Marrying the Scumbag Gong’s Villainous Older Brother [Transmigration] - Chapter 8

“Student, here is your coffee.”

“Thank you.”

The coffee shop near the school was packed in the evening. As luck would have it, a table by the window opened up just as Jing Xun walked in.

The vintage chandelier overhead cast a gentle, warm glow. Sitting by the wide, clean window, Jing Xun picked up the porcelain cup and took a sip. The rich aroma of the cappuccino drifted into his nose—a grand feast for the senses that made him instinctively curl his lips into a smile.

In the past, he hadn’t been allowed to drink coffee because of his heart condition. Now that he could finally taste it, he didn’t find it bitter at all; he only experienced the legendary fragrance.

Jing Xun took another sip, his smile widening. His brow rose slightly, and his gentle eyes were clear and bright. He seemed to possess a natural charm that influenced those around him; seeing his satisfied expression, even the shop owner felt a sense of pride.

Back at the bar, the young and beautiful owner grabbed a plate of cookies and personally delivered them to Jing Xun’s table.

“Student, these are a new item we just baked. Please, have a taste on the house.”

Jing Xun was flattered, looking a bit dazed, but his eyes still shimmered with light. He tilted his head back and smiled shyly. “Thank you.”

“Is the coffee good?” the owner asked with a smile. “You seem to really like it.”

“It’s delicious.” Jing Xun made no effort to hide his enjoyment, and the two chatted casually for a moment.

The shop was busy, so the owner soon left to attend to other guests. Jing Xun didn’t have to wait long before the “Gentleman with Long Legs” arrived.

The man was truly handsome; he attracted a wave of attention the moment he stepped into the cafe. Jing Xun even vaguely heard the girls at the next table discussing him. This tall man ignored the gazes and walked straight to Jing Xun’s side.

“Sorry, I had some things to handle. I kept you waiting.”

Jing Xun stood to greet him and gestured for him to sit. “I didn’t wait long. You were quite fast.”

“Mhm?” The man, having just sat down, raised an eyebrow slightly and then nodded slowly as if lost in thought.

Jing Xun: “Uh.” Why did the atmosphere suddenly feel strange…

Fortunately, seeing a new guest, the owner hurried over to take his order, breaking the odd tension. The gentleman ordered a fruit tea and took a moment to size up the owner, who was standing naturally close to Jing Xun’s side.

The owner caught his gaze, looked from one to the other, and suddenly had a look of realization. She smiled, winked at Jing Xun, and left of her own accord.

Jing Xun didn’t notice anything unusual. He only felt that ever since the owner left, the gentleman opposite had been staring fixedly at his face. Those peach blossom eyes, which should have been flirtatious, were like stagnant ice—cold and unreadable.

But perhaps because the man was too handsome and his presence was too strong, being stared at by someone like this inevitably made his heart race and his face flush.

“Is there a problem?” Even Jing Xun wasn’t immune.

Shen Yijin was indeed staring at Yan Jingxun. His gaze swept across the table. In the center sat a small square plate with two leftover cookies. In front of the youth was a half-finished cup of coffee and a half-eaten cookie.

The youth wore a pristine white shirt; his features were fair and well-proportioned. That half-eaten cookie was round and cute, but with a piece missing, it looked like a crescent moon bitten by a jade rabbit…

Shen Yijin shifted his gaze slightly. “There are cookie crumbs on the corner of your mouth.”

Jing Xun: !!!

…The cookies must have been too delicious just now. He had indulged and forgotten to maintain his image. He was waiting for someone, after all; even if it wasn’t intentional, it was quite impolite in front of a guest.

Feeling embarrassed, Jing Xun hurriedly grabbed a napkin to wipe it off. He missed the spot on his first try, so the man opposite had to raise his hand and gesture toward his own sharp-jawed face to show Jing Xun the direction. “Over here.”

“Okay, thanks,” Jing Xun said. He scrubbed the area again with the napkin.

He didn’t realize that this action made him look a bit like a greedy little rabbit caught eating, desperate to destroy the evidence. He only knew that when he looked up again, the “Gentleman with Long Legs” was slowly shaking his head, indicating it was still there.

Jing Xun: “…” No way. I wiped so thoroughly; it’s still not clean?!

Just then, the man picked up a fresh, unused napkin, leaned half-forward, and personally wiped away the chocolate residue from the corner of his lip.

Jing Xun: “…”

Ah, it was chocolate from the cookie…

That wasn’t the point. The point was that while the napkin touched and left quickly, for a split second, Jing Xun felt the man’s finger brush against his cheek.

A dry, slender finger. He still remembered the feeling of being touched and soothed by them.

Boom. This time it was more than just a blushing face and racing heart; it felt like being inside a giant oven. Blood rushed to his face, and his throat went dry.

“Ahem.” Jing Xun hurriedly lifted his coffee cup and took a large gulp.

Worried his reaction would be discovered, he really wanted to bury his head in the cup and never come out.

While “intently” drinking coffee, Jing Xun heard the man say: “It’s late. You should drink less coffee.”

