[Chen Zixi x you] Can I succeed in pursuing Chen Zixi under Jiang Yan's guidance?
After you asked that question, it took a full half-cup of tea for Jiang Yan to put down the sword he had polished until it was almost glistening, and asked you, "Teach you to pursue your loved one? Do you have someone you love?"
You nodded a little embarrassedly.
"Can you tell me who it is?" Jiang Yan asked again.
This time you shook your head - how could you possibly have the courage to tell Jiang Yan that the person you wanted to pursue was his best friend Chen Zixi!
Jiang Yan seemed to sigh softly: "You've grown up...you're already eighteen."
You didn't quite understand why he sighed, and waited anxiously for his answer.
After a while, Jiang Yan asked, "Why did you think of asking me? You should know that I don't have anyone in my heart, and I've never pursued anyone."
You answered honestly, "Because I felt that I should let my brother know that I have a crush on someone."
"You don't have parents. Jiang Yan is nominally your brother, but in reality he's like your father. Now that you have someone you like, you should tell him out of both emotion and reason."
Jiang Yan was silent for a moment, then asked, "Are you from Qinghe?"
You shook your head. You knew Chen Zixi was from Jinling.
Jiang Yan frowned: "Then you should think clearly. He is not from Qinghe. You will have to marry far away in the future."
You thought about it and felt that this shouldn't be a problem - given the relationship between Chen Zixi and Jiang Yan, if you really succeeded and coaxed him to live with you in Qinghe, he would most likely agree.
Jiang Yan asked again: "How much do you know about him?"
This time you thought about it carefully before you said, "I know him inside and out." Although you don't know Chen Zixi very well, you believe that your brother Jiang Yan knows him inside and out!
You saw Jiang Yan was obviously confused for a moment, and he asked you cautiously: "He is several years older than you, right?"
You nodded, and saw Jiang Yan's expression change, "Tian Ying? Or Yi Dao?"
You were startled and waved your hands repeatedly: "No, no, none of that! How could I be so cruel as to attack Brother Tian and Brother Dao!"
Jiang Yan gave you a half-doubted look, but didn't ask any further questions. It looked like he had given up on guessing who your crush was.
"So, brother, can you teach me?" You looked at him eagerly, your voice soft and coquettish. "You know me, I've never liked anyone before, and now I have someone I like, and I don't know how to get close to him..."
Jiang Yan interrupted you with a frown: "If he likes you too, he will take the initiative to get close to you."
"Then I also want to take the initiative to get close to him!" You hugged Jiang Yan's arm and shot him a starry eye. "A girl can't always be so passive, that's not my personality!"
Jiang Yan paused for a moment, then said thoughtfully, "Then you can try to give him a hint and see if he'll take the initiative to get close to you."
Your eyes light up. "That sounds great! But how can I hint to him so he understands?"
Jiang Yan looked at you, feeling very helpless: "This... I don't really understand it either."
You blinked, and tears welled up in your eyes.
Jiang Yan quickly comforted you softly, "Don't cry, I don't understand. I can ask other people for you, maybe they will know."
So Jiang Yan buried his head in writing the letter. You were deeply moved when you saw his back as he wrote furiously.
A few days later, Jiang Yan gave you a piece of paper covered with words in his handwriting - it looked like he had copied it from a letter someone else wrote to him.
You held the note in your hands as if it were a treasure, read it from beginning to end, and decided to try it out immediately according to the instructions.
First, verbal suggestion.
Chen Zixi is still in Jinling, and you can't hint to him in person, so you choose to write to him.
Not knowing what to write, you flipped through the poetry anthologies of previous dynasties and copied a love poem for him.
Then, after waiting for several days, you finally received a reply from Chen Zixi. You were nervous for a while before opening the letter, but after opening it, you saw his beautiful handwriting saying: "Not bad, your handwriting has improved, and so has your poetry and prose."
You can't help but wonder if the poem you copied is actually a love poem? Why does his tone sound like the one you gave your homework as a child?
Although Chen Zixi is not romantic, you don't want to give up.
Second, behavioral suggestion.
Just a few days later, Chen Zixi arrived at Buxianxian.
As soon as you saw him, you became excited and ran towards him, hugged his arms and asked him coquettishly: "Brother Zixi, did you miss me?"
Chen Zixi looked at you with interest and said with a smile, "It's just that we haven't seen each other for over a month. Why do you miss me so much?"
You nodded vigorously, looking at him aggrievedly: "I've been looking forward to your coming."
Chen Zixi pretended to understand: "You are looking forward to me taking you out to play, right?"
Why is he reacting like an elder? You gritted your teeth secretly and decided to be more understanding, simply rubbing your whole body against his arms: "Okay, I understand, Brother Zixi, you don't miss me at all!"
"You're really wronging me by saying that..." Chen Zixi held you in one hand while fanning you with the other. "You're already a grown-up girl, and you're still clinging to me in such hot weather. Aren't you afraid of getting a heat rash?"
Do you think he really knows you're a grown woman? Why can't he understand even after you've hinted at it?
You are not discouraged, you feel that you should keep trying.
