Chapter 378: Chapter 376: Seeds of Suspicion
While Jian Sirun was conducting a detailed examination of Mingming, Jian Xi couldn’t help but say to Si Yuhuan, "Thank you."
"There’s no need for such formality. I said I’d help you care for the child, and I meant it. No one is more suitable than your Fourth Brother to treat him."
"Yes." Jian Xi looked at him, guilt stirring within her. Having Mingming’s biological father insist on being called ’stepfather’... am I being too cruel?
"Director Si?"
Xinxin had actually followed them. She approached with a smile, casually linking her arm with Si Yuhuan’s. However, the next second, as if remembering something, she quickly let go.
"How is it? Is the child okay?"
She still has the nerve to say that?
Jian Xi suppressed her anger, not wanting to direct it at Xinxin. "I’ll go in and check on him," she said.
Xinxin waved her hand dismissively. "Go on then."
HA! She’s acting as if she’s the lady of the house.
Jian Xi felt a mix of anger, annoyance, and helplessness.
"Director Si, you’re juggling countless critical matters daily, not to mention your ongoing battle with Tianyao Group. Is it really worth wasting so much time here?"
The moment the door closed, Jian Xi heard Xinxin’s petulant tone.
Si Yuhuan must have said something in response, because Jian Xi saw Xinxin’s expression sour.
"Xixi?"
Her Fourth Brother, Jian Sirun, holding a series of test results, called out to her.
"How is he? What’s wrong with the child?"
"The congenital weaknesses from his premature birth are a given," Jian Sirun explained, "but the most critical issue is his heart condition."
Jian Xi immediately tensed. "Does he need surgery?"
"For now, it doesn’t seem to require surgery. However, after he turns five, we must find a suitable heart donor. Otherwise..."
Jian Sirun clenched his fists. "Those bastards!" If they hadn’t delayed his treatment, it wouldn’t be this severe.
Despite the grim news, Jian Xi accepted the reality.
Her eyes filled with determination. "Fourth Brother, we’ll proceed with comprehensive treatment to maintain his health. Five years should be enough time for us to find a suitable heart donor!"
"Alright." Jian Sirun then began to arrange the subsequent dietary and medicinal therapies.
Jian Xi went to the intensive care unit to watch over her little boy.
"I’m so sorry, my baby," she whispered. "Mommy didn’t take good care of you. I let you suffer so much out there. I was so frantic, I even feared they’d swapped you with another child. Even after seeing the birthmark on your hand, I still doubted your identity."
She gently played with his small hand. On his left hand, there was a distinct, small black mole. She traced it, tears falling one by one.
Even during the examination just now, I was still wondering: would Xinxin really be so kind as to let me see Mingming? Wasn’t she afraid that, in a fit of desperation, I’d disregard everything and take him away? What if this child wasn’t really him, a victim of some swap?
Now, everything was clear. There was nothing left for her to doubt.
"My baby, Mommy will never let you suffer again. And anyone who has harmed you, I will make them pay an equal price!"
Xinxin repeatedly hurried her, so Jian Xi had no choice but to hand Mingming back to them.
This time, however, Si Yuhuan must have employed some clever tactic—perhaps a charm offensive—because Xinxin agreed to let her Fourth Brother, disguised as a family doctor with an assistant, accompany them into the Tongzi Building.
Before her Fourth Brother went up, Jian Xi was reluctant to see him go.
"Fourth Brother, take good care of yourself."
She gave Jian Sirun a significant look, trusting he would understand her silent warning: be wary of the bodyguards and servants around, who might harbor ill intentions.
"Mm," Jian Sirun responded, patting her head just as he did when she was little. "Don’t worry, I’m here."
He had agreed to cooperate solely because Jian Xi had pleaded with him.
If it had been up to her Fourth Brother, he would have simply taken everyone down and handed them over to the police.
Jian Xi hesitated for a moment, then refused. "Si Yuhuan can’t lose his credibility. He’s helped me so much; I don’t want to drag him into this."
I’ll just have to trust him one more time.
