After My Engagement Was Broken, I Married My Fiancé's Uncle - Chapter 21

One week later, Xie Huai returned to the Xie family home from the hospital.

Jiang Xingyuan had received the news early, so on the day of Xie Huai’s return, he arrived to pay a visit, bearing gifts. He was quickly met with a closed door. Clearly, he was still as unwelcome to Xie Huai as ever.

However, staying apart forever wouldn’t work, he had plans to implement and needed Xie Huai’s cooperation.

“Young Master, the neighbor sent something over again. I don’t know what it is this time.” Biyun opened the box and saw the pastries inside, her face showing a hint of disdain.

Ever since Jiang Xingyuan had somehow discovered that their young master liked sweets, he had been sending pastries every few days.

“Last time it was pastries, this time it’s still pastries and they’re just bulk goods bought from a supermarket!” Biyun looked at the label on the packaging, at a loss for words.

To say he hadn’t put in any effort wouldn’t be quite right, as he had carefully swapped the packaging for an exquisite gift box. The box actually looked more expensive than the food inside. Biyun couldn’t fathom what was going on in Jiang Xingyuan’s head, a wealthy young master sending such things? A few designer bags would have been much more thoughtful than these cheap snacks.

“Return it. Don’t accept anything next time,” Xie Huai ordered.

Soon, Jiang Xingyuan was holding the returned items, clearly catching the look of contempt in Biyun’s eyes.

“Master Jiang, please stop sending these. Our young master doesn’t like them.”

“Then when will your young master have time to see me?”

“I wouldn’t know.” With that, Biyun shut the courtyard gate.

Looking at the box in his hands, Jiang Xingyuan let out a cold snort. “If you won’t eat them, I’ll eat them myself!”

He had carefully hand-picked these pastries at the supermarket, tasting every flavor himself and only sending them because he thought they were delicious. To think they were actually rejected! Well, it was a good thing Xie Huai returned them, or his carefully selected treats would have gone to waste.

He turned around and headed toward the ancestral hall.

Finding that Xie Jiu (Xie Junqing) wasn’t at the hall, Jiang Xingyuan ran familiarly toward the Jingya Pavilion. Sure enough, he spotted Xie Junqing in the courtyard.

Xie Junqing was playing the zither, dressed in white. He looked cold, elegant, and ethereal as the music flowed from his fingers. A light breeze stirred his robes, making him look like a celestial being. Jiang Xingyuan stood frozen, dazed by the sight.

Sensing his arrival, the music stopped.

“Why have you come so early today?” Xie Junqing asked with a faint smile.

“Because I missed you,” Jiang Xingyuan replied, setting the pastries on the table with practiced ease and pouring a cup of tea for the elder.

“Is that the truth?” Xie Junqing raised an eyebrow. “During morning lessons, you’re always the first one to run away.”

Having his lie exposed instantly, Jiang Xingyuan laughed shamelessly. “That’s ‘usually.’ It’s not ‘now.'”

He offered a piece of green bean cake like it was a precious treasure. “Ninth Uncle, try this green bean cake. It’s delicious!”

Xie Junqing hesitated. Seeing this, Jiang Xingyuan practically held it to his lips. “Ninth Uncle, open up. I promise I’m not lying to you!”

Xie Junqing stared at the pastry near his mouth. He paused, noticing that the boy didn’t seem to realize how intimate the gesture was.

“It’s really sweet!” Jiang Xingyuan insisted. “Just one bite!”

Xie Junqing’s lips curled slightly. “Fine, I’ll try one bite.”

His voice was magnetic, with a hint of lazy hoarseness that made Jiang Xingyuan’s ears tingle. While the boy was momentarily dazed, Xie Junqing leaned in, eyes fixed on the distracted youth, and took a bite of the cake directly from his hand. The sweetness of the green bean paste spread instantly.

“Not bad.”

Jiang Xingyuan looked up and met those smiling eyes. He noticed how dark his pupils were and how long and curled his lashes were… A few seconds later, as he snapped out of it, the scene replayed in his mind. His scalp tingled, and a shiver ran through his body.

