Сhарtеr 23: I Dоn’t Likе Him
Wen Yао lоwеrеd her gaze аnd аsked her, “Аre yоu trуing tо рursuе him?”
Тang Li nоddеd, quitе сandidly. “Мany peорle wаnt tо рursuе him, аnd I doubt аnуоne will sucсеed. Вut he seems tо treаt you verу differеntly.”
“Yоu didn’t сome bаck last night—yоu wеrе with him, wеren’t yоu? Did уоu twо…?”
“The mаrks on his bоdy werе from yоu, right?”
Even thоugh Wen Yao wаs gеntlе and kind bу nаture, she still felt оffendеd аt this moment.
Нer red liрs pаrtеd slightlу, her vоice sоft yet firm.
“I dоn’t likе him, аnd I never will.”
“If you want to pursue him, thаt’s уour business.”
As for thе rеst, she had no intеntiоn of sharing.
Tang Li nodded. “I understand.”
Wen Yao took the opportunity to bring up the matter of the photo, conveying the original intent without further euphemism.
“I need the photo I gave you last time back. Since you posted it online, he’s unhappy and wants it returned.”
Tang Li retrieved the photo from between the pages of her book, closed her eyes for a moment, and handed it back to Wen Yao.
“Then I’ll pursue him.”
Wen Yao pursed her lips. “Suit yourself.”
There were no classes this afternoon, and the sports field was bustling with club recruitment.
Everyone in the dormitory went together, though they ended up splitting into pairs.
Wen Yao was with Chi Ying, while Xu Chao was with Tang Li.
Wen Yao was quite interested in new things, so she visited and tried out several clubs that caught her eye, thoroughly enjoying herself.
In the end, she signed up for the calligraphy club.
Chi Ying teased her, “Hey, weren’t you pretty interested in the music and dance clubs earlier?”
Wen Yao shook her head. “I don’t know how. After my parents passed away, our family’s circumstances weren’t as good, and I never had the chance to learn anything.”
She had taken dance lessons for a few years as a child, and her mother had taught her to play the guitar, but it had been years since she last picked one up.
Practicing hard-tip calligraphy, on the other hand, was more convenient, and she had never let it fall by the wayside.
“Both my parents were high school teachers. My mom taught math, and my dad taught Chinese.”
“When I was little, my handwriting was terrible.”
Wen Yao spoke vividly, her expressions lively.
“My dad couldn’t stand my handwriting. He said it looked like a dog’s scribbles and forced me to practice, even hitting me with a ruler.”
She chatted idly with Chi Ying, and the sealed memories resurfaced. Back then, she had been quite happy.
With her parents around, even when she was scolded, she missed those days dearly.
But life was good now too. She still had her grandmother and her younger sister.
She had video-called her grandmother’s caregiver at noon. The elderly lady in the video looked much healthier, though her hearing had worsened.
During the National Day holiday, she would go home and call out to her loudly. Her grandmother would surely hear her. Just thinking about it made her happy.
Chi Ying linked arms with Wen Yao, her voice calm. “I don’t even know who my parents are.”
“My grandmother found me in a trash can. She raised me by collecting bottles. In middle school, she passed away.”
“I didn’t even want to continue to high school, but Tan Du forced me to.”
A flicker of sympathy crossed Wen Yao’s eyes, and she asked gently, “Is Tan Du your boyfriend?”
Chi Ying nodded, her eyes growing moist. “He was my classmate in middle school. On the day I decided to drop out, he knelt down and begged me to keep studying. He went out to earn money and supported me through high school. He’s driven and sharp-minded. Now he runs his own small company.”
“In a few years, after I graduate, I’ll marry him.”Wen Yao smiled. “Alright, I’ll be waiting to drink at your wedding.”
“I’ll be your bridesmaid!”
Chi Ying also wore a blissful smile. In high school, she had been solely focused on her studies and was quite introverted, so she hadn’t made many friends.
Wen Yao never looked down on her and took the initiative to get close. With her good nature, Chi Ying cherished this friend deeply.
Very, very deeply.
Wen Yao and Chi Ying shopped all afternoon and were genuinely tired from walking.
That evening, both of them ate a huge bowl of noodles and even bought a grilled sausage afterward, returning to the dormitory in high spirits.
Chi Ying asked about the mark on Wen Yao’s face, and Wen Yao told her the truth.
