Chapter 16 Violet "Help me unzip the back..."
Under what circumstances would a woman recognize her ex-husband's child with another woman as her godson?
Ji Jiazhen never expected this.
Not to mention that this godson appears in every family photo in her home, and there is even a solo photo of him.
The only thing that's certain is that she definitely considered him family.
A few years ago, when Ji Jiazhen realized that Duan Qiyin had some improper thoughts about her, her first reaction was to scoff at it. When she realized that there was a hint of insincerity mixed in with these improper thoughts, she asked him a question.
How should I prioritize family, career, and love?
Duan Qiyin's answer was both expected and somewhat unexpected:
Family is more important than or equal to career, and more important than love.
She thought that a businessman as calculating as him would have a weak sense of family ties, but she never expected that his family would be the most important person in his heart.
So, this younger brother must also be very important to him.
Wen Siyu's face appeared before her eyes, and his words from a few days ago echoed in her ears. Ji Jiazhen turned around, stared at Duan Qiyin's face, and casually threw out a sentence: "Your brother is quite handsome. He should be quite a troublemaker when he grows up."
Duan Qiyin failed to notice the cunning in her eyes. After glancing at the photo, he explained to her, "It's an old photo, taken when I was about to graduate from university."
She straightened her shawl. "You're really unfair. All these years, you haven't introduced us to each other."
"There's no need."
Ji Jiazhen's phone rang at that moment. She took it out of her bag, glanced at the screen, and then at Duan Qiyin. Duan Qiyin knew that this meant it was inconvenient to answer the phone in front of him, so he tactfully went to the door to open it.
"I'll be waiting for you outside."
Then close it.
Ji Jiazhen walked to the window and answered the call.
Fang Chengmu's voice, mixed with the sounds of music and noisy crowd, was incredibly excited: "Sis, when are you coming? I'll send you my location, this place is amazing today!"
Through the window, she saw Duan Lan, who had just come out of the greenhouse. Duan Lan also noticed the light in the study. She stopped and looked up, meeting Ji Jiazhen's gaze at a distance that was neither too far nor too close.
Ji Jiazhen asked very cooperatively, "Where?"
"The one I mentioned to you before, Wen Siyu, Wen Qinsheng's son, remember?"
A maid ran over and said something to Duan Lan, but Duan Lan looked away first and left with the maid.
She replied to Fang Chengmu, "I don't remember."
"Just remember this name. This place is his tonight, and I guarantee you'll like him. You can ask other people in the industry if you don't believe me. He'll definitely meet all your requirements."
"I'll be there in a bit."
After hanging up the phone, Fang Chengmu sent a location. Ji Jiazhen opened it and took a look, but it wasn't Hengrui's address.
Wen Siyu owns quite a few houses.
She went out, and Duan Qiyin was standing by the wall. She glanced at him and deliberately said something.
"How about introducing me to your brother sometime? I really like his face, much more pleasing to the eye than you."
Duan Qiyin narrowed his eyes slightly, revealing a hint of warning, "Don't get any ideas about him."
Ji Jiazhen turned around and walked towards the elevator nonchalantly, snapping her fingers in the air with her right hand. "Just kidding. I'm not eating. I feel nauseous whenever I see your family. Get a driver to take me away."
*
On the bus, Ji Jiazhen called Wen Siyu, but it took him a long time to answer. The sound coming from the receiver was exactly the same as what Fang Chengmu had said.
She didn't give him a chance to speak, and immediately said as soon as the call connected: "I'll be there in an hour. You have to promise me three things: first, you must pretend you don't know me; second, you must pretend you don't know me; and third, you must pretend you don't know me."
Five seconds later he asked, "Who are you?"
"Yes, that's good, that's it."
He hung up the phone after saying that.
When Ji Jiazhen arrived, Fang Chengmu greeted her at the door. As soon as she got out of the car, she heard his teasing tone: "Sis, you just finished filming and haven't changed your clothes yet? Why did you suddenly switch to a ladylike style? This really doesn't suit you."
