A Kneeling Apology and a New Beginning

The following morning, Si Xi was roused by the gnawing pangs of hunger.

The previous day, having returned from Yu Ying Middle School, his sole focus had been on the passionate entanglement with Jing Chen.

As the night wore on, he had become utterly disoriented, teetering on the brink of collapse from sheer exhaustion, eventually succumbing to a profound sleep, completely oblivious to the need for a meal.

Jing Chen was already awake, perched on the edge of the bed, his gaze fixed upon something on his phone.

A subtle furrow creased his brow, indicating his displeasure with the contents before him.

Si Xi found Jing Chen’s demeanor remarkably intimidating, reminiscent of a high school dean apprehending truant students, possessing an oppressive aura that promised imminent trouble.

‘Should Jing Chen ever become a boss, his employees would likely never dare to err.’

The mere thought sent a shiver down Si Xi’s spine, prompting him to burrow his head deeper into the comforting warmth of the covers.

Jing Chen, sensing Si Xi’s subtle movement, extinguished his phone screen and turned to look, his hand gently brushing Si Xi’s cheek.

“You’re awake.”

Observing the man who had instantly softened his formidable expression, Si Xi nuzzled his head into Jing Chen’s palm.

“Hungry.” Si Xi’s voice, he realized, was hoarse once more.

“I’ve ordered delivery,” Jing Chen replied. “Get up and eat.”

The thought of Jing Chen’s usual takeout fare caused Si Xi’s salivary glands to instantly surge with anticipation.

Just as he attempted to hoist himself from the bed, a sharp “hiss” escaped his lips as he gasped, collapsing back onto the mattress.

“What’s wrong?” Jing Chen, who had just swung his legs off the bed, turned back at the sound.

“My back feels like it’s going to snap,” Si Xi playfully chided. “Brother, you seem to get more intense with each time.”

A brief silence descended before Jing Chen responded, “…I’ll rub it for you.”

With these words, he resettled himself on the bed, beginning to gently massage Si Xi’s lower back.

Si Xi’s waist was particularly ticklish, and the moment Jing Chen’s fingers made contact, an unbearable sensation erupted.

He burst into uncontrollable laughter, seizing Jing Chen’s hand.

“Stop rubbing, Brother, ha… it’s so ticklish, hahaha.”

Jing Chen, however, deliberately continued, causing Si Xi to writhe on the bed like a playful worm.

Dodging his touch, Si Xi suddenly sprang up, tackling Jing Chen onto the mattress, then reached out to tickle him in return.

Yet, Jing Chen appeared to possess no ticklish spots; no matter where Si Xi’s fingers danced, Jing Chen remained impassive.

“Huh? Brother, aren’t you ticklish?” Si Xi inquired, genuinely puzzled.

“I am,” Jing Chen affirmed.

“Then why aren’t you laughing at all?”

“I’m holding it in,” Jing Chen stated.

“……”

‘Damn it, he can even endure that. What could a man like him possibly fail at?’

Si Xi straddled him, tickling his armpit as he playfully threatened, “Laugh now, or I’ll dock your pay!”

Jing Chen finally relinquished his composure, a muffled chuckle rumbling from his chest.

Si Xi, lying prone upon him, felt a delicious jolt of numbness from the laughter that vibrated through Jing Chen’s body, causing a wave of goosebumps to ripple across his skin.

A faint blush crept across Si Xi’s cheeks.

‘This old man, constantly seducing his sugar daddy.’

Given Si Xi’s unbearable hunger, after a short period of playful antics, the two finally rose to have breakfast.

Having no particular plans for the day, they indulged in an entire day of affectionate languor within Jing Chen’s apartment, entirely free of guilt.

By the time they departed for school that evening, Si Xi’s legs felt utterly detached from his body.

Gazing at Jing Chen, whose face glowed with a vibrant, ruddy hue, as though he had absorbed a boundless supply of yang energy, Si Xi couldn’t help but question if his monthly allowance of 500,000 was, in fact, a losing proposition.

‘Surely, Jing Chen should be the one paying!’

****

Arriving at the dorm, his roommates, Guo Hao and Xiao Nan, both hailing from out of town, had not yet returned home.

They were engrossed in a game of Honor of Kings, playing together.

Upon seeing Si Xi enter, Guo Hao called out to him.

“Brother Xi, want to play ranked? We encountered a ‘kid jungle king,’ his Li Bai is incredibly smooth.”

Si Xi: “……”

“What ‘kid’? Call him ‘kid bro’,” Xiao Nan interjected.

Guo Hao promptly corrected himself. “Right, right, ‘kid bro jungle king,’ he’s super fierce, carrying us to rank up like crazy.”

“No thanks,” Si Xi replied. “My hand hurts.”

“Hand hurts?” Guo Hao immediately inquired with concern. “What happened to your hand?”

