ARBRMW : Chapter 4

Si Yi Chen noticed Pan Qizhi’s gaze and glared back fiercely. “Why are you looking at me? Pan Qizhi, do you know her?”

Pan Qizhi’s heart tightened under Si Yi Chen’s glare. He knew this was a warning. His eyes darted around nervously, and beads of cold sweat formed on his forehead. “No, I don’t know her.”

His denial left Xia You dumbfounded. Despite the summer heat, she felt as if she had been plunged into the depths of winter. “Pan Qizhi, it was you who threatened me to cooperate with you in framing Chen Xu. You said you’d have the school revoke my scholarship if I didn’t.”

Xia You’s words left everyone in shock. All eyes turned to Pan Qizhi, who was now surrounded and panicking. He blustered loudly at Xia You, “You’re lying! It’s your own vanity that made you want to climb the social ladder. You deliberately framed Chen Xu. What does this have to do with me?”

Pan Qizhi thought to himself that since Xia You had no evidence to prove he had orchestrated this, he could deny everything and walk away unscathed.

His words infuriated Xia You, who trembled with rage and pointed at Pan Qizhi, unable to speak. “I knew it! You rich people are all the same. Your words can’t be trusted. Luckily, I recorded our conversation. Pan Qizhi, if I’m going down, you’re coming with me!”

Under Pan Qizhi’s horrified gaze, Xia You took out her phone and played a recording. After some static, Pan Qizhi’s voice came through.

“Your dad lost his job, right? And your mom doesn’t work. If you help me with something, you’ll get a million yuan afterward.”

“What do you want me to do?” Xia You asked warily.

“It’s simple. Just go into Chen Xu’s room later, sleep with him, and then accuse him of raping you. You’ll easily get that million yuan.”

“What if I refuse?”

“I heard you got a spot in the school’s talent development program. I think you really need that spot.” If the million yuan was the carrot, this statement was the stick—a blatant threat.

“Fine, I’ll do it.” Xia You needed that spot and the million yuan.

“You bitch! You actually dared to set me up!” Pan Qizhi never expected Xia You to have recorded their conversation. Furious, he lunged at her, but the bodyguards around Xia You stopped him.

Uncle Zhong stepped forward, his expression stern. “Young Master Qizhi, please mind your manners.”

This statement instantly cooled Pan Qizhi down. He suddenly remembered that Si Ye was still present.

“Uncle… Uncle Si…” Pan Qizhi looked at Si Ye, trembling.

Si Ye glanced at him indifferently. “Fighting among yourselves, with no regard for others.”

“Uncle Zhong, send him back to the Pan family. Tell Madam Rong that the Si family cannot keep such a child.”

Uncle Zhong respectfully acknowledged the order and approached Pan Qizhi with the bodyguards. “Young Master Qizhi, please.”

Pan Qizhi thought he had misheard. Si Ye was actually expelling him from the Si family. He was utterly panicked and looked helplessly at Si Yi Chen.

Si Yi Chen was also taken aback. He didn’t think this was a big deal. Although Pan Qizhi was a scoundrel, he was a useful lackey. Without Pan Qizhi, many things would become inconvenient for him.

“Father, Qizhi was just momentarily confused. He must realize his mistake now. Please forgive him this time.” Si Yi Chen spoke up to plead for Pan Qizhi.

If Pan Qizhi were truly expelled by Si Ye today, his good days would be over. He wouldn’t be able to survive in City A, and not just him—the entire Pan family would be affected.

Si Ye’s attitude was a barometer for City A’s high society. A sneeze from him could shake the stock market, let alone expelling Pan Qizhi, who had been with the Si family since he was twelve or thirteen. The outside world would speculate endlessly about this.

Others also wanted to plead for Pan Qizhi. After all, he was their classmate, and Chen Xu was unharmed. Even if Pan Qizhi needed to be punished, it didn’t have to be so severe. But even their elders would bow their heads before Si Ye, let alone them. They didn’t even have the courage to speak to Si Ye.

Si Ye glanced lightly at Si Yi Chen, and that glance sent a chill down Si Yi Chen’s spine. Si Ye’s gaze was like a mountain pressing down on him, leaving him unable to respond. Was his father suspecting that he was also involved?

“He should apologize, and all of you should apologize to Chen Xu.” Si Ye’s words sent a shiver through the crowd.

Scattered apologies began to surface.

“I’m sorry, Chen Xu. I wronged you. I shouldn’t have believed a liar so easily.” This came from Miss Yu, who had earlier stood up for Xia You. She hadn’t expected her goodwill to be exploited. Now, she couldn’t stand the sight of Xia You and Pan Qizhi.

“Chen Xu, I was wrong earlier. I wronged you and almost hurt you.” Zhou Hongkuo’s face was red with shame as he spoke stiffly. “If you want, you can hit me back!”

Chen Xu thought he was an idiot and replied coldly, “No need.”

With a few words, Si Ye resolved the dispute that had been raging all morning. Then, he walked straight out, where his driver was already waiting.

Before leaving, Si Ye specifically reminded Chen Xu, “I had the kitchen prepare some hangover soup for you. Remember to drink it later.”

Chen Xu was still a bit dazed. What had happened last night? Why did it feel like Si Ye was being especially nice to him today?

“Oh, okay. Thank you, Uncle Si.”

Chen Xu nodded obediently, his confused expression softening Si Ye’s heart. He remembered how the young man had acted when he was drunk last night, the sweet taste of wine on his lips.

