“Do you know?” Si Ye asked in a low voice.
Chen Xu raised his eyebrows at these words. Did Si Ye know he was reborn?
“Yes, the pen you gave me is the same one I gave you on your 32nd birthday,” Chen Xu said straightforwardly.
“Yes, I had the initials engraved on it,” Si Ye admitted. Although he frequently used that brand of pen, he had never asked the store to engrave it. The only pen with the initials “SY” was the one Chen Xu gave him for his birthday. After being reborn, Si Ye always carried that pen with him to remind him of Chen Xu. When Si Ye saw Chen Xu at his 18th birthday party, he no longer needed the pen and gave it to Chen Xu as a gift.
“When did you realize I was reborn?” Chen Xu asked, looking closely at Si Ye. He suspected Si Ye had known for longer than he imagined.
Si Ye didn’t hesitate to reveal the truth: “On the night of your 18th birthday, when you pinned Si Yechen to the ground and beat him up, I saw it.”
This revelation shocked Chen Xu. That was the night he had just returned after being reborn. No wonder Si Ye’s attitude toward him had changed so drastically. It wasn’t anything Chen Xu had done that night; Si Ye had known he was reborn from that moment.
Chen Xu’s mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, questions piling up so fast he couldn’t sort through them all at once.
“Take your time,” Si Ye reassured him, holding Chen Xu’s hand gently. “I’ll answer everything you want to know.”
Chen Xu calmed down gradually with Si Ye’s soothing presence.
“When did you come back?” Chen Xu asked.
“I was reborn when you were 15,” Si Ye replied, threading his fingers through Chen Xu’s.
“That early?!” Chen Xu tightened his grip on Si Ye’s hand, worried he might be hurting him, and then quickly let go.
“Yes,” Si Ye said. After being reborn, he had methodically planned to change Chen Xu’s future from behind the scenes, identifying Tao Minzhi’s weaknesses, weeding out disloyal employees, and fanning the flames of Si Yechen’s arrogance, leading him to his own downfall. Everything was going according to his plan, except for Chen Xu’s unexpected rebirth.
“I was reborn after my death. But you…” Chen Xu trailed off, afraid to complete his thought. He couldn’t believe Si Ye had died without any warning.
Seeing Chen Xu’s worry, Si Ye reassured him, “I didn’t die. I just fell asleep and woke up to find myself back at 25.”
“Really? You’re not lying to me?” Chen Xu was skeptical, thinking Si Ye might be trying to comfort him.
“It’s true, I’m not lying,” Si Ye replied, looking directly into Chen Xu’s eyes.
After a minute of silent scrutiny, Chen Xu reluctantly believed Si Ye’s words.
Burying his head into Si Ye’s shoulder, Chen Xu apologized, “I’m sorry for making you go through all that.”
Si Ye tightened his embrace, “It’s alright, as long as you came back to me.”
Such simple words brought tears to Chen Xu’s eyes. Only they knew how hard-won their current happiness was.
“When I died…” Chen Xu started to speak but was immediately silenced by Si Ye’s hand covering his mouth, his expression stern and disapproving.
Understanding Si Ye’s aversion, Chen Xu removed his hand and asked, “Did Si Yechen get the justice he deserved?”
“Yes, he was executed,” Si Ye replied succinctly, his words both tightening and then releasing the knot in Chen Xu’s chest.
“You must have put in a lot of effort to make that happen,” Chen Xu said, nuzzling Si Ye’s face.
Si Ye didn’t respond. He didn’t want Chen Xu to know the extent of his involvement. All Chen Xu needed to know was that Si Yechen faced his rightful punishment in both lifetimes.
Chen Xu, sensing the heaviness of the topic, decided to lighten the mood, “When did you start having feelings for me, Si Ye? I remember us not having much interaction in the previous life, and you never showed any special feelings towards me.”
Si Ye’s avoidance of the question made Chen Xu more curious. He teasingly asked, “Are you shy, Si Ye?”
“No,” Si Ye replied. “I just didn’t know how to show my feelings. I had never been in love before and didn’t know how to confess to you.”
Looking at Si Ye, whose eyes were deep and calm, Chen Xu’s heart suddenly raced. He hugged Si Ye’s neck, pressing his slightly hot cheek against him, “You were always showing your love for me.”
Surprised by Chen Xu’s words, Si Ye’s eyes softened, and he kissed the back of Chen Xu’s neck.
