My Best Friend's Crush Is A Spoiled, Dramatic Girl [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 6

Zhou She held his hand tightly, covering more than half of Ji Tan’s face.

Ji Tan’s soft, tender cheeks were pressed between Zhou She’s fingers, and the warm, moist breath from his mouth and nose was trapped in the palm of Zhou She’s hand, tickling his sensitive nerve endings.

“Mmph,” Ji Tan scrambled to pull Zhou She’s hand away from his face, asking unhappily, “What are you doing?”

Zhou She acknowledged that he was mentally unsettled by what Zhou Wenbai had said last night: “You can think of yourself as me.”

He and Zhou Wenbai were two completely separate individuals, even if they were twins with identical faces. Neither he nor Zhou Wenbai liked being mistaken for the other. By mutual agreement, they had completely distanced themselves from each other through their hairstyles, attire, and temperament. No one who had met them both could possibly mistake them for one another, yet Ji Tan was the exception.

However, Zhou Wenbai had an incredibly high tolerance for Ji Tan, and as a result, Ji Tan was so spoiled by him that he refused to put any effort into distinguishing between the two. After all, Zhou Wenbai would never get angry at Ji Tan, and as for him, he was just a stranger to Ji Tan, and his opinions were irrelevant.

“Do you like Zhou Wenbai?” Zhou She asked, his pronunciation light and tinged with irony.

Ji Tan seemed not to notice and nodded affirmatively. “I do.”

Zhou She lifted his eyelids to look at him. “And yet, you cannot tell me apart from Zhou Wenbai.”

Ji Tan choked for a moment, then argued reasonably, “If I had an identical twin brother, you would not be able to tell us apart, either.”

Zhou She cast a cold glance at Ji Tan before retracting his gaze and pressing the elevator button. The silver elevator reflected Zhou She’s cold, stern face. Ji Tan thought he had convinced Zhou She, so he followed him inside when the elevator doors opened.

As the doors slowly closed, the mirror in the elevator reflected Ji Tan’s clear, amber eyes. As the angle of the light from the ceiling shifted, Ji Tan’s light-colored pupils appeared exceptionally calm for a few moments.

Zhou She watched him and said, “There is no other idiot in this world like you.”

Ji Tan stared at Zhou She gloomily. “Except for Mom, only you call me an idiot.”

Zhou She lowered his eyes and gave a perfunctory, “Oh. Since you think twins are exactly the same, I have said it, and Zhou Wenbai must have said it, too.”

The elevator dinged open, and Zhou She walked out leisurely. Ji Tan stood where he was, questioning his existence.

Neither Zhou She nor Ji Tan had any intention of eating breakfast at the Ji household; Zhou She did not eat breakfast, and Ji Tan always had the illusion that if he ate halfway while looking at Ji Enyi’s pale face, Ji Enyi would be sent to the emergency room again. It was better to get to school quickly and review.

The outdoor temperature on the autumn morning was less than ten degrees. Zhou She’s peripheral vision swept over Ji Tan’s small, curly hair, which was flattened by the wind. “Close the car window.” His ears were frozen red, yet he was still letting the wind blow on him.

Ji Tan operated the window button, leaving a narrow gap for himself.

Zhou She felt the cool breeze brushing across his face. He did not even look at Ji Tan and said, “Close it all the way.”

Ji Tan stopped moving. “I am hot.”

“If you were sitting in Ji Yunxin’s car this morning, you could open it however you liked,” Zhou She said concisely. “But right now, you are in my car. Close it.”

Ji Tan retorted, “Dr. Zhou asked me to sit in your car.”

Zhou She ignored him, manipulated the main control panel, and locked Ji Tan’s window tightly. The thick glass blocked the whistling wind of the traffic; the noise inside the car disappeared abruptly, and it took a few seconds for their eardrums to adjust to the silence.

“Are you always this obedient?” Ji Tan said, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

Ji Tan furrowed his brows. “Mom told me to be more obedient.”

Zhou She’s car stopped at the entrance of Ji Tan’s university, the brakes engaging automatically. “I told you to close the window, and you did not?”

Ji Tan had his own logic. “Of course I can only listen to one person. If I listened to everyone, I would be spinning in circles all day.”

Zhou She turned his head. Ji Tan’s fair, tender cheeks were stained with faint red finger marks. He was confused for a moment; did he really use that much force this morning? Zhou She instinctively pulled Ji Tan’s face toward him and rubbed his fingertips over the skin, trying to erase the red marks. Unfortunately, Ji Tan’s tender face was rubbed redder by Zhou She’s calloused fingertips, staining them with a crimson hue.

