Nian Ueno

Ji Dongxun asked in surprise, "That's it?"

She quickly tapped his palm with her hand.

He didn't even have time to feel the warmth of her hand.

The withdrawal was too rapid.

Jiang Weixi gently squeezed her fingers together, the skin on her palms slightly warm: "Okay, let's leave it at that for now."

I don't know how he felt, but her heart was beating really fast just now.

She asked gently, "How are you feeling? Do you want to wash your hands? Or is anything bothering you?"

Ji Dongxun shook his head, his eyes dark and deep: "I don't think I thought too much just now, it was too fast."

He held out his hand to her, "Try putting your hand on me again."

Jiang Weixi lowered her eyes.

The lines on his palms were very clear.

She pursed her lips and didn't reach out.

She lowered her eyelids, concealing the emotions in her eyes: "Tomorrow, let's take it slow."

"Okay." Ji Dongxun withdrew his hand, his palm unconsciously clenching into a fist.

The two went back to their respective rooms to sleep.

The Spring Festival passed by slowly like that.

Jiang Weixi had a happy holiday this year, perhaps because she had people by her side and was no longer alone.

Having another person in the family makes all the difference; I never feel lonely.

Even if Ji Dongxun doesn't talk to her, she feels at ease just knowing he's in the room.

Throughout the entire Spring Festival, she didn't think of her biological father and mother at all.

This time, instead of initiating greetings, she was the one receiving greetings.

The tenth day of the Lunar New Year.

Jiang Weixi's biological mother, Du Wei, called.

After exchanging pleasantries, Du Wei invited her to her home for lunch.

Jiang Weixi agreed.

Her mother disliked her from a young age. As a child, she couldn't understand why, but after growing up and learning about the grievances between her parents, she seemed to understand her mother's resentment.

Her relationship with her mother was once at its lowest point, but it has gradually improved in recent years.

10:00 AM.

Jiang Weixi took a taxi to a suburban residential area, a journey of about an hour and a half.

Du Wei's second husband was named Wang Shouye. He was from City A, worked for a state-owned enterprise, and wasn't very wealthy. He owned a property on the outskirts of City A.

The community is neither new nor old, the landscaping is decent, half of the buildings are elevator buildings and the rest are slab buildings, the layout looks a bit uncoordinated.

Du Wei lives in an apartment building with an elevator, on the 16th floor.

The security door seems to be broken; it can be opened without a password.

Jiang Weixi pushed the door open and went in, then pressed the elevator button. The elevator was old and creaked when she stepped on it.

She stared at the elevator display screen to see the floor, her heart pounding the whole way. As soon as the elevator doors opened, she stepped out immediately.

The layout here is one elevator serving two households, and Du Wei's family lives in the one on the left.

Jiang Weixi stopped at the door and rang the doorbell.

The door opened very quickly.

The person who opened the door for her was Wang Jing, the daughter of Du Wei's current husband, Wang Shouye, and his ex-wife.

Du Wei is in her second marriage and has no children.

Wang Shouye was also remarried and had a daughter named Wang Jing.

After they got married, they had three more children.

Wang Jing and Jiang Weixi are the same age, with Wang Jing only two months older than Jiang Weixi.

The two had a very ordinary relationship; they didn't really have any connection to begin with.

Du Wei is Jiang Weixi's biological mother and Wang Jing's stepmother, but Jiang Weixi feels that Du Wei seems to be more affectionate towards her stepdaughter.

However, Wong Jing was not affectionate towards Du Wei because she has her own mother who lives abroad.

Wang Jing didn't greet Jiang Weixi; he opened the door, turned around, and went inside without a friendly expression.

Jiang Weixi came in, closed the door, and looked around at the floor.

Shoes of all colors and sizes were scattered on the floor next to the shoe cabinet, with slippers flying around haphazardly.

Forget it.

She skipped changing into slippers and went straight inside.

Du Wei is a very diligent woman who keeps her home very tidy. However, there are too many people in her family, and she cannot take care of everything by herself.

For example, she doesn't have time to tidy up the shoe cabinet.

At this moment, Du Wei is wearing an apron and cooking in the kitchen.

Two younger girls were snuggled on the sofa watching TV. They were Du Wei's twin daughters, Wang Lian and Wang Xi, who were fourteen years old this year.

A little boy was sitting on the ground playing with a toy car. That was Du Wei's youngest son, Wang Yu, who was nine years old.

These three are Jiang Weixi's half-siblings, sharing the same mother but different fathers.

Wang Jing must have gone back to his room; he wasn't seen in the living room.

The entire house is over 130 square meters, with three bedrooms, one living room, one kitchen, and one bathroom.

Du Wei and her husband shared a room, while Wang Yu, being younger, lived with them.

Wong Jing occupies a room by himself.

Wang Lian and Wang Xi, sisters, shared a room.

As the children grow up, the house becomes more and more crowded, and there is gradually not enough space.

A few years ago, when Jiang Weixi was in high school, she had nowhere to go during the holidays, so she would stay at her parents' house for half the time each.

She always stayed in Wang Jing's room whenever she came.

Wang Jing's room was slightly larger, and it still had bunk beds, with just enough room for one extra bed.

Jiang Weixi had no choice; whether Wang Jing welcomed her or not, she had to stay here.

Because she was just a high school student at the time, not yet eighteen, it was difficult for her to rent a place on her own, so she could only rely on her parents.

Moreover, she still needs to ask her parents for living expenses and tuition fees for the next semester, and it will take at least a whole vacation to get that money.

Neither Du Wei nor Jiang Shanbao were straightforward people; they never gave her money readily.

Jiang Shanbao simply didn't want to give her the money, feeling it was a waste and not worth it.

Du Wei's economic situation is average. She has four children to support, so she has to be very careful with her money and save as much as she can.

Jiang Weixi had long since had enough of living under someone else's roof, and she hadn't stayed there since she went to university.

The TV was playing a video of a popular idol group's concert. Wang Lian and Wang Xi were discussing it with great interest. When they saw Jiang Weixi come in, they didn't get up to greet her. They just glanced at her casually and continued to discuss celebrity gossip.

Jiang Weixi and her two younger sisters are half-bloods, but their relationship is rather ordinary, and they rarely speak to each other.

Over the years, she hasn't actually spent much time at the Wang family's house; most of her time there has been spent frantically doing practice problems and homework.

She rarely interacted with the twin sisters and didn't know them very well.

Wang Lian and Wang Xi disliked their older sister Jiang Weixi because she always asked their mother for money whenever she came to visit. In order to save money for her, their mother would always cut back on the pocket money of other family members, such as the pocket money of the two sisters.

Du Wei tries to please Wang Jing, her stepdaughter, but dotes on her youngest son, Wang Yu.

As for the twin daughters sandwiched in the middle, they are easily overlooked.

Wang Lian and Wang Xi were young and didn't think too deeply. They only knew that Jiang Weixi's appearance would affect their interests and deprive them of the right to buy new clothes. Over time, the two girls' attitudes toward their older sister Jiang Weixi became worse and worse.

Wang Yu, who sits on the ground playing with toy cars, is the little tyrant of the family and the darling of the whole family. He is used to ordering his older sisters around.

Only Jiang Weixi wouldn't indulge him, wouldn't accept his commands, and wouldn't obediently stand there and let him hit her.

Wang Yu naturally disliked Jiang Weixi. Seeing her approach, he snorted coldly, his face full of disdain: "Why are you here again?"

Jiang Weixi glanced at him, her tone cold and hard: "I'm here."