Copycat - Chapter 23

Chapter 23

◎The Scales of the Heart◎

The winter break was over, and before the second semester of their junior year began, the two returned to City A.

At the baggage claim in City A’s airport, Wen Jiao picked up both their suitcases from the moving carousel. Just as they were about to leave the airport, Zhou Ziyan let out a sudden whimper, bent over, and clutched her stomach, looking distressed. Wen Jiao rushed over to support her. “What’s wrong?”

Zhou Ziyan held her stomach, her eyes on the sign for the airport restroom.

“You go get a taxi first. I’ll be right there.”

Wen Jiao frowned. “I’ll go with you.”

Zhou Ziyan shook her head. “No need. I’ll be quick, I promise.”

Unable to persuade her, Wen Jiao had no choice but to leave the airport and go find a taxi back to school. Zhou Ziyan watched her walk away. Only when the woman was out of sight did she release her hand from her stomach and walk in the opposite direction of the restroom sign.

The Taxi Stand

The end of winter break was a peak travel time for students returning to school. Their flight had arrived in the afternoon, and many people were waiting for a taxi. Wen Jiao stood at the back of a long line.

She stood at the end, craning her neck to look toward the airport exit, but couldn’t see what was happening inside. A faint worry grew in her heart, and her slender fingers drummed a rhythm on the titanium alloy handle of her suitcase.

Near the Airport Exit

“What do we do? Miss Zhou went back inside. Should we stop the other one who went to get a taxi?” a bodyguard in sunglasses and plain clothes asked. The other bodyguard shook his head. “Our mission is to bring Miss Zhou back to the Zhou family. Since she went back inside, we’ll continue to follow her.”

“As for the one who went to get a taxi, don’t worry about her. She’s not our target.”

“Understood, boss.”

Zhou Ziyan quickened her pace, with the two bodyguards from the Zhou family following closely. The crowd grew thicker and thicker until they reached the most congested security area.

The moment airport security pulled back the ropes, the crowd surged forward, and the two bodyguards’ eyes widened in despair. After a while, they finally managed to squeeze out of the crowd, panting. The younger bodyguard looked around.

But the figure in the cool brown coat had vanished.

Zhou Ziyan, hiding in a blind spot of the airport, watched the two men in sunglasses get lost, report their failure over the phone, and take the elevator up to the third floor to search. Only then did she slowly let out a sigh of relief.

She had successfully escaped once again. From the moment she booked the flight, she knew Zhou Na wouldn’t give up and would definitely send bodyguards to bring her home the moment she landed.

Shaking off the bodyguards alone and stalling for time was the best she could have hoped for. Zhou Ziyan took a deep breath.

Fortunately, she knew Zhou Na’s personality well and had taken precautions.

The Airport Exit

Wen Jiao was now only one person away from getting into a taxi. She glanced at her watch. It had been twenty minutes since Zhou Ziyan went to the restroom, and she still hadn’t appeared.

The vague sense of unease had turned into real worry.

She stood near the taxi stand, but her eyes were fixed on the airport exit. She guessed something had happened to Zhou Ziyan inside. Just as she was about to leave the taxi stand to look for her, a familiar figure finally emerged from the crowd. Wen Jiao’s steps faltered slightly.

Zhou Ziyan was wearing the same black boots and cool brown cashmere coat she had worn to Province B. Wen Jiao spotted her instantly, and her tightly clenched fingers on the suitcase handle finally relaxed.

Zhou Ziyan ran over, took her arm, and said, a little breathlessly, “Let’s go.”

“Okay,” Wen Jiao replied.

As the passenger in front of them got in, the next taxi was slow to pull up. Zhou Ziyan anxiously looked back at the airport exit.

Her voice was hurried, and her forearm was unconsciously trembling. She urged the driver, who was smoking with his window down, to hurry up. Her palm was ice cold, and Wen Jiao could feel the cold sweat on her hand. Her expression deepened, but she said nothing.

