Chapter 38: Seventeen Left, Slowly Smash

Wen Zhixian withdrew her head and, after a few seconds of hugging, released her hold.

Qi Yanjing was quite satisfied with her initiating the embrace, but some people just ruined the moment.

He glanced at Zhou Chuyu.

Zhou Chuyu’s mouth twitched.

Speechless!

He crossed his arms, watching the two of them: “Done hugging?”

Wen Zhixian cleared her throat awkwardly. “Done.”

Qi Yanjing’s hand rested on her waist. “I’m free this afternoon. I was thinking we could have lunch together.”

She nodded. “Okay.”

“Xiaomei (little sister-in-law), are you done with your work? If you’re not, we can wait for you,” he checked the time. It was 11:30, which was close to lunchtime, but he wasn’t sure if she still had things to finish.

“I’ll tell them. You two wait for me.”

She moved Qi Yanjing’s hand from her waist and went back into the shop. A few minutes later, she came back with her bag.

The restaurant was reserved by Zhou Chuyu, but in the end, Qi Yanjing would be the one paying.

“Xiaomei, can you handle spicy food?” Zhou Chuyu asked.

“I can eat a little.”

She found it a bit strange that Zhou Chuyu called her “little sister-in-law,” so she said, “Just call me Zhixian.”

Zhou Chuyu placed the menu down after ordering. “Okay, Zhixian.”

The waiter left to prepare the meal.

Zhou Chuyu then said, “I’m two years older than our Qi professor, so calling me ‘little sister-in-law’ is actually quite fitting.”

Wen Zhixian looked at Qi Yanjing. “Aren’t you guys classmates?”

“He? He’s the king of competition, always trying to outdo everyone. It’s not weird that he skipped grades and is younger than me.”

Zhou Chuyu couldn’t stop himself. “Let me tell you, I started school a year earlier than most people. I was always the youngest in class until university, when I met him. When I saw his age, it was funny—he’s two years younger than me, and I found out he skipped grades.”

No wonder Qi Yanjing was who he was.

“Don’t listen to him, I never thought about it that way,” Qi Yanjing said as he squeezed Zhixian’s hand under the table.

Zhou Chuyu hummed. “That’s even more annoying—his talent.”

“Speaking of which, I remember he participated in a finance competition back then, switching fields, and even won a prize.” Even more frustrating.

Qi Yanjing lowered his gaze slightly, his long lashes casting a shadow. “Eat your food. Can’t even stop your mouth with some food?”

As he spoke, he gently placed a small piece of ribs on Zhixian’s plate, changing his tone: “Try this restaurant’s ribs.”

Zhou Chuyu was stunned. Since when had Qi Yanjing been this gentle? Even when he dated Shen Zhi in college, he was distant, making everyone think he was naturally cold.

It turned out it wasn’t about his personality—he was just different with certain people.

Oh, so considerate.

It was really Qi Yanjing.

Zhou Chuyu’s smile held a hint of amusement. “Zhixian, I’ve never seen Qi Yanjing treat anyone this well in all these years.”

Wen Zhixian, recalling Qi Yanjing’s past, felt a wave of affection. A smile appeared on her lips, and she spoke in a light, melodic tone: “I’ll treat him well too.”

Oh no! They were feeding each other dog food!

Zhou Chuyu might as well just focus on the food and ordered two desserts after the meal.

After lunch, Zhou Chuyu left in his car. The two of them strolled down the street before heading home.

As soon as they closed the door at home, Qi Yanjing wrapped his arms around her from behind and whispered in her ear, “Did something happen?”

Wen Zhixian parted her lips slightly and told him about what happened earlier in the morning, her voice tinged with grievance.

Qi Yanjing’s eyes narrowed.

Gu Yuchen.

“He really doesn’t dare to do anything to me now, but that small space in the car—I was really scared,” she confessed. She had never thought Gu Yuchen would be violent, but now he felt like a ticking time bomb in her heart, unpredictable.

Qi Yanjing held her tightly, his rough hand gently rubbing her back.

Wen Zhixian looked up at him, her eyes suddenly sparkling. “But what my parents said—no matter how indifferent Gu Yuchen tries to act, his face wouldn’t look good.”

Qi Yanjing looked at her, the corner of his lips slightly curling, but his eyes showed no sign of a smile.

“Just had lunch with Teacher Zhou. He said you’re quite competitive.”

Qi Yanjing smiled helplessly and rubbed her head. “I wasn’t competing, I was just sleepless, and had to find something to do.”

He wasn’t the type to get overly competitive about work. If it weren’t for his personal reasons, he wouldn’t have exceeded expectations.

“Don’t be afraid, it’s okay now. I’ll stay with you from now on.”

She felt like her tone sounded a bit like she was comforting a child, but Qi Yanjing actually loved hearing it.

…

“What’s wrong with you again? You keep showing up in front of Zhixian trying to make your presence known. The couple is doing fine now, stop interfering,” Song Kairui lectured Gu Yuchen as soon as he saw him.

Gu Yuchen usually wouldn’t react to Song Kairui’s insults, but when he heard the last remark, he couldn’t help but smash his glass. “Damn it, what kind of couple are they, why the hell are you bringing it up?”

Song Kairui raised an eyebrow. Luckily, he had reserved a private room for them in advance, or they’d be surrounded by onlookers like monkeys.

He grabbed another glass, poured more alcohol, and placed it in front of Gu Yuchen.

“If I were Zhixian, I’d find you pretty unsafe. Who knows when you’d do something outrageous? It’s human nature. This matter should just be let go. And besides, when Li Chaomu insisted on leaving, you didn’t force her to stay, did you?”

Gu Yuchen stayed silent for a long while before speaking. “They’re different.”

“You liked Li Chaomu. Of course, that’s a different kind of relationship, but Zhixian and you have known each other for many years. The emotions are different, but there are still feelings. Why can’t you let go of her?”

Gu Yuchen sneered, his gaze landing on Song Kairui with mockery. “Yes, I admit I can’t forget Chaomu, but she treated me as a substitute for the person she loved. I’m not that cheap to beg her to stay. But Zhixian is different.”

When he mentioned Zhixian, his expression softened with a hint of sorrow. “She’s liked me for many years, but now she wants to let go. Is it wrong for me to try to hold on to her?”

He suddenly remembered that day when Zhixian stood in front of him, red-eyed and trembling, asking him, “What did I do wrong?”

What did she do wrong…?

That question echoed in his mind repeatedly, weighing heavily on his heart.

“Because Li Chaomu treated you as a substitute, does that mean you’re treating Zhixian as a substitute too?” Song Kairui interrupted. “Your words could just as easily have been something Zhixian would say to you. She’s not so cheap that she would want to stay with you.”

Song Kairui didn’t want to hear any more of Gu Yuchen’s emotional outbursts. He grabbed a cup from the box and handed it to him. “Here, Zhixian asked me to bring this to you.”

Gu Yuchen froze when he saw the cup.

Song Kairui smiled. “She said it’s the cup she’s replacing for you, exactly the same. It’s also from your ex-girlfriend—just think of it as the one you had before, as long as you don’t overthink it.”

Before the words even finished, the pink-white-green lily of the valley mug was smashed on the floor, shattering with a loud, piercing noise.

Gu Yuchen stood up with a dark face, ready to leave and confront Wen Zhixian directly.

Song Kairui bent over and moved the entire box of mugs onto the table. “She knew you’d smash it. Go ahead, there are seventeen more.”

Gu Yuchen clenched his fists in anger, his eyes fixed on the mugs in the box.

He had never hated this style of cup so much before.