ARBRMW : Chapter 32

Zhen Guo: _What happened?_  

Chen Xu: _I just went back to the dorm. My desk was moved._  

Zhen Guo: _F*ck?! You left just before I went out for my part-time job. Was Wu Bin still in the dorm? Did he touch it?_  

Chen Xu: _Not sure. Just be careful._  

Zhen Guo: _Got it. Thanks._  

Chen Xu deliberately walked to a corner a bit farther from the school before sending his location to Si Ye. He had no intention of being as flashy as Si Yichen. Within minutes, Si Ye’s car pulled up in front of him.  

Si Ye rolled down the window, revealing his handsome face with a smile at the corners of his lips. “Little one, want to come home with me?”  

Under the dim yellow streetlights, with the vast night sky overhead and a few scattered stars twinkling, Si Ye seemed even more dazzling than the stars above.  

Chen Xu grinned. “Uncle Si, you’re so childish.”  

Si Ye chuckled, reached over to open the car door for him, and let him in.  

—  

Dinner was Chinese cuisine. Si Ye didn’t eat much; it was mostly Chen Xu who was eating. He had quite the appetite, his cheeks puffed out like a squirrel preparing for winter.  

Sitting across from him, Si Ye watched, finding it increasingly adorable. It was a pity that Chen Xu’s school required first-year students to live on campus. He couldn’t see him every day, but he didn’t want to interfere with Chen Xu making friends, so he didn’t push the issue.  

“Uncle Si, aren’t you eating?” Chen Xu noticed that Si Ye barely touched his food and asked curiously.  

“You eat. I already ate earlier.” Si Ye used the communal chopsticks to place more food onto Chen Xu’s plate. He enjoyed this feeling—it was like feeding a little animal.  

Realizing that Si Ye had specifically come out just to have dinner with him, Chen Xu felt a bit embarrassed but also happy.  

Once Chen Xu had eaten his fill, Si Ye finally brought up business. “Tomorrow is Mid-Autumn Festival. As per usual, my aunt and Third Uncle will be coming over. I plan to announce our engagement then.”  

Chen Xu’s hand, which was holding his chopsticks, paused slightly. “Is that really necessary? As long as those few shareholders believe it, that should be enough, right?”  

Si Ye shook his head. “We need everyone to believe it. Those shareholders are old foxes. If they sense even a bit of deception, they might interfere. The company is at a critical stage right now—we can’t afford any mistakes.”  

Seeing how serious and firm Si Ye was, Chen Xu didn’t question him further. “Alright, I’ll listen to you, Uncle Si.”  

“Mm. Don’t worry, I won’t let them bully you.” Si Ye reached out and ruffled Chen Xu’s hair.  

Chen Xu felt like Si Ye was petting him the way one would a dog. He lowered his head and continued eating, his mind already preoccupied with tomorrow’s events. It was bound to be a tough battle, but when he thought about Si Yichen’s reaction, he suddenly felt eager for the day to come.  

—  

By the time they arrived home after dinner, it was almost ten o’clock.  

As soon as they entered, Tong Jiaxi, who had been waiting eagerly, looked excited—until he saw Chen Xu. In an instant, his enthusiasm vanished.  

His change in expression was so fast that it was almost comical.  

“Sir, Young Master Xu,” Aunt Liu greeted warmly as she brought out a tray of freshly baked cookies. “Young Master Tong made these himself this afternoon. He worked very hard on them and has been waiting all evening for you to try them.”  

Tong Jiaxi fidgeted with his fingers, his cheeks slightly red. “I learned this in my new club. Aunt Liu said they taste pretty good. Please try them.”  

Chen Xu glanced at Si Ye teasingly.  

Si Ye responded by pinching Chen Xu’s nose, completely ignoring Tong Jiaxi. Seeing their casual interaction, Tong Jiaxi suddenly felt like he had fallen into an ice pit.  

“You put in a lot of effort, but I don’t like sweets,” Si Ye rejected him mercilessly.  

Tong Jiaxi’s eyes turned red, on the verge of tears.  

Seeing this, Chen Xu spoke up. “They actually look pretty good. Can I try one?”  

