Hi Ex, Your Uncle Is My Hubby Now - Chapter 45: Chapter 45

When Dorian heard Irene's wish, he laughed. "How tacky."
"You've known I'm tacky since day one," Irene shot back. "With so many people chasing after me, the only reason you stood out was because you're loaded."
Knowing she was joking, Dorian played along. "So if someone richer than me came along and started pursuing you, would you ditch me for him?"
Irene answered with a deadpan look, "Definitely."
Dorian froze for a second.
He studied her face and saw the playful glint in her eyes. Realizing she was just teasing, he finally relaxed and laughed. "There aren't many guys in Eldraeth City richer than my family."
Irene replied with a vague tone, "Your uncle happens to be one of them."
At the mention of Jeremy, Dorian shook his head without hesitation. "No way."
"Why not?"
Irene feigned offense. "You think I'm not good enough for him?"
Dorian was blunt. "It's not about you. It's about him."
"Uncle Jeremy doesn't date, and he's definitely not the marrying type. Besides, he already—" He trailed off, unwilling to say too much about Jeremy's personal life.
He stopped himself just in time, swallowing the rest of the sentence. "Anyway, trust me. He's not getting married."
Irene already knew Jeremy had no intention of settling down.
But what was it that Dorian didn't finish saying?
She knew he'd never spill Jeremy's secrets. There was no point in pushing—so she let it go.
By the time they arrived at the Serenity Residence, night had already fallen.
Aiden was waiting for them outside the front gate.
Dorian pulled a foam cooler from the trunk and handed it to him.
"I was in Halverra City for work a few days ago," he said. "Someone sent me a box of fresh wild matsutake mushrooms.
"It's been hot lately, and Jeremy hasn't had much of an appetite. Please ask the cook to prepare something he enjoys."
Aiden looked a little surprised. "Wild matsutake?"
He glanced at Irene, who was standing just behind Dorian, and seemed about to say something—but she quickly cut in, "Uncle Jeremy's probably waiting for us. Let's head in before he has to wait too long."
Aiden was no fool. He didn't bring up the fact that Irene had already delivered mushrooms a few days earlier.
Carrying the box, he turned and walked into the house. Dorian and Irene followed close behind.
Just as they stepped into the living room, they heard footsteps from upstairs.
Dorian looked up—and his eyes met Jeremy's as he stood at the second-floor landing.
Dorian quickly walked over to the foot of the stairs and called up respectfully, "Uncle Jeremy, how have you been feeling lately?"
Jeremy gave a small nod. "Same as usual." His eyes were shadowed with a bluish tint—it was clear he hadn't been sleeping well.
Noticing how worn out he looked, Dorian asked with concern, "How's your sleep been?"
"Not great," Jeremy said, not bothering to hide it.
He came down the stairs and stopped beside Dorian. Irene noticed he was 0.2 feet taller than Dorian.
But illness had taken a toll—his frame looked much thinner.
He reminded her of a pine tree clinging to the edge of a cliff—so frail it looked like a gust of wind could knock it over, yet somehow still rooted deep in the earth, stubbornly growing wild and strong.
Dorian looked troubled. "Didn't the head of the Traditional Medicine Clinic make a custom aromatherapy blend for you? Even that didn't help?"
As Jeremy raised his right arm, his loose sleeve slid down, revealing a lean, pale forearm.
Jeremy pressed his fingers against his temples, visibly exhausted. "I can get a few hours of sleep if I push it," he said, "but the aromatherapy has some pretty nasty side effects—it kills my appetite."