After a Contract Marriage with a Cold and Older Person - Chapter 32

Chapter 32: The Puppy Tracks

Not long after Song Tingyun finished breakfast, he left.

Ji Wenxu came out after washing the dishes, holding Xiao Fu, and said, “Your dad is such a scumbag. He abandoned the two of us father and son to go meet other men, hah.”

Xiao Fu followed with a couple of barks, as if agreeing.

However, Ji Wenxu did plan to go out and meet his friends today. Firstly, it had been a while since they met, and secondly, he hadn’t thanked Ding Sheng for his help last time.

After thinking for a moment, Ji Wenxu rummaged in the cabinet, found the key to a sports car, put on his jacket, and went out.

When he arrived at the equestrian club, a few of his friends had been waiting for him for a long time.

“Brother Xu!” When he was still far away, Ding Sheng waved and greeted him continuously.

Ji Wenxu walked over and tossed the sports car key in his hand to him. Ding Sheng quickly cupped his hands to catch it. Seeing the car key in his hand, he was a little confused: “Brother Xu, this is?”

Ji Wenxu sat down at the coffee table, “Thanks for your help last time. This is the key to my Phantom Shadow [1] car. Take it and drive it.”

“Phantom Shadow! Brother Xu, are you serious?” The purchase price of that car was over $1.8 million, which was manageable, but the main thing was that it was limited to six units globally. Ji Wenxu hadn’t even driven it a few times since he got it.

Now, saying he was lending it out shocked not only Ding Sheng but everyone else present.

Ji Wenxu’s expression was indifferent: “If I say you can drive it, you can drive it. I estimate I’ll have fewer chances to drive it in the future. Rather than letting it collect dust, I might as well let you guys have a taste of it.”

After a pause, he added, “If you guys want to drive it, just ask Xiao Ding for the key. Don’t ask me.”

Ding Sheng clutched the car key, looking as if he had found a treasure. “Brother Xu, bro, you are my true brother.”

Ji Wenxu crossed his arms, “Of course.”

“Speaking of the last incident, how is Song Tingyun doing?” Because Ji Wenxu didn’t have much affection for Song Tingyun, the others naturally followed suit, so no one had been constantly concerned about Song Tingyun.

Ji Wenxu squeezed out a faint smile: “He’s fine. He even went out on a date with someone else today.”

“Ouch, bro, are you two really living your own separate lives?” Xu Chengran asked.

Ji Wenxu looked displeased, muttering in a low voice: “Did he really go to meet his crush?”

Of course, Ji Wenxu trusted Song Tingyun’s character. What he didn’t trust was the friend Song Tingyun was going to meet. What if the person was determined to seduce Song Tingyun?

“Why are we thinking so much? If Song Tingyun cheated, Brother Xu, you could just get a divorce!” Chen Yilan’s tone clearly showed no kindness toward Song Tingyun.

Ji Wenxu frowned and argued, “Tingyun is not that kind of person.”

“Besides, he’s a really good person. Anyway, don’t talk about these things behind his back anymore. I don’t like hearing it.” His expression was calm, but his tone was heavy.

The others looked at him in unison.

“Brother Xu?” Ding Sheng spoke up.

Ji Wenxu was startled by their gazes. “What?”

“You’re acting strange,” Wei Zhang said, stroking his chin.

Ji Wenxu, “How am I strange?”

“You’re actually defending Song Tingyun,” Ding Sheng pointed out.

“Oh,” Ji Wenxu lowered his head. “I was just speaking the truth. He really is quite a good person.”

As the saying goes, outsiders see more clearly. They immediately sensed something was amiss from Ji Wenxu’s murmur. Xu Chengran said, “Did you fall for him?”

Ji Wenxu was surprisingly honest about this. He leaned his head back against the sofa, his hands cushioning his head. “Yes, I realized I fell for him.”

“Damn it, Brother Xu, why didn’t you say so earlier?!” Chen Yilan immediately slapped his mouth, presumably apologizing for badmouthing Song Tingyun just now.