"Aren’t you afraid that he’s in cahoots with Xinxin to make a move against the Jian Family?"
Jian Xi looked up at her Fourth Brother, her expression filled with disbelief.
"An outsider often sees things more clearly, Xixi, and one must always be on guard against others. The way Si Yuhuan is treating you right now... it feels a bit too good to be true, almost unreal."
Long after Jian Sirun had taken Mingming upstairs, Jian Xi remained lost in thought, struggling to process everything.
She didn’t know what Si Yuhuan had discussed with Xinxin, but when he returned, his expression was somewhat grim. "What are you thinking about?" he asked, his tone concerned.
Jian Xi shook her head. "Let’s go."
As they were leaving, Jian Xi cast a deep, searching look at Xinxin. The smug, self-assured smile on Xinxin’s face sent a chill down her spine.
This woman is definitely not simple! If it weren’t for saving my son, I’d never want to deal with such a venomous, snake-like person.
「Back home.」
Jian Xi’s mind replayed her Fourth Brother’s words: An outsider often sees things more clearly...
Ultimately, her Fourth Brother didn’t believe she possessed the charm to make Si Yuhuan utterly devoted to her. Instead, he suspected Si Yuhuan’s attentiveness was driven by some ulterior motive.
And I’ve had my own suspicions too.
In the kitchen, Si Yuhuan was personally making juice for her.
A nearby servant offered to help, but he waved her away with a look. "I’ll do it myself."
He’s never done anything like this before. Jian Xi felt a sense of unreality.
Seeing the subtle smiles on the servants’ faces, Jian Xi knew they must be thinking she had found an excellent man—someone presentable enough for formal occasions and yet willing to step into the kitchen for her.
If it weren’t for the memories of my past life, I might almost be captivated by this scene.
"Try it and see. Yan Qing said women love drinking this kind of thing."
This was likely his first time making such a drink. He seemed to find it novel, and a faint smile, anticipating praise, played on his lips.
"What did Xinxin say to you earlier? You look a bit down. Is there a problem with the company?" Jian Xi offered, trying to give him an easy out and avoid any unnecessary arguments that might jeopardize her efforts to save her son.
Si Yuhuan sank onto the sofa. "Tianyao Group is proving a bit troublesome."
Is it really about the company? Jian Xi was skeptical but chose not to press him.
"And here you are, calling me heartless! You’re the heartless one. Ever since I returned, you haven’t asked a single thing about the company. Aren’t you afraid I’ll actually go bankrupt?"
Si Yuhuan gently pinched Jian Xi’s cheek, his gaze scrutinizing her. He felt a surge of helpless frustration, a simmering anger he had to suppress on his own.
Jian Xi forced a smile and brushed away his hand—the same hand that had recently touched Xinxin.
"Director Si is so capable; how could you possibly go bankrupt? You must be teasing me."
With Xinxin around, how could he possibly go bankrupt? If he so much as feigned a troubled expression, she’d probably be willing to go to any lengths for him, even kill.
Jian Xi’s apparent indifference angered Si Yuhuan. He gripped her arm tighter, his deep eyes seeming to pierce through her. "Are you planning to burn the bridge now that you’ve crossed it?"
"No, don’t overthink things. Haven’t I already asked Eldest Brother for help? Besides, with Luo You on our side, do we really need to fear Tianyao Group?"
With that, she rose to her feet. "I’m a bit tired. I want to rest."
Si Yuhuan nodded.
He felt Jian Xi drifting further and further away from him, and a sense of foreboding washed over him.
Back in her room, Jian Xi quickly freshened up and began her skincare routine.
Her eldest brother, Jian Mingcheng, called.
"Are you going to check out the bidding conference tomorrow?"
Only then did Jian Xi learn that Salsi Group had scheduled the bidding conference in China, specifically in Beijing.
All the shortlisted groups would meet at Dihao Hotel.
Purda, the president of Salsi Group, would personally announce on site to whom the group would be entrusted.
The event is sure to be incredibly grand and ceremonious.
"I’ll go," Jian Xi replied after a moment of thought.