"I'm going back to my room to rest," Xingxing said.
He neither accepted nor rejected Ye Ziyu's suggestion. His placid demeanor made it impossible for Ye Ziyu to guess his thoughts.
After a few seconds, Ye Ziyu finally spoke, "Okay."
Xingxing was also well-behaved, waiting for Ye Ziyu's reply before moving to his room.
"Xingxing, if you're bored by yourself, you can always find Xiaoran and the others to play with. I sincerely hope you can become friends with them." Ye Ziyu thought for a moment and turned to look at Xingxing, who hadn't gone far.
They were of similar age and lived under the same roof. With such favorable conditions for becoming friends, she couldn't understand why Xingxing was so distant towards them.
Xiaoran had shown a desire to befriend Xingxing on several occasions. Since they had just arrived at the Ye residence, she was worried that overly close contact might make Xingxing feel disgusted, so she had specifically instructed Xiaoran that even if he wanted to become friends, he should gauge Xingxing's willingness and not impose any trouble or inconvenience on him.
It was precisely because of her instructions that Xiaoran and the others wanted to get closer but were afraid to get too close. After living in the Ye residence for several months, they were more estranged than strangers.
Ye Ziyu watched Xingxing enter his room and sighed, returning to her room with a heavy heart.
"Did the children upset you?" Di Mingjue asked curiously.
She had been sighing since she entered the room, her features knitted together.
Ye Ziyu sat on the rocking chair, her feet resting on the edge, her arms embracing her drawn-up knees. "Why do you think Xingxing is unwilling to be friends with Xiaoran and the others?"
"Did you just see him outside?" Di Mingjue walked up to her.
Ye Ziyu looked up and replied, "Yes, he was just going upstairs. I specifically told him earlier that if he felt bored at home, he could befriend Xiaoran and the others today. He didn't give me a response or refuse, and I can't even fathom the thoughts of a child."
A child?
Di Mingjue snorted. If not for the body and appearance of a child, he would suspect Xingxing of being an adult in his tens of years.
He was too young yet carried heavy thoughts, and when he saw Di Mingjue, he became inexplicably fierce, his eyes constantly emitting a sharp glint, as if he wished to kill him with his gaze.
"If he's unwilling, then so be it. Perhaps he's not suited to be friends with Xiaoran and the others," Di Mingjue said.
Ye Ziyu was not satisfied with this statement. "Why aren't they suited? They are of similar age and live under the same roof, seeing each other every day. No one has more advantages than they do right now."
While seemingly advantageous, too much familiarity would only diminish the sense of mystery. Friendship and love are not fundamentally different; the principle of "distance creates beauty" can apply to all relationships.
Di Mingjue bent over and touched Ye Ziyu's furrowed brows. "Don't overthink it. Instead of worrying about others, why don't you tell me how you've been living abroad all these years?"
As soon as the words fell, Di Mingjue was ruthlessly pushed away by Ye Ziyu. "Are you concerned about my life? Or do you want to inquire about Mu Liangchen?"
Her point hit home, and Di Mingjue placed his hands on the rocking chair's armrests. Ye Ziyu was pinned beneath him.
"Since Mu Liangchen has been mentioned, let's talk about your story."
"Are you sure you want to hear the story?"
Di Mingjue had said this out of jealousy, but he hadn't expected Ye Ziyu to actually reveal that there was a story to tell. His curiosity had been piqued, and if it wasn't satisfied, he likely wouldn't be able to sleep all night.
He hooked his arm downwards, and Ye Ziyu cried out as he picked her up and placed her on the bed. Her head felt dizzy from the movement. She reached out to steady her forehead, her peripheral vision catching a shadow falling from above.
"You don't want me to talk anymore?" Knowing that mentioning Mu Liangchen would make Di Mingjue jealous, Ye Ziyu couldn't resist teasing him.