Still Frame Chapter 68
byChapter 68 If You Care About Me Too
“Wen Jin, are you really going to marry young?” Duan Chengzhi wasn’t the only one making a fuss; Lu Zixia was too.
Lu Zixia wore the expression of someone looking at a terminally ill patient, shaking his head regretfully. Wen Jin ignored him and asked, “Are you very familiar with Zhang Qiannan?”
“So-so. He introduced Xiao Jin to me. I promised him I’d let him get exposure to our circle. Whether he fits in depends on his own ability. But don’t worry, he definitely won’t bother you proactively. What’s wrong? Don’t tell me you’re going to marry Zhang Qiannan.”
“No.”
Lu Zixia nodded. “That’s good. Zhang Qiannan is very calculating, not really…”
“It’s his brother,” Wen Jin spoke about marriage with a casual lightness that was also chillingly certain, like cold ice smashing down. “I’ve decided to marry Zhang Liuxin.”
Lu Zixia began to believe what Brother Duan said about Wen Jin acting strangely recently. This was beyond strange; he almost suspected Wen Jin had been possessed.
“Zhang Liuxin?”
Lu Zixia searched his memory for the name. He recalled a mixed-race person with black hair and green eyes. Zhang Qiannan had mentioned him more than once, always with disgust.
“You know him too?”
“Not really. We’ve exchanged a few words.”
Lu Zixia just felt that Zhang Liuxin in person didn’t match Zhang Qiannan’s description. He seemed like a very quiet person. The last time he met him, the other party’s behavior was intriguing, as if he was hiding something, so Lu Zixia had teased him a bit.
Wen Jin asked, “What did you say?”
“I said… Wait, are you serious? Do you even know him?”
Why did everyone ask the same thing? Wen Jin said, “Of course.”
Lu Zixia didn’t understand why Wen Jin suddenly wanted to marry Zhang Liuxin. They were completely unrelated, and he had always assumed Wen Jin had an emotional disorder, or perhaps was asexual—though he wouldn’t dare say that to Wen Jin’s face.
“So you like him? How did you fall for him? This is too rare.” Although talking about ‘liking’ was meaningless in this circle, Lu Zixia was genuinely curious about Wen Jin, whose romantic history was a blank slate.
“Is that important?” I’m just interested in him.
Truly the son of Wen Huaichuan and Yue Yun…
“Fine,” Lu Zixia shrugged. “Have you told them yet?”
“I said I chose the Zhang family.”
“Then your parents definitely think it’s Zhang Qiannan.”
Lu Zixia frowned. There was no way Wen Jin didn’t understand such a simple implication.
“That’s good; it avoids a lot of trouble,” Wen Jin said. “In any case, it’s still the Zhang family.”
Lu Zixia understood that Wen Jin meant to use a smokescreen first. However, he recalled the worshipful look in Zhang Qiannan’s eyes whenever he mentioned Wen Jin. While he didn’t know how much of it was genuine, using him as a shield felt a bit regrettable.
“You seem quite invested in Zhang Liuxin. What’s so attractive about him? His looks are average. Even if you like men, there are plenty of young masters and heirs for you to choose from.”
Wen Jin felt Lu Zixia’s perception was skewed, so he added, “He wasn’t on the marriage alliance list. I didn’t choose him from the list of candidates; he just made me feel that marriage might not be so bad.”
Lu Zixia hadn’t expected Wen Jin to say something that sounded almost like a confession.
“I really didn’t see this coming…” Lu Zixia rubbed his forehead. “Although it doesn’t matter, I still want to ask: does he like you?”
Before Wen Jin could answer, Lu Zixia suddenly remembered Zhang Liuxin’s lost and wistful expression at the gathering organized by Zhang Qiannan. At the time, he thought the other person was just too afraid of Zhang Qiannan. Now, it was hard to say.
Lu Zixia looked at Wen Jin meaningfully, wondering how Wen Jin would react.
“I don’t know. He’s very afraid of me,” Wen Jin admitted frankly. “He gets very nervous every time he talks to me.”
His expression, in Lu Zixia’s view, was almost innocent, as if he genuinely wondered why he made others nervous.
A smile bloomed on Lu Zixia’s lips, and he understood. “I see. Young Master Wen, I wish you success.”
Wen Jin nodded politely. “Thank you.”
Lu Zixia initially didn’t understand why Wen Jin came to him with these matters until the day Wen Jin messaged him, asking to meet at the school tennis court.
