Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Bai Yiheng was thrown off by the way he was addressed, hesitated, then asked, "His father is?"

"Xia Yucheng."

"..."

Bai Yiheng nearly flipped the table.

He could tell Xia Yinxi wasn't just some regular guy, but he didn't expect him to be this big of a deal.

Xia Yucheng's son, married to Ji Yunzhuo?

Would their marriage mess with the business ties between the Ji, Xia, and Meng families?

Twenty years ago, the Xia-Meng alliance already flipped the business world on its head. If the Ji family joined in, would there be any room left for anyone else?!

As if reading his mind, Ji Yunzhuo said calmly, "Xiaoxi and I aren't in a business marriage. My in-laws don't plan on partnering with the Ji family."

Still, now that they're family, a little favoritism is bound to happen.

Bai Yiheng sighed. At least he and Ji Yunzhuo were on the same team.

"Since he's Uncle Xia's kid, you've probably heard some rumors about Ah Zhuo," Bai Yiheng said. "He never bothers to clear things up, so let me say it for him—none of it is true."

Xia Yinxi smiled. "I know."

In a position like this, getting slandered is pretty common. When he first transmigrated, he even put a spoiled rich kid in his place for spreading rumors about the original owner. Besides, Li Yili already cleared his brother's name.

But honestly, Xia Yinxi couldn't care less whether the rumors about Ji Yunzhuo were true or not. He only cared whether the money was legit.

"We're his childhood buddies. Ah Zhuo's never liked anyone before—you're his first."

Xia Yinxi: "?"

Wasn't there some legendary white moonlight, the real young master?

Are they really clueless, or are they just faking it?

"If he ever pisses you off, let us know. We've got your back."

Cheng Hao nodded. "Brother Heng, Ah Li, and I'll help you kick his ass!"

Li Yili let out a couple of dry laughs.

Given how his brother took on five guys at the bar that night, it was anyone's guess if he could even take Xia Xiaoxi.

Xia Yinxi laughed. "Thanks. But I don't think we'll fight."

After all, he'd be living off Ji Yunzhuo's food and roof—no way he'd piss off his landlord.

"Sooner or later, Xiaoxi's gonna take over the Xia and Meng families. You planning to help him run them?" Bai Yiheng asked on purpose. "Xiaoxi, can you trust him?"

Xia Yinxi smiled but didn't answer, thinking, *Trust? Go ask the real young master about that later.*

When they left the place, it was already dark. Xia Yinxi had been holding Ji Yunzhuo's hand the entire time. The other three went their own ways, and once they were out of sight, Xia Yinxi pulled his hand away. "I'll head back now."

"How are you getting home?" Ji Yunzhuo's fingers moved. "Get in."

"Oh."

Once in the car, Xia Yinxi turned on his phone. Instantly, a flood of WeChat messages and missed calls popped up, dinging like crazy. He fumbled to mute it.

99+ missed calls, all from Song Baichuan, and the group chat had 999+ messages spammed in it. Xia Yinxi opened Song Baichuan's chat and sent a sticker: cat peeking.jpg

A call came in right away. "XIA XIAOXI!!!!!"

Xia Yinxi pulled the phone away from his ear, turning a bit toward the window. "Calm down..."

"How am I supposed to calm down?! You're getting married, and I'm the last to know?! When did you and Ji Yunzhuo hook up?!"

It wasn't "about to get married"—they were already hitched. But Xia Yinxi didn't dare say that. He gave a dry laugh. "I'll tell you tomorrow."

Song Baichuan suddenly got calm. "Where are you at?"

"...In Ji Yunzhuo's car."

"Heh."

Xia Yinxi tried to keep his voice down, but the car was only so small. Unless Ji Yunzhuo was deaf, he'd have to be to not hear that.

Song Baichuan kept trash-talking Ji Yunzhuo, and the man in question suddenly chuckled. "Is your friend unhappy with me?"