Ji Wenxu hadn’t intended to say anything. After all, Song Tingyun’s feelings for him were still unclear.

Perhaps Song Tingyun only wanted a divorce.

He didn’t want his friends to know he was in an unrequited love.

“But he doesn’t seem like the type you’d like at all?” Ding Sheng stared intently at Ji Wenxu with his large, grape-like eyes.

Ji Wenxu crossed his arms, straightened up, and said, “People’s preferences change.”

“What about him? Does he like you?” Xu Chengran asked curiously.

Ji Wenxu immediately fell silent, crestfallen, “Probably not. If he liked me, I would be able to feel it.”

“Hold on, Brother Xu, you might be wrong.” Chen Yilan hit the nail on the head. “In high school, everyone saw that straight-A student had a crush on you, and you didn’t even notice, did you?”

“If Song Tingyun likes you, maybe you just haven’t noticed!”

Ji Wenxu immediately perked up again. He quickly asked, “Then what would someone do if they liked me?”

Ding Sheng rubbed his chin and thought: “They would tolerate all your temper tantrums!”

Ji Wenxu thought about it. He was always foolish and childish, but Song Tingyun didn’t seem to dislike him, right?

Chen Yilan added: “They would remember your preferences!”

Ji Wenxu then remembered that he liked playing games, and Song Tingyun had bought him a controller not long ago.

Wei Zhang added: “They wouldn’t like you getting too close to other people!”

Hmm… Song Tingyun didn’t seem to control him to that extent. Rather, it was he who was very unhappy about Song Tingyun getting too close to others. He slowly shook his head.

Xu Chengran, meanwhile, said, “They would throw little tantrums at you!”

Hmm… In his eyes, Song Tingyun had always been the mature and steady one. Where were the tantrums?

If anything, he was the one who threw tantrums at Song Tingyun all the time.

And Song Tingyun always tolerated him.

Ji Wenxu continued to shake his head.

“He basically hasn’t done any of these things to me. It’s all me doing them to him!” Ji Wenxu was annoyed. Did Song Tingyun really have no feelings for him?

“Don’t be discouraged, Brother Xu. You’re so handsome; if worse comes to worst, you can seduce him!” Ding Sheng offered a bad idea.

Ji Wenxu quickly shook his head and waved his hands: “What kind of talk is that!”

“Why don’t you, Brother Xu, pursue him? Buy him flowers and gifts, and try to make him happy?”

“I have bought him flowers and given him gifts, but I don’t feel like he likes me,” the more Ji Wenxu listened, the more skeptical he became that Song Tingyun liked him, while he himself seemed to be deeply in love.

The group of men discussed for a whole morning but failed to come up with any useful method.

“Then, Brother Xu, why don’t you just confess your feelings to him directly?” Ding Sheng finally suggested.

Ji Wenxu quickly shook his head: “No, the agreement…”

He immediately clapped his hand over his mouth, almost letting slip the marriage agreement, which stated they couldn’t develop feelings for each other.

“What agreement?” the others asked curiously.

Ji Wenxu laughed off the matter and changed the subject, casually saying, “Nothing. I just can’t bring myself to do it.”

“You guys don’t need to offer me ideas. I can figure it out myself later.” Ji Wenxu waved his hand, telling them to drop the subject.

“Okay, but bro, since you’re so curious about the friend he’s meeting, why aren’t you going with Song Tingyun today?”

Ji Wenxu said irritably, “He won’t let me go, nor will he let me secretly follow him.”

“Do you know where he went?”

Ji Wenxu remembered asking Song Tingyun before he left, and Song Tingyun had told him where he was going.

“Yes, he told me,” Ji Wenxu nodded.

Chen Yilan sighed, frustrated, “Brother Xu! If he really didn’t want you to go, why would he tell you where he was going?”

Ji Wenxu immediately reacted: “Are you saying he actually wants me to find him?!”

