Chapter 46: Hasn't the dead ex come back to life?

He Yanhun acted as if he had anticipated every move of the other person.

"Well, that's unfortunate. I'm not short of money."

"Five million."

He Yanhun let out a cold laugh. "Five million? I almost feel tempted. I never expected Miss Shen to be worth so much in Dr. Shen's eyes."

"Let me think about it."

The call was disconnected, and He Yanhun chased everyone out of the room.

He felt like a complete sucker, working himself to the bone for someone else every day.

The office door was pushed open, and Si Shen walked in carrying a takeout bag.

"What are you doing here?"

Si Shen placed the bag on his desk, unsealed it, and pulled out a box of anti-inflammatory suppositories.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

"What on earth is this?"

He Yanhun instinctively tried to make a run for it, but Si Shen hooked a long arm around him and pinned him directly onto the desk. "Medicine."

"It will help you heal faster."

"I don't want it. Take it away. Don't fucking force me to kick you."

"Be a good boy, Ah-xun."

"Only being a good boy will keep you from suffering too much," Si Shen coaxed gently. The person he had set his sights on could only be spoiled.

~

Sneaking around to move house with a dog felt thoroughly clandestine.

From stepping into the elevator to unlocking the door, Cherry's mouth remained tightly muffled.

He was terrified that a single bark from the dog would alert Qiao Xu.

"Keep quiet. If your mom finds out, we're both dead meat."

Xu Suian was grateful he had arranged for soundproofing to be installed; otherwise, a single bark would have given the game away within minutes.

The one-bedroom apartment was not even as large as the walk-in closet in Xu Suian's villa.

The faint chime of the elevator arriving could still be heard faintly.

On the living room television screen, the live feed of the entrance surveillance camera was displayed.

Xu Suian watched with his own eyes as Meng Zhe stepped out of the elevator and pressed the doorbell.

Then Qiao Xu came out to open the door with a bright smile on her face.

Jealousy flared within him: "She smiles so happily for another man."

Meng Zhe had come to deliver the car keys to Qiao Xu. "Here, your birthday gift."

Qiao Xu took them. "Thank you, brother. How much is it? I'll transfer the money to you."

A windfall of unexpected wealth had recently landed in her bank account over the past couple of days.

"It's not much. Didn't we agree? It's a birthday present for you."

Qiao Xu poured him a glass of water. "What's going on between you and Xiaorou?"

Meng Zhe gave her forehead a light tap. "Where are your manners? You'll have to call her sister-in-law in the future."

Qiao Xu: ......

"Your birthday is tomorrow. How do you want to spend it?"

"Work."

She hadn't celebrated her birthday in four years. Previously, Ye Yurou and Fang Kexin would invite her out for meals, but she hadn't touched a birthday cake since.

"What about after get off work? Brother will book a private room and invite Rourou, Miss Fang, and those few hopeless rascals from my side to join us?"

Qiao Xu felt somewhat depressed.

Because he hadn't mentioned anything about celebrating her birthday.

Therefore, she didn't know whether she should accept or not.

"You didn't want to celebrate your birthday before because of the breakup, but isn't that ex-boyfriend of yours who's been dead for four years alive now?"

After hesitating for a moment, Qiao Xu agreed.

"All right then, you make the reservation. Tell Xiaorou yourself later."

Meng Zhe didn't stay long before leaving. Before he left, Qiao Xu followed him downstairs to drive the car into the garage and paid the parking fee.

While parking, she caught sight of a supercar parked downstairs.

Qiao Xu lingered for a couple of extra glances.

After returning home, she mentioned the birthday plans in the group chat with Ye Yurou before finally calling Xu Suian.

The man on the other end was almost scared out of his wits by the phone call.

He tried his best to steady his emotions before answering.

"Baby, staying up so late without sleeping—did you miss me? I'll come over right now to keep you company."

Qiao Xu suddenly felt she shouldn't have made this call.

"Cut the nonsense."

"I just wanted to ask you, my cousin invited me out for dinner tomorrow night. Are you going?"

