After a Contract Marriage with a Cold and Older Person - Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Friends

The tall young man who was called ‘Cousin’ was slightly taller than Ji Wenxu, and had a more mature temperament. He was dressed in casual clothes, and his eyes and brows were very similar to Ji Wenxu’s, but his features were more defined.

The young man he was holding hands with was very handsome, slender, not very tall, with golden curly hair and blue-green eyes. He was clearly of mixed heritage, and his skin was almost sickly pale.

“Brother Xiaowei,” Ji Wenxu called out to the young man behind Pei Zhixian.

Ning Qingwei raised his hand to greet him: “Wenxu, good afternoon.”

Then they greeted the other elders in the family. Ji Shuyi personally introduced Song Tingyun to Pei Zhixian, saying, “This is Mr. Song, whom I mentioned to you before, your future cousin-in-law.”

“Tingyun, this is my grandson, Pei Zhixian, who is also Wenxu’s cousin.”

The two politely shook hands.

Soon after Pei Zhixian and Ning Qingwei arrived, dinner began.

In the past family gatherings, Ji Shuyi sat at the head of the table, Meng Ying and Ji Chenghua sat side by side on the left, and Pei Zhixian and Ning Qingwei were on the right.

Ji Wenxu sat next to Pei Zhixian.

Now, due to Song Tingyun’s presence, the family had switched to a large round dining table. Ji Wenxu had Pei Zhixian on his left and Song Tingyun on his right.

He felt incredibly awkward and uncomfortable eating, but when he glanced sideways, Song Tingyun looked as composed as if he were in his own home.

He happily accepted the dishes served by the elders, chatting and laughing with them.

Ji Wenxu looked at his profile and felt that he wasn’t just composed or familiar; he was excessively slick.

After dinner.

Ji Shuyi called Ji Wenxu and Song Tingyun to the study.

Ji Wenxu looked at Song Tingyun warily, but Song Tingyun wasn’t looking at him. His gaze was on the golden retriever rolling on the lawn outside the window.

He slowly moved closer. “Grandpa asked us to go up to see him in a moment.”

Song Tingyun didn’t look at him. “I heard.”

“Aren’t you worried?” Ji Wenxu felt that his conversation with Song Tingyun was like a conversation between a quick-tempered person and a slow-tempered person. He was about to be driven crazy by Song Tingyun’s calm expression and attitude.

Song Tingyun finally withdrew his gaze and looked over. He pushed up his glasses, his eyes still cool and calm. “What are you worried about?”

Ji Wenxu hesitated: “Well, I’m worried that Grandpa will discover our secret.”

Song Tingyun lowered his eyes to adjust his cuffs, his thin lips opening and closing: “He won’t, as long as you don’t talk nonsense.”

“Do you think I’ll mess it up?” Ji Wenxu immediately retorted.

Song Tingyun sighed: “I’m sorry, I misspoke. I won’t talk nonsense.”

Song Tingyun suddenly stopped contradicting him, and Ji Wenxu felt momentarily strange. He cleared his throat, stubbornly saying: “That’s right…”

“Let’s go.” Song Tingyun lifted his foot and walked towards the study upstairs.

Ji Wenxu stared at his back for a while, then followed with a cold face.

He was the last to enter the study.

Ji Shuyi asked him to close the door.

Ji Wenxu turned and did as instructed.

When he looked back, he saw Song Tingyun standing properly in front of Grandpa’s desk, and on the desk in front of Ji Shuyi were large and small documents and a red property deed.

“These are my wedding gifts for you. They’re nothing much. This house was left by your grandmother as a wedding gift for Xiaoxu before she passed away. Now it’s time for me to give it to you.”

“And these large and small commercial plots of land are nothing too valuable, but they are also being given to you as your wedding gifts.”

“And…”

Ji Wenxu couldn’t listen anymore. He slammed his right hand heavily on the desk, refusing: “Grandpa, we don’t want these things.”

“Why not? These are the only things this old man can offer,” Ji Shuyi looked at Ji Wenxu and asked.

Ji Wenxu couldn’t give a clear reason, because his marriage to Song Tingyun was only an agreement, and these gifts, which represented sincere blessings, weren’t going to a good cause. “Just don’t take them. We have hands and feet. Why do we need your things? It’s better if you keep them for yourself. Giving them to me is just a waste.”

Ji Shuyi chuckled a few times: “Waste is waste, I already said they weren’t anything valuable.”

Ji Wenxu was choked and couldn’t speak.

He secretly tugged at the hem of Song Tingyun’s suit jacket. Song Tingyun’s lips curved upwards, and he said, “Grandpa, then I will accept them on Wenxu’s behalf. Thank you to you and Grandma.”

Ji Wenxu immediately looked at Song Tingyun.

But Song Tingyun didn’t look at him, and he really didn’t know what Song Tingyun was up to.

“And this.” Ji Shuyi took a square black velvet gift box from the cabinet. He opened the box in front of them, revealing a beautiful bracelet inside.

“Before she married me, Xiuhua was a designer. She designed many beautiful clothes and jewelry. This bracelet is her last work, and it’s for Xiaoxu’s future wife.”

“I’m old. This marriage was a match made hastily, but Xiaoxu told me that you two get along well, so I’m relieved. You should take this bracelet too. Tingyun, you’re usually busy with official duties, so it’s not convenient to wear the bracelet. Just keep it at home.”

Ji Shuyi put the bracelet into Ji Wenxu’s hand and patted it twice.

