Copycat - Chapter 25

Chapter 25

◎Mismatched Thoughts◎

“Evelyn, I am really looking forward to the day your model is officially released. I swear it will cause a technological revolution all over the world, and the entire financial sector will be shaken by it.”

Wen Jiao smiled slightly: “Thank you for the kind words.”

The man’s clear blue eyes were full of admiration. He glanced at the plane waiting outside the airport and reluctantly said: “Are you really not considering staying in M Country?”

Wen Jiao laughed helplessly and shook her head: “You know my situation, Eric.”

“Alright.” A hint of regret appeared in Eric’s eyes: “I just think it’s a pity. It’s so unlike you. You’ve been preparing to go public in M Country for years, yet you’ve decided to return home after the model was completed.”

“All for so-called love.” Eric spread his hands: “That stuff is unreliable, I’m telling you. If you like girls, there are many beauties in M Country.”

Wen Jiao just smiled and shook her head. Eric reluctantly accepted the reality, and the two said their goodbyes with a hug.

Before leaving, Wen Jiao looked down at her phone. After being away for a day and a night, she had received many messages, including greetings from partners and work emails from her company.

She tapped into the familiar chat box, which was quiet. Zhou Ziyan had not contacted her.

“I wish you a smooth development back home.” Eric waved his hand and sent Wen Jiao, who was carrying her luggage alone, onto the plane.

Wen Jiao hummed in acknowledgment and walked forward with her head down, her eyes focused on her phone. As she neared the boarding gate, Eric reached out and snapped his fingers in front of her.

Wen Jiao looked up. His clear blue eyes flickered with sincerity, and he said: “Evelyn, if things don’t go well, M Country will always have an open door for you. After all, you are a rare talent.”

“Of course, may God bless you with what you want,” Eric added with a smile.

Zhou Ziyan stood quietly nearby. When someone greeted her, she would give a cool, indifferent smile that was polite but kept people at a distance.

Cheng Junfeng, however, was extremely pleased. The Cheng family had gotten almost everything they needed from this banquet. Towards the end of the evening, Zhou Ziyan caught sight of a familiar figure from the corner of her eye and was shocked. She lowered her head and whispered something to Cheng Junfeng, who nodded. She then hurried away from the center of the banquet.

Cheng Family Estate, by the fountain.

“Siyu?” Zhou Ziyan, clutching her rather long skirt, quickly walked down the steps and called out to the figure who was about to leave.

Mu Siyu turned around, her expression a little surprised, as if she hadn’t expected the other person to greet her first.

Seeing an acquaintance, Zhou Ziyan gave her first genuine smile of the night: “Siyu, you’re here, why didn’t you tell me?”

Mu Siyu was wearing a smart and striking royal blue pantsuit. She leaned against the fountain, her eyes fixed on Zhou Ziyan with suspicion.

“Long time no see, Siyu. How have you been lately?” Zhou Ziyan held her skirt, smiling brightly, her tone gentle.

“I’m doing well, of course.” Mu Siyu looked into her dark brown eyes, her tone meaningful: “But I only came to the banquet because I was invited by the Cheng family. Why would I tell you? Are you already a member of the Cheng family?”

Zhou Ziyan froze for a moment. Mu Siyu was Wen Jiao’s good friend. When Zhou Ziyan saw her, she was overjoyed, but now her mood felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over her.

She bit her lip: “…Siyu.”

“I have my own difficulties.”

“Stop! You can just stop right there.” Mu Siyu pouted: “I’m not getting involved in your business.”

“You can go explain your two-timing difficulties to Wen Jiao yourself. You don’t really think you can so easily fool her right under her nose, do you?”

Mu Siyu turned and walked away. The exhaust from the luxury car filled the air. Zhou Ziyan hung her head, her fingers clutching the sides of her skirt tightly.

In the luxury car, after their brief conversation, Mu Siyu collapsed into the back seat and let out a deep sigh.

The driver in the front had worked for the Mu family for almost thirty years and had watched Mu Siyu grow up. He glanced in the rearview mirror: “Why are you unhappy, miss? You were fine when you came here.”

