My Favorite Ship Became My Sister-in-Law - Chapter 24

“I need you.”

In the video call, seeing Shi Yue’s look of disappointment and loss, Ji Chenchuan seemed to hesitate for a moment. However, that hesitation vanished quickly. He ordered Shi Yue to go to sleep early and not stay up too late.

Shi Yue unhappily told Ji Chenchuan goodnight. Ji Chenchuan then hung up the video call.

The next day, after Shi Yue went to his tutoring class, Ji Chenchuan timed his walk to the community platform to coincide with He Lin’s departure. He feigned a chance encounter with her as she was headed to the market to buy dumpling wrappers for Shi Yue. As they walked back together, he casually brought up the subject of Shi Yue going to Zhejiang for tutoring.

He Lin mentioned that the course was ten days long. She had taken leave to accompany him, but she might have to leave for two or three days in the middle of the trip to handle work in Guangdong. Shi Jingsong was also busy during those days and could not get away. He Lin was so worried because Shi Yue was prone to illness when traveling to new environments. Even when returning to their hometown in Guangzhou, he would suffer from persistent vomiting due to the change in climate and water.

After listening, Ji Chenchuan said unhurriedly, “If both you and Uncle Shi are busy with work, I actually happen to be going to Hangzhou next week to handle some business with a classmate. Why do I not take Shi Yue with me? When you are busy, I can look after him for you. I am quite familiar with Hangzhou as well.”

He Lin thought this was perfect. Ji Chenchuan had attended university in Zhejiang, and the tutoring center was located near Zhejiang University, the area he knew best. He could take better care of Shi Yue than she could. However, she also felt embarrassed, feeling as though she was always troubling him.

While it was true that He Lin looked down on Ji Zhiruo, she greatly admired Ji Chenchuan. He was reliable, steady, and well-mannered. If Shi Yue were a daughter, she would have been delighted to welcome such a match.

“I am really troubling you too much, Chenchuan.”

“It is no trouble. It is on my way anyway.”

“Then I will book your flight and hotel together. I will have to ask you to take care of Yueyue during the days I am in Guangdong.” He Lin thought for a moment, looking at Ji Chenchuan with gratitude in her eyes. She added, “Actually, Chenchuan, I have been wanting to say thank you for a long time.”

“You do not need to be so polite with me, Aunt He,” Ji Chenchuan said.

“It is not being polite; I am truly grateful,” He Lin said. “To be honest, I feel a bit ashamed. Your Uncle Shi and I are always away on business, so we have often left Yueyue at your house. You have raised him like a biological brother. He relies on you even more than he does on his father or me. Having you there this time will surely make Yueyue very happy.”

Listening to He Lin’s words, Ji Chenchuan was acutely aware of his own feelings. Regarding the phrase “biological brother,” he felt a pang of guilt.

“When you get married in the future, I will definitely prepare a huge red envelope for you,” He Lin added with a smile.

Ji Chenchuan thought to himself that he hoped she would not be angry when the time comes, and the red envelope would not be necessary.

The tutoring class did not confiscate phones. As soon as the first period ended, Shi Yue impatiently sent a message asking if Ji Chenchuan had spoken to He Lin and what his mother had said.

Ji Chenchuan was half-reclined on the bay window reading. He reached for his phone to see Shi Yue’s WeChat message. After reading it, he could not help but chuckle. In a rare moment of mischief, he teased Shi Yue, “Aunt He did not agree. She said it was too much trouble for me.”

Shi Yue saw this and replied frantically, “My mother is just being polite! Do not believe her. As long as you say it is no trouble, she will agree.”

Afraid Ji Chenchuan would not believe him, Shi Yue sent another message, “Really, you have to believe me.”

Then another, “If you do not believe me, try again. She will definitely agree. Brother Chenchuan, my handsomest Brother Chenchuan, I need you.”

Sending so many messages in a row showed just how anxious Shi Yue was. Imagining Shi Yue’s furrowed brows and frantic expression, Ji Chenchuan could not help but laugh, yet he replied quite seriously, “I see. But I have already returned to my house.”

