My Elite Boss Is Carrying My Child - Chapter 18

“It’s because you don’t exactly look like someone with a great temper,” Xi Xingyu said. “Brother, that’s your problem.”

“Fair enough,” Qu Mingluo said with a smile, “it really is my fault then.”

It was obvious he wasn’t actually angry, he was genuinely enjoying himself with them.

“Don’t worry, Brother, I already finished a lot of my homework at school. It won’t take long once I get home,” Xi Xingyu added proactively.

“That’s good to hear,” Qu Mingluo replied, “that way your parents and teachers won’t come hunting me down.”

“I was never like that to begin with!” Xi Xingyu pouted. “Brother, how could you say that!”

Qu Mingluo laughed. “Since you both bought necklaces, why don’t you go buy one for me too?”

“We already looked. If there was something suitable, we definitely would have bought it for you,” Xi Xingyu explained.

“Then let’s try a different brand,” Qu Mingluo suggested. “Are you two leading the way, or am I following you?”

Xi Xingyu replied, “Of course we’re following you.”

“Alright.” Qu Mingluo thought for a moment and then led the way. Before long, they arrived at a new store.

It was clear Qu Mingluo had something specific in mind.

“I’ve brought us to the shop. Since this is a gift for me, why don’t the two of you pick one out together?”

Once he said that, Xi Xingyu and Qi Jiezhi began browsing together. Their goal was clear, they needed to find something Qu Mingluo would actually like. Since it was a gift for him, the most important thing was making sure he was happy with it.

Whenever they saw something interesting, they would bring it up and discuss it with each other, debating whether it was truly a good fit. After a considerable amount of time, they finally made their final selection.

Once they were sure, they didn’t go straight to the counter. Instead, they took it over to Qu Mingluo.

“Brother, this is the one Brother Jiezhi and I both think looks good. Do you want to take a look?” Xi Xingyu asked.

“If the two of you have already chosen it, then it’s bound to be good,” Qu Mingluo answered. For him, since they had made the decision together, he wasn’t going to have any objections.

“Then we’re going to pay now,” Xi Xingyu said, immediately grabbing Qi Jiezhi’s hand to head to the register.

For the two of them, this was a moment of genuine excitement. They had spent so much time earlier without being able to settle on a gift, but now they had entered a shop they hadn’t visited yet and found the perfect one. The act itself felt very meaningful.

After they finished paying, Xi Xingyu couldn’t help but shout, “Awesome!”

Qi Jiezhi stood beside him, watching him with a gentle expression.

Xi Xingyu quickly announced that he wanted to take the necklace out and put it on Qu Mingluo right then and there. Qu Mingluo didn’t refuse, silently giving his consent. He leaned down, and Xi Xingyu was incredibly careful with his movements as he fastened the necklace.

Once it was on, Xi Xingyu studied it for a long time before giving his appraisal, “It looks really good.”

Qu Mingluo didn’t say much else, but he turned to Qi Jiezhi and asked, “Do you think so too?”

Qi Jiezhi nodded. Having spent ages deliberating with Xi Xingyu, they had settled on what they both felt was the most appropriate piece.

“It suits you well, Brother Ming,” Qi Jiezhi said. “I’m just not sure what you think of it yourself.”

Qu Mingluo replied, “If you both think it suits me, then it definitely does. I don’t have any other opinions.”

Qi Jiezhi smiled when he heard this. In moments like these, Qu Mingluo seemed exceptionally approachable. Then again, he had never been a truly difficult person to deal with, even if the rumors outside made him sound intimidating. At the very least, Qu Mingluo was definitely not that hard to get along with in private.

Qu Mingluo wasn’t the type of person to make things difficult for others, in fact, he was someone who provided a great sense of security in most situations. After spending this much time with him, Qi Jiezhi was certain his judgment was correct. Qu Mingluo was also an excellent boss, he was the kind of leader people could follow with absolute confidence.

“Since there’s no risk of you failing to finish your homework, do you have any other ideas for today?” Qu Mingluo asked Xi Xingyu.

“Brother, how did you know I still wanted to play?” Xi Xingyu asked, curious.

“Ask your Brother Jiezhi,” Qu Mingluo said, avoiding a direct answer.

Xi Xingyu immediately turned his face toward Qi Jiezhi.

“I can just tell,” Qi Jiezhi told him.

Xi Xingyu suddenly went quiet. “Brother Jiezhi is lying to me!”

“Hmm?” Qi Jiezhi asked. “Where did I lie?”

Xi Xingyu pouted. “Didn’t you say you wouldn’t pick on me?”