The confusion in Zhou She’s eyes deepened. He grabbed Ji Tan’s wrist, noticing that the thread-like red mark on the tender white skin fit perfectly with the web of his own thumb. It was a miracle that Ji Tan had managed to survive until now. As for what Zhou Wenbai found so satisfying, he probably understood it now.

“What are you doing?” Ji Tan was baffled by Zhou She’s series of actions.

Zhou She let go of his hand, his tone returning to its previous coldness. “Get out of the car.”

Ji Tan reached into the back seat for his schoolbag and boldly flipped Zhou She off. “I will definitely tell Dr. Zhou. You are bullying me.”

Zhou She said nothing, like a stone without emotions. Ji Tan felt as if he had punched a pillow, and he got out of the car, feeling unconvinced.

The exams for Ji Tan’s elective courses were about a month earlier than those for his required courses. As the exams approached, students who usually skipped elective classes showed up on time, terrified of missing the topics the teachers had highlighted for the exams. Ji Tan had never skipped a class. Just as he had said, he was very obedient.

Ji Tan’s last class was an elective taught by Ji Yunxin about art, though Ji Tan could not quite remember the details since he had no interest in art. In any case, elective teachers were lenient. As long as one’s attendance record did not look too bad, one would pass. Ji Yunxin also maintained this unspoken university rule.

“Let Zhou She take you back.” Ji Tan’s phone buzzed, displaying a new message from Zhou Wenbai.

“Okay.” Ji Tan opened the chat box and replied.

Ji Tan was accustomed to being entrusted to others, just as he had been entrusted to his mother after his father died, and just as Cheng Jiayan had entrusted him to Ji Yuan when she did not want him. Even after Ji Yuan died, despite being an adult with a large inheritance, Ji Tan had chosen someone else to whom he could entrust himself. Ji Tan did not feel this was bad; as long as someone was managing him, he would not grow up messy. There would always be someone to prune his overgrown branches.

When Ji Tan attended Ji Yunxin’s class, he always tried to avoid him. When class ended and Ji Yunxin wanted to find him, Ji Tan would disappear. Over time, Ji Yunxin gave up. Ji Tan did not know where Zhou She would pick him up, as he did not have Zhou She’s contact information.

Ji Tan wandered aimlessly.

“Lawyer Zhou, do you have a moment to chat?” Ji Tan recognized this as Ji Yunxin’s voice.

Zhou She’s voice was incredibly unsympathetic. “I am picking someone up. No time.”

Ji Yunxin said quickly, “Just a few minutes. It will not delay you.”

Zhou She did not speak, seemingly signaling for Ji Yunxin to speak quickly. Ji Yunxin’s neck turned red with nervousness; he swallowed hard, as if struggling to build up the courage.

“The arranged marriage between the Zhou and Ji families,” Ji Yunxin began, his face cooling as he looked at Zhou She directly. “If possible, I hope Lawyer Zhou can consider marrying me.”

Zhou She’s gaze tightened. He had not expected Ji Yunxin to bring this up. “I do not want to get married,” he answered, his tone stiff and decisive.

Zhou She turned to leave, only to be stopped by Ji Yunxin. “Then what about Tan Tan? If you do not marry me, then Tan Tan will have to…”

Zhou She frowned and interrupted, “Do you want to marry me, or do you just not want Ji Tan to get married?”

Zhou She’s question was sharp. The Zhou and Ji families had always favored Ji Tan and Zhou She. If the Zhou side had been represented by Zhou Wenbai, they would never have pushed Ji Tan out. For Ji Tan, this was not a two-way arranged marriage. By marrying Zhou She, the target of Ji Tan’s arranged marriage was Zhou She. Without Zhou She, Ji Tan would have no such engagement. Ji Tan did not understand the underlying reasons, but as a member of the Ji family, it was impossible for Ji Yunxin to be unaware. So, did Ji Yunxin really want to marry Zhou She, or did he just want to snatch Ji Tan’s marriage opportunity?

Ji Yunxin paused, then said, “I have actually liked you for a long time. You might not remember me, but we were in the same school in elementary and middle school. After you and Brother Zhou went abroad in high school, I never saw you again.”

Zhou She remained unmoved. “I will not get married.”

Ji Yunxin seemed to have expected this. His smile felt strained. “Alright then, I will not disturb you.”