“No!”

“Without you, I will not be able to pay attention in class.”

“Save the child! Merciful Brother Chenchuan, I know you definitely have a way to make my mother agree.”

“Please.gif”

Shi Yue’s messages continued like a rapid-fire barrage. Knowing that Shi Yue was in class, Ji Chenchuan stopped teasing. He replied, “I was just joking. Aunt He agreed. Focus on your tutoring.”

Shi Yue: “Stunned.gif”

Shi Yue: “Brother Chenchuan, you have actually learned how to lie! Do you know what my expression is right now?”

“It is this.” After the text, Shi Yue sent a selfie where he was smiling heartlessly.

Looking at Shi Yue’s brilliant smile through the screen, Ji Chenchuan smiled as well.

“I thought it was just an excuse you made to reject me, but it seems you really do have a significant other!” The girl Shi Yue had rejected a few days ago had been peeking at him from the side. Seeing him go from anticipation to loss and then to this sweet, radiant smile, she spoke to him with a hint of regret.

Shi Yue gave the girl a polite smile in return, but his heart surged at the words “significant other.” If the person had been anyone other than Ji Chenchuan, Shi Yue would have clarified. But since it was Ji Chenchuan, he not only felt no desire to explain but actually felt quite pleased to be misunderstood.

“I did not expect you to have so much free time,” the boy sitting in front of Shi Yue turned around and joked, having overheard the girl.

This boy was Tang Yao. Tang Yao had a very recognizable look, but it was not the kind of striking, edgy handsomeness. It was a warm, jade-like handsomeness. Most importantly, he carried a natural aura that could make people feel at peace. No matter how restless someone was, they would find themselves calming down when near Tang Yao.

Shi Yue’s temper was relatively stable, but compared to Tang Yao, he was quite impulsive. Shi Yue returned Tang Yao’s smile.

A week later, Ji Chenchuan’s injury was mostly healed, and he was able to drive. His parents and Ji Zhiruo’s flight was a day earlier than his, Shi Yue’s, and He Lin’s. He drove his parents and sister to the airport. On the way, Ji Chenchuan told Ji Shengqiang and Feng Liuyu that he was going to Zhejiang to handle some business with a classmate, but he did not mention he was going with Shi Yue and He Lin.

Ji Chenchuan always planned his actions carefully. If he was going in person, it had to be for something important. Ji Shengqiang and Feng Liuyu did not ask further, only reminding him to take care of his health since he had just recovered.

Ji Zhiruo had been feeling down because Shi Yue could not go with them. Hearing that Ji Chenchuan was going to Zhejiang, she suddenly became excited. She whispered to him, asking where exactly he was going. Was it near Shi Yue’s tutoring center? If it was not far, she wanted them to go to the West Lake together to buy some fresh-ground lotus root starch for her, as a classmate had told her it was delicious.

“Ruoruo, do not give your brother trouble. He is going for business, not for fun,” Feng Liuyu said gently, holding Ji Zhiruo’s hand.

Ji Zhiruo agreed with her mother, looking somewhat disappointed.

“If time permits, I will definitely buy it for you,” Ji Chenchuan said. He had always doted on Ji Zhiruo and did not want to see her disappointed.

“I knew you were the best to me, Brother!” Ji Zhiruo said happily.

After dropping his family at the airport, Ji Chenchuan drove straight to meet a client. Zhang Ping stayed to watch the shop. This was Ji Chenchuan’s first day back at work since recovering, and he specifically wore the watch Shi Yue had given him.

The client he met today had a good character. Knowing Ji Chenchuan had just recovered, they did not make him drink during dinner. Ji Chenchuan secured the order smoothly and rushed to meet the next client. This one was a bit difficult, but under Ji Chenchuan’s well-measured approach, the deal was eventually closed. It was past ten when he returned home.

He and Shi Yue were scheduled for an early flight the next morning. Ji Chenchuan packed his luggage quickly and went for a shower. Coming out of the bathroom, he heard the phone ring. Just as he was about to answer, the caller hung up.