“The Group’s relationship with the Cheng family has been tense recently. Did someone make things difficult for you?”

Mu Siyu shook her head: “No, it has nothing to do with any of that.” Her voice paused for a moment: “I’m just worried about a friend of mine.”

“Forget it, let’s not talk about it.” Mu Siyu kicked the seat in front of her petulantly: “They’re not that important anyway. Let them fend for themselves.”

A week ago.

After making three trips, Mu Siyu finally managed to get Wen Jiao, who was extremely busy, to come out.

They met at a bar. At the time, Mu Siyu was on the top floor shaking dice with a group of wealthy young people.

As soon as Wen Jiao arrived, Mu Siyu quickly escaped the drinking party and went to the bar counter on the first floor to find her. When she saw Wen Jiao, a stunningly beautiful woman was hitting on her.

“Little sister, are you sure you don’t want to have a drink with me?” The beautiful woman laughed seductively, a hint of teasing in her voice.

“I’m sorry, my girlfriend doesn’t like me drinking with other people.” Wen Jiao’s eyes were clear, as devout as an old monk who had achieved enlightenment.

The woman in the revealing clothes let out a chuckle: “Alright, little sister, then leave your contact information. When you don’t have a girlfriend anymore, you can have a drink with me.”

“That day will not come.” Wen Jiao’s expression was calm, but her tone was serious and left no room for doubt.

After the beautiful woman left, Mu Siyu took a seat at the bar and ordered a custom Long Island Iced Tea. Wen Jiao turned to look at her: “What do you need?”

“Can’t I just come to see you for no reason?” Mu Siyu took a sip of her cocktail. The taste was rich, the aroma of the alcohol filled her nose. It was both strong and refreshing.

Wen Jiao paused: “You can, but it’s not like you.”

Mu Siyu laughed: “What’s my style?”

“In a good way, you’re energetic and impulsive.”

“And in a bad way?”

“You only come when you need something.”

Wen Jiao’s sudden dry humor made Mu Siyu almost spit her drink all over the bartender.

She let out a laugh and spread her hands helplessly: “Alright, I do have something to talk to you about, but it’s not about me. It’s about you.”

Wen Jiao looked at her quietly. Mu Siyu stared at her, her expression becoming more serious: “Zhou Ziyan is lying to you.”

The rain outside the window pattered on the car’s front glass. Mu Siyu sat in the car with her eyes closed, still angry as she thought about what had happened a week ago.

At the bar, the cocktail was downed in one gulp.

“Zhou Ziyan never cut ties with the Zhou family. She’s already back with them. The person the Zhou Group is arranging a marriage for with the Cheng family at the end of the year is her.”

“You’re working yourself to the bone trying to get the company listed, and not only is she spending your money, she’s also driving luxury cars and hanging out with her rich friends all day. She’s a liar.”

In the bar, men and women were dancing and celebrating, but Mu Siyu felt the atmosphere around them suddenly grow quiet and cold, like a cellar. Mu Siyu saw Wen Jiao’s face turn cold.

She had considered many possibilities. Wen Jiao might cry bitterly, or she might fly into a rage, but she never expected this.

Wen Jiao would defend Zhou Ziyan.

“She’s not a liar.” Wen Jiao’s voice was on the androgynous side for a woman. When she deliberately lowered it, her already cool voice became even colder: “I know her. She wouldn’t lie.”

Mu Siyu: “But these are all facts.”

Wen Jiao’s expression was indifferent: “Regardless, you shouldn’t have investigated her on your own.”

Mu Siyu laughed in anger: “Wen Jiao, have you gone crazy from writing code for the company’s listing? I had people secretly keeping an eye on the Zhou family to help you.”

Wen Jiao looked at her, silent for a moment, then said: “I didn’t ask you to do that.”

Mu Siyu’s voice held some emotion: “So you’re saying I was just being a busybody by helping you?!”

Wen Jiao got up and walked away. Mu Siyu completely lost it in her anger: “You know better than I do that the reason your company’s listing application hasn’t been approved is because the Zhou and Cheng families have a mutual interest in it. How can you say that Zhou Ziyan has nothing to do with it? How can you say that? I thought you were my friend. I not only lent you money but also secretly helped you with the investigation.”

