The Popular/Charismatic Beta Always Thinks They Are Universally Disliked - Chapter 24

Chapter 24: A Fair Competition

It wasn’t until Lin Chang messaged him that Wen Zhiyi vaguely recalled joining the plan to climb a snow mountain with Lin Chang’s team in early September. Starting now, he should begin some weighted climbing training.

He quickly exited the chat with Wei Xingjiang, still leaving him on “Do Not Disturb.”

According to the detailed training schedule Lin Chang sent, Wen Zhiyi needed to complete training ranging from basic cardio to advanced anaerobic exercises over the next two weeks. The priority was to first improve basic fitness, and second, to strengthen his core and lower body. The plan was even meticulous enough to include post-training diet and sleep arrangements.

Oh no, this looks exhausting.

Xiao Wen was silent for a moment.

“If it’s convenient, how about starting tonight? I happen to be free and can offer some assistance.” Seeing no reply from Wen Zhiyi, Lin Chang, who had a legitimate excuse to approach his crush, called him directly, “I gave Zhijie a heads-up beforehand, and by the time training is over, it will probably be late, so he gave me his house key. I’m afraid I’ll have to intrude tonight.”

Lin Chang was an alumnus who co-founded the company with Wen Zhijie (Da Wen). In the difficult initial phase of the company’s establishment, he rejected high-paying offers from large companies, wholeheartedly supporting Da Wen through the challenges. Consequently, Da Wen trusted him implicitly, and Lin Chang often stayed over at Da Wen’s house even before Wen Zhiyi moved in.

When anything involved Xiao Wen, whom Da Wen considered the apple of his eye, the latter became extra cautious. Thus, after Lin Chang casually mentioned his interactions with Wen Zhiyi, Da Wen repeatedly and suspiciously questioned his close friend whether he had any ulterior motives toward Xiao Wen.

…If I admitted it, he’d probably be extremely vigilant.

Lin Chang slowly extinguished the flickering crimson cigarette butt between his fingers and subtly smiled amidst the thin smoke: “What are you thinking? I’m just purely bored.”

“If you’re bored, come help me with overtime!” Wen Zhijie speechlessly returned to his heavy work, casually hooking his house key out of his bag and tossing it accurately into Lin Chang’s arms. “This is a one-time thing, don’t make a habit of it. Don’t go near my brother casually again.”

Taking the keys tossed by Wen Zhijie, Lin Chang quietly detached the house key. Attracted by a cat keychain, he asked casually, “Since when did you get a cat?”

“My brother got it. Isn’t it cute?” Da Wen raised his head from the ring of extended screens around his desk and proudly lifted his chin. “He’s handsome and kind-hearted, simply handsome and kind-hearted. You wouldn’t believe it when he first adopted the fat cat…”

Lin Chang patiently endured Wen Zhijie’s rambling and listened to the entire story.

As a result, Wen Zhijie, whose original intention was to warn his friend to stay away from Xiao Wen, unknowingly recounted various anecdotes about his brother, cherished from childhood to the present.

Having understood the full story, Wen Zhiyi quickly accepted the fact that Lin Chang would be staying over tonight. He genuinely thanked the other person for sacrificing his leisure time to help him train but still harbored some doubts deep down.

Wen Zhijie’s friend should be a normal person.

Xiao Wen advised himself to relax—it was useless to overthink it; no matter what, the pre-climbing training had to be completed!

The time came to 8 PM. Wen Zhiyi, wearing a loose T-shirt and long pants, appeared on time before Lin Chang. When Xiao Wen arrived at the community gate, the other person had clearly been waiting for a long time.

Wen Zhiyi initially didn’t notice the man standing under the tree shadow. He held his phone, looking around in confusion until the man voluntarily stepped out from the shadows and revealed himself under the bright, warm streetlights. Only then did Wen Zhiyi clearly see this man, whom he didn’t have much of an impression of.

—So this is what Wen Zhijie’s friend looks like?

