My Best Friend's Crush Is A Spoiled, Dramatic Girl [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 3

An Expert at Feigning Tears and Acting Like a Spoiled Brat × A Cold-Faced…

Ji Tan’s tantrum was like that of a child, and the tears falling from his clear, candy-like, light-colored eyes were even warm. Ji Yunxin, however, felt utterly unfamiliar with this side of Ji Tan.

Ji Tan had arrived at the Ji residence when he was not yet six, staying for less than half a year before being adopted by Ji Yuan and leaving. Ji Yunxin’s memories of Ji Tan were still frozen on the day before he was taken away. Ji Tan, only half a head taller than the staircase railing, had stood high above, quietly looking down at Ji Yunxin, who had tumbled to the bottom of the stairs. His beautiful amber eyes held no emotion, as if he were staring at a lifeless, inanimate object. That day, as Ji Yunxin rolled to the bottom and clutched his arm, which hurt even more than it did today, he had looked up to find Ji Tan’s glaze-like eyes filled with the simplest, purest malice. It was like an elegant cat, on a sudden whim, extending its claws toward an expensive porcelain vase to see if it would shatter. Pushing him down the stairs had been exactly like that for Ji Tan. He did not feel he had done anything wrong, nor did he possess the ability to distinguish right from wrong.

Now, watching the clear, crystal-like teardrops slide from Ji Tan’s long, curled lashes, a sight both dreamlike and deeply unsettling, Ji Yunxin subconsciously reached out to touch Ji Tan’s snow-white cheek, which was dampened by tears.

“Tuantuan.” Zhou Wenbo turned slightly and skillfully pulled the aggrieved, weeping Ji Tan into his arms. He used his twin brother as a target without hesitation, standing united with Ji Tan. “If he lies, it is a character flaw. Why are you crying?”

Ji Yunxin’s fingertips had just grazed Ji Tan’s tender chin, coming away stained with the warmth of his tears. Ji Yunxin withdrew his hand, stunned.

Ji Tan was beyond furious with Zhou She. He had spent two months acting in front of Zhou Wenbo, only to end up exposing himself. Ji Tan sobbed incessantly, “Mom said I am stupid and bad, and told me to be more obedient.” But what was the point of him being obedient if others were not? Who knew someone could be even worse than him, lying through their teeth so blatantly? Lying was one thing, but couldn’t he have been faster? If he had spoken before him, Ji Tan would not have had to admit anything. It was so annoying.

Zhou Wenbo chuckled as he pulled out a napkin to wipe Ji Tan’s tears, comforting him. “Tuantuan is already very obedient; it is Zhou She who is not.”

Ji Tan tried to hold back his tears, but after struggling for a long time, he could not stop. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, and he buried his head in Zhou Wenbo’s chest, sobbing again. Mom, pretending to be a good person to get married is truly difficult; there are bad people among the crowd.

Zhou Wenbo stroked the back of Ji Tan’s fluffy, curly head, his eyes brimming with smiles, and secretly kissed the tips of Ji Tan’s ears, which were red from crying. The heart is a very precise organ, and the doctor who treats it requires equally sharp eyes. Zhou Wenbo’s fingertips brushed across the jawline Ji Yunxin had just touched, easily capturing the undisguised hostility in Ji Yunxin’s eyes. Ji Yunxin’s pupils constricted as he saw the intimate kiss Zhou Wenbo bestowed upon Ji Tan, hidden from the world. This had already crossed the boundary of Ji Yuan entrusting Ji Tan to the care of the Zhou family.

Ji Yunxin stood up abruptly. The friction between his chair and the marble floor produced a piercing, sharp screech that was enough to focus all eyes on him. Ji Yunxin controlled the tone of his voice, which was on the verge of cracking, and gave a reasonable excuse. “Tantan, you have class in the afternoon. Older brother will take you to school.” He just wanted to take Ji Tan away from Zhou Wenbo’s arms.

Ji Tan, who had almost finished crying, shivered when he heard the word “class.” Ji Yuan did not allow him to skip class. With tears in his eyes, he said in a panic, “Dr. Zhou, I should go to school.”

“Alright,” Zhou Wenbo agreed. “I will take you after I pay the bill.”

Ji Tan wiped his tears and nodded. Zhou Wenbo glanced past the tense Ji Yunxin across from them. Different parents, what kind of brother does that make him?