Every time Chen Zixi came, he would drink with Jiang Yan, and every time you would accompany him. But in the past, Jiang Yan would never allow you to drink, and would always ask you to drink sour plum soup. This time, he relented, but said "no more than two glasses."
You felt angry when you saw Chen Zixi drinking happily, so you simply followed what the sisters in Fan Lou said and rubbed his calf with your toes quietly to observe his reaction.
The pale yet slender fingertips gripping the wine glass paused slightly. Chen Zixi glanced at you, showing no sign of abnormality, and continued talking to Jiang Yan.
He seemed to be reacting a little bit, so you cheered yourself up and rubbed your feet against his legs even harder.
"Hmm?" Chen Zixi shook the wine glass in his hand and gave you a half-smile. "Jiang Yan, we're out of wine."
Jiang Yan looked at you, as expected. You were used to being ordered around by them, so you stood up unhappily to get some wine, but then a new idea suddenly struck you.
While pouring wine for Chen Zixi, while Jiang Yan wasn't paying attention, you secretly hooked the back of his belt and gently pulled it with just the right amount of force.
Chen Zixi seemed to have eyes on his back. He reached back, accurately grasped your fingers, and silently scratched your fingertips, as if he was soothing a noisy cat.
Your heart began to beat wildly faster. To avoid Jiang Yan noticing, you quickly pulled your hand away, put down the wine jar as if nothing had happened, and pretended to be "going out for a walk" before leaving the house.
Sitting down on a rock by the stream, you picked up a blade of grass and, mistaking it for Chen Zixi, crushed it with your hands.
"Why are you unhappy?" Chen Zixi's voice sounded from behind you. You turned your head and saw him walking towards you with a smile. "Look at you, you're so angry that your face is red."
You glared at him angrily and turned your head away, not wanting to pay any attention to him.
"So angry?" Chen Zixi walked closer, teasing you with a smile. "A kitten pulled my belt, so I came out to check on the cat, but who would have thought the cat would get mad before me?"
You like him, but he treats you like a little animal and makes fun of you. How can this be tolerated? At this point, you just give up, put your hands on your hips and sneer: "I just made fun of you, so what? I didn't do it even when others asked me to!"
"Don't be angry. Being angry too much is bad for your health." Chen Zixi coaxed you gently, but he actually looked happy, his eyes curved. "Jiang Yan and I agreed to get drunk tonight. Tomorrow, I'll do whatever you want. This is my apology, okay?"
There was a hint of sweetness in your heart, but you still tried not to show it, pretending to be proud: "This is what I deserve. How can it be called apology? Apology has a different price!"
"Okay, okay," Chen Zixi agreed patiently. "As long as it's your request, I'll agree to it, okay?"
You then smiled at him, "You said that, I'll remember it!"
"When have I ever broken my promise to you?" Chen Zixi patted your head lightly with the edge of his folding fan in amusement.
Chen Zixi went back to drink. You looked at his back and it took a lot of effort to suppress the urge to rush over and hug his waist - how could someone have a good look even from the back!
You had originally planned to get up early the next day so that Chen Zixi could accompany you for a stroll. However, because you spent the entire night planning how to pursue Chen Zixi, you barely slept in the first half of the night and only woke up when the sun was already high in the sky.
You thought about it for a while while washing up, and felt that you still had to give him one more hint through your actions - Chen Zixi is already 26 years old, and if he still can't understand your hints through your actions several times in a row, then he deserves to be alone forever.
You secretly clenched your fists to encourage yourself, and when you turned around to go back to the house, you suddenly found Chen Zixi standing under the window at the door of your house, fanning himself and looking at you leisurely.
You blurt out, "Have you been here all this time?"
"Not really," Chen Zixi smiled and pointed at your roof. "I was there just now."
...Squatting on the rooftop so early in the morning? You hesitated. "Are you waiting for me?"
Chen Zixi gave you a look that said, "You already know the answer, but you still want to ask?" and then asked, "What do you want to do today? I'll accompany you."
You thought about this last night, but you couldn’t come to any useful conclusions. You were also distressed: “I haven’t thought about it yet…”
"Since you haven't made up your mind yet, how about just following me?" Chen Zixi tilted his head and asked you with a smile. He whistled, and your little black horse ran over happily.
You stared with wide eyes at your horse nuzzling Chen Zixi's shoulder affectionately, and suddenly felt betrayed: "Brother Zixi, you actually bribed my horse!"
"What are you talking about?" Chen Zixi flicked your forehead. "It likes me, how could I possibly bribe it?" He patted the horse's neck and said, hinting, "Who knows, maybe this is just a case of the creature taking after its owner?"
You didn't quite understand what he said, and while you were confused, he had already climbed onto your horse and stretched out his hand towards you.
You thought this was a good opportunity, so you held out your hand to him: "Then I want you to hold me, in your arms."
Chen Zixi was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing: "What a childish temper! Come up quickly, I'll hold you."
...You hate it most that he treats you like a child!!!
Chen Zixi took you to the largest bazaar in Qinghe and said to you, "Pick whatever you like. Don't worry about anything else. I still have the money to buy out this bazaar."
