Chapter 298: Chapter 296: One Corpse, Three Lives
A few days later, Hilda brought a message. "Miss Jian, I’m sorry, but the person you mentioned hasn’t shown up in Saint Seymour. Could you have mistaken someone else?"
Jian Xi’s brows furrowed.
Could it really be that I was too nervous? Did I keep telling myself that Si Junyan couldn’t have died so easily, and that’s why I mistook someone else for him?
"Prenatal stress is understandable," Zhang Yaxuan consoled her.
Jian Xi managed a slight smile. "Sorry to have troubled you."
"It’s no problem. Just relax. With us here, you’ll be fine."
Suoya also mentioned that Jian Xi seemed to be under a lot of pressure lately.
"You’re right. Focusing on the pregnancy is what’s most important."
That day, Suoya went shopping for groceries, and Zhang Yaxuan went out to sketch. The room suddenly felt empty.
Jian Xi sat in the courtyard, fiddling with her phone.
Her fourth brother had told her he’d accidentally revealed her address and guessed her second brother, once he had some free time, would likely come barging in within the next few days. This news left Jian Xi torn between amusement and exasperation.
This unique trait of Second Brother’s really hasn’t changed a bit.
My five brothers truly dote on me.
Cradling her phone, Jian Xi lay leisurely on the chaise longue, basking in the pleasant sunshine.
CREAK!
She heard the sound of the wooden fence gate. Turning her head, she saw no one—only the gate swinging back and forth.
Puzzled, Jian Xi walked over.
A dark shadow whooshed past, darting between the two small houses.
"Who’s there?"
Jian Xi’s heart leaped into her throat, and goosebumps rose on her skin. She wanted to give chase but didn’t dare.
If it’s a criminal, I wouldn’t even have a chance to fight back before getting seriously injured. Getting hurt myself is a small matter, but the babies are what’s important.
Clutching her belly, she hurried back, intending to grab her phone. As she turned, she bumped into a wall of muscle.
"Help!" Jian Xi screamed.
"What are you screaming about?"
The coolly handsome Jian Chuxin stood in the courtyard. His presence instantly made the small estate seem much more upscale. A noble, knightly aura emanated from him, and combined with his meticulously styled hair, he was enough to make any woman swoon.
"Well? Isn’t your Second Brother handsome?" he asked, removing the large sunglasses that covered half his face and arching an eyebrow.
"Second Brother!"
Seeing a relative in a foreign land brought an incomparable warmth. Jian Xi rushed into his arms without hesitation.
"How did you get here?"
I was almost scared to death just now! I thought it was some villain!
"Why didn’t you tell me you were coming? You scared me to death!"
Jian Chuxin gently pushed her away and poked her forehead. "You have the nerve to ask? You gave Wan Yu the address, you told Fourth Brother, but what about me? Does your Second Brother mean nothing to you?"
Jian Xi rubbed her forehead, feeling wronged.
"What was wrong just now?" he asked, peering curiously in the direction she indicated.
"I... I felt like someone was there."
"Really?" Jian Chuxin strode over and looked around. "Not a trace. Probably a stray cat."
Jian Xi nodded. He might be right. There are indeed many stray cats in a small town like this. I’ve even fed them various cat treats! It’s not impossible.
She rubbed her aching forehead. "I’ve become a bit overly sensitive since getting pregnant."
"I’ll help you inside to rest."
Looking at his younger sister’s belly, Jian Chuxin felt a wave of complex emotions. His handsome face nearly crumpled. Unlike Jian Sirun’s gentle demeanor, he wore a stern expression. "Are these two little ones particularly troublesome? I see other pregnant women gaining weight like crazy, but why haven’t you gained any? In fact, you look like you’ve lost weight!"
"Second Brother! I’m doing great! This way, I’ll have a perfect figure after giving birth. That’s a blessing not everyone gets!"
Jian Chuxin’s heart ached for her. "You always know how to make me feel better!" He scanned the room but didn’t see Zhang Yaxuan. His brow furrowed. "Where is he? Did he find out I was coming and run off ahead of time?"
"No way! He just went out to sketch. Besides, the Filipino maid here takes very good care of me; she’s very considerate."
"And yet he let you get scared. I don’t like this brother-in-law of yours." Jian Chuxin huffed and headed to the kitchen. "I’ll cook for you. Let me show you your Second Brother’s culinary skills."
Jian Xi’s mouth twitched. Is his cooking even edible?
She hurriedly sent a discreet message to Zhang Yaxuan, telling him not to come back for a while.
Hopefully, he gets the message. Otherwise, it’ll be a disaster of epic proportions! Zhang Yaxuan doesn’t truly love me, after all, so some negligence is inevitable. If my Second Brother, with his serious sister complex, notices the slightest hint of neglect from him... Jian Xi shivered at the thought.
"Second Brother, let me help you."
The result was four dishes and one soup. The scent of something burning filled the entire dining room. The cola chicken wings were black as ink. Even more terrifying was the fried pork loin, which was so hard Jian Xi could have used it as a small hammer.
Second Brother’s cool, handsome face was now smudged with soot, and his hair was dusted with flour.
"Sheesh! Cooking really is a skill. How on earth does Third Brother manage such a difficult job?"
Jian Xi chuckled dryly. "Second Brother, it’s... really something."
At least the kitchen didn’t explode. That’s progress!
Jian Chuxin was thoroughly embarrassed. "Ahem, well, this isn’t quite the right way to express my affection for you. How about this: Second Brother will take you out to eat! We’ll go for the most expensive, the best!"
He clattered up the stairs and quickly changed his clothes.
「In the restaurant.」
People came and went, many stopping by Jian Chuxin’s side to stare before moving on.
"Second Brother, what’s with the fake beard? You really went all out!"
I finally understand the hardship of dining with a huge star. He didn’t dare take off his sunglasses the whole time, and with the fake beard and baseball cap, he was completely disguised—he probably wished he could even hide his nostrils.
"You’re just too famous. Everyone, both at home and abroad, knows you, the big movie star. Those young girls just now almost recognized you."
"Of course! Take a good look at who your Second Brother is! With looks like these, it’s hard not to attract women!" he boasted, lifting his chin. The fake beard almost fell off.
Startled, he fumbled to stick it back on.
Jian Xi couldn’t help but burst out laughing. With Second Brother here, life is much more cheerful.
A waiter brought over a salad. "Good evening, sir and madam. You’re our lucky diners today! This table comes with a complimentary dish. We hope you enjoy it! Please, dig in!"
The salad looked delicious and smelled fragrant. The only problem was, it contained sesame oil.
UGH!
My body is so strange, Jian Xi thought. I’m about to give birth, yet I’m still so sensitive to certain smells, like sesame oil. I can’t stand it! Just the smell makes me want to vomit.
Jian Chuxin quickly passed the salad to the people at the next table.
"Are you okay? How can you still be having morning sickness when you’re so close to giving birth?"
Jian Xi felt awful. She took a sip of the water her Second Brother handed her. Just then, she heard two thuds from the next table as people collapsed to the ground.
"Someone’s dead!" a person screamed, and the restaurant instantly descended into chaos.
Everyone frantically crowded around.
Jian Chuxin pulled Jian Xi into his arms protectively. They both stared wide-eyed at the people convulsing on the floor.
There’s something wrong with the salad!
"Catch that waiter!" Jian Chuxin roared.
The waiter quickly darted out. His movements were agile; he was clearly no ordinary person—probably a professional assassin.
Jian Xi trembled uncontrollably. That was too close! The three of us—me and my two babies—almost died!