Ji Jiazhen thought to herself, "Of course! We just finished filming."
She glanced at the various cars parked inside and outside the yard, then asked him, "Why is my birthday party being held at his house?"
Fang Chengmu replied with a grin, "When I was setting up a place for you, I happened to be at his friend's party. When this came up, his friend said he had a house that he didn't live in much, so I just casually asked. I didn't expect him to actually agree. You've got a lot of connections, sis."
Ji Jiazhen pretended to be serious: "What's so important about him? I don't even know him."
"You'll get to know him soon, and besides, with your fame as a female celebrity, he probably already knows about you."
It was cold outside, but everyone was playing inside. The music was loud, but there weren't any messy lights. The air conditioning and floor heating were all on, so I wouldn't feel cold even wearing a thin dress.
Ji Jiazhen had barely stepped inside when five people wished her a happy birthday, and she was constantly bombarded with their greetings. Of all those people, she recognized no more than three, and the rest were complete strangers. At first, she could smile and nod, but later Fang Chengmu was the one who responded for her.
Fang Chengmu led her up to the second floor. As soon as they got off the elevator, he pointed to her and said, "The one dressed in all black is Wen Siyu."
She looked in the direction he was looking and saw Wen Siyu teeing off on the pool table. After his shot, all the balls on the table were scattered. He picked up a wine glass from the side of the table and took a sip, just in time to see her standing in front of the elevator.
I do remember what she said on the phone. Her gaze didn't linger on me for a second, as if she were just looking at someone insignificant, and she looked away in less than a second.
Ji Jiazhen felt stuffy, so she took off her shawl and draped it over her arm. Fang Chengmu asked her, "Shall we get to know each other?"
She recalled the photo she had seen in Duan Qiyin's study and smiled, "Okay."
She walked to the table, and several people nearby greeted her with happy birthday wishes, but she ignored them. She walked up to Wen Siyu and called his name uncertainly, "Wen Si... Yu, is that right?"
Wen Siyu's acting was quite convincing; he perfectly embodied the character of someone who was uninterested in women. When she stood next to him, he even took a step to the side, his hands still busy applying chocolate powder to his cue. He glanced at her briefly and asked, "Is something wrong?"
"Fang Chengmu said this is your house, thank you for letting me host my birthday party, could you lend me a room? I'll have someone send me some clothes so I can change."
The people around looked on with amusement, wanting to see how Wen Siyu would handle the situation, and Fang Chengmu also joined in the fun.
Wen Siyu frowned slightly, but agreed to the request, handing the pole to Fang Chengmu. The others said, "You guys play first."
Then he tilted his head at Ji Jiazhen and said, "Come with me."
As Ji Jiazhen turned around, Fang Chengmu secretly gave her a thumbs-up and whispered in her ear, "You really know how to do things, sis."
She ignored him and followed Wen Siyu.
A group of people watched them get on the elevator. Only after the doors closed did Ji Jiazhen speak: "You have quite a lot of stuff."
Wen Siyu got so into the act that he asked her in confusion, "Do we know each other?"
She chuckled, "My name is Ji Jiazhen, a really great actress. Now that we know each other?"
The elevator doors opened, and Wen Siyu placed his hand on the door to wait for her to come out. "Okay, we've met."
He led her to the master bedroom, which had a lived-in feel and didn't seem like it hadn't been lived in much.
The air conditioning wasn't on on the third floor, and the temperature suddenly dropped when he entered his room, so Ji Jiazhen put his shawl back on.
The last time they met at her house ended badly, and they didn't see each other for several days afterward. His parking space was also empty. She asked him, "Have you been staying here these past few days?"
Wen Siyu glanced at her, "You still care where I live?"
"I wasn't concerned, I was just asking casually."
"You're feeling guilty because you brought someone back again, aren't you?"
Ji Jiazhen retorted sarcastically, "I wouldn't dare. I'm afraid of being threatened. What will I do if they use what leverage they have to pressure me later?"
