I’m Dating My Big Brother’s Roommate Online and I’m Way Too Cute! - Chapter 7

Ji: [You scared me. I thought you found me annoying and did not want to talk to me anymore.]

Ji: [I almost cried just now.]

Ji: [Brother, you must keep your word. No taking it back!]

To express his supposed excitement, Ji Yan sent three messages in a row.

Zhuo: [I will not take it back.]

Ji: [I like you, brother!]

Zhuo Yu’ang let out a light chuckle.

Zhuo: [It is late. Goodnight.]

Ji: [Fingertips poking together emoji.]

Zhuo: [You still do not want to sleep? I am only human, not a god.]

Ji: [I only want a little bit more of your time.]

Zhuo: [Speak.]

Ji: [It is so late. Who were you on the phone with?]

Zhuo Yu’ang found this amusing.

Zhuo: [You are not even my girlfriend yet, and you are already checking up on me?]

Ji Yan was indeed checking up on him. He had an intuition that a jerk staying on the phone late at night was definitely up to no good. He was likely flirting or pestering Guo Ying. Regardless, it was not anything decent.

Ji: [I am not.]

By displaying a hint of possessiveness at the right moment, he hoped to feed the jerk’s ego, making him feel that girls were competing for him. This was intended to please him.

However, Ji Yan did not truly understand this mindset.

Back in second grade, girls used to pull each other’s hair just to be on his team for a game. He had not felt happy then. He had simply said, “I do not really want to play with you guys,” which resulted in the girls rolling their eyes at him in unison. In sixth grade, boys and girls had gotten into physical fights on the court over him. Even at his middle school graduation, the person delivering flowers was delayed because people were fighting over the limited bouquets. He had simply bowed and left. It was not until high school that his older brother pointed out the truth: this was called jealousy.

The jerk replied to the message.

Zhuo: [It was for a club activity. Someone had business with me.]

Ji: [Oh. In the middle of the night?]

Zhuo: [You little rascal. Do you think nothing serious happens late at night?]

Ji: [Are you scolding me?]

Zhuo Yu’ang explained further.

Zhuo: [The Youth Volunteers Association has a public welfare project. We need the proposal in two days, but the person in charge suddenly had to go to the hospital.]

The Youth Volunteers Association existed in many high schools. It was managed by the Youth League Committee and focused on social practice for students. In universities, these associations were larger and more professional, working closely with social welfare organizations. Whether the jerk was telling the truth or not, Ji Yan knew that pestering him further would be annoying. He decided to stop at the right time.

Ji: [I understand. You have worked hard, brother.]

Ji: [But you seemed to be mean to me just now.]

Ji: [I want compensation.]

He had learned this trick from his older brother. During the Spring Festival, he had overheard his brother on the phone. Someone had been firm with his brother, and his brother had acted spoiled in exactly this way.

Zhuo: [What kind of compensation do you want?]

Ji Yan’s goal was clear.

Ji: [I want you to be my boyfriend. Shy emoji.]

Zhuo: [In your dreams.]

Ji Yan was not surprised by this response. After all, this was no ordinary jerk. With his looks, physique, and academic success, he was never short of suitors. It would take time to reel him in.

Ji: [Fine. I can only dream about it for now.]

It was getting very late. Just as he was about to say goodnight, the jerk messaged again.

Zhuo: [But since you are working so hard to pursue me, I will bring you a gift.]

Ji Yan sat cross-legged on his bed, his eyebrows knitting together as he read the message.

Ji: [How are you going to bring me a gift?]

Zhuo: [I have my ways.]

Ji: [Okay!]

Zhuo: [I am going to sleep. Goodnight.]

Ji Yan said goodnight as well. For a split second, he had almost worried that Zhuo Yu’ang knew his home address because he sounded so certain. But upon further thought, he dismissed it as just another routine of a playboy’s sweet talk, the kind of thing said and forgotten instantly.

He went to brush his teeth and, before sleeping, bundled the chat history and sent it to Guo Ying. Without a word, Guo Ying blocked the jerk’s WeChat and deleted his phone number.

The next day was the grand opening of his cousin’s coffee shop. Ji Yan’s parents, his uncle, his aunt, and Guo Jia all attended. After a period of excitement, those who had to work went to work, and those who wanted to fish went fishing. Only a few people remained in the shop.

There was a promotion for the first day, but the coffee shop was not in the city center. The location was a bit remote, so customers were scarce. After making one cup of coffee, they often had to wait over half an hour for the next customer.

With so much free time, Ji Yan’s plan to bait the jerk proceeded without delay. To test if the other party was serious about replying to every message, he messaged him frequently throughout the day.

“Oh? Are you in love?” Ji Yanyan suddenly stood behind him. She stood on her tiptoes and peeked over his shoulder with a smile.

Ji Yan quickly flipped his phone over. “Sort of.”

“What do you mean sort of? You either are or you are not.”

“It is a bit complicated.”

Guo Jia had a big mouth, but Ji Yan did not.

“Then I will not ask more,” his cousin said reasonably. “If you have a date, just let me know and I will give you the day off. I already feel bad asking you to help during your holidays.”

“Sister, you are paying me, so do not feel bad,” Ji Yan said. “I want to earn some money to buy a new guitar.”