The man who appeared before Wen Zhiyi looked mature and reticent, with handsome and gentle features, and eyes that were quiet and serene, almost like an undisturbed ancient well. He seemed to be about the same age as Wen Zhijie. His movements carried the smooth fluidity characteristic of someone who exercises regularly, but it wasn’t until he came closer that Xiao Wen noticed a sense of long-lasting, mellow maturity and experience revealed in his eyes and brows.

From Lin Chang’s perspective, Wen Zhiyi, dressed in comfortable, loose clothing, was clearly not suitable for exercise training.

He chuckled softly.

Wen Zhiyi heard the laugh.

…Is he laughing at me?

He thought.

The seemingly calm Xiao Wen, who appeared tranquil on the surface, was actually a bit annoyed, but constrained by his relationship with Wen Zhijie, he forced himself to remain composed, slightly raising his head to look at Lin Chang, whose appearance and name were quite contradictory.

“Hello, Zhiyi.” Lin Chang extended his palm toward Wen Zhiyi, gently and slowly smiling calmly. “I often hear Zhijie mention you. We should be considered acquaintances.”

The hand he extended, like the man himself, exuded a strangely reliable aura.

Wen Zhiyi slowly returned the handshake, separated their hands instantly, and turned to look in another direction: “Isn’t starting tonight a bit too fast?”

Lin Chang lowered his eyes to look at the hand Wen Zhiyi had briefly touched, then smiled and took over Xiao Wen’s query: “Actually, it’s not fast at all. The peak we are aiming for is about 5,000 meters above sea level. After five hours of trekking through the primeval forest on the first day, the second day requires about seven hours of continuous ascent. If you haven’t had previous hiking experience, two weeks of training might even be somewhat rushed.”

He subtly observed Wen Zhiyi’s expression and continued: “Tonight was supposed to start with cardio—jogging, cycling, and stair-climber cross-training—but time might be a little tight, so how about we just go over the entire itinerary today?”

Lin Chang spoke tactfully, attributing the inability to train to the time factor, but Wen Zhiyi looked down at his T-shirt printed with Crayon Shin-chan and instantly understood what the other person was laughing at initially.

Thus, the composed and quiet man saw the young man next to him turn to look at him. The well-mannered young man performed every action with a deliberate pace; even when looking at others, he slowly lifted his eyelids first. His thick, long, straight lashes couldn’t completely obscure the light reflected in Wen Zhiyi’s eyes. From Lin Chang’s perspective, they looked like two shimmering, gentle lake waters.

The deep, straight, and beautifully shaped double eyelids, the perfect, reserved, and suggestive upper and lower lids, and the full, natural lower eye bags (wò cán) always made these almond eyes appear tender and affectionate. Even when Wen Zhiyi wasn’t smiling, these eyes revealed a sweet, loving look amidst his restrained, low-desire overall temperament. And at this moment, he was indeed slightly smiling.

He smiled and joked: “Then you don’t need to stay overnight tonight?”

Lin Chang paused almost imperceptibly. He quickly grasped the playful meaning in Wen Zhiyi’s words and smiled: “Of course, that depends on your wishes.”

“Are you willing to let me stay overnight?” The question didn’t sound at all suggestive due to Lin Chang’s overly calm demeanor. “Although Zhijie gave me the keys, we can pretend I didn’t get them.”

Wen Zhiyi shrugged casually: “Of course… I’ll listen to my brother.”

Lin Chang ultimately entered the Wen brothers’ apartment.

It wasn’t until he entered the door calmly that Wen Zhiyi noticed the sports bag slung across his back. The simply styled, matte leather messenger bag couldn’t hold very formal clothes, and Lin Chang’s own style leaned towards casual and relaxed, unlike Wen Zhijie, who insisted on dressing impeccably every day.

Lin Chang was also observing Xiao Wen carefully. When he noticed that the key in the latter’s hand also had a cat keychain, he chuckled inwardly. Da Wen’s acrylic tag on his keychain was a close-up picture of Zhuangzhuang’s head, while Xiao Wen’s had a picture of Zhuangzhuang burying its head to lick its fur, the shape of which resembled a fat, golden-brown, greasy chicken drumstick.

Wen Zhiyi thought for a moment, took a bottle of bayberry juice from the fridge, and placed it in front of Lin Chang. While checking the remaining cat food in the bowl, he said, “My brother won’t be back until ten. Why don’t you put your things in the guest room first?”

