Chapter 2: Shadow—Yu Xi Constantly Felt Like the Other Person Was Watching Him…
The person who returned was Pei Lexin’s son, Pei Wang.
He was the product of Ms. Pei’s younger, wilder years—a “keep the child, ditch the father” situation. He had been raised by his maternal grandfather in another province until he was ten. Only when his mother’s career had fully stabilized was he brought over.
Therefore, Yu Xi and he had never met. Yu Xi had only seen photos of Pei Wang from Ms. Pei when they were young.
The mother and son shared extremely similar features, so Yu Xi recognized him at first glance.
After a brief daze, Yu Xi put down his chopsticks and stood up. Under the cover of the table, his hands quietly gripped the seams of his trousers. Facing the other’s sharp gaze, he spoke: “I am Yu Xi, I am…”
Before he could finish, a backpack was thrown onto the floor with a loud thud, interrupting him.
Pei Wang crossed his arms over his chest, scrutinizing Yu Xi from head to toe. “I know. My mom mentioned you.”
Before Yu Xi’s nervousness could ease, he heard Pei Wang speak in a mocking tone: “The little beggar who came to my house for free food and shelter.”
“…”
The air around them suddenly became scorching. Yu Xi lowered his eyes under the other’s stare and didn’t speak.
Clearly, Pei Wang did not welcome him into this home.
But what he said wasn’t wrong. It was only natural that he wouldn’t like him.
If it really didn’t work out, he would just move out. He was already an adult; he could find a place that provided room and board until school started. He couldn’t make things difficult for others…
At that moment, a crisp “smack” broke Yu Xi’s train of thought and shattered the tense atmosphere.
“You child! What nonsense are you talking about?! How can you be so rude?!” Auntie Wan, who had been speaking so softly to Yu Xi just a moment ago, landed a slap on the back of Pei Wang’s head, instantly deflating half of his momentum. “Xiao Xi is a year older than you. You should call him ‘Brother’.”
“Huh?!” Pei Wang, his neck shrinking from the blow, widened his eyes in disbelief. He was still defiant. “I won’t! Auntie Wan, why are you siding with an outsider? You don’t love me anymore!”
Auntie Wan took a deep breath, softening her tone. “Your mother said—”
“I don’t care what that old woman said! Anyway, I’m not calling some poor ghost from who-knows-where ‘Brother.’ I’ve never even met him!” With that, Pei Wang turned his head and stomped upstairs in a huff, not forgetting to give Yu Xi a fierce glare before he left.
The door upstairs slammed so hard it shook the house. Yu Xi’s fingertips couldn’t help but tremble.
“Sigh.” Auntie Wan shook her head at the upstairs landing and turned back to see Yu Xi still standing by the table, looking lost. She offered a gentle comfort. “It’s fine, Xiao Xi. Don’t mind him. I’ve raised him since he was little, so I know his temper. He was already angry with President Pei before you arrived, and you just got caught in the crossfire. He’ll be fine after some time.”
Yu Xi gave a low response and whispered a thank you.
Auntie Wan told him not to take it to heart, then headed upstairs with food and an ice-cold Coke to coax the boy.
The dining room fell silent. Yu Xi was left alone, yet he didn’t feel relaxed. Looking at the fragrant, exquisite dishes on the table, he found he had lost his appetite.
However, he didn’t have the habit of wasting food, especially since Auntie Wan had specifically made them to suit his tastes. So, he dutifully finished everything.
Not long after dinner, he received a phone call from Ms. Pei.
She had heard about the scene Pei Wang caused and called immediately to comfort him.
“Don’t be afraid. When I get back, I’ll have a good talk with that boy. He’s becoming truly lawless.”
Ms. Pei paused, then responded to someone nearby in French. Clearly, she was still busy. Once she finished, she turned back and spoke to Yu Xi in an even gentler tone.
“He isn’t targeting you. The day I went to see you and your mother happened to be his birthday. I was in a rush and neglected him, so he took his anger out on you like a child… Don’t worry, I’ll call him in a bit and have a word with him.”
Yu Xi quickly stopped her. “There’s no need, Auntie Pei. He didn’t bully me, please don’t blame him. It’s normal for him to be defensive when I suddenly moved into his home. I’ll get along with him; I actually quite like him.”