You knew Chen Zixi was rich, but you never thought he could be this rich. You were shocked and unconsciously said, "If I marry you, will I not have to work so hard?"
Chen Zixi was stunned. He stared at you, the corners of his mouth curved up, and he said in a light tone: "Sure."
It's like a frightened deer has taken up residence in your heart, running around recklessly, making you so panicked that you dare not even look at it.
Although you have Chen Zixi to back you up, you actually don’t want anything - you are no longer at the age of liking snacks, and you don’t have any interest in those small accessories. At most, you will pick some pine nut candies, storybooks, etc. to take back to give to Hong Xian.
Chen Zixi followed behind to help you pay, and even asked you with a smile: "Why don't you pick a few more?"
You wanted to answer honestly, "I don't want anything," but then you thought about it and decided to flirt with him, so you looked at him and said, "I'm just reluctant to let you spend money."
Chen Zixi looked at you. His eyes were a beautiful dark brown. When he squinted slightly and looked at you, there was a strange feeling that you were not familiar with, which made you feel a little flustered.
It was already noon when you finally got home. Jiang Yan was cooking. When he saw you come in with a bunch of things, he looked at Chen Zixi helplessly: "Did you take her out to play again?"
Chen Zixi said, "Master Jiang, you don't have time to accompany her, and you won't let me accompany her? I'm just taking her to buy some small things, just to make her happy."
Jiang Yan's thoughtful gaze fell on you. Afraid that he would notice something, you made an excuse and slipped away.
In order to avoid being discovered by Jiang Yan, you didn't dare to contact Chen Zixi the whole afternoon.
At night, you were still making your bed when you heard a knock on your window. Thinking it was Jiang Yan, you opened the window without warning, only to see Chen Zixi standing outside with a smile on his face, his hands behind his back, staring at you. "Why didn't you come to see me? Are you afraid Jiang Yan would find out?"
You were surprised that he had guessed so accurately, and you said stubbornly, "Why should I be afraid of him finding out? I have nothing to be ashamed of."
Chen Zixi's eyes were filled with a bright smile as he nodded seriously, "Well, you don't have anything to be ashamed of. It's me who has something to be ashamed of. I think I am ashamed of myself."
He always says something you don't understand and you look at him in confusion.
Chen Zixi looked at you and blinked: "Jiang Yan told me that you have someone you like?"
…Why is Jiang Yan talking nonsense?! You were so frightened that you immediately closed the window and pretended not to hear anything. Being asked by someone you like if you like someone else, you have never experienced such an embarrassing thing!!!
Apparently, Chen Zixi hadn't left yet. Through the window, his voice was filled with obvious laughter: "Why don't you listen to me? Are you shy?"
You still want to save face, so you immediately open the window and emphasize to him: "I'm not shy! I have nothing to be shy about!"
Chen Zixi smiled and asked you very gently, "How many tips on that page for pursuing your ideal partner have you used?"
You stared at him blankly, as if struck by lightning, stunned.
Chen Zixi pondered for a moment and continued, "I've thought about it, and it's probably the second one, right? After all, you haven't asked me directly yet, you've been hinting at me."
You were even more surprised and said subconsciously: "You figured it out? I thought you didn't understand!"
"If I still can't see this, wouldn't it be that I've outgrown you by many years in vain?" Chen Zixi stretched out his tone, looking at you with eyes full of gentle light.
You stared at him in disbelief for a long moment before suddenly realizing, "Wait, you've been playing dumb this whole time?"
Chen Zixi looked a little helpless: "You just figured this out? Don't you understand more?"
You stared at him blankly, not understanding what he expected you to understand.
Chen Zixi sighed and kindly reminded, "The grass in Yan is as blue as silk, and the mulberry trees in Qin have low green branches... Didn't you write this for me?"
This line of poetry sounds a little familiar. You recall it carefully for a while, and your face turns red: Isn’t this the love poem you copied for Chen Zixi!
You immediately closed the window again.
Through the window, Chen Zixi's laughter came in, low and gentle: "Are you shy again? Why didn't you seem so shy when you copied the love poem for me?"
You were almost furious, and replied angrily, "You knew it was a love poem, so why did you reply to it like it was my homework? I thought you didn't understand!"
"Because at that time I wasn't sure if you understood the meaning of the poem," Chen Zixi said. "Judging from your reaction, I think you probably did."
You felt as if Chen Zixi was mocking your lack of knowledge, so you opened the window and glared at him.
"Don't be angry, you're about to turn into a pufferfish." Chen Zixi looked at you with a smile, even moving closer, taking your hand that was holding the window frame, and gently rubbing your palm with his fingertips. "I even wrote a letter to teach you how to pursue me, isn't my sincerity enough?"
This was a bit confusing, and it took you a moment to realize what it meant. Your face flushed. “Jiang Yan…was it you?!”
You really want to get angry. You feel like Chen Zixi is just playing you. But when you look into his eyes, your anger suddenly disappears. You look at him and whisper, "So, is my pursuit effective?"
"It works." Chen Zixi stared at you without blinking, his voice becoming softer, just enough for you to hear. "Or, you don't have to pursue it, it will still work."
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