CHAPTER 166: CHAPTER 164 WE’RE GETTING MARRIED

The simple hotpot broth was boiling with a GURGLE.

The living room was very silent.

Jian Xi sat on a comfortable plush sofa. Zhou Yan was seated on her left, Wan Yu on her right. As for Si Yuhuan, he sat arrogantly across from Jian Xi, while Yan Qing led a group holding 999 roses, a hastily made three-layer cake, and some urgently procured jewelry and haute couture.

The scene was very silent, so embarrassingly quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Yan Qing, ever perceptive, cleared his throat and ordered, "Set everything down carefully."

Jian Xi suddenly spoke up. "Then leave."

Si Yuhuan looked up at her intently.

Jian Xi, likewise, looked back at him without a trace of emotion and said deliberately, "I do not keep trash here."

Si Yuhuan clenched his fists tightly.

He had never been so humiliated in his entire life.

My bestie is so cool! Wan Yu screamed internally. In this entire world, she was the only one bold enough to speak to Si Yuhuan like that.

Zhou Yan, thinking about the previous night, felt indignant. "Director Si, don’t you find it ridiculous? The love you speak of is something Senior discards like worn-out shoes, and now you want to regain it after losing it?"

"What does the matter between my wife and me have to do with you?" Si Yuhuan’s words were deliberately provocative.

"You’re already divorced!" Zhou Yan gathered his courage to reach for Jian Xi’s hand. "Senior has already agreed to marry me."

PFFT—

Wan Yu, who was secretly sipping on fruit juice, sprayed it out.

"Sorry, it wasn’t on purpose." She wished she could become invisible.

It wasn’t that she was too disengaged. Rather, in this game of marriage, she simply couldn’t get a word in edgewise.

Si Yuhuan’s murderous gaze could hardly be concealed. The immense pressure emanating from him was enough to nearly freeze the bubbling hotpot. He squinted his cold eyes, fixed them on Jian Xi, and asked, "You agreed to him?"

Jian Xi pursed her lips. A herd of wildebeests was stampeding through her mind.

When had she ever said she would marry him?

Now she was caught in a difficult position...

Zhou Yan looked at her, his eyes brimming with a sunny tenderness that seemed almost liquid. "Xixi, do you remember the future I spoke to you about?"

The future, children!

Jian Xi subconsciously touched her stomach. She looked up at Si Yuhuan and said bluntly, "Yes, I plan to marry Zhou Yan. Did you hear that clearly, Director Si?"

In an instant, the atmosphere in the room dropped to a point where it was hard for anyone to breathe.

Wan Yu, fearing she’d be caught in the crossfire, was shaken by the news. The cup in her hand trembled, and she shrank back, not daring to lift her head.

One would have thought Si Yuhuan would turn the place upside down before dragging Zhou Yan out for a beating. Unexpectedly, after a moment, he left without saying a word.

Following Si Yuhuan’s departure, the oppressive atmosphere lifted, allowing everyone to breathe freely.

Jian Xi pulled her hand away from Zhou Yan’s grasp.

"Thank you."

This troublesome guy was so difficult to deal with once he became shameless. Just now, she had narrowly avoided disaster and was already preparing to call the police.

Zhou Yan looked at his hand, where the lingering warmth of her touch remained. A hint of self-mockery curved his lips. "Senior, you don’t need to be so polite with me."

"So the two of you were lying to deceive Si Yuhuan?" Wan Yu shrieked, quickly covering her mouth as if she had stumbled upon a monumental secret.

"It’s not a lie. I am serious," Zhou Yan said, pulling out an extremely delicate gift box. Inside was a beautiful diamond ring engraved with Jian Xi’s initials. The main diamond was a dazzling ten carats, clearly of extraordinary value. He had come prepared!

"Senior, will you marry me?" His demeanor was as gentle and radiant as ever, his smile even brighter than the diamond.

Wan Yu was so shocked her eyes nearly popped out of her head.

