“Can I come in and talk?”
Tong Jiaxi’s fingers were clenched tightly, so hard that his fingertips had turned pale.
Chen Xu hadn’t expected him to come looking for him. Could it be that Tong Jiaxi was planning to confess?
Chen Xu stepped aside and let him in.
“Thank you.” Tong Jiaxi pursed his lips, his face deathly pale.
He wasn’t tall, only about 1.7 meters, with a thin and delicate frame. His small, palm-sized face made him look frail and easily pitiful.
Chen Xu poured him a glass of water. Tong Jiaxi took it with both hands, lowering his head and staring at the cup for a long time before finally speaking.
“Chen Xu, were you really with Uncle Si last night?”
His question caught Chen Xu off guard.
Chen Xu had assumed he came to discuss the drugging incident, but he hadn’t expected him to bring up this matter instead.
Chen Xu placed his glass on the table with one hand and replied indifferently, “Didn’t Xia You and Pan Qi Zhi already admit to framing me? You don’t believe them?”
“It’s not that…” Tong Jiaxi bit his lip, looking pained. “I just want to know… last night… nothing happened between you and Uncle Si, right?”
Tong Jiaxi’s words made Chen Xu pause for a moment.
Then, he suddenly recalled that Tong Jiaxi was the one who drugged his drink last night. The wine had contained an aphrodisiac—not a large dose, but enough to make a drunk person lose control.
Since Chen Xu hadn’t returned to his room, and Si Ye had publicly stated that they were together, it was natural for Tong Jiaxi to assume that the drug had caused something to happen between them. It also explained why Si Ye had repeatedly defended him this morning.
But had anything actually happened?
Chen Xu wasn’t sure himself. He had blacked out.
However, judging by his body after taking a shower earlier, there were no suspicious marks or discomfort. It seemed nothing inappropriate had occurred.
Besides, Si Ye was someone with strict self-discipline, a man whose entire world revolved around work. There was no way he would do anything improper with a younger person like him.
Tong Jiaxi was simply overthinking.
Seeing Chen Xu remain silent, Tong Jiaxi became increasingly anxious. His grip on the cup tightened unconsciously, his fingertips turning even whiter.
With a sudden crash, the glass slipped from his hands and shattered on the floor, spilling warm water everywhere.
“Chen Xu, how could you be so shameless! Seducing Uncle Si?!”
Tong Jiaxi ignored the shards of broken glass at his feet. He suddenly stood up, pointing at Chen Xu and cursing.
“I was wondering why Uncle Si was acting so differently this morning! So this was your doing! Chen Xu, you’re disgusting!”
Completely lost in his own delusions, Tong Jiaxi continued his tirade, his whole body trembling with rage. His eyes were red, tears welling up.
Chen Xu sat still in his chair, unfazed. He raised an eyebrow mockingly and said, “Isn’t this all thanks to you? I should really thank you properly.”
“What do you mean?” Tong Jiaxi hastily withdrew the finger he had been pointing at Chen Xu, his voice tense.
“You don’t know?” Chen Xu’s voice was indifferent. “Do you really not know what you put in that wine last night?”
Each of his words struck Tong Jiaxi like a hammer.
Tong Jiaxi had never imagined that Chen Xu would suspect him—let alone expose him so quickly.
“I… I didn’t…” Tong Jiaxi instinctively tried to deny it.
“You know the truth as well as I do,” Chen Xu said calmly, his gaze unwavering.
That composed stare sent a wave of panic through Tong Jiaxi. Overwhelmed with fear, he turned and ran out of the room.
At first, Chen Xu had assumed Tong Jiaxi was simply coerced by Si Yi Chen and his group. But now, it seemed like this was more than just Si Yi Chen’s doing. Tong Jiaxi himself must have wanted to harm him.
But why?
Chen Xu didn’t recall ever offending Tong Jiaxi.
Si Yi Chen had tried to destroy him out of jealousy, treating him as a rival. But what about Tong Jiaxi? What was his motive?
