After I Married the Comatose CEO - Chapter 3

Xie Qiu gave a small smile. “What a coincidence. Did you come to visit Brother He too?”

He Jingchen’s face was cold. “Who is your ‘brother’?”

Xie Qiu tilted his head. “Then what would you like me to call you?”

“Don’t call me anything, I—” He Jingchen suddenly realized he was being led off-topic and forced the conversation back. “I don’t know what sweet words you used to trick my mother, but as long as I am in the He house, you won’t get your way.”

Xie Qiu kept smiling. “I am your older brother’s rightful marriage partner. What bad intentions could I possibly have?”

He Jingchen frowned. “If my brother were healthy right now, there is no way he would agree to marry you.”

“Young Master He, I think there is a misunderstanding between us,” Xie Qiu sighed. “Before—”

He Jingchen interrupted him. “It’s just the two of us here now. Stop acting.”

As soon as something happened to his brother, this person couldn’t wait to break the engagement. Even worse, he had tried to throw himself at He Jingchen. It was simply shameless!

Xie Qiu paused, then started walking toward the door.

He Jingchen stepped back warily. “What are you doing now?”

Xie Qiu stopped in front of him and said seriously, “No matter what happened in the past, right now I only want to marry your brother and take good care of him until he wakes up.”

The two looked at each other. He Jingchen tried to find a sign of a lie in the other man’s eyes.

But those glass-like eyes were clear and bright, showing no guilt at all.

He Jingchen was the first to look away. “I won’t believe a single word out of your mouth.”

Xie Qiu: “…”

Fine. It seemed his image in the main lead’s mind couldn’t be saved anytime soon. In He Jingchen’s heart, he probably thought Xie Qiu was only marrying He Siyan to get closer to him.

Xie Qiu turned back to the bed, deciding not to waste any more breath.

“Xie Qiu, I’ll be watching you,” He Jingchen warned. “Don’t even think about doing anything to hurt my brother.”

“I get it,” Xie Qiu said, feeling a bit helpless. “If you’re really that worried, why don’t you just put a security camera on me?”

He Jingchen: “…”

“What camera?” Su Wanrong’s voice sounded from nearby.

With lightning speed, Xie Qiu reached out and grabbed the large hand resting on the edge of the bed.

So, when Su Wanrong walked in, she saw the two of them with their fingers locked together.

Xie Qiu spoke first. “Auntie, I came to talk to Brother He.”

“That’s good. Talk to Siyan more; maybe he’ll decide he doesn’t want to sleep anymore.” Su Wanrong was all smiles, the fine lines at the corners of her eyes showing. “Xiao Qiu, you are so thoughtful.”

He Jingchen wanted to say something, but looking at his mother’s happy face, he silently swallowed his words.

Su Wanrong said gently, “But you should rest early tonight. The wedding is tomorrow.”

Xie Qiu replied, “Okay, Auntie.”

Su Wanrong turned her head. “Jingchen, you go back and rest too.”

He Jingchen obeyed. “Yes, Mother.”

Before leaving, he gave Xie Qiu one last complicated look.

Once they were gone, Xie Qiu let go of He Siyan’s hand. After a few seconds, he couldn’t help but poke the veins on the back of the man’s hand and whispered, “Mr. He?”

But this time, the man gave no reaction at all, as if what happened earlier was just a coincidence.

Seeing this, Xie Qiu actually felt relieved. Being conscious while in a coma would be too painful for He Siyan. It was better to know nothing and just treat it like a long, long sleep.

The next morning, Xie Qiu was woken up by his alarm.

The new bed was very soft. He had slept well and was full of energy.

Xie Qiu washed up and put on the suit Su Wanrong had prepared for him. He adjusted it in the mirror. It fit perfectly, as if it had been custom-made.

Opening his door, he saw the door next door was slightly open, so he walked over.

Inside, a male caregiver in a uniform was skillfully changing He Siyan’s clothes.

Hearing a noise, the caregiver turned around and asked in confusion, “Who are you?”