“It’s scorching outside. Can’t we play at your place?”
Wen Jin said, “No.”
Lu Zixia didn’t know which wire had crossed in Wen Jin’s brain this time, but he still needed his good friend to win competitions and awards to show his mother, so he had to be available on call. He arrived under the blazing sun and, wouldn’t you know it, ran into Wen Jin’s future marriage partner.
Seeing Wen Jin’s icy profile, Lu Zixia realized this was probably not a coincidence.
“Did you put a tracker on him?” Lu Zixia suddenly found Wen Jin a little scary.
Wen Jin slowly took out his racket, his peripheral vision scanning the two people standing very close on the adjacent court. He recognized the other boy; wasn’t he Zhang Liuxin’s good friend? They often appeared together, always in a pair.
He felt a little annoyed.
His playing was naturally fiercer. He was much better at tennis than Lu Zixia, so he could handle Lu Zixia’s shots while simultaneously monitoring the match on the neighboring court.
That kid played terribly.
Wen Jin finished Lu Zixia off with a smash. Lu Zixia waved his hand, signaling a break. Wen Jin stood aside, watching Zhang Liuxin and Li Xingzhou walk away.
“My god, you’re jealous,” Lu Zixia exclaimed. “Was my playing that bad? You barely used any technique today, just brute force. That’s not your style.”
“Not as bad as his,” Wen Jin lifted his chin and took a sip of water. He hadn’t even broken a sweat after the match, like a cold-blooded animal.
It took Lu Zixia a moment to realize Wen Jin was referring to the boy playing with Zhang Liuxin. He was about to say this didn’t count as jealousy when a group of unfamiliar people arrived. Feeling irritated, he suggested they leave.
Wen Jin nodded. Playing with Lu Zixia wasn’t very stimulating anyway.
Wen Jin was indeed a person with a slow emotional response—a high-mountain flower, to put it nicely, or cold and ruthless, to put it harshly. But he could sense that Zhang Liuxin had been unhappy lately.
First, online, the other party’s typing style was starting to resemble his own, using only a few sparse words each time. However, Wen Jin was the same, so he didn’t dwell on it much.
Second, in real life, Wen Jin had seen Zhang Liuxin once in the school auditorium. He was volunteering, habitually flashing a smile when facing inquiring teachers and students, but Wen Jin could clearly see that his green eyes were like stagnant water, always giving the impression of melancholy.
What was wrong with him? After finishing a meeting in his study, Wen Jin looked out the window and pondered this question. There was a jacaranda tree outside his window. He remembered the gardener grandpa asking him when he was little if he wanted a jacaranda, a ginkgo, or a willow. He preferred blue, so he casually said jacaranda. Now, he felt a slight regret. He should have planted a willow tree.
He glanced at the book on the corner of his desk. Wen Jin had actually finished reading it the day he got it. It was a novel with little substance to him, and he couldn’t understand why Zhang Liuxin liked it so much, as it left no impression on him.
But why hadn’t he returned it? Wen Jin couldn’t say for sure. Perhaps subconsciously, he felt that returning the book would sever another layer of their already sparse connection.
That wouldn’t do. They were going to get married. Although his parents went from strangers to a couple who respected each other, if the object was Zhang Liuxin, Wen Jin felt it would be better not to replicate his parents’ old path.
Luopu Mountain was He Qing’s botanical garden. When He Qing heard that Wen Jin was bringing his marriage partner there for some group assignment, he almost flew back immediately. He couldn’t understand how the cold and heartless Wen Jin had secured a definite marriage partner just one year after he left.
Wen Jin had just hung up the call with He Qing when he saw Zhang Liuxin struggling up the mountain like a snail.
How long would that take? Wen Jin worried he might break halfway like a brittle branch, so he had someone pick him up in his car.
Zhang Liuxin still seemed hesitant to look at him. Wen Jin thought there was a very melancholic emotion in the car cabin, emanating from Zhang Liuxin.
He was always reserved when Wen Jin was near. Wen Jin wondered, since meeting Zhang Liuxin, he didn’t think he had ever been harsh to him. Why the melancholy, the fear, the push-and-pull?
However, he found that Zhang Liuxin calling him ‘Senior’ made him feel good, but it was always followed by “thank you” and “I’m sorry,” which he didn’t like much.
Liking.