It wasn’t until they were in the taxi and on the highway heading towards A University’s district that Zhou Ziyan’s tension finally eased a little. Wen Jiao, sitting in the back seat, massaged her girlfriend’s stiff fingers and softly asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, I…” Zhou Ziyan was about to make up an excuse when Wen Jiao suddenly let go of her fingers, squeezed the back of her hand hard, as if to vent her frustration, and then said coldly, “Your family sent people to find you, didn’t they?”

Zhou Ziyan didn’t answer. Wen Jiao continued, “We’ve had two men following us since we got off the plane.”

Zhou Ziyan was slightly taken aback. “You noticed?”

Wen Jiao glanced at her surprised expression and said calmly, “They’re bodyguards, not private detectives. Even in plain clothes, their purpose is too obvious, so they’re easy to spot.”

“Besides,” she changed her tone, and her gaze became sharp. “Is it really that hard to guess?”

“You came to Province B alone to find me without even a suitcase. Your phone vibrated almost every day we were together. And your secretive attitude when I asked you about it.”

The woman’s eyelashes drooped in defeat. Noticing her sudden shift in mood, Wen Jiao paused. When she spoke again, her tone had softened. “Zhou Ziyan, we used to be roommates. If you didn’t tell me what was happening, I could understand that as needing personal space. But now we’re a couple, and couples shouldn’t keep secrets from each other.”

That face, which was always full of smiles, now showed a painful expression, and her teeth nervously bit her lower lip. Wen Jiao saw this and let out a silent sigh.

…

The taxi stopped near a coffee shop at the west gate of A University. It was a sunny day in February in City A. Pedestrians on the street wore stylish coats, holding iced americanos, walking past with expensive bags and high heels. Several sports cars were parked in front of the coffee shop, and a crowd gathered, causing a bit of a commotion.

The scene was so familiar that Zhou Ziyan felt a bit disoriented. Just as she was about to groggily open the car door, it was opened from the outside. She looked up in a daze to see a pair of long, slender hands reaching out to her.

— It was Wen Jiao.

She placed her hand in Wen Jiao’s palm. Wen Jiao took her hand, pulled her out of the car, and then closed the door for the driver with her other hand.

The two sat in a booth inside the coffee shop. After the door closed, there was a profound silence.

The owner recognized them and was particularly warm, giving them two complimentary coffees.

After the owner left, Wen Jiao tore open a packet of sugar and handed it to Zhou Ziyan. “Why did you choose this one?”

Both of them were regulars. The owner had let them choose their coffees. Wen Jiao picked her usual cappuccino, while Zhou Ziyan chose the robusta black coffee.

The very coffee Zhou Ziyan had once passionately complained about to her roommates in their dorm.

Wen Jiao remembered her swearing she’d never try that extremely bitter coffee again.

The memory was so vivid that Wen Jiao’s lips curved slightly.

What a little liar.

Inside the booth, Zhou Ziyan absentmindedly stirred the ice cubes in her coffee with a spoon. The phone in her bag vibrated once, twice. It was only on the third vibration that Zhou Ziyan finally broke down and grabbed her hair.

“How many times have I told her, I don’t want the Zhou Corporation shares, so why is she still targeting me!”

Wen Jiao stood up, came to her side, and gently patted her back, soothing her sudden emotional outburst.

She picked up the vibrating phone from the bag and hung up.

The screen didn’t show the caller’s name. Wen Jiao could guess that Zhou Ziyan had probably blocked her family, and they were now using other people’s numbers to call her.

Three Days Ago

Unable to bear the endless text messages and phone calls during the holiday, Zhou Ziyan finally gave in and called Zhou Na back when Wen Jiao wasn’t around.

Although Zhou Na was her half-sister, they were of the same generation. Once the call connected, she told Zhou Na, almost bluntly, to stop contacting her. She wouldn’t go back and marry into the Cheng family. Just as she finished saying everything in one breath, a response came from the other end.

A deep male voice. Zhou Ziyan recognized the owner of the voice in an instant.

— Zhou Shansheng.

The patriarch of the Zhou family, known for his ruthless tactics. A large part of the Zhou Corporation’s success and its current status among City A’s great families was due to his leadership.