Ji Wenxu couldn’t find any words to refuse and silently put the box back into his pocket. Of course, he would keep this bracelet himself and find a chance to return it later.

“Got it,” Ji Wenxu said.

Ji Shuyi nodded with satisfaction. “Right, about the cohabitation we discussed yesterday, since the wedding is early next month, and it’s already mid-month, Xiaoxu, why don’t you move to Tingyun’s place tonight?”

Ji Wenxu’s eyes widened, and his curly hair stood up. “Why the rush?”

“I was thinking that if you move in earlier, any problems can be resolved before the wedding, right?” Ji Shuyi said.

Ji Wenxu: “But does it have to be this rushed?”

“Didn’t you agree to me yesterday?”

Ji Wenxu: “!”

He was speechless again.

This time, Ji Shuyi asked Song Tingyun: “Tingyun, what are your thoughts?”

Song Tingyun shook his head. “I already arranged for someone to prepare his room last night. It’s fine for him to move in tonight.”

“Good, good, that’s excellent.” The old man nodded, fully satisfied.

…

By the time they came out of the study, over half an hour had passed.

When they reached the corner of the hallway, Ji Wenxu finally couldn’t help but say to Song Tingyun: “I thought that if you also didn’t want to marry me, you should at least stand on the same side as me?”

Song Tingyun slightly raised an eyebrow. “Are you referring to what?”

“When Grandpa offered us these things, why didn’t you refuse with me?” Ji Wenxu lifted the briefcase in his hand and shook it in front of Song Tingyun.

Song Tingyun tilted his head slightly to look at him: “Isn’t this the heartfelt gesture from your grandmother and him? Why refuse? Do you want him to doubt the true nature of our relationship?”

“Anyway, these things are in your hands. You can return them yourself after the divorce.”

“Sometimes, if you just go along with things, you’ll find that the difficulties you face are actually very few.”

“In short, Ji Wenxu, don’t worry. We will divorce successfully.” Song Tingyun adjusted his glasses. After saying all this, he walked past him, leaving behind a faint, cool fragrance.

Ji Wenxu felt very strange.

He felt odd.

After being chastised like that several times, he wasn’t angry at all.

Well, maybe it was because Song Tingyun hadn’t said anything wrong.

He followed him downstairs with his crutch.

Around seven in the evening, after Pei Zhixian and Ning Qingwei left, Ji Wenxu and Song Tingyun also said goodbye to the elders and departed.

The person picking up and dropping off the two was Song Tingyun’s driver, so Ji Wenxu could talk without restraint in the car.

“Have the driver take me back first. I just called the auntie to help me pack my luggage. I’ll pick up the luggage and go to your house together,” Ji Wenxu said.

Song Tingyun had a tablet computer resting on his lap. His hands were rapidly typing on the keyboard, but he could still spare the mental effort to talk to Ji Wenxu. “I thought you wouldn’t move in.”

“Didn’t I promise Grandpa?”

“You seem very obedient to your grandpa?” Song Tingyun asked.

Ji Wenxu leaned back, hands behind his head, and said, “Because Grandpa is very good to me. When I was into extreme sports before, my parents wouldn’t allow it, but he supported me in doing what I wanted. Including going car racing three months ago, I didn’t tell him I was going racing on an island; I just said I was going to the island with friends. My parents disagreed at the time, but he helped me cover it up.”

“After I accidentally crashed, Grandpa had a sudden heart attack and was hospitalized due to self-reproach. He’s old, and his situation was much more critical than mine. When I woke up, he still hadn’t left the Intensive Care Unit.”

“I know it’s my fault, so if he wants me to get married, I won’t refuse. I won’t refuse any request he makes.”

“But fortunately, you told me his real reason for wanting this marriage. I will definitely work hard this time to show Grandpa my ability and make him believe that even by myself, I can take good care of the Ji family.”

Song Tingyun gave a faint “Mm,” and said, “It’s already very good that you understand how to reflect. Grandpa is also in better health now, so you can worry less.”

His tone was uncharacteristically not flat and cold, but faintly warm. Ji Wenxu turned his head to look at him.

When Song Tingyun didn’t deliberately provoke him, his face was indeed unbelievably handsome.

“Of course.” Ji Wenxu felt that although they couldn’t be a married couple, being friends shouldn’t be a problem. “Song Tingyun, after we divorce in the future, can we still be friends?”

Song Tingyun didn’t even lift his head, rejecting him decisively: “No.”

Ji Wenxu’s ‘puppy ears’ immediately perked up. He leaned over and pressed: “Why? Why, why, why?”

Song Tingyun’s head throbbed from the noise. He raised a hand and pushed the approaching person away a little, saying, “If you break up with your ex, would you still be friends with them?”

“I don’t have an ex, how would I know?” Ji Wenxu didn’t see the connection.

Song Tingyun’s fingers were still typing on the keyboard, and he still didn’t look up. “Oh, no wonder.”

“What do you mean?”

“Only people who haven’t been in a relationship would think they can be friends after breaking up.”

“Ha, so you’ve been in one?” Ji Wenxu found it ridiculous.

Song Tingyun’s lips slowly curved into a smile. He lied without changing his expression: “It’s normal for someone my age to have dated, isn’t it?”

“True.” Ji Wenxu crossed his arms and agreed. After all, Song Tingyun’s appearance was excellent; even if his temper was bad, someone would probably endure it for that face.

“Wait.” Ji Wenxu realized. “What’s the connection between those two things?”