Chapter 86
“You don’t know?” Si Lin asked in surprise.
Seeing the confusion on Chen Xu’s face, Si Lin suddenly realized he had let something slip. Covering his mouth, he turned away and mumbled, “N-nothing.”
Chen Xu squinted his eyes, scrutinizing Si Lin. “A University forum?”
Si Lin’s expression betrayed him before he could deny it, “N-no.”
“I see.” Chen Xu did not immediately check his phone to see what rumors were being spread about him on the A University forum. Instead, he calmly said to Si Lin, “Thanks for the shoes. It’s almost nine o’clock. Remember you have an English assignment to finish before bed. Better get to it.”
Chen Xu’s demeanor was so much like a strict parent that Si Lin felt his scalp tingle. He quickly hurried back to Villa No. 5.
Somewhere along the line, Chen Xu had changed bit by bit, becoming someone entirely different from the warm youth Si Lin remembered. In the Si family, Chen Xu was cold and distant, treating Si Lin with the authority of an elder.
Chen Xu and Si Ye were married; Si Ye was his uncle, and Chen Xu was his aunt. In that sense, treating him as an elder wasn’t wrong. Yet, even as Si Lin knew that he and Chen Xu were impossible, he still nostalgically wished for the warm youth of his memories. If only Chen Xu hadn’t married Si Ye, he wouldn’t have become like this—a mirror image of Si Ye.
Meanwhile, Chen Xu had no idea about Si Lin’s sentimental ruminations. He hadn’t checked the A University forum because his birthday was only hours away, and he didn’t want irrelevant people to affect his good mood.
“Where did the shoes come from?” Si Ye asked, seeing Chen Xu with a shoebox as he walked in.
Chen Xu placed the shoebox on the table casually. “A birthday gift from Si Lin.”
Hearing that the shoes were from Si Lin, Si Ye frowned in displeasure, walking over to take a look. With a hint of disdain, he said, “These ugly shoes, and he gave them as a gift.”
Though Chen Xu wasn’t particularly interested in shoes, hearing Si Ye call them ugly made him take a closer look. “They don’t seem ugly to me.”
Si Ye tossed the shoes back into the box, decisively stating, “Ugly.”
Chen Xu finally understood; it wasn’t the shoes that were ugly—Si Ye was jealous.
Suppressing the smile tugging at his lips, he teased, “You’re even jealous of your nephew. Si Ye, you’re getting more childish.”
Si Ye wrapped his arms around Chen Xu’s waist, leaning down to kiss him. “Just ignore him.”
“He’s your nephew, so he’s my nephew too. If I ignore him, people will think I don’t like him,” Chen Xu argued, not wanting anyone to speak ill of Si Ye. As Si Ye’s legal spouse, his attitude reflected on Si Ye, so he couldn’t afford to be cold toward Si Lin.
“I’d rather you not like him.” Si Ye bit Chen Xu’s lower lip.
“Ow…” Chen Xu winced, glaring at Si Ye but feeling a warmth in his chest.
“I told him to go back and do his homework. He ran away as if he had seen a ghost,” Chen Xu said.
Hearing this, the cloud over Si Ye’s heart finally dispersed.
Seeing Si Ye’s mood lighten, Chen Xu thought, ‘Si Ye is quite easy to cheer up.’
After his bath, Chen Xu brought two cups of warm milk upstairs. He preferred cold milk in this weather, but Si Ye wouldn’t allow it.
Thinking back to his previous life studying away from home, often staying up late and having irregular routines for his design work, he had developed a stomach problem before his death. He frequently experienced stomach pains whenever he ate something cold, hard, spicy, or stimulating.
His stomach was still healthy now, so he decided to avoid cold milk to protect it.
“Why didn’t you dry your hair?” Si Ye asked, emerging from his bath in silk green pajamas. His fair skin against the dark green had a distinguished elegance.
“My hair’s short. I just rubbed it with a towel; it’ll dry soon,” Chen Xu said, handing him a cup of warm milk.
Si Ye took the milk and set it aside. “Come here.”
Knowing that Si Ye intended to dry his hair, Chen Xu, despite thinking it unnecessary, obediently walked over.
