Chapter 10: The Copycat Expert and Liking You

That day, after leaving the racetrack, Li Zhiyi drove Qiao Xingzhou home.

“…You also praised me as ‘impressive’ last time.”

“Mm, so?”

“So, in your eyes, am I the same as Hu Tianhao?”

Qiao Xingzhou hadn’t expected Li Zhiyi to ask such a question.

“Of course, of course not.” Realizing what he meant, Qiao Xingzhou hurriedly explained, “Brother, you’re you, different from everyone else.”

“But you call Hu Tianhao ‘Brother Tianhao’ too,” Li Zhiyi began to nitpick.

Qiao Xingzhou was at a loss for words, thinking for a while. “Uh… well… it’s just, you’re different. Are you really bothered by this, Brother? But you’re the one who told me to praise Brother Tianhao more.”

Li Zhiyi wasn’t sure why he had suddenly asked that question, and when questioned in return, he snapped back to clarity. “Not really bothered, just asking.”

He then returned to his usual, gentlemanly expression.

So, were they about to part ways again? Qiao Xingzhou felt a bit reluctant.

Unexpectedly, his head was even more unwilling, stubbornly starting to throb in pain.

Qiao Xingzhou let out a soft “Ugh.” “Brother, I think I feel a bit dizzy.”

Li Zhiyi looked over. “What’s going on?”

“Maybe it’s from being out in the wind too long, so…” Qiao Xingzhou said, a bit sheepish but still eager to push his luck. “My older brother is on a business trip, and there’s no one else at home. Brother, could you stay and look after me?”

Li Zhiyi looked at Qiao Xingzhou’s flushed face. “Alright.”

—Another “alright.”

When it came to Qiao Xingzhou, it seemed Li Zhiyi never had the option to say no.

Qiao Xingzhou, even in this state, still remembered to make a serious promise.

“Brother, don’t worry. This time, I definitely won’t throw up on you.” His voice was weak, but he insisted on finishing what he wanted to say. “I’m really sorry about last time.”

“It’s okay, don’t be afraid,” Li Zhiyi instinctively comforted him softly. “I didn’t blame you last time, and I certainly won’t this time.”

Qiao Xingzhou pressed his lips together, and said with a pale face. “That’s just because you were being polite, Brother, so you didn’t hold it against me.”

“At first, yes, it was out of politeness,” Li Zhiyi admitted honestly. “But if it’s you now… even if you got my shirt dirty, it wouldn’t matter. I’d only think that it might help you feel a bit better to let it out.”

—After all, right now, you really are different to me.

Realizing the change in his own feelings, Li Zhiyi felt a pang of melancholy.

How did he end up falling for a “copycat expert”?

—

When they arrived at Qiao Xingzhou’s house and opened the door, Qiao Minglang was sitting on the sofa, looking at his phone.

There was a brief moment of awkwardness as Li Zhiyi and Qiao Minglang met each other’s gaze, but neither spoke first.

Finally, Qiao Minglang broke the silence. “Please put my brother down, Mr. Li, and leave my house.”

Li Zhiyi paused in silence before deciding to call, “Young Master Qiao, wake up.”

“Mm… what is it?” Qiao Xingzhou’s head was still resting on Li Zhiyi’s shoulder, not fully grasping the situation.

Li Zhiyi looked at the displeased expression on Qiao Minglang’s face and calmly explained, “You said your brother was on a business trip, but he’s actually home.”

With his mind in a haze, Qiao Xingzhou mumbled, “Ah, it’s fine, maybe he came back from the trip.”

Li Zhiyi was almost amused to the point of exasperation. “Well, since he’s here, I’ll be on my way then—”

“He’s about to leave on another trip,” Qiao Xingzhou replied, speaking nonsense with remarkable clarity, whether out of confusion or rationality. “Right, big brother?”

“Why is your face so red?” Qiao Minglang immediately noticed something was off with Qiao Xingzhou. “Did Li Zhiyi actually dare to drug you?”

“He just has a fever. It seems Mr. Qiao’s judgment is lacking as well,” Li Zhiyi said, nearly bewildered by the peculiar thinking of the two brothers. Facing the combative stance of Qiao Minglang, Li Zhiyi calmly continued, “Young Master Qiao doesn’t want me to leave, so are you still set on kicking me out, Mr. Qiao?”

Qiao Minglang looked at his brother with concern, then glanced at Li Zhiyi, reluctantly saying, “Well… since my brother doesn’t want you to go, you can stay and take good care of him. By the way, did he just say I’m going on a business trip?”

Li Zhiyi responded with a single word of acknowledgment, “Mm.”

“Oh, then I guess I’m off on my ‘business trip,’” Qiao Minglang said without a hint of hesitation. “Take good care of him.”

Li Zhiyi, confident in his ability to handle the situation, replied, “Of course, I will.”

