After a Contract Marriage with a Cold and Older Person - Chapter 35

Chapter 35: Wish Granted.

The room door was flung open by Ji Wenxu, the huge noise causing the person inside to flinch slightly.

Song Tingyun adjusted his slipping glasses and looked up at him.

“Song Tingyun, you like me? You like me!” The repeated “You like me” quickly shifted from a question to an affirmation.

Song Tingyun didn’t refute, only asking, “What did Grandpa tell you?”

Ji Wenxu walked up to him, turned the chair Song Tingyun was sitting in to face him, then bent down, placing his hands on the armrests of the chair, completely enveloping Song Tingyun beneath him.

“Grandpa said the person who helped you back then was me!” Ji Wenxu’s voice grew increasingly agitated.

Song Tingyun raised his head slightly to look at him. “And what else?”

“And that I haven’t forgotten that incident; it’s just that the difference between you now and you then is too great, so I didn’t connect the person!”

Song Tingyun smiled lightly, “Then why are you so excited?”

“Because I like you, and you like me!” Ji Wenxu was going crazy; his blood was boiling.

“Are you so sure that I still like you now?” Seeing the glowing excitement in Ji Wenxu’s eyes, Song Tingyun leaned back a little and countered.

Ji Wenxu looked lost and nervously asked, “You said you liked me just last night?! How can you stop liking me overnight?”

“Do… do you not like me anymore?” Ji Wenxu asked cautiously.

Song Tingyun didn’t answer directly, instead asking, “How did you fall for me? When did you start liking me?”

“I don’t know. At first, I found you annoying. Later, I felt you were actually quite nice. After that, I thought it would be better to just spend some time together peacefully… By the time I realized what was happening, I think I had fallen for you,” Ji Wenxu recalled slowly.

“The day you had the car accident, I was frantic. It wasn’t until my mom came to the hospital and said some things to me that I confirmed I liked you.”

He was recalling the moment earnestly, his voice full of sincerity.

The wind blew outside, rustling the leaves.

The study was exceptionally quiet.

Xiao Fu followed Ji Wenxu all the way upstairs and stopped at the study door. Its big eyes watched the two people inside.

The loudest sound in the entire study turned out to be Ji Wenxu’s current heartbeat.

“Thump, thump, thump…”

“What’s that sound?” Song Tingyun asked.

Ji Wenxu raised his hand to cover his heart, his voice airy, “It sounds like my heartbeat.”

Song Tingyun burst into a chuckle.

He rarely laughed like this. Usually, he only smiled faintly with a slight curve of his lips. This time, he laughed more openly, the corners of his eyes radiating faint lines of mirth, and there was even a tiny dimple on his left cheek.

Because he was at home, his hair wasn’t styled like it was for work, falling naturally. When he smiled like this, he looked like he was only eighteen or nineteen.

Ji Wenxu stared blankly at him.

Song Tingyun pressed him again, “Do you really like me?”

Ji Wenxu nodded heavily, “Really!!”

After saying that, he put his hand into his pocket and pulled out a brocade box.

Song Tingyun found it a little familiar.

Then he watched Ji Wenxu open the box, revealing a bracelet lying inside.

Seeing the bracelet, Song Tingyun immediately remembered. It was what Ji Shuyi had given them when they went to the Ji family home.

It was left behind by Ji Wenxu’s grandmother.

They had received it in a rush back then, and Song Tingyun hadn’t looked closely. Now, he saw that the bracelet was exquisitely made.

White translucent jade with faint streaks of pale green, like tendrils of smoke embedded in the white jade, giving it a cool air.

“I had many prejudices against you before. Now, I want to give you this item that should have been yours all along,” Ji Wenxu said.

Song Tingyun was somewhat surprised. He raised an eyebrow and asked, “Giving it to me?”

“It should have been yours originally,” Ji Wenxu said.

Because of this bracelet, Song Tingyun recalled the entire day’s events. He remembered that Ji Wenxu’s intention then was to return the bracelet.

