The Popular/Charismatic Beta Always Thinks They Are Universally Disliked - Chapter 61

Chapter 61: Night Talk

“You don’t have to tutor anymore?” Wen Zhijie, who rarely got off work early, was squatting in front of the litter box, ready to scoop, looking very much like a pervert peeking at a cat using the toilet.

He heard Wen Zhiyi’s solemn announcement and turned back in surprise, wondering: “I thought you were enjoying it? What did that kid do to piss you off?”

Wen Zhiyi shook his head in reply: “…It’s not that we had a conflict. It’s because Wei Xingjiang will be going into military service soon. Conservatively speaking, it will take at least two or three years.”

Wen Zhijie let out an “Ah.” He recalled that most Alphas indeed choose to spend two years in the military before college, though it was rare for a second-generation with Wei Xingjiang’s family background to obediently choose military service.

Including Wen Zhijie himself, he had served for two years. This two-year experience was the source of countless stories he told the ten-year-old Wen Zhiyi for a considerable period.

He shamelessly exaggerated his performance in the military, claiming things like coming first in the whole army for the outdoor obstacle course, hitting bullseyes with every shot, and how even the Battalion Commander would submit when he released his pheromones. He made the ten-year-old Wen Zhiyi genuinely believe he was a retired special forces veteran.

Little Wen even used this as capital to show off to Gu Yansheng. The skeptical Gu Yansheng went home and asked his uncle’s police officer to discreetly investigate whether there was such a veteran king in Wen Zhijie’s military district.

The result, of course, was no. The “Outstanding Model Soldier” honor Wen Zhijie brought home after his service was earned by writing material for the military. Although he was a science major, he was naturally bright and inquisitive. After reading the format and phrasing of various documents in the team once, he could almost master them. The material he wrote was not only smooth and vivid, but he could also effortlessly incorporate various allusions and theoretical knowledge.

Gu Yansheng didn’t shatter Little Wen’s beautiful illusion, but Little Wen soon discovered the truth himself. As he grew older, he naturally acquired more knowledge and understood that strength and endurance only resided in muscle, which Wen Zhijie clearly lacked in any visibly significant mass.

The moment Wen Zhijie opened his mouth, Little Wen knew he was about to bring up his military service experience from more than a decade ago, so he preemptively signaled that he was going back to his room and to call him when dinner was ready.

The disappointed Big Wen watched Little Wen, once again sighing that his younger brother was indeed harder to fool after growing up.

After dinner, Big Wen and Little Wen had rare free time. The two nestled on the sofa and chose a movie, chatting casually while watching. Wen Zhijie stared at the female protagonist walking in the pitch blackness on the screen; it was a well-reviewed horror film.

He asked about Wen Zhiyi’s recent life: “How’s the internship going? Are your supervisors and colleagues alright?”

Wen Zhiyi, holding the remote, hesitated on whether to fast-forward a section. He had a premonition that the high-energy scene where the female lead was killed by a ghost appearing right in front of her face was about to happen. His reply to his brother seemed a little distracted: “…I haven’t even asked you about Wu Cheng yet.”

“Wu Cheng?” Wen Zhijie shook his head. “He hasn’t come to the company in the last few days, and I’m happy for the peace and quiet. Every time he comes, he chats with everyone for half the day, treating my office like a card room.”

Wen Zhiyi remembered Gu Yansheng mentioning the recent instability and Feng Yun’s meaningful advice, and couldn’t help but sigh.

“What are you sighing about?” Sensing the worry, Wen Zhijie reached out to rub his brother’s head, not holding back any strength. Wen Zhiyi hadn’t had a haircut recently, and his hair, from his forehead to the back of his neck, had grown longer. The style he fixed before going out had completely fallen apart, now scattered loosely over his brow, forming a more messy, slightly long fringe.