—

When Qiao Xingzhou woke up again, Li Zhiyi was sitting by the bedside, reading some documents.

“Brother, sorry for the trouble today,” Qiao Xingzhou said apologetically. “I must have caused you a lot of hassle. I’m really sorry.”

“It’s nothing.” Li Zhiyi put down the document and started to explain, “You only said—”

“How about… you just don’t tell me, Brother.” Qiao Xingzhou closed his eyes, actively playing dead.

Li Zhiyi couldn’t help but chuckle softly. “You didn’t do anything strange, don’t worry.”

“It’s all my fault.” Hearing he hadn’t done anything, Qiao Xingzhou relaxed significantly. “I shouldn’t have clung to you, Brother. That was my mistake.”

Li Zhiyi shook his head. “You did make a mistake, but that wasn’t it.”

Qiao Xingzhou blinked. “Then what did I do wrong?”

Looking into those pure eyes, Li Zhiyi finally asked the question he had always wanted to ask:

“Do you really have to be such a copycat expert?”

Qiao Xingzhou’s mind slowly formed a question mark. “…Huh?”

What copycat expert? Copycat what? Copycat expert who?

“You know your body is weak, yet you insisted on go-karting and ended up with a 38-degree fever.” Li Zhiyi continued to advise earnestly, “Your own personality is actually very good; there’s no need to imitate others at every turn.”

Qiao Xingzhou was still completely puzzled. “Wait, who have I been imitating?”

Li Zhiyi firmly and seriously uttered a single word: “Me.”

“Ah? What? No way!” Qiao Xingzhou protested frantically. “I didn’t!”

“So, was I just overthinking it?” Seeing his reaction, Li Zhiyi started to feel uncertain. “You’re not a copycat expert?”

Qiao Xingzhou took a deep breath and had no choice but to admit, “Brother, I’m not a copycat expert. I just… I just like you.”

Li Zhiyi’s mind went blank. “…Like me?”

“Yes.” Qiao Xingzhou admitted, “I’ve liked you since you helped me out that time.”

“So, you wanted to wear matching outfits… because you like me?”

“Yes.”

“And you wanted to watch the same movie as me… because you like me?”

“Yes.” Qiao Xingzhou nodded.

Li Zhiyi continued, “So, you drove away my blind date… because you like me?”

Qiao Xingzhou was at a loss for words. “It wasn’t exactly my intention… but if you put it that way, I guess so.”

Li Zhiyi finally pieced everything together. “So, you came to the racetrack even though you don’t know how to drive… also because you like me?”

“Of course.” Qiao Xingzhou looked at him incredulously. “Brother, so this whole time, you thought I was just imitating you?”

Li Zhiyi, with one last bit of stubbornness, denied it. “Not the whole time… I just misunderstood a little.”

It was all Hu Tianhao’s conspiracy theories that led him astray!

But… Qiao Xingzhou liked him?

Thinking about it this way, it didn’t seem so unpleasant.

In fact, why did he even feel a bit secretly pleased?

He wasn’t imitating me; he was being vulnerable with me. He likes me.

Qiao Xingzhou composed himself and finally asked the question he had been wanting to ask: “I do like you, Brother, so what do you choose?”

Li Zhiyi, who hadn’t fully sorted out his own thoughts, was even more at a loss with Qiao Xingzhou’s direct question. Instinctively, he replied, “I choose… I choose… option C, and I’ll fill it in on the answer sheet.”

Unexpectedly, Qiao Xingzhou didn’t play along at all. “Uh… what does that even mean?”

“The shirt costs nine pounds and fifteen pence,” Li Zhiyi realized what he had said and felt a bit embarrassed. “I was just trying to lighten the mood… forgot you didn’t take the college entrance exam back home.”

Qiao Xingzhou laughed. “So, it seems like, Brother, you’re a bit nervous?”

“Mm.” Li Zhiyi tried to maintain his composure. “You could say… very nervous.”

Qiao Xingzhou realized that Li Zhiyi hadn’t exactly said no. “Then, how about… Brother, why don’t we give it a try?”

This suggestion went beyond what Li Zhiyi could comprehend. “Is that really something you can ‘try’?”

“Uh, I don’t have any experience either.” Qiao Xingzhou started coaxing him. “But if it’s with you, it should be okay, right? We could try it quietly, and it wouldn’t affect anything. Unless… Brother, do you really dislike me…”

The “copycat expert” trait was fake, but the “green tea” attribute was real.

“Don’t cry…” Hearing the hint of a sob in Qiao Xingzhou’s voice, Li Zhiyi panicked. “I don’t dislike you.”

Qiao Xingzhou immediately stopped, blinking his eyes. “So, what you mean is—”

Li Zhiyi cleared his throat, then softly said, “We can give it a try.”