Yu Xi’s voice was very soft and clean, his tone peaceful and gentle. It brought to mind a clear spring in a mountain stream—pleasant to the ear and the heart.
Pei Lexin, who had been slightly irritable due to work trifles, felt her emotions stabilize upon hearing this. She agreed, gave a few more words of comfort, and then hung up.
Yu Xi breathed a sigh of relief and then replied to his pinned contact.
His mother had sent him several messages an hour ago, all expressing concern for his current situation.
His scallion-white fingers tapped on the cracked, slow-responding screen of his phone, laboriously replying one by one.
[I’m fine, Mom. Everything is good here.]
[The food here is delicious. I ate three bowls; my stomach is full.]
[Don’t worry about me. Focus on your own work. I can take care of myself.]
[Goodnight, Mom.]
After sending the messages, Yu Xi took a shower and hand-washed his clothes, hanging them on the balcony to dry before preparing for bed.
He wasn’t used to sleeping with the air conditioner on. He got up to open the glass door to the balcony. Just as he was about to pull the screen door shut, he inadvertently caught sight of a dark shadow standing outside the main gate through the gaps in the banyan branches.
Under the streetlights, amidst the distinct play of light and shadow, only a rough outline was visible.
It was a tall, upright man, standing silently like an unmoving statue or a ghost with nowhere to go. Enhanced by the midnight silence, the scene was quite eerie.
And, though he wasn’t sure if it was a delusion, Yu Xi constantly felt like the other person was watching him.
Yu Xi wasn’t afraid of ghosts; he was just worried that the person had ill intentions toward the Pei family. Just as he was about to step onto the balcony for a closer look, the silent shadow suddenly moved.
The man turned around and walked toward the left of the gate. His figure quickly disappeared into the dense foliage of the banyan tree in front of Yu Xi’s room.
Yu Xi tilted his head, thinking the man was likely just passing by or was perhaps an acquaintance of the Pei family.
The security at Huzé Jūntíng was top-notch; they wouldn’t let suspicious individuals in. Moreover, even from a distance, the man’s aura didn’t seem ordinary; it was more likely he was a resident here.
Thus, Yu Xi didn’t dwell on it and pulled the screen door shut.
It was already 10:00 PM, which was late for him. If he delayed further, he wouldn’t grow any taller.
Yu Xi let out a yawn, rubbing his teary eyes. His body felt soft as he lay down on the incredibly plush bed. But just as his long, raven-wing eyelashes were about to close, he snapped his eyes open.
He forced himself to “reboot” and got out of bed again, fishing an iron box out of his backpack.
The box was printed with colorful biscuit patterns, the edges rusted where the paint had peeled. In the center of the lid was a label with handwritten ballpoint ink: Yu Xiaohe’s House.
Upon opening it, inside was a thick, soft layer of dry hay. Tucked within the hay was a pebble the size of a palm.
The stone was dark green, oval and slightly flat. It was very smooth from its owner’s frequent stroking. Though it was a plain stone, when held in its owner’s palm under the nightlight, it seemed to emit a warm, gentle luster.
Yu Xi touched it and whispered, “Yu Xiaohe, goodnight.”
The stone was placed back in the iron box on the nightstand, and Yu Xi lay back on the large bed.
Both of them slept very quietly, spending their first night together at the Pei household.
Yu Xi was accustomed to early to bed and early to rise. He was out of bed just as the sun began to rise.
The butler, who was instructing Auntie Wan on something on the first floor, heard the noise. He looked up and saw Yu Xi. He placed his hands behind his back and bowed slightly. “Young Master Yu Xi, good morning.”
Hearing that title again made the tips of Yu Xi’s ears heat up. He rubbed them awkwardly and said, “Uncle Butler can just call me Xiao Xi.”
Afterward, he also bowed to the butler and Auntie Wan in greeting. “Good morning, Uncle Butler. Good morning, Auntie Wan.”
His greetings were earnest and polite, accompanied by a shy smile.
With his naturally well-behaved looks, his eyes curved beautifully when he smiled, looking so clean without a hint of impurity that people couldn’t help but soften their hearts.
Because Pei Lexin didn’t believe in marriage and didn’t like interacting much with extended family, the house rarely had guests and felt somewhat lonely.
