After chatting with Si Ye for a while, Bai Churui finally seemed to notice Chen Xu standing beside him. She smiled gracefully at him and asked, “And this is?”
Hearing her inquiry, Chen Xu frowned slightly. Although Miss Bai was smiling at him, he felt that the smile did not reach her eyes. Instead, there was a faint sense of hostility hidden beneath it.
Si Ye placed a hand on Chen Xu’s waist and introduced him to Bai Churui, “A child from my family.”
Upon hearing this, Bai Churui’s smile became more genuine as she looked at Chen Xu. “Hello, it’s our first time meeting, and I didn’t bring a gift. Coincidentally, I had a brand event today, and the sponsor gave me a watch. I think it would suit you well.”
As she spoke, she took out a blue velvet box from her bag, clearly from a luxury brand.
For some reason, Chen Xu felt repulsed by her attitude. It was as if she considered her relationship with Si Ye to be special—almost as if she was assuming the role of his future wife.
Before Si Ye could speak, Chen Xu, who was usually obedient in front of him, coldly said, “Thank you for your kindness, Miss Bai, but there’s no need for a gift. If I liked a watch, Uncle Si would buy it for me.”
Bai Churui’s temples throbbed at these words. This watch wasn’t cheap—any boy Chen Xu’s age should have been tempted by it and easy to win over. Yet every word from Chen Xu seemed to carry thorns, as if he was making it clear he didn’t approve of her as his future aunt.
She turned to Si Ye with a look of grievance, hoping for some sympathy. However, when she lifted her head, she saw Si Ye looking at Chen Xu with an expression full of indulgence—even a rare hint of a smile on his usually stern face.
“Mhmm,” Si Ye said lightly. “If Xiao Xu likes something, I’ll buy it for him. No need to trouble Miss Bai. Enjoy your meal, put it on my tab—we have something else to do.”
Si Ye ruffled Chen Xu’s hair, gave Bai Churui a polite nod, and then left with Chen Xu without another glance.
Left alone, Bai Churui was so furious she could hardly contain herself. If she hadn’t heard Si Ye say that Chen Xu was just a child from his family, she would have assumed he was Si Ye’s little lover.
Fuming, she stomped back to her seat in her high heels. Across from her, a middle-aged man glanced behind her in confusion. “Didn’t you say you saw Mr. Si? Where is he? Why didn’t you invite him to join us for dinner?”
Bai Churui quickly adjusted her expression and smiled. “Mr. Si was here with family. The child insisted on going home, so he said he’ll have dinner with Director Zhang next time. He also asked to put tonight’s bill on his tab.”
Hearing this, Director Zhang’s face lit up with a wide grin. “Churui, you really are something—if you can get Mr. Si, it looks like good things are coming your way soon.”
Bai Churui gave a coy smile, pretending to be shy. “It’s not that fast.”
“So it’s already in the works?” Director Zhang raised his wine glass, eyes gleaming with interest.
Bai Churui only smiled sweetly and said nothing, but her expression said everything.
“Churui, I’ve always thought you were a fantastic actress. My upcoming film’s lead role has to be yours.” Director Zhang had been preparing a major film for two to three years. Initially, he preferred casting a veteran actress, but after seeing Bai Churui chatting with Si Ye and hearing her subtle hints about getting close to the Si family, he immediately changed his mind. If he could secure a connection with the Si family through Bai Churui, future investments would be the least of his worries.
—
On the other side, Si Ye and Chen Xu got into the car. The atmosphere inside was quiet; neither of them spoke.
Chen Xu’s mind was filled with thoughts about Bai Churui. At this point, Si Ye and Bai Churui weren’t together yet, but Si Ye had just casually told Bai Churui to put her meal on his tab. If it were anyone else, Chen Xu wouldn’t have thought much of it—at most, he’d consider the person generous. But Si Ye was always indifferent to others. If he had no special feelings for Bai Churui, he wouldn’t have made such an offer.
Could the rumors be true? Was Si Ye really going to marry Bai Churui in the future?
If that happened, how would it affect his plans?
Si Ye was infertile, so they wouldn’t have children. That wouldn’t pose a problem for Chen Xu unless Si Yichen managed to persuade Bai Churui to join forces with him and influence Si Ye through pillow talk.
“What are you thinking about? Your expression is so serious.” Si Ye suddenly reached out and pinched Chen Xu’s ear.
The unexpected touch startled Chen Xu, making him shiver slightly. “Nothing.”
Seeing him react like a startled little puppy, Si Ye’s heart softened, and he couldn’t help but smile silently.
After a brief pause, Chen Xu couldn’t hold back his curiosity. He leaned toward Si Ye, tilted his face up, and asked, “Uncle Si, will you marry Miss Bai?”
To Si Ye, this question was completely out of the blue. What exactly was going through his little friend’s mind all day?
“Why do you ask?” Si Ye countered calmly.
Chen Xu pursed his lips and lowered his gaze. His long eyelashes trembled slightly. “Because that’s what the internet says.”
His fair skin glowed under the warm light, and the fine fuzz on his cheeks was visible. Si Ye looked down at him from above, his eyes lingering on the small red mole on Chen Xu’s nose. The more he looked at it, the more it felt like the tiny mark was luring him to kiss it.
“Do you think so too?” Si Ye’s gaze roamed over Chen Xu’s face. If looks could touch, he would have already kissed every inch of Chen Xu’s skin.