He had always regretted not pursuing Chen Xu earlier in their previous life. If he had, he wouldn’t have lost him. But now, they had another chance, and he wouldn’t make the same mistake.
“Knock, knock, knock…”
“Sir, Young Master Xu, Young Master Xuezhou is here,” Uncle Zhong announced from outside the door.
Straightening up, Chen Xu kissed Si Ye on the corner of his lips, “I’ll go greet Xuezhou.”
Si Ye chuckled, “I’ll go with you.”
Chen Xu leaned in close to Si Ye’s ear and whispered, “You can do whatever you want tonight.”
Chen Xu’s eyes were clear and bright, his eyelashes fluttering like little fans. Si Ye’s heart ignited, and he tightened his grip on Chen Xu’s waist, “No backing out.”
Even though Si Ye hadn’t done anything yet, his words made Chen Xu feel hot all over. “Mm.”
When Si Xuezhou saw Si Ye and Chen Xu coming downstairs together, he was surprised.
“Brother… you’re not at work?” he asked, quickly covering his mouth in fear and lowering his head, not daring to look at Si Ye.
Si Ye, however, remained calm and answered softly, “It’s the weekend.”
This response didn’t alleviate Si Xuezhou’s shock; instead, it intensified it. Si Ye knew what weekends were!
Not daring to speak further, Si Xuezhou nodded obediently.
Surprisingly, Si Ye acted like a responsible elder, “I heard from Xiao Xu that you did well on your exams.”
“No… not really, just barely passed the first-tier line. My dad scolded me a lot,” Si Xuezhou mumbled.
He expected Si Ye to criticize him like his father did. After all, Si Ye was very strict with Si Yechen and Si Lin, especially regarding their academic performance.
“That’s good enough. As long as you did your best,” Si Ye said calmly. To him, it was acceptable to be less capable or less intelligent, but one couldn’t be unmotivated or not strive for improvement.
Si Ye never demanded that Si Yechen always come first in everything. Those were Tao Minzhi’s expectations. Although Si Yechen was nominally his successor, Si Ye didn’t interact with him much. Tao Minzhi was the one overseeing Si Yechen’s education, believing that only obedient, excellent individuals had value.
For Si Lin, Si Ye didn’t expect him to be as academically gifted as Chen Xu. He just hoped Si Lin would do his best. Si Lin had good genes, and as long as he tried, getting into a good university wouldn’t be a problem. But Si Lin only wanted to indulge in pleasures.
Si Xuezhou seriously studied Si Ye’s expression. Seeing no mockery, he was even more stunned.
“Have you decided which school to apply to?” Si Ye asked.
Si Xuezhou shook his head, “No, I wanted to discuss it with Chen Xu.”
However, he felt that he might have come at a bad time. It was rare for Si Ye to be home; they were probably spending time together.
Feeling guilty, Si Xuezhou said, “Maybe I shouldn’t stay…”
Si Ye didn’t move an inch despite Chen Xu’s prodding. Finally, Chen Xu gave in, blushing as he kissed Si Ye on the cheek. “Is that enough?”
Satisfied, Si Ye nodded and headed upstairs alone.
Rubbing his ears, Chen Xu said to Si Xuezhou, “Let’s go.”
As they walked up the stairs together, Si Xuezhou remarked, “You and Si Ye have a great relationship.”
It was the first time he’d seen Si Ye so animated. Si Ye had always been like a robot without emotions, but he seemed full of life around Chen Xu.
Chen Xu pretended not to hear, feeling a bit embarrassed.
Si Xuezhou continued, “I’ve never seen my brother so gentle. He must love you very much.”
Chen Xu paused, lowering his head. The sunlight cast a warm halo on his face as he smiled gently, his eyes soft. “Yes, he loves me very much.”
Si Xuezhou’s eyes widened in amazement. Chen Xu looked both beautiful and radiant, like a divine figure.
For the first time, Si Xuezhou truly understood that these two people were deeply in love.
Chen Xu’s room was unchanged. He turned on his computer and invited Si Xuezhou to sit on the couch.
“Do you have any idea what you want to study?” Chen Xu asked.
“No,” Si Xuezhou admitted. He didn’t have any particular interests and often found new hobbies that quickly faded.
He had once wanted to be a professional gamer, then a race car driver, and even considered becoming a streamer or entering the entertainment industry. But none of these interests lasted more than three months.
Chen Xu didn’t lecture him but said casually, “It’s okay if you can’t decide now. Just pick a major, and if you don’t like it later, you can switch.”