“Exactly! Look at it from a different perspective: if you didn’t want us to follow you on a trip, would you tell us where you were going?”

Ji Wenxu considered the hypothetical, and it was indeed true.

He stood up excitedly, “Should I go find him now?!”

They all cheered him on: “Yes! Go find him!”

Ji Wenxu immediately grabbed his jacket from the sofa, putting it on as he walked out of the tearoom. “See you next time. I’m going to find Song Tingyun!”

“Goodbye, Brother Xu!”

…

After leaving the tearoom at the equestrian club, Ji Wenxu immediately drove to the location Song Tingyun had told him about.

When he arrived in front of the coffee shop, Ji Wenxu suddenly didn’t dare to walk in. He was afraid of seeing something he didn’t want to see.

So he took out a pair of sunglasses and a mask from the car, put them on, and timidly went to a corner outside the coffee shop.

His vantage point offered a good view, allowing him to see more than half of the coffee shop, and he immediately spotted Song Tingyun sitting by the window, and a man sitting opposite him.

The man was sitting directly facing Ji Wenxu, so he could see his face.

It was indeed a very handsome face.

His features were clear and refined, his conversation was elegant, and when he smiled, it was a gentle, pursed-lip smile.

Ji Wenxu gritted his teeth.

He saw the two chatting happily, occasionally laughing together.

In Ji Wenxu’s memory, Song Tingyun rarely smiled so happily at him.

Hateful third party.

Ji Wenxu immediately classified the man as a third party intending to destroy their marriage.

However, the two were only drinking coffee and chatting the whole time, and they didn’t do anything inappropriate. This made Ji Wenxu feel slightly better. He adjusted his sunglasses, used a book to cover half of his face, and carefully observed the two of them.

It was only when he looked closely that Ji Wenxu was struck by a bolt from the blue.

The wedding ring he had told Song Tingyun to wear before leaving had somehow been taken off by Song Tingyun!!

He was so angry that his head was steaming.

He immediately took out his phone and sent a message to Song Tingyun.

【Ji Wenxu: Surprise inspection! Take a picture of your hand wearing the wedding ring!】

If Song Tingyun put on the ring and took a picture, it meant Song Tingyun had a guilty conscience. If he just took a picture and sent it, then Song Tingyun shouldn’t blame him for nagging!

But Song Tingyun, upon receiving the notification, picked up his phone, glanced at it, and immediately turned off the screen and placed it face-down on the table.

Ji Wenxu felt a sudden, devastating shock.

A bolt of lightning struck his head.

Song Tingyun, you scumbag!

Ji Wenxu pressed his face against the coffee table, tears almost rolling out.

He was still a complete virgin, and the first time he liked someone, he lost so miserably. Ji Wenxu felt deeply unwilling to accept this.

He cautiously poked half his head out from behind the book again, only to see the two people who were by the window stand up and leave the coffee shop, laughing and talking!

Ji Wenxu followed without hesitation, quietly tailing them.

Unexpectedly, the two only went out to say goodbye.

He hid behind a stone pillar, watching them from afar.

He saw them talking to each other, and when they finally parted, they embraced tightly.

Ji Wenxu’s eyes turned red, and he ground his teeth in frustration.

The two said their farewells. A taxi stopped in front of the coffee shop. The man got in the car and left the coffee shop, and Song Tingyun, after watching the car drive away, turned and walked toward another street.

Ji Wenxu also followed.

Song Tingyun was walking slowly, seemingly just taking a stroll. The weather was considered early winter now, and the wind was a bit chilly.

Song Tingyun tightened his trench coat and walked leisurely on the sidewalk.

Suddenly, Song Tingyun stopped, turned around, and looked back. Ji Wenxu quickly hid behind a building.

Song Tingyun smiled, calling out to the distance, “Do I have to invite you out, Mr. Stalker?”

Judging by his tone, he had completely guessed who was following him.

Ji Wenxu poked half his head out and defended himself, “I’m not a stalker!”