Ji Yunxin turned and left. Zhou She’s sharp eyes caught Ji Tan poking half of his head out from behind a wall. “Come out.”

Ji Tan walked over, curiously watching Ji Yunxin’s dejected back. “Why did you not agree to him?”

Zhou She glanced at the red marks on Ji Tan’s cheeks that had not completely faded, feeling even more annoyed. “Are your eyes failing you, or are your ears?”

Ji Tan had heard Zhou She say he would not get married, but was that not just an excuse people used to reject others? Many people who claimed they did not want to get married eventually got married anyway. Ji Tan had attended many such weddings with Ji Yuan. Counting them on his fingers, the only one who had not married was Ji Yuan.

Ji Tan suddenly asked, “Does it have anything to do with me that you do not want to get married?”

Zhou She’s brow furrowed tightly. Looking at Ji Tan’s sincere expression, he gave a cold, mocking laugh. “Do you really think your charm is so great that…”

“Are you traumatized because I am dating Dr. Zhou?” Ji Tan asked, interrupting in confusion. “Otherwise, why do you not want to get married?”

Ji Tan was not as narcissistic as Zhou She thought; he just had a different kind of narcissism, thinking that he influenced the whole world.

The emotion in Zhou She’s eyes suddenly dissipated. He stared at Ji Tan for a few seconds. “It is good that you know.”

“If I had a partner like you, I would rather… Ji Tan?” Before Zhou She could finish, his words were cut short by Ji Tan, whose body had gone limp and was collapsing uncontrollably.

Zhou She reacted quickly, grabbing Ji Tan’s waist. Ji Tan fell into his arms, completely devoid of strength. Ji Tan leaned against Zhou She’s chest, feeling dizzy, and started complaining, “I am going to call Dr. Zhou. You badmouthed me and made me so angry I fainted.”

Zhou She felt Ji Tan’s burning forehead and felt a bit more at ease. He scooped Ji Tan up into his arms. “You really are a troublemaker.”

Catching a high fever from the autumn wind—there was no one else like him.

“I have never seen anyone less obedient than you.” Zhou She’s light remark dismissed all of Ji Tan’s efforts over the years. Even though Ji Tan disagreed and felt unconvinced, he had no strength to retort to Zhou She.

“No crying, hold it back.” Zhou She even closed off Ji Tan’s only remaining outlet for venting.

Ji Tan pouted and honestly let Zhou She drive him to the hospital. Zhou She trapped Ji Tan’s writhing body, covering his eyes as well. “Stop moving. You could not even handle the needle; do you want a second one?”

Ji Tan overcame his fear and leaned tightly into Zhou She’s chest, keeping his hand, which was being pricked by the needle, as still as a piece of wood.

“After this bag of anti-inflammatory medicine, just hang half a bag of saline,” the young nurse said, adjusting the drip speed.

Zhou She politely thanked the nurse and slowly removed his hand from over Ji Tan’s eyes. Because he had not used much force in the morning, the light redness on Ji Tan’s thin eyelids was purely because Ji Tan had scared himself and shed two tears. Only then did Zhou She realize that Ji Tan’s delicate face was not so fragile that it would stay red for an entire day; the beautiful blush on his soft cheeks was actually caused by his high body temperature.

“Now what?” Zhou She saw Ji Tan’s light-colored eyes looking at him from time to time and frowned. “Do you find the hospital chair too cold or too hard?”

It was no wonder Zhou She asked this; when Ji Tan sat in his car in the morning, he had actually asked if he could buy a soft cushion on the way, complaining that the seat was too hard and cold. Zhou She’s work schedule required him to punch in on time, so he had rejected Ji Tan’s unreasonable request.

Ji Tan nodded, then shook his head. Ji Tan felt the hospital chair was not very comfortable, but he did not want Zhou She to think he was too much trouble.

“Game ‘True Love’ affection line has shifted. The main lead, Zhou She, has rejected the main lead Ji Yunxin’s confession. Correction mode has been activated. Please cooperate, missioner.”

“Missioner, please detect whether the main lead Zhou She’s sexual orientation is set to the game’s male setting. Duration: three days.”

“Speak if you have something to say.” Ji Tan’s face was flushed, his misted eyes blurred by a temperature of 38.5 degrees. His hesitant, pitiful appearance made one want to pry his mouth open to make him speak.

Ji Tan, dazed, reached out to hug Zhou She’s neck, his voice sticky and somewhat aggrieved. “Dr. Zhou, can you hold me while I get my IV?”