She had witnessed too much forbidden drama today; it was simply terrifying.

"Zhou Yan, I need some time to think about it," Jian Xi said, rejecting him before turning to head upstairs.

Zhou Yan wanted to follow, but Wan Yu stopped him. "Kiddo, being too eager when chasing a girl can backfire. Take it slow for it to be effective. Xixi just went through all that; how can you talk about marriage with her now?"

"Yes, then Sister Yu, please keep Xixi company for a bit longer."

He placed the ring on the table and turned to leave.

"Ah! He’s so devoted. What a pity I’ve never been lucky enough to meet someone like that," Wan Yu sighed to herself.

The meal remained uneaten. Wan Yu turned off the stove and went upstairs.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK—

"Xixi, may I come in?"

Jian Xi pulled her straight in. "Enough with the formalities. Has he left?"

"Damn! Just a moment ago you were all gloomy and heartbroken, and now you’re bouncing around. No wonder they say you’re incredibly resilient!" Wan Yu muttered.

Jian Xi didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. If she weren’t resilient, could she have been reborn?

Heaven had given her a second chance at life. If she were to still wallow in sorrow over love, she would be truly ungrateful for this hard-earned opportunity to live again.

The two of them lay in bed as they always had, sharing a blanket, feeling wonderful.

Wan Yu giggled. "Sharing a bed with the woman everyone wants to marry... they’d die of envy if they knew!"

Jian Xi tickled her.

Wan Yu couldn’t stop laughing.

"Alright, alright, stop! You’re injured!" Wan Yu said, concerned.

Wan Yu felt a pang of sympathy for her. A touch of melancholy flashed in Jian Xi’s eyes.

What was this? In her past life, Jiang Qimeng had tormented her until she was covered in wounds and rotting flesh. That pain was far greater than this.

"Xixi, do you really not like Si Yuhuan anymore? Have you decided to give up on him completely?" Wan Yu had asked this more than once.

"I feel like Si Yuhuan really likes you now. You should think it over. If you remarry him, the benefits would be even greater. Not only could you crush Jiang Qimeng, but being the wife of the wealthiest man is no small thing."

Seeing Jian Xi remain silent, Wan Yu mused aloud, "But his love is too domineering."

"It’s not domineering," Jian Xi snorted coldly. "It’s the controlling nature of someone in power."

Jian Xi lay on the bed while Wan Yu applied ointment to her wounds.

The more ointment Wan Yu applied, the angrier she became. In the end, she started cursing, "Damn Jiang Qimeng! I’ll make her pay with her life!"

As she spoke, tears began to fall from her eyes.

Jian Xi grabbed her small hand. "Don’t cry."

It was Jian Xi’s birthday, and Jian’s Father & Mother were desperately urging her to come home. It was rare for Jian Xi not to be preoccupied with thoughts of Si Yuhuan, so it was a precious opportunity for the family to celebrate her birthday together. The elderly couple had been preparing for a long time. They had even sent away all the servants, planning a completely private, self-sufficient celebration.

「That evening, upon returning to the Jian Family home.」

Lavish gifts and cakes adorned with fresh flowers filled the room.

The usually taciturn Jian Sirun, who disliked lively scenes, was holding fresh flowers and a gift. "It’s rare that I get to celebrate your birthday with you personally. I hope my little sister is happy and joyful."

"You’re the best, Fourth Brother!" Jian Xi rushed to hug him.

In a fleeting moment, Jian Sirun’s eyebrow twitched. He caught the faint scent of medicinal lotion on Jian Xi. Suppressing his suspicions, he waited until Jian’s Father & Mother had given their gifts before pulling her aside.

"Are you hurt?"

Jian Xi’s heart tensed.

She had been drugged and almost... She couldn’t let her Fourth Brother find out about this!

"It’s just a minor injury. It’s nothing."

"Let me see," Jian Sirun said, motioning for her to unwrap the silk scarf covering the wound.