In the darkened living room, there was only a faint, eerie light from the screen. Wen Zhiyi frowned, looking at his brother through his messy hair. His pair of sparkling, almond-shaped eyes unusually appeared deep, somber, and moist.

He rarely showed such serious worry, and once this discomfort and oppressive emotion was placed in the darkness, on Wen Zhiyi’s face, and in those eyes, that subtle, irritating feeling suddenly intensified.

“Brother, I want to move out for a while,” Wen Zhiyi said calmly.

Wen Zhijie sat up straight.

He slapped the TV off, dropping his smile: “Why? Are you unhappy living here? Or did something happen?”

Wen Zhiyi slowly shook his head, truthfully informing Big Wen about all the recent undercurrents.

He feared most bringing trouble and danger to Wen Zhijie, but it seemed increasingly hard to avoid.

As an older brother, Wen Zhijie certainly wouldn’t feel that his younger brother was causing him trouble. Wen Zhijie even felt that the meaning of his existence was to solve problems for Wen Zhiyi; it was just that Little Wen had always been so worry-free.

He put his arm around his brother’s shoulder, telling him that at this critical juncture, if Wen Zhiyi moved out, he would be worried sick.

Wen Zhiyi, slowly relieved, finally persuaded himself not to dwell on the matter anymore.

…

Although Wen Zhiyi always thought he didn’t understand him enough, Wei Yuzhi actually remembered clearly what he liked, disliked, could tolerate, and couldn’t endure… It was just that due to the difference in their thinking, it was somewhat slow for Wei Yuzhi to comprehend these things. Often, he only remembered them without fully understanding.

Now, he wanted to approach Wen Zhiyi according to the lifestyle the latter once wanted. He knew his only chance was the sweet memories of the past two years. If Wen Zhiyi were to look back, it would absolutely not be because of how much he gave Wen Zhiyi, but because Wen Zhiyi had not completely stopped loving him yet.

So, did Wen Zhiyi still love him even a little bit?

Wei Yuzhi packaged all the documents from the past ten years concerning himself, the Wei family, and the investigation into Madam Wei’s death, and had Wu Cheng deliver them to Wen Zhijie’s company. These documents would ultimately be seen by Wen Zhiyi.

All his vulnerabilities and secrets were now completely laid bare to his partner. For someone like Wei Yuzhi, the feeling of exposure was incredibly difficult to bear. The image he wanted to maintain, the situation he wanted to control, and the effortless proficiency he wanted to display would all be shattered by these documents.

He was, of course, confident and responsible for protecting Wen Zhiyi from any harm. He would never change this mindset in his lifetime, but he was beginning to understand that Wen Zhiyi had the right to know, even if it was cruel, dangerous, and painful. Wen Zhiyi still had the right to know these past events, because they once held each other’s hands and walked into the marriage hall.

What is marriage?

It is absolutely not Wen Zhiyi being packaged and handed over to Wei Yuzhi. Rather, it meant he gained the right to enter Wen Zhiyi’s life, and consequently, the obligation to allow Wen Zhiyi to enter his own.

He had been too eager to get close to Wen Zhiyi in the past but forgot that he should have first honestly revealed his own vulnerability and softness. If a person is equally composed, cold, and calm in front of you, how can you believe that he loves you?

Would Wen Zhiyi believe that he loves him?

He finally understood that proving love was such a difficult thing, while making the other party feel unloved was incredibly easy.

If everything could start over, he would only want Wen Zhiyi to know that he was loved with unwavering certainty.

Wei Yuzhi had never felt regret, nor indulged in the unrealistic fantasy of “if I could do it all over again.” The fact that he was uncharacteristically entertaining this thought was not because he was disheartened by the seemingly distant prospect of reconciliation, but because—

He finally understood how excruciatingly painful it was to doubt whether one was loved. He prided himself on loving Wen Zhiyi more than anyone else, yet he had caused Wen Zhiyi to have such doubts, to go through such pain.

He really regrets it.