His voice was neither loud nor soft, but Song Baichuan heard it clearly. He rolled his eyes, not caring if Ji Yunzhuo overheard. "Xia Xiaoxi, are you love-struck?! You put me on speaker so he can listen?!"

Xia Yinxi felt wronged. "You're shouting so loud, it's hard for anyone not to hear!"

Song Baichuan muttered something under his breath. "When did you two get together?"

Xia Yinxi paused for a second, then repeated the love-at-first-sight script.

Song Baichuan was silent for a moment before asking, "Love at first sight—you mean the first sight when you knocked over his dad's urn?"

Xia Yinxi: "..."

Alright, enough, stop reminding him about the urn!

Li Yili was the one primarily responsible!

"I'll tell you tomorrow!" Xia Yinxi hung up. WeChat messages kept popping up. The group chat with just the three of them had a red 999+ notification. He opened it to find a wall of question marks and "WTF."

Ji Yunzhuo drove steadily, eyes fixed ahead, and asked calmly, "I'm curious too. Your love at first sight with me—which first sight was it?"

Xia Yinxi typed away without missing a beat. "CEO Ji, with your extraordinary grace and unparalleled presence, standing there like a celestial being..."

The answer sounded familiar. Ji Yunzhuo paused, then remembered—it was exactly the same as the brush-off answer he'd given during the proposal, word for word. He couldn't help but wonder if Xia Yinxi had memorized a script.

But he didn't really care. As long as it could fool the old man.

If Xia Yinxi wanted to play out some love-at-first-sight, deep-affection, devoted-couple drama, he was willing to go along.

The car was dim, and the person beside him was still looking down at his phone. The faint light illuminated the young man's face, making his skin look even clearer and finer. His long lashes fluttered as his eyes blinked.

He was probably still explaining things to Song Baichuan, his two fingers rapidly tapping across the screen.

When Ji Yunzhuo had held his hand earlier, he'd felt something off. Now he finally understood what that unease was.

How can a guy's hand be this soft?

Ji Yunzhuo had never held anyone else's hand before, but he'd arm-wrestled and fought in school, and he'd never encountered anything this soft—like it didn't have any bones.

A hand this soft knocking out a big guy with one punch... is that even scientifically possible?

His mind was a mess, and the rain was coming down harder. Ji Yunzhuo snapped out of it: "It's raining. You wanna crash at my place tonight?"

Xia Yinxi looked up from his phone, which was blowing up with messages. Sure enough, the car window was already streaked with water, fat raindrops smacking against the glass, faster and faster.

"Isn't your place pretty far from here?"

"I've got a penthouse at Gui Dian Lan Gong."

"Oh."

Fucking rich people.

Summers in Ducheng were full of storms, and July was the rainy season. The weather turned faster than Meng Shuxue's mood around Xia Yucheng.

Right when he was thinking about his parents, Meng Shuxue called, asking if he was coming home.

"Mom," Xia Yinxi said softly. Meng Shuxue heard something in his voice and softened her own: "Mom's right here."

"It's raining pretty hard. I'm gonna crash at Ah Zhuo's tonight. I'll head home tomorrow to grab my stuff and move in."

Meng Shuxue went quiet. The car got dead quiet, just the rain pouring and the wipers going back and forth. After a long pause, she finally spoke: "Xiao Xi, nobody says you have to live somewhere just 'cause you're married. Your home is always your home."

Xia Yinxi's nose suddenly prickled.

Scared Meng Shuxue or Ji Yunzhuo would notice, he forced a laugh: "Oh, Mom, Ah Zhuo and I just got married. I wanna spend more time with him. I'll come by a lot!"

Hearing he sounded happy, Meng Shuxue relaxed: "You goof. I'll have the maid pack your clothes. You can handle the rest."

"Okay, thanks, Mom!"

After hanging up, Xia Yinxi's smile dropped and he slumped against the car door.

The real heir was gonna come back eventually. He needed to leave early, get used to it early.

His streaming gig was unstable, and grinding game quests to save up for pulls took forever. Most streamers in his lane had a guild backing them, spending cash on pulls. His luck was insane—if he copied them, he'd probably blow up and make it back. But... he didn't wanna touch the original body's savings.