He turned to look at Lin Chang, who had followed him into the house, and found that the other person was already skillfully squatting in front of the litter box, scooping poop. Zhuangzhuang, curled up in a ball, was hiding in a dark corner, secretly observing the stranger handling its excretions.

…Looks like someone who knows what needs to be done.

Wen Zhiyi sighed in admiration.

He crouched next to Lin Chang, trying to take the scooping tool from his hand: “Let me do it. It sounds too strange to have a guest scoop the litter, doesn’t it?”

Lin Chang did not dodge, letting Wen Zhiyi’s hand approach his own. He smiled: “I’ve always wanted to get a cat; this is good practice. I think my scooping is up to standard, isn’t it?”

This humble question successfully made Xiao Wen smile brightly: “I don’t think there’s a standard for this kind of thing.”

His hand ultimately did not touch Lin Chang’s, withdrawing very naturally halfway.

Sensing Wen Zhiyi’s subtle efforts to maintain distance, Lin Chang casually took out a cigarette and smiled slightly at him: “You go ahead and wash up. I’ll go downstairs for a smoke. Just call me when you’re done.”

He certainly wanted to stay while Wen Zhiyi showered, but given his hidden, unspeakable thoughts, it was inappropriate to do so without Wen Zhiyi’s knowledge. Lin Chang also didn’t want to challenge his self-control. He had always lived freely and didn’t believe in suppressing desires. The only strategy to resist temptation was to avoid facing it at the source.

Wen Zhiyi breathed a sigh of relief, watching him leave the door.

That’s great.

Although both were Betas, Wen Zhiyi was still wary of people he wasn’t familiar with—a person’s most vulnerable moments are while showering and using the restroom. The thought of a stranger sharing the room while he was in such a defenseless, vulnerable state made Wen Zhiyi feel extremely uneasy.

A qualified adult must have self-protection awareness!

Lin Chang, who had gone downstairs and exited the building, stood by the flowerbed, carelessly holding a cigarette. With a sense of public consciousness, he chose a secluded flower patch where few people passed, closed his eyes, and contemplated his interaction with Wen Zhiyi today. In his mind, he gradually sketched a portrait of the person.

Young, keen, restrained, low-desire.

But also gentle, soft-hearted, polite, and possessing sharp edges. He can wholeheartedly invest abundant and passionate feelings into the people and things he likes.

Youth is truly wonderful.

Lin Chang slowly exhaled a smoke ring. As Wen Zhijie’s best friend, he had heard bits and pieces about Wen Zhiyi’s past romantic history. Da Wen didn’t particularly like Xiao Wen’s ex-partners, and out of protection for his brother’s privacy, he rarely mentioned them, yet he couldn’t help occasionally cursing them out individually in front of Lin Chang.

Lin Chang first met Wen Zhiyi five years ago at the Wen household. At that time, he and Da Wen were struggling to establish their current company. He was at the Wen house to discuss business with Da Wen, but his first sight was Xiao Wen curled up on the sofa by the French window, taking a nap under a blanket.

He was twenty-nine then, and Wen Zhiyi was seventeen. He didn’t have any improper thoughts; he simply admired a beautiful sight for a few moments. Later, as his and Da Wen’s careers began to flourish, Wen Zhiyi would sometimes visit Wen Zhijie at the company. Lin Chang slowly started to understand this young Beta, twelve years his junior. Most of the time, he was the one watching Xiao Wen, who was surrounded by colleagues, from outside the crowd.

Watching the other’s every move from the perspective of a mature adult, he finally admitted that he was still attracted to him five years later. He had long passed the age of being consumed by lovesickness and fear of loss. The maturity and self-assurance gained from his experience allowed him to enjoy the thrill of the chase and endure the boredom of waiting. And now, five years later, he finally believed it was the perfect time to make a move—

The current Wen Zhiyi already possessed a degree of life experience. Even if Lin Chang pursued him with ulterior motives, he wouldn’t bear the guilt of deliberately seducing a naive young person.

This was a fair competition.

Lin Chang slowly crushed the cigarette butt.