“Mhm, okay.” Jing Xun nodded obediently, put the cup down as a matter of course, and said casually: “The coffee is quite good. I like it.”

Man: “Mhm.”

Jing Xun: “Mhm-mhm.”

…Wait, what are you ‘mhm-mhm’-ing for? Jing Xun felt his state of mind was becoming more and more erratic. He had clearly calmed down before the man arrived and had thought of various counter-strategies. Why did everything fall apart the moment this man sat down?

Was it because it was his first time drinking coffee and he wasn’t used to it? Over-excitement? It was a possibility.

But… Ah. He really wanted to rub his face. It was all because of that bit of chocolate!

Thinking this, Jing Xun actually raised his hands and unconsciously rubbed his flushed cheeks.

At the same time, the gentleman proposed: “I imagine you’re hungry. Why don’t we find a place to eat and talk?”

Clearly a man of action, he started to stand up as he spoke. But Jing Xun, snapping back to reality, reached out to stop him. “I think we should make things clear first before… deciding on the next step.”

He didn’t think much when he did it, only considering that their relationship was still very awkward and he didn’t want more involvement before figuring things out. But Jing Xun didn’t realize that because the table was narrow and they both had long limbs, space was limited. When he reached out, he accidentally brushed against the man’s cuff.

No one had ever dared to approach Shen Yijin like this before. Even just a simple, accidental touch.

The low-profile black sapphire cufflinks glinted with an introverted light. Shen Yijin looked down at the spot the youth had touched. He didn’t say anything, only accepted the suggestion: “Okay.”

Jing Xun didn’t dawdle. Once he adjusted his mindset and resolved to solve the problem, he was the calm and wise Jing Xun again.

After sitting back down, his expression turned serious, and he took the initiative: “I’m sorry, sir. I should apologize to you first. About that night… I didn’t mean to enter your room, let alone make that kind of request…”

“Mhm.” The man took over: “I am also responsible. I’m not blaming you.”

He looked directly at Jing Xun. Perhaps because they were sitting at the same level and he no longer looked so towering, Jing Xun felt he wasn’t as stern and intimidating as before. He felt slightly relieved.

The man’s deep voice rang out again—not loud, but clear: “I came today because I want to solve the problem together with you.”

“Mhm.” Jing Xun agreed with that.

However… the apology was made, and what happened had already happened. It couldn’t be undone. What other problem needed solving? Does he really want me to take responsibility? Jing Xun’s eyes widened slightly.

“Don’t be nervous.” The man smiled.

Or maybe he wasn’t exactly smiling—Jing Xun only heard the tail end of his voice rise slightly, but overall, his expression remained largely unchanged. Then he heard the man, in a voice more intoxicating than the lazy blues playing in the cafe, ask his opinion in all seriousness: “Perhaps I should ask you a few questions first. Is that okay?”

Jing Xun nodded dumbly: “Okay.”

“Are you currently single?”

Jing Xun: “Yes.”

“Do you have intentions to marry in the future?”

“…” He really hadn’t thought that far ahead. But he probably would, if he found the right person… Marriage would be a good experience. Jing Xun answered honestly: “Probably.”

“Meaning you don’t reject the idea of marriage?”

“I don’t.”

“Then, what do you think of me?”

“As a marriage partner.”

This time, Jing Xun was stuck. All sorts of “becauses” and “therefores” raced through his mind, but his powerful logical reasoning was useless right now. It took a long time before he found his train of thought: “Then can I ask you why you want to marry me?”

Seriously, he suspected he had accidentally walked into some hidden-camera prank show. Plenty of people had suddenly confessed to him before, usually introducing themselves as fans. But even then, someone coming out and asking for marriage… this gentleman was the first.

“Because we slept together.”

Clearly, he didn’t mind being questioned, and he answered very quickly. Judging by his tone, he was also extremely self-assured.

After a brief silence, the man seemed to realize the answer was a bit abrupt. A trace of helplessness flashed across his handsome, charming face, and he added: “I need you.”

The tone was very sincere. Unfortunately, Jing Xun didn’t understand.

“…You need me?”

“Yes.”

He explained: “It might be hard for you to accept it put this way, but you are the only one who can make me feel at peace. So far.”

Jing Xun: …?

What ‘I need you’ or ‘only you can make me feel at peace’… At first, Jing Xun, who rarely consumed movies or TV and didn’t understand romance, thought this was some kind of sweet talk.

Until the man took out his phone and showed him an electronic version of a psychiatric medical report.

Jing Xun: “…”

So sorry, I overthought it.

Jing Xun was very familiar with the format of such reports. He could read ten lines at a glance, and even without the man’s explanation, he quickly saw the point. It seemed this gentleman had a psychiatric disorder similar to mania—though the report called it “atypical,” meaning it differed from clinical mania.

But the important part was that Jing Xun’s presence made him feel… unusually relaxed? As if he had become a normal person??

“To summarize, you are special to me.” The gentleman’s voice was deeper and raspier than ever.

Jing Xun: “…”

This… is indeed quite special.