He scoffed, "You're afraid?"
She sat on the sofa at the foot of his bed and took off the high heels she had worn all night.
My body can withstand the cold air, but my feet are still quite uncomfortable from the cold. The high heels are made of leather, so they don't retain any warmth at all. The insteps of my feet are turning blue from the cold, and my toes and heels are also very painful.
Ji Jiazhen looked up and asked, "Do you have slippers?"
Wen Siyu frowned as he looked at her slightly bruised instep. "What important event would warrant you dressing like this?"
Ji Jiazhen didn't answer, but bent down and rubbed her ankle, transferring some heat from her palm to the back of her foot.
Wen Siyu first turned on the air conditioner in the room, then went to the bathroom to fiddle with something, before returning to Ji Jiazhen and reaching out to her: "Let's go take a soak."
Ji Jiazhen looked into his eyes, straightened up, and was just about to put her hand on his when Wen Siyu bent down.
He put one arm behind her back and the other under her knees, carrying her towards the bathroom.
The sound of rushing water filled the bathroom. The bathtub was full of water. Wen Siyu asked her to hold onto his shoulders, then put her down and helped her stand in the bathtub. He then helped her sit to the side.
The water level is just right now, enough to cover the insteps of my feet. The temperature is just right, not too hot, and it feels very comfortable to soak in.
Ji Jiazhen braced herself with her hands on either side of her body, her skirt bunched up to her thighs, still looking somewhat cumbersome.
Do you have any clean clothes?
Wen Siyu walked out without saying a word, and came back in a little while later with clothes in his hands: a black long-sleeved nightgown with a subtle pattern.
"It's brand new, I just washed it today."
Ji Jiazhen reached out and took it. Wen Siyu, being perceptive, prepared to leave, but was stopped by her at the door.
"Help me unzip the back of the zipper."
The zipper on this dress is hidden at the back; it's difficult enough to pull it up, but even harder to pull it down.
The bathroom was quiet for a few seconds, with only the sound of water. Wen Siyu did not reply.
Ji Jiazhen thought he had already gone out and hadn't heard her, so she reached behind her to look for the hidden zipper. After touching it twice without finding it, just as she was about to turn her head, a hand covered the back of her hand.
Her hand froze in mid-air, held tightly. She felt the slight touch of fingertips brushing against the skin of the back of her neck. Wen Siyu's fingers searched along the back of her collar and found the zipper.
With a ripping sound, the zipper was pulled open.
She shivered as her back suddenly came into contact with the air.
The hand that was unzipping the zipper was pulling away, and the hand that was holding her was also loosening its grip.
"I'll go buy you some clothes that fit, no need to rush out."
Footsteps, the sound of a door closing.
Wen Siyu went out.
Ji Jiazhen looked thoughtfully at the pajamas on her lap.
*
Wen Siyu returned forty minutes later. Ji Jiazhen was soaking in the bathtub when he put his things at the bathroom door and spoke to her through the door.
"If you want to play after soaking, go downstairs; if you want to rest, just go to sleep. I'll be downstairs."
Ji Jiazhen looked at the figure at the door, propped her elbow on the bathtub wall, and asked him, "Wen Siyu, have you forgotten what you said?"
"……Remember."
He knew which sentence she was referring to—the one she had spoken most arrogantly that day.
"I will slowly teach you the word 'regret' in this game."
"Weren't you trying to make me regret it? What do you mean now, trying to please me?"
Wen Siyu reached up and rubbed his face, looking helpless, and replied in a deep voice: "You can treat me so badly because you don't care about me. I'm not like you. I can't be ruthless. I'm just reaping what I sowed."
-----------------------
Author's Note: I've mixed up the original setting with what I wrote. Originally, I planned for Duan Qiyin to take his mother's surname, but I changed it to his maternal grandmother's surname while writing. However, I've decided to change it back to his mother's surname. Therefore, Tao Lan's name was changed to Duan Lan in the last chapter. I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.
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