Chapter Thirty-Six: The Contradiction Between Two People

  After school, Zou Ze, who didn't go to Ji Xin'an's home for a meal during the summer vacation, followed behind her with a thick skin and wouldn't leave no matter how she chased him away.

  "It's only been a few days since you didn't eat and you've become like this." Ji Xin'an was both angry and amused, really not knowing what to do with him.

  "This isn't just a few days, it's been a whole month, my stomach is almost tortured to death by them, you'd better comfort it well." Zou Ze seemed to be used to her being like this.

  "Then let's wait for Zhāo Diǎn for a while, and take her together. I haven't seen her in a month, and I miss her." Ji Xīn ān stopped, thinking that since they won't be in the same class anymore, opportunities to meet will be scarce, so when there is such an opportunity, they must gather together.

  "Alright, anyway it's more lively with many people eating together." Zou Ze sat down in the back seat with great difficulty.

  "I knew you'd eat." Ji Xin'an gave him a white eye, and Zou Ze pretended he didn't see it.

  The two were chatting happily and didn't notice someone had overheard their conversation. "Are you guys planning to go eat somewhere? Why not bring this old friend along and have a gathering?"

  Ji Xin'an turned around to see that it was his new deskmate, Yao Wen-hao, and Yu Yao, Shi Lin, standing not far away from them, looking at him with a puzzled expression, as if they felt that there was something sharp hidden in his words.

  Turning back to Zou Ze, the previous rascal expression was gone, not even a hint of a smile, coldly staring at Yao Wenhu. "We'll figure out where to eat ourselves, no need for you to trouble yourself, since it's an old friend gathering, you guys can leave quickly, we won't delay you."

  "Zou Ze, we've been brothers since childhood, how come you're welcoming me back like this?" Yao Wenhuo looked at him with a hint of a smile.

  Zou Ze turned his head away, no longer looking at him. Yu Yao saw that the atmosphere was a bit awkward and reached out to pull Yao Wenhuai, signaling him not to say anything more.

  Ji Xin'an felt that the atmosphere was somewhat eerie, and no matter how he looked at these people, their relationship didn't seem ordinary. But as an outsider, Ji Xin'an couldn't say anything, so he could only stand by awkwardly watching.

  "Alright, since everyone is here anyway, I'll treat you all to lunch. Let's find a place to eat together." Yao Wenhuo looked at Yu Yao with concern and softened his tone.

  "I have something on today, you all go together, I'll talk about it later!" Zou Ze said coldly.

  "What's so important, let's just eat with this deskmate of mine. Anyway, we're not outsiders to each other, let's just go together. It's a good opportunity for us to get familiar with each other since we'll be seeing each other every day from now on." Yao Wenhuo looked at Ji Xin'an who was hiding aside.

  Ji Xin'an really felt that even hiding three miles away, he could still be struck by lightning. He wanted to say something, but after thinking about it, he decided not to get involved and stood aside as a background.

  It's just right that Chen Zhaoji came over, Ji Xin'an immediately walked over and left this strange circle. "Zhaoji, if there's nothing to do at noon, come to my house for lunch, I haven't seen you in a long time."

  Chen Zhaoji was also very happy to see her, but when she saw the few of them surrounding her, looking at how Ji Xin'an had managed to get together with them, "How come there are so many people? And Yu Yao and the others have gone too?"

  "Not really, just you and Zou Ze. If I ate with them, it would be weird if I didn't get a stomachache." Ji Xin'an said in a voice that only Chen Zhaoji could hear.

  Chen Zhaodi couldn't help but laugh along with her.

  Zou Ze saw that the two were still dawdling and became somewhat anxious, "You guys are still not hurrying up, you'll starve to death soon."

  "Zou Ze, my brother rarely comes back, you go!" Yu Yao looked at Zou Ze as the two of them were unwilling to give in.

  "Zou Ze, why don't you just go with them? I'll leave first with Zhao Di." Ji Xin'an felt a bit embarrassed as soon as Yu Yao opened her mouth.

  "Never mind, anyway he's not going anywhere, you guys go ahead." Zou Ze glanced at Yu Yao who had an expectant look on his face and didn't want to go with him. "We'll leave first."

  Ji Xin'an didn't force him either, nodded at the three of them and rode away on his horse.

  Watching the three people leave, Yao Wenhao's face sank, "Yao Yao, are they together?"

  Yu Yao's face darkened after hearing his words, "No, but I can tell that Zou Ze should like her."

  "Does Nai Xin'an like him too?" Yao Wenhuo's face turned even more unsightly, looking at Yu Yao's bitter face, his heart couldn't help but feel a pang of distress.

