The Stunning General Finds Himself in a Shura Field on a Dating Show ABO - Chapter 51

Seeing the young man’s confusion, Jin Xi smiled and continued, I told my mom you wouldn’t be free tonight. Lunch is already ready at home. Come with me.

Okay.

Jin Xi drove Ye Zhi to his house, where Aunt Jin had been waiting anxiously at the door.

Why are you so late? she scolded her eldest son as soon as she saw them. Did you forget to pick up Xiao Ye?

Jin Xi simply grinned at his mother’s misunderstanding, choosing not to mention the earlier incident. It was nothing good for the young man, and telling his mother would only worry her unnecessarily.

Ye Zhi, understanding the unspoken agreement, also kept silent. He smiled warmly at Aunt Jin and greeted her, Hello, Elder Sister.

By age, he should have called her Aunt Jin. But the woman looked so young that Ye Zhi couldn’t bring himself to use the term.

Hearing the young man’s address, Aunt Jin beamed. Aiyo, what a sweet tongue! My name is Bai Ni. Just call me Sister Bai.

With that, Bai Ni led Ye Zhi inside, calling upstairs, Xiao Yan! Brother Ye is here!

No sooner had her words echoed than footsteps clattered down the duplex staircase.

Xiao Yan bounded down the stairs, a kitten cradled in his arms.

The child waved at Ye Zhi from the staircase, then scurried over and offered the kitten.

Ye Zhi instinctively took the kitten, squatted down to meet Xiao Yan’s gaze, and asked, Is this your kitten? Why are you giving it to me?

Xiao Yan didn’t answer, but gently nudged the kitten forward, his large amber eyes fixed on Ye Zhi.

Seeing Ye Zhi’s confusion, Jin Xi explained from the side, Xiao Yan can’t speak. He wants to give you the kitten. Just accept it.

Ye Zhi had read up on local prices. Pet cats weren’t cheap, and the more beautiful and purebred they were, the more expensive they became.

Coincidentally, the kitten in his arms had snow-white fur and striking blue eyes—it looked quite valuable.

Ye Zhi tried to return the kitten to Xiao Yan, but the child refused to take it back.

Reluctantly, Ye Zhi stood up and handed the kitten to Jin Xi. Brother Jin, I can’t accept this.

Jin Xi didn’t take the kitten. Instead, he asked, Do you like cats?

Ye Zhi nodded. Of course! Who doesn’t love these adorable creatures?

Then keep it, Jin Xi said. It’s not that expensive.

Bai Ni chimed in from the side, That’s right. Our cat recently had a litter of kittens, and we can’t even give them away.

So that’s why.

The snow-white kitten nuzzled affectionately against Ye Zhi, letting out a soft mew from his arms, as if making a gentle plea.

Ye Zhi’s heart softened, and he finally accepted the kitten.

Alright, let’s eat, Bai Ni called, gesturing everyone to the dining room, where a lavish lunch was laid out on the table.

During the meal, Ye Zhi inquired about Xiao Yan’s condition. He learned that Xiao Yan had suffered a high fever as a child, and due to delayed detection, his brain’s nervous system had been damaged, leaving him unable to speak.

No wonder I haven’t heard the child say a word since last night.

Xiao Yan really likes you, Bai Ni said, her voice filled with evident concern. Please come visit us often. He usually refuses to interact with others, and I’m starting to worry about him.

Bai Ni’s tone carried unmistakable heartache. Xiao Yan’s muteness was a consequence of her negligence. On that busy day, neither she nor the nanny had noticed the child’s fever in time, leading to his acquired aphasia.

In truth, this type of acquired aphasia can often be alleviated with consistent rehabilitation therapy.

But Xiao Yan rarely responded to others, let alone cooperate with therapy.

Ye Zhi watched the child eating obediently, but his mind was on another child entirely.

He had agreed to Bai Ni’s request

Alright, I’ll come visit Xiao Yan often.

After lunch, Ye Zhi chatted with Bai Ni for a while before Xiao Yan tugged him upstairs.

Watching the young man’s retreating figure, Bai Ni asked her eldest son, Doesn’t Xiao Ye look a lot like your Lanzhi-ge?

Jin Xi, who was clearing the table, nearly dropped the chopsticks in his hand at her words.

It had been a long time since his mother had mentioned Lanzhi’s name.

Jin Xi instinctively glanced at the departing youth. The boy had just reached the top of the stairs, and the side profile visible in that moment did indeed bear a striking resemblance to Lanzhi.

Jin Xi averted his gaze, frowning. Mom, you don’t suspect…

You’re right, Bai Ni interrupted, taking the dishes from her son’s hands. She lowered her eyes and said softly, Xiao Xi, go upstairs and talk to the boy. Get to know him better.

Jin Xi understood his mother’s meaning she wanted him to probe the young man’s background.

He nodded and followed Ye Zhi upstairs.

Xiao Yan led Ye Zhi to a bedroom where a large cat was curled up in the corner, surrounded by several kittens playing with yarn balls.

Meow~

The little white cat that had been following Ye Zhi suddenly meowed and trotted happily toward the big cat.

Is that the kitten’s mother? Ye Zhi asked Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan nodded and ran to a nearby storage cabinet, pulling out a cat teaser wand.

Ye Zhi realized with a start Xiao Yan had brought him upstairs to invite him to play with the cats.

