Copycat - Chapter 7

Chapter 7 

◎The Reason I Like You◎

When Zhou Ziyan brought up this memory, Wen Jiao’s frozen memories seemed to thaw. In her mind, there was a vague impression of a night like that. But it was so long ago and had such a minor role in her life that it was selectively forgotten.

After a brief moment of surprise, Wen Jiao calmed down. She looked into Zhou Ziyan’s eyes. “Is that why you like me?”

“Yes,” Zhou Ziyan met her gaze, stubborn and persistent. “You changed my life.”

Wen Jiao stared back, as if looking for a hint of deception or hesitation in those wet, glistening almond eyes. However, Zhou Ziyan seemed particularly stubborn about this. Wen Jiao shook her head with a hint of helplessness. Her voice was soft, like a gentle admonishment.

“Zhou Ziyan, I didn’t change your life. You changed your own life.” “Even if everything you said really happened, I was just a passerby who gave you some advice that you luckily took. I didn’t change you; your own efforts did. The person you should like is yourself.”

Wen Jiao tried to persuade her, but Zhou Ziyan shook her head stubbornly. Wen Jiao didn’t know, and Zhou Ziyan didn’t say. At that time, she was on an extremely dangerous precipice, just one step away from falling.

The chemistry students from other provinces left after two weeks of high-intensity training. But Wen Jiao’s name remained in the heart of the 17-year-old Zhou Ziyan for a long time, becoming the spiritual motivation that kept her going. She understood Wen Jiao’s confusion. Such an ordinary night shouldn’t have been so significant. However, if a person could have a bird’s-eye view, she might have seen the scabbed knife scars on her wrist under her expensive watch and the large dose of sleeping pills hidden in her bedroom drawer. Maybe then Wen Jiao would understand her obsession with her.

“We actually met once more.” In the cafe, Zhou Ziyan gave a bitter smile. “But you definitely don’t remember.” Wen Jiao looked at her and remained silent.

In the small circle of chemistry competitions, Wen Jiao had never heard of Zhou Ziyan, but Zhou Ziyan had repeatedly heard Wen Jiao’s name in various competitions. This was because the name was synonymous with victory. The genius girl from Province B made a name for herself in the league, passed the provincial selection, and entered the national competition, where she was invincible.

That year, only 609 people remained to compete for the gold medal in the national final. As a participant, she saw Wen Jiao in person. It was their second meeting. Zhou Ziyan had been looking forward to meeting her again and started searching for her in the crowd the moment she entered the school gate. After passing through security, she finally found the person she had been thinking about, but she keenly noticed a subtle change in her.

She quietly followed behind Wen Jiao, staring at her upright back, thinking about what to say for their long-awaited reunion and where this subtle change came from. Zhou Ziyan rehearsed the conversation in her mind a few times and finally decided to jog over. But fate had other plans, and she tripped over a small rock. When she tripped, she gasped almost subconsciously. Her entire body tilted forward. Many people’s gazes turned toward her.

I’m done for. This was the first thought Zhou Ziyan had as she closed her eyes. However, the imagined pain didn’t come. When she opened her eyes, she saw a familiar face. Wen Jiao had caught her with her arm. “Be careful, student,” she said. Zhou Ziyan’s wrist was tightly held by her, and she was suspended in mid-air with one leg as a pivot. She looked up at the long, slender arm and could see the thin but strong muscles on Wen Jiao’s forearm. The veins bulged on her fair skin when she exerted force, making them particularly noticeable.

Zhou Ziyan was about to say hello to her, but the moment their eyes met, she saw a sense of gloom in Wen Jiao’s eyes. This was an emotion she was all too familiar with. The old Wen Jiao was carefree, like a fairy who had descended to the mortal world. But the current Wen Jiao was heavy, as if she had a huge mountain on her back, carrying the expectations and hopes of countless people. After seeing the faint dark circles under her eyes and the lingering palm print on her cheek, Zhou Ziyan was stunned.

There was no annoyance in Wen Jiao’s eyes from being disturbed, nor was there any joy of an old friend meeting in a foreign land. She only saw her as a stranger who had accidentally fallen. Zhou Ziyan used the support of her hands to stand firm. Wen Jiao then let go of her hand and left. Zhou Ziyan stood there for a long time. When she saw the lonely figure almost disappear into the crowd, she finally got up and chased after her.

“Are you okay?” Zhou Ziyan walked behind Wen Jiao. The prepared speech had long been forgotten. She didn’t say the words she had planned. Seeing the faint dark circles on Wen Jiao’s eyelids, Zhou Ziyan’s tone was a little worried. “Do you want to have a cup of coffee before going into the exam? Going in with your current state might affect your performance. Drinking something can help calm you down.” “If you don’t mind, you can have some of mine. The coffee beans were specially improved by our family chef, and the effect of refreshing is very good.”

