“Chen Xu, you f**king—”
Si Yichen barely had time to finish his sentence before a strong force yanked him backward by the collar.
The sudden choke sent a wave of pressure through his chest before he was thrown to the ground with a heavy thud.
Dazed, he scrambled to his feet, ready to lash out—until he met Si Ye’s icy gaze.
All his fury and madness vanished in an instant.
Si Ye’s expression was cold, like a judge passing down a death sentence.
Fear crept into Si Yichen’s heart as his lips trembled. “F-Father…”
He instinctively feared Si Ye—not just because he was stammering, but because even his clenched fists were shaking.
Si Ye looked at him as if he were already dead.
“It seems you have forgotten what I told you,” Si Ye said, his voice as frigid as a blade.
At that moment, Si Yichen remembered Si Ye’s warning.
His face paled as he hastily tried to explain. “No, Father, I—”
“Uncle Zhong,” Si Ye interrupted coldly, “Take Si Yichen away.”
“Father! I was wrong! Please—!”
Si Yichen panicked, trying to plead, but Si Ye didn’t give him the chance.
“One more word, and you can go back to the Tao family.”
A sharp gasp rippled through the banquet hall.
No one had expected Si Ye to be so ruthless.
Si Yichen was the child he had personally raised—the one he had trained as an heir.
Yet now, Si Ye was willing to cast him aside without hesitation.
The guests who had originally looked at Chen Xu with envy now had a trace of pity in their eyes.
Si Ye was a cold and heartless man.
No matter how much he favored Chen Xu now, who was to say that Chen Xu wouldn’t meet the same fate as Si Yichen one day?
Si Yichen seemed completely broken.
As Uncle Zhong dragged him away, his body was so weak that the guards had to support him.
—
Watching from the sidelines, Tong Jiaxi’s heart turned cold.
The jealousy inside him burned so fiercely that his vision turned red.
He hated Chen Xu.
He hated him so much that he wanted to tear him apart.
But he wasn’t as stupid as Si Yichen.
Seeing Si Ye’s merciless treatment of Si Yichen, he knew he had to be patient.
If Si Ye could discard Si Yichen so easily, he would have no problem getting rid of someone like him.
—
“Does it hurt?”
Si Ye’s voice was softer as he reached out, his fingers brushing against Chen Xu’s neck.
The boy’s fair skin was now marked with red bruises from Si Yichen’s grip.
Chen Xu coughed lightly and shook his head. “I’m fine.”
Si Ye led him upstairs to his room, where the family doctor was already waiting.
After a brief examination, the doctor applied some medicine and confirmed that there was no serious injury before leaving.
“Sorry,” Si Ye murmured, his fingers tracing the bruise on Chen Xu’s neck.
His eyes were filled with guilt and an unbearable heartache.
But his guilt wasn’t just for today.
It was for the past life.
—
Si Ye would never forget that day.
The day the police called him to identify a burned corpse.
The moment he saw the charred remains, something inside him had shattered.
Every night after that, he had relived the regret, the agony.
Why hadn’t he noticed sooner that Chen Xu was missing?
Why hadn’t he saved him in time?
Chen Xu had died in that fire.
He had burned to death.
The pain he must have felt, the despair—Si Ye could barely breathe when he thought about it.
Even after avenging him and bringing down those responsible, it didn’t change the fact that Chen Xu was gone.
It was a clear, sunny day when he visited Chen Xu’s grave for the last time.
He sat there, talking to him, pouring drinks as if Chen Xu could still hear him.
His fingers traced the photo on the tombstone.
Somehow, he must have fallen asleep there.
Because when he woke up, he was twenty-five again.
And Chen Xu—his Chen Xu—was alive.
Fifteen-year-old Chen Xu.
Young, reserved, and unfamiliar with him—treating him like nothing more than a distant elder in the family.
Si Ye had decided then and there:
This time, no matter what, he would protect Chen Xu.
He would keep him safe, happy, and alive.
But what Si Ye hadn’t expected was that on Chen Xu’s eighteenth birthday…
The twenty-two-year-old Chen Xu returned.
At that moment, Si Ye was sure it was fate.
Chen Xu was meant to be by his side.
He was meant to be his.
—
“I’m fine,” Chen Xu reassured, seeing the sorrow in Si Ye’s expression. “You don’t have to apologize for something so small, Uncle Si.”
He didn’t understand why Si Ye looked so devastated over something minor.
He just didn’t want to see him look like that.
Si Ye gazed into Chen Xu’s clear, bright eyes. Without hesitation, he lowered his head and pressed a gentle kiss to Chen Xu’s forehead.
Before Chen Xu could even process his shock, he heard Si Ye murmur softly, “You must stay safe.”
At that moment, warmth bloomed in Chen Xu’s chest, like moonlight gently spilling over his heart.
He nodded, smiling lightly. “I will, Uncle Si. You must live a long life too.”
Si Ye chuckled, pulling him into his embrace. “Are you calling me old?”
“Of course not. You’re only twenty-eight—you’re still young.” Chen Xu looked up and shook his head earnestly.
He truly didn’t think Si Ye was old. Twenty-eight wasn’t old at all. Besides, Si Ye was stunningly handsome. He still remembered from his past life—even when Si Ye was thirty-two, he looked like he was in his twenties, just with a steadier, more mature aura.
To avoid making people worry, Si Ye and Chen Xu soon returned downstairs.
Si Ye introduced Chen Xu to several elders, and after receiving an overwhelming amount of red envelopes for his academic achievement, he was finally free to join his classmates.
