Copycat - Chapter 5

Chapter 5

◎I Like You◎

The coffee shop at the west gate of A University was bustling with people, not only college students studying for finals but also high school students studying together. Some got tired of studying and started staring out the window in a daze. After a while, one of them suddenly gasped and frantically pulled at his friend’s clothes, telling him to look out the window.

In front of the cafe, a luxury car was parked. It was a Bugatti La Voiture Noire. A non-sale item that was priceless in the car industry. It was said that the developer held a private auction, and the final bidder was the founder of a certain group in China. They never expected this car to be in City A.

Mousse Yu, who was sitting by the window, clicked her tongue. “My goodness, this car is actually with Zhou Ziyan. How much does her family spoil her?” “This car is probably worth at least a hundred million. So this little copycat is actually a rich young lady?”

Wen Jiao remained silent, sitting quietly by the window. She was like a silent ink painting, cold and aloof. The luxury car that others gasped at was just a mode of transportation that burned gasoline in her eyes, with no value for astonishment. Only when the girl in the driver’s seat got out of the car did her lowered eyelashes tremble slightly.

The temperature in City A had dropped below zero. The girl who got out of the car was only wearing a double-breasted suit dress. The length of her skirt barely covered the tops of her thighs, and a thin pair of black stockings on her lower body outlined her long, slender legs. Zhou Ziyan received the location Wen Jiao sent and drove the car too fast, pressing the accelerator all the way down. When she took her foot off, she realized her ankle was a little stiff from the cold. When she got out of the car, she tripped on a plastic bottle that was thrown on the ground and almost fell.

A high school student in the cafe who resented the rich snorted and said sourly, “So what if she has a little money? She’s deliberately showing off her luxury car at the cafe. A rich second-generation with no real ability will become honest once their family goes bankrupt.”

Before he could finish, Mousse Yu, who was sitting nearby, slammed her hand on the table and stood up. “Hey, what school are you from? Watch your mouth.” “What’s it to you?” the high school student retorted stubbornly. “I wasn’t talking about you.” Mousse Yu started arguing with him. They were at daggers drawn, and neither would back down.

This was the scene Zhou Ziyan walked into. In the heated argument, she understood the cause of the matter. Zhou Ziyan was touched, but she couldn’t help but tug on Mousse Yu’s sleeve. She disliked conflict and whispered, “Si Yu, don’t argue. I’m fine.” “A few words won’t hurt me. Let’s just sit down and eat something.”

“Did you hear that?” The high school student, hearing Zhou Ziyan’s words, became smug, like a victorious rooster. “She thinks you’re being a busybody!” Mousse Yu’s enthusiasm was instantly doused with cold water. She glanced at Zhou Ziyan, shook off her hand on her sleeve, and her expression turned cold. She picked up her down jacket from the sofa and walked away. If the person who was being talked about didn’t care, why should she stand up for justice?

Zhou Ziyan stood there uneasily. “Si Yu.” The person who had been silent all this time finally spoke. Wen Jiao’s voice was very pleasant to the ear, like a plum blossom defying the snow and frost, with an aloofness in its coldness. Her reply was objective, but every word hit Zhou Ziyan’s heart, making her already unsettled heart flutter even more. “That’s not what she meant.”

She was, of course, referring to Zhou Ziyan. Mousse Yu knew Zhou Ziyan was a soft touch who was easily taken advantage of. Zhou Ziyan also understood that Mousse Yu was in a bad mood because she had stood up for her and was then publicly embarrassed. Ultimately, this whole incident was because of the high school student who resented the rich.

Wen Jiao gave the rude high school student a cold glance. The minor instinctively shrank his neck, but after he realized it, he was afraid of being mocked by his friends. He immediately puffed out his chest like a paper tiger and continued to argue stubbornly. “Are you with them? What are you looking at? Are you going to be a busybody too?”

Wen Jiao called the cafe owner, a plump and beautiful woman. “Do you have surveillance cameras?” “We’re going to call the police. Someone here is spreading rumors about my friend.” The owner immediately understood what she meant. “My store has 360-degree cameras with no blind spots. They are deleted every three months. Go ahead and call the police. I’ll go get the footage now.”

The high school student’s puffed-out chest sank a little. He had already lost his momentum. He looked at the beautiful, cold woman in front of him who seemed to be on a different level from her surroundings. “Do you think you can do whatever you want just because you have money? I’m not afraid of you. Call the police if you want.”

Wen Jiao looked at him coldly. “That’s a tutoring book for A University’s recommendation program that an agency wrote on your table. It’s December now, so I’m guessing you’re preparing for the preliminary exam in January.” The high school student was startled and said subconsciously, “How did you know?” Wen Jiao sneered. The high school student covered his mouth, annoyed that he had given away so much information so easily.

Wen Jiao’s tone was indifferent. “Nothing. You can also relax a bit. You don’t have to prepare for the recommendation program in January anymore.” “If you don’t apologize to my friend immediately, I’ll have the surveillance footage sent to your school after I call the police.” “They say the comprehensive quality evaluation at the affiliated high school is strict. I wonder what university would want a recommended student with a failing comprehensive quality score.” “You can start looking now so you don’t have to get a new set of books to prepare for the college entrance exam.”

“You?!” The high school student stood up trembling, not expecting this beautiful woman’s words to be so vicious. She was even using the recommendation program to threaten him. The classmates who came with the high school student looked away in disgust, pretending not to know him. When it seemed like an argument was about to break out again, the owner directly called a few employees to restrain him and push him out the door. The high school student made a scene outside for a while, but not long after, he walked away, still shaken. After a while, he came back. He hadn’t even taken the tutoring book he had left in the cafe. The high school student reluctantly walked up to Zhou Ziyan.