Thinking back to what Tong Jiaxi had just said, Chen Xu narrowed his eyes.
Could it be… because of Si Ye?
If that were the case, Chen Xu wasn’t sure if he could hold back his resentment toward Si Ye.
One after another, people were targeting him because of Si Ye. Even if he eliminated one threat, there would always be a second, a third…
Chen Xu rubbed his temples in frustration.
He would definitely take revenge for Si Yi Chen burning him alive in his past life. But he couldn’t just kill Si Yi Chen—no matter how vividly he still remembered the agony of the flames.
This second chance at life was something he needed to cherish.
Si Yi Chen’s biggest weakness was Si Ye.
Ever since he was a child, Si Yi Chen had desperately craved Si Ye’s attention and approval. He also knew that only by gaining Si Ye’s favor could he secure his position as the next head of the Si family.
The Si family’s internal dynamics were complicated.
The family truly rose to power under Si Ye’s grandfather’s leadership. By marrying into the wealthy Jiang family, he expanded the Si family’s influence. Half of the family’s current status could be credited to Si Ye’s grandmother, Jiang Mei.
Si Ye’s grandfather and Jiang Mei had a son, Si Yaoqian (Si Ye’s father), and a daughter, Si Wanping.
Later, the old man had an affair with Pan Manrong, who gave birth to a third son, Si Yaowei. After Jiang Mei passed away, he officially married Pan Manrong as his second wife.
When the old man died, Si Yaoqian naturally inherited the family business.
Si Yaoqian and Si Ye’s mother, Tao Minzhi, had two sons: the elder, Si Jinwen, and the younger, Si Ye.
However, Si Jinwen and his wife, Sun Keting, had died in an accident twelve years ago, leaving Si Ye as the only remaining heir to the family business.
Unfortunately, when Si Ye was twelve, he was kidnapped.
Although he was rescued, he spent years abroad receiving treatment. By the time he turned twenty, it was confirmed that he was infertile.
That same year, Si Ye formally adopted his late brother’s son and raised him as his heir.
That child was Si Yi Chen.
The person who had opposed this decision the most was Si Wanping, Si Ye’s aunt.
She had always believed that she should be the one in charge of the Si family. However, the Si family followed a strict tradition—leadership was passed down through the male lineage.
Because of this, Si Wanping had delayed her marriage until she was over thirty.
To avoid leaving the family, she had married a husband who was willing to take her surname and live in her household.
Her husband, however, was obsessed with art and cared little about business.
Together, they had one daughter.
Si Wanping’s daughter was also an incompetent fool, spending her days indulging in entertainment.
She had only gotten married after getting pregnant, and now her three-year-old son was being raised by Si Wanping herself.
Si Wanping had pinned all her hopes on her grandson.
Si Ye was only twenty-eight years old and still young.
By the time she nurtured her grandson into a capable successor, Si Ye should pass the Si family down to her grandson, not to an outsider like Si Yi Chen.
As for Si Ye’s third uncle, Si Yaowei, he was the least qualified to inherit the family business.
His mother had been the mistress who forced her way in, but the moment the old man passed away, she had been sent away to live elsewhere.
Although she was financially well-off, she had no right to interfere in Si family matters.
Si Ye had only agreed to let Pan Qi Zhi stay in the household as a favor to the late patriarch. At the very least, it kept outsiders from accusing the Si family of mistreating Pan Manrong.
In his past life, Chen Xu had deliberately avoided suspicion and had chosen to attend an art school for college.
But in this life, he had no intention of doing the same.
If keeping a low profile had still led to his death, then why not do as he pleased and make Si Yi Chen’s life miserable?
Whatever Si Yi Chen wanted the most, Chen Xu would take from him.
More importantly, he could never let Si Yi Chen inherit the Si family.
With Si Yi Chen’s petty, vengeful nature, if he were to gain power, Chen Xu would undoubtedly be the first person he’d get rid of.
Just then, the phone on his bed rang.
