Chen Xu was woken up by the ringing of his phone. With his eyes still closed, he reached out to the bedside table and grabbed his phone. The harsh glare of the screen made him frown in discomfort. After adjusting to the brightness, he saw the caller ID—it was his homeroom teacher.
“Hello…”
“Chen Xu, have you checked your scores?!” The teacher’s voice was loud and excited, making the still-drowsy Chen Xu instinctively pull the phone away from his ear.
“Not yet.” Chen Xu had gone to bed early last night and hadn’t had the chance to check his scores. But having lived through this once before, he already knew what his results would be.
“You scored 738! You’re the top scorer in the province’s college entrance exam!” The teacher’s voice was filled with uncontrollable joy.
“Oh, thank you, teacher.” Chen Xu’s calm response made the teacher feel a little awkward.
“You scored 738, aren’t you happy?”
“Mm, I’m happy.” Chen Xu couldn’t help but yawn, a tear forming at the corner of his eye.
Teacher: “…”
The teacher reminded him to carefully consider his college choices and told him he could return to school for guidance if he was unsure. Chen Xu agreed to everything.
After hanging up, he originally planned to go back to sleep, but after lying down for a while, he realized he couldn’t fall asleep again.
With a sigh, he got out of bed, put on his slippers, and went into the bathroom to take a shower.
It was still early, so he went out for a morning run. The air was fresh, and the gardeners were trimming the plants in the garden.
“Is that Young Master Xu?”
“Looks like it. Why is he up so early today?”
“I heard the college entrance exam results come out today. Could he be venting because he didn’t do well?”
“Now that you mention it, that’s possible. I heard that Young Master Chen estimated his score to be over 700. The total score is only 750, right? Young Master Chen is really impressive. With him around, Young Master Xu must feel embarrassed.”
“I think this time Young Master Chen will finally have a chance to outshine him in front of the master. Honestly, I don’t have much faith in Young Master Xu.”
As Chen Xu ran past, he vaguely heard the two gardeners whispering. He didn’t pay attention to what they were saying and focused entirely on his run.
The morning sunlight streamed through the glass windows, casting a golden glow inside the house. On the third floor, a tall figure stood by the window.
Si Ye looked down through the window at Chen Xu running below. The figure was small from this distance, and he couldn’t see Chen Xu’s face clearly, but that didn’t stop him from standing there for nearly ten minutes.
He remembered that in the previous life, Chen Xu had been the top scorer in the province, but because of the Xia You incident, Chen Xu had kept a low profile, avoiding media interviews and public appearances. Later, since he attended an art school, very few people knew he had been the province’s top scorer. Many even thought it was just someone with the same name. Meanwhile, Si Yichen, who had scored 703, had basked in the limelight.
The applause and recognition should have belonged to Chen Xu.
Si Ye picked up the internal phone and instructed Uncle Zhong to prepare for a celebratory banquet in a few days.
“Should we invite Young Master Chen’s teachers, or should we ask for his opinion first?” Uncle Zhong instinctively assumed the banquet was for Si Yichen. After all, Young Master Chen had always been outstanding, so it was only natural to celebrate him.
“It’s not for Si Yichen. It’s for Chen Xu,” Si Ye said, his voice low, carrying a hint of displeasure.
Uncle Zhong was momentarily stunned, but his years of experience quickly brought him back to his senses. “Apologies, sir. Should we let Young Master Xu decide the guest list?”
Si Ye thought for a moment. “No need. Don’t tell him for now.”
“Understood.” Uncle Zhong thought to himself, *Sir must be planning a surprise for Young Master Xu.*
After giving his instructions, Si Ye looked outside again, but Chen Xu was already gone. He estimated the time and headed downstairs.
Si Yichen, Sun Wei’ang, and Tong Jiaxi were already seated at the dining table.
Tong Jiaxi’s expression was grim—he had bombed the exam, and Uncle Si would surely be disappointed in him.
Si Yichen, on the other hand, was practically glowing with excitement. He could hardly wait to tell Si Ye that he had scored 703, hoping to receive his praise.
Sun Wei’ang, as usual, remained indifferent. He was focused on the breakfast menu displayed on his tablet.
The moment Si Ye walked downstairs, the three of them stood up to greet him.
Si Yichen looked at him expectantly, hoping he would ask about his scores.
However, Si Ye remained as cold as ever. He simply nodded in acknowledgment and took his seat without a word.
Si Yichen’s smile faltered noticeably, and he slumped, looking just as dejected as Tong Jiaxi.
“Good morning, Uncle Si.”
Chen Xu walked in, his body still carrying a trace of moisture from his shower. The faint scent of milky body wash drifted to Si Ye’s nose.
Si Ye’s lips curved slightly as he beckoned, “Morning.”
