Chapter 371: Your son is still in my hands

Tang Yizhou had just opened the door when those words floated out.

Xia Xi didn't see anyone, but recognized the voice; the one who spoke up was Xu Junmo. As expected of Xu Yanfeng's older brother, he doesn't hold back when disparaging his own younger brother.

"Has your brother not gone abroad yet?" Xia Xi turned her head to look at Xu Yanfeng.

"At a critical time, he stayed behind to keep me company with my mother." Xu Yanfeng said, glancing at the room, his brows furrowed, just like the director of discipline, rebuking Tang Yizhou: "Put out the cigarette in your hand."

"Based on……"

Tang Yizhou was turning his neck to talk to the people in the private room when he suddenly heard Xu Yanfeng's rebuke; instinctively he wanted to retort, but when he turned his face toward the doorway, he saw that besides Xu Yanfeng there were also Xia Xi and a child.

He swallowed back the word "what," hurried inside, stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray, and reminded the others: "Don't smoke, have some decency, okay? Didn't you see there's a woman and a child?"

Everyone: "……"

They had thought only Xu Yanfeng would come, but didn't expect his wife and child to also arrive; everyone showed surprise. Only Fu Li, who had known all along, remained calm.

Tang Yizhou glanced over, noticing that among those present Fu Li had the calmest expression; he immediately understood what was going on, and pointed a finger at him from afar: "Old Fu, you with your eight hundred thoughts, you didn't even give us a heads-up."

Fu Li smiled and brushed it off.

Xia Xi knew all of Xu Yanfeng's childhood friends; they had met several times in college, so there was nothing awkward about it—she nodded, treating it as a greeting.

Xu Junmo was thinking about the joke he and Tang Yizhou had just made, figuring the people outside had probably heard it, and he chuckled: "Xu Er's love-struck brain is great—look, he's got a wife and kids. Now take a look at you guys…"

Tang Yizhou: "Hey, you change faces pretty fast."

Everyone chatted and laughed, the atmosphere cheerful.

Xu Junmo had never seen Xu Yanfeng's son before; he treated him like a rare specimen, pulling Zi Heng close to examine his small face—perhaps because of blood relation, just looking at him gave him a sense of familiarity and closeness.

Xu Junmo pointed to himself, lowering his voice, and asked: "Do you know who I am?"

Zi Heng shook his head honestly.

Xu Junmo looked toward Xu Yanfeng not far away, who was helping Xia Xi put on a suit. Xu Junmo clicked his tongue, pinched Zi Heng's tender cheeks, and said: "Your dad didn't tell you about me?"

Zi Heng turned to his father for help; Xu Yanfeng picked up the remote on the coffee table, adjusted the temperature, making the private room as cold as an ice cellar. He put down the remote and leisurely introduced: "That's your father's older brother; call him Uncle. These are the friends your father told you about; just call them Uncle."

Zi Heng was very polite, obediently calling Xu Junmo "Uncle," then looking at the others and saying "Uncle."

The several old gentlemen's hearts all melted.

Xu Junmo patted his pocket: "Your dad's unreliable—he didn't tell me in advance you were coming, and I didn't prepare a greeting gift for you; I can't just let you call me Uncle for nothing."

After feeling all his pockets, Xu Junmo pulled out a checkbook, bit the pen cap off, scribbled quickly, tore it out, folded it, and slipped it into Zi Heng's pocket.

Zi Heng had never seen such a gift, so he looked to his father for help.

Xu Yanfeng, however, was candid: "Keep what Uncle gave you; later I'll buy you some workbooks. In a few days when school starts, you'll be a first-grader."

Xu Junmo laughed: "No one would sabotage their own son like you do." If that money were to buy workbooks, you'd need a train car to haul them—could the kid even finish them?

The others weren't to be outdone, giving what they could; Tang Yizhou, being unserious, tossed the car key of the new vehicle he'd just picked up that afternoon to the child: "Calling you Uncle feels distant; better call me Daddy."

Zi Heng: "……"

Xu Yanfeng threw the car key back: "Can you be a bit reliable? How old is he?"

Tang Yizhou bent over, picked up Zi Heng and set him on his lap, pinching his chin to take a close look. Having grown up with Xu Yanfeng since childhood, he knew exactly what Xu Yanfeng was like as a kid; seeing this, the father and son still had a similar air—pursing their lips, showing a maturity beyond their years.

