The Popular/Charismatic Beta Always Thinks They Are Universally Disliked - Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Are You Staying with My Dad Tonight or is He Staying with My Dad?

In the end, Gu Yansheng said nothing.

Calm, eloquent, collected, composed… all the qualities he could take pride in suddenly became fragile and trivial.

Wen Zhiyi was quite puzzled by this. He didn’t understand why Gu Yansheng, after putting on such a performance, suddenly fell silent.

It made his exit much easier, and he headed upstairs to his apartment feeling lighthearted.

After a shower, he returned to his room to prepare the lesson plan for tomorrow afternoon. High school curriculum felt somewhat distant, so Wen Zhiyi specifically dug out his old high school notebooks, trying to establish a systematic teaching schedule.

Little Wen was a science student in high school, so picking up math, physics, and chemistry again wasn’t too difficult. After reviewing the complex conic section formulas and thermodynamic equations with examples a few times, he had a rough idea.

Many of his old high school items had been well preserved by Wen Zhijie, making them easy to find now.

Of course, he once very unreasonably complained about Wen Zhijie’s habit of hoarding and even tried to give these old items to the elderly collector who took scrap from the school.

Because his life for the past decade had been insidiously occupied by one person.

The fingers resting on the book page were long and beautiful, white like a carved ice lotus sculpted from snow. Wen Zhiyi pressed down slightly on the corner of the book, leaving an indelible indentation on the notebook that had softened slightly after years of storage.

Beside the simple notes he had taken in high school, an incredibly familiar handwriting meticulously and helplessly recorded extensive key details and derivation processes. The strokes were sharp and vigorous, forming a stark contrast with Wen Zhiyi’s casual, messy script.

Clap! Wen Zhiyi snapped the notebook shut.

He closed his eyes expressionlessly, then vigorously pinched his forehead, which he hadn’t realized was furrowed.

Just a coincidence.

Wen Zhiyi opened another notebook, forcing himself to calm down and focus on preparing the lesson plan.

As shown in the Cartesian coordinate system xOy… prove that point P is on a fixed straight line

Little Wen: When the slope of the line $l$ is $0$, and noting that point P is outside the ellipse, it is easily obtained that its abscissa is a fixed value… When the slope of line $l$ is not $0$, it is similarly easily obtained that $(1+m)(y_0 + 6m/3m+4…$

Gu: The key to this problem is to express the equations for $PM$, $PN$, and $PF$ using the ordinates $y_0$, $y_1$, and $y_2$ of points $P$, $M$, and $N$. The detailed answer is as follows… In summary, the approach to problems where an indefinite point moves on a fixed straight line is generally thus.

Again—it was that handwriting again.

It seemed that as soon as Wen Zhiyi wanted to revisit anything from before college, nineteen-year-old Gu Yansheng would rush back into his memory regardless of the situation. The young man who should have vanished, and did vanish, had, in fact, never truly disappeared.

Clap! Wen Zhiyi snapped the notebook shut again.

He frowned at the pile of notebooks in front of him and chose to blame others without any sense of guilt—who told Wen Zhijie to buy these things back from the elderly collector!

The irritated Little Wen simply picked up his phone, scrolled through a certain video app for ten minutes, then got bored and threw the phone aside again.

The tall, well-proportioned young man let his whole body collapse onto the bed, closing his eyes to try and expel the chaotic thoughts and clear his mind.

In the not-quite-pure, mottled darkness, he “saw” clusters of bizarre, bursting light particles. They were so close they seemed within reach, but Wen Zhiyi knew this was merely an abnormal stimulation of the optic nerve.

These flying, swimming light points gradually faded, and darkness returned to his visual field. Wen Zhiyi lay quietly on the bed, attempting to contemplate this chaotic day.

Everyone returned to his life today, without warning, without consultation, acting lightly and matter-of-factly, as if the past separation and leaving never happened, as if the long-unhealed past had been completely mended.

Wen Zhiyi’s quietly curled fingers trembled slightly. The anxiety and confusion that had once burned through his heart day and night surged back like a tide. These subtle, prolonged, seemingly gentle emotions were not lingering feelings for an old flame but a struggle and thought about his current predicament, caught between the past and the future.