Chen Xu glanced at the screen—it was a call from Guan Qingqing.
Guan Qingqing was their class president and also his deskmate.
“Hello, what’s up?” Chen Xu answered.
“Handsome, you finally picked up! Do you know how hard it is to reach you? I’ve sent you a hundred WeChat messages and made a hundred video calls!” Guan Qingqing exaggerated dramatically.
“Wow, thank you so much,” Chen Xu responded with a smirk.
“You disappeared after the college entrance exams—where did you run off to for fun?”
There was some noise on the other end, and before Chen Xu could reply, the phone was taken by someone else.
“Old Chen! Come out and have fun! My treat!”
Ke Xinghao’s family was nouveau riche—his father was a coal mine owner, the type of person who never lacked money.
Throughout high school, he had treated them to meals countless times and had practically covered Chen Xu’s breakfast for three straight years.
Hearing their youthful, excited voices, Chen Xu felt a sense of nostalgia.
“Where are we eating?”
“The usual spot! The barbecue stall behind our school!”
Ke Xinghao smacked his lips and grumbled, “My mom wouldn’t let me eat there during the exams—she kept saying the food was unsanitary and would give me an upset stomach. Like having a perfect digestive system would make me score any better.”
That barbecue stall—Chen Xu hadn’t been there in years.
Now that Ke Xinghao mentioned it, he actually started craving it.
“Alright,” Chen Xu agreed without hesitation.
“Great! The class president and I will wait for you at the school gate!” Ke Xinghao said excitedly.
Chen Xu changed into a black T-shirt, making his fair skin look even more radiant.
He casually tousled his hair, grabbed his phone, and headed out.
“Young Master Xu, are you heading out?”
A housekeeper greeted him with a bright smile.
Chen Xu found the sudden enthusiasm a little strange.
Why was this guy being so overly eager today?
“Yeah,” he nodded and walked straight out.
“I’ll call the driver for you, Young Master Xu. Which car would you like to take today?”
The housekeeper quickly followed after him.
“No need, I’m taking my bike.”
Chen Xu didn’t bother entertaining the unusually fawning housekeeper.
He grabbed his bicycle, swung his long leg over it, pushed off with a foot, and effortlessly disappeared from the servants’ view.
“You’re suddenly being so nice to Young Master Xu today—why?”
A cleaning maid asked curiously.
“You don’t know? This morning, the master was defending Young Master Xu like crazy,” the bootlicking housekeeper said, eyes wide with gossip.
Hearing this, the surrounding servants immediately gathered around.
“I was inside cleaning earlier—I didn’t hear anything! Quick, tell us, what happened?”
“Listen, I’m telling you, the Si family is about to change! Young Master Chen is losing favor!”
Chen Xu reached the school gate in thirty minutes.
Before he even got off his bike, whistles rang out.
“Pheeeew~ Handsome guy, look over here!”
Guan Qingqing held up her phone, recording him.
“Guan Qingqing, your whistle is weak. Let me show you how it’s done.”
Wang Chengyi immediately whistled a loud, piercing note.
“Old Chen, you finally showed up! I was about to turn into a waiting wife stone!*”
Ke Xinghao ran over, wearing a pitiful expression.
Chen Xu pushed his face away.
“No thanks, I refuse.”
“Hahahaha! Ke Xinghao, stop trying to climb the social ladder,” a girl with a ponytail laughed.
Ke Xinghao dramatically clutched his chest and cursed Chen Xu for being a heartless scumbag.
A group of young people laughed and chatted as they made their way to the barbecue stall.
“Sir, should I call Young Master Xu over?”
The driver parked the car by the roadside and respectfully asked.
Si Ye sat in the backseat, his gaze fixed on the street across from them.
There, under the sunlight, was Chen Xu, talking and laughing with his classmates.
The light reflected off his smiling face, making it unintentionally captivating.
Keep me fueled with caffeine! Support me on Ko-fi! It helps a lot ! Thank you so much ♡(´･ω･)(･ω･`)♡