“Grandpa, why is it you…” Zhou Ziyan’s voice was weak.

The other side let out a cold laugh. “You have the nerve to speak? You’ve disgraced the Zhou family!”

Zhou Ziyan guessed that Zhou Na had already reported her situation to the patriarch, but she never expected that in Zhou Shansheng’s subsequent one-sided tirade, he would mention Wen Jiao.

The family had somehow found out about her relationship with Wen Jiao.

Zhou Shansheng said coldly, “The arrangement with Cheng Junfeng is set for June this year. The Cheng family has chosen an auspicious date for the engagement party. I’ll give you half a year to reconsider. If you’re still so foolish by then, I will reconsider your mother’s place.”

“Grandpa, how can you go back on your word…” Zhou Ziyan’s voice was urgent. She squeezed her phone tightly, her fingertips turning white. However, before she could finish, the other side hung up.

She tried to call back, but all she heard was the message, “The number you have dialed is currently switched off.”

…

The ice in the robusta black coffee melted into water from the constant stirring of the silver spoon. Wen Jiao’s fingertip traced the cracks on the shattered phone screen. “So, that’s why you claimed you dropped your phone and broke the screen that day.”

Zhou Ziyan gave a bitter smile. “They’re using my mother to threaten me. I was completely distraught. I don’t care what happens to me, but they want to remove my mother from the family genealogy. I can’t accept that.”

Her mother’s greatest wish was to be acknowledged by the Zhou family. If she were to be removed from the genealogy because of Zhou Ziyan, she would never be able to forgive herself.

Zhou Ziyan finished the coffee in one gulp. As she swallowed the last mouthful of the cold coffee, she tasted the bitterness of rust on her tongue, whether it was from the over-extracted caffeine or from the gloomy emotions accumulated in her heart.

The dregs at the bottom of the cup, swirling, formed a blurry profile. She could see Wen Jiao’s pensive expression and the slight furrow in her brow from worry. Zhou Ziyan thought of the night before her mother passed away, in the quiet of the hospital room, her mother’s last words to her.

“Don’t be too stubborn.”

Her mother had spent her life seeking the Zhou family’s approval, yet on her deathbed, she told her not to be too stubborn. Zhou Ziyan still didn’t understand what she meant. Her eyes clouded over, and she gave Wen Jiao a heavy look.

She couldn’t, and wouldn’t, ruin her mother’s life’s work.

The scales in her heart were slowly and unconsciously tipping towards the Zhou family over Wen Jiao.

Department of Finance, A University

The bell for the first class of Financial Institution Management rang. The professor on the podium took a sip of his goji berry tea. His rectangular, rimless glasses scanned the students who were all eager to leave. He mischievously took a few more sips from his cup.

The students in the classroom groaned, a chorus of despair.

After a moment, he put down his cup. “Class dismissed.”

“Yay!” The students, who had been dozing off in the lecture hall, immediately grabbed their bags, scrambling to escape the clutches of management theory.

Li Ranran took out her cushion compact and touched up her makeup in a portable mirror. Yu Zhou, who had been sleeping on her desk, yawned and stretched. Seeing Zhou Ziyan sitting steadily next to her, she paused. “Don’t you have an elective later? Are you waiting for Wen Jiao?”

Zhou Ziyan softly hummed in affirmation. “I’m waiting for her.”

Li Ranran sighed after finishing her makeup. “Why is Wen Jiao so intense as soon as the semester starts? I listened carefully to this class, and all Professor Liang did was give an introduction. What is there to discuss?”

Yu Zhou crossed her legs and opened a game. “You think everyone is like you, just trying to get a diploma? Wen Jiao and Professor Liang collaborated on a core journal paper. It was published during the last winter break.”

Zhou Ziyan was slightly surprised. Her gaze fell on the woman at the back of the lecture hall who was discussing a revised manuscript with the professor. The spring sunlight shone on her serious profile and her slightly parted lips as she spoke. The sun was warm and gentle, and Wen Jiao’s resolute expression was especially radiant.

