The engagement date for Ji Tan and Zhou Wenbai was set for two weeks later.
“I am sorry, Aunt Zhong,” Ji Yunxin said, his expression revealing a trace of apology. “The Ji family is occupied with many affairs, and my grandfather cannot get away. My father is busy accompanying my younger brother, who is critically ill. Therefore, we can only send the younger generation to discuss Ji Tan’s marriage arrangements.”
Zhong Peiyi stood in the center of the semi-circular staircase. Her fingers, painted with bright red polish, rested on the wooden banister. She lifted her chin slightly, surveying Ji Yunxin in the living room from above with a cold, mocking gaze. “You Ji family members are truly clever, aren’t you?”
Ji Yunxin’s expression remained unchanged, his attitude as respectful and polite as ever. “You are joking, Aunt Zhong.”
Ji Yunxin’s appearance bore a thirty percent resemblance to what Ji Yuan looked like in her youth. After staring at him for two seconds, Zhong Peiyi turned away. Her dark red qipao swayed like blossoming flowers as she moved in her high heels. Her gentle voice was laced with arrogance. “Come up.”
Ji Shixin had agreed to the marriage alliance with the Zhou family solely to save the Ji family from ruin. Ji Yunxin was the heir he valued, and he did not want to push Ji Enyi, who suffered from congenital heart disease, into the marriage. Ji Shixin harbored resentment that Ji Yuan had left all her inheritance to Ji Tan, who had no ties to the Ji family, leaving them unable to help when the family was at a life-or-death crossroads.
The old matter was brought up again. Since the Zhou family was willing to put the childhood engagement on the agenda, Ji Tan, who had received the Ji family’s grace, should contribute to them. Ji Shixin wanted the inheritance Ji Yuan had left for Ji Tan, but he had not expected Zhou Wenbai’s methods to be so ruthless, leaving him hitting a wall. Ji Tan could bring nothing to the Ji family, so Ji Shixin, finding him an eyesore, simply left the entire mess for Ji Yunxin to handle.
They were like ants swarming for profit, yet they cast Ji Tan aside the moment he lost his utility. Zhong Peiyi’s remark about the Ji family being clever was not entirely sarcastic. The Ji family was simply cold-bloodedly realistic—so realistic that even Ji Yuan, who had lived with them since childhood, could not bear it.
“Tuan Tuan, your brother is here.” Zhong Peiyi walked over to Ji Tan, who was browsing through Zhou Wenbai’s photo album, and bent down to gently pat his shoulder. “What fruit would you like? I will go downstairs and tell them to prepare it for you.”
Ji Tan looked back. “Why is he here?”
Zhong Peiyi chided him playfully. “Marriage is something discussed by the elders of both families.”
Zhong Peiyi’s ideology was exactly the same as Ji Yuan’s.
“Then they should be discussing it with my mother,” Ji Tan said, blinking.
“But we cannot find her.” Zhong Peiyi smoothed the small curls behind Ji Tan’s ear. “Stay here and talk with your brother.”
Ji Tan did not really want to pay attention to Ji Yunxin, but he nodded indifferently. Zhong Peiyi went downstairs under the pretense of preparing fruit, leaving the space for Ji Tan and Ji Yunxin.
“Ji Tan, you want to help Ji Enyi, right?” Ji Yunxin sat down opposite him.
Ji Tan placed the heavy photo album on his lap and looked up. A friendly smile graced Ji Yunxin’s handsome face. “Is it because you have started to like Ji Enyi again?”
Ji Tan’s gaze remained calm, and he repeated the same words. “I hate him.”
Ji Yunxin looked at Ji Tan, who was saying one thing while his heart perhaps felt another, and shook his head. “You are always like this—both obedient and disobedient, and so stubborn.”
