Chapter 194: Chapter 194

Ji Baby’s missing person notice was on the front page for one day, then appeared in the classified section for six more days, making a total of seven days.

But Ji Baby’s phone was silent from start to finish.

Watching Ji Baby turn from a vibrant flower into a drooping sapling with its head hanging, Ji Rui felt very uncomfortable.

"Daddy, do you think Baobao’s phone is broken?"

Ji Baby had been unwilling to do anything for days, sitting dazedly on the sofa hugging his phone after meals.

Ji Rui picked up his phone and dialed out, and soon Ji Baby’s phone rang, showing "Daddy" as the caller.

Ji Baby stared at the screen in a daze, his bright eyes gradually dimming.

Logically, such a well-rewarded notice should attract some calls daily from people trying their luck or scammers trying to con money, so Baobao’s phone being so quiet was indeed unusual.

The reason, of course, was that Ji Rui secretly had most of Baobao’s calls forwarded to his own phone.

Firstly, to guard against anyone trying to scam Baobao, and secondly, so he could quickly sift through the mixed calls to find useful information and take appropriate action.

However, among the daily variety of calls, the credibility of the information provided was almost zero. On rare occasions, the information Ji Rui thought useful, he quickly had Mr. Huang send someone to verify, but they all ended in disappointment.

This rollercoaster ride of emotions from hope to despair would make even someone like Ji Rui, who was used to big ups and downs, feel melancholic or depressed. Not to mention Ji Baby, who was just a five-year-old child, and Ji Rui didn’t want to see his precious son in tears every day.

"Baobao, tomorrow Daddy will take you shopping for New Year goods, okay?" Tʜe sourcᴇ of thɪs content ɪs ⓝovelFire.net

Seeing his son so downcast, Ji Rui kindly suggested.

In another half month, it would be the Spring Festival. In past years, this was Ji Baby’s happiest time because he would decorate the big house with the butler and maids. Others did the work, and he would direct them to turn the house into a children’s playground.

Mr. Ji, doting on his grandson, never objected, and naturally, others simply followed Ji Baby’s instructions.

But now, what used to be so enticing had no attraction to Ji Baby at all.

Ji Rui, feeling quite helpless, shifted his position, sat next to Baobao, leaned in, picked him up, and placed him on his own lap.

"Then where would Baobao like to go? Daddy will take you there."

Ji Rui was becoming increasingly tender towards Ji Baby.

But his tenderness wasn’t what Ji Baby wanted most at the moment.

"Daddy, Baobao wants to find Sister!" Ji Baby lifted his head, shedding his usual clinging and demanding demeanor, and announced earnestly to Ji Rui like a little adult.

Clearly, Ji Baby no longer believed the excuse Ji Rui gave about Le Tong being away on a business trip.

But Ji Baby’s mature demeanor only gave Ji Rui more of a headache.

"Baobao, Daddy will find Sister!"

As days passed, the anger in Ji Rui’s heart had almost dissipated. At this point, he was only eager to find Le Tong. What would happen after he found her, whether to maintain their original superior-subordinate relationship or force her to fulfill a contract, he had no time to ponder.

Ji Baby lifted his eyes, his bright gaze focused intently on Ji Rui, as if gauging the truth of his words.

Ji Rui lowered his head and gently kissed Baobao’s eyelid, "Don’t you trust Daddy? Hmm?"

His tone was unprecedentedly gentle and indulgent.

Baobao blinked, "I trust...", his soft little hand touched the stubble that appeared on Ji Rui’s chin at night, then touched the conspicuous dark circles under his eyes, and looked inquisitively at Ji Rui, "Daddy, do you really like Sister?"

Ji Baby used to be a child who slept soundly, but since Le Tong disappeared, he slept fitfully, often waking up at night to find Daddy standing by the floor-to-ceiling window, pondering something against the dark night outside.

Ji Baby thought perhaps Daddy, like him, couldn’t sleep well because he was thinking of Sister.

This statement, something a five-year-old wouldn’t typically say, left Ji Rui briefly stunned. Coming back to his senses, he instinctively shook his head.

"Daddy doesn’t like her, but you like her, don’t you?"

Yes, everything he did was for his son!

Ji Rui thought this, letting out a long sigh of relief.

Perhaps, many people are . For the sake of face or because what they did went against their usual principles or image, they subconsciously find excuses to explain their abnormality.

Whether it’s strange thoughts or deviant behavior.

Ji Rui finally found a reasonable excuse for all the actions and words he had done in this period that weren’t like him, but the suffocating feeling in his heart did not diminish in the least.

Ji Baby tweaked Ji Rui’s nose, "If you don’t like Sister, why would you sleep with her? TV says people only sleep with those they like!"

Ji Rui found himself speechless at this seemingly innocent and straightforward question from his son that was so simple it would make one want to bite him.

"It’s late, go brush your teeth and go to bed!"

Unable to answer the little devil’s question, Ji Rui just patted his little bottom and urged him to sleep quickly.

Ji Baby seemed accustomed to being evaded by Ji Rui, and not getting the answer he expected, he simply leapt off Ji Rui’s lap, carrying his phone, and dashed into the bedroom.

Ji Rui glanced at the time; the wall clock showed exactly nine o’clock. Baobao must have run into the bedroom to secretly call Le Tong again, even though the call never went through, he still tried every day.

Ji Rui hesitated for a moment, picked up the phone, dialed out, and when he heard the same answer, he no longer had the energy to get angry, merely saying, "Alright, I know!"

That night, Ji Rui was just like usual, waking and sleeping fitfully. When he got up early, the dark circles under his eyes were not only unimproved but seemed even worse.

The phone on the coffee table buzzed suddenly, afraid to wake his precious son, Ji Rui ran out of the bathroom, picked up the phone without seeing who it was, and answered.

"Hello, this is Ji Rui!"

After about a minute on the phone, Ji Rui’s expression lightened and darkened, and light again. Hanging up, Ji Rui walked straight to the bed, lifted the blanket, and his big hand slapped gently on the soft, warm little bottom.

"Baobao, get up, Daddy is taking you to pick up Sister!"

[First update, two more updates to go, tomorrow is New Year’s Day, can’t let Baobao be sad, right?]