On the Podium

Professor Liang took a sip of water to moisten his dry throat. “Your idea is too radical. I don’t believe that artificial intelligence today can evolve to the extent of completely changing the financial industry.”

Wen Jiao countered, “Looking ahead is also a part of academia. That’s what you taught us in class.”

Professor Liang was stunned, then burst out laughing. “You really know how to use what I taught you to argue against me.”

Wen Jiao’s expression was calm. Professor Liang’s expression slowly became serious. He put the document the student handed him into his briefcase. “I’ll talk to people in the computer science department about the points you raised. If there really is such a possibility, I will rewrite my part of the content.”

“Thank you, Professor.” Wen Jiao was satisfied with the answer and closed her notebook, ready to leave. As she walked off the podium, Professor Liang called out to her. “Wen Jiao.”

Wen Jiao turned around. Professor Liang, half-serious and half-joking, asked, “Are you really not considering being my graduate student?”

“Professor,” Wen Jiao gave a helpless smile.

“Don’t rush to refuse me,” Professor Liang said, walking forward and patting her shoulder. “Don’t think I’m nagging. You are truly suited for academia. Even if you don’t study with me, I suggest you continue your studies.”

“I’ll always have a spot reserved for you. If you ever change your mind, come to my office anytime.”

After saying this, Professor Liang, holding his thermos, left to get to his next class.

Wen Jiao’s smile faded. She tidied up her things on the desk and walked down the podium. As she passed Zhou Ziyan, her steps paused slightly. “Waiting for me?”

Zhou Ziyan’s eyes were sparkling. She smiled and nodded. “Yeah. Didn’t you say a new donkey meat sandwich shop opened near campus? I’m waiting for you so we can go together.”

Wen Jiao nodded. “Okay.”

The two of them spoke to each other, completely ignoring the other two in the same row. Yu Zhou and Li Ranran looked at each other and protested, “Hey, didn’t we say we were going to get bubble tea from that new shop? How did it turn into donkey meat sandwiches?”

Li Ranran agreed. “Yeah, yeah, what about us?”

“We’ll bring bubble tea back to the dorm tonight,” Wen Jiao said calmly, her tone leaving no room for argument. Yu Zhou and Li Ranran exchanged a mournful look. Zhou Ziyan stepped forward and took Wen Jiao’s left arm.

The two left, arm in arm. Under the stunned gaze of Yu Zhou and Li Ranran, Zhou Ziyan turned back and made a playful face, leaving the classroom with a heart full of joy.

Yu Zhou and Li Ranran stood in a daze, unable to recover. Yu Zhou finally came back to her senses from her immense disbelief. She turned to Li Ranran, her throat working nervously. “I’m telling you, what’s going on with them?”

“It can’t be what I think it is, can it? I remember Zhou Ziyan always…”

Li Ranran raised her hand, cutting her off. “Don’t say another word. I surrender.”

Yu Zhou put down her crossed leg and looked respectfully at the departing figures.

“I can’t believe Zhou Ziyan actually managed to get her. I was ready to clean the whole dorm for a month before graduation.”

Li Ranran rubbed her eyebrows in frustration. “Has Wen Jiao been hexed?”

“I strongly suspect Zhou Ziyan used unnatural means.”

Yu Zhou glanced at her and took out her phone to order takeout. “No wonder you failed your Marxist Principles class.”

“Hey!”

…

Leaves fluttered, and a cool breeze blew. Students passing by Star-Gazing Lake after class walked quickly. Many of their eyes fell on the two figures walking hand-in-hand. Some were for the pleasing sight, and others were because—

“President Wen.”

A girl from the Student Union’s External Relations Department recognized Wen Jiao. Seeing her hand being affectionately held, the girl was slightly taken aback but quickly concealed her surprise and waved at the president in a friendly manner.

Wen Jiao gave a polite nod in greeting.

The two continued to walk by the lake. Zhou Ziyan suddenly squeezed her arm.

Wen Jiao looked at her excited profile. “What’s wrong?”

