After the Divorce, I Went Back to My Hometown, Pregnant and Became the Sheriff - Chapter 23

Shen Yucheng invited Jiang Xu and Tongtong up to the fourth floor to see his new place. He Xianxing followed along with natural audacity, muttering nonsensical dry jokes. “Is our bureau going bankrupt?”

“Has your reimbursement still not come through?” Jiang Xu played along.

“The thought of a Special Envoy having to live in a place like this to experience the ‘hardships of the common folk’ makes me feel like my payment is light-years away.”

“Mommy, what are the hardships of the common folk?” Tongtong mimicked the words, asking about a phrase that was still foreign to him.

“It’s when a person lives in a tiny, pitch-black house,” He Xianxing explained.

Jiang Xu sighed. “Inspector He, stop giving the child such strange definitions.”

Shen Yucheng gave a cold snort and pulled out his keys to open the door. The security doors in this complex were standardized and weathered; the rust on the surface formed a sharp contrast with the gleaming watch dial on Shen Yucheng’s wrist.

The door swung open, and Shen Yucheng flipped the switch, instantly flooding the room with light. Everything inside—from the carpets and wallpaper to the appliances and furniture—was brand new. Even the air felt as though it had been completely replaced. Unlike the stuffy atmosphere of the hallway, the apartment carried a fresh, natural fragrance.

“Oh, Tongtong, Mommy was wrong,” He Xianxing corrected himself. “This isn’t ‘hardships of the common folk’ at all. This is pure luxury and extravagance. Truly scandalous!”

Tongtong jumped out of Jiang Xu’s arms in excitement. He kicked off his shoes and stepped onto the beige, long-pile carpet. “Mommy!” His crisp voice made both Shen Yucheng and He Xianxing look over at the same time. Tongtong bounced on the carpet. “It’s different from home. Mommy is a magician!”

Shen Yucheng knelt down, and Tongtong threw himself into his arms. “If Tongtong likes it, you can come to Mommy’s place every day.”

“I want to come!” Tongtong puffed out his cheeks shyly. He dragged his little feet in their fuzzy socks across the carpet and looked at Jiang Xu expectantly. “Daddy, can I?”

Shen Yucheng also looked toward Jiang Xu.

The combined force of two pairs of blue eyes staring at him was a bit much to handle. Jiang Xu nodded. “Of course you can.”

Beside them, He Xianxing grumbled under his breath, “Ungrateful little brat. Forgets his old love the moment a new one shows up.”

Shen Yucheng picked up Tongtong. “Do you want to stay here tonight?”

Tongtong nodded happily, pointing a finger at Jiang Xu. “Daddy!” Then he moved his finger toward He Xianxing. “And Mommy!” He seemed entirely unaware that there were currently too many “Mommies” in the room. He buried his face in Shen Yucheng’s chest and asked shyly, “Can we all stay together? Please?”

Shen Yucheng’s lip twitched. “Tongtong, Mommy’s house can’t fit this many people.”

Tongtong wrinkled his nose in disappointment. Jiang Xu stepped forward. “How about this? Does Tongtong want to stay here by himself tonight?”

“Hmm…”

Shen Yucheng looked at Jiang Xu again. He likely expected Jiang Xu to stay for the sake of the child, but Jiang Xu only said, “I’ll leave Tongtong here with you for the night, is that alright?”

“And you?”

“I’m a bit tired today. I might not have the energy to look after him.” This wasn’t a lie. The low-grade fever from his lingering heat cycle made his head throb. Jiang Xu just wanted to go back, take some suppressants, and sleep heavily.

“Tongtong is welcome to stay here whenever he likes,” Shen Yucheng said, knitting his brows slightly. “But I’ve never looked after a child. Is there anything specific I should know?”

“Tongtong is very well-behaved,” Jiang Xu’s expression softened as he spoke about his son. He rubbed the top of Tongtong’s head. “For dinner, remember: no ginger, celery, or peanuts. He hates those. If he gets playful during his bath, just put on a cartoon; he’ll wash himself obediently. You need to supervise his tooth brushing. Also, keep the AC a bit higher at night. He’s sensitive to the cold. Make sure his stomach is covered properly, or he gets a stomachache easily.”

Jiang Xu thought for a moment. “That should be everything. If you run into any problems, just call me. If I don’t answer, come downstairs and knock.”

Shen Yucheng answered seriously, “I understand.”

“I’ll bring up Tongtong’s toiletries and a change of clothes in a moment,” Jiang Xu added.