Wen Jiao shook her head and gave her a slight smile to show her gratitude. Zhou Ziyan was silent for a moment, looking at her retreating back, and then suddenly said, “Good luck, Wen Jiao.” Wen Jiao’s footsteps seemed to pause for a moment, but they were quickly separated by the large crowd of people heading to the exam hall. Zhou Ziyan stood there, watching her back until the figure was slowly swallowed by the vast sea of people. Only then did she look at the signs to find her own exam hall.

In the cafe, Wen Jiao took a sip of the cold coffee. When she looked up, her eyes held a more complex emotion. “So you were the one who tripped that day.” Zhou Ziyan’s smile was bitter. “I wanted to say hello to you, but you didn’t recognize me.”

Wen Jiao was a little apologetic. At that time, she was in great pain because of Wen Yilian’s capriciousness. Not only that, but her energy was also divided between school and the competition team. She was exhausted and had no mind to think about anything other than studying. On the way to the national final that day, she had a palm print on her face from Wen Yilian and a hazy mind from staying up late to study. She didn’t dare to stop walking because she was afraid she would fall asleep while standing and miss this important exam that could allow her to leave Province B. She only snapped out of her hazy sleepiness when someone suddenly fell on her.

“I have you to thank for that day.” Wen Jiao gave a rare smile. “If you hadn’t accidentally fallen on me, I probably would have fallen asleep in the exam.” When Zhou Ziyan called out her name, she actually had a moment where she wanted to turn back and ask if they had met before, but she ultimately didn’t. This was because there were too many opponents who knew her name at the national final. Perhaps that girl was just one of them. Wen Jiao smiled apologetically. “I’m sorry, I didn’t recognize you. I didn’t expect such a coincidence. It’s a good thing we both got a good result in the end.”

At this point, Zhou Ziyan’s whole being lit up. Her eyes were bright, like fireflies on a summer night, and her pupils brightened her dark eyes. “I was so excited when I saw your name on the national team roster.” That year’s final question was the hardest in history. When she came out of the exam hall, she saw many familiar faces, both boys and girls, squatting on the ground with their heads in their hands and crying. Zhou Ziyan anxiously scanned the crying crowd. She was worried that Wen Jiao would not be able to perform to her full potential due to her condition and would become one of them. Fortunately, she didn’t find Wen Jiao among the crying people. But it was a shame that by the time she caught a glimpse of a back that looked like Wen Jiao’s, the person had already gotten into a car and been driven away.

The gold medals that year were surprising. Many people who had been far ahead in the provincial competition crashed and burned. Instead, it was her steady, hard work that earned her a spot at the tail end of the first-place prize. Unfortunately, she was 3 points short of the national team qualifying line and couldn’t join the national team with Wen Jiao.

“But why did you later break the contract with the national team?” Zhou Ziyan asked. Wen Jiao’s hand holding the coffee cup tightened, and she was about to speak.

“Junior student?!” a male voice came from the door. Zhou Ziyan and Wen Jiao, who were sitting by the window, looked over at the same time. The person was wearing a black down jacket and carrying a gray briefcase with a laptop inside. He looked very professional. Li Xu’s expression was full of surprise. He didn’t expect to run into an acquaintance here. He said, “Long time no see, junior student. How have you been recently?” He walked over quickly, wanting to sit on the sofa. Wen Jiao frowned, thinking he was there to pester her again, and prepared to get up and take Zhou Ziyan out of the cafe. To her surprise, Li Xu walked right past her and sat directly next to Zhou Ziyan. Wen Jiao was stunned for a moment.

Li Xu very casually took a piece of cake out of Zhou Ziyan’s bag. It was chocolate-flavored with a rich taste. There was a refreshing lemon juice between the two layers of bread, and the top layer was decorated with a white chocolate heart. “Junior student, did you make this cake yourself?” Li Xu pretended to turn his head unintentionally, and his peripheral vision stole a glance at Wen Jiao’s expression. Seeing that she was calm, his attitude towards Zhou Ziyan became even more enthusiastic. The ambiguous look in his eyes moved between the cake and the person next to him. He leaned into her ear and said in a breathy voice, “It’s so sweet.” Wen Jiao: … Zhou Ziyan felt a chill and wondered if he had gone crazy because he couldn’t find a job, since the job market was so bad. Wen Jiao saw Zhou Ziyan’s evasive movements and Li Xu’s occasional glances. She understood the implied meaning behind Li Xu’s words. When a person is speechless to the extreme, they will want to laugh, and Wen Jiao was no exception.

She stood up and put on her dark brown cashmere coat. Before leaving, she left Zhou Ziyan with a meaningful sentence. “You handle it yourself,” she said. A moment later, she added, “And clear up the misunderstanding.” Wen Jiao hated being two-faced the most.