Tang Yizhou sighed, admitting his earlier judgment was wrong: "When Xu Er just reunited with Xia Xi, he kept saying the child was his, and I thought he'd lost his mind; now it seems the one who lost his mind is me."

Laughter rang out in the private room; even Xia Xi couldn't help but curl her lips, feeling Tang Yizhou's demeanor, tone, and words were hilarious, like a crosstalk act.

Tang Yizhou kept going, trying to get others to agree: "Sigh, in the blink of an eye Xu Er's kid is already in first grade, and I still feel a bit indescribably uneasy. Don't you feel the same?"

Luojinnan: "What are you uneasy about?"

Tang Yizhou: "Don't you understand the psychological gap?"

We all thought everyone was just a single old dog, occasionally gathering to kill time, but Xu Er suddenly had a six- or seven-year-old son and even got married to his first love, turning from a lonely dog into a life winner—who could surpass him?

Xu Yanfeng took a sip of tea, lightly raised his eyebrows, drawled in a tone that could provoke anger: "I know you're jealous; no need to keep emphasizing it."

With his arm across Zi Heng's neck, Tang Yizhou threatened: "Your son is still in my hands; I advise you to speak carefully."

Xu Yanfeng spoke unhurriedly: "I just said the truth; why are you getting worked up?"

Tang Yizhou rolled his eyes, he couldn't do anything to the child, nor could he do anything to Xu Yanfeng; finally glancing at Xia Xi on the side, he said: "Xu Er is so lowly, Xia Xi, aren't you going to manage him? Truly, you can't teach a husband."

Xia Xi was just enjoying the show when she unexpectedly got hit, looking innocent and bewildered.

Everyone's attention was wholly on the child; the drinks they'd ordered remained untouched as they just chatted.

Xia Xi rarely interjected, spending most of the time listening to them talk, occasionally glancing at her phone.

Xu Yanfeng glanced at his watch, called for a waiter, had them set out a meal, and said they should leave after eating, since the child couldn't stay up late.

The topic paused, and several people moved from the sofa area to the dining area, continuing their earlier conversation.

Dishes were served one after another; they got their first look at Xu Yanfeng as a father, attending to the child's food and drink, wiping his hands and face, and doing a decent job. That clear-cut face, usually sharp, took on a hint of affection.

Turning to face Xia Xi, Xu Yanfeng showed another soft, tender expression.

In contrast, these people all seemed superfluous.

Tang Yizhou poured himself a glass of red wine, raised his goblet; others thought he was going to say a toast, but he turned to Xia Xi, cleared his throat, and said: "Xia Xi."

Xia Xi was lowering her head to eat, and involuntarily let out an "ah," then looked up.

Everyone stared blankly at Tang Yizhou.

Tang Yizhou: "That... I was rash before, didn't know my limits—don't take it to heart. Everyone's here, I apologize." After saying that, he nonchalantly tipped his head back and drained the glass.

Looking back at how he had slandered Xia Xi and even gotten people to bully her, it was indeed despicable.

Xia Xi blinked, then smiled: "It's fine."

This little interlude quickly passed; they ate a lively meal. After sitting a bit, Xu Yanfeng took his wife and child and left; the others might still have the second half, but he didn't wait.

Zi Heng got in the car and started to doze off; Xia Xi covered him with Xu Yanfeng's jacket from her own shoulders.

Lights along the road sparkled, bright and dazzling; Xia Xi lowered her head to look at her phone, Zhao Lei shared a link with her that seemed to be from Douyin, which needed to be copied before it could be opened.

Xia Xi operated it, and upbeat background music played; worried about disturbing Zi Heng, she quickly lowered the volume. On the screen, a sharply dressed handsome guy in a suit followed the beat with a few gestures, his clothes vanishing, leaving his upper body bare, his arms tied with thin leather cuffs, his pectorals prominent, his abdominal lines clear.

Xia Xi: "……"

Zhao Lei: "I watched all the handsome guy's works in one breath; good food can't be eaten by me alone!"

Xia Xi was about to leave when she suddenly noticed the man's gaze beside her, straight as a ruler, poking over. Xia Xi frantically pressed the lock screen key, inexplicably guilty: "Let me explain."

This isn't what she wanted to see!

Xu Yanfeng let out a "heh", his expression extremely indifferent: "Let's talk later."