In fact, Ji Dongsheng had been keeping busy these past few days. He had hired a private investigator and uncovered a great deal of information.
Especially about the shady things his darling young wife had been doing behind his back.
Ji Dongsheng had already found a lawyer and was ready to go to court.
He had only come today to give his darling young wife one last chance. He did not like taking things too far.
Mostly, it was because his darling young wife was beautiful. He truly liked her.
Although his darling young wife was only after money, his love was real!
Unfortunately, his darling young wife did not know how to be satisfied and refused even the chance he offered her.
Since she refused, Ji Dongsheng would not spare her feelings either. He could only drop all pretense of civility.
"Whether you sign this divorce agreement or not, neither you nor he will get away with it."
"You will pay for the mistakes you've made."
After leaving his darling young wife's home, Ji Dongsheng took An Yubei to a luxury store in the capital's most extravagant mall.
Every sales assistant was a tall, handsome man, good-looking and smiling gently. It was like a beauty pageant.
They greeted customers politely, neither overly familiar nor overly distant, striking just the right balance and respecting personal boundaries.
Ji Dongsheng sat on the sofa drinking coffee. "Xiao Bei, would you like some?"
An Yubei shook his head desperately. Drinking iced Americanos all the time was precisely what had led to his sudden death. He would not repeat that mistake, not even if it killed him.
"I'll just have lemon water."
"Dad, you should drink fewer iced Americanos too. They can damage your health."
Ji Dongsheng set down his cup and said with interest, "I wouldn't have guessed you were into healthy living, Xiao Bei."
The father and son chatted for a while before a sales assistant brought over the latest watches.
Having seen Ji Shang's gold bars, Ji Dongsheng felt he could not lose either. You give him gold bars, I'll give him luxury goods. Let's see who wins!
Without realizing it, Ji Dongsheng had started competing with Ji Shang again.
The rows of exquisite watches looked expensive at a glance. An Yubei sneaked a look at a price tag. Even a lifetime of toil as a corporate slave would not earn him enough to afford it.
"See any you like, Xiao Bei?" Ji Dongsheng asked.
An Yubei let out a surprised "Huh?" He had thought Ji Dongsheng was choosing a watch for himself, never expecting that he actually wanted to buy one for him.
An Yubei's indecisiveness flared up again. He had no idea which one to choose.
[The first one looks great, the dial on the second one is beautiful, and the third has such a creative design...]
[Wow, this is so hard. Why do people have to make choices?]
Seeing An Yubei's conflicted expression, Ji Dongsheng said, "Only children make choices. We'll take them all."
An Yubei let out another surprised "Huh?" That was far too decisive!
[Dad is amazing. He cured my indecisiveness without even trying.]
"Dad, why are you buying me watches?" An Yubei genuinely could not understand. Ji Dongsheng was getting divorced, and he had already given him the shares. Why was he buying him watches too?
The watches were not cheap, and An Yubei felt a little pained at the expense.
Ji Dongsheng rubbed An Yubei's head and smiled. "Because buying things for you makes me happy, Xiao Bei."
"I also want you to know that you can ask for the whole world, Xiao Bei, and Dad can give it to you."
It was because of An Yubei that he had managed to change his fate. Without An Yubei, Ji Dongsheng would still have been getting used by his darling young wife.
So even giving An Yubei the whole world would not be too much. An Yubei deserved it.
After leaving the watch store, Ji Dongsheng took An Yubei to clothing stores, jewelry stores, and shoe stores.
Ji Dongsheng bought every kind of thing they might have a use for.
At first, An Yubei found it all novel, but by the end, Ji Dongsheng had left him numb.
Sometimes, An Yubei thought that the pleasures of the rich were nothing special. They were not as enjoyable as a bowl of malatang.
That thought actually made An Yubei hungry, but seeing how enthusiastic Ji Dongsheng was, he felt too embarrassed to bring up eating.
Yet Ji Dongsheng seemed like a worm in his belly, knowing everything he was thinking.
One second, he had still wanted to keep shopping. The next, he suggested getting something to eat.