Agh! How am I supposed to eat normally after that?

With reddened cheeks, Jiang Xingyuan sat upright and muttered, “Ninth Uncle, you’re cheating!”

They were both Alphas, why was he radiating so much personal charm for no reason?

“What did I do?” Xie Junqing looked surprised, seemingly not understanding the accusation.

Jiang Xingyuan froze. He suddenly realized the gesture looked familiar. This was exactly how he usually acted! Xie Junqing was imitating him! Realizing he was being teased, Jiang Xingyuan felt a flash of annoyance. Ignoring the fact that someone else had bitten it, he stuffed the remaining cake into his own mouth and snatched Xie Junqing’s teacup to wash it down.

“Ninth Uncle, sorry,” he huffed after putting the cup back. “If you think it’s too sweet, you’ll have to pour your own tea if you want more.”

If he was going to tease him, he could forget about being served tea!

“Ninth Uncle, eat more. I can’t finish all this by myself.”

“If you can’t finish it, why buy so much?”

Jiang Xingyuan pouted. “Don’t blame me. Blame Xie Huai.”

“What does this have to do with Xie Huai?” Xie Junqing glanced at him.

“Everything! If he had accepted the pastries, I wouldn’t have to eat so many!”

Xie Junqing, who had been reaching for another piece, stopped. The smile faded from his face. “So, you’re giving me something that someone else didn’t want?”

His voice turned cold.

Jiang Xingyuan sensed the shift. “Ninth Uncle, it’s not like that! I hand-picked these myself!”

Xie Junqing let out a cold laugh. “I don’t like sweets. I’m afraid I cannot enjoy this favor, eat them yourself.”

He turned and walked away without giving Jiang Xingyuan a chance to explain.

Finished! I’ve offended Ninth Uncle again.

Jiang Xingyuan wanted to sew his own mouth shut. He hadn’t expected Ninth Uncle to mind such a thing. Sighing, he packed up the leftovers.

After he left, the attendant Su Quan entered the study. “Master Jiang has left.”

Xie Junqing opened his eyes from his meditation. “If he wants to leave, he leaves. What does it have to do with me?”

Frustrated, Jiang Xingyuan returned to his own courtyard, where his luck turned, he ran right into Xie Huai. He blocked his path. “We need to talk.”

“We have nothing to talk about,” Xie Huai said coldly, trying to push past.

Jiang Xingyuan’s eyes went cold. Even the best temper would fray after being ignored repeatedly. He stood firmly in front of Xie Huai.

“What do you want?” Xie Huai asked warily.

“Nothing much. I just want to show you something.” Jiang Xingyuan pulled out a photograph.

Xie Huai took it, and his face turned pale. The photo showed two overlapping figures, it was the night he had accidentally kissed his cousin.

“What exactly are you trying to do?” Xie Huai hissed.

Jiang Xingyuan smirked. “I just want to have a proper chat.”

Xie Huai took a deep breath. This was a threat. “Fine. If you want to talk, come inside.”

As he followed him in, Jiang Xingyuan grumbled to himself, if he’d known Xie Huai responded better to force than kindness, he wouldn’t have wasted time sending treats.

Inside, Xie Huai asked, “You took photos that night?”

“No. This is from the hotel security footage. I got it when I went back to clean up the mess for you.”

“What do you want to talk about?”

“Don’t look at me like that,” Jiang Xingyuan said. “I want to cooperate. I know you don’t like me or want to marry me, but you can’t disobey your father. I’m in the same boat with the Jiang family.”

Jiang Xingyuan didn’t want to be tied to Xie Huai for life or sacrifice himself for family interests. “We can fake an engagement. Later, once I’ve freed myself from the Jiang family, you can marry whoever you want.”

Xie Huai stared at him, trying to tell if he was lying. “First you trick me into an engagement, then you’ll trick me into marriage. I’ve seen many Alphas as schemesing and foolish as you.”