Maybe that’s the confidence of someone so capable, Si Xuezhou thought, recalling how Chen Xu had won a design competition and made headlines. Chen Xu was fearless.
They chatted for a while until Si Xuezhou finally relaxed and asked hesitantly, “Can I stay here?”
As Chen Xu had suspected, Si Xuezhou had indeed had a conflict with his parents. “Of course.”
“Aren’t you going to ask why?” Si Xuezhou was surprised at Chen Xu’s quick agreement.
Chen Xu glanced at him and replied, “You’re Si Ye’s brother. Do you need a reason to stay?”
People always said Si Ye was unfeeling, but when Si Xuezhou had nowhere to go, Si Ye and Chen Xu took him in.
Tears welled up in Si Xuezhou’s eyes. “I fought with my dad.”
“I thought they’d be furious and come find me, maybe even hit me. But it’s been two days, and they haven’t contacted me at all.”
Hearing this, Chen Xu frowned. What kind of parents would treat their child this way? The Chen family seemed to lack proper parents.
“Didn’t your mom intervene?” Chen Xu asked, recalling that Si Xuezhou’s father adored his mother and always listened to her. If she had spoken up, his father wouldn’t have scolded him.
Si Xuezhou’s expression darkened. “My mom’s been emotionally unstable for a while. She used to ignore me, but now she gets hysterical if I upset her, and I don’t know why.”
“Is she mentally ill?” Chen Xu asked, not to insult but out of genuine concern. It wasn’t normal for someone to behave like that towards their child, especially before a major exam.
Si Xuezhou stared at his fingertips, silent for a moment. “She hasn’t been well since she gave birth to me. My dad feels guilty and spoils her because of it.”
“She might have postpartum depression. I’m not sure; they never tell me these things.” Si Xuezhou recalled how his mother had always treated him as if he were invisible. Initially, he didn’t understand, but his father later explained that his mother was like that because of him and urged him to be good and not trouble her. This made Si Xuezhou grow up cautiously around her, but his efforts to please her never earned any affection.
“My dad takes her abroad every year to relax. She was fine until a few months ago when she suddenly started acting neurotic. I asked my dad, but he wouldn’t tell me anything, just told me to mind my own business.”
If Luo Yi was acting this way due to an illness, Chen Xu couldn’t blame her. After all, living with an illness was already a struggle.
He patted Si Xuezhou’s shoulder, comforting him, “Don’t take it to heart. It’s hard to control emotions when you’re sick. Your mother probably doesn’t mean it. No matter how others treat you, you have to love yourself. You can’t control how others act, but you can control your own fate.”
If anyone else had said this, Si Xuezhou might have dismissed it as empty words. But coming from Chen Xu, it was different. Chen Xu’s parents were even less reliable than his, yet Chen Xu had proven his worth through his own efforts.
“Mm!” Si Xuezhou nodded vigorously, smiling through his tears.
After settling Si Xuezhou, the three had dinner together, where Si Xuezhou found himself overwhelmed by the loving atmosphere between Chen Xu and Si Ye.
But he liked it here. It was much better than the tension at home.
As Chen Xu went upstairs to shower, Si Ye stopped Si Xuezhou, “Now that you’re an adult and have been accepted into university, I’ll have someone contact you soon to handle the property transfer.”
Si Ye’s tone was so casual, as if he were discussing dinner plans, yet he was talking about giving Si Xuezhou a house.
“No, no, that’s too much, and there’s no reason for it,” Si Xuezhou stammered. He couldn’t believe Si Ye was giving him a house. With the current housing prices, even if Si Ye had the money, there was no reason to give his cousin a house, especially considering Si Ye’s strained relationship with the third family.
“You’ve come of age and gotten into university. Those are reasons enough,” Si Ye said, heading upstairs without further explanation.
Si Xuezhou stood rooted to the spot, stunned.
Not until Si Ye’s figure disappeared did Si Xuezhou come back to his senses, his nose tingling with emotion.
He was moved downstairs, unaware that upstairs, Si Ye felt relieved. He had finally found a legitimate reason to send away the third wheel.
After his shower, Chen Xu was reading a book when he asked, “What does this mean?”
As a human encyclopedia, Si Ye was incredibly useful.
“Let me see,” Si Ye said, leaning closer. His freshly blown hair, still warm, brushed against Chen Xu’s cheek.