His eyes were bright and clear, giving off an innocent and pure impression. When Tong Jiaxi met his gaze, he nearly fainted from anger.  

How could he refuse? If he did, it would make him seem petty and calculating in front of Si Ye.  

Forcing a smile, Tong Jiaxi gritted his teeth. “Of course… you can…”  

“Then I won’t hold back.” Before his words had even finished, Chen Xu had already reached out, picked up a cookie, and popped it into his mouth.  

After chewing carefully, he commented, “Not bad, but they were baked a little too long—tastes slightly bitter. You might want to watch the timing next time.”  

He was serious and earnest, offering genuine advice, but Tong Jiaxi felt like he had suffered internal injuries. He was so furious, yet he couldn’t refute it in front of Si Ye.  

“Thank you. I’ll keep that in mind next time.”  

Si Ye had seen through all of Chen Xu’s little tricks and couldn’t help but smile. The more he looked at Chen Xu, the more he found him unbearably adorable.  

“Haven’t eaten enough?”

Chen Xu was definitely full—he had only said that to provoke Tong Jiaxi. After all, Tong Jiaxi constantly schemed against him behind his back and frequently sought him out to cause trouble. Though his actions weren’t outright harmful, they were annoying.  

“How could I not be full after such a big meal, courtesy of Uncle Si? I was just being greedy.”  

Si Ye ruffled his hair. “Next time, if you want something, just ask the kitchen to make it for you. What if you eat something bad and get sick?”  

Chen Xu flashed a well-behaved smile. “Okay.”  

Standing to the side, Tong Jiaxi felt as if his blood was flowing backward. From their casual exchange, it was clear that Chen Xu and Si Ye hadn’t just happened to come home at the same time—Si Ye had taken Chen Xu out for dinner, and they had returned together in the same car.  

Not only that, but Si Ye had also implied that his cookies weren’t clean.  

Tong Jiaxi wanted to argue that his food was perfectly fine—otherwise, he wouldn’t have dared offer it to Si Ye. But Si Ye had no interest in hearing his explanations. He went straight upstairs, and Chen Xu followed him, leaving Tong Jiaxi and Aunt Liu in the living room.  

Aunt Liu comforted him sympathetically. “Young Master Tong, I’m sure the Master didn’t mean it that way. Don’t overthink it. Your cookies are delicious, truly.”  

Tong Jiaxi wanted to lash out, but he couldn’t. He had worked too hard to maintain his carefully crafted image.  

“Thank you, Aunt Liu. Chen Xu was right—I overbaked them.” His face was full of forced humility, his red eyes making him look particularly pitiful.  

“What does Young Master Xu know? He’s a spoiled young master who has never lifted a finger in his life. You, on the other hand, are thoughtful and considerate toward the Master,” Aunt Liu said, growing more resentful of Chen Xu. He was just relying on Si Ye’s favoritism to act high and mighty. He had never done anything for Si Ye, yet he dared to criticize Tong Jiaxi right in front of him. Clearly, he wasn’t as harmless as he seemed.  

“I just saw how tired Uncle Si was and wanted to cheer him up. I really had no other intentions…” As Tong Jiaxi spoke, tears rolled down his cheeks, yet he stubbornly turned away, pretending he didn’t want Aunt Liu to see him cry.  

“I’m sorry, Aunt Liu, I didn’t mean to cry. Please don’t mind me…”  

“Oh dear, why are you crying? The Master will surely understand your kindness.” Aunt Liu quickly handed him a tissue to wipe his tears.  

“Don’t worry, Aunt Liu will always be on your side.”  

“Really? Thank you, Aunt Liu.” Tong Jiaxi’s teary face formed a fragile smile, making him appear even more pitiable.  

—  

“Are all the dishes ready?”  

As soon as Si Wanping arrived at the main house, she immediately took charge, acting as if she were the lady of the house. However, the actual lady of the house, Tao Minzhi, had yet to make an appearance.  

“They’re all prepared, Miss,” Aunt Liu said, handing her the menu.  

