Chen Wei stared at the man in shock. Though he’d matured, his appearance hadn’t changed much. He looked just like he had over a decade ago, and she recognized him instantly.
Her lips moved, mouthing his name: “Shen Xizhou.”
Shen Xizhou’s smile was gentle. “Yes, it’s me. So many years have passed; I’m glad you haven’t forgotten me, sister-in-law.”
How could she forget? Chen Wei’s expression was complicated.
Back then, Shen Xizhou had followed her ex-husband Xie Wangnian around, calling him “Older Brother” constantly. But now, everything was different.
From his attire, it was clear he was no longer the impoverished student he’d been, unable to afford a simple bun and relying on Xie Wangnian’s support. And she was no longer the wealthy wife, sitting in a grand villa without a care in the world.
Chen Wei sighed and moved aside slightly. “Come in.”
Shen Xizhou stepped inside, quickly glancing around.
The apartment was average, decorated with a flashy golden color typical of a nouveau riche, yet tidy and cozy, revealing the hostess’s care.
Settling down on the sofa, Shen Xizhou took in his surroundings with a smile. “It’s good to see you’re doing well, sister-in-law.”
“Just getting by,” Chen Wei mumbled, pouring him a glass of water.
Shen Xizhou accepted it without hesitation, drinking it down in one go, his ease taking her by surprise.
Seeing this, a flicker of nostalgia crossed her face, as if it were years ago again.
Xie Wangnian had been kind-hearted and worried Shen Xizhou would go hungry, reluctant to spend money on school meals. Every weekend, he’d find an excuse to bring him home, feeding him fish, meat, and anything he thought would nourish him.
Shen Xizhou, always sweet-tongued, called them “Older Brother” and “Sister-in-law,” even saying he’d work for Xie Wangnian’s company after graduation and help him build an empire to leave to young Xie Ruan.
But before he even graduated, Xie Wangnian was gone.
Chen Wei shook her head, brushing away the memories, and asked, “How did you find out I lived here?”
After Xie Wangnian’s death, she’d barely managed his funeral before quickly leaving the North with Xie Ruan. After several moves, they settled in the southern city of Shen.
She hadn’t contacted any old friends or told anyone where they were.
Chen Wei, timid by nature, knew her ex-husband’s bankruptcy had involved more than just failed investments—it had been a targeted attack by several parties. Not understanding the business world, all she knew was that it was just her and her son now, and if anyone from the past came seeking trouble, they’d be in deep trouble.
So she cut ties with the past and started fresh elsewhere.
Shen Xizhou put down his cup. “I ran into Zhao Ming.”
Zhao Ming was a board member at Xie Ruan’s school. Xie Ruan had transferred from the regular class to the advanced class, thanks to Zhao Ming’s help.
“That’s how I found out about you two.”
Back when Xie Wangnian’s investments failed, Zhao Ming, as his friend, was significantly impacted too. Unable to continue in the north, Zhao Ming decided to consolidate his assets and move to Shen City to join his brother-in-law.
That’s how he happened to cross paths with Chen Wei and Xie Ruan, who was about to start high school.
When Xie Wangnian got into trouble, Shen Xizhou was still a student. Although Xie Wangnian treated him like a brother, Shen Xizhou couldn’t often visit the Xie household due to his studies, nor was he suited for business events, so he had no way of knowing Xie Wangnian’s circle of friends.
Shen Xizhou’s disadvantage was his age; otherwise, it wouldn’t have taken him so many years to find Chen Wei and Xie Ruan.
“So, it was him,” Chen Wei realized suddenly.
She understood now how Shen Xizhou had found them—it must have been Zhao Ming who told him.
Shen Xizhou nodded with a smile. “Yes.”
Of course, he didn’t tell Chen Wei that he’d gone to great lengths to track down Zhao Ming; he’d rather she thought it was all just a coincidence.
By now, the sky was completely dark, and the lights in the neighborhood were twinkling like stars.