The warm air from the dryer blew past his ears, and he could feel Si Ye’s fingers moving through his hair.
With his hair cut shorter, his clean and smooth ears were exposed. Si Ye, noticing a small hair whorl at the crown of his head while drying his hair, couldn’t resist touching it a few more times. It was cute.
“All done,” Si Ye said, putting the dryer away.
Chen Xu touched his hair. “Were you touching the whorl on my head just now?”
“Yeah, it’s cute,” Si Ye replied, putting the dryer away.
“Only you would think a hair whorl is cute. When I was a kid, people used to say, ‘one whorl is stubborn, two whorls are twisted, three whorls are wild,’ and that I’d be difficult to get along with when I grew up.” Chen Xu smiled. “Turns out I did grow up to be difficult.”
Seeing his slightly cocky demeanor, Si Ye felt a surge of affection. He leaned down, rubbing their noses together, smiling, “You’re so well-behaved. How are you difficult?”
Chen Xu felt his legs weaken, quietly arguing, “I’m only good in front of you, Si Ye.”
“That’s enough,” Si Ye suddenly picked him up and carried him to the bed.
Feeling a rush of heat, Chen Xu looked straight at Si Ye. Were they finally going to do it?
Just as he lay down, his phone on the bedside table started ringing. They both glanced at it—it was Tang Zhen calling.
“Aren’t you going to answer?” Si Ye asked.
Lying beneath him, Chen Xu shook his head, “No.”
Smiling, Si Ye kissed his forehead. “Good boy.”
As they were about to continue, Chen Xu’s phone rang again, this time showing Ke Xinghao’s name.
Chen Xu felt the universe was conspiring against his big moment.
“Better answer it,” Si Ye said, handing him the phone.
With a dark expression, Chen Xu answered Ke Xinghao’s call.
“Hey, Xu! Happy Birthday!” Ke Xinghao’s voice sounded unusually excited, loud enough for Si Ye to hear.
“You better have a good reason for calling,” Chen Xu said sternly.
“What’s with your voice? You sound like I interrupted something… Hahaha,” Ke Xinghao joked, oblivious to how close he was to being throttled.
Chen Xu stayed silent, letting Ke Xinghao figure it out.
However, Ke Xinghao, dense as ever, misinterpreted the silence as a bad signal. “Hello? Xu, can you hear me?”
“Hold on, I’ll find a better spot to talk,” Ke Xinghao said.
Chen Xu sighed. “What do you need?”
“Oh, you can hear me now? Great! Just wanted to see what your birthday plans are for tomorrow. We were thinking of throwing you a party or maybe going to the amusement park. What do you think?”
“Sorry, I already have plans,” Chen Xu interrupted Ke Xinghao’s enthusiasm.
“What? You already have plans? Xu, you have another friend outside of us?” It seemed Ke Xinghao had forgotten that Chen Xu was no longer single.
Rubbing his temples, Chen Xu asked, “Did you forget I have a boyfriend?”
A moment of silence followed. “Damn!”
“How could I forget? You never act like you’re in a relationship. I always forget you’re not single anymore,” Ke Xinghao complained. “Look at your social media. Not a single post about your boyfriend. Remember our class sports captain? He’d post eight times a day about his girlfriend. And Li Shanshan? Nine-picture posts every Valentine’s Day of the flowers her boyfriend sent her.”
Hearing this, Chen Xu realized it was true. “I usually don’t post on social media.”
“Exactly! The last post you made was about a cool math problem you wanted to share.”
“Enjoy your time with your boyfriend. It’s your first birthday together; we won’t be third-wheeling. I’ll give you your birthday present another day,” Ke Xinghao said, proving he could be a good friend when it mattered.
Chen Xu lowered his head, smiling. “Thanks, Haozi.”
“No need for the formalities, man. We’re bros,” Ke Xinghao replied, though his voice sounded awkward.
After the call, Chen Xu felt nostalgic about his past life.
Ke Xinghao and the others must have been heartbroken when he died.
Warmth spread through his hand. Turning his head, Chen Xu saw Si Ye holding his hand quietly.
Leaning his head on Si Ye’s shoulder, Chen Xu whispered, “I have great friends.”
