Chapter 336: Chapter 334: One Must Make Choices in Life
He left the ward where Xinxin was confined.
Si Yuhuan nearly stumbled as he stepped out.
Jian Xi, quick to react, caught him.
The man’s tall frame leaned heavily against her.
Jian Xi nearly lost her balance but managed to steady herself, supporting the "sickly" Si Yuhuan.
"COUGH, COUGH, COUGH—" Si Yuhuan began to cough. The pain was so intense it wracked his body, and a layer of fine sweat beads formed on his forehead.
Jian Xi frowned and couldn’t help muttering, "One surgery after another, and you’re still tormenting yourself without fully recovering—you deserve it!"
"You really are heartless," Si Yuhuan complained, though his body quite honestly draped over Jian Xi.
"I’ve just finished my postpartum confinement; be careful not to tire me out," Jian Xi warned.
Si Yuhuan immediately straightened up.
"Hurry back to your room; you still need to change your dressing!"
Jian Xi grew increasingly impressed by his intelligence and scheming.
Without him in Saint Seymour, things definitely wouldn’t have progressed so smoothly.
Si Junyan was not easy to deal with; she alone probably wouldn’t have been enough.
"You change it for me."
Out of gratitude, Jian Xi agreed.
Looking at the dazzling array of medications, she began to regret her decision.
"For the burns and superficial wounds, you need to use different ointments and solutions, Miss Jian. Please be careful; I’ve marked the usage and dosage for you," the young nurse emphasized repeatedly.
Jian Xi could only smile and nod. "Alright, rest assured."
As soon as the nurse left, Jian Xi’s expression hardened.
"Take off your clothes."
Doing this out of gratitude, forcing myself to attend to him... it still feels wrong, she thought, a sense of discomfort lingering.
Beneath the patient gown, the man’s lean physique was revealed as he undid the buttons one by one.
Jian Xi immediately turned her face away, feeling an involuntary flush of heat spread through her.
It’s perfectly normal for a woman to appreciate an attractive man. I’m just a normal woman, she silently reassured herself.
"Alright, you can apply the medicine now."
Jian Xi edged closer. It had been too long since they had been so... exposed to each other.
Her gaze fell upon the numerous wounds covering his body, and the sight was jarring.
Jian Xi’s pupils dilated; she couldn’t help but draw in a sharp breath.
I can’t imagine what he went through, she thought.
Several stitched wounds that had torn open again stood out menacingly on his waist, abdomen, and shoulders.
Jian Xi’s hands trembled uncontrollably.
"Heartbroken for me?" Si Yuhuan quirked a corner of his lip in a self-deprecating smile.
"No," Jian Xi replied stubbornly.
Her touch was as gentle as if she were tending to a child, carefully applying the medicine, terrified of causing Si Yuhuan any pain.
Tenderness welled in Si Yuhuan’s eyes, quickly followed by a flicker of sadness.
"It’s not that I was unwilling to trade Haohan Group for your son," he suddenly explained.
Jian Xi’s fingers stilled.
"If Xinxin were to perceive my limits, she would act without restraint. Only by making her understand that they can’t blackmail me even if they control your son would she hesitate to cooperate with Si Junyan. These people, who value money over their lives, care most about maximizing their profits, not about fearing me, the head of the corporation."
Jian Xi pursed her lips, a pang of guilt striking her.
Just now, I actually thought...
she mused. Forget it.Realizing he hadn’t harbored such callous intentions—valuing money over her life—instantly dispelled her gloom.
"I understand now," she said, her movements becoming even gentler.
Si Yuhuan turned, his dark pupils swirling with complex emotions. "Do you really have to be with Zhang Yaxuan?"
I’m being so shameless, he thought, trying to break up someone else’s relationship.
"At such a critical time for you, he isn’t even here. Don’t you hate him? That animal is even worse than I was back then. What on earth do you see in him? Jian Xi, don’t marry him. I will treat your children as my own."
Jian Xi was stunned into silence by his sudden confession, rooted to the spot.