"President Ji." Xia Yinxi watched Ji Yunzhuo's reflection in the window, vaguely noticing a tiny mole on his jaw. "Can your company hook me up with a job?"

Ji Yunzhuo gave him a weird look: "You're taking over the family business. It'd make more sense to train at your own company, get to know the employees."

Xia Yinxi's brain scrambled, and he blurted out: "I wanna surprise my parents. I'll learn everything I need at your place first, then go home and take over, making a huge splash."

"And delivering food was also a 'surprise' for your in-laws?"

"...Working on my social skills."

Ji Yunzhuo laughed: "Fine, but management's full. No openings right now."

"Anything's fine."

The Rolls-Royce eased into the underground garage and stopped. Ji Yunzhuo's voice snapped the drowsy Xia Yinxi out of it: "Personal assistant."

"Your company has a position like that?" He squinted, eyeing Ji Yunzhuo suspiciously. It wasn't like he was a celebrity—why would he need a personal assistant?

As soon as he asked, he suddenly remembered Xia Yucheng cursing out a business partner at home for cheating with his personal assistant. The gist was: "Can't he wipe his own ass without someone hovering? A personal assistant—I knew he was no good."

Xia Yinxi grew wary: "Who was the last personal assistant? Why'd they quit?"

"Sys, start recording. I'll need it for the divorce settlement to get more money."

The system replied: "No such function."

Ji Yunzhuo paused: "There wasn't one before. You'd be the first."

"...Oh."

Xia Yinxi turned his head away from Ji Yunzhuo's hand, still a bit disappointed he couldn't squeeze more assets out of a divorce.

Ji Yunzhuo took a breath, steadying himself.

His relationship with Xia Yinxi now, while not the traditional arranged marriage by parents, wasn't much different.

Both had no emotional foundation, marrying temporarily for their own goals.

But Xia Yinxi seemed upset now because "he used to have a personal assistant."

Was that his imagination?

"I've never been in a relationship, nor had any improper romantic entanglements." Ji Yunzhuo thought it over and explained, "There are some rumors about me out there. None of them are true."

Xia Yinxi, still mourning the lost chance for more money, looked up and gave another "Oh."

Hadn't Bai Yiheng already explained this? Why say it again?

"..."

The storm came and went quickly. By the time they got home, it had stopped. In the narrow elevator, their breathing was especially clear. Ji Yunzhuo watched Xia Yinxi for a moment and asked, "So you agree to be my personal assistant?"

Xia Yinxi blinked: "Yeah."

Ji Yunzhuo: "..."

A personal assistant meant handling trivial tasks like pouring tea and running errands—nothing to do with building skills.

Didn't he know?

"Pay me, though. I'm not working for free."

"Are you that short on money?"

Xia Yinxi didn't answer directly: "Who doesn't want more money?"

As he spoke, the elevator stopped. Ji Yunzhuo reached out to hold the door for Xia Yinxi.

There were no maids or servants at home. Such a big place felt lonely with just one person. Neither brought up sharing a room. Xia Yinxi was already sleepy, so after showering, he flopped onto the bed and passed out.

Just before losing consciousness, Xia Yinxi vaguely thought, at least today he wasn't going back to Ji Yunzhuo's villa, so he wouldn't have to relive the whole urn-tipping incident.

He hugged the thin blanket and rolled over, one leg dangling off the bed.

...His own bed was still the most comfortable.

The next morning, Xia Yinxi went home to pack his things, had them sent to Ji Yunzhuo's place, and started thinking about buying a house.

He needed a place of his own. Once the real young master came back and he divorced Ji Yunzhuo, he wouldn't end up homeless.

At Xia Yucheng and Meng Shuxue's home, the front yard was planted with flowering trees and the backyard with fruit trees. The fence was covered in climbing roses, and when they bloomed, pink and green, bursting with life, with the entire yard filled with floral fragrance.

