TYAM Chapter 60

As soon as Peng Jiahui left, Jiang Wang leaned over and touched the talisman hanging around Peng Xingwang’s neck.  

“You have something like this now?”  

The child giggled mischievously, tucking it back under his collar with a sense of pride, reluctant to show it off further.  

Jiang Wang sulked for a moment, then turned back to packing their belongings.  

He couldn’t exactly be jealous of himself—or of such a small trinket, for that matter. He let it go.  

Before the move, they also checked in with Du Wenjuan.  

Her daughter, Yinyin, was born on March 1st. Still too young to crawl, the baby was diligently practicing how to roll over.  

With a confinement nanny alternating shifts with a babysitter, Du Wenjuan was much less stressed than during her first pregnancy, though her voice still carried a hint of fatigue.  

“I can’t believe he agreed to let Xingxing leave with you,” she said softly. “I haven’t returned to Hongcheng for years since leaving, mostly because I didn’t want to see him.”  

The phone line was silent for a long moment before she spoke again, her voice clear and steady.  

“Peng Jiahui is a scumbag.”  

Having this younger cousin of hers as her shield, Du Wenjuan finally said about her struggles in the past– it’s something she had rarely dared to say much before. 

“He used the child as leverage to force me to stay in Hongcheng, refusing to let me take him with me. He even threatened that if I left, I’d get slapped if I ever came back to see Xingxing.”  

“If it weren’t for you… I wouldn’t have dared to come back to see Xingxing.”  

Jiang Wang quietly listened to her pour out her grievances, finally understanding the many sleepless questions that had haunted him late at night.  

He didn’t defend Peng Jiahui or pass judgment on their history, simply lending his ear.  

“Later, when friends from Hongcheng came to Cizhou for a visit, they said that ever since Peng Jiahui got to know you, he’s changed a lot.”  

Du Wenjuan sighed at this.  

“It’s incredible, really. But even now, I still don’t feel comfortable entrusting the child to that beast.”  

She had barely escaped the chaos and fear of her past, and every visit to see her son risked being trapped again by that man, unable to break free.  

“I heard… you get along well with him?”  

“We’re acquaintances. With Xingxing around, we inevitably have to interact.”  

Jiang Wang listened to the discrepancies in their accounts without correcting or justifying either version.  

He accepted the reality that they were separated and would grow further apart.  

Hearing her story, he felt a strange sense of disconnection.  

Peng Jiahui had worked hard to appear like a decent person in front of him, seemingly intent on making amends to Xingxing in the future.  

The difference between the man Peng Jiahui used to be and who he was now, especially with Jiang Wang’s influence in the equation, was stark, almost irreconcilable.  

Du Wenjuan let out a small “oh” and then expressed her concerns again. “I’m just worried Xingxing might not adjust well to Yuhan. But no matter what, it’s better than bringing him to Cizhou.”  

“Here, everyone speaks Wu dialect. Sometimes when I go to the market, I can’t even understand what the elderly are saying. I’m afraid he’ll feel lonely here and won’t make friends.” She paused, her voice tinged with regret. “I’m not a good mother. I didn’t bring him over and am causing trouble for you.”  

“Don’t overthink it. Focus on taking care of Yinyin,” Jiang Wang said lightly. “If Xingxing wants to, he can come to Cizhou for middle and high school. I’ll be there with him.”  

“Cizhou’s college entrance exams are too strict. It’s better not to transfer his residency there,” Du Wenjuan sighed. She overanalyzed everything, making even the listener feel drained. “I’ll do my best to accompany him here during the college entrance exam years. The child can stay with Chang Hua for a year.”  

“Hmm, let’s decide when the time comes,” Jiang Wang replied.  

---

After renovations, the new home was spacious and bright, with four bedrooms and two living areas.  

In the small outdoor garden, they built a glass greenhouse and even set up a swing. A few grape vines were planted around it, left to grow as they pleased.  

When Peng Xingwang moved in, he wandered around the house several times, marveling as he had during the last move. “This place is perfect for raising a doggy!”  