Xu Suian stroked the dog's head. "No, I have things to do tomorrow."

"Oh."

"Where are you right now?" She couldn't shake the feeling that the supercar she had seen downstairs earlier looked very familiar; it seemed there was one just like it in Xu Suian's garage.

Xu Suian's heart skipped a beat.

"At home."

He even gave Cherry's backside a pat. "Bark twice."

"Woof woof~~~"

Qiao Xu figured it must be true. If Xu Suian had come over, he would have no reason not to see her.

"Alright then, I'm going to sleep."

Qiao Xu needed to make up for the sleep she had missed the night before.

The next day when Qiao Xu arrived at work, a bouquet of violets was sitting on her office desk, accompanied by a greeting card.

"Baby, twenty-eight years old, happy birthday."

There was also a gift box on the desk. When she opened it, it was a style similar to the bracelet she had lost previously.

However, it was not the exact same one.

This one was made of diamonds, whereas the previous one was not.

Even if they looked identical, it was still not the original one.

Qiao Xu put the bracelet into her bag and sent a message to the person who had sent the gift.

[Did you send the flowers?]

Xu Suian replied instantly: [Do you want someone else to have sent them?]

[Don't even think about it.]

Qiao Xu: ......

She didn't reply, and her phone rang. "Hello."

"Did you see the bracelet?"

Qiao Xu opened her bag again to take a look. "I saw it. Thank you."

At that moment, Xu Suian was driving toward a studio in Luocheng.

"Don't you like it?"

He hadn't forgotten that she previously said the person who gave her that bracelet was very important to her, and that she cherished it deeply.

Just who on earth had given it to her?

That bracelet hadn't existed back when they were dating.

"I like it."

"Your tone doesn't sound like you like it at all."

Qiao Xu closed the lid and said flatly, "I like it quite a bit, but I won't wear it."

The smile on the man's face froze, and his voice chilled by several degrees. "You won't wear what I gave you?"

"Are you still dwelling on the one you lost?"

Qiao Xu replied softly, "Irreplaceable."

Xu Suian's expression turned thoroughly frosty. "Even the one I gave you won't do?"

"Mmm."

Song Jialai knocked on Qiao Xu's office door. "Sister Xu, President Xu is away on business today. We need to attend the morning meeting with the planning department."

Qiao Xu nodded and touched up her lipstick. "I'm heading to the meeting. I'll explain things to you tonight."

Xu Suian, whose call had been hung up, felt an inexplicable surge of fury. He tossed his phone onto the passenger seat, and it slipped down onto the floor mat.

Old Xu, who was driving, tightened his grip on the steering wheel a fraction.

"President Xu, we've arrived."

Xu Suian bent down to pick up his phone, pushed the door open, and got out. "You don't need to wait for me."

He walked into a baking studio with a small courtyard nestled in the alleyway.

This bakery was a place Qiao Xu had brought him to when they were dating.

On his birthday during their first year of love, Qiao Xu had baked a cake for him.

On their first-year anniversary, Qiao Xu had brought him here to make a commemorative cake together.

"Hello, I have a reservation to make a cake. My last name is Xu."

The curtain to the baking kitchen was lifted. "Ah, it's you. I haven't seen you in several years."

The bakery owner had a deep impression of him and Qiao Xu—the man handsome, the woman beautiful, and both deeply affectionate.

"Yes, it's been a long time."

"Are you here by yourself today? What kind of cake do you want to make?"

Xu Suian pulled out the reference picture he had prepared in advance and showed it to her. "This one. Isn't this the same one you and your girlfriend made before?"

Xu Suian took off his suit jacket and wristwatch, placing them aside, and rolled up his sleeves.

"Yes, sorry to trouble you."

The bakery owner prepared the materials for him. "It's no trouble at all."

"However, it's been a long time since you and your girlfriend came here."

"She actually came by alone once a while ago, also to make a birthday cake."

Xu Suian was studying the steps very intently. "Yeah, we broke up, but we just got back together recently."