“Hello, I’m Xie Qiu,” Xie Qiu introduced himself simply. “One of today’s grooms.”

The caregiver suddenly realized. “Right, right! Madam He told me. You are the Eldest Young Madam!”

Xie Qiu: “…”

The caregiver asked, “Does the Eldest Young Madam need anything?”

Xie Qiu walked closer to the bed. “You don’t have to call me that. Just use my name.”

“That wouldn’t be right if someone heard,” the caregiver waved his hands. “The He family has very strict rules.”

Xie Qiu chose to change the subject. “Do you need any help?”

The caregiver shook his head again. “No, no. You just relax, I can handle it.”

Xie Qiu’s eyes landed on the man on the bed, and he was once again stunned. Usually, He Siyan wore comfortable pajamas, but for this special day, he had been dressed in a suit.

The high-end custom suit perfectly showcased the man’s broad shoulders and narrow waist. Although his body beneath the suit might have thinned, his frame was still very attractive.

He Siyan’s feeding tube had been removed. Looking at him now, he seemed like a handsome Prince Charming who had simply fallen asleep by mistake.

While Xie Qiu was admiring him, Su Wanrong’s voice came from behind: “Xiao Qiu, you’re up so early.”

Xie Qiu turned around. “It’s such a big day for the wedding, after all. How could I sleep until noon?”

“That’s true.” Su Wanrong looked him over and praised him with a smile, “Xiao Qiu looks so handsome today.”

Xie Qiu gave a sweet smile. “Thank you, Auntie. Brother He looks even more handsome.”

“Yes, our Siyan hasn’t worn a suit in a long time.” Su Wanrong walked to the bed, stared at her eldest son for a moment, then leaned over to pin a lily of the valley boutonniere onto the left lapel of his suit jacket. “Now he looks perfect.”

After that, Su Wanrong stood up and walked back to Xie Qiu.

Xie Qiu lowered his eyes and obediently let her pin another lily of the valley boutonniere onto his own suit lapel.

The lily of the valley represents luck and hope. It symbolizes pure love and signifies that happiness is about to arrive.

“There.” Su Wanrong withdrew her hand and then reached up to smooth a tiny wrinkle on his collar. She sounded very satisfied. “The more I look at you, the more handsome you get.”

Xie Qiu’s eyes crinkled into a smile. “I think so too.”

Su Wanrong glanced back at the person on the bed and took Xie Qiu’s hand. “Alright, let’s go down together.”

When Xie Qiu went downstairs, he found the house decorated with lanterns and streamers. Red “Double Happiness” characters were pasted everywhere, and the carpets had been replaced with festive red ones. It looked very celebratory.

Although it was called a wedding, it was actually a small ceremony held at the He family estate. Only family members were attending.

After all, no matter how much power the He family had, they couldn’t make a person in a coma get up and go to the Civil Affairs Bureau to sign marriage papers.

However, since this was a “luck-bringing” ceremony to help He Siyan recover, they made sure the wedding atmosphere was fully realized.

Before dark, all the guests who received invitations had arrived.

Perhaps feeling that the situation was not very prestigious, only the Xie couple and their younger son, Xie Hengyu, came from the Xie family side.

Inside the doors of the magnificent banquet hall, Xie Qiu sat next to Su Wanrong, with a stone-faced He Jingchen standing behind them.

The guests took their seats one after another. At one point, they all suddenly turned their eyes toward the entrance.

It was the elderly Master He, who had been bedridden for a long time, being pushed in a wheelchair.

This was the first time Xie Qiu had met the grandfather of the He family. His hair was completely white and he looked quite frail, but his eyes having weathered many great storms remained sharp.

Xie Qiu followed Su Wanrong in standing up to greet him.

Su Wanrong introduced him simply: “Dad, this is Xiao Qiu.”

Xie Qiu greeted him respectfully: “Hello, Grandpa.”

Master He looked him over and nodded slightly. “Good.”

This single word was his mark of approval.

Someone standing behind the old man held a gift box and stepped forward. “Master Xie, this is a meeting gift from the Master.”

