Ji Jie finally started to feel awkward too, and a famous quote popped into her head—
I have a thousand words, but no way to plead my case.
Huo Yuxi walked in, used a key to open Wei Chao's locker, and took out his phone and wallet.
Doing it right in front of her was, more or less, a way of staking a claim.
Ji Jie found it inexplicably cute.
"What are you looking for?" Huo Yuxi asked her again.
"Uh…" She glanced at the labels on the lockers, unable to explain how she had found her way here, so she could only say, "I wasn't looking for anything."
She had just made a scene in public, personally thrown the chocolate into the trash, and then turned around and fished it back out to return to its owner. Wasn't that bipolar?
Her behavior was bizarre, completely different from the personality she had shown when she first enrolled. Since Huo Yuxi had asked, she still wanted to hear the reason. But Ji Jie refused to speak.
No one can help someone who won't save herself.
"Suit yourself."
Huo Yuxi took her things and left without looking at her again. Only as they brushed past each other did she say softly, "Spend more of your energy on yourself."
Was that a threat or advice?
Ji Jie stood in place and blinked.
She was probably going to have a meal with Wei Chao—the volleyball team members would be there too.
On the way home, Ji Jie received another WeChat message. From the not-limping boy—apparently he was out of ideas too.
[How did you and my sister end up liking the same person? If you two start fighting later, whose side am I supposed to take?]
[Actually, Wei Chao isn't as perfect as you all imagine, really. He has more flaws than I do.]
[How about I introduce you to some other guys? I guarantee they're all from well-off families and not bad-looking either. Just tell me what type you like.]
Ji Jie left him on read, which made him anxious as anything. Only after she got home did she slowly send him a reply.
[Not considering it.]
She would have loved to stay far away from the center of gossip, but unfortunately she still had a task to finish.
If she usually avoided things too obviously, acting one way one moment and another way the next, it would be even more troublesome to explain. Better to just maintain the persona of a lovestruck girl for now—relatively speaking, it was actually more energy-efficient.
She ate dinner alone. Auntie Ping said today's pomelo had been flown in, in season, and could soothe the dryness. So she sat at the far end of that long table and ate a single segment by herself.
The dining table was too vast and empty—truly lonely. As she ate, she made idle chatter. "Isn't Huo Zhenyan coming home today?"
Auntie Ping was briefly startled, then smiled and said, "He probably has business to discuss. Your eldest brother has always been very devoted to his work."
She realized she had misspoken and smoothly corrected herself. "I've always wanted a career-driven older brother too, someone I could look up to."
"That's wonderful," Auntie Ping said. "Young people should have that fighting spirit. But don't learn too much from him—he's so busy he doesn't even have a personal life. On weekends, you could go out shopping with classmates, have afternoon tea."
"Mm-hmm, I will." After finishing the last piece, Ji Jie put the fruit fork back on the porcelain plate. "I'll head upstairs now."
With her current reputation, finding a friend at school to go shopping with would probably be a bit difficult.
There was, however, one person showing her tender concern. The next day at school, Cheng Yunqiao came to find her right after first period ended. "Yesterday my friend dragged me away. Were you okay after that? Did they bully you?"
"No one bullied me," Ji Jie told her. "I won't go watch practice anymore."
"Ah… why?"
Of course it was because the storyline for this part at the gymnasium had ended.
Ji Jie shook her head silently, looking extremely forbearing.
"I understand." Cheng Yunqiao filled in the blanks of the entire logical chain on her own, and patted her back considerately. "Don't mind what others say. At least I'm still your good friend, and I'll always be on your side."
There was a social network within the school, big groups and small groups nested together. Overnight, the on-site photos of her being caught stealing Wei Chao's personal belongings in the men's locker room had already spread.
At school today, when everyone looked at her, they no longer bothered to hide it much. One after another, their disdain was palpable.
This kind of change would of course make anyone uncomfortable, but it had not yet reached the point of affecting her.
Ji Jie went to school as usual. At the same time, photos of Huo Yuxi attending the volleyball team dinner—especially photos of her in the same frame as Wei Chao—were also circulating in Moments.
After entering the ambiguous stage, Huo Yuxi came home too late several times, and it was inevitable that Huo Zhenyan noticed.
Studying at home on the weekend, Ji Jie went downstairs for a walk after getting tired of studying, and quite unluckily ran into this brother and sister's conversation.
Actually, she did not hear much. She had come down late and was also far away, so she only heard that the tones of the two seemed to be trending toward an argument.
The last sentence was said by Huo Yuxi.
"It's none of your business."
Ji Jie stood behind the Roman column at the entrance, judged that now was not a good time to appear, and so canceled the walk and turned to go upstairs.
This was their brother and sister's family matter, and had nothing to do with her.
—Thinking this, her steps as she climbed the spiral staircase one level at a time still slowed, and she paused behind the flower window on the second floor.
Huo Zhenyan was still sitting alone in the pavilion. Facing the rippling pond water, he sat without saying a word.
He seemed to like that place very much. At home, aside from eating, sleeping, and working, when resting he often went there to feed the koi.
He looked very lonely.
He had just finished dealing with He Lingfeng's matter, and within a few days there was another situation on Huo Yuxi's side. It was enough to give him a headache.
A younger sister was different from a younger brother. He could not just pick her up and give her a beating to settle things. She, on the other hand, had the plot in hand and knew the source of Huo Yuxi's adolescent angst, but unfortunately could not give spoilers, and could only watch Huo Zhenyan have a headache.
