ARBRMW : Chapter 48

While Chen Xu was earnestly studying at school, he received an envelope. Who could be sending him a letter?

 

He felt the thickness of the envelope and returned to his dorm room, finding himself alone. Neither Zhu Yaoyuan nor the others had returned yet. Chen Xu found a pair of scissors and opened the envelope, revealing a stack of photos inside.

 

After examining the contents of the photos, Chen Xu unconsciously furrowed his brows.

 

The photos showed Si Ye and a woman having dinner together at a restaurant. He recognized the woman as the rising actress Bai Churui.

 

She was Si Ye’s biggest rumored romantic interest, the woman who was rumored to marry Si Ye in the previous life.

 

Perhaps due to the dim lighting, the two in the photo seemed somewhat ambiguous. Bai Churui smiled flirtatiously, engaging in conversation with Si Ye.

 

There were also photos of Bai Churui leaning on Si Ye’s shoulder, and Si Ye didn’t push her away, instead supporting her.

 

Anyone who saw these photos would think that the relationship between the two was not simple.

 

Calmly, Chen Xu looked at these photos, sitting quietly for over two minutes before neatly putting them back into the envelope.

 

Compared to the content of the photos, he was more concerned about who sent them to him and what their purpose was.

 

The fact that they chose to send them to him implied that they knew about his marriage to Si Ye. Their wedding had been low-key, with only a few people aware of it.

 

“Chen Xu, are you going out?” Zhu Yaoyuan returned from the library with a book in hand and saw Chen Xu about to leave.

 

“Yeah, I have something to do. I won’t be back tonight,” Chen Xu replied, shouldering his backpack.

 

“Okay,” Zhu Yaoyuan responded. He had noticed that Chen Xu frequently stayed out at night. At first, he didn’t understand why, but after learning that Chen Xu had a boyfriend, every time Chen Xu said he wouldn’t be back at night, it felt like he was being fed dog food indirectly.

 

Chen Xu’s thought process was straightforward. He trusted and relied on Si Ye. His immediate reaction upon receiving this stack of photos was to show them to Si Ye. Since it was related to Si Ye, all he had to do was ask Si Ye for answers. There was no need to overthink it on his own; it might not lead to the correct conclusions.

 

Passing by the basketball court as he left the dormitory building, he saw Si Yichen playing basketball with someone. Many girls were cheering for him, urging him on, so Si Yichen played even harder.

 

Chen Xu stood by the roadside for a moment, feeling a bit sorry for Si Yichen. He was always chasing perfection in the eyes of others, which was an endless pursuit. Nobody was perfect, and Si Yichen was just wasting his efforts.

 

But this thought only flashed through Chen Xu’s mind momentarily. What pity could there be for a murderer?

 

Could it be Si Yichen?

 

Chen Xu speculated that Si Yichen had every reason to do this. He detested himself and didn’t want to get close to Si Ye. He also knew about his marriage to Si Ye, so using this tactic to drive a wedge between himself and Si Ye made perfect sense.

 

Withdrawing his gaze, Chen Xu hailed a cab and sent a message to Si Ye, asking if he was at the company.

 

Uncle Si: Yes, miss me?

 

Chen Xu blushed at the message and replied.

 

Chen Xu: I have something to tell you, are you available?

 

Uncle Si: Come over, I’ll have Secretary Jiang pick you up.

 

Chen Xu: No need, I’m already in a car, I’ll be there soon.

 

Uncle Si: Alright, give me a call when you arrive, I’ll come down to pick you up.

 

Chen Xu: Okay, got it.

 

In both lives, Chen Xu had never been to Si Ye’s company. In the previous life, he always avoided getting involved with the Si family’s affairs out of suspicion. Even when he went to college, he chose an irrelevant art school.

 

Getting out of the car, Chen Xu looked up at the towering building, unable to see the top. This was the Si Corporation, where Si Ye worked every day.

 

As he entered the building, the security guard gave him a once-over but found nothing suspicious, allowing him to pass.

 

Chen Xu had just entered when the receptionist warmly asked if she could help him. Chen Xu said he was looking for Si Ye, and the receptionist smiled and asked if he had an appointment.

 

Chen Xu thought he should count as having made an appointment just now, right?

 

Finding it somewhat amusing, Chen Xu was about to speak when he saw Secretary Jiang coming out of the chairman’s private elevator.

 

“Young Master Xu, sorry to keep you waiting. Chairman Si has an unexpected meeting and can’t make it, so he asked me to come down and escort you.” Secretary Jiang walked quickly to Chen Xu’s side, displaying a very respectful attitude, shocking all the surrounding employees.

 

The way Secretary Jiang treated the young master was only seen with Chairman Si. What did that imply?!

 

It meant that Secretary Jiang treated the young master and Chairman Si the same way. Was this young master perhaps Chairman Si’s illegitimate child?

 

But the age didn’t match up. This young master looked like he was seventeen or eighteen at least, while Chairman Si was only twenty-eight. Even if he tried his best, he couldn’t have fathered a child at the age of ten.

 

So who was this young master?

 

The employees of the Si Corporation were full of gossip but couldn’t satisfy their curiosity. They began to speculate randomly.

 

[Could it be Chairman Si’s wife?!]

 

[Wake up, the kid doesn’t even look of legal age!]

 

[Chairman Si probably wouldn’t be so crazy, but with their big age difference, I guess it’s possible.]

 

[Come on, Chairman Si is a practicing Buddhist monk, don’t you know? How could he possibly have an affair.]