Zhou Ziyan carefully observed her surroundings, making sure no one was eavesdropping. She then leaned close to Wen Jiao’s ear. “Does this count as us coming out publicly?”

Wen Jiao was stunned, then let out a laugh.

The finance department’s social circle was only so big. Ever since Wen Jiao gave her freshman representative speech, the talk about her had been constant.

Her looks, her family background, her academic achievements. Even Zhou Ziyan, who rarely socialized in the department, had heard about Wen Jiao’s accomplishments from others.

Some were in awe, some were envious, some were slanderous, but no one dared to truly challenge Wen Jiao. After all, Wen Jiao had taken over the position of Student Union President in her sophomore year. No one wanted to get on the wrong side of the Student Union President. At most, they’d harass her under the guise of pursuing her.

On the lawn by Star-Gazing Lake, someone was sitting and fishing. When a fish bit the hook, he exclaimed in surprise, and the splashing water attracted the attention of most people.

Wen Jiao remained silent for a long time. Zhou Ziyan shook her arm, her tone a little petulant. “Why aren’t you answering me?”

Wen Jiao’s lips curved into a subtle smile. “I don’t think so.”

Zhou Ziyan’s head drooped in disappointment.

Wen Jiao noticed and said, “Do you have any nice photos?”

Zhou Ziyan sighed inwardly, knowing she was changing the subject.

She took out her phone and cooperatively opened her photo album. “I have a lot! I chased the aurora in Norway, and I have pictures of glaciers and waterfalls in Antarctica. It was spectacular.”

She scrolled down with her finger. When she reached the middle of the album, her scrolling paused slightly. “Oh, the ones below are just everyday photos. There’s nothing special.”

Zhou Ziyan nervously scrolled back up. Wen Jiao stopped her and raised an eyebrow. “Oh, I want to see them.”

Zhou Ziyan: “…”

The album was filled with pictures of Wen Jiao. Photos of her giving a speech in her school uniform at the freshman ceremony, photos of her walking out of the Student Union building, group photos from dorm outings, and many other pictures she wanted to keep as memories.

Because she was a bit of a loner, Wen Jiao had put a lot of effort into organizing dorm activities, and they had many outings. Zhou Ziyan would always offer to take group photos for them, partly to get pretty pictures for her social media, and partly to satisfy herself.

In many of the four-person group photos, she had secretly used cropping and Photoshop to remove the other two people, leaving only her and Wen Jiao together.

Wen Jiao held her phone, flipping through these group photos with obvious signs of Photoshop. The blue light from the screen reflected in her dark pupils. Behind her lowered eyelashes, Zhou Ziyan couldn’t make out her expression. Her throat worked nervously.

Is this too weird? She knew her behavior was similar to the obsessive behavior of crazy sasaeng fans of celebrities. She had tried to stop herself, but she just couldn’t.

If there was even the slightest chance to get closer to Wen Jiao, she would take it.

And if someone tried to hurt Wen Jiao…

Zhou Ziyan’s eyes darkened. She would handle those matters in the shadows.

The photos in the album seemed endless. Zhou Ziyan felt like she was suspended in mid-air by an iron chain, filled with trepidation.

That pale, long finger finally stopped at the end of the album. Her heart also stopped beating. In the dead silence, she waited for judgment to come.

“I’m sorry, I…” Zhou Ziyan started to confess, but she stopped herself. She couldn’t find the right words to say. After a long pause, she stammered, “As long as you’re not angry, you can punish me however you want.”

After saying that, she shut her eyes resolutely. She felt the warmth of Wen Jiao getting closer and her eyelids trembled.

“Punish you for what?” she heard a soft laugh, and then her stiff body fell into a soft embrace.

Zhou Ziyan opened her eyes, her mouth slightly agape in surprise.

Wen Jiao was hugging her, her arms wrapped tightly around her back.

Zhou Ziyan, a little bewildered, hugged her back.

Wen Jiao’s voice trembled. “I’m sorry, I just realized.”

So you’ve been doing all this for me behind my back.