Zhou Ziyan was stunned for a moment and wanted to chase after her, but Li Xu tugged on her sleeve, and she fell back onto the sofa. Outside the door, Mousse Yu was squatting on the ground, smoking. When she saw someone come out, she put out her cigarette on the tile and threw it into the trash can. She knew Wen Jiao didn’t like the smell of smoke, so she kept her distance. From a distance, she asked, “Why are you out alone? Where’s your roommate?” Wen Jiao’s tone was calm. “She’s being confessed to.” Mousse Yu: “…Huh?” She remembered that it was Li Xu who had just gone inside. “Did you two break up?” Mousse Yu asked. “I heard you say you were moving out of the dorm at the beginning of the semester.”

Wen Jiao glanced at her. Mousse Yu smiled innocently and spread her hands like a cat. “I wasn’t eavesdropping, it’s just that the cafe’s glass soundproofing isn’t very good. Next time you want to chat, it’s best not to sit there. The sound leaks.” The two of them walked side by side across the crosswalk and entered the campus with their student cards. Wen Jiao didn’t answer her question, but Mousse Yu couldn’t hold back her gossip and asked again, “Is it because of Li Xu?” After a while, she shook her head in self-denial. “No, you’re not interested in Li Xu, so you probably wouldn’t care if he went after Zhou Ziyan. “Is it because of the job?” Mousse Yu muttered to herself. “But Zhou Ziyan came here today to apologize, and with your personality, you wouldn’t break up over something like this.”

Then why is she moving out? Mousse Yu’s poor brain couldn’t think of any other possibilities. Maybe moving out was already part of Wen Jiao’s plan, after all, she had been interning since her first year of college. She clearly had a very clear plan for her future. Mousse Yu walked leisurely beside Wen Jiao with her hands behind her head. The two of them walked through the desolate winter campus. Many people looked at them sideways along the way, but she didn’t care because most of them were looking at Wen Jiao.

Wen Jiao was wearing a brown coat today with a black cashmere sweater underneath. Her hair was casually tied up with a wooden hairpin, revealing her long, fair neck. She was wearing a necklace with white mother-of-pearl inlays. It was a very common outfit that could be seen anywhere on the street. However, the last part of a stylish look was, after all, the face. Wen Jiao had clearly completed it excellently.

This white mother-of-pearl necklace was a gift from her to Wen Jiao. She picked it from a very common luxury brand counter, and the saleswoman insisted on giving her an employee discount. It was less than twenty thousand yuan even with the discount. Mousse Yu’s eyes were filled with resentment.

“What are you thinking about?” Wen Jiao suddenly spoke, her calm eyes looking to the side. Because Wen Jiao didn’t accept birthday gifts that were more than six figures, the natural white diamond necklace that Mousse Yu had just gotten from an auction had to be kept to be given to another friend on their birthday. “If my friends knew that the gift I gave you was a five-figure necklace, they would laugh at me from this year to next year.” Mousse Yu stared at the white mother-of-pearl, becoming more and more dissatisfied the more she looked at it.

Wen Jiao smiled faintly when she heard her words. Mousse Yu stared at her and saw the corners of her lips curve into a slight arc, and then quickly return to her usual coldness. It was like this again. Mousse Yu couldn’t read Wen Jiao’s true emotions. Was she really amused by her words, or did she just think she should smile at a moment like this so as not to make her feel awkward? Wen Jiao was polite to her, but not exactly intimate. She always felt that there was a hazy layer of mist between them, and they weren’t true friends. Mousse Yu’s mood was a little messy. She scratched her head, stopped, and took a cigarette out of her pocket, putting it in her mouth. “I’m going back to the internet cafe.” If things were complicated, she didn’t like to think about them for too long. She preferred to change her environment and her mood.

Considering that she shouldn’t force people to inhale her second-hand smoke, Mousse Yu walked a little further away before lighting her lighter. The tobacco was ignited by the flame, and a very light smell of tobacco wafted out. She took out her phone and sent a message to Wen Jiao.

Mousse Yu: If you change your mind, tell me anytime, whether it’s about the gift or the internship.

The family driver had parked the car at the school gate. When she got in the car, she looked out the one-way window. Wen Jiao was still standing there, smiling and waving goodbye to her. She was gentle and polite, and there was nothing to find fault with. Mousse Yu exhaled a puff of smoke. The swirling smoke blurred the vague figure in the car window. A layer of mist formed on the glass, like a rain mist that wouldn’t disperse.

Wen Jiao is a really strange person.

Back in the cafe.

When Li Xu tried to get her to give him a taste of the other cake for the third time, Zhou Ziyan, who was usually incredibly good-tempered, finally turned cold. She got up and put some distance between them. “Senior Li Xu, please have some self-respect.” Zhou Ziyan looked indifferent and held the warm little cake close to her. She had made it according to Wen Jiao’s taste. It was a blueberry cream cake, and she hadn’t had a chance to give it to Wen Jiao yet.