Now that the flowers were done blooming, only the green vines remained, still pretty to look at.

He'd noticed before that there were many types of fruit trees in the backyard—cherries, apples, lychees, wax apples... though who knows if they'd actually bear fruit.

Maybe Meng Shuxue wanted to eat all kinds of stuff, so she planted a few of each.

Ji Yunzhuo's place, on the other hand, only had shrubs maintained by professional gardeners, and the fence was spotless, much like an unsold model home area—just like him, so proper it was boring.

Xia Yinxi actually really liked that kind of house, but the homes of his original family and Ji Yunzhuo were easily worth nine figures. Settling for something smaller, like a villa with a small yard in Ducheng started at eight figures, which he couldn't afford.

So he settled for even less, just a big bedroom. Yesterday, he saw a flat online with a weird layout. The total area wasn't large, but if the master bedroom and second bedroom were combined, it'd be as huge as the one he had now. The living room was super tiny, and it cost just over eight million.

Ha, still can't afford it.

"Host, why did you suddenly freeze?"

"The meltdown from the huge mismatch between my need for a large bedroom and my financial situation."

Sure, the guest room at Ji Yunzhuo's wasn't small, but it was nowhere near the one he'd been staying in. The original body's bedroom was enormous, with a huge bed where he could roll around without falling off.

Song Baichuan had been blowing up his phone since last night. Xia Yinxi returned to Ji Yunzhuo's home and started a group voice call.

"Xia Xiaoxi!!" Song Baichuan roared as soon as he answered, "What the hell is wrong with you! Where did you sleep last night? You and Ji Yunzhuo, you..."

Xia Yinxi pushed the phone away: "Donghai, calm down. It's just marriage, no big deal."

"Marriage isn't a big deal?!"

"Exactly!" Li Yili chimed in, somehow already on the call, "Do you have any idea how hard this hits me that you've become my sister-in-law?!"

Song Baichuan shuddered at that title: "Don't call him that!!"

Xia Yinxi: "..."

These two huskies, honestly, always making a fuss over nothing.

"Seriously, Xia Xiaoxi, what are you thinking?" Song Baichuan calmed down, his tone genuinely concerned, "How could you marry him? He looks like he's frigid and has a messy private life!"

Xia Yinxi couldn't help but defend Ji Yunzhuo: "Donghai, don't you think 'frigid' and 'messy private life' kind of contradict each other?"

Li Yili spoke softly: "Can I clear my brother's name here?"

Song Baichuan said coldly, "Go ahead."

"The messy private life thing is just rumors. Whether he's frigid, I don't know—I've wondered the same thing."

Xia Yinxi laughed: "Alright, Donghai, stop worrying about me. I know what I'm doing."

The Song and Xia families were old friends. Song Baichuan and the original body had grown up together. After he transmigrated, he found Song Baichuan a decent person, so he just kept being friends with him naturally.

But the awkward part was that he himself was neither the original body, who had a close bond with Song Baichuan, nor the Xia family's biological child. When the real young master shows up, Xia Yinxi didn't know how to face Song Baichuan.

Ah... his head hurt.

There was silence on the call for a while, then Song Baichuan asked again, "Do you really like him?"

Xia Yinxi lied and hummed in agreement.

"Fine, as long as you like him." Song Baichuan's throat was dry from yelling, so he got up to drink some water, "I'm just afraid he'll trick you."

Xia Yinxi found it amusing: "I'm not a kid."

Li Yili spoke softly again: "Sister-in-..."

Song Baichuan roared: "Don't call him that!!!"

"This is so bizarre." Li Yili was dazed, "My brother has never liked anyone before, not since he was a kid!"

Song Baichuan snorted: "If it's Xia Xiaoxi, that's only natural."

Xia Yinxi interrupted: "Alright, that's enough, no need to praise me."

But Ji Yunzhuo's white moonlight was really well hidden. Bai Yiheng didn't know, and Li Yili didn't either.

He was getting curious too. What kind of person was the real young master?