When he was a child, Ji Tan did not distinguish between liking and hating; everyone was the same in his eyes. It was Ji Yuan who taught Ji Tan his principles of conduct. Ji Tan stubbornly acted within the framework set by Ji Yuan, staying away from those he should stay away from and hating those he should hate. There was no flexibility; it was all or nothing. To Ji Tan, no one could transcend Ji Yuan. Even if Ji Tan felt a twinge of compassion for Ji Enyi, he would not give him a cent, nor would his attitude toward him change. Ji Tan would follow the path Ji Yuan laid out for him until the very end.
“I will persuade my grandfather to continue Ji Enyi’s treatment.” Ji Yunxin reached out to touch Ji Tan’s head. “Do not worry; if there are any accidents, I will cover the costs.”
As Ji Yunxin’s fingertips brushed his hair, Ji Tan dodged away. Ji Yunxin’s hand hung in the air, and he smiled helplessly. “Do you hate me because Aunt Ji hates me?”
Ji Tan replied, “She just told me not to play with you.”
Ji Yunxin withdrew his hand and recalled, “Aunt Ji seemed to have always hated me.”
Ji Yunxin still remembered how, when he returned to the Ji home from the hospital after Ji Tan pushed him down the stairs, Ji Yuan had already adopted Ji Tan. Ji Yuan stood against the light, watching him; he could not see her expression clearly, but it certainly was not affection.
“So kind, stay away from me,” she had said.
Ji Yunxin, who had always been praised by Ji Shixin and Ji Shixi and had even been recognized by Cheng Jiayan, was stunned. He was like a skeleton, stripped bare under Ji Yuan’s gaze. A sense of immense shame and embarrassment made his arm, which had not yet fully healed, ache dully, and he could not bear it, returning to his room to rest.
“Then I hate you, too,” Ji Tan said, enunciating each word.
Ji Yunxin was stunned again. “Ji Tan, it seems there is no one else in your world but Aunt Ji.”
Ji Yuan’s likes and dislikes had completely become Ji Tan’s own. Ji Tan countered, “Is that not right?”
Ji Yuan had adopted Ji Tan when he was six, and she occupied most of his life. Ji Tan’s worldview was basically rebuilt patiently by Ji Yuan, day after day. Ji Tan’s world consisted only of himself and Ji Yuan. Ji Tan stood unconditionally on Ji Yuan’s side.
“There is nothing wrong with it.” Even Ji Yunxin could not find a rebuttal, only adding, “Ji Tan, Aunt Ji cannot predict everything; there will always be accidents.”
“For example, Ji Enyi.” Ji Yunxin said softly.
Ji Tan’s attitude toward Ji Enyi had clearly improved slightly, yet he still firmly adhered to Ji Yuan’s requirement to stay away from him. If something were to happen to Ji Enyi, Ji Tan would likely regret it.
“There will be no accidents,” Ji Tan dismissed Ji Yunxin’s “what-ifs.”
Ji Tan said slowly, “Even if Ji Enyi has a heart attack tomorrow, I will not take out a single cent of the money Mom left me.”
Ji Yunxin looked at Ji Tan’s calm eyes, then looked away after a long moment.
“Tuan Tuan, have some fruit.” Zhong Peiyi knocked on the door and entered with a fruit platter. She picked up a napkin from the table to wipe her fingers, which were dampened by water droplets.
Sensing the stagnant atmosphere between the two when she entered, Zhong Peiyi calmly picked up the album on Ji Tan’s lap. Flipping through photos of Zhou Wenbai and Zhou She’s childhood, she remarked with emotion, “They looked very much alike when they were children. Except for their personalities, their clothing and hairstyles were identical. Sometimes even I would mistake them for each other.”
Ji Tan nodded empathetically. “They are still very much alike now.”
Zhong Peiyi patted Ji Tan’s arm playfully. “Do not joke.”
Ji Tan looked up, peering at Zhong Peiyi as if to say he was not joking. Zhong Peiyi did not believe Ji Tan was telling the truth; after all, even a stranger could distinguish between Zhou Wenbai and Zhou She after meeting them once or twice.