“Alright. I am heading out for a bit. You and Dan watch the shop.”

Ji Yan nodded. Once he was free again, he messaged Zhuo Yu’ang. His tall figure stood behind the counter, head slightly bowed, with his soft hair falling over his brow. Dressed in black and wearing a clean coffee-colored apron, he looked sharp and efficient.

He typed with one hand.

Ji: [Brother! What are you doing right now?]

The content of the message did not match his cool exterior at all. It took about ten minutes for a reply to arrive. The other party was likely busy.

Zhuo: [At the association, handing in the proposal for the public welfare activity.]

Ji: [Yes. Squeeze, squeeze, squeeze.]

Zhuo: [?]

Ji: [I think you are working very hard, so I am giving you a shoulder massage.]

Zhuo: [Oh. My mind went somewhere else.]

Ji Yan was silent. If the jerk had not mentioned his mind going somewhere else, Ji Yan would not have thought anything of it. But the suggestion made him realize what the jerk was implying.

How lewd!

Zhuo: [I will talk to you after I finish my work.]

Ji: [Okay.]

An hour passed.

Ji: [Are you finished yet?]

Zhuo: [Not yet, but soon.]

Ji: [What kind of public welfare activity is it?]

Zhuo: [Educational assistance, psychological counseling, and career planning.]

Ji: [Brother, I have not joined any clubs yet. When school starts, can I apply to join the Youth Volunteers Association? I want to do meaningful things with you.]

He added a clarification.

Ji: [Normal, meaningful things.]

Nanhuai University, Youth Volunteers Association Meeting Room

Liu Yan was very satisfied with the proposal Zhuo Yu’ang had rushed through the night. After adding some details, she began assigning tasks. At that moment, Zhuo Yu’ang stared at his phone and suddenly laughed.

“Zhuo Yu’ang, you actually laughed at your phone,” Liu Yan said bluntly. “Are you in a relationship?”

As soon as she said this, several pairs of eyes snapped toward him. As a prominent figure at Nanhuai University and a top student in the eyes of professors, his every move was scrutinized. If he were in a relationship, it would cause a sensation across the campus.

Zhuo Yu’ang looked up with a smile. “No.”

He added, “Someone is just pursuing me.”

The fact that someone was pursuing him was not surprising at all. Liu Yan tapped her pen on the table to bring everyone’s attention back. “Alright, let us continue with the arrangements.”

“You guys keep at it. I am leaving first,” Zhuo Yu’ang closed his laptop and stood up. He had already cleared his absence for the summer due to lab conflicts.

“Thanks for your help this time,” Liu Yan said. “Let us grab a meal together another day.”

“You are welcome.”

Outside the office, the smile returned to his eyes. He had actually managed to make the younger brother flustered. Though he knew Ji Yan was likely just saying it casually, he did not expose him.

Zhuo: [Okay. I will wait for you to join.]

Ji: [I am so happy!]

The sound of wind chimes rang out as three girls and two boys entered the shop to order coffee. Ji Yan put away his phone and got to work. After a busy period of washing dishes, his alarm went off. It was exactly 11:00 AM.

Ji: [Brother, health is the foundation of everything. Remember to eat a good lunch.]

Zhuo: [I am on my way to the cafeteria now.]

Ji: [Good!]

Back at the shop, his cousin had ordered food. Along with Guo Jia, who was there for a free meal, the four of them sat together. Guo Jia leaned in close to Ji Yan’s face as Ji Yan chatted while eating.

Ji: [What are you doing this afternoon?]

Zhuo: [Going to the lab.]

Ji: [That sounds very impressive.]

Ji: [Brother, why are you so excellent?]

Ji: [I think I am somewhat good-looking, but compared to someone with a truly charming personality, I fall far short. That is why I admire you and like you, but I am also afraid to meet you.]

Guo Jia stared at the messages Ji Yan was sending, completely stunned. He had worried his friend would be too awkward or shy to play the part, but he had completely underestimated Ji Yan’s ability. These compliments would make anyone surrender.

“You are good at this. High emotional intelligence. Impressive,” Guo Jia could not help but praise him.

Ji Yan replied, “I have heard my dad sucking up to his bosses on the phone too many times. I just processed it a bit.”

The jerk, however, told him to keep the compliments coming. Even with plenty of kind words, Ji Yan was running out of things to say. But just as the jerk had promised, he replied to every message, though sometimes faster than others.

Ji Yan and Guo Jia walked toward the outdoor basketball court. Ji Yan’s part-time shift ran from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM.

“This scum is definitely hooked,” Guo Jia said, tossing the basketball. “Keep it up, man. It won’t be long before he falls head over heels for you.”

“Once he falls in love with me, I will reveal the truth and scare him to death.”

“Hahahaha!”

However, a few days later, the real jerk used a different phone number to contact Guo Ying. He was still persistent and even wanted to meet in person to explain and reconcile.

Guo Jia ran to consult with Ji Yan. They could no longer take it slow. They needed to turn up the heat, have Ji Yan become the jerk’s girlfriend officially, take control of him, gather evidence of his cheating to post on the university forum, and then break up after dealing a heavy blow.

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