TAO | Chapter 67

Wei Xiaochi spoke hesitantly, “It’s not just those things.”

“What else?” Jiang Zhan was clearly agitated. “Why are there so many problems? Why do we have so many problems?”

Wei Xiaochi pursed his lips. There were indeed so many issues between them.

Seeing Jiang Zhan’s reluctance to listen further, Wei Xiaochi decided to stay silent.

Jiang Zhan swung from one extreme to the other, his mood deflated like a frostbitten eggplant. He muttered gloomily, “So in your eyes, I don’t have any good points, do I?”

“No, you’re great,” Wei Xiaochi said softly after a long silence. “You treat me very well. It’s just that, in so many ways… we’re not really a good match.”

Out of everyone Wei Xiaochi knew, no one treated him better than Jiang Zhan.

So, even though Jiang Zhan had started the fight with Xu Yang, Wei Xiaochi couldn’t help but lean emotionally towards him.

He knew it wasn’t right.

But people are naturally emotional creatures. Wei Xiaochi couldn’t control his feelings. That’s why he apologized to Xu Yang on Jiang Zhan’s behalf.

It was understandable that Xu Yang didn’t accept his apology. After all, who would easily forgive being punched out of nowhere?

Wei Xiaochi could understand Xu Yang’s perspective. If it were him, he wouldn’t accept it either.

Wei Xiaochi and Jiang Zhan’s conversation hadn’t resolved anything. Although Wei Xiaochi expressed his feelings, Jiang Zhan refused to acknowledge them.

Before they could continue talking, Wei Minzhen, the disciplinary dean, stormed in, ready to catch troublemakers.

These little brats had dared to cause a major fight right under his nose. Did they even respect his authority as the dean?

Jiang Zhan, having dealt with Wei Minzhen for two years, knew how troublesome the man could be. Not wanting Wei Xiaochi to see him being scolded, Jiang Zhan shot him a look, signaling him to leave quickly.

Wei Xiaochi hesitated, glanced at Jiang Zhan, and decided to leave since the timing wasn’t right.

That afternoon, Xu Yang attended class as usual. The spot on his face where Jiang Zhan’s elbow had accidentally hit was purpling and red. Wei Xiaochi thought about apologizing again.

After all, this had started because of him, and Xu Yang had taken a hit for no reason.

But for various reasons, he didn’t say those words of apology. Beyond his fear of Xu Yang, Wei Xiaochi felt it was better to stay quiet during this sensitive time—for the sake of all three of them.

In the end, the matter was resolved with Jiang Zhan being punished as the instigator.

Wei Minzhen assigned Jiang Zhan three months of campus cleaning duties, required him to write a 3,000-word reflection essay, read it over the school broadcast during the Monday flag-raising ceremony, and cover Xu Yang’s medical expenses.

Early Saturday morning, Xu Yang, wearing black earphones, grabbed his keys from the entrance and was about to head out.

His mother, who was reviewing company financial reports, glanced up at him. “Your nose hasn’t fully healed. Don’t go out today.”

“I’ll be back soon,” Xu Yang replied.

She didn’t press further, taking a sip of her Blue Mountain coffee and returning her focus to the reports.

Xu Yang pulled a mountain bike from the garage, swung his long leg over, adjusted his earphone volume, and pedaled away.

The blazing sun hung high, thin clouds edged with golden light.

Dressed in light sportswear, Xu Yang’s long legs pedaled the mountain bike, revealing lean and muscular calves with defined ankles.

After nearly half an hour, he stopped on a bustling street.

Locking the bike, he removed his earphones and walked toward a milk tea shop called Tea-Color Tea Art.

Even from afar, through the crowd, Xu Yang spotted someone in a mascot costume standing outside the shop.

Even though the person hadn’t removed their headpiece, and Xu Yang couldn’t smell their faint pheromones, he recognized Wei Xiaochi immediately from his posture and the way he handed out flyers.

It seemed he was working today.

Xu Yang pulled a cooling patch from his pocket, ready to approach, when he noticed an alpha standing behind Wei Xiaochi.