“……” The tips of Si Xi’s ears flushed crimson as he cleared his throat. “I went horseback riding with a friend yesterday, and it was from pulling the reins.”

“Oh……”

Having never ridden a horse, Guo Hao mused that it must be quite challenging if pulling the reins could cause such pain.

‘He must have ridden with immense effort.’

Si Xi opened WeChat, sending a message to Jing Chen confirming his arrival at the dorm, and simultaneously checking for any other important missed messages.

As he scrolled down, he noticed three unread messages from Huo Siyi, whom he had only added the day before.

[Junior: Actually, my third brother and I have a very good relationship; beating him up was just a joke.]

[Junior: QAQ Senior?]

These two messages were from yesterday.

Half an hour prior, Huo Siyi had sent another.

[Junior: Senior, are you at school?]

‘Junior… damn it,’ Si Xi suddenly realized that yesterday, between his DIY treasure hunt with Jing Chen, their late-night high school exploration, and the subsequent high-intensity bedroom antics, he had completely forgotten to reply to Huo Siyi.

Just moments ago, when Huo Siyi had sent that last message, he had been engrossed in a tender farewell with Jing Chen, completely oblivious to it.

Or perhaps he had heard it but simply paid no mind.

‘He actually neglected the son of the richest man like that; he truly deserved to die!’

Overwhelmed by guilt, Si Xi was about to reply when the dorm room door suddenly opened with a soft “click.”

He knew instinctively, without even thinking, that Wang Yang had returned.

Si Xi didn’t even lift his head, his gaze fixed on his phone as he typed.

He had just entered the words “I’m sorry” when he heard Wang Yang’s voice, thick with a sob, call out to him.

“Si Xi.”

Before Si Xi could even fully process it, he heard a “thud” – Wang Yang had actually knelt before him.

This sudden, dramatic gesture startled everyone in the dorm.

Guo Hao and Xiao Nan, in the midst of a team fight, reacted to the sight by double-flashing forward, instantly getting themselves killed.

Ignoring the furious shouts of their teammates through their headsets, Xiao Nan exclaimed, “What the hell,” before asking, “Yangyang, what are you doing?”

“Are your legs weak? Come on, come on, let me help you up.” Guo Hao quickly strode over to assist him.

However, Wang Yang remained on his knees, his eyes bloodshot and rimmed with red.

It was only then that everyone noticed the vivid red mark on the right side of his face, a clear slap print, its origin unknown.

In short: he was utterly pathetic.

With a choked voice, he pleaded, “Si Xi, I was wrong. I shouldn’t have posted those slanderous things about you on the forum. Please, please, don’t let Young Master Huo the Third suppress my family any longer.”

“…”

Guo Hao and Xiao Nan exchanged bewildered glances.

‘The forum? Could it be that post from yesterday, claiming Si Xi was being kept by an old man?’

‘It was Wang Yang who posted it?’

‘But wasn’t Wang Yang a rich second generation? And his boyfriend was the second young master of the Shao Yu Group. Why was he now begging Si Xi to let him go?’

Both were utterly perplexed, yet the mere thought of that defamatory forum post caused their gazes toward Wang Yang to shift, taking on an unfamiliar quality. They silently retreated to their seats, feigning continued focus on their game.

Si Xi himself had initially been taken aback. ‘What the hell, what era is this? Why is someone still kneeling?’

‘It’s truly too absurd.’

However, upon hearing Wang Yang’s words, everything became clear to him.

Si Xi had mentally reviewed all his classmates yesterday, failing to pinpoint anyone who might harbor such animosity, and had never once considered Wang Yang.

‘What kind of classmate is that? At best, an acquaintance from school.’

Furthermore, he genuinely couldn’t fathom Wang Yang’s motive for targeting him. His fiancé had already been relinquished. He had caused no drama, made no demands, and hadn’t even agreed to the contract marriage with the Shao family, thereby allowing Wang Yang to openly be with Shao Xun without the stigma of being a ‘homewrecker.’

‘How truly generous! He deserved nothing less than a ‘Model Ex’ award.’

Si Xi was not the type to be swayed by mere tears or pleas.

He stated coldly, “Begging me is futile. I have not been involved in this matter from beginning to end, nor did I instruct Young Master Huo the Third to target your family. I am not familiar with him; I possess no such influence.”

“How could that be? Aren’t you and Young Master Huo the Third… aren’t you in a relationship?”

“A relationship?” Si Xi scoffed, a faint chuckle escaping his lips. “Who my lover is, haven’t you seen that quite clearly?”

Wang Yang’s body stiffened, a flicker of disbelief crossing his face.

‘So, Si Xi and Young Master Huo the Third weren’t a couple?’

No wonder, no wonder when Young Master Huo the Third had learned of this, his immediate reaction hadn’t been furious retaliation against Si Xi. Wang Yang had assumed Si Xi had employed some seductive tactics to secure Young Master Huo the Third’s forgiveness.