She couldn’t imagine the proud, disdainful Si Yuhuan uttering such words.
The depth of affection, the lingering sentiment in his voice... there were too many complex emotions for her to fully comprehend.
BANG!
The door was suddenly thrust open.
Wan Yu screamed, "AH! Why aren’t you wearing any clothes?"
Si Yuhuan, barely suppressing his anger, clenched his fists and pulled his shirt on. "Don’t you know to knock before entering?"
This klutz! he fumed internally.
Wan Yu covered her eyes. "Who knew you two would be... undressed!"
What does she mean, ’you two’?! Jian Xi couldn’t help but roll her eyes.
Si Yuhuan retorted, "How am I supposed to apply medicine with clothes on?"
"Huh? Applying medicine?" Wan Yu lowered her hands. "PHEW! Applying medicine! I thought..."
"What did you think we were doing?!" Jian Xi marched over and pinched Wan Yu’s ear. "You’re not learning anything good, are you? What on earth were you thinking?"
She was exasperated, her earlobes flushing crimson with embarrassment.
"Mercy! I was wrong! I won’t dare say such things again!"
Si Yuhuan scoffed coldly. "The last few times you saw me, you were screaming for my head. Now you’re suddenly playing innocent and clever. Truly adaptable."
Wan Yu wasn’t offended and laughed openly. "It was all a misunderstanding! And if you have to blame someone, blame the Si Family for not producing better stock. How else could they have produced that scoundrel, Si Junyan?"
Listening to this, Si Yuhuan felt an odd sense of discomfort, though he couldn’t quite pinpoint why.
"Right! I have something important to tell you both," Wan Yu said, producing an email.
"Look, this just came from Li Bin. ’A hefty reward will always attract brave souls.’ You guessed right. As soon as the news about the luxury commission went out, someone provided a tip: Si Junyan has already returned to China."
"China?" Jian Xi and Si Yuhuan exchanged a look of disbelief.
They had considered many possible locations, but it had never occurred to them that Xinxin’s adoptive father would actually be in the country.
How could such a person, capable of controlling the entire Secret Gate, exist in such a peaceful country without us ever noticing? Jian Xi wondered.
China indeed harbored many hidden masters.
Si Yuhuan prepared to leave immediately.
Jian Xi stopped him. "No need to rush. Xinxin is essentially on our side now. With her relaying information, Si Junyan is like a fish on the chopping block; he can’t escape."
"You sound quite certain," Si Yuhuan said, gazing at her, his eyes burning with an admiration that threatened to spill over.
"Your health is more important. I don’t want to find my son only for you to die. That would be too great a debt, one not easily repaid."
Her words were enough to make Si Yuhuan nearly choke on his anger.
Instantly, he lost all desire to speak.
Wan Yu followed Jian Xi out, unable to resist commenting, "He’s truly devoted to you. Honestly, if it weren’t for that little bitch Jiang Qimeng, your relationship could still be repaired."
"Forget it." Jian Xi’s tone was firm. "Our eyes face forward for a reason; one shouldn’t always be looking back."
"Since I’ve decided to keep my distance, I can’t let certain reasons make me waver. I’m not that muddle-headed."
Getting entangled with Si Yuhuan is incredibly troublesome, she thought. His cold indifference, his calculating nature, his deep scheming—these are not things I can contend with. Now that I have the babies, I can’t just think about myself. If our relationship completely shatters and Si Yuhuan fights for custody of the children, would I have the strength to oppose him?
「In the hospital room.」
Yan Qing tried to persuade him gently, "Director Si, you see, your wife still cares a great deal about you. For your sake, she’s even willing to temporarily set aside concerns about the children. That clearly shows your importance to her."
"She needs me to risk my life for her," Si Yuhuan retorted, his mood foul. "This damned woman! Is she so certain I’ll look out for her, no matter what?" He glared at Yan Qing. "Go, get Chen Hua in here."
I still don’t trust Xinxin, he resolved.