Seeing it was from Shi Yue, Ji Chenchuan unlocked his phone. Just as he was about to call back, the doorbell rang urgently. One could feel the frantic mood of the person outside. Guessing it was definitely Shi Yue, Ji Chenchuan hurried to open the door while drying his wet hair with a towel.

It was indeed Shi Yue. Upon seeing the door open, Shi Yue’s pitiable appearance intensified. His dark eyes looked at Ji Chenchuan with deep grievance as he voiced his anger and dissatisfaction at the sudden change.

“Major news! The teacher for the elite class I signed up for had a sudden accident, so the start of the class is delayed by a week. My mother also has some urgent work to handle and has gone to Guangdong with my father, so the trip is delayed by a week. If we delay a week, Uncle Ji and the others will be back by then. Will you still go with me, Brother Chenchuan?”

Ji Chenchuan heard the subtext; Shi Yue thought the only reason he was going was that his parents were not home. It was enough to make one want to laugh and cry at the same time. But seeing Shi Yue’s pathetic look made him feel a pang of sympathy.

“I will go,” Ji Chenchuan said softly, ruffling Shi Yue’s hair. “Tell Aunt He to reschedule the flight. If she is busy, she does not need to come back to Lincheng to pick you up. She can go straight from Guangdong to Zhejiang, and we will meet there.”

Hearing that Ji Chenchuan would still go with him, the unhappiness on Shi Yue’s face vanished instantly. He excitedly called He Lin to change the tickets. After hanging up, Shi Yue said with a big smile that since his house was empty and Ji Chenchuan’s house was empty, he planned to come over and occupy Ji Chenchuan’s bed every night for the coming week.

What else could Ji Chenchuan say?

Over the next few days, Ji Chenchuan went to work while Shi Yue went to his local tutoring. Every morning, Shi Yue reminded Ji Chenchuan that he must wear the watch he had given him. Ji Chenchuan had actually been wearing it since his first day back at work, but in front of Shi Yue, he acted as if he would forget to put it on if he was not reminded.

In the mornings, Ji Chenchuan deliberately went to the shop half an hour late to drop Shi Yue at his class. In the evenings, he specifically left work half an hour early to pick him up. Then they would go to the supermarket together to buy groceries and cook dinner. After eating, they would clean up together. Once that was done, Ji Chenchuan would remind Shi Yue to do his practice problems so that he could go to sleep early and ensure he got enough rest.

However, every time he was reminded, Shi Yue would negotiate, insisting that Ji Chenchuan sit beside him and watch over him. So, while Shi Yue did his problems, Ji Chenchuan would sit nearby and read with him.

Knowing that Ji Chenchuan’s injury was healed, Shi Yue began to adopt a dominant sleeping posture. Every morning, when Shi Yue saw that Ji Chenchuan had ended up on his side of the bed while he had moved to Ji Chenchuan’s side, he would say aggrievedly, “Brother Chenchuan, why did you sleep over on my side? You are so restless when you sleep; I was almost pushed off by you.”

Ji Chenchuan: “…”

It was unclear who was pushing whom. If he did not give way, a certain someone would treat him like a mattress and sleep directly on top of him.

Today was Sunday, and Shi Yue’s class was only in the morning. Ji Chenchuan dropped him off and said he would not have time to pick him up at noon. He told Shi Yue to take a taxi home after class and tell him what he wanted to eat so he could buy the ingredients after work.

“Taro braised ribs.” Sitting in the passenger seat, Shi Yue looked at Ji Chenchuan with a bright smile as he unfastened his seatbelt.

“Alright.”

“Then I am off.” Before getting out of the car, Shi Yue suddenly leaned mischievously toward Ji Chenchuan’s ear and whispered, “See you tonight, Brother Chenchuan.”

Shi Yue’s warm breath brushed against Ji Chenchuan’s neck, causing a ticklish sensation. The hand gripping the steering wheel tightened involuntarily. Once again, Ji Chenchuan thought that Shi Yue was still young and their relationship seemed a bit too close. He wondered if he should maintain a safer distance.