The change was so sudden that An Yubei could not react for a moment.
"What would you like to eat, Xiao Bei?" Ji Dongsheng asked.
An Yubei wanted malatang, but he was afraid Ji Dongsheng would not be used to it.
Ji Dongsheng came from a privileged family. He ate either Western cuisine or private meals prepared by top chefs, so naturally, he would not be able to stomach assorted ingredients boiled together in a big pot.
While he was hesitating, An Yubei heard Ji Dongsheng say, "Want some malatang?"
An Yubei nearly cried out in surprise. "Yes!"
In the end, An Yubei really did take Ji Dongsheng out for malatang.
The shop was tucked deep inside the mall's first basement level. Business was booming, and it was packed with diners.
After choosing his ingredients, An Yubei picked a seat by the window and sat down to wait for his food.
Ji Dongsheng was very unaccustomed to such a noisy dining environment. He had been frowning ever since he sat down.
Following An Yubei around to choose ingredients earlier had nearly undone him.
They actually cooked vegetables and meat together. There was everything imaginable, making it even more complicated than hot pot.
Could this really taste good?
"Xiao Bei, how about we try a different malatang shop?"
An Yubei blinked. "Dad, another shop would make it the same way."
"Can it really taste good, cooking everything together? We'd better not end up with upset stomachs!"
Noticing Ji Dongsheng's distaste, An Yubei said, "Dad, you don't have to force yourself to eat with me."
Ji Dongsheng cleared his throat and put on a brave front. "Who said I'm forcing myself? Not at all."
Just then, a number was called. Ji Dongsheng looked down and saw it was his, so he went over in his expensive suit to collect his malatang.
After bringing it back, he did not start eating right away, waiting for An Yubei instead.
Soon, An Yubei brought his back too. Holding their Arctic Ocean sodas, they raised them together. "Cheers."
Ji Dongsheng took a bite. It was not as bad as he had imagined. On the contrary, it was deliciously spicy.
It was a flavor he had never tasted before.
After his first bite, he could not stop.
He pulled off his tie, took off his suit jacket, and undid his shirt buttons, blending right into the surroundings.
Ji Dongsheng took another bite and praised it repeatedly. "This is delicious. This chef is really skilled. How about we poach them and have them make malatang for us every day?"
"Not a good idea," An Yubei said. "Dad, malatang is very easy to make. I'll make it for you when I get the chance. There's no need to pay someone to do it."
Poaching someone specifically to make it would be such a waste of money.
Ji Dongsheng asked suspiciously, "You know how to make malatang? When did you learn?"
An Yubei paused, wondering inwardly whether Ji Dongsheng was starting to suspect something.
The original owner of this body was supposed to be a rich young master who could do nothing, whereas he was just a working stiff who knew a little of everything.
It seemed he had accidentally given himself away.
After that inward jolt of alarm, An Yubei hurried to cover for himself. "I learned back at the orphanage."
Like An Yubei, the original owner had grown up in an orphanage. He knew the conditions there all too well.
Every child had to be independent and learn plenty of life skills, including cooking and housework.
Those skills not only helped them support themselves but also improved their chances of being adopted.
After all, who would not want a smart, sensible little sweetheart who could cook and do housework?
Yet An Yubei, a little sweetheart who knew a bit of everything, had never won the favor of an adoptive family. No one had adopted him even by the time he reached adulthood and left the orphanage.
As those sad memories came back, the smile vanished from An Yubei's face.
Ji Dongsheng thought to himself that he had said the wrong thing and upset his precious boy.
He quickly changed the subject. "Xiao Bei, Dad will take you to a club later and show you the joys of adulthood."
An Yubei bit his chopsticks and said hesitantly, "Wouldn't my brother refuse to let me go?"
Ji Dongsheng said, "Don't worry. With me there, he'll definitely feel reassured."
An Yubei: [Having Dad there is exactly why he wouldn't feel reassured!]
Ji Dongsheng: "...!"
Why was this kid blurting out the truth like that!