“Do not wipe it with your hands,” Zhou Wenbo said, holding Ji Tan’s wrist to stop him from roughly scrubbing his own face. His tone shifted slightly. “What else did Aunt Ji say?”

Ji Tan allowed Zhou Wenbo to hold his chin and wipe away the tears, remembering the bill Zhou Wenbo had mentioned. “Mom told me not to let other people spend my money.”

Zhou Wenbo responded to Ji Tan’s cute, non-subtle hint. “I will pay.”

Zhou Wenbo laughed softly as he lifted Ji Tan from his lap and left with his arm around Ji Tan’s shoulder. As he passed Ji Yunxin, he gave a polite nod. “Teacher Ji, let Zhou She take you; I will take Tuantuan.”

Ji Yunxin wanted to give chase, but he was stopped by Zhou She behind him. “I will take you.”

Ji Yunxin stopped in his tracks. Zhou She looked up to see Ji Tan, being led away by Zhou Wenbo, turning his head back every few steps. When he saw Zhou She, he pouted and looked ready to cry again, only to be forced to look forward by the attentive Zhou Wenbo, who pressed a finger to his brow. Ji Tan cried several times every time he met Zhou Wenbo, for various reasons, but cry he must. If Zhou Wenbo were not his own flesh and blood, he would have suspected him of having a sadistic streak.

Zhou Wenbo paid the bill, and Zhou She had no choice but to take Ji Yunxin back to school. Ji Yunxin did not even have the energy to refuse as he sat in Zhou She’s car. It was rarely possible to schedule a meeting with Zhou She; now that he was sitting in his car, his thoughts were almost entirely occupied by Ji Tan.

The half-hour drive was short. Before getting out, Ji Yunxin finally could not help but ask, “What is the relationship between Ji Tan and Zhou Wenbo?” Ji Tan had no affection in his eyes, yet he behaved intimately with Zhou Wenbo. Did Zhou Wenbo deceive Ji Tan? Does Ji Tan know Zhou Wenbo’s intentions? How did Zhou Wenbo get close to Ji Tan? These questions were stuck in Ji Yunxin’s heart, clawing at him, and he wanted a clear answer.

Clearly, Zhou She was not the type to answer every question asked of him. He lifted his eyelids coldly. “Not sure. We have arrived,” Zhou She reminded him.

Ji Yunxin got out of the car in a daze, still gripping the door frame. “Tomorrow is Ji Enyi’s coming-of-age birthday banquet. Will you go?” If Zhou She went, Zhou Wenbo would certainly go too. As the eldest of the Ji family, he had the responsibility of looking after his younger brothers, and even if Ji Tan was his step-brother, he was still his brother.

“I will go.”

That single word from Zhou She settled Ji Yunxin’s heart. That is good. Ji Yunxin closed the car door for Zhou She. He had never known that a single day of waiting could be so agonizing.

The next day, Ji Yunxin had evening classes, but he could not wait; he skipped class early to rush back.

“Little Tan has a good face, with pearls hidden in his mouth,” the elder Mr. Ji said kindly. “He is a blessed child.”

Ji Tan had not truly suffered any hardships until now. He grew up with his father until he was five, and after his father passed away, he was sent to his mother’s remarried household, only to be adopted by the elder sister of his mother’s new husband at age six. Ji Yuan raised him to adulthood and passed away two years after Ji Tan started college, leaving him a villa and twenty million in inheritance. Ji Tan’s future had been arranged clearly and plainly for him by others.

“Since Ji Yuan adopted him, I have always treated Little Tan as my own grandson and a member of the Ji family,” Mr. Ji said, his loose eyelids covering eyes that had seen the vicissitudes of life. “I spoke with Pei Yi on the phone a few days ago, and she also intends to let Little Tan and Xiao She get married.”

“Grandfather,” Ji Yunxin spoke hastily, forcing a smile under the gaze of everyone in the room. “Marriage is a good thing, but we must also ask whether Ji Tan and Lawyer Zhou are willing.”

Ji Yunxin had been someone people could trust since he was a child, whether he was asked to take care of his half-brother with congenital heart disease or his step-brother with whom he shared no blood. He had always given his all. No one felt his words were abrupt; instead, they thought Ji Yunxin was thoughtful and a responsible brother.

Mr. Ji tapped Ji Yunxin’s arm in appreciation and laughed heartily. “Yunxin, do not worry; Little Tan and Xiao She get along very well.” Mr. Ji looked around the room, finally gazing kindly at Zhou She, who sat opposite him, lowering his eyes and listening quietly. “Pei Yi told me that she arranged for you and Little Tan to meet two months ago, and I heard you got along quite well.”

