TAO | Chapter 98

[I’m Your Brother Han]: ???

Han Ziyang spammed rows and rows of question marks.

Each one hit squarely on Wei Xiaochi’s sensitive nerves—seems like everyone was absolutely convinced that he had chased Jiang Zhan first.

And it wasn’t just “thinking.” Honestly, Han Ziyang was probably the reason Jiang Zhan had that idea in the first place.

So now, seeing Wei Xiaochi deny pursuing Jiang Zhan, Han Ziyang was utterly baffled.

[I’m Your Brother Han]: You didn’t chase Zhan ge?

[Wei Xiaochi]: I didn’t.

[I’m Your Brother Han]: Then why were you always giving him those lovestruck glances?

Wei Xiaochi: ?? When did I ever give him lovestruck glances??

[I’m Your Brother Han]: Two months ago! You forget I even caught you once.

Oh—Wei Xiaochi remembered. He helplessly explained:

[Wei Xiaochi]: That was because he owed me money. I remember I told you that.

[I’m Your Brother Han]: Zhan ge isn’t the type to owe money and not pay. If he owed you, you could’ve just asked. No need to be all sneaky, right?

[Wei Xiaochi]: I didn’t know him well back then, so I didn’t dare ask directly.

[I’m Your Brother Han]: Then what about the buns you gave him?

[Wei Xiaochi]: I brought the buns to open the conversation about money. But before I could say anything, the discipline director kicked me out.

[I’m Your Brother Han]: …

Han Ziyang refused to give up: Then what about the medicine?

[Wei Xiaochi]: He got a stomachache from the buns I gave him. I was scared he’d hit me, so I bought a box of medicine.

Han Ziyang was struck by lightning. His fingers trembled as he typed.

[I’m Your Brother Han]: What about the whole “hero saving the damsel” thing?

Wei Xiaochi: …What hero saving what damsel?

He never thought of that incident in the alley—where he chased off Fang Zhixin’s dog—as anything remotely like some knight-in-shining-armor drama.

Han Ziyang was officially shattered.

If Wei Xiaochi had explained all this two months ago, Han Ziyang would’ve laughed in his face. But now? He actually believed every word.

Two reasons:

1.They were already together now, so there was no reason for Wei Xiaochi to lie about this stuff.
2.From what he’d come to know of Wei Xiaochi recently, it was totally plausible he’d be too timid to directly ask Jiang Zhan for money.

So, conclusion: Wei Xiaochi wasn’t some manipulative green tea type. He really hadn’t liked Jiang Zhan back then. He was just your average shy, awkward kid with zero strategy.

Han Ziyang put his phone down, rubbed his face a few times, and then turned to Jiang Zhan with the most eager, fawning smile.

“Zhan ge, can I ask you something?”

Jiang Zhan was speed-solving test papers, didn’t even look up. “What?”

Han Ziyang took a deep breath and braced himself. “Hypothetically—I’m just saying if—if I was wrong, and two months ago, Teacher Wei didn’t actually like you, and only showed up around you because he wanted his money back…”

Jiang Zhan’s pen paused mid-air. He looked up and gave Han Ziyang a cold stare.

Han Ziyang’s heart nearly stopped. He forced out a stiff, dry laugh. “Hahaha, just kidding! Totally impossible!”

Jiang Zhan casually looked away, and that three-meter-long invisible execution blade hanging behind him disappeared too.

Han Ziyang let out a breath, but he was in absolute torment inside.

If only he hadn’t run his mouth two months ago, none of this misunderstanding would exist. And now that Wei Xiaochi wanted to clear it up… he was going to take the full blow.

In a panic, Han Ziyang typed a message to Wei Xiaochi:

[I’m Your Brother Han]: Why the sudden need to come clean to Zhan ge?

Wei Xiaochi told him honestly: Because he keeps telling everyone I chased him first. He told Aunt Zhou, then his sister. What if his parents hear it?

If a student at this age isn’t focused on school, and instead is busy chasing after an Alpha—it looks bad. Like he’s not a good kid.

Wei Xiaochi was really worried about making a bad impression on Jiang Zhan’s family.

This whole mess, every single part of it, was Han Ziyang’s fault. He was the original cause of the misunderstanding.

Now terrified that Wei Xiaochi might actually go confess, Han Ziyang immediately backed him up:

[I’m Your Brother Han]: Yeah, that’s definitely on Zhan ge. Stuff like this shouldn’t be going around.

Wei Xiaochi, feeling validated: Right, just between us it’s fine.

[Wei Xiaochi]: Besides, if bringing him buns and medicine = liking him, then by your logic, he should’ve fallen for me long ago.

[Wei Xiaochi]: All I did was buy him a few buns, but he took me to get new glasses that cost over 6,000 yuan.

[Wei Xiaochi]: Then he suspected I might be an Omega and dragged me to the hospital for tests, and bought inhibitors and blockers too.

[Wei Xiaochi]: After I differentiated, he stayed at the hospital with me until I was discharged.

Han Ziyang: What the actual hell.

As he read each line, each piece of new info he hadn’t known, he sat there completely stunned.

[I’m Your Brother Han]: So it was Zhan ge who liked you first!

Talk about a plot twist. Here he thought it was Little Green Tea O seducing his Zhan ge, only to find out it was Zhan ge who’d been laying the trap all along—and he started way earlier than anyone knew.

Han Ziyang vividly remembered the day they went to get glasses. He’d seen Jiang Zhan drag Wei Xiaochi right out of school.

Back then, he still thought his Zhan ge was a cold-hearted, iron-willed Alpha.

