ARBRMW : Chapter 59

The sound of running water continued unabated. Chen Xu stood under the shower with his head bowed, water streaming down his face, wetting his eyelashes, and blurring his vision.

 

He reached out to turn off the water, stepped into the bathtub, and immersed himself. Si Ye’s bathtub was large, practically a small pool. Chen Xu’s face was half-submerged in the water, steam filling the bathroom, and his body turning pink from the hot water.

 

“Blub, blub…” Chen Xu blew bubbles unconsciously, lost in thought. 

 

Though he had spoken casually to Tong Jiaxi earlier, he wasn’t as nonchalant as he seemed. He actually cared about what Tong Jiaxi had said. 

 

Did Si Ye really have a “white moonlight”? If so, why was he so kind and affectionate towards him?

 

They had kissed and helped each other out. Chen Xu vividly remembered how charming Si Ye looked when he was aroused and how gently he had kissed his forehead. 

 

Was he being too conservative? If he hadn’t developed feelings for Si Ye unknowingly, he wouldn’t have allowed Si Ye to kiss and touch him.

 

He used to think they were mutually in love, but now he was unsure. What if Si Ye only saw him as a casual fling?

 

“Knock, knock, knock…” Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

 

“Xiao Xu, how long have you been in there? Don’t soak too long, or you’ll get dizzy.” It was Si Ye’s voice. He had come back while Chen Xu was bathing.

 

Just as Chen Xu was about to answer, a sudden thought made him close his open mouth.

 

“Xiao Xu?” Si Ye called out again, knocking on the door when he didn’t hear a response from Chen Xu.

 

Si Ye panicked and, without hesitation, pushed the door open.

 

“Xiao Xu!” Si Ye rushed into the bathroom. The faucet was still dripping, the room was steamy, and visibility was poor.

 

He quickly focused on the bathtub and saw a dark head of hair. His heart tightened, fearing Chen Xu had sunk into the tub. He rushed over and pulled Chen Xu out.

 

Caught off guard, Chen Xu was drenched, soaking Si Ye’s clothes as well. 

 

He felt Si Ye’s strong yet frantic heartbeat and slowly realized he had scared him.

 

“Xiao Xu? You…” Si Ye began to ask, but before he could finish, Chen Xu hugged his neck, pressing his wet body against him like a blazing fire despite being soaked.

 

“I’m fine, sorry for scaring you.” Chen Xu whispered in his ear, his breath making Si Ye tense.

 

After the initial panic, Si Ye found himself in another kind of turmoil. He realized that apart from the water, Chen Xu was completely naked against him.

 

Sticking to him like a seductive mermaid, or a lethal water snake, binding him tightly.

 

Si Ye couldn’t escape, and the terrifying part was he didn’t want to. 

 

He didn’t know where to place his hands. Chen Xu’s skin was smooth and soft, making him afraid to touch.

 

Every second now was a sweet yet painful torment for Si Ye. He felt split in two—part of him thrilled to be so close to his lover, the other feeling guilty knowing this boy could be his biological nephew. He shouldn’t let his desires run wild; he needed to keep his distance until the truth was known.

 

Tonight, Chen Xu was different from usual. He was passionate and proactive, almost making Si Ye lose his reason and cross a moral line.

 

“Don’t catch a cold.” Si Ye casually grabbed a towel, wrapped Chen Xu, and urged him to get out quickly.

 

After Chen Xu left, Si Ye took clean clothes to the guest room to bathe.

 

That night, after Chen Xu lay down, Si Ye said he had work to do and told Chen Xu to sleep first before heading into his study.

 

Chen Xu, who had never been suspicious, was now certain Si Ye was distancing himself. Since when did this start?

 

With closed eyes, Chen Xu recalled past clues and was startled to realize that Si Ye’s distancing didn’t start today. It had been going on for some time; he just hadn’t noticed.

 

Curled up in his blanket, Chen Xu was confused. “How could this happen?”

 

Why would Si Ye suddenly distance himself after Chen Xu understood his own feelings? Before, Si Ye’s behavior clearly indicated he liked him.

 

It couldn’t be that he misunderstood. If Si Ye didn’t like him, why would he kiss him and be so intimate? If Si Ye just wanted a casual fling, he wouldn’t go to such lengths. People even gossiped, saying Chen Xu was Si Ye’s child bride.

 

Tong Jiaxi’s words suddenly flashed through his mind, “You probably don’t know, but your eyes look a lot alike. You think you’re special, but you’re just a substitute.”

 

Chen Xu’s heart suddenly ached. He curled up in his blanket, not knowing when he fell asleep.

 

The next day was New Year’s Day, and Si Ye’s relatives would gather for a meal.

 

When Chen Xu woke up, Si Ye had already gone to work. He touched the spot beside him, unsure if Si Ye had slept there last night.