“Young Master Xu is such a well-mannered and sensible child,” one of the older gentlemen commented with a kind smile as he watched Chen Xu leave.
Si Ye didn’t respond, but his expression clearly carried a hint of pride.
This elder had been close to Si Ye’s late father. Seeing Si Ye’s rare display of warmth, he chuckled, “You’re not getting any younger yourself. Have you found someone suitable? If not, I have an old friend whose granddaughter is returning from overseas soon. She’s only two or three years younger than you—pretty, intelligent, and you two might get along well.”
“Uncle Zhang, I’m not considering that for now,” Si Ye replied, shaking his head.
Uncle Zhang, however, remained unfazed. “If you prefer boys, I can introduce you to someone as well.”
Si Ye simply chose not to respond. It seemed elders all had a habit of playing matchmaker.
“Old Chen! How’s your neck?” Ke Xinghao rushed over as soon as he saw Chen Xu, his face full of concern.
“I’m fine. I already applied medicine.” Chen Xu waved his hand dismissively, reassuring his friends.
“That guy was insane! Who strangles someone at a banquet?!”
“He was leading the charge to humiliate us earlier, and now that he’s been publicly slapped in the face, he’s completely lost it.”
“I loved seeing him lose it! Honestly, I wanted Chen Xu to turn around and say, ‘I don’t welcome you either!’”
“Forget it. Let’s not drag Chen Xu into unnecessary trouble. If a dog bites you, you don’t bite the dog back, right?”
“True, true! Hahaha!”
Ke Xinghao then pulled Chen Xu aside, lowering his voice. “Not gonna lie, your rich family drama is wilder than any TV show I’ve seen. Are you really okay?”
“I’m fine,” Chen Xu reassured him. “I just let my guard down. Do you think someone like him could actually win against me?”
Ke Xinghao widened his eyes. “Yeah, but he could fight dirty!”
Chen Xu had no immediate rebuttal. After all, in his past life, he had indeed fallen victim to Si Yichen’s schemes.
“It’s fine,” Chen Xu finally said, flashing a confident smile. “I have Uncle Si.”
Ke Xinghao nodded in agreement. “True. Uncle Si is a total powerhouse. But seriously, if anything happens, you better not hide it from me! Worst case, we’ll throw a sack over that bastard’s head and beat him up together!”
Chen Xu laughed at Ke Xinghao’s dead-serious expression. “Thanks.”
Hearing Chen Xu’s genuine thanks, Ke Xinghao shuddered. He rubbed his arms, feigning disgust. “Ugh, we’re bros—no need for sappy thank-yous!”
“Hey, top scorer! Did you apply to Imperial University?” a girl suddenly asked Chen Xu.
“Yeah, Old Chen, where are you going for college?” Ke Xinghao chimed in. “I’m staying in A City, so I won’t be able to go with you.”
His mother was in poor health and didn’t want him to be too far away. Since Ke Xinghao was also very much a mama’s boy, he hadn’t hesitated in choosing a local university.
“He probably applied to Imperial University or T University,” someone guessed. Chen Xu’s score was so high that he could have chosen almost any school. Admissions offices had bombarded him with calls.
Everyone eagerly awaited his answer.
Calmly, Chen Xu replied, “I applied to A University.”
“WHAT?!”
The room exploded with disbelief.
Chen Xu had the grades to attend the best schools—so why would he pick A University?
“But… why?”
Chen Xu answered nonchalantly, “It’s close to home.”
Everyone: “…”
None of them had expected that answer.
So the top scorer was actually… a homesick kid?!
“Chen Xu, aren’t you supposed to be a cool, mysterious genius?!” Ni Shanshan cried out in disbelief. “You’re breaking character!”
Chen Xu: “…” When did I become everyone’s ‘baby’ mascot?!
Ke Xinghao, on the other hand, narrowed his eyes.
“You’re sure about this? You’re really not going to Imperial University?”
From what he’d seen, Chen Xu didn’t seem like someone particularly attached to ‘home.’
And after visiting his house tonight, he had only seen Si Ye—not Chen Xu’s parents.
Which meant… his decision might have something to do with that.
Chen Xu, noticing Ke Xinghao’s concern, patted his shoulder.
“I wouldn’t joke about my future. I applied for the Economics program at A University—it’s one of their strongest majors and ranks among the best in the country.”
Hearing this, Ke Xinghao and the others finally relaxed.
Of course, Chen Xu wouldn’t throw away his future for sentimental reasons.
Unlike that one guy from the neighboring class who secretly applied to a vocational school just to stay with his girlfriend—only to have his furious mother bust him and create a scandal.
Because the banquet had run late, Chen Xu slept in for once.
When he finally woke up and checked his phone, he found dozens of missed calls.
More than ten from his parents.
More than ten from his older brother and sister.
He yawned, already guessing why they were calling.
They must have found out about the banquet.
And they were probably calling to yell at him—asking why he hadn’t invited them.
Come to think of it, it was strange. He himself hadn’t known about the banquet beforehand.
All the guest invitations had been handled by Si Ye.
But why hadn’t Si Ye invited his parents or siblings?
His relationship with them wasn’t as bad as it had been in his past life.
By all logic, they should have been on the guest list.
And not just them—even Si Ye’s other relatives hadn’t been invited.
Just as he was pondering this, a knock came at the door.
Knock, knock, knock.
“Young Master Xu, are you awake?”
Chen Xu slipped on his slippers and opened the door. “What is it?”
The servant bowed slightly, speaking respectfully.
“Your father and mother are here. They’re waiting for you downstairs.”
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