People in their old age are always keen to arrange marriages for the younger generation, wanting to see them all have a good future. Not to mention a marriage arrangement made by the elders of both sides, the two children had not argued against them with notions of feudal superstition or outdated customs, but instead had used this fate to come together. How could that not make them happy?

Mr. Ji said happily to Zhou She, “Little Tan is blessed; he will bring you prosperity.”

Zhou She sat on the brown leather sofa. He was not dressed very formally; his black shirt had two buttons undone, revealing a hidden silver-patterned intricate vine design that crossed his visible pectoral muscles and converged at his lean waist and abdomen. Zhou She’s face, highlighted by the cold silver light, looked even more like a still, silent sculpture.

Ji Yunxin’s anxiety surged. The two families were discussing the marriage between Ji Tan and Zhou She, so what role did Zhou Wenbo play in all of this? That day, Ji Tan had clearly been closer to Zhou Wenbo. Ji Yunxin looked away. “Grandfather, has Ji Tan not arrived yet?”

Mr. Ji was stunned for a moment before realizing. “Yes, why has Little Tan not arrived yet?”

“My brother went to pick him up.” Zhou She, who had been silent until now, finally spoke, his voice carrying a metallic coldness.

Ji Yunxin’s eyelids twitched uncontrollably. He realized belatedly that if Ji Tan and Zhou Wenbo were closer, why had Zhou She not refuted his grandfather’s words just now?

Ji Yunxin could no longer sit still. He stood up. “They should be here soon. I will go and pick them up.” Mr. Ji naturally agreed.

Ji Enyi’s coming-of-age birthday party was not an elaborate affair, mainly because Ji Enyi had a bad heart and could not handle the exhaustion. The Ji family invited a few close relatives, and once Ji Enyi came downstairs at eight o’clock to cut the cake and finish dinner, the party would be over.

Ji Tan did not arrive too late, it was seven-thirty. Ji Tan did not want to eat with the Ji family; he was annoyed. What he wanted to participate in was the discussion of the marriage between the Zhou and Ji families after dinner.

Zhou Wenbo had not told Ji Tan that Zhong Peiyi had not come today, so no marriage of any kind would be decided tonight.

“I was on a business trip for three days, and I performed a surgery the moment I returned yesterday,” Zhou Wenbo pinched Ji Tan’s pouting lips, his eyes full of smiles, and said deliberately, “Tuantuan, I was in such a hurry to have dinner with you, but you started crying the moment you saw me.”

Ji Tan stopped and turned his head, not understanding Zhou Wenbo’s meaning.

Zhou Wenbo raised an eyebrow and continued. “After dinner, I sent you back to school. Your schedule is full, and it was hard enough to see you again tonight, yet Tuantuan looks unhappy again.”

Ji Tan tried his best to understand Zhou Wenbo’s meaning and explained, “I am not unhappy with Dr. Zhou.”

“But Tuantuan does not miss me,” Zhou Wenbo lowered his head slightly, gently stroking Ji Tan’s fair, tender cheek. “Is three days of separation so short that you have no joy at our reunion when you see me, Tuantuan?”

Whether Ji Tan was unhappy or crying, his interactions with Zhou Wenbo were no different than usual. But this time, three days were missing in the middle. Passionate lovers would have felt joy at their reunion after such a short time, even if just a little. Ji Tan, who had never perceived such emotions, was stunned.

Zhou Wenbo glanced past Ji Tan’s confused, bewildered eyes, pressed a finger to his brow, and pretended to sigh. “Tuantuan has not said that he missed me.”

Ji Tan blinked, learning very quickly. “I was thinking of Dr. Zhou.”

A smile rose to the corner of Zhou Wenbo’s lips, his clear eyes resembling a lake rippling with waves. He did not care whether Ji Tan only viewed him as a candidate for marriage; since Ji Tan had agreed to date him, he had the right to require Ji Tan to fulfill the obligations of a boyfriend.

Zhou Wenbo scanned the figures hidden in the depths of the Ji family courtyard, his fingertips slowly rubbing the soft flesh on Ji Tan’s lips. The night added a layer of ambiguous seduction to Zhou Wenbo’s clear voice. “Where are the little pearls hidden in Tuantuan’s mouth? Should Dr. Zhou go in and find them, hmm?”