 

After lying in bed for a while, Chen Xu got up and, passing by the door to Si Ye’s study, remembered Tong Jiaxi’s words.

 

Could there really be a photo?

 

Chen Xu wasn’t someone with a strong curiosity and disliked rummaging through others’ belongings without permission. Even though it was Si Ye’s study, and Si Ye allowed him to enter freely, he never went through Si Ye’s things without him there.

 

But now, Tong Jiaxi’s words, combined with Si Ye’s distancing, had planted a seed of doubt in Chen Xu’s mind overnight.

 

He took out his phone and messaged Si Ye.

 

Chen Xu: Uncle Si, can I go into your study to read?

 

Si Ye replied almost instantly with the same answer as always.

 

Uncle Si: This is your home; nothing is off-limits.

 

Chen Xu’s fingers brushed over the words, a smile inadvertently forming on his lips.

 

With a sense of self-deception, he pushed open the study door.

 

The study was filled with books. Chen Xu observed the arrangement and found a few books placed slightly out of line. Every few days, the servants would tidy Si Ye’s study, making sure the books were neatly aligned. These few slightly misaligned books were likely the ones Si Ye read recently and had put back hastily.

 

Chen Xu placed the books on the desk, flipping through them one by one. Finally, in a white-covered foreign book, he found a photo. The photo was more hidden than placed, tucked between the layers of the cover.

 

The photo was face down, slightly yellowed, indicating it had been there a long time.

 

Staring at the yellowed photo for about a minute, Chen Xu took a deep breath and prepared to flip it over.

 

“Knock, knock, knock.” Just as the knocking ended, the study door suddenly opened. Chen Xu instinctively slipped the photo into his pocket.

 

“Young Master Xu? You’re up.” Uncle Zhong looked at Chen Xu, then at the stack of books behind him in surprise.

 

Steadying his mind, Chen Xu calmly said, “Yes, it’s almost the end of the semester. I’m looking for some reference books.”

 

Uncle Zhong smiled kindly, saying, “Young Master Xu is truly dedicated to his studies. But you haven’t had breakfast yet. How about eating first? Health is as important as studying.”

 

“Thank you, Uncle Zhong. I’ll go eat now.” Chen Xu casually put the books back. Uncle Zhong said he would tidy up, allowing Chen Xu to go eat.

 

“Please take this document downstairs. Secretary Jiang is waiting.” Uncle Zhong handed a sealed document to Chen Xu.

 

“Alright.” Chen Xu took the document downstairs, puzzled about its contents. Secretary Jiang’s reaction seemed odd.

 

Seeing Chen Xu come down from the third floor, Secretary Jiang’s smile froze when he saw the document in Chen Xu’s hand. “Good morning, Young Master Xu.”

 

“Good morning, Secretary Jiang. Uncle Zhong asked me to bring this document to you.” Chen Xu handed over the document, curious about its contents, given Secretary Jiang’s strange reaction.

 

What was in Si Ye’s study that Secretary Jiang would personally come for it? If it was just a regular document, there was no need for such secrecy.

 

“Thank you, Young Master Xu. Sorry to trouble you.” Secretary Jiang took the document and quickly left.

 

Watching Secretary Jiang’s hurried departure, Chen Xu’s curiosity deepened.

 

“Phew… scared me to death.” Secretary Jiang sighed with relief once in the car. Si Ye called, asking if he got the item.

 

“Yes, I’m on my way back to the company.” Secretary Jiang showed the document to Si Ye via the phone.

 

Si Ye nodded, saying nothing more.

 

Secretary Jiang glanced at the document, thinking how disastrous it would have been if Young Master Xu had seen it.

 

The document indeed contained something Chen Xu couldn’t see—information about his true parentage, indicating he wasn’t Chen Yue’s child but possibly the old man’s illegitimate son.

 

At the company, Si Ye took out a sealed bag containing Chen Xu’s hair. Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminating his hands, making them look like finely crafted artworks.

 

He couldn’t wait any longer. Si Ye tightened his grip on the bag, finally making up his mind.

 

Chen Xu quickly ate breakfast and returned to the third floor to study. Uncle Zhong urged him to eat slowly, saying he was eager to study, which made Uncle Zhong look at him more lovingly, even asking the kitchen to make some snacks for him.

 

Compared to him, Si Yichen was left alone. He checked the clock, confirming

 

 Tao Minzhi was up, and headed to Villa No. 5 alone. He needed a strong ally, and that person could only be Tao Minzhi. She had brought him into the Si family and couldn’t abandon him now. He wouldn’t let go of anything that belonged to him.

 

Chen Xu closed the door, sat on the sofa, and carefully took out the photo he had hidden. His throat tightened, and even his breathing grew anxious. He smoothed the slightly wrinkled photo and then turned it over.