Rebirth: Pampered by My Children and Husband

Chapter 164: Chapter 164: Who Does She Think He Is?

Substitute?

Did he think he was in a TV drama?

Xie Changyan didn’t take Ji Tingyang’s words to heart. His spoon casually stirred in the coffee cup as he looked up at the woman sitting in front of him.

In her arms, she held a small cat, first stroking its ears and then playfully squeezing its belly. Watching the kitty meowing comfortably in her palm brought a bright smile to her eyes.

Her smiling face curved like a crescent moon as she gently rubbed the kitten against her cheek.

Without guessing, Xie Changyan could tell she really liked this little cat.

“Is this the place you said you really wanted to visit?” he asked, watching the woman play with the kitten, a faint smile on his lips.

Before the weekend arrived, Lin Xu had sent him a message, asking him to meet up over the weekend as there was a place she really wanted to visit.

Lin Xu’s lips curved into a smile, which spread across her face, “Of course, so many people online recommend this cat café. Look at how adorable this little cat is.”

She placed the kitten on the table and held its tiny paws, posing it in a couple of cute positions for Xie Changyan.

The kitten, as if unwilling to endure her playfulness anymore, meowed in protest a couple of times before struggling out of her hands and quickly vanished into a nearby group of cats.

“Ah, it ran away…” Lin Xu’s voice carried a tone of regret.

The next instant, another unafraid little cat jumped onto her lap, cooing and acting cute.

Lin Xu quickly forgot about the previous cat and held the new arrival, unwilling to let go.

Xie Changyan suddenly remembered another time they had barbeque when she had excitedly chased after a stray cat she saw from afar.

However, the stray cat ran too fast and what was meant for the kitten landed on his lips instead.

Thinking back, Xie Changyan’s smile deepened, “Do you like little cats?”

“Yeah, I’ve wanted to keep one for a while, but never had the chance,” Lin Xu said regretfully.

At that time, Ji Tingyang was only a few months old, and she was worried that cat fur might affect the baby’s breathing, thinking of waiting until he was older to get a cat.

But then Ji Zeqiu and Ji Yuqiao came along, and the idea of getting a cat kept being postponed until it never happened.

“Back when I was overseas, I saw a vendor selling Scottish Fold cats, and you even said you would buy one for me, but then you got busy and forgot about it,” Lin Xu puffed up her cheeks, sounding huffy.

Xie Changyan paused in his stirring of the coffee, “Me?”

Seeing the confusion in his eyes, Lin Xu quickly realized he didn’t remember those things and hurried to explain, “No, I was talking about someone else.”

Someone else?

Whom did she mistake him for?

Xie Changyan looked down, his gaze on the dark coffee in his cup, his fingers slightly curved.

Oddly enough.

The word “substitute” flashed through his mind.

But seeing Lin Xu’s brimming smile, Xie Changyan pushed that absurd thought down.

The two of them stayed in the cat café for an afternoon. Before driving away, Xie Changyan still handed her the gift box that had been in the car.

“What’s this?” Lin Xu asked surprisedly as she took it.

Inside lay a pair of pink diamond-studded earrings, sparkling softly under the sunlight.

“A gift for you, try them on?” Xie Changyan said.

Lin Xu replaced the old earrings she wore and then reached up to wrap her arms around his neck. She drew her head very close to him, “Do they look good?”

Xie Changyan’s fingers traced her ear before sliding down to her cheek, gently lifting her chin and planting a light, barely-there kiss.

“They look very nice,” his voice was slightly husky.

Lin Xu laughed softly, “Is this an anniversary gift? Just this little bit isn’t enough.”

Today was their 10th anniversary of being together. In the past, Ji Yanli always prepared a lot of surprise gifts for her, making this day especially grand.

A few days earlier, when she had seen the date, she even found herself secretly hoping, hoping that although he had forgotten her, perhaps instinctively he would remember today was a special day.

The moment she received the gift, Lin Xu couldn’t stop her joy.

As he touched her cheek, his hand paused, and Xie Changyan’s brows furrowed, “Anniversary?”

“…” Lin Xu.

Disaster.

She had accidentally blurted out what was in her heart.

The annoyance in her eyes flickered briefly. She widened her eyes, trying to get away with a naive and innocent expression, “Anniv… anniversary of our first day coming to the cat cafe.”

Xie Changyan caught the uneasiness in her voice, and his emotions sank.

Ji Tingyang’s words echoed again in his mind—

“Do you really think she likes you?”

“You’re just a substitute.”

He knew he shouldn’t take Ji Tingyang’s words to heart, but those words were like a fly that found its way into any opening. Whenever he sensed something odd, those sentences would pop up in his mind, replaying over and over.

Seeing that Xie Changyan was staring at her without speaking for a long while, Lin Xu’s heart suddenly tightened, “What’s, what’s wrong?”

This 𝓬ontent is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.

“Nothing, just thinking…” Xie Changyan pressed down the discomfort in his heart, his fingers curling a strand of hair behind her ear, “Should we also commemorate our first meeting, first movie, and also.”

His deep voice sounded in her ear, carrying a tempting huskiness, “Our first kiss.”

Lin Xu’s cheeks suddenly turned red, “Um, if you want to commemorate that, I guess we could.”

“Then I’ll take you out tomorrow for an anniversary.”

“Tomorrow?”

“The thirtieth day anniversary of our first movie.”

“Tomorrow won’t work, I have other plans,” Lin Xu was slightly troubled.

Ji Yuqiao was going to the neighboring city tomorrow to participate in a national math competition, taken there by her teacher by high speed train. But since it was a long trip, she still wanted to go to the train station to see her off.

The next day.

Ji Tingyang, working part-time as a driver, took Lin Xu to the train station.

“Lin Xu, you really came to see me off?!” Ji Yuqiao ran over and hugged her neck, jumping excitedly on the spot, “You’re so kind.”

“Did you forget there is another person here?” A light tone came from beside them.

“Do you want a hug too?” Ji Yuqiao glanced at Ji Tingyang, then huffed and turned her head, “Only if you unfreeze the credit card and give me back my allowance.”

If it weren’t for her second brother and Lin Xu, she would have definitely starved during this period.

“Unfreeze it and then spend money on Xiao Yu?” Ji Tingyang glared at her.

“… I didn’t, stop talking nonsense,” Ji Yuqiao whispered back, afraid of being overheard by Xiao Yu, who was nearby, and she sneakily glanced at him.

However, she was momentarily stunned when she saw the girl next to him.

Just like Lin Xu came to cheer her on and see her off, Wen Li had also arrived at some point and was quietly talking to Xiao Yu.

Perhaps noticing the gaze on her, Wen Li followed the look.

The first person she saw was Ji Tingyang.