Chen Xu thought he had something to say, but as soon as he approached, a servant pulled out a chair for him.
Si Ye naturally placed the menu in front of him. “What do you want to eat?”
Chen Xu had eaten with Si Ye before, but that was when it was just the two of them. Now, with Si Yichen and the others present, Si Ye still insisted that he sit with him, making it clear to everyone that he was different.
As expected, before he even sat down, he could feel two burning gazes on his back. Si Yichen and Tong Jiaxi probably hated him to death right now.
Si Yichen and Tong Jiaxi still hoped that Chen Xu would have some self-awareness and refuse. But to their horror, he actually sat down!
Not only did he sit down, but he also casually accepted the tablet Si Ye handed him and started browsing the breakfast options.
His attitude was as arrogant as could be, completely disregarding the others at the table.
Even Sun Wei’ang, who usually didn’t care about anything, was shocked. *What’s going on? Why is Uncle Si suddenly treating Chen Xu so well? And why is Chen Xu just accepting it so naturally? Does he not worry about Si Yichen retaliating?*
“What do you want to eat, Uncle Si?” Chen Xu asked while scrolling.
“Pick whatever you like. I’m not picky.” Si Ye took a sip of his coffee.
Chen Xu glanced at him and noticed that he drank his coffee without a single grain of sugar.
After placing the order, Chen Xu put the tablet aside.
“Young Master Xu, your milk.” A maid placed a glass of milk in front of him.
Chen Xu didn’t remember asking for milk. He was already eighteen—he didn’t need to drink milk every morning like a kid.
“I want coffee too,” he said.
The maid hesitated and glanced at Si Ye.
Si Ye set his cup down and said, “Kids should drink their milk.”
Having lived through his previous life to the age of twenty-two, Chen Xu was still being treated like a child. His ears turned slightly red.
“Uncle Si, I’m already eighteen.”
Si Ye looked at him with a smirk, his gaze unwavering. Under his stare, Chen Xu backed down and obediently drank his milk.
Meanwhile, Si Yichen, sitting at the other table, watched the interaction and nearly bent his fork in frustration.
Tong Jiaxi, green with envy, couldn’t fathom why Chen Xu was being treated so differently.
Breakfast was filled with undercurrents, though Chen Xu and Si Ye enjoyed theirs.
“I’m off,” Si Ye said, reaching out to ruffle Chen Xu’s soft black hair. His bangs fell slightly over his bright peach-blossom eyes.
“Okay, Uncle Si, see you tonight.” Chen Xu waved obediently.
Watching his well-behaved demeanor, Si Ye had to suppress the urge to pull him into a tight embrace.
“See you tonight,” he said reluctantly before leaving.
The moment Si Ye left, Si Yichen cornered Chen Xu.
“What the hell did you do to my father?! Why is he spoiling you like this?”
Chen Xu grabbed his wrist and squeezed, making Si Yichen loosen his grip in pain.
“Who Si Ye chooses to favor isn’t your business.”
“Chen Xu! I’ll kill you!” Si Yichen roared.
But those words only triggered a cold glint in Chen Xu’s eyes. He yanked Si Yichen close, his voice icy.
“Si Yichen, don’t think the world revolves around you. Let’s see who takes down whom first.”
His gaze was so sharp, so serious, that Si Yichen instinctively backed down. For the first time, he realized—Chen Xu wasn’t just throwing words around. He *meant* it.
Si Yichen’s lips trembled, his entire body stiff. He knew he should stand his ground, that he should argue back. But for a long moment, he found that his throat wouldn’t produce a single sound.
Chen Xu shoved him away and casually stuffed his hands into his pockets before walking off.
Tong Jiaxi, who had been waiting outside Chen Xu’s door to demand an explanation, shuddered instinctively when he saw Chen Xu radiating cold hostility. He didn’t dare say a word and slunk away to the side.
At that moment, Chen Xu gave off the same chilling aura as a psychotic killer in a rain-soaked thriller—one that sent shivers straight to the bone.
Chen Xu spent the entire morning alone in his room, trying to calm himself down. He ruined several sketches before he finally managed to pull himself out of that overwhelming hatred.
He wanted revenge on Si Yichen, but he also wanted to live well. Giving up his own life for that scumbag wasn’t worth it.
When he finally collected himself and looked down at his drawing, he froze, his entire body stiffening in disbelief.
Unconsciously, he had drawn a portrait of Si Ye. And not just a rough sketch—the drawing was nearly complete, with an impressive level of detail.
Was he out of his mind?
At that moment, his phone screen lit up with a message.
He thought it might be from Ke Xinghao and the others, but when he opened it, he saw it was from Chen Yuqi.
Chen Yuqi: Second Brother, I’m out of money. Send me some.
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