The boss has no descendants, but he encounters four smaller versions of himself

With two days left until the wedding, Qiao Siyue stood outside Wen Xiaoman's room. After listening to the maid's whispered report, his brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

He pushed open the door.

Wen Xiaoman sat on the sofa by the window, staring motionlessly out the window.

Her already slender figure appeared even thinner now, as if she might melt into the hazy sky at any moment.

As Joss walked up to her, his tall figure loomed over her as he bent down to look her over.

Only then did I notice that her face was even paler, with obvious dark circles under her eyes, as if she hadn't slept well, and her chin was so sharp it was probably digging into people's skin.

"I heard you're so heartbroken you're not even eating?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Wen Xiaoman didn't even blink, like a delicate doll without a soul.

He clicked his tongue, leaned closer, and said in his characteristic nonchalant sarcasm, "Wen Xiaoman, don't be like that. We're getting married soon, and I don't want to marry a ghost bride. The way you are is really scary."

She finally reacted, but angrily turned her face away, her voice icy: "It's none of your business."

Qiao Siyue followed her gaze and pressed closer to her, saying, "How can I not care? You're my future wife."

Wen Xiaoman suddenly spoke sarcastically, then looked up at him, her once bright eyes now filled with weariness and despair, "Qiao Siyue, why do you insist on marrying me?"

Her voice was very soft, so soft it seemed like it was about to break: "I am completely insignificant in his heart. If you marry me, it won't upset him or threaten him, because he... won't care about me."

The air was stagnant for a moment.

Qiao Siyue looked at her pale face, pursed his lips, and said casually, "Maybe he's bored."

"Boring?" The last glimmer of light in Wen Xiaoman's eyes seemed to have been extinguished.

Joss shrugged: "Well, I guess I'm just bored."

After saying that, he even curled his lips into a sly smile, as if he were enjoying her half-dead state.

Wen Xiaoman stared at him for a few seconds, then turned back and looked out the window again.

Talking to him is a complete waste of breath.

Qiao Siyue placed his hand on the back of the sofa behind her, his thumb rhythmically rubbing it twice. Suddenly, he turned his head, and the light and shadow cut a meaningful arc on his well-defined profile.

"Besides, don't you want to give him a try?" His voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached Wen Xiaoman's ears.

Wen Xiaoman didn't understand: "Try what?"

Joss straightened up, looking down at her with a seductive smile on his lips: "Try it and see if he really doesn't care about you, if he really... doesn't like you anymore."

Wen Xiaoman gave a self-deprecating smile, the curve of which was more painful than crying. "Heh, no need to try. I won't deceive myself. Any further testing will only bring shame upon myself."

Qiao Siyue shook his head slightly, "That's not necessarily true."

He then continued to tempt her: "If you really want to test his attitude, marrying me is the best way."

He leaned forward slightly and lowered his voice: "If he really has no feelings for you anymore, then he will gladly wish us well, and you can go your separate ways. You should give up now, right?"

He paused, observing her changing expression, before slowly revealing the most important part, "But what if... he does care? What if his previous indifference was all an act? In that case, he will definitely find a way to stop the wedding."

Seeing that Wen Xiaoman remained silent, but the tense lines of her profile showed that she was listening, Qiao Siyue pressed on: "Even if he doesn't stop you, you won't lose out by marrying me. You'll be his sister-in-law, and you'll have plenty of opportunities to annoy him and make him angry. After all, he's a heartless man, huh?"

Wen Xiaoman remained silent, but something seemed to flicker very slightly in her lifeless eyes.

Her hand, resting on her knee, had her fingertips slightly curled, gripping the fabric.

Is it really okay to test him?

Qiao Siyue took in her subtle reactions and knew that his words had worked, so he continued, "I know you don't want to marry me, especially now that you know I'm not him, you don't want to marry me at all."

"But Wen Xiaoman, don't forget, you are my fiancée. You can't escape this wedding."

After speaking, Joss straightened up, straightened his meticulously folded cuffs, lingered his gaze on her slender profile for a moment, then turned and strode away.

Wen Xiaoman still looked ashen-faced.

The door slammed shut, and the room fell silent once more.

Outside the door, Qiao Siyue coldly ordered the servants waiting at the door: "Have the kitchen prepare some light and appetizing dishes and send them up. Tell her that the wedding will proceed as planned, whether she eats it or not."

Inside the room, as Qiao Si walked further away, Wen Xiaoman raised her hand to wipe away the tears on her face.

The despair and deathly stillness that had enveloped her just moments before vanished, leaving only exhaustion.

Actually, she was just pretending to be sad, just to lower Qiao Siyue's guard.

That day, after Qiao Sinian left, she cried alone for a long time, but after her tears dried up, she gradually understood.

She pondered every word he said, and could sense that something was amiss.

Perhaps he wasn't sincere in saying those things.

Call it being love-struck or saying she's desperately trying to make amends for Qiao Sinian, but she just can't completely believe that the man who once cherished her would actually say those hurtful things.

She understood his character, or rather, she understood the Si Nian of the past.

He wouldn't say such heartless things without a reason.

Unless... those words were meant for Joss Yue to hear.

It was to sever ties, to make Joss think she was insignificant, and thus give up on marrying her as a "useless" bargaining chip, allowing her to escape safely.

If her suspicions are true, why didn't he secretly acknowledge her as his wife? Why didn't he give her a hint?

Is it really as Qiao Siyue mocked, that he thinks she is not worthy of standing shoulder to shoulder with him, not worthy of knowing his plans, and only worthy of being kept in the dark and protected by him?

This feeling of being excluded, and the fear brought about by the uncertainty of the situation, are the real reasons why she has been unable to eat or sleep and has lost weight rapidly in the past few days.

She was genuinely sad, but the breakdown she put on in front of Qiao Siyue just now was at least 70% an act for him.

She needed to lower Qiao Siyue's guard; only then would she be in line with Qiao Siyue's plan.

Perhaps... Qiao Siyue's suggestion is worth a try.

Let's gamble on an answer with this wedding.

It's a gamble whether Joshua Sinian has truly let go completely.

They were betting that he would do whatever it took to stop them at the last minute, just as Joe had predicted.

......

On the wedding day, the entire Modern Manor was decorated with flowers and silks, making it look like a dreamland.

As Qiao Siyue listened to the servant's report, he learned that Wen Xiaoman had been unusually quiet and obedient these past two days, and he smiled with satisfaction.

However, he was still worried and needed to go check on it again.