Now that a child with a personality completely different from Pei Wang had moved in, it was a novel experience for the servants.
The butler and Auntie Wan exchanged a glance, seeing similar smiles in each other’s eyes.
Auntie Wan pulled Yu Xi over to sit down and gave him some water. “I didn’t expect you to wake up so early. Breakfast is just being made. Do you want some snacks to fill your stomach first?”
Yu Xi couldn’t sit still and immediately stood up. “No need. What are you planning to make? Can I watch? I can help.”
Auntie Wan was startled. “Oh my, this is my job. Why would you need to help?”
“Don’t worry, I won’t get in the way.”
Yu Xi didn’t actually intend to live off the Pei family’s charity. Even if they had plenty of servants and didn’t really need him, he couldn’t feel at peace enjoying everything the Pei family offered.
Fortunately, he had learned to cook very early on. When he was very small and the family’s conditions were still decent, he would curiously peer through the door to watch the cooking lady’s every move in the kitchen. Later, as he grew a bit older, he would stand on a small stool, using his not-yet-flexible chubby hands to help his mother with small tasks… By middle school, he was fully capable of cooking on his own. Even if there weren’t many ingredients at home, he could turn simple items into various delicacies, all to see his mother eat a bit more and show a happy smile.
The difficulty was that the Pei family’s kitchen utensils and appliances were advanced and high-end. He hadn’t seen many of them before and had to ask about them one by one.
“Wow, Xiao Xi, your knife skills are amazing! The shreds are so thin and neat!” Auntie Wan couldn’t help but exclaim when she saw his practiced and excellent technique. “You don’t look very old, but you sure know a lot. You must have done a lot of work at home, right?”
Such results weren’t achieved in a day or two. From the start of her observation, Auntie Wan noticed that Yu Xi’s hands were not the hands of someone who had lived a pampered life. They were long and fair, but the skin was dry and the knuckles were slightly deformed.
She had originally thought the boy’s family situation was just slightly poor, hence his frugal lifestyle, but she didn’t realize he had performed so many household chores at such a young age.
“It’s nothing. Just a small effort.” Yu Xi smiled somewhat shyly at Auntie Wan’s praise.
Auntie Wan sighed. “You, child, you’re at the age where you should be enjoying your youth. You don’t need to help this much. Use the time before university starts to play and have fun. Right, I have some hand cream President Pei gave me. I’ll get a tube for you later; make sure to apply it every day. Don’t let such beautiful hands go to waste.”
Just as Yu Xi was about to speak, a voice suddenly came from behind him.
“Auntie Wan, today I—”
Pei Wang, whom he’d met last night, appeared at the kitchen door. Seeing Yu Xi wearing an apron and holding a kitchen knife, he immediately let out a mocking sneer similar to the one from the night before. “Acting obedient already? Let me make this clear: our house has plenty of servants. Even if you scramble to do chores, they won’t pay you a single cent.”
The color drained from Yu Xi’s cheeks as he stood there stiffly.
Auntie Wan immediately pushed Pei Wang out. “You child! How can you say such things again? Xiao Xi is helping out of the goodness of his heart.”
“He’s being fake. He just wants to perform to win your favor. You’re just too old to see it. I’ve seen plenty of people like him.”
Pei Wang’s voice wasn’t quiet; he intentionally let the person in the kitchen hear him.
“Stop it, my little ancestor,” Auntie Wan covered his mouth. “Why are you up so early today?”
“I’m hungry.”
Auntie Wan chided, “Don’t I know you? Did you stay up all night playing games again?”
Pei Wang laughed, his tone gaining a bit of the playfulness only a child would have. “I can’t hide anything from you. Just don’t tell my mom, okay?”
“Fine, fine. Otherwise, when President Pei hits you, you’ll be running around the house screaming for me to help.” Auntie Wan pushed away Pei Wang’s head as he tried to lean on her shoulder.
“I knew Auntie Wan loved me the most.” Pei Wang changed his tone. “Right, a friend of mine is coming over later to have breakfast with us.”
“What friend?”
“My mom wants me to get along with him.” Pei Wang glanced toward the kitchen, a malicious glint flashing in his eyes. He raised his voice. “So, I’m taking him to meet some more friends and have some… good… fun—”
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