Chen Wei glanced out the window and warmly offered, “Why don’t you stay the night? We have space here.”
Shen Xizhou’s arrival had reminded her of old times, and in a sudden wave of nostalgia, she invited him to stay without consulting He Jinqing.
“No need to trouble yourself. I’ve already booked a hotel,” Shen Xizhou said as he opened his briefcase and pulled out a stack of documents. “I came here for a reason.”
For some reason, looking into his ever-smiling eyes made Chen Wei feel a sudden sense of unease.
Seeming oblivious to her reaction, Shen Xizhou methodically opened the documents and handed them over. “Actually, before he passed, Brother Xie left me a will—”
In the old neighborhood, news spread quickly.
Upon hearing that a particularly handsome man was visiting Chen Wei, He Jinqing left his store in a hurry, locking up to rush home.
Marrying a wealthy and beautiful wife was his greatest pride, but he also kept a close eye on her. If it were possible, he’d want Chen Wei to stay home all day; the last thing he wanted was to be betrayed.
With quick strides, He Jinqing’s mind raced with questions about who the man was and what connection he might have to Chen Wei. Was he an old flame?
Once he got home, he didn’t go in right away. Instead, he pressed his ear to the door to listen, waiting until he heard nothing before pushing the door open and stepping in.
“Did we have guests over? Who’s here?” He Jinqing put on a friendly face. “Why didn’t you tell me—I—”
His voice trailed off as he took in Chen Wei’s pale face. Hesitantly, he asked, “What’s wrong? What happened?”
“Mr. He, right?” Shen Xizhou stood up, extending his hand politely. “Hello, I’m Shen Xizhou, Xie Ruan’s uncle.”
Looking down at the slender, graceful hand in front of him, He Jinqing hesitated, then finally shook it, feeling a bit overawed. “Hello, hello.”
“Thank you for taking care of Xie Ruan all these years,” Shen Xizhou said, his expression warm and sincere. “I have a child myself, so I know raising one is costly. Luckily, Brother Xie left quite a bit behind…”
With that, he rose courteously, handing over the document Chen Wei had just reviewed. “Xie Ruan’s expenses will come from here. I’ll reimburse you for any costs over the years once everything is finalized—couldn’t have you taking on both the work and the expense.”
Expenses for Xie Ruan?
Expenses my *ss?
He Jinqing knew his own affairs well. When Chen Wei married into the family, she brought a substantial amount of money with her. And as for Xie Ruan, elementary and middle school were covered by compulsory education, and when he got to high school, all school fees were waived thanks to Zhao Ming.
Other than living expenses, there weren’t any major expenditures.
What’s more, Xie Ruan had been helping out at the family store from a young age. He was good-looking, and when people saw this small kid standing outside selling things early in the morning, it often tugged at their heartstrings.
And out of sympathy, they would stop by and buy something.
Otherwise, why would people choose their shop over the nearby convenience stores?
Last year at the internet café, Bo Jin happened to catch a glimpse of Xie Ruan’s ID and was surprised to find out he was already eighteen, puzzled as to why he’d started school a year late.
The reason was right there—He Jinqing couldn’t bear the thought of losing his “cash cow” at the convenience store, so he deliberately delayed Xie Ruan’s school enrollment by a year.
He Jinqing’s hands were shaking.
If the will was accurate, most of the assets in Chen Wei’s name belonged to Xie Ruan.
Then what would happen to him?
Over the years, he’d been obsessed with stock trading, losing track of how much money he’d squandered. But it didn’t matter, since Chen Wei was there to bail him out.
If anyone was owing here, it was probably him who owed Xie Ruan!
Shen Xizhou sat back leisurely, taking in He Jinqing’s panic with a slight smile before turning to Chen Wei. “Take another look, Sister-in-law. If everything looks good, let’s schedule a time to handle the paperwork.”