“Alike in what way?” Zhong Peiyi joked. “If you think they are alike, why weren’t you willing when you were first asked to marry Zhou She?”
Ji Tan was very wary of this matter and immediately corrected himself. “They are not alike at all.”
“Alright, I will not tease you anymore.” Zhong Peiyi teased him. “So you like Wenbai that much and hate Zhou She?”
Ji Tan did not answer and chose to ask a question instead, abruptly changing the subject. “Why does his expression look so unpleasant?” Ji Tan pointed to the album showing two little boys dressed in identical red cotton jackets, one expressionless and the other scowling.
Zhong Peiyi identified them after a moment, though not entirely certain. “That must be Wenbai, right? He has never liked red since he was a child, and he still does not like it now.”
Ji Yunxin also looked at the twin brothers with different expressions in the photos, his gaze flickering.
“I only know that he does not eat tomatoes.” Ji Tan rested his chin on his palm, feeling a bit worried for Zhou Wenbai. “If he is a doctor and does not like red, what does he do during surgery? Blood flows everywhere.”
Zhong Peiyi was dismissive. “It is not like he is phobic of blood. He is an internal medicine doctor and mostly performs minimally invasive surgeries; there is nothing to worry about.”
“You have been spoiled too much by Ji Yuan.” Zhong Peiyi shook her head with a smile. “You act as if the whole world should not contain things you do not like.”
Ji Tan blushed slightly at Zhong Peiyi’s remark, retorting in a small, weak voice, “I do not have things I do not like.”
Zhong Peiyi watched Ji Tan with a gentle smile. She tilted her head, her graceful smile becoming distant. “The wedding date for Wenbai and Tuan Tuan has been set. What does the Ji family have to say?”
Ji Yunxin understood the implication. “The Ji family will certainly attend.”
Zhong Peiyi smoothed her hair calmly. “I do not require the Ji family to do anything for Tuan Tuan; Ji Yuan has already arranged Tuan Tuan’s future.”
“However, I hope the Ji family can show some decency for my sake.” A cold curve appeared on her lips. “After all, the Zhou and Ji families are in-laws; there may be opportunities for cooperation in the future.”
Ji Yunxin understood Zhong Peiyi’s hidden meaning. Zhong Peiyi wanted the Ji family to send Ji Tan off with dignity, not hesitating to use the Zhou family to exert pressure. Ji Yunxin nodded. “I will convey this to my grandfather and father.”
Zhong Peiyi nodded with satisfaction.
“Should you not go see Ji Yuan?” Zhong Peiyi suggested. “I will have the driver take you.”
“Or I can call Wenbai over so you can go choose wedding rings together this afternoon.”
Ji Tan refused. “No need. After I marry Dr. Zhou, I will take him to see Mom.”
Zhong Peiyi approved. “It is better for you to talk to Ji Yuan alone; you can bring Wenbai next time.”
Zhong Peiyi sent him downstairs, and Ji Yunxin followed him out. The Zhou family’s driver glanced at the car following them in the rearview mirror and asked, “Young Master Ji, should I shake him off?”
When Ji Yunxin left the Ji home, he wanted to give Ji Tan a ride to Ji Yuan’s gravesite. After being rejected by Ji Tan, he had been following behind Ji Tan’s car. Ji Tan shook his head. “No need to worry about him. If he wants to enter the cemetery, just stop him.”
The driver acknowledged. Ji Tan got out of the car upon reaching the cemetery, and Ji Yunxin, who had been following close behind, also stopped.
“Tan Tan, I am related to Aunt Ji by blood.” Ji Yunxin said to Ji Tan as he walked into the cemetery. “You cannot deprive me of the right to visit my aunt as her nephew.”
Ji Tan turned around and was as unreasonable as a child. “I am not depriving you, but you must wait until I am done seeing Mom before you go in.”
“What are you going to tell Aunt Ji?” Ji Yunxin asked softly. “Are you going to tell her you are marrying Zhou Wenbai?”
Ji Tan frowned. “Is that not allowed?”