 

[But this young master is so good-looking! Even better than the top idol Xiang Xiuhue!]

 

[You’re exaggerating. How could any ordinary person be compared to Xiang Xiuhue.]

 

[No pictures, no proof!]

 

Unfortunately, everyone was too shocked to remember to sneak a few photos of Chen Xu, so for a while, Chen Xu existed only in the rumors circulating among the employees of the Si Corporation.

 

Si Ye’s office was on the thirty-eighth floor. Looking down from above, one could see the scenery of City A at a glance.

 

Secretary Jiang proudly introduced the company to Chen Xu, who remained silent as he looked around. Jiang thought that the young master must be overwhelmed. After all, he was just a kid who hadn’t graduated yet, and this was Chairman Si’s business empire. Anyone coming here for the first time would feel overwhelmed.

 

“So high, Uncle Si must spend a long time on the elevator every day,” Chen Xu said to Secretary Jiang as they walked.

 

Secretary Jiang’s smile froze upon hearing this unexpected comment.

 

“Secretary Jiang, Chairman Si asked for this proposal.” A middle-aged man seemed to have been waiting at the door for Secretary Jiang for a while. When he saw Secretary Jiang’s momentary lapse, his eyes lit up.

 

Secretary Jiang took the proposal without much expression. The middle -aged man immediately noticed Chen Xu and his eyes lit up even more.

 

“Ah, is this the new spokesperson?” The middle-aged man thought to himself that this young star looked exceptionally handsome. How come he hadn’t seen him before? Was he a newcomer who had just risen to fame recently?

 

“No, he’s not,” Secretary Jiang replied without elaborating. The middle-aged man could tell from Secretary Jiang’s attitude that there was more to the story, but he quickly excused himself, wiping the sweat from his forehead. He glanced at Chen Xu inadvertently, his eyes filled with astonishment.

 

“Is this the new spokesperson?” the middle-aged man thought. “He’s strangely good-looking. I haven’t seen him before. Maybe he just recently gained popularity?”

 

“Not really,” Secretary Jiang responded without further explanation. The middle-aged man sensed Secretary Jiang’s demeanor and quickly bid farewell, wiping the sweat from his forehead as he walked toward the elevator. His body’s excess weight trembled with his steps.

 

Chen Xu glanced at the middle-aged man, thinking that he should probably lose weight. It was evident that his body was under strain.

 

Secretary Jiang opened the door to Si Ye’s office and gestured for Chen Xu to enter first, following closely behind.

 

This scene happened to be observed by the middle-aged man waiting outside, causing him to experience a whirlwind of emotions. Who exactly was this young man? The fact that Secretary Jiang treated him with such respect… Could he be Chairman Si’s secret child?

 

But the ages didn’t match up. This young man appeared to be seventeen or eighteen, while Chairman Si was only twenty-eight. Even if he had tried his best, he couldn’t have had a child at the age of ten.

 

So who was this young man?

 

Within the ranks of Si Corporation’s employees, gossip spread like wildfire, but their curiosity remained unsatisfied.

 

Entering Si Ye’s office, Chen Xu looked around. It was as he had imagined: the office was spacious, with a large desk and floor-to-ceiling windows behind it. The nighttime view from here must be excellent.

 

The decor followed Si Ye’s usual minimalist style, dominated by black, white, and gray, simple yet elegant.

 

Chen Xu regretted not bringing flowers on his way here to add some color to Si Ye’s monotonous office.

 

Next time, there would be plenty of opportunities. For now, he was here.

 

“Would you like some coffee or tea, Young Master?” Secretary Jiang asked as he noticed Chen Xu’s expression. He then remembered that Chen Xu was just a child. “Or perhaps some fruit juice? Or bubble tea? I can have someone go buy it, it won’t take long.”

 

“No need, coffee will be fine,” Chen Xu replied. Since his first year of college in his previous life, he had often stayed up all night designing. Coffee had become an indispensable drink for him. His preference for milk was cultivated by Si Ye after his rebirth; he didn’t have any particular fondness for milk originally.

 

Chen Xu was surprised to see Secretary Jiang preparing hand-brewed coffee. He had assumed that workplaces operated on a fast-paced schedule.

 

“Chairman Si doesn’t like instant coffee,” Secretary Jiang explained with a smile as he noticed Chen Xu’s expression.

 

Upon hearing this, Chen Xu’s eyebrows furrowed in surprise. Last Saturday night, when he went home and stayed with Si Ye, Si Ye had worked late. Chen Xu had made Si Ye a cup of instant coffee, and Si Ye had happily drunk it without showing any signs of dislike.

 

His slow-witted brain gradually understood. Because the coffee was made by him, even if Si Ye didn’t like instant coffee, he had still drunk it without complaint.

 

A warm feeling washed over Chen Xu’s heart, like a fuzzy little paw gently scratching it, tickling and softening it.

 

He had been in the office for about ten minutes when Si Ye pushed open the door and entered. Before Chen Xu could say anything, he found himself enveloped in a big hug. Si Ye seemed to be in a good mood, and after embracing Chen Xu, he gently rubbed the back of Chen Xu’s head, tousling his soft black hair before finally letting go.

 

“I thought I wouldn’t see you until tomorrow.”

 

Chen Xu hugged Si Ye back, smelling the clean fragrance emanating from his body. He recalled Si Ye’s question about missing him earlier. Now, Chen Xu suddenly understood that Si Ye had meant he missed Chen Xu.

 

“I came as soon as I missed you,” Chen Xu said softly.