Chen Xu, lost in his own thoughts like an unaware little deer, lowered his head and shook it. His soft, jet-black hair swayed slightly. “I don’t know, so I wanted to ask you.”
His fluffy head made Si Ye want to reach out and ruffle it. He still remembered how it felt—soft, warm, and faintly fragrant.
“Does it matter to you?” The moment he asked, Si Ye knew he was being impatient. He shouldn’t have brought up such a sensitive topic now, but he was desperate to know if his little friend had even the slightest clue.
Did Chen Xu care? Of course, he cared. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t have asked this question in the first place. But he wasn’t sure if he cared because Bai Churui might interfere with his plans, or if it was because of an inexplicable possessiveness toward Si Ye.
As Chen Xu fell into deep thought, Si Ye’s heart tightened with each second of silence, eventually sinking into a deep abyss.
Outside the car window, the city lights shimmered. Si Ye reached out, gently rubbing Chen Xu’s head in reassurance. “No, she’s just a business associate. Our relationship is purely work-related.”
Chen Xu turned his head in surprise, his heart filling with unexpected joy. He instinctively nudged his head against Si Ye’s palm, a bright smile spreading across his face. “Uncle Si, you’ll meet someone better. I don’t think she’s right for you.”
He wasn’t deliberately belittling Bai Churui, but he knew she was no different from others who wanted to latch onto Si Ye for his status and wealth. None of them truly loved Si Ye.
Si Ye was so good—he deserved a beautiful love and marriage. He deserved the best.
Si Ye was taken aback by his response. “Then what kind of person do you think suits me?”
His gaze was steady and focused as he looked at Chen Xu.
Chen Xu thought about it seriously but couldn’t come up with an answer. Maybe because Si Ye had never had anyone by his side, Chen Xu found it hard to imagine what he would be like in a relationship or what kind of person would be worthy of him.
Such a simple question actually stumped Chen Xu. If it had been someone else, they would have immediately flattered Si Ye with all sorts of praises.
“Someone who truly loves you, I guess,” Chen Xu turned his head and answered seriously.
His eyes were dark and bright, like the morning star in the sky. In that instant, Si Ye’s heart skipped a beat.
Si Ye curled his lips into a subtle smile but didn’t comment on the answer. He couldn’t. In his eyes, the most suitable person for him was Chen Xu—but Chen Xu hadn’t yet learned to love him.
Because of traffic congestion, they arrived home past ten. Chen Xu, fighting off his sleepiness, waved goodbye to Si Ye before heading straight to his room.
But someone just wouldn’t let him sleep.
Standing at his door with a sullen expression was Tong Jiaxi. For the first time, Chen Xu felt an urge to punch him. Tong Jiaxi was frail-looking. Even though he often did things that disgusted Chen Xu, Chen Xu had only ever scolded him verbally and never laid a hand on him. But now, Chen Xu could feel his fists itching to move.
However, Tong Jiaxi was completely oblivious to Chen Xu’s foul mood. Jealousy had already burned away all his rationality. He looked like a jealous wife catching her husband’s mistress as he interrogated Chen Xu, demanding to know why he had gone out with Si Ye, why they had returned together, and why they had stayed out so late.
Chen Xu’s expression turned cold, his face slightly menacing. “None of your damn business.”
These four words made Tong Jiaxi freeze for a moment before his face turned red with rage. “Chen Xu, you’re disgusting! You’re seducing Uncle Si! I will never let this happen! If word gets out, how will Sun Wei’ang and I ever face anyone?!”
He spoke as if he were some sort of righteous protector of morality.
Chen Xu sneered and curled his lips in a mocking smile. “Tong Jiaxi, are you sure you’re not talking about yourself? Who has ulterior motives and who doesn’t—you know that better than anyone.”
“You—! What nonsense are you spouting?! You’re twisting the truth! You’re the one who’s repaying kindness with betrayal, doing such filthy things, and now you’re trying to frame me?!” Tong Jiaxi’s voice grew louder and louder, as if raising his volume would somehow make the truth stand on his side.
In contrast, Chen Xu remained indifferent. He pushed Tong Jiaxi aside and reached for his door. “You say I’m seducing Uncle Si, and you’re upset about it? Then why don’t you try doing the same? Let’s see if Uncle Si even bothers to acknowledge you.”
Chen Xu stepped inside, and just as Tong Jiaxi, seething with rage, tried to rush forward to argue further, Chen Xu grabbed his hair and slammed him against the door. His voice was dangerously low. “Tong Jiaxi, stop testing my patience over and over again. I’m not that nice. If you try this again, I’ll smash your face in.”
With his scalp being yanked so hard, Tong Jiaxi teared up from the pain. Chen Xu’s threat sent chills down his spine. Only after Chen Xu let go and slammed the door in his face did he realize that his legs were shaking so much that he collapsed onto the floor.
When did Chen Xu become like this?
He had been just like him—an outcast in the Si family, sneered at and bullied by Si Yichen. At least Tong Jiaxi had it slightly better. Si Yichen only made him run errands when Chen Xu wasn’t around.
So why did this pitiful loser, who had once been beneath even him, suddenly receive Uncle Si’s favor, become the top scorer in the national college entrance exam, dare to hit Si Yichen, openly oppose him, and even threaten him?
But what would truly break Tong Jiaxi was still yet to come.
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