Chapter 8
Xi Shi belatedly realized that the contract was like a trump card, held firmly in Zhong Yuxiao’s hand.
“Where’s Zhong Er?” Xi Chongyang looked behind him expectantly.
Xi Shi snapped back to reality. “He had something come up and couldn’t make it. He said he’ll visit you another time.”
“Really?”
“Of course, it’s true.”
Not really.
He would rather die than call him “husband.”
He was a top, a dominant top whose dignity could not be violated. Zhong Er was clearly provoking him, and Xi Shi couldn’t swallow this. He grabbed his car keys and went out.
Xi Chongyang looked suspicious, his gaze scrutinizing Xi Shi’s face. Having been raised by his grandfather, Xi Shi couldn’t stand this kind of scrutiny. He chuckled awkwardly and turned towards the dining room. “It smells so good! Looks like Aunt Wu made a lot of delicious food today. I smell sweet and sour fish, haven’t had that in a while, I’m starving.”
“Xi Shi, stop right there!”
“I can’t, I’m about to die of hunger.”
By the time Xi Chongyang rushed over with his cane, Xi Shi had already pulled out a chair and sat down. The table was filled with various dishes, showing how seriously his grandfather had prepared for welcoming his grandson-in-law.
Xi Shi said sourly, “Why weren’t there so many dishes when I came back for dinner before?”
“Because you’re not worthy!”
“…”
Xi Chongyang snatched his chopsticks, saying angrily, “Eat, eat, eat, all you know is to eat, you rascal! Tell me honestly, did you deliberately not bring Zhong Er back?”
“No, my dear grandfather, would I do such a thing?”
Could he have misunderstood?
Xi Chongyang was half-convinced and was about to return the chopsticks when the housekeeper came over. “Sir, someone is here. He says he’s the second young master of the Zhong family, Zhong Yuxiao.”
Seeing Xi Shi’s guilty expression, Xi Chongyang understood everything and quickly instructed, “Quickly invite him in.”
As soon as the housekeeper left, he threw the chopsticks at Xi Shi. “Good job, Xi Shi, you’ve grown wings, even daring to lie to your grandfather!”
“Grandpa, calm down, calm down…” Xi Shi jumped away to avoid the chopsticks, patting his chest in relief. If he had been a few seconds slower, the cane would have landed on him.
Why did Zhong Yuxiao come? Could he be here to complain?
Xi Shi felt like he was facing a formidable enemy.
Xi Chongyang snorted heavily. “I’ll deal with you later.”
While they were talking, the housekeeper brought Zhong Yuxiao in. Zhong Yuxiao was dressed in a formal suit, holding gifts in both hands, clearly having prepared seriously. “Excuse me for intruding, Mr. Xi, I’m Zhong Yuxiao.”
Xi Chongyang’s expression immediately changed to a smile, his tone gentle. “Xiaoyao, I finally get to meet you.”
Behind him, Xi Shi frowned, looking unhappy, nervously staring at the uninvited guest.
Zhong Yuxiao subtly curled his lips.
He originally just wanted to tease Xi Shi, but he didn’t expect to rile the young master up so much that he ran off with a “you’re dreaming,” like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.
Asking Xi Shi to call him “husband” was really like asking for his life.
“I’ve always heard your parents talk about you. You’re such a good child. Why didn’t you come with Xi Shi?” Xi Chongyang glared at Xi Shi.
I’m doomed—Xi Shi’s expression changed, these two words flashing through his mind.
His grandfather was an old fox. He knew that he and Zhong Er didn’t get along, so he deliberately brought this up, wanting to support Zhong Yuxiao.
“I originally planned to come with Xi Shi.” Zhong Yuxiao was skilled at acting obedient. He glanced at Xi Shi inconspicuously. The young master had a stiff face, like a startled bird.
Zhong Yuxiao smiled faintly and changed the subject. “But I had prepared a gift for you earlier, which should have arrived already. Unfortunately, there was a delay on the way. I was afraid you would wait too long, so I asked Xi Shi to come over first.”
Whether this was true or false, Xi Chongyang knew in his heart but didn’t expose him. “So that’s how it is. You’re very thoughtful.”