Wen Jiao looked back, her expression calm: “The money I owe you, along with interest, will be transferred to your account from the company’s funds this week.”

“Wen Jiao, what is that supposed to mean? Are you trying to cut ties with me?” Mu Siyu looked astonished.

Wen Jiao turned around and left decisively. Mu Siyu, completely broken, yelled over the deafening music: “Wen Jiao, if you walk out that door, we’ll pretend we don’t know each other anymore.”

Mu Siyu leaned against the soft cushion in the back seat of the car, annoyed, and pinched the bridge of her nose. The music in the bar was very loud at the time, but she was certain Wen Jiao had heard her because she saw the other person’s steps noticeably hesitate.

But Wen Jiao didn’t turn back. Her figure, from behind, slowly merged with the Wen Jiao that Mu Siyu remembered.

Aloof and indifferent.

An unsympathetic finality.

She looked out at the gloomy sky and let out a soft sigh in her heart. She hoped Zhou Ziyan could understand her hints and not betray the sincere heart that the indifferent person had given without reservation.

After all, a person who loves without holding back will only become more extreme when they lose their mind.

…

After the banquet, Zhou Ziyan took a car back to the old house. She still felt a little dazed in her room.

“You can go explain your two-timing difficulties to Wen Jiao yourself.”

“You don’t really think you can so easily fool her right under her nose, do you?”

What did Mu Siyu mean by that?

Does Wen Jiao know everything?

Then Wen Jiao…

Zhou Ziyan took out her phone to check the messages Wen Jiao had sent her over the past week.”

Wen Jiao: “I’m very busy with work and can’t go out with you.

Wen Jiao: “The credit cards are all working now. Just use my card to buy whatever you want.”

Wen Jiao: “Sorry, Ziyan, I can’t go out with you today either.”

The tone was completely normal. This was how they usually talked.

Zhou Ziyan was surprised. Just as she was about to call her informant inside the Zhou Group, she suddenly caught sight of a faint red light in a corner of the room.

A small listening device.

Zhou Ziyan’s hand, holding the phone, clenched slightly. She then dialed another number.

On the other end, Cheng Junfeng, who had just gotten off work, received an unexpected call. He was a little surprised and raised his hand to signal the driver to get out. He didn’t answer the call until he was alone in the car.

“Hello, my dear schoolmate.”

“Junfeng, what are you doing?”

“Oh?” Cheng Junfeng raised an eyebrow slightly, his expression one of understanding. He changed his tone to a more intimate one: “I just got off work, Ziyan. Do you want me to come pick you up?”

“Yes.”

Zhou family old house.

Cheng Junfeng’s car drove brazenly into the Zhou family’s compound. He walked into the main hall, sat down to exchange pleasantries with the Zhou family head, and drank his tea, but his eyes kept glancing upstairs.

Zhou Shancheng took a sip of tea: “How’s the tea?”

Cheng Junfeng answered politely: “Changshan white tea truly lives up to its reputation. It’s a worthy collection of Old Zhou’s. It’s my first time drinking such good tea.”

Zhou Shancheng laughed: “You say you came here for tea, but I think your true intentions lie elsewhere.”

Young people’s faces often turn red, especially young men in love. Cheng Junfeng gave a somewhat shy smile: “Is Ziyan home?”

Zhou Shancheng just smiled without answering, only saying: “Ziyan is an insensible child. She lost her mother at a young age, and we’ve been lax in her education all these years. Girls are also easily swayed by love.”

Cheng Junfeng understood his underlying meaning: “Although Ziyan and I are in an arranged marriage, we met in school and know each other well.”

Zhou Shancheng smiled with satisfaction: “She lives on the third floor. She should be down soon.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhou Ziyan came down the stairs in a white sleeveless dress with a necklace of pearls around her neck. She walked with a light step, and when she saw Cheng Junfeng, her eyes were filled with pleasant surprise: “You came so fast.”

Cheng Junfeng put his hands in his suit pockets and smiled broadly: “I didn’t want to keep you waiting, did I?”