Jiang Wang quickly stopped Fang Quanyou, who was about to agree. “Don’t spoil him. This kid hasn’t even settled in yet. Adding a dog would just create more chaos.”  

Fang Quanyou nodded regretfully. “If you ever want one, let me know. I’ll bring one over.”  

The little yellow shared bike naturally moved with them, now locked in the underground garage beside a regular bicycle.  

Peng Xingwang, still traumatized by the bike’s theft, insisted on adding two more locks. His big brother dragged him over to look at the security cameras in the corner.  

“See that? It’s on 24/7. No one’s stealing anything here.”  

The child spent a long time patting the bike handle like he was petting a dog before reluctantly following Jiang Wang upstairs.  

The new home was conveniently close to Experimental Primary School[mfn]experimental schools usually had a more, well, experimental education style compared to traditional schools. They usually have a good reputation.[/mfn] in Luhu District, just a ten-minute walk away.

—And this time, they didn’t even have to pay an extra school selection fee.  

Jiang Wang was quite familiar with the principal of the Experimental Primary School. This man had a passion for collecting rare ancient books and woodblock prints—the rarer, the better. Jiang Wang had recently acquired a few such books from a bookseller, and with a friend’s introduction, he had gifted them to the principal. Over time, they bonded through shared hobbies like fishing and playing ball games, despite an age gap of more than twenty years. Surprisingly, they got along well.  

When the principal heard that Jiang Wang’s child would be transferring to the school, he specially arranged for the boy to join a good class and instructed the homeroom teacher to meet with them beforehand.  

After leaving his teaching career, Ji Linqiu finally seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. His wardrobe took on a dramatic change, shifting to the bright and trendy style befitting someone in their twenties. No longer constrained by formalities, he embraced a freer self.  

Like surrogate parents, the two of them accompanied Peng Xingwang to visit his new school, taking the opportunity to meet the homeroom teacher, who happened to still be in school during the vacation for a meeting.  

Tao Yingqi[mfn]陶英启. If you break each character down: 陶 = the surname Tao; pottery/pleased.  英 = UK; excellent/outstanding. 启 = to start; to awaken.[/mfn] is a local teacher, and she lived up to her name, exuding an excellent presence.

She wasn’t overly stern to come off as unapproachable, nor overly humble to seem self-effacing. Her voice carried a commanding energy that left one’s ears humming, like listening to an official broadcast.  

After a brief chat with Peng Xingwang, Tao Yingqi motioned for Ji Linqiu to take him outside to explore the playground. Catching her drift, Ji Linqiu left the room, leaving Jiang Wang to speak with her privately.  

“We’re both busy, so I’ll skip the pleasantries,” Tao Yingqi began with a slight lift of her eyebrows, her tone calm and composed. “With Xingwang’s current situation, he won’t be isolated after transferring to the class, but it might be a bit challenging for him to integrate fully.”  

“He has a great personality and is eager to make friends,” Jiang Wang replied, not catching the deeper meaning, as he glanced out the window. “We’re not in a hurry, just let it happen naturally.”  

“If possible, perhaps you could teach him some local Yuhan dialect,” Tao Yingqi suggested with a gentle smile. “It’s a great way for him to connect.”  

Jiang Wang didn’t think much of it and nodded before continuing their discussion about other matters.  

The curriculum and pace of education differed between the two regions, with variations even in the teaching materials.  

In the provincial capital, the education system already resembled the elite models of Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. Some elementary students started learning English in kindergarten, with vocabularies rivaling those of eighth graders.  

The emphasis on advanced mathematics and programming had spawned an endless array of supplemental classes, with parents eagerly pushing their children to excel beyond their age.  

Jiang Wang hadn’t expected that the first student of his tutoring center’s Yuhan branch at Luhu would turn out to be Xingxing. 

The teachers, still in their preparation phase, happily used the child for practice. During the summer vacation, they threw him into a rigorous schedule, where he was promptly immersed in a sea of math. Surrounded by the intense focus of several teachers, Xingwang struggled to swim freely in their mathematical ocean.  

With Xingwang’s situation settled, Jiang Wang started having all sorts of peculiar dreams.  