Even so, he couldn’t help but worry, giving Shen Yucheng a few more instructions before finally saying goodbye to Tongtong and heading back down with He Xianxing.

The two walked in silence. When they reached the landing, He Xianxing suddenly said, “You two seem to get along quite well.”

“He is Tongtong’s real father, after all,” Jiang Xu said.

“Is that really all it is?”

“There’s no need to dig into that, is there?”

“But I noticed Team Leader Shen was wearing a wedding ring today.”

Jiang Xu froze. He remembered Shen Yucheng pointedly jingling his car keys in the office that afternoon. He had thought it strange at the time but was too focused on getting to Tongtong to give it much thought.

Was he trying to show me the ring back then?

But they had been apart for five years without a single word. Five years—wasn’t that enough to end an unstable relationship?

Jiang Xu’s mind was a chaotic mess. He didn’t even hear He Xianxing say, “I’m heading back now.” In the dark stairwell, he pulled out his keys and turned the rusted lock of his iron gate.

He went home, packed Tongtong’s daily essentials into a bag, and headed back up to 401. Shen Yucheng opened the door wearing an apron. As Jiang Xu handed over the bag, he caught sight of the plain ring on the man’s left ring finger.

He averted his eyes and reminded him, “Remember, no…”

“No ginger, celery, or peanuts. I remember,” Shen Yucheng said.

Jiang Xu turned and left. Back in his own apartment, he reached for his suppressants, only to remember the bottle was empty. He used his phone to order a few more bottles from a nearby pharmacy, then sat on the sofa to wait for his food delivery.

He didn’t turn on the lights. He leaned his head back against the sofa cushion. Perhaps because of his heat cycle, he felt a bit cold. He usually wasn’t sensitive to the cold at all.

He must have drifted off, because he was startled awake by the doorbell. Thinking it was the delivery, he hurried to open it, only to find He Xianxing standing there.

“Inspector He?”

He Xianxing held up a steaming clay pot with oven-mitted hands. “Move aside! I’m burning to death!”

Jiang Xu quickly moved out of the way. He Xianxing hurried inside with the pot. Jiang Xu followed. “What is this?”

“A clay pot congee with a secret family recipe.”

“Oh, honestly… you didn’t have to go to such trouble.”

“I’m visiting a patient!” He Xianxing took off the mitts and rubbed his arms. “Why is it so cold in here? Why isn’t the AC on? Are all you G-City people this resistant to the cold?”

“Sorry, I accidentally fell asleep.” Jiang Xu used the remote to turn on the AC and brought two sets of bowls and chopsticks from the kitchen.

He Xianxing leaned over the table and lifted the lid. “Ta-da!” He provided his own sound effect for the congee’s debut. Warm white steam rose into the air, vanishing slowly, looking as though it had melted into He Xianxing’s eyes.

Jiang Xu avoided looking into those misty, light-colored eyes. Instead, he looked down and smiled. “It looks delicious.”

He Xianxing looked triumphant. “Of course. This is a family secret. Even someone with no appetite could eat at least three bowls.” He served a bowl for Jiang Xu. Jiang Xu took a spoonful, blew on it, and tasted it.

“Good, right?”

“You’re practically a master chef.”

He Xianxing beamed at the praise, urging Jiang Xu to eat while it was hot.

Jiang Xu was about to serve a bowl for He Xianxing when the doorbell rang again. He Xianxing got up to answer it. Shen Yucheng stood outside, holding Tongtong’s hand. At the sight of the person opening the door, his expression shifted. “Why are you here again?”

He Xianxing raised an eyebrow. “Do I need to file a report with the Team Leader to visit a neighbor?”

“I’m glad you think so.” Shen Yucheng walked inside carrying an insulated food container.

Jiang Xu was busy serving more congee. Smelling the food, Tongtong ran over. Jiang Xu picked him up and set him on his lap, blowing on a spoonful for him. “Careful, it’s hot.”

Tongtong smacked his lips. “Yummy!”

He Xianxing stepped closer, feigning surprise. “Oh? Is Team Leader Shen married?” He looked pointedly at Shen Yucheng’s left hand, then turned to Jiang Xu. “The Team Leader’s cooking is so good; Mrs. Shen must be incredibly happy, right?”

Shen Yucheng opened his mouth to speak, but He Xianxing cut him off. “If there’s a chance, the Team Leader should introduce Mrs. Shen to Jiang Xu and me. Ah, I’ve never even been in a relationship; I’m so jealous. Right, Jiang Xu?”

Jiang Xu just wanted to sigh. “Both of you, stop talking. Sit down and eat.”

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