Jiang Zhan was holding a stack of flyers, his face dark as he handed them out to passersby.

Xu Yang quietly observed for a few seconds, then tossed the cooling patch into a trash can and turned away.

When Wei Xiaochi had told Jiang Zhan about working weekends, Jiang Zhan had insisted on accompanying him.

Unable to dissuade him, Wei Xiaochi brought him along.

Jiang Zhan had assumed handing out flyers would just be… handing out flyers. He hadn’t expected that, in this heat, one would also have to wear a costume.

To make matters worse, the costume was too small for Jiang Zhan, so he could only watch as Wei Xiaochi steamed inside the “sauna.”

Adding insult to injury, the costume had to be worn all day—it wasn’t a “finish your flyers, collect your pay, and leave” kind of job.

After handing out a dozen flyers, Jiang Zhan removed Wei Xiaochi’s mascot headpiece. “Aren’t you hot? Come on, let’s take a break inside.”

This wasn’t the first time Jiang Zhan had removed the headpiece. Nervous, Wei Xiaochi glanced toward the shop.

“We can’t take breaks randomly,” he whispered. “If you’re hot, you can sit inside or go home.”

“I’ll hand them out for you,” Jiang Zhan said, wiping the sweat off Wei Xiaochi’s face. “Go inside and rest—I’ll handle it.”

“We can’t do that.” Wei Xiaochi glanced back at the shop, where Zhou Yun was also watching him. Quickly, he put the headpiece back on. “I’m fine. I’ve done this in the summer before…”

Before he could finish, a boy, about five or six years old, ran over with a plastic staff.

“Die, monster!” The boy swung the staff wildly at Wei Xiaochi.

The boy’s mother strolled leisurely behind him. “Stop that. That’s not a monster. Hey, what are you doing?”

Jiang Zhan grabbed the boy by the back of his shirt, his gaze icy. “Who are you hitting?”

The boy, dangling like a chick in Jiang Zhan’s grasp, flailed his legs and swung his staff at Jiang Zhan, tears in his voice. “I’ll beat you up! I’ll beat you!”

Swiftly, Jiang Zhan snatched the staff, placed it on the ground, and stomped, breaking it in half.

The boy froze for a moment, then burst into wailing sobs.

“Who do you think you are, touching my son?” The boy’s mother panicked and called for her husband.

A short, stout man hurried over, yelling, “You’re looking for trouble?”

Sensing things spiraling out of control, Wei Xiaochi grabbed Jiang Zhan, urging him to let the child go.

“Let go of the kid!” Wei Xiaochi pleaded.

Jiang Zhan released the boy, his gaze cold and sharp as he addressed the man. “If you don’t know how to teach your kid, plenty of people out there will gladly help. Let him go around hitting people again, and see what happens.”

The man shivered but quickly grew angrier. “What’s a flyer-passer like you acting so high and mighty for?”

Wei Xiaochi stepped in front of Jiang Zhan, his voice tight. “Please, let’s stop this.”

Hearing the commotion, Zhou Yun came outside. “What’s going on?”

Face pale, Wei Xiaochi stammered, “Uh, the kid… hit me twice…”

The boy’s mother shrieked, “Nonsense! My son would never hit anyone!”

Zhou Yun immediately understood the situation, her smile polite but formal. “Please calm down. We have cameras at the entrance.”

The man’s eyes widened, his expression froglike. “Trying to scare me? Your staff scared my son! If anything happens to him, can you afford it?”

Jiang Zhan stuffed his flyers into Wei Xiaochi’s hands and stepped forward. “Let’s go.”

Towering over the man by half a head, Jiang Zhan radiated an intimidating aura. The man stumbled back a step, his bravado faltering. “What do you want?”

Jiang Zhan’s expression was cold, far beyond his age. “Didn’t you say I should take responsibility? Fine. Let’s find a quiet place and talk.”

Worried, Wei Xiaochi tugged on Jiang Zhan’s sleeve, but Jiang Zhan gave him a reassuring look before leading the overbearing couple away.

Author’s Note:

Don’t worry, Jiang Zhan will change.
These conflicts are written to resolve them!