What's Wrong with Changing to a New Wife? [Rebirth] - Chapter 8

On their way to the cafeteria, they ran into Cheng Zhuo and Xu Jingyin.

Cheng Zhuo was riding an electric scooter with Xu Jingyin sitting behind him, whizzing past the three like a gust of wind, his fiery red hair as conspicuous as a blaze.

As he passed by Gu Ji, Cheng Zhuo called out loudly, “Brother Gu, heading to eat? Oh, and sister-in-law, you’re here too—”

Damn, it just slipped out. Another offense added to the list.

The moment Cheng Zhuo realized his slip of the tongue, his expression instantly turned horrified. He sped off on his electric scooter as if fleeing for his life, leaving only the lingering exhaust fumes behind.

He had no idea what the handsome guy’s name was from yesterday; it had just come out instinctively. By the time his brain caught up, the words were already out.

Cheng Zhuo had zoomed away too quickly on his little electric scooter for Gu Ji to even stop him.

Lin Qingran frowned deeply, his tone as if Gu Ji owed him five million, “Did you tell him to call me that?”

Gu Ji thought to himself, Xiao Yan didn’t even get angry when he was called that, yet you, a fake claiming someone else’s title, are throwing a tantrum.

“He wasn’t calling you,” Gu Ji said impatiently. “You misheard.”

Lin Qingran questioned, “Didn’t he just call me sister-in-law?”

Without hesitation, Gu Ji denied it. “He said ‘jujube.’ You misheard.”

Lin Qingran felt it wasn’t a mishearing. Even if it wasn’t “sister-in-law,” how could it possibly be “jujube”?

He turned to Yan Congyu beside him, his voice unconsciously softening, “Yu Shen, what did you hear?”

Yan Congyu replied, “Jujube.”

Hearing Yan Congyu say the same, Lin Qingran didn’t dwell on it further, a faint smile appearing on his face. “Then I must have misheard.”

Gu Ji sensed something off. He knew Lin Qingran well enough. If it were the Lin Qingran from ten years later, Gu Ji might have had to think carefully about how to handle him, but the current Lin Qingran was far less cunning than his future self. Gu Ji could easily see through his tricks.

Including the tactics Lin Qingran liked to use when flirting with men. From his tone of voice to his gestures and expressions it was all too familiar to Gu Ji.

And just now, Lin Qingran had clearly used that same routine on Yan Congyu.

It wasn’t that Gu Ji was being overly suspicious, but this was exactly the kind of thing Lin Qingran was capable of. In his previous life, Gu Ji didn’t know exactly how many people Lin Qingran had hooked up with, but the number of rivals who came looking for him could fill a basket.

Getting involved with Lin Qingran was akin to ruining one’s life, and Gu Ji had personally experienced the consequences in his past life.

He wasn’t a saint. If he encountered someone like Tan Yang, he wouldn’t bother to warn them. But Yan Congyu was different. The other had helped him before, and if only to repay him for sending him home on that snowy night, Gu Ji couldn’t just stand by and watch Yan Congyu fall into a pit of fire.

After arriving at the cafeteria and getting their food, Lin Qingran sat down first. Without much thought, Gu Ji took the seat opposite him, and Yan Congyu sat down beside Gu Ji.

Lin Qingran paused for a moment before saying, “Yu Shen, it’s a bit crowded sitting opposite. Why don’t you come sit over here?”

Just as Yan Congyu was about to refuse, he suddenly felt someone tugging at the hem of his clothes. He instinctively glanced at Gu Ji and forgot to respond to Lin Qingran.

Knowing exactly what Lin Qingran was up to, Gu Ji held onto Yan Congyu’s clothes to keep him from leaving and said calmly, “I’m not fat. How is it crowded for Xiao Yan to sit with me?”

Lin Qingran’s expression stiffened at the rebuttal. “You don’t understand art. Yu Shen and I have common topics to discuss. I have some questions I’d like to ask Yu Shen—”

Yan Congyu interrupted with a measured tone, “Let’s not talk about this during the meal.”

This was clearly a refusal, and Lin Qingran couldn’t say anything more.

Gu Ji withdrew his hand, feeling relieved. He thought to himself that Yan Congyu was far smarter than he had been in his past life.

Earlier, when Gu Ji was getting his food, he had been momentarily distracted, and the cafeteria lady had ladled him a large scoop of potato stewed with beef.

No matter how many lifetimes he lived, potatoes were Gu Ji’s least favorite food. Whether they were shredded, diced, or made into fries or chips, he simply wouldn’t eat them.

This was one of the downsides of eating in the cafeteria—almost every meal included potatoes. Gu Ji had to painstakingly pick them out to avoid accidentally eating any.

Yan Congyu looked at Gu Ji and said softly, “Let’s swap. This portion hasn’t been touched, and there are no potatoes in it.”

Afraid of being rejected, he added, “I like potatoes.”

Gu Ji initially didn’t want to trouble the other, but upon hearing Yan Congyu’s latter remark, he hesitated for a moment before replying, “…Alright.”

The two exchanged their trays, leaving Lin Qingran puzzled. Since when had Gu Ji and Yan Shen become so close?

Lin Qingran put down his chopsticks and said to Gu Ji, “My dish is a bit too spicy. Swap with me.”

Gu Ji had originally intended to politely refuse to save face, but when he caught a glimpse of the large scoop of shredded potatoes on Lin Qingran’s plate, his patience wore thin, and he grew irritated.

