Zhuang Qilin hesitated for a moment before saying, âOf course I like you, Dad.â
âOther than Mom, I love you the most in this world.â No matter how good Bruce was, he was not his father. No matter how shameful his father was, he still loved him. A few years ago, although Zhuang Long ignored Xiao Li, he treated Zhuang Qilin quite well.
Every holiday, he would ask the butler to prepare a gift for Zhuang Qilin in advance. When he was not busy, he would bring Zhuang Qilin out for a walk and play games with him.
The relationship between the father and son was not bad.
In the past few years, Zhuang Long had not been by their side. Zhuang Qilin often missed those happy days.
He said gloomily, âAlthough Mom and Uncle Bruce are about to get married and thereâs no hope for you to get back together with her, Dad, you have to remember that I will always love you.â
This topic was too heavy for Zhuang Qilin and Zhuang Long.
He could not bear to hear it any more, so he changed the topic.
After accompanying Zhuang Qilin for a while in school, he was about to take a nap before Zhuang Long returned home.
Their house was in the suburbs, and the road home was pleasant. Zhuang Long drove a little slowly. He admired the scenery by the roadside and finally drove onto a small road. A few kilometers from here was his home. Zhuang Long had just driven the car onto the small road when he saw an uncle in front of him with a bag of rice on his shoulder.
Zhuang Long stopped the car beside the person and recognized him. He shouted at him, âUncle Jimmy, are you not driving?â
Uncle Jimmy was a middle-aged man who was more than 1.8 meters tall. He looked especially tough and looked like a mighty and serious person. He lived next door to Zhuang Long. Not long after Zhuang Long bought this manor, Uncle Jimmy moved over. Usually, he, his wife, and a sheepdog called Parker lived in his house.
Uncle Jimmy did not seem to have a fixed profession, but there were always people who came to visit him. Sometimes, he would go overseas for business. When he returned, he would always come to Zhuang Longâs house. He was also a helper of Zhuang Longâs family. He would come to his house regularly to trim the branches and flowers in the manor.
Uncle Jimmy had a very interesting soul, and Zhuang Long loved to chat with him. Talking to him always made Zhuang Long feel happy.
Therefore, when he saw Uncle Jimmy walking with a bag of rice, he naturally had to stop the car and help.
Upon hearing Zhuang Longâs question, Uncle Jimmy said, âOur car is broken. When my son comes back, he will accompany me to buy another one.â
Zhuang Long had heard that Uncle Jimmy had a son, but he had never seen him before. After all, he was busy. Usually, Uncle Jimmy came to his house to hang out but he had never been to Uncle Jimmyâs house. At most, he would look at Uncle Jimmyâs house from afar from the window.
âThen get in the car. Iâll drive you back.â
âThank you very much.â
Uncle Jimmy put the rice in the trunk and got into the passenger seat.
On the way, the two of them chatted aimlessly.
âHow have you been, Long?â
âItâs the same.â The corners of Zhuang Longâs mouth collapsed and he said, âTo be honest, something unpleasant has happened recently. Iâm in a bad mood.â
Jimmy asked, âDo you mind sharing it with me?â
Zhuang Long shrugged and said, âOf course.â
The car flashed past the Zhuang familyâs entrance and drove towards Uncle Jimmyâs house. Zhuang Long then said, âJust today, my ex-wife announced that she was going to marry her new boyfriend.â
Uncle Jimmy also knew about Zhuang Long and Xiao Li.
Hearing this, he raised his hand and sighed helplessly. Then he patted Zhuang Longâs shoulder and sighed. âThatâs too bad.â Uncle Jimmy saw his wife, Rachel, standing at the entrance to the courtyard in front of his house, waiting for him.
Beside her, the dog called Parker was wagging his tail.
âLong, if youâre not busy, you can come to my house for a cup of coffee. My wife roasted cookies this morning. Her cookies are really top-notch. If you eat them, youâll definitely be in a good mood,â Uncle Jimmy invited him warmly.
Zhuang Long thought about it and agreed.
Anyway, there was nothing to do when he went back.
Uncle Jimmy carried the rice home. Zhuang Long rubbed Parkerâs head and asked him, âHey, Boy, why havenât I seen you hanging around my house recently?â Parker was a dog who was not afraid of strangers. He often ran to Zhuang Longâs house and rolled around on his backyard lawn.
He had not seen him much recently.
Rachel smiled. âSpring is here. Parker has a girlfriend.â Rachel pretended to be sad again. âUnfortunately, spring is coming to an end. Parker is heartbroken.â
Zhuang Long could not help but laugh.
âIt seems like weâre in the same boat.â
This was the first time Zhuang Long came to Uncle Jimmyâs house, and he could not help but look around. This was a very ordinary bungalow with three floors. The house was decorated very simply, and Rachel had decorated the house very warmly. Everything was very clean. This was an ordinary family, but it made Zhuang Long feel warm.
His house was too big. Although it was luxurious, it did not have this warmth.
Zhuang Long sat in Uncle Jimmyâs side courtyard, drinking coffee and eating roasted cookies. âWell, Ms. Rachelâs roasted cookies are really delicious.â Zhuang Long could not help but eat another piece.
Uncle Jimmy said, âI was attracted to her because of a box of cookies back then. I wonât get tired of eating this for the rest of my life.â
Uncle Jimmy was showing off his love.
This was a fatal blow to Zhuang Long.
âPlease, donât show off your love in front of a bachelor like me.â Zhuang Long seemed angry, but he was actually envious. In the past, if someone told him that a determined bachelor like him would be envious of a lifetime together with someone, he would definitely scoff.
The sunlight was just right, and Zhuang Long could not help but lean back in his chair. He looked up and saw a cool pair of binoculars by the bed of the bedroom on the second floor. Zhuang Long asked Jimmy, âWhose room is that?â
âMine.â Uncle Jimmy realized that Zhuang Long was sizing up the binoculars. He smiled and said, âThe starry sky at night here is very beautiful. Sometimes, when I have nothing to do, I open the window and quietly admire the night sky. To be honest, itâs really beautiful.â
Zhuang Long touched his chin and thought to himself, I really couldnât tell that an iron man was so romantic.
After sitting at Uncle Jimmyâs house for more than an hour, Zhuang Long stood up and bade farewell.
He drove home and stopped the car. As he went back to his room, he passed by the attic and suddenly remembered something he had neglected. The binoculars in Uncle Jimmyâs roomâ¦
Zhuang Long returned to his room and pulled open the curtains. He realized that his room faced Uncle Jimmyâs room.
Zhuang Longâs expression turned cold.
Was it a coincidence?
Uncle Jimmy had been his neighbor for many years. He was indeed an upright person. Perhaps he was overthinking.
Zhuang Long dispelled his worries.