“I don’t want it,” Song Tingyun turned his head away. “Didn’t you say you wanted to return it?”

“I was prejudiced against you then; it was my mistake,” Ji Wenxu circled to the other side of the chair, looking at Song Tingyun’s face. “Will you forgive me?”

The harsh words he had said to Song Tingyun in the past now came back as sharp boomerangs, hitting Ji Wenxu hard.

Ji Wenxu also genuinely felt he was wrong, only hoping Song Tingyun could be big-hearted and forgive his past mistakes.

Seeing that Song Tingyun didn’t react and didn’t look angry, Ji Wenxu carefully took Song Tingyun’s left hand, removed the bangle from the box, and slipped it onto his wrist.

Song Tingyun’s hands were very beautiful.

His fingers were long, slender, and well-defined, and his wrist bones were also beautifully formed. This white-green bangle worn on it didn’t look awkward at all, nor did it appear effeminate in the slightest.

It suited Song Tingyun perfectly.

Looking at the hand, Ji Wenxu thought the bracelet should have been worn much sooner.

“Please accept it,” Ji Wenxu said.

Song Tingyun withdrew his hand. “Really giving it to me?”

Ji Wenxu immediately nodded: “This rightfully belongs to you.”

“Alright,” Song Tingyun pulled down his sleeve to cover the bracelet.

Seeing his attitude soften, Ji Wenxu tentatively asked, “Then do you still like me?”

“You want to know that badly?” Seeing that he kept circling back to this answer, Song Tingyun asked.

Ji Wenxu: “Yes!”

Song Tingyun’s lips curved into a faint smile, “Passably, I still like you.”

Ji Wenxu knew that Song Tingyun saying “passably” meant it was true. He excitedly grabbed Song Tingyun’s hand. “Really? Really? You really still like me?”

“I said passably,” seeing his delighted appearance, Song Tingyun couldn’t help but laugh.

Ji Wenxu bent down and hugged him tightly. “I was truly an idiot before. You, such a wonderful person, were beside me, and I was so slow to realize how great you are.”

Song Tingyun raised his hand and smoothed his hair, his tone warm: “Alright, don’t be so mushy. I know your feelings.”

“But you still need to change some of your bad habits.”

“Mm, I’ll change whatever you tell me to. I promise to be very obedient.” The person in his arms was a little thin, and Song Tingyun’s unique scent lingered around his nose. Ji Wenxu’s lips gradually curled up. “More obedient than Xiao Fu.”

“Why are you comparing yourself to Xiao Fu?” Song Tingyun laughed aloud at that. He raised his hand and pushed the person hugging him away a little. “Stop hugging me. It’s stuffy.”

Ji Wenxu wasn’t annoyed at being pushed away. He simply leaned closer, though he didn’t hug Song Tingyun again.

Now that they had talked things out, Song Tingyun felt a slight awkwardness. He cleared his throat: “You should go back to bed soon.”

“No, don’t, don’t rush.” Ji Wenxu moved to the opposite side of the desk, pulled his chair over to Song Tingyun’s side, and sat down, saying, “I still have something to ask you.”

Although he was sitting in his own chair, his upper body leaned forward, almost resting on Song Tingyun.

“Just ask your questions, but don’t lean so close,” Song Tingyun moved back a little.

Ji Wenxu, however, pulled his hand. “We’re not connected in our hearts now? I just want to talk closer to you.”

His eyes were locked on Song Tingyun, bright and sparkling, making Song Tingyun feel dazzled. “Alright, alright, ask away.”

Ji Wenxu was delighted. “You like me; was it since that time you liked me?”

“Mm.” Now that the past had been revealed, there was no need to hide anything anymore. Song Tingyun nodded.

“Six years…” Song Tingyun had liked him for six years. Objectively, this should be something that made him happy, but for some reason, Ji Wenxu felt inexplicably sad. “You liked me for six years…”

“And I only just found out now. These six years, were you tired…” When he learned that the person he liked had been liking him for a longer time, Ji Wenxu’s first reaction wasn’t joy but heartache.