This second son of the Zhong family was really good, seemingly much gentler than the eldest, handsome, well-mannered, and kind-hearted, even covering for that rascal Xi Shi at this time.
Xi Chongyang looked at Zhong Yuxiao like a father-in-law looking at his son-in-law, becoming more and more satisfied. “You and Xi Shi are married now, just call me Grandpa like him.”
Since they were already married, there was no need to be shy. Zhong Yuxiao directly called him, “Grandpa.”
“Ai! Good, good, good!”
The housekeeper took the gifts from Zhong Yuxiao, and Xi Chongyang led him to the dining room, his joy evident. Xi Shi, on the other hand, was ignored, trailing behind them.
Who was the real grandson here?
The young master pouted. He didn’t expect Zhong Yuxiao to come, and he didn’t expect Zhong Yuxiao to give him an out. When he saw Zhong Yuxiao, he thought the other party was here to complain.
Unexpectedly…
He had misjudged Zhong Yuxiao.
Zhong Yuxiao and Xi Shi sat on the same side, one gentle and handsome, the other delicate and beautiful, their temperaments completely different, yet they looked harmonious and well-matched sitting together.
Xi Shi diligently filled a bowl of soup and placed it in front of Zhong Yuxiao. “Aunt Wu’s soup is especially delicious, try it.”
Xi Chongyang smiled with satisfaction.
He had never seen Xi Shi act so subservient. Not to mention personally serving soup, the young master wouldn’t even bother pouring a glass of water for a guest. He was so attentive to Zhong Er, it seemed this marriage was a good match.
“Thank you.” Zhong Yuxiao took the soup and looked at him with a playful smile.
This simple and crude way of showing goodwill really suited the young master’s childish personality.
Xi Shi waved his hand casually. “We’re married now, no need to be polite between husbands.”
The crisis was averted, and Zhong Yuxiao probably wouldn’t complain now. Xi Shi breathed a sigh of relief and focused on eating.
He had moved out of the old residence after becoming an adult but came back every week to have dinner with Xi Chongyang. Aunt Wu was the Xi family’s long-time cook, having worked there for decades, watching Xi Shi grow up. The dishes she made were most to his liking. Xi Shi usually paid attention to his diet to maintain his figure, but every time he came back, he would indulge himself, treating it as a cheat meal.
Seeing Xi Shi devour almost half of the fish by himself, Zhong Yuxiao was surprised and asked softly, “Is it that delicious?”
The young master ate elegantly, but it looked so appetizing, even more enticing than food bloggers.
“Extremely delicious, my favorite.” Xi Shi praised the sweet and sour fish and used serving chopsticks to give him a large piece of fish. “Try it, I guarantee you’ll want more after one bite.”
Zhong Yuxiao glanced at Xi Chongyang. The old man was smiling, not displeased at all.
He thought that an old-money family like the Xi family would pay great attention to table manners. Xi Chongyang was known for being serious and old-fashioned outside, but he didn’t expect him to be so kind at home, like an ordinary, amiable elder.
No wonder Xi Shi had such a personality.
“How does it taste?” Xi Shi asked expectantly.
He was like a child sharing his favorite candy with his friend, hoping his favorite would be recognized by his companion. Very childish, very innocent.
But not annoying.
Zhong Yuxiao nodded. “It’s good.”
“I knew it, the ones they make outside aren’t authentic. If you want to eat this in the future, you’ll have to ask me.” The young master said smugly.
The next second, he was interrupted. Xi Chongyang said gently, “Xiaoyao, don’t mind him. Come back anytime if you want to eat this. We can even have Aunt Wu make it for you.”
Zhong Yuxiao obediently agreed. “Okay, thank you, Grandpa.”
After dinner, Xi Chongyang asked them to stay a little longer. Zhong Yuxiao glanced at Xi Shi. The young master hadn’t spoken since they left the dining table, his face stiff, as if sulking.
Zhong Yuxiao was called over to play chess with the old man. After hearing that he knew how to play, Xi Chongyang immediately asked the housekeeper to set up the chessboard. “That rascal Xi Shi doesn’t know anything. No one has ever played chess with me before.”