This emotion was also new. After separating from Zhang Liuxin, Wen Jin began to examine this feeling that had appeared within him. He finally realized that it was because of Zhang Liuxin that he was experiencing so many novel emotions related to “liking.”
He thought about the question Lu Zixia had asked him. He might have an answer now.
So, the question now became whether Zhang Liuxin liked him.
Wen Jin had received too much affection—some was just admiration for his appearance, others was longing for his family background. But Zhang Liuxin always acted reserved and tense around him, making it almost impossible to tell.
Fortunately, he soon got an opportunity.
After the news of the marriage alliance with the Zhang family was released, Zhang Jiming, who was quick to seize an opportunity, extended an olive branch, asking if Wen Jin wanted to go on a study trip with Zhang Qiannan.
Wen Jin replied that too few people made it meaningless, and he would invite Lu Zixia. Fortunately, Zhang Jiming wasn’t completely stupid and proactively suggested that Qiannan’s brother should also come along. Only then did Wen Jin condescend to agree.
But why was Zhang Jiming even stupider than he thought? He somehow managed to bring in a Miss Zhao from the Zhao family. Wen Jin was speechless. He picked up his phone, annoyed, and saw Lu Zixia’s message in the group chat.
“When you’re not busy, chatting is fine. Wow, I can’t believe those words came from Brother Zhuo.”
He Qing sent a surprised emoji.
Wen Jin asked Lu Zixia if he was bored.
“I am bored, yes. Otherwise, why would I accompany you and your junior to that remote mountain forest?” Lu Zixia typed quickly. “Brother Zhuo, when you get married, I’m sitting at the main table. You wouldn’t believe what I told Zhang Liuxin last time. I helped you out a lot.”
Wen Jin wanted to ask, but they were about to board the plane, and Zhang Qiannan was chattering beside him, then went over to talk to Lu Zixia, so Wen Jin didn’t speak.
Wen Jin didn’t like the mountains; he found them stifling. Especially when he saw Zhang Liuxin and Miss Zhao chatting happily, he felt even more suffocated. If he remembered correctly, hadn’t Zhang Liuxin and Zhao Wan just met?
He stayed in his room for several days. The signal on the mountain was poor. Trying to write an article or look up information was agonizingly slow. Finally, he closed his laptop, grabbed his raincoat, and went out.
The only good thing about the mountaintop was the lack of people. Wen Jin walked around a few times. Because of the dense vegetation, the smell of rain was stronger than usual.
When he returned to the wooden cabin, he saw a mud figure standing at the door. He raised an eyebrow.
Zhang Liuxin was shivering from the cold and very dirty, even more dusty than the first time Wen Jin saw him in the garden. Wen Jin’s obsessive-compulsive tendencies kicked in, and he told him to wash up inside. He also brewed a cup of coffee and sent a few messages cursing Lu Zixia.
Lu Zixia replied quickly, saying lazily, “Brother Zhuo, I’m helping you test him. He let himself get soaked in this heavy rain, risking it just to bring you an umbrella. I think he’s truly in love with you.”
Wen Jin was noncommittal about this so-called “test.” He gave Zhang Liuxin the coffee, and the other party showed that flattered expression again.
Listening to the rain outside, with his junior sitting beside him, Wen Jin felt unprecedentedly relaxed. Furthermore, Zhang Liuxin actually asked him if he would get married. The answer to that question was affirmative. He was enduring the Zhang family leveraging the Wen family’s influence to cause trouble precisely so he could marry Zhang Liuxin, although Zhang Liuxin didn’t know that.
But this time, Wen Jin was much more perceptive. He felt the other party deflate after hearing him say “Of course.” This subtle change was very interesting to him.
And this time, Zhang Liuxin was a little braver than before, even asking if he liked rainy days. A brave junior deserved something.
So Wen Jin smiled and admitted it. Before sending him off, he told him that rainy days were a secret. Zhang Liuxin’s olive-colored eyes widened slightly. Wen Jin stared for a moment, discerning something in them.
Zhang Liuxin might be elated, but that elation was mixed with other indescribable emotions.
“Our secret.”
Just those few words seemed to confuse Zhang Liuxin slightly. Even though he tried hard to suppress certain feelings, Wen Jin sharply captured them.
He said okay, called him Senior again, and finally left. Watching his retreating back, Wen Jin felt he had the answer to the second question—Zhang Liuxin probably liked him.
Wen Jin: Hmm, mutual affection.