“Yeah.” Si Ye remembered how Ke Xinghao cried his heart out at Chen Xu’s grave, visiting every year with flowers or Chen Xu’s favorite food. Even Guan Qingqing, whom he had mistaken for Chen Xu’s girlfriend, only mustered the courage to visit three years after his death.
Reflecting on the past life, the two lost their mood, opting to lie down and chat.
Chen Xu tried staying up until midnight, but his exhaustion caught up, and he fell asleep before then.
At midnight, June 1st, Si Ye kissed Chen Xu’s forehead and whispered, “Happy birthday, Xiao Xu.”
In his sleep, Chen Xu snuggled closer, draping his long legs over Si Ye.
You’re a year older now. I wish you a lifetime of happiness and peace.
Si Ye held Chen Xu tighter, silently vowing never to lose him again.
Morning sunlight spilled onto the carpet. Chen Xu turned over, reaching out but finding the bed empty and cool.
“Hmm?” He opened his eyes, surprised that Si Ye had woken up so early.
A glint of light caught his eye. Chen Xu noticed his wedding ring on his finger. When had he put it on?
It must have been Si Ye.
His phone had been buzzing nonstop with birthday wishes. He posted a thank-you message to everyone at once, too many to respond individually.
After setting his phone down, he went to wash up. Stepping out, he found small gift boxes leading from the bathroom door to his room door.
Bending down, he picked up each box, noting their varied weights. Si Ye had really filled them all with gifts.
Si Ye had given him such a huge surprise early in the morning. Gifts scattered everywhere, making up for his past seventeen birthdays.
Last year, Si Ye had given him a pen, coincidentally the same one he had given Si Ye for his last birthday in his previous life.
Why had Si Ye given him that pen? In his past life, Si Ye hadn’t given him a pen on his eighteenth birthday—he had just had Uncle Zhong transfer money to him, as usual.
In the Si family, Si Ye was generous, giving money to the younger generation on their birthdays as a gesture. He wasn’t the type to go out of his way for someone else’s birthday.
A crucial piece of information seemed to flicker in his mind. He felt on the verge of unlocking a significant truth.
“Why aren’t you coming downstairs?” Si Ye came up to find Chen Xu.
Chen Xu snapped out of his thoughts, overjoyed. “Are all these my birthday gifts?”
“Mm. Do you like them?” Si Ye asked, approaching Chen Xu but getting blocked by the pile of gifts.
Chen Xu beamed. “I love them!”
“You haven’t even opened them yet. How do you know you like them?” Si Ye chuckled, touching Chen Xu’s face.
“If they’re from you, I love them,” Chen Xu said, placing the boxes on a table and turning to kiss Si Ye, whispering, “Thank you, hubby.”
His eyes flickered, lashes fluttering, and his ears turned red.
Si Ye almost lost it, suppressing the urge to ravish Chen Xu. He grabbed the escaping Chen Xu, biting the back of his porcelain neck. “My love, you’re killing me.”
Chen Xu hadn’t expected those words to have such an effect. Known for his fierce demeanor, he found himself teary-eyed from Si Ye’s bite, his slender body trembling in Si Ye’s hold.
He thought Si Ye would ravish him on the spot, but Si Ye simply bit him and let go.
“Let’s go down for breakfast,” Si Ye’s voice was husky with suppressed desire.
With a bit of trepidation, Chen Xu side-stepped him, hurrying downstairs.
As he passed, he caught a glimpse of Si Ye’s trousers, flushing from head to toe, his steps unsteady.
“Happy birthday, Young Master Xu,” Uncle Zhong greeted, his face full of kind smiles.
Seeing Uncle Zhong, the heat in Chen Xu’s body subsided. “Thank you, Uncle Zhong.”
Every servant he encountered wished him a happy birthday, all smiling warmly.
Today, instead of bringing the menu to him, the servants brought fresh shrimp porridge and crystal dumplings.
“Uncle Zhong, did we change chefs?” Chen Xu asked, finding the taste different from usual.
Uncle Zhong smiled meaningfully, remaining silent.
Chen Xu suddenly remembered that Si Ye had woken up very early. “Did Si Ye make this?”
“Yes. Mr. Si woke up early to cook for you. He learned to make the crystal dumplings from the chef because he knew you liked them,” Uncle Zhong replied, not sparing any praise.