Little did he know, that was the exact moment Jiang Zhan began his descent into being a love-struck simp.

Han Ziyang’s worldview shattered into pieces.

Wei Xiaochi stared at Han Ziyang’s message, typed something word by word, then deleted it all.

He hesitated for a long while before finally sending four words:

[Wei Xiaochi]: I don’t know.

After a pause, he added:

[Wei Xiaochi]: I was just going along with your logic.

He really couldn’t believe it. Back when they got the glasses, they barely knew each other. Their total time interacting wouldn’t even add up to 24 hours.

How could Jiang Zhan have liked him then?

—

Han Ziyang snuck a glance at the Alpha who was now diligently studying. His expression was hard to describe.

He used to not get why Wei Xiaochi had such a hold on Jiang Zhan. Now… he kind of understood.

Hovering at the edge of self-destruction, he blurted out, “Zhan ge.”

Called twice. Only then did Jiang Zhan look up, clearly annoyed. “Stop interrupting me. Say it.”

The fact that Jiang Zhan said “Don’t interrupt my studying” made Han Ziyang feel like he’d just swallowed dirt. Never in his life did he think those words would come from Jiang Zhan.

This… is the power of love, huh?

Han Ziyang cautiously asked, “Zhan ge, why do you like Teacher Wei? When did you start liking him?”

The moment he brought up Wei Xiaochi, a smile unconsciously curled up at Jiang Zhan’s lips. He lifted his head proudly.

“He liked me first. He chased me.”

Han Ziyang: …

He’d just been flexed on again.

This was turning into some kind of unsolvable riddle. Who liked who first? Who chased who?

Han Ziyang was thoroughly confused. His IQ and EQ weren’t enough to handle this mess. He had no choice but to seek backup.

Among all the people he knew, Li Suilin had the highest combined IQ and EQ by far.

So Han Ziyang reached out for off-site help—he had never been more desperate to hear Li Suilin’s opinion. Normally he avoided the guy like the plague.

After hearing the full story, Li Suilin simply sent back four words: “Ni juede ne?” (“What do you think?”)

Han Ziyang instantly exploded: I don’t want what I think. I want what you think!

If he could think straight, he wouldn’t need to ask!

[As Steady as a Forest]: Trust your own instincts. They’re correct.

Han Ziyang: …

Li Suilin, the human riddle machine, always spoke in riddles—never a straight answer.

But if he had to say what he really believed…

Yeah. He thought Zhan ge liked Wei Xiaochi first.

There was so much he didn’t know about what had gone on between the two of them. If Wei Xiaochi hadn’t mentioned those things, he’d still be clueless.

Jiang Zhan treated his friends well—but the way he treated Wei Xiaochi? That went way beyond “well.”

From what Han Ziyang knew, Jiang Zhan would never randomly diss someone’s glasses and insist on taking them to get a new pair.

Normally, he’d just ignore it. Because he didn’t care.

So the fact that he did care meant one thing—he’d been paying attention to Wei Xiaochi for a long time.

Han Ziyang fully spiraled and messaged Li Suilin again:

[I’m Your Brother Han]: I’m doomed. It’s all my fault. If I hadn’t run my mouth back then, Zhan ge wouldn’t have noticed Wei Xiaochi.

[I’m Your Brother Han]: If he finds out it wasn’t Xiaochi who liked him first, I’m a dead man.

[I’m Your Brother Han]: But at the same time, if it weren’t for me, they wouldn’t be together. So technically I made it happen.

[I’m Your Brother Han]: But I’m still gonna get my ass beat. Help me think of a plan, please!

Even from the way he typed, you could feel Han Ziyang’s full-blown panic.

Li Suilin shook his head and laughed.

Truth was, even without Han Ziyang’s interference—even if Wei Xiaochi had never shown any signs of interest—if Jiang Zhan had fallen for him, he would’ve still believed Wei Xiaochi liked him first.

From the moment Jiang Zhan caught feelings, he started projecting: Wei Xiaochi must like me.

In his mind, it was always Wei Xiaochi who made the first move—and he just “reluctantly” accepted.

That’s how Jiang Zhan worked:

What he says: “He obviously likes me.”

What he does: “I have to make sure he likes me.”

The more he liked someone, the more he twisted reality to make it seem like he was being pursued—and he truly, deeply believed it.

The wild thing was, while he thought that way and said those things… he was actually out there chasing Wei Xiaochi like his life depended on it.

If Wei Xiaochi weren’t so oblivious, he might’ve caught on.

But Li Suilin didn’t say any of this to Han Ziyang. Watching the three idiots bumble around was one of his few daily joys.

Han Ziyang was still agonizing over whether to come clean to Jiang Zhan. If he hadn’t run his mouth, Wei Xiaochi wouldn’t be carrying this false label.

[I’m Your Brother Han]: Say something! Can you at least give me a suggestion?

[As Steady as a Forest]: Busy.

[I’m Your Brother Han]: Ugh, you’re always busy when I need you.

Li Suilin chuckled, slipped his phone into his pocket—he wasn’t getting involved. He was just here for the drama.

⸻

Author’s Note:

Some of you said you liked Xu Yang because he fell for Chi Chi before Chi Chi had differentiated.

Let me tell you loud and clear—Doggy (Jiang Zhan) did too.

Unlike other tsundere gongs who first start projecting then fall in love (classic “self-strategy”), Doggy did the opposite.

He liked Chi Chi first. Then convinced himself Chi Chi liked him. And then unconsciously started wooing him.

He wasn’t even aware of his own feelings. Everything was instinctual. Just your average, lowkey romance genius.