Feeling ticklish, Chen Xu shook his head to get rid of Si Ye’s hair.
With a quick scan, Si Ye understood and patiently explained it to Chen Xu.
A few words were enough to make Chen Xu understand, “I get it now.”
“Thanks,” Chen Xu said, giving Si Ye a quick kiss on the cheek.
Si Ye wouldn’t let him off with just a kiss, reaching out for him.
“Stop it, let me finish this page,” Chen Xu said, pushing Si Ye’s hand away.
“Am I less attractive than a book?” Si Ye whispered in Chen Xu’s ear, making him shiver.
His fair ears turned red, but Si Ye didn’t stop. His warm hands slipped under Chen Xu’s loose pajamas.
Like an artist with a brush, he traced every line carefully.
His movements were feather-light, yet when he hit the right spot, it was like a punch.
Chen Xu tensed, trembling, feeling as if his neck had been caught.
The book slipped from his hands, and his fingers clutched the sheets, knuckles white with strain.
Another broad hand covered his, loosening his grip and intertwining their fingers.
…
Sometimes, it’s better not to make promises lightly. The consequences can be unexpected.
On Si Xuezhou’s second day at the Chen house, Chen Xu didn’t come downstairs. Worried, Si Xuezhou was reassured by Uncle Zhong, “Don’t worry, Young Master Xuezhou. Young Master Xu is fine. You’ll see this is normal when you’ve lived here longer.”
Unfamiliar with relationships, Si Xuezhou didn’t understand Uncle Zhong’s underlying meaning.
But since Uncle Zhong said so, there was nothing to worry about.
Chen Xu didn’t come down to eat, and neither did Si Ye. Si Xuezhou was the only one at the table.
Si Ye was upstairs, feeding Chen Xu porridge. He couldn’t let Chen Xu see him enjoying a hearty meal after what he’d done.
After Chen Xu’s nap, he received a call from Chen Corp, saying Chen Hao was abusing his power, which had been reported.
“Deal with it as you see fit,” Chen Xu said. He had already warned Chen Yue, who had promised Chen Hao would change and not cause trouble.
Chen Xu hadn’t believed those words. He knew Chen Hao’s arrogant nature too well, having been bullied by him growing up.
Chen Xu wasn’t surprised by the day’s events.
“What’s wrong?” Si Ye asked, seeing Chen Xu frowning at his phone.
“Chen Hao’s in trouble,” Chen Xu replied.
This led to the topic of Chen Xu’s lineage. Si Ye hadn’t found the right time to discuss it, and the Lin family was anxiously waiting, though they didn’t dare push too hard.
“How do you feel about the Chen family?” Si Ye asked, pulling Chen Xu to sit down.
“What do you mean?” Chen Xu was puzzled. “I haven’t been kind to them.”
Si Ye couldn’t help but laugh. His little friend was so adorable.
“No, I mean, if you could choose, would you still want to be born into the Chen family? Given how well Grandpa Chen treated you.”
Chen Xu understood Si Ye was bringing up his true parentage. He had long known he wasn’t Chen Yue’s biological son and had tried to trace his origins, but to no avail.
Chen Xu wasn’t eager to find his biological parents, fearing they might be worse than the Chen family. He didn’t want to risk getting hurt again.
“You’re trying to tell me I’m not the Chen family’s biological child, right?”
Chen Xu’s calm tone and expression surprised Si Ye, who asked, “When did you find out?”
“During the New Year, when Chen Hao let it slip. I took hair samples from Chen Yue and Wang Qiang and did a DNA test,” Chen Xu explained.
So early.
Suppressing his surprise, Si Ye hugged Chen Xu, who sensed his concern and patted him, “I’m not sad, don’t worry.”
“My relationship with the Chen family has always been strained. In my past life, I cut ties with them after starting university. Learning I’m not their biological child just clarified their hostility. No wonder you were so cold towards them.”
“They don’t deserve it,” Si Ye said, remembering the Chen family’s hypocrisy at Chen Xu’s funeral, unwilling even to claim his body.
Si Ye’s harsh tone surprised Chen Xu, who guessed the Chen family had angered Si Ye after his death.
Holding Si Ye’s face, Chen Xu kissed him lightly, “It’s all in the past.”
After a while, Si Ye calmed down, knowing Chen Xu was aware of his origins. There was no need to hide it.
He held Chen Xu’s hand, gently rubbing his thumb over it, and looked into his eyes, “I have something to tell you about your biological parents.”
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