The weight of a massive burden suddenly dropped, leaving He Jinqing cold as he sank onto the sofa in defeat.
This upheaval at home hadn’t yet reached Xie Ruan’s ears. With the first monthly exams of the new term approaching, he was at Bo Jin’s dorm, completely absorbed in his studies.
Sun Haoxiang came over, munching on sunflower seeds, and didn’t see Bo Jin but was startled by the sight of Xie Ruan, head down and furiously writing. He couldn’t help but sigh, “Little Xie, you’re going way too hard!”
Is this what it’s like when top students date?
Instead of holding hands or kissing after class, they study together. It was a level beyond Sun Haoxiang’s comprehension.
Pan Yu, knowing a bit of the backstory, glanced over and said, “Brother Bo assigned him extra tasks.”
“What?” Sun Haoxiang looked incredulous. “Is he a demon? The exams are almost here, and instead of letting Little Xie relax, he’s giving him extra homework?”
How did someone like that manage to stop being single? Unfair!
“Exactly,” Xie Ruan said, putting down his pen and joining in on the criticism. “Totally unreasonable.”
All he did was mention he might not get into Bo Jin’s future university, and now he was suffering like this?
Not even a workhorse would be this exhausted!
He Mingjie shared his sunflower seeds with Xie Ruan, shaking his head in agreement. “Unreasonable, unreasonable.”
Sun Haoxiang tossed a sunflower seed shell into the trash, rolling his eyes. “Just ignore him for a few days, and see if he dares to act this way again.”
Xie Ruan’s eyes lit up. That… actually sounded like a good idea!
The thought had barely crossed his mind when he felt an intense gaze fixate on him.
A chill ran down Xie Ruan’s neck as he slowly turned around.
Bo Jin strolled in, holding a plastic bag, smiling. “Unreasonable?”
Then, looking at Sun Haoxiang, he added, “Ignore me, huh?”
Sun Haoxiang was so startled he practically rolled out the door, scattering sunflower seeds everywhere.
As he frantically gathered them up, he muttered, “When did he get back?”
He Mingjie shrugged, helping him clean up. “No clue, didn’t see him.”
“…Must be part cat or something, walking around without a sound.”
“Or maybe he did it on purpose to spook us.”
“Little sneak…”
With a loud crunch, Bo Jin stepped on a stray sunflower seed shell on the floor, glancing down at the three crouched guys with a mild smile. “Would you like me to escort you all outside?”
“No, no!”
Sun Haoxiang jumped up as if given a free pass, yanking Pan Yu with one hand and He Mingjie with the other. Despite his sturdy build, he sped out of the room in an instant.
The door clicked shut behind them automatically.
Bo Jin set a plastic bag down on the table, pulling out skewers from an oden shop. He looked over at Xie Ruan, who was sitting silently with his head down. After a moment, he let out a chuckle.
Xie Ruan shifted uncomfortably under his gaze and finally asked, “What are you laughing about?”
“I was late, so most of the good oden was gone—almost thought I’d have to go vegetarian tonight…” Bo Jin unzipped his uniform jacket and began undoing his shirt buttons slowly. Then he leaned close, pressing a soft kiss on Xie Ruan’s earlobe and whispered in a tone that melted into his very bones, “Thanks for giving me the chance to have a taste tonight, babe.”
Xie Ruan’s whole body jolted, and he defensively covered the back of his neck. “What nonsense are you talking about?”
After all this time, Xie Ruan knew all too well what Bo Jin meant by “a taste.”
Bo Jin closed in on him, gently pinning him in a corner. One hand slid to hold Xie Ruan’s waist. “Didn’t you say I was a bit too inhumane? Tonight, we can test it out properly.”
Xie Ruan’s heart raced erratically, and he tried to reason, “Being humane or not has nothing to do with this—”
Halfway through his sentence, he suddenly realized there was another implication to “inhumane.”
Xie Ruan: “!!”
Help!