They looked every bit like a loving young couple. When Zhou Ziyan came downstairs and saw Zhou Shancheng sitting there, her demeanor softened slightly and she slowed her steps. She looked down a little shyly: “Grandpa, Junfeng and I are planning to go look at that new plot of land in the inner city.”

The Cheng family had given the Zhou family many benefits to show their sincerity, and the Zhou family naturally had to show their stance. That plot of land in the inner city was the dowry the Zhou family had prepared for Zhou Ziyan.

If it were any other excuse, Zhou Shancheng might have said a few more words, but this matter hit his sweet spot, and he let them go on the spot.

“Go on, you young people should spend more time getting to know each other.”

As soon as the car drove away from the old house and they sat in the back seat, the hands they had been holding immediately separated. Zhou Ziyan’s gaze swept over the driver.

Cheng Junfeng flexed his stiff fingers. He took a can of Coke from the storage compartment on the right. The sweetness of the Coke washed away the bitterness of the white tea, and he let out a long sigh: “Just talk freely, these are all our people here.”

To pick up Zhou Ziyan, he had specifically switched cars, and the driver was his confidant.

“Thank you for your trouble.” Zhou Ziyan took out her phone from her bag and immediately messaged Wen Jiao. Cheng Junfeng collapsed into the back seat: “Do you have to be so obvious? At least hide it a little in front of me. After all, I am your fiancé.”

“We are only partners.”

Cheng Junfeng smiled helplessly: “Do you have to be so heartless? Besides a partnership, we at least have a senior and junior schoolmate relationship, right?”

Zhou Ziyan told the driver to set the GPS to a very private restaurant near the suburbs: “Wen Jiao is meeting me. Please take me there, senior.”

“We have to get out of the car together and can only separate inside the restaurant. As far as I know, there are Zhou family eyes in the suburbs too.”

“Alright.” Cheng Junfeng leaned against the car seat: “But why do we have to separate at the restaurant?”

Zhou Ziyan paused: “…I don’t want Wen Jiao to know about your existence for now.”

“Uh, you haven’t told Wen Jiao what you’re doing, have you?”

Zhou Ziyan’s expression became solemn. Her gaze drifted to the inky night outside the car window. She pursed her lips, her eyes a little unfocused.

“…”

“I don’t plan on telling her.”

He pulled a white lily from his sleeve and handed it to his friend returning home: “Even though I don’t understand it.”

Wen Jiao smiled slightly, accepting the fragrant lily. The happiness in her eyes was impossible to hide.

“Next time I come here, I’ll bring her with me.”

Eric’s eyes crinkled in a smile: “I look forward to that day.”

“I’ll be sure to host you both.”

…

Wen Jiao arrived home as the night was just replacing the sunset. When she opened the door, she expected a warm embrace, just like on a normal day, but there was a subtle difference between her imagination and reality.

Their rented apartment was cold. As soon as she opened the door, she felt the chill from the gusts of wind outside the window, along with the faint salty smell of the sea breeze in the room.

The bedroom light was still on, and a thin layer of dust had settled on the coffee table in the living room, which looked out of place under the light. The apartment felt empty, as if many things were missing.

It was then that Wen Jiao realized she hadn’t turned off the light when she left, and Zhou Ziyan hadn’t returned since that afternoon.

A sudden sense of panic welled up in her chest. The memory of her unanswered messages flashed through her mind, and her fingers, holding her phone, trembled slightly.

What happened?

Night fell, and the world outside the window was inky black.

Zhou Ziyan lay on the big bed with her eyes closed. Their helicopter had taken off from a beach in Southeast Asia and landed near Pudong after a scheduled flight.

The day and night of non-stop partying had left her utterly exhausted. The moment her cheek touched the bed, she was already half-asleep.

Just then, the smart lock began to alarm continuously.

“Master, someone is looking for you.”

“Master, someone is looking for you.”

“Master, someone is looking for you.”

After the machine’s third announcement, Zhou Ziyan finally got up reluctantly to check the electronic screen for the “guests” who were waiting downstairs.