Feeling warmth spread through his chest, Chen Xu thought he must have saved the galaxy in a past life.
After finishing a bowl of porridge, Si Ye came downstairs, saying little before heading to the kitchen.
Curious, Chen Xu watched him leave. Could there be another surprise?
His morning had been filled with surprises; could his heart handle more?
Soon, Si Ye returned with a bowl of noodles, topped with an egg, the aroma wafting through the air.
“Longevity noodles. Don’t bite them,” Si Ye instructed, placing the bowl in front of Chen Xu.
Grateful, Chen Xu ate the noodles without breaking them. It was the first time someone had made him longevity noodles, filling his heart with warmth.
He suddenly feared that all this happiness was a dream, that on his twenty-second birthday, he’d wake up and find it all gone.
Wrapping his arms around Si Ye, he buried his face in Si Ye’s shoulder, feeling tears wet his clothes.
Si Ye held him close, kissing his hair. “No crying on your birthday. Be happy.”
Chen Xu nodded, pulling back, his beautiful eyes misty.
After composing himself, he finished the noodles. “Delicious.”
Si Ye’s heart ached, pulling him into an embrace. “Happy birthday, my love.”
With breakfast done, Si Ye instructed, “Go change. We’re going out.”
Obediently, Chen Xu went upstairs to change. Today was June 1st, Children’s Day, and his birthday. Knowing he wasn’t Chen Yue’s biological son, he guessed this might not be his real birthday but the day he was found.
It was the day Chen Yue’s father gave him a new life.
Dressed in a refreshing outfit, Chen Xu looked like a Japanese youth in a loose white T-shirt and army green shorts, his long, white legs exposed. His calves were well-defined, not too slender or too muscular, and he wore white sneakers.
Before leaving, he recalled Ke Xinghao’s comment about his social media presence. Taking a photo of Si Ye’s pile of gifts, he posted it on his feed.
Chen Xu: Birthday gifts from a certain someone.
Unaware of the uproar his post caused, he pocketed his phone.
When Si Ye saw Chen Xu’s white legs running downstairs, he had an urge to make him change into long pants to cover them.
“Aren’t you cold?” Si Ye asked indirectly.
Chen Xu, oblivious to Si Ye’s thoughts, replied, “No, it’s hot outside.”
Si Ye stared at his legs, his mind wandering to inappropriate thoughts. He quickly averted his gaze, focusing on getting out of the house.
“Where are we going?” Chen Xu asked, buckling his seatbelt.
“You’ll see,” Si Ye said, keeping their destination a surprise.
This sense of mystery filled Chen Xu with anticipation, like his first school trip as a child.
The car drove smoothly until a theme park came into view. Chen Xu realized Si Ye had brought him to an amusement park.
He was already nineteen.
But he’d never been to an amusement park in two lifetimes.
With this thought, his embarrassment vanished.
Two lifetimes and he finally got to visit an amusement park with Si Ye. Shyness meant nothing.
Getting out, Si Ye sent the driver back, holding out his hand. Chen Xu smiled, placing his hand in Si Ye’s. “Si Ye, hold on tight.”
“Mm, I won’t lose you,” Si Ye replied, smiling.
Seeing them as a couple, others hoping to approach backed off.
They didn’t book the entire park. Si Ye believed a crowd added to the atmosphere. Waiting in line could also be part of the fun.
Still, Si Ye bought VIP tickets to avoid long queues.
“What do you want to try first?” Si Ye asked.
Looking around, Chen Xu asked, “Anything?”
“Mm,” Si Ye nodded.
“Let’s start with the roller coaster. I’ve heard it’s thrilling,” Chen Xu suggested, feeling excited.
In this moment, he truly felt like a teenager.
Si Ye had no objections, and soon they were seated on the roller coaster. In front of them, a couple was cuddling.
The woman leaned on her boyfriend’s shoulder and said coquettishly, “Husband, I’m so scared.”
Her boyfriend held her hand and said, “Don’t be afraid that your husband is here.”
“Husband, you are so brave~”
Chen Xu felt a tingle up his spine. Si Ye suddenly reached out his hand. “Wanna hold my hand?”
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