“You’re welcome.” Si Ye reached out and ruffled Chen Xu’s soft, fluffy black hair.

After Si Ye left, Chen Xu’s hand lingered where Si Ye had touched him. He felt both puzzled and vaguely warm.

Early in the morning, Si Ye’s series of actions toward Chen Xu had infuriated Si Yi Chen. When Chen Xu had first come to the Si family at twelve, his father had patted his head and allowed him to stay. Now, at eighteen, his father had patted Chen Xu’s head again, continuously protecting him and even expelling Pan Qizhi for Chen Xu’s sake.

Why! Why did that bastard Chen Xu deserve his father’s affection! His father had never done these things for him. He had worked so hard to earn even a word of praise from his father, yet Chen Xu, who had done nothing, received his father’s attention.

Jealousy consumed Si Yi Chen’s rationality. He rushed out recklessly, chasing after Si Ye, desperate for an answer.

What was he lacking compared to Chen Xu? Why was his father so good to Chen Xu? Could he also pat his head? Could he praise him and say he had done well?

“Father!”

Hearing Si Yi Chen’s voice, Si Ye stopped and handed his briefcase to his secretary.

“Father, were you really with Chen Xu last night? Are you really not covering for him?” If Si Yi Chen had been rational, he would never have dared to ask such a question.

Si Ye’s brow furrowed as he turned, his icy gaze falling on Si Yi Chen. “Are you questioning me?”

Instantly, Si Yi Chen’s forehead was covered in fine beads of sweat. He clenched his trembling fists, licked his lips, and said, “No, I just want to know the truth. The third floor is your domain. No one dares to go up there without permission. How could Chen Xu have been with you?”

Si Ye turned and walked a few steps toward Si Yi Chen. Si Yi Chen’s lowered gaze caught sight of a pair of polished leather shoes. He instinctively looked up and met Si Ye’s piercing gaze. “That’s none of your concern. Stop scheming against Chen Xu. Your position isn’t as secure as you think.”

The car drove out of Si Yi Chen’s sight. The garden fountain, on schedule, shot clear streams of water into the air three times before settling back into stillness.

Only then did Si Yi Chen regain his senses, realizing that his back was drenched in cold sweat. The morning breeze made him shiver.

He walked back into the house in a daze. His father had warned him and had also protected Chen Xu.

Pan Qizhi had been sent back to the Pan family, and his father had spoken to him like that. Was his father really planning to make Chen Xu the heir?

No, he needed to discuss this with his grandmother.

Chen Xu’s room had been thoroughly cleaned, and the bedsheets had been replaced. He took a shower and had just changed his clothes when there was a knock at the door.

“Young Master Xu, your hangover soup.” A servant brought the soup into Chen Xu’s room, reminded him to drink it while it was hot, and then quietly closed the door.

After drinking the soup, Chen Xu felt better, and his mind cleared up a bit.

He remembered that the wine he had drunk last night was sweet and not very strong, but his reaction afterward had been unusually intense.

That restlessness, that feeling of dryness and heat, as if something was stirring all over his body. He had an urgent need to find a way out—it was too strange. Even if he had been drunk, it shouldn’t have felt like that.

Unless someone had drugged him last night.

Chen Xu sat by the windowsill, carefully recalling what had happened during the same period in his previous life.

In his previous life, he hadn’t fought with Si Yi Chen. He had been mocked in the garden but hadn’t cared. Later, they had gone into the hall, where his parents had hypocritically given him birthday gifts and wished him a happy birthday. After that, how had he returned to his room?

He had been plied with alcohol, and Tong Jiaxi had handed him a glass of water, whispering that Si Yi Chen and the others seemed to be planning to mess with him and that he should return to his room to avoid trouble. At the time, Chen Xu had been tired and had gone back to his room, where Xia You was already waiting. Then, he had suffered an acute bout of gastroenteritis, vomited all over Xia You, and been rushed to the hospital.

In this life, Tong Jiaxi had also handed him a glass of wine.

In his previous life, he hadn’t realized he had been drugged, possibly because he had vomited and been hospitalized.

So, the person who had drugged him had to be Tong Jiaxi. There was no one else.

“How could it be him?” Chen Xu murmured to himself.

When Chen Xu was twelve, there had been four children staying with the Si family, including him.

Sun Wei’ang, the oldest at twenty, was the nephew of Si Ye’s late sister-in-law. He was neutral and preferred to keep to himself.

Pan Qizhi, nineteen, was from the family of Si Ye’s grandfather’s second wife. He had been held back a year to be in the same class as Si Yi Chen and was Si Yi Chen’s top lackey.

Tong Jiaxi, eighteen, attended the same school as Si Yi Chen but was in a different class. He had a delicate appearance and a gentle personality. Aside from Chen Xu, Si Yi Chen’s favorite target for bullying was Tong Jiaxi. However, while Chen Xu avoided trouble out of pragmatism, Tong Jiaxi simply lacked the courage to fight back.

In Chen Xu’s eyes, Tong Jiaxi had always seemed pitiful.

Only after living two lives did Chen Xu realize he had misjudged Tong Jiaxi. He wasn’t some innocent flower—his schemes ran deeper than Chen Xu had imagined.

“Knock, knock, knock.”

A knock on the door pulled Chen Xu out of his thoughts. He got up to answer it.

Who could be looking for him?

When he opened the door, standing outside was none other than Tong Jiaxi.

Author’s Note:

Si Yi Chen: Why! Why does Chen Xu get Father’s affection! I want it too!  

Si Ye: No, you’re ugly.  

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