His dreams always connected to real life.  

If work remained unfinished, his dreams were filled with images of driving, sitting in cars, or poring over blurry contracts and documents, never giving him a moment’s peace.  

When household matters weighed on him, he would dream of fragments of his parents’ fights from his childhood. Reaching out in the dream, he’d find himself a helpless five-year-old, unable to do anything.  

The only exception was when he dreamed of Ji Linqiu.  

In those dreams, the light and shadows morphed into visceral sensations.  

Sight and sound intertwined, heat spreading through him, igniting a desire to explore more. Their kisses were fervent, and their fingers interlocked as if they could revel in such intimacy all night long.  

The man jolted awake suddenly, his breath catching for several seconds.  

Bright daylight streamed through the window. Outside, there were two knocks at the door.  

“I’m coming in.”  

Ji Linqiu entered, sitting by the bed and lightly touching Jiang Wang’s face with the back of his hand.  

“How are you still asleep at eleven? The teaching department’s afternoon meeting has been canceled, so I came to let you know.”  

Jiang Wang’s senses were still stuck in the searing dream. He responded briefly, pulling the blanket tighter. “You go out first.”  

Ji Linqiu blinked slowly, his tone turning confident.  

“What were you dreaming about?”  

Jiang Wang’s voice was hoarse. Still curled up in his half-sitting position, he murmured something soft, tempting Ji Linqiu to lean in closer to hear.  

Ji Linqiu didn’t catch it clearly. Propping himself on one hand, he leaned closer to Jiang Wang’s lips, but in the next instant, Jiang Wang grabbed him by the waist, flipping him onto the bed.  

Ji Linqiu gasped, startled by the sudden loss of control over his body. His breathing quickened as he looked up at Jiang Wang hovering above him.  

Jiang Wang held him close, like a wolf finally catching a sly rabbit, unconsciously licking the corner of his lips.  

Ji Linqiu hadn’t reacted at first, but the sight of that subtle movement made his chest itch. Even in a submissive position, he dared to lift a leg slightly to confirm something.  

“Wow, it’s still pretty hot.”  

“Hot and hard,” Jiang Wang murmured, biting his ear as his breath slid up Ji Linqiu’s neck. “Don’t casually walk into my room. The consequences are very dangerous.”  

Ji Linqiu initially thought he was joking. However, when he realized he couldn’t move his shoulders, he began to sense the genuine danger.  

“Are you serious?”  

“I am. I really want to.” Jiang Wang’s embrace tightened maliciously, pressing them so close that it felt like they were made to fit together.  

“I just… had a very obscene dream.”

Jiang Wang whispered against Ji Linqiu’s ear, recounting the pleasures he had indulged in during the dream.  

“Teacher Ji,” the man murmured, nipping at the tip of his ear as his lips trailed over the sensitive skin of Ji Linqiu’s neck. “I don’t really know how to do it. Can you teach me?”  

Ji Linqiu, already flustered, clutched at the sheets. Now, completely trapped, his voice softened into a plea.  

“Brother Wang… please.”  

“I’m scared it’ll hurt.” His face flushed, Ji Linqiu lifted himself slightly, awkwardly pressing a kiss to Jiang Wang, as if trying to appease him. “Brother Wang… close your eyes. I’ll help you.”  

Jiang Wang’s deep, dark eyes locked onto him, captivating him to the point where he forgot what he was supposed to do.  

But Jiang Wang didn’t follow his instruction, instead silently gazing at him, as if kissing him with his eyes.  

Ji Linqiu’s cheeks burned red. Clumsily yet cautiously, he reached out to provide some relief.  

Hearing the low, restrained groans from Jiang Wang, Ji Linqiu felt a tingle down to his bones but forced himself to keep going.  

This man was simply too alluring.  

Even as the one in control, pinning Ji Linqiu down with sheer strength, his presence could make anyone lose their reason.  

With tissues conveniently placed by the pillow, Jiang Wang let out a soft hum, pulled a few sheets, and leaned down to kiss him.  

A low chuckle escaped him.  

“Close your eyes…”  

Together, they could sink deeper into the dream.