Li Xu smiled confidently, holding one hand in the air with his palm down. “Okay, junior student, stop pretending. Wen Jiao has already left.” Li Xu considered himself to be an expert on girls’ thoughts. Zhou Ziyan liked him but couldn’t say it in front of Wen Jiao. Otherwise, how awkward would it be for two people in the same dorm to like the same boy? He understood. He understood everything.

Li Xu looked at the beautiful, well-built girl in front of him and gave a devious smile. Confessing your feelings was something a boy had to do. He said, “Junior student Zhou, you sit down. There’s something I want to talk to you about.” Zhou Ziyan frowned. “No need. I have something to do.” It had only been two minutes. Wen Jiao probably hadn’t gone far yet, and the cake wasn’t cold. She was holding her bag and was about to leave. Li Xu suddenly said, “It’s about Wen Jiao.”

The name “Wen Jiao” might be a hard crowd-control spell in the gaming world, but for Zhou Ziyan, it was a 100% hit skill. Zhou Ziyan’s footsteps stopped. She turned around and slowly sat down in the spot where Wen Jiao had been sitting. “What about Wen Jiao?” The white leather sofa still had the warmth of a body. Zhou Ziyan looked out the window. She saw two people walking side by side. She recognized Mousse Yu and felt a surge of envy. She envied Mousse Yu for being such a good friend to Wen Jiao, and she couldn’t be.

“Go ahead,” Zhou Ziyan said with a cold tone. “I’ve already made up my mind,” Li Xu said mysteriously, leaning his face towards the middle of the table. Zhou Ziyan dodged him with a look of disgust, but Li Xu only thought she was a shy young girl. “I want to have a relationship with you that leads to marriage.” “Although Wen Jiao is good, she’s too aloof and a loner. She’s not a suitable candidate for a wife. I’ve figured it out. A person should cherish those who love them. Junior student Zhou, I know how you feel about me. Let’s forget about the past unhappiness, cast aside the rumors, and be together!”

Zhou Ziyan was thunderstruck. Her face flashed with red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple before finally turning a gloomy black. She recalled what Wen Jiao had said to her before she left and remembered the conversation she had with Li Xu the night before Wen Jiao’s birthday. She finally understood the root of the misunderstanding. This was a huge fiasco.

Li Xu never expected that after he had made up his mind to confess to Zhou Ziyan, he would run into her and her roommate at the cafe at the school gate. To show his loyalty as a boyfriend, he insisted on ignoring Wen Jiao, even though his heart was itching like a cat had scratched it when he saw her graceful back. He didn’t say a word to her. After confessing, he saw Zhou Ziyan’s face changing. Li Xu tilted his head. Is she too happy to speak? Li Xu looked at her confused.

Zhou Ziyan rubbed her forehead and sighed deeply. She said bluntly, “I’ll tell you directly.” This time, the person who was thunderstruck was Li Xu. Because what Zhou Ziyan said was— “The person I like is actually Wen Jiao.”

Outside the cafe. Li Xu walked out, still dizzy. He muttered to himself, his tone full of disbelief, like a robot with a corrupted code. He kept repeating, “The person Zhou Ziyan likes is Wen Jiao… The person Zhou Ziyan likes is Wen Jiao… The person Zhou Ziyan likes is Wen Jiao…”

Zhou Ziyan likes Wen Jiao. But aren’t they both girls?!

Li Xu: ? She must be lying to me. But Li Xu recalled Zhou Ziyan’s determined, almost fanatical, gaze in the cafe and didn’t think it was fake. In the small circle of finance majors, who were all social butterflies, he rarely saw such vivid expressions on this almost invisible junior student’s face. Zhou Ziyan said that the reason she had advised and encouraged him was to have one less rival in love, since there were too many people in the department who coveted Wen Jiao, and she didn’t have much of a chance to compete. This explanation, combined with the fact that she liked Wen Jiao, seemed reasonable.

But Li Xu still couldn’t believe it. He sat on the steps with a dumbfounded expression, contemplating his life. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Zhou Ziyan. She was carrying her bag, pushed the door open, took out her car keys from her pocket, pressed the button, opened the car door, and then— drove away in that supercar worth almost 100 million yuan?! Li Xu rubbed his eyes, making sure he wasn’t seeing things. That’s right. Zhou Ziyan drove away in the priceless La Voiture Noire.

Zhou Ziyan, last name Zhou. The Zhou Group?! Li Xu once again experienced what it was like to be thunderstruck. He was completely screwed because the Zhou Group was notoriously vindictive in their circle. If Zhou Ziyan said bad things about him, his whole family would be bankrupted by the Zhou Group. He had to act preemptively before the Zhou family found out about all this.