Xie Qiu accepted the gift box gracefully. “Thank you, Grandpa.”

The old man was in poor health and couldn’t handle noisy occasions. After meeting his eldest grandson’s partner, he left in his wheelchair.

Only then did the rest of the He family, who hadn’t dared to breathe a moment ago, become active again.

Since the other star of the wedding wasn’t present, the ceremony was kept simple. An MC stood on stage and told a story of how He Siyan and Xie Qiu met and fell in love, and how Xie Qiu stayed loyal to him through thick and thin.

This was done solely to make the wedding seem less absurd.

As a reader with a “God’s eye view,” Xie Qiu knew exactly what was really going on between them. Hearing the MC’s emotional storytelling on stage, he couldn’t help but find it funny.

However, under the gaze of the crowd, he could only keep his head down, using his hands on his thighs to pinch his own skin to keep from accidentally laughing out loud.

But to Su Wanrong, his lowered eyelashes made him look pitiful.

“Xiao Qiu, I’ve treated you unfairly with such a simple wedding today,” Su Wanrong patted his hand gently and whispered in his ear. “When Siyan wakes up, I’ll make sure he gives you a grand, spectacular wedding and invites everyone to celebrate properly.”

Xie Qiu looked up and replied softly, “I don’t feel mistreated at all. As long as Brother He can wake up, I will be satisfied.”

After the MC finished speaking, Su Wanrong and Xie Qiu were invited onto the stage.

Xie Qiu took the tea offered by an assistant and presented it to Su Wanrong. “Mom, please have some tea.”

“Oh!” Su Wanrong responded, her eyes instantly becoming wet. Her usually gentle voice choked up a bit. “Good child…”

Xie Qiu whispered to comfort her, “Don’t cry, there are so many people watching.”

Su Wanrong quickly fixed her expression, took a sip of the tea, handed the cup back to the assistant, and gave him a large red envelope.

Xie Qiu took the envelope. “Thank you, Mom.”

He tucked the thick red envelope into his pocket and helped Su Wanrong off the stage. The feast officially began.

Su Wanrong led Xie Qiu, and He Jingchen stood in for his absent brother. The three of them went from table to table to give toasts.

Xie Qiu wasn’t a good drinker, so he secretly mixed Sprite into his wine. Still, after a full round of drinking, his head began to feel dizzy and fuzzy.

After finishing the toasts, Xie Qiu whispered to Su Wanrong and slipped out from the side of the banquet hall.

The He estate was too big. He was new and unfamiliar with it, so he didn’t dare go far. He crossed a corridor and arrived at a small garden.

Xie Qiu leaned against a carved pillar. After feeling the breeze for a while, he felt less dizzy.

Just as he was about to return to the hall, he heard footsteps behind him, accompanied by two low voices.

“So funny. In all my years, this is the first time I’ve attended a wedding for a vegetable.”

“Me too. Hey, tell me, is that Xie Qiu really sincere about marrying He Siyan?”

“How is that possible? If it were you, would you be willing to marry a vegetable and live like a widow?”

“Well… if it means marrying into the He family, I would be willing. After all, who wouldn’t want a piece of that massive fortune?”

“That Xie Qiu probably thinks the same way!”

Xie Qiu leaned against the pillar and didn’t move. He planned to wait for the two of them to pass before coming out.

To his surprise, they stayed there and kept chatting, getting more and more excited.

“But really, you’re overthinking it. He Siyan is half-dead. Do you think his uncles will just sit still?”

“True. The power in the He family is probably going to change soon.”

“I bet Xie Qiu won’t get a single penny in the end. He’ll have to leave the He family in shame.”

“Hahaha! Won’t the Xie family’s plans fail completely then?”

“The Xie family? They’ve already taken all the benefits they could get. That Xie Qiu is just a piece they threw away. After all, he’s just an adopted son with no blood relation.”

He Can said in surprise, “Wait? An adopted son?”

“You didn’t know?” He Yang said with a look of disdain. “I heard before that he actually—”

“What did you hear about me?” A clear, pleasant voice rang out, the last word dragging out slightly.