Song Tingyun: “You think too much.”

Ji Wenxu: “I can’t help but think so much!”

“It’s all in the past.” Actually, Song Tingyun initially hadn’t planned to get involved with Ji Wenxu yet. Ji Wenxu was young and spirited, and the small city of Beijing couldn’t hold him back. Song Tingyun felt Ji Wenxu should pursue all his desires while he was young.

If Ji Wenxu hadn’t had the accident during the race on Qiji Island, Song Tingyun wouldn’t have appeared before Ji Wenxu so soon.

“Nothing is in the past…” Ji Wenxu had somewhat experienced the pain of unrequited love in the past few days, and now he empathized with Song Tingyun. “When I first met you, my attitude towards you was so poor. You must have been heartbroken, right?”

Song Tingyun laughed: “You think too highly of yourself.”

“Aww!! Am I not actually important in your heart?” Ji Wenxu whined like a puppy.

“Mm, just so-so,” Song Tingyun crossed his arms and looked away again.

“No, no. I must be ranked first,” seeing that Song Tingyun wouldn’t look at him again, Ji Wenxu quickly got up, went to the other side, and made Song Tingyun face him.

Song Tingyun turned his head away again, and Ji Wenxu moved back to the chair. “Look at me, please.”

His tone was soft, carrying a hint of plea. Seeing Song Tingyun about to turn his head away again, he boldly reached out and cupped Song Tingyun’s face.

“Then tell me, what position am I ranked in now?” Since his attitude toward Song Tingyun was poor in the past, Ji Wenxu felt that being ranked low in Song Tingyun’s heart was reasonable.

Song Tingyun didn’t push his hands away. After thinking for a moment, he said, “About the same as Xiao Fu.”

Mainly because his personality sometimes truly resembled a puppy.

Predictably, Ji Wenxu immediately “awwed,” the noise making Song Tingyun’s ears hurt.

“You wanted to give Xiao Fu away before!” Ji Wenxu pointed out. “Do you think I’m the type of person who can also be given away casually?”

Heaven above.

Song Tingyun had no idea how Ji Wenxu had connected those two things.

“How did you link those two?” Song Tingyun laughed helplessly.

“Then you have to rank me above Xiao Fu!”

Song Tingyun: …

He rolled his eyes, feeling that if he didn’t agree with Ji Wenxu, he would probably be pestered until midnight without rest. So he said, “Fine, you’re ranked higher.”

He thought Ji Wenxu was acting like he’d drunk fake alcohol right now, and he probably had too, otherwise why would he be so bored as to discuss rankings with Ji Wenxu here?

Ji Wenxu put his hands down and hugged Song Tingyun again. He bent over, burying his face in Song Tingyun’s neck. “I’m sorry. My attitude towards you was so bad in the past.”

“I told you it’s fine,” Song Tingyun had expected Ji Wenxu’s attitude. It was normal for someone who had always been free to be unhappy about suddenly being confined by marriage.

“I will make it up to you properly in the future,” Ji Wenxu promised again.

Song Tingyun patted his shoulder. “Mm, I’ll be waiting for that.”

“Then we’re not getting a divorce,” Ji Wenxu seized the opportunity to make demands.

“Mm.”

Ji Wenxu continued, “And the agreement is void.”

“Okay.”

“I’m going to rip up my copy right now! Where is yours?!” Ji Wenxu released him, sat up straight, and asked Song Tingyun.

Song Tingyun thought for a moment and slowly said, “I already ripped it up.”

“When?!” Ji Wenxu was immensely surprised.

Song Tingyun raised his hand and pinched his earlobe. “The moment I realized you liked me.”

“!” Ji Wenxu hugged him again. “Tingyun, I love you!”

Song Tingyun patted his back, his voice softening. “Good.”

Fortunately, Song Tingyun’s wait was not in vain.

His wish was granted.