When she saw the two familiar faces, Zhou Ziyan’s sleepy eyes widened instantly, and her previously relaxed nerves tensed up again.

Downstairs.

Mu Siyu was looking down at her phone, while Wen Jiao’s lips were pursed into a straight line. After a while, Wen Jiao asked for the third time: “Are you sure your friend’s information is accurate?”

Mu Siyu rubbed her forehead: “I know I can be a little unreliable sometimes, but this information is absolutely trustworthy. My friend and Zhou Ziyan went to Southeast Asia together and partied all night.”

“My friend drove Zhou Ziyan back, and the location was right here.”

Wen Jiao looked around at the surroundings. This was a high-end residential community, with one apartment per floor. From the high-rise, you could see the tall buildings across the Huangpu River. The apartment they rented wasn’t bad, but it was a world away from this place.

Wen Jiao fell into a noticeable silence. She stared calmly at the lit-up electronic screen, her eyes clouded. After a few minutes, the gate opened. Just as Mu Siyu was about to pull it open, Wen Jiao suddenly held her hand: “Siyu, you should go back first.”

“Huh?” Mu Siyu looked confused. Wen Jiao pursed her lips: “We have some private matters to discuss.”

After Mu Siyu left, Wen Jiao lowered her eyes in thought. After a while, she got into the elevator alone.

Zhou Ziyan had been waiting for a long time. When the elevator arrived, she saw a Wen Jiao with a poker face. Feeling a little guilty, she put her hands behind her back and repeatedly tugged at her cuffs.

After a long silence.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

Wen Jiao’s voice was a little cold, like silent snow falling on a winter night.

Zhou Ziyan pursed her lips, hesitating whether she should bring up the breakup again now.

As she was indecisive, Wen Jiao spoke again, this time her tone was much gentler: “Why didn’t you tell me if you wanted to live somewhere bigger?”

Zhou Ziyan was stunned and looked up in surprise.

Wen Jiao’s gaze was gentle, and a faint smile still lingered on her lips. She didn’t seem angry at all.

Instead of blaming her for suddenly acting crazy, cutting contact, and moving out of the apartment, she was reflecting on why she hadn’t provided a better living situation. But the reality was not at all what Wen Jiao thought.

Zhou Ziyan bit her lower lip, her eyes wavering for a moment, but she quickly hardened her heart.

When she looked up again, her expression had changed. Zhou Ziyan lowered her hands, stared at those calm and detached black eyes, and spoke slowly: “Wen Jiao.”

“I don’t want to live that kind of life with you anymore.”

What kind of life?

The quilt gently tucked in in the early morning, the freshly made pumpkin porridge on the table, the admiring looks from her fellow students at their clasped hands, all the bank cards handed over, and a stable partner.

Zhou Ziyan tried to force a contemptuous smile, but it was too difficult. Her eyes began to uncontrollably turn red, and her tone inexplicably became aggrieved: “Everyone is laughing at me.”

Zhou Ziyan herself didn’t even know who “everyone” was, but Wen Jiao just silently wiped away her tears: “…I know.”

“Let’s break up.” Zhou Ziyan’s voice sounded hoarse from crying. She spoke with her eyelashes lowered, not daring to look up.

She said the word “break up” jokingly, but Wen Jiao didn’t take it as a joke. Her expression suddenly became very serious: “Don’t say things like that casually.”

“You stay here for now, Ziyan.”

“Just give me one more year, and I’ll give you a better life.” Wen Jiao pursed her lips, hugged her, and patted her back in a comforting manner. The tense butterfly bones slowly relaxed.

Zhou Ziyan leaned against that warm shoulder, tears streaming down her face. She was too greedy, too attached to this little bit of tenderness, and couldn’t bring herself to break up with Wen Jiao for the sake of her plan.

After a long time, she muffled a response: “I’ll wait for you.”

…

It was now September, and golden maple leaves were drifting down onto the road in the late autumn. After the professor dismissed the class, Zhou Ziyan walked alone. Many people said hello to her along the way.

Her situation at the university had improved a lot because of Wen Jiao’s presence. Even many professors would take special care of her.

“Good morning, Zhou Ziyan.” A girl with a backpack waved to her.