The fleeting inspiration repeatedly swimming in his mind was stripped away one layer at a time. Wen Zhiyi couldn’t articulate what he wanted, so he simply started thinking about what he didn’t want.

He was certain he didn’t want any of those three relationships now.

Separation, concealment, retreat…

He would not look back again.

Wen Zhiyi slowly opened his eyes in the darkness. As light fell into his eyes again, he patted his face. After a deep breath, he once again began to prepare for tomorrow’s work.

Time must always move forward.

He told himself this for the umpteenth time.

…

A quiet night quickly passed, and the time arrived for Wen Zhiyi’s scheduled appointment with the Wei family the next afternoon.

The Wei family thoughtfully arranged a dedicated car for Little Wen, and he waved goodbye as he got into the car amidst Elder Wen’s worried instructions.

He carefully observed and compared the navigation route, confirming that the seemingly expensive vehicle was indeed heading to the location specified in the contract.

Slightly reassured, Wen Zhiyi opened his phone and habitually checked his social media. He noticed that the private email he had logged into on a whim had once again accumulated multiple “Drift Bottles.”

After he had thanked the stranger who sent the seascape photo, the other party actually replied instantly.

?

Wen Zhiyi clicked on the chat box in surprise and started scrolling up one by one. Emails that were too old and unread had been automatically cleaned by the system. He could only see messages that had been sent sporadically starting three years ago.

The stranger’s account most often sent various photos, sometimes interspersed with a few bland holiday greetings and life updates, conventional and not crossing any boundaries. The person seemed not to be fixated on Wen Zhiyi’s real identity but maintained extreme enthusiasm and tenacity, persistently appearing in this chat box, even though his messages were not only unanswered but still marked as unread.

From these photos, Wen Zhiyi could deduce that the person seemed to be constantly moving, but the most recent messages suggested things were gradually stabilizing.

Is he treating me as a sounding board?

Wen Zhiyi marveled at the other party’s persistence. Even though every message was marked unread, this strange account continued consistently, undeterred, sharing their life.

However, what he didn’t know was that it was precisely his “unread” status that gave the other party the courage to persistently test the waters.

This timidity and hesitation, only apparent when mediated by a screen, was like the hesitant, earnest, and momentous extension of an axe-foot from a heavy shell.

The Wei family’s villa gradually appeared in his sight, and Wen Zhiyi stopped thinking about anything related to that account.

The car slowly stopped. Wen Zhiyi clutched the strap of the cat carrier, which he had deliberately chosen for its breathability and lightness.

The automatic barrier at the entrance slid open to both sides. He knew Wei Yuzhi couldn’t possibly be here, but he still cautiously surveyed the place where he was about to start work.

Behind the subtly styled, exquisite barrier was a small pond like a pearl. A common cherubic statue stood in the middle of the pond. The flower beds extending from the entrance to the main building were vibrant and neat, showing obvious signs of professional trimming.

Wen Zhiyi still hadn’t figured out exactly which uncle of Wei Yuzhi’s Mr. Wei was. The only thing he could confirm was the cousin relationship between Wei Xingjiang and Wei Yuzhi.

In the past two years of marriage, Wen Zhiyi had never met a single member of the Wei family. The Wei family probably didn’t even know of his existence.

He had once been confused, uneasy, and self-doubting about this, ultimately choosing to believe Wei Yuzhi’s explanation that it was for his protection. Now, he still accepted that statement, not out of trust, but out of indifference.

Wen Zhiyi, carrying the cat carrier, declined the housemaid’s offer to look after Zhuangzhuang. When he appeared before Wei Xingjiang with the quietly behaved Fat Cat, the latter was already sitting languidly in the study, chatting idly with Feng Yun.

So, the person who appeared before Little Wen was a high school student pretending to be rough. Wei Xingjiang deliberately sat aggressively in the armchair, and, feeling it wasn’t enough, he awkwardly bounced his legs twice, raising an eyebrow and grinning at Wen Zhiyi.

Feng Yun’s expression went from →_→ to (+_+).