Ji Yunxin seemed to have followed him all the way just for this one thing. Ji Yunxin stared fixedly at Ji Tan’s glass-like eyes, into which no emotion could penetrate, and could not help but wonder: Why did Ji Tan want to get married? He did not love Zhou Wenbai. If it was just to follow the life plans Ji Yuan had set for him, was Zhou Wenbai really the best choice? But on what basis could Ji Tan judge? Was it because Ji Tan had first identified Zhou Wenbai as the person to be judged within Ji Yuan’s framework, or was it because Ji Tan discovered that Zhou Wenbai was a person within Ji Yuan’s framework that he identified him? This subtle difference was enough to fray Ji Yunxin’s nerves.
“I did not say it was not allowed.” Ji Yunxin suddenly conceded. “Then I will visit Aunt Ji another time.”
Ji Tan watched Ji Yunxin leave, feeling perplexed, and did not waste any more energy thinking about him. Ji Tan arrived before Ji Yuan’s grave. Ji Yuan’s appearance was not pretty; her large features and prominent silhouette made her look so serious that she was somewhat intimidating. Yet, Ji Tan felt a sense of familiarity when he saw her.
523: “…Are you really going to marry an NPC for the sake of the mission?”
Ji Tan wiped Ji Yuan’s headstone. “Do you have a better way?”
523 did not, but it also knew the significance of marriage to humans. “A marriage without love will be very painful and difficult to endure,” 523 said.
“It will not,” Ji Tan replied emotionlessly. “Once Zhou She satisfies the mission’s emotional conditions, I will leave.”
523 remarked, “You really will stop at nothing for the sake of the mission. When Ji Shixin took you to the temple, I thought you were really going to kneel to marry Zhou Wenbai.”
“Humans value dignity, but the investors of your game have invested far more than ‘worth its weight in gold’ in you,” 523 analyzed. “Kneeling would not have been a loss.”
Ji Tan reached out and touched Ji Yuan’s face, which rarely showed a smile. “Even businessmen have their bottom lines.” It is just that they tend to retreat further and further.
“Tuan Tuan, are you at Aunt Ji’s place now? I am taking you to choose rings. But you have to wait for me a little while; I have a patient with premature ventricular contractions that needs to be admitted.” Zhou Wenbai’s message popped up.
After reading it, Ji Tan replied, “Then I will just go to the store and wait for you.”
“That works. Tuan Tuan, be safe, and I will be there directly.”
Ji Tan put away his phone, left the cemetery, and told the waiting driver his destination. The store for custom wedding rings was a jewelry shop owned by the Zhou family. Zhou Wenbai had to admit a patient and would take about one to two hours, so after the driver dropped Ji Tan off, he let him leave. Ji Tan did not go inside immediately; he wandered around.
Ji Tan walked around for about half an hour before slowly heading toward the Zhou family’s jewelry shop.
“What are you doing here?” Ji Tan saw Zhou She sitting upright on the sofa.
Zhou She looked up from the tablet he was using to browse ring designs. His gaze passed over Ji Tan’s sweaty, fair forehead, his damp nose, and his clear, amber eyes. Ji Tan’s blood-red lips were slightly panting, and Zhou She felt something was strange.
Zhou She frowned. “Are you hot?”
Ji Tan tugged at his fleece-lined sweatshirt, sat opposite Zhou She, and frowned in discomfort. “A little.” He hadn’t been hot originally, but after walking for over half an hour, his back was soaked with sweat.
Zhou She set down the tablet and had the waiter bring a glass of warm water. “Are you wearing anything underneath?”
“Huh?” Ji Tan was stunned for a moment.
Zhou She repeated, “Besides the sweatshirt you are wearing, are you wearing an undershirt or anything else?”
Ji Tan nodded.
The warm water arrived just in time, and Zhou She pushed it toward Ji Tan. “Take off the outer layer; the air conditioning is already running.” No wonder Ji Tan felt even hotter after coming inside.