Zhou Ziyan smiled: “Good morning.”

Occasionally, people from the student council would pass her, and most of them would greet her and exchange a few pleasantries.

“Good morning, Ziyan. Why haven’t I seen you with President Wen lately?”

Zhou Ziyan smiled back: “She’s been quite busy recently.”

Since that day, Wen Jiao had become even busier, so busy that Zhou Ziyan even wondered if Wen Jiao was secretly working three jobs.

Once, when she went back to the apartment to pack some things, she found a thin layer of dust on the coffee table in the living room and the quilt in the bedroom neatly folded, without any signs of being used.

She guessed that Wen Jiao probably hadn’t slept at home for a long time.

The maple leaves of late autumn rustled down. One of them fell on Zhou Ziyan’s black cashmere coat. She gently picked up the fallen leaf and stood there thoughtfully.

The arrival of autumn meant that her engagement ceremony at the end of the year was getting closer.

Her bank cards had been unfrozen by Zhou Shancheng, and the keys to the mansions and luxury cars under her name were back in her hands. After the engagement, she would join the Zhou Group directly to manage a subsidiary.

She was getting closer and closer to her goal, but she couldn’t feel the slightest bit of relief.

Her relationship with Wen Jiao was still unresolved, hanging over her head like the Sword of Damocles. The Zhou family knew but hadn’t forced her to break up immediately, which only added to her anxiety.

The autumn air was crisp, and Zhou Ziyan stood by the roadside. The luxury car sent by the Cheng family pulled up nearby.

The Cheng family had a banquet she needed to attend today, and Cheng Junfeng had sent his driver to pick her up early.

There was a surveillance camera installed in the car by the Cheng family, so Zhou Ziyan had to stay outside the car, tapping away on her phone. But in the end, she still couldn’t say the two words, “break up,” to Wen Jiao.

She sighed and resignedly got into the car.

A formal gown was in the back seat, a black dress custom-made for her by a French craftsman, along with a red box containing jewelry.

After she got in the car, the driver in the front reminded her: “Miss Zhou, the young master has prepared the gown and jewelry for you to attend the event.”

“Mmm.” Zhou Ziyan continued to fiddle with her phone, her voice cold: “I know.”

The driver added: “The young master won new jewelry for you at a black market auction. Don’t you want to take a look?”

Zhou Ziyan looked up. Through the rearview mirror, she saw the driver’s eager gaze. She said coldly: “You talk too much.”

The driver shut up dejectedly.

The luxury car drove all the way to the suburban estate. As they passed a cemetery, Zhou Ziyan’s gaze was lost for a moment, but she quickly adjusted her posture and sent a message to Zhou Na on her phone.

Zhou Ziyan: “Sister, have the arrangements for me to join the company been made?”

Cheng Family Banquet.

In the glittering ballroom, glasses clinked. Waiters in uniform walked back and forth, balancing trays on one hand. People in suits held champagne flutes and exchanged business cards. These people were either from well-known wealthy families in A City or were new elites in a certain industry.

Cheng Junfeng, wearing a dark blue suit, stood in the crowd. When he saw a glimpse of a swaying black skirt, his eyes lit up, and he hurried over, his tone affectionate: “Ziyan.”

Many people’s gazes in the room fell on the two of them.

Zhou Ziyan wore a pair of silvery-white high heels. The mermaid-style skirt swayed, revealing her pale, slender ankles. The form-fitting black dress highlighted her excellent figure, with its beautiful curves, making her captivating. Cheng Junfeng couldn’t hide his amazement, staring at her intently.

Cheng Junfeng was all smiles: “This black dress suits you very well.”

Zhou Ziyan didn’t speak, just nodded with a somewhat cold attitude.

Tonight’s banquet was a clear maneuver, and the only key was Zhou Ziyan’s presence. On one hand, it was to showcase the stability of the relationship between the Cheng and Zhou families, and on the other, it was to prepare for the engagement banquet at the end of the year.

Zhou Ziyan followed Cheng Junfeng all night. The young master of the Cheng family was in his element, chatting in the crowd for two hours.