Wen Zhiyi’s expression went from =_= to ←_←.

He showed an expression that could almost be called confusion and asked with utmost sincerity: “Cramp in your leg?”

Hearing Little Wen’s voice, Feng Yun couldn’t help but chuckle and gracefully turned to greet her nominal colleague.

The difference in height required her to tilt her head slightly to fully examine his face.

Extensive social experience and good manners allowed Feng Yun to quickly size someone up without a trace of it showing. She maintained a beautiful and gentle smile and habitually took a full measure of the Beta before her.

Her carefully prepared polite greeting abruptly stalled. Feng Yun’s eyes widened slightly, causing her long, curled eyelashes to flutter for a moment.

With just that glance, she was convinced that this Beta could absolutely not be Father Wei’s lover.

Wen Zhiyi cautiously observed Feng Yun. He noticed that there was no Malice Value surrounding this Omega!

Even Wei Xingjiang had a barely perceptible gray progress bar!

The young Beta’s beautiful, straight brows and eyes instantly showed a smile. Feng Yun, standing opposite Wen Zhiyi, was the first to sense this sweet expression. As the smile naturally unfolded, she saw the deeply straight corner of his eye subtly turn up, becoming lively and joyous.

A flash of spring light shone back, melting the frost and snow.

Feng Yun slowly smiled and extended a slender, beautiful hand to Wen Zhiyi: “Hello, my name is Feng Yun. I’m in charge of Xingjiang’s finance course. If you need any help in the future, please don’t hesitate.”

After a quick handshake, Wei Xingjiang, who was being ignored by both, walked over to Wen Zhiyi in dissatisfaction. With an action completely contrary to the extremely impatient expression on his face, he carefully unzipped the cat carrier and picked out the yawning golden Fat Cat.

The carefree Fat Cat furrowed its brow, attempting to recognize its former owner, but ended up licking Wei Xingjiang’s hand upon hearing the familiar sound of a can opening.

The tall, handsome Alpha held the kitten, slightly tilted his head toward Wen Zhiyi, and spoke to Feng Yun in an extremely flat tone: “…Are you staying with my dad tonight or is he staying with my dad?”

Wen Zhiyi froze for a full minute.

He looked at the expressionless Wei Xingjiang, then at the calm Feng Yun, finally confirming that he hadn’t misheard.

The beautiful Omega impassively looked down at the exquisite wristwatch on her wrist. As she bent her head, the smooth lines extending from her slender neck to her calves flowed vividly.

This action precisely and objectively detached her from Wei Xingjiang’s malicious question.

“It’s time. Today’s lesson ends here,” Feng Yun’s businesslike manner made Wen Zhiyi almost suspect she hadn’t heard Wei Xingjiang’s words. “A word of advice: learning to respect your teacher will never be a bad thing.”

Although “respect” was a rare commodity in the Wei family, maintaining outward order was a fundamental, relatively safe rule for everyone living there. Little Wei Young Master was accustomed to acting aggressively and crossing boundaries, so there was no guarantee that Mr. Wei wouldn’t decide to discipline him severely on a whim one day.

The Omega, dressed in a tailored suit skirt with her hair meticulously pinned up, curved her full, scarlet lips into a smile at Wen Zhiyi: “Mr. Little Wen, as you can see, this is our service target. If you regret it now, it might still be time.”

Wen Zhiyi frowned, pointed to the Alpha opposite him, and then to his own head: “Does he often have these episodes?”

Feng Yun shrugged casually: “Not very often. It mostly depends on his mood.”

She carefully tucked a stray hair that was about to fall, checked her reflection in the glass cabinet, and smiled as she waved goodbye to Little Wen before leaving.

After a brief thought, Wen Zhiyi understood Wei Xingjiang’s thought process. In a strictly managed household, Wei Xingjiang, who was severely controlled by Mr. Wei, was trying to express his dissatisfaction and anger by provoking the tutor.

He was displacing his own vulnerability and anger.

And this behavior itself constituted contempt and oppression toward others.

Wen Zhiyi wasn’t concerned about the relationship between Feng Yun and Mr. Wei. He only hoped his tutoring job would go smoothly, preferably so he could save enough money to move out of Wen Zhijie’s apartment soon.