Si Wanping glanced through it, then frowned. “My blood sugar has been high lately. I can’t eat these dishes.”  

She went through the list, picking out new dishes without any concern for whether the kitchen had the ingredients or the time to make them.  

Her husband, Zheng Hongqiao, was an artist. He had shoulder-length hair tied back with a rubber band and was currently holding a three-year-old boy—his grandson, Si Shenqian.  

Both Zheng Hongqiao and their son-in-law, Wei Shifeng, had married into the Si family, so the child took Si Wanping’s surname.  

Si Shenqian’s parents were irresponsible—they enjoyed playing around and, after unexpectedly conceiving him, got married simply for the sake of having a child. However, after marriage, they still neglected him. Since Si Wanping wanted to raise him, they had no problem handing him over and continuing to enjoy their carefree lives.  

“Do you want to watch cartoons, baby? Grandpa will put them on for you,” Zheng Hongqiao said, sitting on the sofa with the child.  

Hearing that he could watch cartoons, Si Shenqian clapped his hands excitedly—only to immediately look around in fear, checking for his grandmother. Once he confirmed she wasn’t around, he finally relaxed.  

“Brother-in-law, where’s my sister?”  

Si Yaowei arrived late with his wife, Luo Yi, and their son, Si Xuezhao. He was the youngest son of Old Master Si, born when his father was already elderly. His mother had been a mistress who successfully replaced the legal wife, which made the rest of the Si family look down on him.  

His mother now lived alone in Rose Manor. While she received financial support, she was completely barred from entering the Si family home, even during holidays.  

“She’s in the kitchen choosing dishes. Has Xuezhao grown taller again?” Zheng Hongqiao, being an artist like Si Yaowei, got along relatively well with him and was one of the few people in the family who treated him kindly.  

Si Xuezhao nodded. “I’ve grown three centimeters taller.”  

Luo Yi nudged her son toward them. “Go talk with your uncle and grandpa. I’ll help out in the kitchen.”  

Si Xuezhao was quiet by nature and not much of a talker. Looking around, he realized there weren’t any kids his age—only a tiny toddler.  

Si Shenqian was watching cartoons with great enthusiasm, his little arms waving excitedly in the air.  

Si Xuezhao glanced at the TV but couldn’t see what was so interesting about it.  

“Third Uncle, Uncle-in-law, you guys are early.”  

Si Yichen descended the stairs, greeting his relatives naturally.  

“It’s not early—it’s almost eleven. What were you up to last night?” Si Yaowei asked, checking the time.  

Si Yichen yawned. “Studying too late.”  

“Hahaha, good for you. Xuezhao, you should learn from Yichen. He did well on his college entrance exams, didn’t he? Yichen, can you tutor Xuezhao? If he had half your intelligence, I wouldn’t worry so much.”  

Si Yaowei happily pulled his son over, eager for him to learn from Si Yichen.  

“Third Uncle, Xuezhao is already quite smart. I have my old high school notes—he can take them if he wants. I don’t need them anymore,” Si Yichen said, casually slinging an arm around Si Xuezhao’s shoulder.  

Si Xuezhao tensed slightly, feeling uncomfortable. Technically, as Si Yichen’s uncle, he should be addressing him with more respect, but since they were close in age, they just called each other by name.  

“Go on, go on,” Si Yaowei urged, pleased with the arrangement.  

With no choice, Si Xuezhao reluctantly followed Si Yichen upstairs.  

As they reached the second floor, they happened to pass by Chen Xu’s room—just as Chen Xu opened the door.  

The three of them locked eyes.  

Si Xuezhao hesitated for a moment before greeting him. He had heard about Chen Xu being the top scorer and, truthfully, was more interested in talking to him than to Si Yichen.  

“Chen Xu.”  

“Mm.”  

Chen Xu had gone for a morning run, had breakfast, and spent some time sketching before studying. When he heard the noise downstairs and realized guests had arrived, he had just been about to head down.  

Si Yichen tightened his grip on Si Xuezhao’s shoulder, pulling him closer. He gave Chen Xu a deep, meaningful look before silently mouthing:  

“Your good days are over.” 

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