As he took the wand, Ye Zhi’s gaze drifted to a photo on the cabinet. Curious, he moved closer for a better look.

The photo featured two young boys. One, slightly older at around eight or nine, had striking golden hair and a wide grin that revealed a pair of adorable tiger teeth. It was unmistakably Jin Xi as a child.

Beside him stood a black-haired boy who looked to be kindergarten age, his chubby cheeks still retaining baby fat. His obsidian eyes sparkled brilliantly in the sunlight, his smile radiant and bright.

Ye Zhi leaned in closer, studying the boy intently.

This child… he looks just like me when I was little.

That’s a photo of me when I was younger. The boy next to me is Xia Yuzhi, the son of my mom’s friend, Jin Xi’s voice came from behind, startling Ye Zhi.

He turned around with an embarrassed smile.

Sorry, I was just curious and took a few extra glances, Ye Zhi said.

It’s nothing private. Look as much as you like, Jin Xi replied.

Then, as if casually, Jin Xi turned to Ye Zhi and asked, Xiao Ye, you must have childhood photos too, right? I’m quite curious about what you looked like as a kid.

In the Xia State, they only had portraits, not photographs.

Ye Zhi shook his head. I don’t have any photos.

He glanced again at the black-haired boy in the frame, his voice tinged with surprise. But this child… he looks quite a bit like me when I was younger.

A flicker of scrutiny flashed in Jin Xi’s eyes. He was about to press further when Xiao Yan suddenly began babbling excitedly, tugging impatiently at Ye Zhi’s sleeve.

It seemed Xiao Yan was scolding Ye Zhi for being too engrossed in chatting with his brother and forgetting about him.

Understanding Xiao Yan’s meaning, Ye Zhi chuckled. Alright, alright, we’ll go play with the cat now. Brother will come with you. Let go of my sleeve.

Hearing this, Xiao Yan finally released his grip, his face brightening with a smile as he skipped toward the cat.

Jin Xi picked up the framed photo from the cabinet, stroking the glass thoughtfully, his expression pensive.

Meanwhile, in the nearby cottage, Qin Siran, having no work today, decided to tidy up the room.

While mopping the floor, Qin Siran noticed the messy state of Ye Zhi’s bedside table and tidied it up.

The young man’s bedside table was mostly filled with books, specifically science books for children aged 3-7, their covers adorned with whimsical illustrations. The only other items were cookbooks with gaudy, colorful covers.

Against this backdrop, the dark-toned History of the Xia Kingdom stood out starkly.

As Qin Siran gazed at the title Xia Kingdom on the cover, his mind involuntarily drifted back to his recent dreams.

Since returning from Hailin Village, he had been having nightly dreams about Ying Lian and the Xia Kingdom.

After entering the Marquis’s Estate, Ying Lian’s life had become much freer. The Young Marquis often took him along when he went out to play.

He brought Ying Lian to gatherings with friends, outings to lakes and mountains, and even to brothels.

Despite the rumors swirling through the capital about their relationship, the young man remained utterly unconcerned, living life on his own terms.

Yet Qin Siran never dreamed of what happened to the Young Marquis afterward. His dreams always focused on these fragments of their daily interactions.

Even after recalling every dream he’d had in recent days, Qin Siran couldn’t piece together what happened next.

His Young Marquis had become far more reserved.

The boy must have endured much to learn to suppress his youthful spirit and sharp edges.

So what exactly had transpired afterward?

Perhaps the answer lay within this book.

With that thought, Qin Siran opened the History of the Xia Kingdom in his hands.

As a historical record, the book chronicled the entire dynasty’s history in chronological order.

Thus, Qin Siran flipped through its pages for quite some time before finally reaching the entry related to Ye Zhi

Xia Calendar Year 229 Marquis Jing’an embarked on a journey, later returning to the capital with his son, named Ye Zhi.

This was Ye Zhi’s first mention in the text.

Yet Qin Siran found something odd

The book made no mention of Marquis Jing’an having taken his young son with him when he initially set out.

Why, then, did he return from Hailin Village accompanied by the boy?

This was a translated edition the original was written in archaic, complex official prose, using traditional characters. Perhaps the translator had simply overlooked the detail in a moment of carelessness.

Qin Siran didn’t dwell on it for long and continued reading.

The book contained very few records of Ye Zhi’s childhood—almost none. The only subsequent mention of him was when Emperor Xia selected companions for his imperial princes.

Though Ye Zhi was rarely mentioned, Marquis Jing’an, as a prominent figure, appeared frequently throughout the text.

Qin Siran shifted his approach, changing his search keyword from Ye Zhi to Marquis Jing’an.

Skimming through the pages, he quickly reached the latter half of the historical record

Xia Calendar Year 240 Marquis Jing’an passed away due to illness. In the same year, Emperor Xia fell critically ill.

Qin Siran frowned slightly.

If his calculations were correct, Ye Zhi would have been exactly fifteen years old at this time.

In his dream, when he first met the young man, the latter had also been fifteen.

Yet back then, Marquis Jing’an had been in perfectly good health, even having the energy to discipline his disobedient youngest son.

In later dream sequences, Qin Siran had also dreamed of the old marquis.

The old marquis’s body had seemed remarkably robust. How could he have suddenly succumbed to illness?