He Yang stood with his mouth open. Looking at that face from so close, he forgot what he was going to say for a moment.

Xie Qiu had been drinking. His pale cheeks were flushed pink like rouge, and his large round eyes were misty, making him look even more beautiful.

“What did you hear about me?” Xie Qiu asked again patiently. “Tell me. I want to hear it too.”

“Nothing!” He Yang snapped out of it and looked away guiltily. “I didn’t hear anything.”

“Oh…” Xie Qiu tilted his chin up and said with a half-smile, “Then next time, don’t let me hear you gossiping about me behind my back.”

He Yang stammered back, “I… I won’t.”

“Thank you.” Xie Qiu thanked him politely. He walked forward two steps and then turned back. “By the way, you aren’t allowed to gossip about He Siyan behind his back either.”

The two of them nodded at the same time: “We know, we know.”

As Xie Qiu walked away, he could vaguely hear the two of them whispering behind him.

“We’re dead. Do you think he’ll tell Madam He what we said?”

“He… he probably won’t, right?”

Xie Qiu gave a light snort. He thought to himself that they deserved to be worried.

If the tiger doesn’t show its teeth, they really think he’s Hello Kitty.

When the dinner finally ended, it was already 10:00 PM.

The huge He family estate became quiet again, and Xie Qiu returned to his bedroom.

He went into the bathroom to take a shower and came out in his pajamas.

Xie Qiu dried his hair with a towel and walked through his room, planning to check on He Siyan.

When the door opened, the person inside was startled: “Who is it?”

Seeing that he was also wearing a caregiver’s uniform, Xie Qiu guessed he was the other worker. “Hello, my name is Xie Qiu. I am Mr. He’s…”

Xie Qiu was still thinking about how to refer to himself when the caregiver spoke up.

“Oh, it’s the Eldest Young Madam!”

Xie Qiu: “…”

A man! I am a man!

The caregiver asked, “Eldest Young Madam, is there something you need?”

Xie Qiu gave up trying to correct him. “Nothing. I just came to see him.”

“Oh, Xiao Qiu and I are really on the same wavelength.” Su Wanrong pushed the door open. “We always end up coming to see Siyan at the same time.”

“That’s true,” Xie Qiu smiled. “Why aren’t you asleep yet?”

Su Wanrong looked gentle. “I wanted to see Siyan before bed.”

“Madam, I just changed the Eldest Young Master into his home clothes,” the caregiver reported. “I was just about to wipe down his body.”

Xie Qiu thought for a moment and asked, “Mom, can I learn how to take care of Brother He from the caregiver? That way, when I’m home, I can help look after him.”

Su Wanrong shook her head and said warmly, “We have professional caregivers here working day and night shifts. The family doctor also comes to check regularly. You don’t need to worry. Just come and talk to Siyan often.”

Xie Qiu shook her arm slightly, acting a bit like a spoiled child. “I want to do my part too.”

He was living and eating in the He house for free and had received so many gifts. If he didn’t help at all, his conscience would really bother him.

“Alright, alright. What a good child.” Su Wanrong couldn’t say no to him. “Then learn from the caregiver, but don’t work too hard, okay?”

Xie Qiu replied, “Okay.”

“Xiao Li, see what you can teach the Young Madam,” Su Wanrong said to the caregiver. “Something simple and easy to do.”

Li Wei looked at the man on the bed with some hesitation, then a sudden idea struck him. “Then how about wiping his body!”

Xie Qiu: “Huh?”

Li Wei quickly added, “Wiping the body is very simple. It doesn’t need any professional skills.”

Xie Qiu forced himself to reply, “No, it’s just… I feel like this is a bit inappropriate.”

“What’s inappropriate? Mom thinks it’s very appropriate!” Su Wanrong laughed and teased, “You two are married now. Technically, tonight is your wedding night. Why are you so shy?”

Xie Qiu: “…”

No one noticed that He Siyan’s pale hand on the sheet had its fingertips curl up slightly.