“It’s the truth,” Jiang Xingyuan frowned. “My father is coming tomorrow. I need you to play along. I plan to get more resources out of him.”

Since the carrot didn’t work, he used the stick. “I have the footage. If you don’t want your father to know, cooperate tomorrow.”

Xie Huai’s eyes were dark. “Fine. I agree. But afterward, you must destroy the footage.”

“Deal.”

Jiang Xingyuan didn’t enjoy threatening him, but the guy gave him no choice. After he left, a loud crash echoed from the room. Biyun rushed in to find the floor covered in shattered glass. Xie Huai stood there, eyes red, fists clenched.

The next day, Jiang Hongyuan arrived at the Xie estate to discuss business and visit his son. When Jiang Xingyuan was called over, he was ready. He threw himself at his father.

“Dad! You finally came to see me! I missed you so much!”

Jiang Hongyuan was nearly strangled. “Let go…”

Xie Rong’an watched the father and son reunion with a smile. “Where is A-Huai?”

“On his way. I was in a hurry to see my dad, so I didn’t wait for him,” Jiang Xingyuan said, acting like a devoted son.

Xie Huai walked in shortly after. Jiang Xingyuan greeted him warmly, pulling out a chair. “A-Huai, come sit!”

Xie Huai suppressed his disgust and sat down. Seeing his son actually responding to Jiang Xingyuan, Xie Rong’an beamed, thinking Xie Huai had finally accepted the match.

“Star-yuan (Xingyuan) has always been mischievous,” Jiang Hongyuan joked. “I hope he hasn’t annoyed you lately.”

“Dad, how can you say that? We even threw a welcome party for cousin. A-Huai and I get along great, right A-Huai?”

Xie Huai’s eyes were cold, but he forced a smile. “Xingyuan is right. He has helped me with many things lately. I haven’t even thanked him yet.”

“Don’t mention it! We’re close, aren’t we?” Jiang Xingyuan grinned.

The two looked like a perfect couple. Jiang Hongyuan looked pleased. Soon, Xie Rong’an called Xie Huai to the study, leaving the father and son alone.

Jiang Xingyuan immediately asked for money. “Dad, you’ve beaten me and scolded me, how about some allowance? Being an Alpha is expensive. I can’t take a high-class Omega to a roadside stall, can I?”

He managed to squeeze a large sum and a supplementary card out of his father before the bomb dropped.

“Xingyuan, your Uncle Xie and I have set the date. The engagement ceremony will be on the 3rd of next month.”

Jiang Xingyuan froze. “What? So soon?”

“The Jiang family can’t wait much longer,” Jiang Hongyuan said coldly. “We’ve paid a high price for this, we even gave up a mine. Nothing can go wrong. Remember that.”

“What if… Xie Huai isn’t willing?”

Jiang Hongyuan chuckled. “Whether he is willing or not has nothing to do with the Jiang family. As long as the person you get engaged to is surnamed Xie, that’s enough.”

The message was clear, the person didn’t matter, only the alliance did.

Leaving the room, Jiang Xingyuan bumped into Xie Huai. One look told him Xie Huai already knew.

“Don’t play innocent,” Xie Huai sneered before Jiang Xingyuan could speak. “This was your plan, wasn’t it? You got what you wanted.” He turned and left.

Distraught and wandering aimlessly, Jiang Xingyuan found himself back at the ancestral hall. The door opened, revealing Xie Junqing.

“Ninth Uncle?”

“Why are you here at this hour?”

“I have things on my mind. You said Buddha has all the answers, can you help me ask him?”

“You must ask yourself. I cannot help you.”

“Then stay with me while I ask? I’m a bit slow; I might not understand what he says.”

Xie Junqing looked at him for a long time. “Come in.”

Jiang Xingyuan cheered up instantly. Inside, the scent of incense calmed him. He knelt on the cushion, hands joined in prayer.

“Ninth Uncle, I’m getting engaged to Xie Huai on the 3rd of next month,” he said, his voice echoing in the hall. “Actually, I used to think… it would be quite nice to become family with you.”