, she traveled all around china, and by nineteen, she was already in a romantic relationship and married. at the age of twenty, she gave birth to jiang heng, and her life was like stepping on the accelerator pedal, racing forward.

“my maternal grandfather was one of the first university graduates in new china. he was a fairly good engineer after graduation and met my grandmother when he was involved in a relatively significant confidential project. my mother was born when my grandmother was in her mid-thirties.” jiang heng drove onto the main road and casually lowered the volume of the sound system. then he continued, “my maternal grandfather had a broad perspective, and he didn’t have the traditional mindset of favoring sons over daughters. so, he raised my mom to be quite… free-spirited.”

jiang heng smiled and added, almost as if he was reporting a minor offense, “on my eighth birthday, she bought a cake taller than me at the time as a surprise. however, while setting up the surprise at home, she couldn’t resist the temptation of the cake and ended up cutting a piece for herself. she even accidentally broke the chocolate sign that had my name on it while cutting the cake. to cover up her tracks, she inserted the chocolate piece into the cake and claimed it was like that from the beginning.”

ji yao chuckled. “really? didn’t you cry?”

“what’s the big deal?” jiang heng said casually. “thinking about it now, it was quite childish, but it was all good fun.”

mrs. xiaotong got married early and gave birth to jiang heng before she had fully grown up. instances like this, where she didn’t pay attention to details, were common. there was even a time when she mistook her business ledger for jiang heng’s notebook when packing his school bag. this mistake led to jiang heng having to write an extra composition the next day.

after that incident, jiang heng didn’t dare to let his mum pack his school bag again, and he developed a strong sense of self-reliance.

“my mom loves to have fun,” jiang heng paused, seeming to think that his previous statement might be misconstrued, so he added, “it’s different from people like us. my mom is good at swimming, martial arts, and all sorts of outdoor activities. when she was younger, she would often drag me out to play whenever she was in the mood, and there was no stopping her.”

this was the first time ji yao had heard jiang heng talk about his childhood, and it felt quite refreshing. he couldn’t help but turn his head to look at jiang heng’s profile and asked eagerly, “how old were you back then?”

“about eight or nine years old? i had just started primary school.” jiang heng smiled. “speaking of which, did you ever receive those notices from school during summer and winter vacations, telling parents to supervise their children and not let them play near rivers or go to internet cafes or video arcades?”

“yes,” ji yao nodded.

“i actually signed those notices myself. my mum didn’t care about them. she believed that children had their own nature, and if they were inclined to misbehave, they would do it no matter what. if they weren’t, it didn’t matter where you took them.” jiang heng said, “my skill in playing billiards was taught by her. the first time i touched a pool cue, i was quite young.”

ji yao, “…”

ji yao couldn’t help but be surprised at mrs. xiaotong’s parenting style. he had grown up in a traditional family with strict rules, so hearing about jiang heng’s mother’s approach was both unimaginable and slightly enviable.

“didn’t you feel envious of other kids when you were in school?” ji yao couldn’t help but wonder. “having a mom like that?”

“yes,” jiang heng burst into laughter. “when i was in elementary school, she attended a parent-teacher conference, and my classmates thought she was my sister.”

“in elementary school?” ji yao laughed. “they didn’t think the same in middle school?”

“no,” jiang heng’s smile faded slightly. “i didn’t meet with my mum as often in middle school.”

ji yao raised an eyebrow in curiosity. “why’s that?”

“it’s not a big deal. my grandfather didn’t approve of my mom getting married so early, and he didn’t like the man she chose. but during her rebellious phase, the more my grandfather objected, the more she wanted to get married. in the end, he didn’t stop her and agreed.” jiang heng explained, “however, her choice in men wasn’t great. she was too young and was easily deceived. later, her marriage wasn’t very happy.”

the conversation suddenly took a somber turn, and ji yao regretted asking that question. however, jiang heng didn’t seem to be bothered by it. his momentary discomfort only lasted for a brief moment before he returned to normal.

“but she managed to make the right decision in time,” jiang heng continued. “by the way, give me a cigarette?”

jiang heng was driving, so ji yao reached into the glove compartment and handed him half a pack of cigarettes.

“do you really want one?” ji yao asked.

“just one,” jiang heng negotiated with ji yao. “i’ve had a headache after listening to the court proceedings all day.”

neither ji yao nor jiang heng had a smoking habit, but they occasionally used cigarettes as a way to relieve stress. in their high-pressure jobs, it was sometimes necessary to have a small release.

ji yao took a cigarette from the pack, contemplated for a moment, and instead of giving it to jiang heng, he lit it himself.

he bit the cigarette with his teeth, tightened his grip, and brought it closer to the flame.

jiang heng noticed ji yao’s actions and, without stopping him, slowed down the car’s speed. he saw what ji yao was trying to do.

after lighting the cigarette, ji yao took a puff to make sure it was lit before passing it to jiang heng.

“taking advantage of me?” jiang heng chuckled.

“well, that’s the only way to light it,” ji yao replied seriously.

jiang heng smiled and didn’t expose him any further. he accepted the cigarette, then opened the car window slightly to let the smoke drift out. after that, he continued their previous conversation.

“anyway, she married a french businessman of italian descent a few years ago, and now she’s living well abroad. she’s also happy. he’s a year younger than her, but he treats her very well. according to my mom, they are soulmates.”

“that’s good,” ji yao sighed in relief.

he had been worried that he might say something to trigger painful memories for jiang heng, but hearing that his mother had found happiness brought some comfort.

“are you still nervous?” jiang heng asked.

ji yao checked his feelings and found that he was indeed feeling much better. he shook his head honestly.

jiang heng smiled and didn’t say anything more.

he drove ji yao to the airport and then led him to the underground level. ji yao initially thought he was going to buy a gift for mrs. xiaotong, but to his surprise, jiang heng took him to a watch store.

“huh?” ji yao pointed to the other side and asked, “isn’t the jewelry store over there?”

“yeah, i know,” jiang heng said.

ji yao glanced around, feeling puzzled. he had seen the store’s logo before entering, and while the store wasn’t exactly affordable, it seemed like an unusual choice for a gift—especially since, although jiang heng hadn’t said it outright, it was evident from his words that mrs. xiaotong was well off.

could it be that jiang heng had changed his taste? ji yao wondered.

he followed jiang heng to the counter, and the salesperson handed jiang heng a square-shaped watch box.

jiang heng opened the box, revealing a mechanical watch with a deep blue leather strap inside. the watch had a simple and clean design with a white dial and gold frame, adorned only with a small moon phase wheel.

“give me your hand,” jiang heng said.

ji yao instinctively extended his hand, but he quickly pulled it back before jiang heng could put the watch on his wrist.

“did you buy it for me?” ji yao asked.

“who else would it be for?” jiang heng held the watch and smiled. “is there anyone else here besides you and me?”

ji yao, feeling a bit awkward, patted jiang heng’s hand lightly. “you don’t have to look at me, keep an eye out for your mom! what if we miss her?”

jiang heng thought for a moment and, before he could respond, he heard someone not far behind them calling his name.

“heng—heng—!”