Chapter 18: Husband or Boss?
Aunt Xia sighed when Si Yuchuan remained silent.
“I know I can never replace your mother’s place in your heart. This is your decision to make. I just want you to know that if you ever need a ‘mother’ figure, Aunt Xia will always be by your side.”
Her words were gentle. As the head of the Si family, in what situation would Si Yuchuan need a “mother” to appear?
Except at a wedding.
Si Yuchuan tilted his head toward Aunt Xia. Unlike those in the Si family urging him to marry for the family’s benefit, Aunt Xia’s eyes held only sincere affection.
Without thinking, he blurted out, “I’m married.”
After the initial shock, Aunt Xia’s heart overflowed with mixed emotions.
If only her own daughter were still alive...
But soon, happiness for Si Yuchuan won out—after all, he wasn’t getting any younger.
Aunt Xia kept pulling him, asking questions from every angle.
Which young lady was it? What did she look like? What was her personality like? What exactly attracted him to her?
Si Yuchuan answered one in three questions, and his replies were perfunctory at best.
Unable to answer most of the questions, Aunt Xia began to suspect they weren’t very familiar with each other.
“Oh, A-Chuan’s shy now. Don’t tease him,” Uncle Qiao said, rolling out in his wheelchair. Hearing the news seemed to brighten his spirits considerably.
If Aunt Xia hadn’t stopped him, he would have gone down to the wine cellar to pick out some bottles, insisting on drinking with Si Yuchuan until they were drunk.
Aunt Xia then brought out a set of jade jewelry and a pair of diamond rings.
The jade was pure and translucent, the diamonds dazzling—clearly priceless.
“This jewelry was my mother’s dowry when I married,” Aunt Xia explained to Si Yuchuan.
“These rings were given to you by your Uncle Qiao back then. They’re all for you—use them to please your new wife.”
Si Yuchuan knew these items were originally meant for their daughter and held great significance. He couldn’t accept them, much less give them to someone else.
Seeing he didn’t reach out, Uncle Qiao squinted, scratched his slightly prickly chin, and called to Aunt Xia:
“He doesn’t appreciate it. Better put them away. Now that he’s the head of the Si family, he’s pretty proud. Don’t expect to trick him with these small things so we can be supported in old age. Dream on.”
His tone was mocking, and his gaze kept sneaking glances at Si Yuchuan, afraid he might really refuse.
Si Yuchuan’s lips curled slightly, and warmth spread across his usually cold face. He could never resist the old couple’s playful banter.
He took the jewelry from Aunt Xia and said in a low voice,
“Whether I have these or not, I will take care of you in your old age.”
Aunt Xia knew this well, but hearing it still brought a sting to her throat.
“Good boy. Whenever it’s convenient, bring her over for us to meet.”
Si Yuchuan thought of Yun Chuxia’s breathtaking face and suddenly felt a strong impulse to see her. He stood to take his leave.
A year was neither long nor short; he should make the most of it.
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Lu Yao moved quickly. After negotiations, he almost immediately brought the contract over.
Yun Chuxia didn’t waste time either; after reading it, she picked up the pen and signed.
Though she didn’t understand Si Yuchuan’s reasons for marrying her, they had agreed to separate after a year.
The Si family’s wealth would never be hers. Her priority was to seize this time to earn more money.
Lu Yao looked at her delicate, fair profile and tentatively asked,
“What’s your relationship with Si Yuchuan?”
“Old…” Yun Chuxia almost slipped and said “husband,” but caught herself just in time and quickly corrected, “Boss… former boss.”
Lu Yao made a soft “oh” sound but still felt something was off.
After all, Yun Chuxia was his nephew’s ex-fiancée. Surely his old classmate wouldn’t be so shameless as to be interested in her already.
She recalled Si Yuchuan’s cold expression and shrank her neck slightly.
Impossible. If he were secretly in love with her with that face, she’d punish herself by drinking three cups upside down.