It turned out Si Xi had never been two-timing at all.

‘So, had he been mistaken from the very beginning?’

“Do not kneel here before me; I cannot accept it,” Si Xi declared with cold detachment.

Wang Yang’s current predicament was a just consequence of his own malicious intentions, and he alone should bear the repercussions. Si Xi harbored no benevolence to extend toward him.

“No, you must be lying to me. If you are not in a relationship with Young Master Huo the Third, or not familiar with him, then why did he suppress the Shao family before?”

‘Suppress the Shao family?!’

‘What on earth does that have to do with anything?’

‘The Shao family must have somehow offended the Huo family, and now it’s being pinned on him. Tomorrow, if the earth ceases to spin, it’ll probably be blamed on him knowing Huo Siyuan, right?’

Observing Si Xi’s unwavering indifference, Wang Yang shuffled two steps forward on his knees, reaching Si Xi.

“Si Xi, I truly know I was wrong. Just say a word to Young Master Huo the Third; I’ll even post an apology on the forum. Please, I beg you.”

Si Xi was genuinely exasperated by his theatrics. ‘Anyone would think they were performing a historical drama here.’

“I told you, I don’t possess that much power. If Huo Siyuan intends to retaliate against you, it must be because you provoked him. You should apologize and seek forgiveness in the manner that you provoked him. What good does it do to beg me? If you were to slap me across the face, would I then be expected to turn to everyone who witnessed it and claim it didn’t hurt, telling them not to blame you?”

With these words, Si Xi, disregarding whether Wang Yang rose or remained kneeling, stood up and promptly exited the dorm room.

‘What an absolute lunatic.’

‘He really needed to move out quickly. Being roommates with this person was utterly terrifying.’

Si Xi accessed a rental website, swiftly adding several real estate agents, outlining his requirements, and requesting them to forward available listings.

Indeed, there was strength in numbers. He discovered several properties that appealed to him and arranged viewings for his free periods during the day.

After finalizing the appointments, he received a message from his roommate Guo Hao, confirming Wang Yang’s departure and signaling that it was safe to return.

Thus, Si Xi made his way back to the dorm.

The moment he stepped inside, Guo Hao and Xiao Nan, positioned on either side, cornered him.

“Brother Xi, quick, tell us, what’s going on? Yang… Wang Yang, why did he suddenly kneel and beg you?”

“Exactly,” Xiao Nan chimed in. “How is it that after being roommates with you for over two years, it feels like we’re the ones who just moved in?”

Si Xi had always been discreet about his wealth. In his roommates’ estimation, he was merely a student from a relatively affluent family. They were entirely unaware of his past relationship with Shao Xun, which explained their complete bewilderment today.

Knowing he couldn’t keep it a secret, Si Xi recounted the entire story to them from beginning to end, eliciting gasps of “What the hell!” from both.

Their jaws dropped, particularly upon hearing that Shao Xun had abruptly terminated their engagement to be with his ‘first love,’ Wang Yang.

They vividly recalled Wang Yang’s frequent displays of affection, boasting about his boyfriend’s immense wealth and attentiveness.

The anecdote from just last week, involving a private jet ride for barbecue, had been particularly ostentatious.

‘Damn it, all of that was apparently for Si Xi to witness.’

Recalling how they had fawned over Shao Xun in Si Xi’s presence, praising their perfect match, Guo Hao and Xiao Nan wished they could vanish into thin air.

‘They truly deserved to die!’

Si Xi, observing their expressions, immediately understood their thoughts and made a stopping gesture.

“There’s no need to apologize to me. After all, I was the one who initially kept it secret. Besides, the moment the engagement was called off, I let go of Shao Xun. In fact, I quickly found a new lover. Wang Yang’s displays of affection didn’t hurt me in the slightest; I didn’t even pay attention to them.”

“New lover?” Guo Hao’s face instantly lit up with eager curiosity. “Who is it?”

Si Xi, seeing that their attention had been successfully diverted, breathed a sigh of relief.

“A super handsome guy! I’ll bring him to meet you if the opportunity arises.”

‘As for whether such an opportunity would arise, that was entirely up to him to decide.’

Having finally managed to appease his roommates, Si Xi sighed in relief once more.

Wang Yang did not return that night, granting Si Xi a rare moment of tranquility.

He had spent the entire day in playful abandon with Jing Chen, and then endured this ordeal upon his return. Utterly fatigued, he simply performed a quick wash-up and fell asleep.

Just before drifting off, Si Xi felt as though he had forgotten something, yet the memory eluded him.

‘Never mind. If it could be forgotten, it probably wasn’t important anyway.’

Huo Siyi, who had been patiently awaiting Si Xi’s reply: “…”

[QAQ Is Senior Beauty truly that aloof?]