“How can we swap when you’ve already started eating? If it’s too spicy, go get another serving.”

Lin Qingran’s face instantly darkened. “Gu Ji.”

The reason Gu Ji couldn’t break up with Lin Qingran right now was that he didn’t want to repeat what had happened in his past life.

In his previous life, the one time he had tried to break up with Lin Qingran, he ended up being vilified and labeled as a heartless playboy, his reputation in ruins.

Although he couldn’t break up just yet, Gu Ji was no longer willing to indulge Lin Qingran in such trivial matters. Even if Lin Qingran went around complaining about it today, he wouldn’t have much of a leg to stand on—who would try to swap a half-eaten meal with someone else?

Lin Qingran was already seething with anger, but with others present, he couldn’t express it openly. He lowered his voice and said, “Gu Ji, are you trying to break up?”

Gu Ji inwardly wished for nothing more, but he had to put on a facade. “Calm down first.”

Lin Qingran retorted, “Calm down? Think about your attitude these past two days. Forget it, don’t come looking for me for now. We’ll talk after you’ve thought things through.”

Gu Ji was all too familiar with this tactic. Whenever Lin Qingran lost his temper, his go-to move was to give the cold shoulder. In his previous life, Gu Ji had been terrified of this and would always try to placate him with gentle words.

After saying this, Lin Qingran stood up and left.

But now, Gu Ji felt relieved. At the very least, he could enjoy a couple of days of peace without having to force himself to play along with Lin Qingran’s antics.

Yan Congyu was taken aback. His previous understanding of Gu Ji and Lin Qingran’s relationship had just been overturned again. “…Aren’t you going after him?”

Gu Ji replied nonchalantly, “Why would I? Let’s eat.”

Believing that understanding the enemy’s situation was key to gaining deeper insight, Yan Congyu pressed further, “Did you two have a fight?”

Gu Ji wasn’t particularly keen on answering these questions, but because it was Yan Congyu asking, he felt more inclined to indulge him and nodded.

Yan Congyu’s eyes lit up for a moment, a faint smile gracing his lips. “So, did you break up?”

“…”

Gu Ji turned his head to look at him, “Xiao Yan, are you doing an emotional interview? Why so many questions?”

Yan Congyu knew he was being overly eager, but he couldn’t help it, letting out a soft sigh in his heart.

Gu Ji hadn’t answered the last question. After all, he couldn’t very well say that they hadn’t broken up yet but were about to. That answer would sound too strange to anyone normal.

After the meal, Gu Ji asked, “We’re going out for dinner tonight. Cheng Zhuo wants to apologize to you. I’ll pick you up at seven?”

Yan Congyu agreed.

“Then see you tonight,” Gu Ji waved. “Goodbye.”

After parting ways with Gu Ji, Yan Congyu returned to the art studio. He carefully removed the two paintings from the easel and mounted them in the same frame, his movements slow and deliberate.

…He had already waited so long; there was no need to rush now.

–

That evening, before heading out with Cheng Zhuo, Gu Ji pulled him aside just in case, making him rehearse his apology in advance.

Cheng Zhuo delivered it perfectly, and Gu Ji finally felt at ease.

Gu Ji drove his own car that day, with Cheng Zhuo sitting in the back seat, still unable to let it go. “Brother Gu, is there really no chance between you and Yan? I think he’s better than that other guy, and way more handsome.”

Gu Ji steered the wheel, “There are plenty of people better than that guy.”

Cheng Zhuo nodded in agreement but added, “But Yan is really good-looking.”

“Cheng Zi, men who like men are a minority. Yan isn’t gay,” Gu Ji said. “Xiao Yan has a good temper and didn’t say anything, but if you run into a straight guy and call him ‘sister-in-law,’ you’re going to get punched.”

At this point, Gu Ji had actually decided he wasn’t going to date again in this lifetime. Finding a suitable partner among the same sex was already difficult, and rather than settling for someone, it was better to just be alone.

Cheng Zhuo understood, “Got it, I won’t call him that again.”

Gu Ji and Yan Congyu had agreed to meet at the school gate. Even before they arrived, Gu Ji spotted a tall figure through the car window.

Cheng Zhuo checked the time, shocked. “Brother Gu, we’re already ten minutes early. How is Yan even earlier than us?”

There were differences between people, and this comparison made Cheng Zhuo like Yan even more. He recalled the times when their dorm had eaten with Lin Qingran. Four of them waiting for just one person, who showed up half an hour late without even a word of apology.

The car pulled up beside Yan Congyu, and Gu Ji rolled down the window. “Xiao Yan.”

Yan Congyu responded, a slight smile curling his lips. “You’re here.”

“Get in quickly. You’re so early. How long have you been waiting?” Gu Ji noticed Yan Congyu turning to open the back door and reminded him, “Sit in the front. I saved the passenger seat for you.”

Yan Congyu paused.

At that moment, Cheng Zhuo also rolled down his window, leaning out with a grin. “Yan, do you remember me?”

Yan Congyu noted the change in address, figuring Gu Ji must have told him. “I remember. Cheng Zhuo, the ‘Zhuo’ with the fire radical.”

Cheng Zhuo was deeply moved that Yan remembered such a detail, and his fondness for Yan instantly doubled.

Damn it, couldn’t Yan somehow become his sister-in-law after all?