So, he decided to brazenly borrow authority. He casually flipped through the books spread out on Wei Xingjiang’s desk, and with a scoff under the other’s suspicious, scrutinizing gaze: “What good does it do you to drive me away? Expressing your resistance to Mr. Wei? Trying to intimidate me?”

He pointed at Wei Xingjiang from a distance and said deliberately: “But I am the tutor you personally chose. Inviting me one moment and then regretting it and driving me away the next will only reinforce people’s stereotype of you as temperamental and unstable, won’t it?”

“You might want to think about why Mr. Wei agreed to your request.” Wen Zhiyi gently closed the finance-related book on the desk and pushed the teaching materials prepared in advance by the housemaid toward Wei Xingjiang. “I complete the service as contracted, and you establish an image of being eager to learn and make progress in front of Mr. Wei. Why not do something that benefits both of us?”

Having completed all these actions, Little Wen naturally sat down. He looked up at Wei Xingjiang with an extremely calm smile: “—So, if you want to see Zhuangzhuang for a long time in the future, bear with me just like I bear with you for money.”

By the time he finished the last sentence, the young Alpha, holding Fat Cat, had thoughtfully sat back down in the chair.

He even started flipping through the examples Wen Zhiyi had prepared.

However, a long, slender hand appeared right under his nose and gently, but firmly, pressed down on the stack of materials.

Like a fresh, snowy flower bowing down on the book.

The cat in Wei Xingjiang’s arms felt the sudden tightening of its former owner’s grip. It struggled to jump out of the hot, crowded embrace. Fat Cat, round and full like a cotton ball, lightly and skillfully landed on the floor.

Wei Xingjiang’s lowered eyelashes flickered slightly. He looked at the hand so close to him, poised and calm, and raised his head in confusion to look at his tutor.

He saw the almond-eyed Beta smile faintly at him and calmly, flatly say: “Now, please apologize to me.”

Apologize to him?

Wei Xingjiang’s face instantly turned cold.

Wen Zhiyi acted as if he hadn’t seen the change in expression, raising an eyebrow with a peaceful expression that contained encouragement.

Wei Xingjiang realized that the man sitting opposite him was a normal person who had just entered the Wei family. This person still had normal values and beliefs. Respect, harmony, friendliness… these things were deeply ingrained ways of behaving for the other person. He couldn’t both hate Father Wei and treat a normal person with Father Wei’s methods as a matter of course.

Wei Xingjiang maintained a blank expression that masked his inner frustration and reluctantly, through gritted teeth, muttered an apology.

Little Wen nodded magnanimously to accept the apology, opened the lesson plan in front of him, and began his work seriously. He didn’t follow Feng Yun’s self-contained approach but paused after explaining each knowledge point to look at Wei Xingjiang.

The young man, lost in his own thoughts, felt the scrutiny on him. His back stiffened, and he subconsciously scribbled a few lines with the ballpoint pen in his hand to cover up.

Wen Zhiyi leaned in a little. He naturally looked through the gap between Wei Xingjiang’s shoulder, neck, and arm and saw the English words the other had casually written.

“We should be talking about math right now?” Wen Zhiyi gently patted his service target’s broad shoulder, secretly marveling at what these Alphas ate to grow so big.

As he leaned in, Wei Xingjiang suddenly froze in place. His distinctly jointed hand abruptly slammed the pen onto the desk, and he instinctively turned to look at the tutor who was practically cheek-to-cheek with him.

And as he cast that look, the smiling Wen Zhiyi also turned his gaze.

He had no place to hide as their eyes met.

Wei Xingjiang couldn’t help but recall the shimmering, golden-green, oily water surface on a spring day. He knew that only the best sunlight, the best water quality, and the best season could create that miraculous scene of light dancing on gold.

But now, just a pair of eyes was enough to let him see the glittering gold again.

After a brief moment of silence, Wei Xingjiang pushed against the desk and abruptly pulled back, creating a large gap. He dramatically raised his arm to shield his eyes, simultaneously turning his head to look at the tall, neat bookcase, and spat out four words, sparing no effort:

“Get away from me.”