A mother who died early, a father who was never home, rebellious younger siblings, and him, emotionally exhausted.
Pitiful.
How had he learned the news, from a school teacher? Or had He Lingfeng been unable to keep his mouth shut? She also did not know whether it had been mentioned that she was mixed up in it.
Ji Jie thought she still had to see him and check his reaction face to face.
So she patiently waited two hours, then went to the study and knocked. "Brother?"
"Come in."
Huo Zhenyan sat behind the desk, wearing the pair of glasses she found very attractive. "Something urgent?"
"Not urgent."
"Then sit first. I'll be busy for ten minutes."
"Okay." She found a seat on the sofa and sat down.
Huo Zhenyan made a phone call and had Auntie Ping bring her a cup of cinnamon apple roasted milk.
Not too sweet, lightly fragrant, warm and comforting. Ji Jie drank it slowly.
Last time she came, she had been lectured. Only today did she have the mood to admire the layout of the study. There was a kind of antique beauty here, like the style in Harry Potter, with tall bookshelves filling the entire wall, and a ladder with sliding rails that could move left and right.
Just from the number of books on the shelves, as well as the decoration and design, one could conclude that this study had been passed down for more than one generation.
She thought that when Huo Zhenyan took over the family business, he seemed to have only been in middle school.
In that youthful stage filled with dreams and passion, brimming with eagerness and the brightest radiance, it must be very difficult to cast aside oneself and calm down to focus on one's career.
The family business was like an old, massive ship—if no one took the helm, it would sink. Everyone was on the same boat, sharing survival and demise together.
He had no choice.
She unknowingly stared at Huo Zhenyan for a long time. Only when he finished his work and lifted his eyes to look over did she gently shift her gaze away.
"Actually, you don't need to worry about us."
Somehow, she wanted to offer some comfort. "And don't worry too much—kids in their rebellious phase are all like this. They'll be fine on their own in a couple of years."
She had to admit, growing up in an environment where she wasn't even allowed to close her own bedroom door, she really found it hard to empathize with these kids' growing pains.
Kids who could get a standalone villa just because they were unhappy about living with outsiders—what earth-shattering worries could they possibly have?
From what she'd read in novels, those so-called worries didn't even need to be solved. After this period passed, they'd vanish without a trace.
Her tone sounded like she was playing the adult. Huo Zhenyan couldn't help but laugh. "You're one to talk about others being rebellious? You're not exactly the obedient type either."
"No one is perfect—of course my brain gets muddled occasionally." She said braving the embarrassment. "But my main objective has always been clear."
"Then tell me—what mission brings you to me?"
"I want to apply to live on campus next year." Ji Jie spread her hands and said bluntly. "I need a guardian's signature of support."
"Denied."
"Okay."
"…"
"So straightforward." Huo Zhenyan said. "Not going to fight for yourself a bit more?"
"Alright." She said, going along with it. "Then I apply to live on campus, and I strongly request a guardian's signature of support."
"Denied." Huo Zhenyan said.
She nodded. "Okay."
"…"
Huo Zhenyan suddenly laughed, his brows and eyes relaxing, and the look in his eyes as he gazed at her softened somewhat. At least it was no longer the look of someone assessing a trouble or a burden.
He leaned back into the chair at ease, the corners of his lips curved, looking somewhat casual. "Here to amuse me?"
"So are you amused?" Ji Jie said. "Should I take the opportunity to apply one more time?"
"What exactly is the reason you want to live on campus?"
She couldn't say the reason, so she said vaguely, "Just want to experience it."
There was an outrageous dormitory plotline that would happen next year. Dorm applications generally had to be submitted before the semester started. She'd thought of it, so she figured she'd come test the feasibility first.
"The dorm conditions can't compare to home—many things are inconvenient." Huo Zhenyan said slowly. "You value your studies so much—don't let trivial matters scatter your energy. If you're curious, it won't be too late to experience it in university."
Ji Jie was persuaded. "Alright, then I won't apply for now."
Huo Zhenyan seemed to still not know about the things she'd done at school. He probably just thought that keeping her at home under supervision made it easier to keep her in check.
Might as well throw in some flattery while she was at it. "You're a good brother with a sense of responsibility."
Huo Zhenyan mimicked her phrasing. "I suppose I am, a little."
"…"
"What do you think I should do?"
He spoke up out of the blue—whether testing her or something else, he actually sought this young girl's opinion. "Managing too little counts as dereliction of duty; managing too much is useless—you all won't listen anyway."
Being forced to play dad here at such a young age—it was a bit tragic.
But—
Ji Jie wondered—was it possible that he himself was addicted to it?
He had reached an age where he could provide cover for others, yet there was no one willing to be covered by him. It was only natural that he would feel wistful.
Otherwise, he could have easily followed Huo Jinge's example and become a hands-off manager, letting the two younger ones in the family muddle through their days however they pleased. It would be even better if they turned out to be good-for-nothings—then no one would fight him for the family fortune.
Ji Jie was a little curious. She wondered what it was like to be born into a family like this as a child.
Her own life had begun with her parents shifting responsibility onto each other. From a young age, she had been tossed back and forth, walking on eggshells just to scrape together a meal. She had never truly experienced this feeling of being so cared for that it became tiresome.
"You can manage me."
She said to Huo Zhenyan, "I'm very good at listening."