Qi Jiezhi laughed. “I’m really not picking on you. Your brother said it first, not me.”

“Both of you are picking on me,” Xi Xingyu grumbled. “I’m never talking to you guys again.”

“Fine by me.”

As soon as Qu Mingluo said that, Xi Xingyu immediately turned to Qi Jiezhi. “Brother Jiezhi, look at my brother. This is how he treats me!”

“Your brother is being very mean,” Qi Jiezhi joked along.

Qu Mingluo just watched them, his expression unchanged. It was clear he knew they were just joking around, and he didn’t mind it at all.

“Where do you want to go next?”

When Qi Jiezhi asked, Xi Xingyu pulled both of them along.

“Play with me together,” Xi Xingyu said. “Brother Jiezhi, okay?”

Qi Jiezhi had always been a softie for this kind of behavior, so he agreed immediately.

Xi Xingyu was thrilled. “My brother never would have agreed to this before. Brother Jiezhi, you’ve turned him into a different kind of brother.”

Qi Jiezhi was at a loss for words. Xi Xingyu seemed to love saying things like that, constantly implying that Qi Jiezhi was very important to Qu Mingluo. He glanced at Qu Mingluo, who didn’t deny it, just kept looking back at him. It was as if it didn’t bother him at all.

After playing a few more games, Xi Xingyu finally settled down and said he wanted to grab a bite to eat with his two brothers. Naturally, neither Qu Mingluo nor Qi Jiezhi refused.

So, Xi Xingyu stood in the middle, holding Qu Mingluo’s hand on one side and Qi Jiezhi’s on the other. Qu Mingluo and Qi Jiezhi shared a look, then together they said, “One, two, three, jump!”

Xi Xingyu immediately caught on and jumped high into the air before landing back on his feet. All three of them burst out laughing.

Before long, they arrived at the food stalls. Xi Xingyu wanted a snack, so Qu Mingluo and Qi Jiezhi let him have free rein. Xi Xingyu didn’t hesitate and quickly picked out what he wanted to eat.

Then he asked, “Brother, Brother Jiezhi, what do you two want?”

The two of them didn’t really have any specific cravings, so they told him, “You decide.”

Xi Xingyu didn’t say another word and went to pick out a variety of things. He wasn’t entirely sure if his two brothers would be interested in what he chose, but having picked them carefully, he didn’t ask further questions. He would wait until they tried them.

Qi Jiezhi understood him well enough, so after the first bite, he told him, “This is great. Thanks, Xiao Xing. You have excellent taste.”

Xi Xingyu was delighted. That was exactly the kind of praise he was looking for. Having made the choices himself, he naturally wanted the others to be satisfied.

“We’ll look around a bit more, and then we’ll go home,” Xi Xingyu said.

“No problem,” Qu Mingluo replied. Noticing Xi Xingyu’s gaze, Qi Jiezhi nodded in agreement as well.

Qi Jiezhi had noticed that when Xi Xingyu was with the two of them, he made sure no one felt left out. He didn’t play favorites and paid attention to everyone equally.

“Xiao Xing,” Qi Jiezhi asked, “are you sure you’ve had enough fun today?”

“Of course!” Xi Xingyu chirped. “With both of you accompanying me, I’m definitely happy!”

Qi Jiezhi smiled. “That’s wonderful.”

Since the three of them were together, their goals were perfectly aligned. They had come out to keep Xi Xingyu company, and they just wanted him to be happy. Xi Xingyu could feel their sincerity, so he was very direct with them in return.

As they walked toward the mall exit, a short while later, Qi Jiezhi heard someone call his name. “Xiao Qi?”

“It’s me.”

Qi Jiezhi realized it was Yu Kai, the guy from his office. He greeted him, “Hi, Brother Kai.”

“Hello. And, uh… hello, President Qu.”

Qu Mingluo gave a brief nod.

Yu Kai’s gaze fell on Xi Xingyu, and he couldn’t help but ask, “And this is…?”

“I’m their younger brother,” Xi Xingyu piped up.

“Oh, I see,” Yu Kai said, looking a bit awkward. “My girlfriend is waiting for me up ahead, so I’ll head out first.”

“Alright, see you tomorrow, Brother Kai,” Qi Jiezhi said.

“See you tomorrow.”

“Brother Ming…” Qi Jiezhi felt a bit embarrassed. “Do you think we’ll be misunderstood?”

“Xiao Xing said we’re his brothers. He won’t think the kid is our son,” Qu Mingluo replied.

“Yeah, exactly,” Xi Xingyu chimed in. “I wasn’t lying. Brother Jiezhi, we’re just shopping together, is it not okay for people to see us?”

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