Zhou Ziyan looked at him with some surprise. The high school student apologized tearfully, “I’m sorry, sister. I shouldn’t have said those things. This exam is very important to me. Please don’t report me to the school. I’ve really been preparing for a long time.” Mousse Yu finally calmed down. “Now you know to apologize? What were you doing before?” “You know to run when there’s an earthquake, but you only know to climb when the tsunami is right next to you?”

Wen Jiao tugged on Mousse Yu’s sleeve. The high school student was led away from the cafe by his friend. Mousse Yu walked over to the owner. “Boss, I have a USB drive with me. I’m a graduate of A University’s affiliated high school. I’m familiar with those teachers. When are we going to get the surveillance footage?” “Ah, I’m sorry, little one.” The owner looked at the high school student’s back and whispered, “Actually, we only have cameras near the order counter.” The area where Wen Jiao and the others were sitting, by the window on the first floor, was far from the order counter and was almost impossible to be recorded. Mousse Yu finally understood what was going on.

Zhou Ziyan stood there with her arms crossed, feeling a little helpless. Wen Jiao glanced at her and sighed, “Sit down.” “Didn’t you have something to say to me?” Mousse Yu tactfully left. The commotion had caused many people to leave the cafe. When she paid, she deliberately paid a little extra. The owner was a worldly person and could tell that she was wealthy. Mousse Yu’s watch alone was worth an apartment in City A. The owner smiled and accepted her kindness.

Only Wen Jiao and Zhou Ziyan were left sitting opposite each other near the window. Neither of them was a big talker, so the atmosphere was a little silent. Usually, Zhou Ziyan was the one to start a topic, but after what had just happened, she was a little down. This time, it was Wen Jiao who took the initiative. She didn’t ask about the internship or the high school student who resented the rich. She just asked calmly, “You almost fell when you got out of the car. Did you twist your ankle?” Zhou Ziyan shook her head.

There was another moment of silence. After a while, Zhou Ziyan suddenly said out of the blue, “Am I useless?” Wen Jiao looked at her calmly and didn’t answer. “I can’t do anything right. I not only embarrassed the person who spoke up for me, but I also made you lose your job. I can’t do anything right. These people only respect me because I’m the daughter of the Zhou family, but without the Zhou family, I’m nothing. I can’t even take care of myself.” “I just wanted to intern with you. I didn’t know the job you worked so hard to get would be taken by me…” Zhou Ziyan’s hand was pressed against the outside of the coffee cup. The hot coffee instantly scalded her delicate skin. “I’m sorry. I really am. I’m sorry…”

When she mentioned the job, Wen Jiao’s expression was nonchalant, as if she didn’t care much. On the other hand, when she saw the red and swollen mark on Zhou Ziyan’s fair hand, she frowned slightly. “Why?” Wen Jiao finally spoke. Zhou Ziyan was stunned. “What?” She didn’t understand what Wen Jiao meant. Wen Jiao’s eyes were very light in color, as if filled with snow, making her seem cold. She stared at Zhou Ziyan’s slightly red eyes and moist, pitifully beautiful almond-shaped eyes. “Why did you have to intern with me?”

Zhou Ziyan gripped the coffee cup, her eyelashes trembling slightly. Wen Jiao didn’t know about the love she had hidden in her heart, and she didn’t want this love to cause Wen Jiao any trouble. Wen Jiao spoke softly, but her gaze was incredibly sharp. She scrutinized the person sitting in front of her. “You set your Moments to be visible only to me, you bought the same clothes as me, you leave a light on for me every night, and you’re the first to give me a gift on my birthday every year.” Wen Jiao stared at her, her gaze unwavering, and calmly listed the things she had done. “Why? What do you want from me?” “Or…” A confused emotion was in Wen Jiao’s eyes, as if this word shouldn’t appear between two girls, but at this moment, she couldn’t think of a better way to express it. “Are you actually pursuing me?”

Her voice was calm, as if she was just asking a normal question. “Zhou Ziyan, do you like me?” The tears in her eyes had already dried, leaving faint streaks on the sides of her cheeks. Her dark thoughts were suddenly exposed. Zhou Ziyan’s face was pale, like a piece of paper that would tear with a poke. She bit her trembling lower lip with her canines and denied it. “You’re overthinking, Wen Jiao. How could I…” She was afraid that the real answer would push this person away completely. Therefore, even if it was self-deception, even if it was a compromise, she was willing to hide everything. So she could stay by this person’s side in the name of friendship. Zhou Ziyan made up her mind, but when she looked up, she met those cold, black eyes. Wen Jiao was quietly scrutinizing her. The lies she had prepared died in her throat. Zhou Ziyan pursed her lips and couldn’t say another word.

All the past events flashed before her eyes. The love at first sight when they first met, the secret joy when she found out they were roommates, and the deepening understanding in their long-term relationship. Wen Jiao was really like an ink painting, with a cold color palette that was never ostentatious, but it was precisely this kind of painting that could stand the test of time. Zhou Ziyan felt her eyes become a little sore. She and Wen Jiao were like a fish and a bird. A bird would eventually soar in the vast world, while a fish would die if it left the water. She shouldn’t, and couldn’t, drag her down in the name of friendship.

Zhou Ziyan’s hand holding the coffee cup trembled uncontrollably. “Yes.” “Wen Jiao, I do like you.”