So, two people who weren’t good at cursing gathered together to complain about how unreasonable others could be, their level of venting akin to elementary school kids bickering.
As they approached the dormitory building, Wen Yao spotted Xie Zongxun’s car from afar. She pulled out her phone and glanced at it—sure enough, there was a message from him.
X: 【Come to my place tonight. Waiting for you downstairs.】
Wen Yao squeezed Chi Ying’s hand, hesitating slightly. “Yingying, I have to go see him.”
Chi Ying nodded gently, a teasing smile curling her lips. “He’s so clingy with you, it’s adorable.”
Wen Yao could only force a bitter smile, her lips twitching slightly. “Then I’ll head over?”
Chi Ying hummed softly in agreement. After Wen Yao left, she took out her phone and looked at the contact pinned at the top. Their most recent chat was from a week ago.
He used to be just as clingy with her.
Never mind, he’s busy. She should be understanding.
Wen Yao got into the car and fastened her seatbelt.
“Not sneaking around like a thief anymore?”
Xie Zongxun teased her, noting her calm expression.
“It’s pitch dark, who can see? Let’s just go home.”
Wen Yao had enjoyed her day out and was in a buoyant mood. Without thinking much, she gave him a light order.
Xie Zongxun went along with it. “Mm, heading home now.”
Before starting the car, he handed her a small box containing an exquisitely crafted little cake that looked utterly tempting.
Wen Yao swallowed. “I just finished dinner.”
Xie Zongxun pressed his lips together. “Eat it when we get back.”
Then he added, “If you can’t finish it, I’ll eat it.”
Wen Yao looked at him, amused, and a thought crossed her mind. “Do you actually want it yourself but feel too embarrassed to say so, so you’re planning to eat mine?”
Xie Zongxun snorted. “I’m eating your leftovers.”
“It’s pretty sweet, just like your mouth. I can handle it.”
What is this guy saying?
Wen Yao took a soft breath, finding it unbelievable that he could say something so sugary with such a straight face.
He was like this in bed too—expressionless, yet the words that came out of his mouth grew increasingly vulgar and crude.
Sometimes he would coax her, but more often he praised her.
Faced with that face, that physique, and his voice, when her mind wasn’t clear, she would blush to death—a kind of physiological and psychological shyness she simply couldn’t control.
Wen Yao stared ahead, gritting her teeth. “Stop joking around with me all the time.”
Xie Zongxun’s Adam’s apple bobbed, his tone utterly serious. “Not joking, just flirting.”
“You only ever think about these things.”
He spoke lightly, “What else should I think about?”
Wen Yao mumbled, “I don’t know.”
Their relationship was fundamentally only about this. She was just overthinking again.
After returning to Xie Zongxun’s villa, Wen Yao’s body immediately went limp. She was genuinely tired from walking around all afternoon.
As soon as she entered, she kicked off her shoes and made a beeline for the sofa, flopping onto it and complaining loudly about her aching legs and back, letting out a dramatic wail.Paopao trotted over and nuzzled against her.
Xie Zongxun looked at the shoes she had casually kicked off, picked them up and placed them in the shoe cabinet, then took off his jacket and walked over to her.
“Did I do it again? Does your stomach hurt?”
Wen Yao rolled over, her glistening eyes meeting his dark pupils. Both of them froze for a moment.
Wen Yao sat up, brushed her hair back, and said somewhat flustered, “I went to sign up for clubs this afternoon. There were so many clubs, and walking around was exhausting.”
Xie Zongxun held her waist, guiding her to lie on his lap. His slender, well-defined fingers scratched her chin as he couldn’t help but sigh.
“With your physical condition, you need more exercise.”
“You’re so weak, always complaining about being tired.”
Wen Yao kicked at the air and protested, “I don’t always complain about being tired!”
“Alright, don’t complain tonight.”
Wen Yao snorted coldly, then felt her pocket and took out his photo. “Here, give this back to you.”
Unable to resist, she took a closer look and clicked her tongue. “So many marks—did I do all of this?”
Xie Zongxun glanced at it, raised an eyebrow, and casually pointed at a few spots, speaking unhurriedly.
“Yes, bites, scratches, kisses.”
Wen Yao exclaimed excitedly, “How could there possibly be kisses?”
Xie Zongxun remained calm.
“There were. You might have been too comfortable and forgot.”
Wen Yao: “…”