Wen Zhiyi watched in surprise as the Malice Value around Wei Xingjiang suddenly spiked, reaching about one-fifth of the progress bar.

?

He rubbed his eyes in disbelief, completely unable to comprehend the other’s sudden hostility.

Wei Xingjiang’s awkward behavior lasted until the end of the entire lesson. He maintained the posture of looking at the bookcase with his side profile facing Little Wen. Even when he occasionally shifted his gaze, he steadfastly refused to look at Little Wen. He crossed his arms expressionlessly, only occasionally taking a few notes to show that he was still listening.

Like a little monk chanting, his mouth was moving, but his heart wasn’t in it.

Wen Zhiyi sighed.

As the last knowledge point was explained, Little Wen began to tidy up the lesson plans spread on the desk. Zhuangzhuang, who had been playing by himself in the study, had quietly fallen asleep in the corner, looking at first glance like a fat yellow mushroom growing out of the wall.

He looked at the still-awkward Wei student with his side profile facing him, wondering whether to simply put Zhuangzhuang back in the carrier and leave, or to let the two of them spend a little more time together.

After all, the brat seemed to care about Zhuangzhuang a lot.

Stand up.

Reach out.

Walk.

Unintentionally curled fingers, a slightly lowered neck, a taut waistline when walking… the transparent glass inlaid in the solid wood bookcase could truthfully reflect what Wei Xingjiang wanted to see in most cases.

But the Beta sometimes walked behind the dim curtains, sometimes squatted down to play with the cat, and sometimes even walked directly out of the bookcase’s reflection range.

The figure that should have been clear on the bookcase glass became blurry and then disappeared.

Wei Xingjiang clicked his tongue in annoyance.

He finally couldn’t sit still and stood up, walking toward Little Wen, who was holding Zhuangzhuang, looking at him with a complicated gaze he himself didn’t notice.

“Don’t worry, I’ll bring Zhuangzhuang next Sunday,” Wen Zhiyi rubbed his cheek against the cat’s soft, plump belly, winked at Wei Xingjiang, and silently asked if the other wanted to join the cat-hugging session.

Wei Xingjiang took Zhuangzhuang from Wen Zhiyi’s hands with an extremely standard cat-holding posture. He deliberately avoided the smooth, delicate fingers hidden beneath the cat’s belly, completing the transfer of Fat Cat without any physical contact.

The ten-centimeter height difference allowed him to look down slightly at Little Wen.

Noticing a strand of cat fur unintentionally left on the other’s cheek, his fingers buried deep in Fat Cat’s fur twitched slightly. He strongly resisted the sudden urge to brush the fur away for the other person.

So stupid.

Wei Xingjiang stroked the cat in his arms carelessly. After confirming that Wen Zhiyi would likely brush the fur away himself soon, he suddenly lowered his head with lightning speed and then—

Blew away that small, soft, adorable piece of fluff on the other’s face.

The sudden influx of Alpha pheromones made Wen Zhiyi abruptly step back a large step. He raised a hand in astonishment to touch his cheek, frowning at the high school male who had inexplicably gotten close, but his mind was subconsciously surprised and confused by the scent of the other’s pheromones.

It was like over-baked lavender.

However, this was completely normal for AOs who were about to or had just come of age. The scent of their pheromones wouldn’t completely stabilize until a year or two after they came of age. Elder Wen’s pheromones, much to his constant worry, had gone through overly sweet phases like popcorn, sea salt caramel… finally settling on a lightly sweetened Caramel Macchiato.

In Wen Zhijie’s own words, it barely smelled like an Alpha should.

“We’re even,” Wen Zhiyi’s overly intense reaction elicited a scoff from Wei Xingjiang. He couldn’t tell if he was disappointed or smug as he raised an eyebrow and mocked: “Little Wen Teacher is so smart, didn’t you notice the cat fur on your face?”

No wonder my face was itching.

Wen Zhiyi accepted this explanation and gave Wei Xingjiang a neutral look.

“Also,” the tall, handsome, intense-looking young man corrected in a low voice, “It’s Jack, not Zhuangzhuang.”