  "No, she talked to me about it before and said they couldn't be together. But Zou Ze still skipped grades with her." Yu Yao said with a bitter smile.

  "Alright, don't be sad, there will be a way." Yao Wenhuo patted her shoulder and comforted.

  "Brother, now that you're back, can you help me with my studies when you have time?" Yu Yao suddenly turned her head to look at Yao Wenhuang.

  "You still need me to tutor you, but you've always been better at studying than I am." Yao Wen Hua smiled as he looked at Yu Yao, remembering how she was always ahead of him when they were in the same class.

  "That's different, I want to use this semester to learn the junior high school curriculum, you come and tutor me on junior high, then I'll skip a grade, I want to be in class with you." Yu Yao smiled lightly.

  "You're still with me, I don't have that much face, you want to be with Zou Ze, don't comfort me." Yao Wenhuo bluntly spoke out her true intention.

  "Oh no, brother!" Yu Yaojiao stomped her foot in annoyance.

  "Alright, alright, let's just drop it and go eat. We can't starve ourselves just because others aren't going." Yao Wenhao ignored the two of them as they hummed a tune on their way out.

  "Brother, are you going to answer or not?" Yu Yao ran after him.

  "Have I ever failed to keep a promise? You know that's not true," Yao Wen Hua said with a smile, pulling Yu Yao's hand into his.

  Ji Xin'an took the two of them home and quickly made a few simple dishes. The three of them sat down at the table to eat.

  "An An, why don't you ask me what the relationship is between me and Yao Wenhuo?" Zou Ze couldn't help but speak up as he saw Ji Xianan not asking him anything.

  "If you want to tell me, you'll say it even if I don't ask; if you don't want to tell me, asking won't get an answer either. Even among family members, there are things that can't be said, let alone us being just friends. Being friends means respecting each other's boundaries, not having to reveal everything." Ji Xin'an smiled lightly at him.

  "An'an, what are you talking about? You've got me all dizzy. What's with the nonsense?" Chen Zhaoyi was amused by their conversation.

  "Nothing much, we're finally having dinner together, let's not talk about others, let's talk about ourselves." Ji Xin'an also laughed along.

  Chen Zhaoyi interrupted, and the topic was no longer mentioned. However, after hearing Ji Xin'an's words, Zou Ze felt a bit uncomfortable in her heart. She said they were just friends, although it was indeed so, but Zou Ze always felt that this phrase sounded awkward to her ears.

  Zou Ze didn't talk much like he usually did during meals, and the table fell silent, with only Ji Xin'an's occasional chat breaking the stillness, making this meal unusually gloomy.

  Ji Xin'an didn't think much of it and assumed he was still unhappy about the Yao Wen-huang thing, so after dinner she went to wash the dishes by herself, leaving Zou Ze and Chen Zhao-ji in the living room watching TV.

  "Zou Ze, what's wrong with you two today? You seem a bit off." Chen Zhaoji sat for a while, looking at Zou Ze who was frowning and finally couldn't help but ask.

  "What's wrong, isn't it like that?" Zou Ze replied absent-mindedly, still thinking about something.

  "Of course, it's not the same as before. Every time you two met in the past, you would argue and outsiders thought you had a grudge against each other. Today, both of you have become silent." Chen Zhaoji pouted.

  Chen Zhaodi's words suddenly reminded the puzzled Zou Ze, "Zhaodi, you said our relationship isn't very good, right? Why do we always argue whenever we meet?"

  "How could it be bad? I've never seen friends as close as you two, what more do you want. You really have a problem today." Chen Zhaoji concluded.

  Zou Ze didn't say anything else, thinking to himself that Chen Zhaoji was right, his relationship with Ji Xin'an was already good and couldn't be any better, she had nothing to complain about him either, but somehow he always felt like something was missing.

  "What's wrong with you guys just sitting there and not saying a word?" Ji Xin'an asked, wiping her hands with a towel after finishing washing the dishes.

  "I'd never talk to someone with a problem like you!" Chen Zhaoji sneered.

  Zou Ze rarely spoke, which was equivalent to acknowledging Chen Zhaoji's statement. Ji Xin'an glanced at Zou Ze and said, "He's not in a good mood today, so don't provoke him."

  "This is still protected, it's really not easy. If every day you can't stand him." Chen Zhaoji smiled and thought that these two people were really not in harmony today.

  Ji Xin'an ignored her and glanced at the time, feeling that it was about time. "You all shouldn't sit around either, school is starting soon."

  The three of them put aside their own thoughts and went out to school.

  Special thanks to '酸酸甜甜就是我' for the reward.