Jiang Huaixiao's hand finally settled on the back of Jiang Xun's head.
His hair was softer than he had imagined. Imitating his mother as he remembered her, he gently smoothed it back with his fingers.
Jiang Xun's body stiffened for a moment, but he neither pulled away nor looked up. He stayed curled up without moving, letting that hand stroke his head awkwardly back and forth.
Jiang Huaixiao's fingers slid to the back of his neck, his fingertips brushing a protruding vertebra.
Too thin. He needs proper care.
"The meeting in Germany ended early," Jiang Huaixiao said softly. "Work can wait. Bringing you back comes first."
"I'll get to the bottom of what Liu Wanying did. You don't need to worry about things at home." Jiang Huaixiao paused, his fingers resting motionless on the back of Jiang Xun's neck. "No one will be able to bully you again."
Jiang Xun's shoulders trembled slightly.
Jiang Huaixiao's hand froze in midair.
He quickly ran through every possibility in his mind-Is he crying? Did I say something wrong? Was I pressing too hard?
In his twenty-odd years, he had never comforted anyone. When Jiang Yanchu fell and cried as a child, he had simply stood by and watched, waiting for him to get up on his own.
But now, with that soft-haired head resting quietly beneath his palm, he suddenly felt he ought to say something more.
"I had your room redone. One wall has been replaced with floor-to-ceiling windows, so the light is better than before. There's space set aside for you in the cabinets. Buy whatever you want. You don't need to report it to anyone."
"I'll have Jiang Yu move out and board at school. He won't be allowed into the main house without my permission. You won't have to