“I’ll come back and play chess with you whenever I have time, Grandpa.”
“Good! Good!”
Xi Chongyang was beaming.
Zhong Yuxiao also played chess with his father at home, finding the right balance between trying his best and letting his father win. He knew how to let his elders enjoy the game.
While Xi Chongyang was thinking about his next move, Zhong Yuxiao secretly took out his phone and sent Xi Shi a message, using the table as cover.
It was funny. They were married, but they weren’t even friends on social media. They always communicated through calls and text messages, like they were back in the 2G era.
But there was one advantage to this: speed.
WeChat messages could be ignored, but text messages couldn’t, as long as the other party hadn’t blocked you.
[Who offended the young master again?]
Xi Shi glanced at the message and turned to look towards the window. The person who sent the message was focused on playing chess, not looking like he was distracted by his phone at all.
[None of your business.]
[Oh, so it was me who offended the young master.]
“…”
Xi Shi choked, feeling like he had been punched by cotton, not painful, but suffocating.
[Second Young Master Zhong should focus on playing chess. My grandfather hates people who are distracted. If he finds out you’re secretly using your phone, he won’t like you anymore.]
Zhong Yuxiao raised his eyebrows, detecting a hint of sourness in the message. He thought he knew why the young master was angry.
Such a grown man, actually getting jealous because he stole his grandfather’s favor. This was really…
Zhong Yuxiao covered his mouth with his hand, hiding his smile. “Grandpa, I heard from Xi Shi that you raised him. Can you tell me about his childhood? I want to know more about him.”
Feelings always started with understanding each other.
Xi Chongyang immediately became interested. “Of course! Don’t look at Xi Shi now, he’s not very reliable, but he was very sensible when he was young, very kind-hearted. He saw a stray dog on the street and begged me, crying, to bring it home. Later, that dog died in an accident, and he couldn’t even eat, he cried for days…He changed after that, sigh.”
Crying?
Zhong Yuxiao couldn’t imagine it. His impression of Xi Shi was a combination of the little cripple from his childhood and the current young master, neither of which seemed like the crying type.
He casually asked, “What kind of accident?”
“It fell into the swimming pool and drowned.” Xi Chongyang’s smile faded, a flicker of pain in his eyes. “His mother had just passed away not long before that. Perhaps all the emotions accumulated and suddenly erupted.”
Zhong Yuxiao’s focus was a bit off: Don’t dogs know how to swim? How could it drown?
Mentioning Xi Yue, Xi Chongyang’s mood dampened, and he lost interest in the chess game. “Let’s stop here today. Xiaoyao, you and Xi Shi should come back often.”
He had been deeply in love with his wife and hadn’t remarried after her death. He only had Xi Yue, and he doted on his daughter, but he never expected Xi Yue to commit suicide at such a young age. Every time he thought about it, it pained him deeply.
Xi Chongyang went to his room, looking dejected.
Xi Shi frowned. “Hey, what’s wrong with my grandfather?”
Something seemed off.
Zhong Yuxiao told him the truth. “We were talking about your childhood just now, Grandpa probably thought of your mother.”
Mentioning Xi Yue, Xi Shi’s eyes also darkened.
Zhong Yuxiao cleared his throat and changed the subject. “Young Master, want to add me as a friend?”
“No.” Xi Shi had a stiff face, remembering the rejection. “You can’t just add me as a friend whenever you want. I rejected you before… Wait, is this your account?”
Why was it different from the one he had before?
“Mm, what’s wrong?”
Zhong Yuxiao changed his number and social media accounts after returning to China.
“Nothing.” Xi Shi shook his head.
Could he have added the wrong person before?
The person who just said he wouldn’t add him as a friend silently took out his phone and scanned the QR code. Zhong Yuxiao was puzzled, thinking the young master was quite arrogant. But when he saw the incoming friend request, his expression suddenly turned subtle.
Xi Shi’s profile picture was a dog, a large dog, that looked familiar.
He seemed to have rejected a friend request with the same profile picture before.
