Chapter 24: More Like An Old Soul

Ji Zhen Tang hesitated for a moment, swiftly reclaiming her bag, continuing to hold it close. She looked at Zhong Yu Bai, who appeared unfazed, and stuttered, “If… if I say I want to go home now, will you arrange for someone to take me?”

She wanted to confirm that she wasn’t truly unable to escape and that his words were an invitation rather than a coercive retention.

Without hesitation, Zhong Yu Bai replied, “I’ll personally take you.”

“You won’t force me, will you?” She felt quite apprehensive.

He said, “Of course not, your will is paramount.”

With the apprehension dispelled, she relaxed and smiled easily, showing her eight teeth.

Zhong Yu Bai also smiled, then continued earnestly and reassuringly, “The rain might continue until dawn, staying is the best option. There are five or six rooms here, you can choose.”

“So many, then I…” She didn’t choose either, pointing to his bed, “I want to sleep on this one!”

Zhong Yu Bai nodded, “Sure.”

“…” His easygoing manner made her feel embarrassed.

Ji Zhen Tang scratched her head, “I was joking, take me to pick one.”

Zhong Yu Bai complied with her request.

Leading her around the three-story building, she carefully examined the decoration here. Finally, in the last bedroom they visited, adjacent to his, Zhong Yu Bai stood at the door, waiting as she inspected the room meticulously, without rushing her.

In reality, Ji Zhen Tang wasn’t selecting a room; she was observing this opulent sleeping environment, her envy uncontrollably evident in her eyes.

Finally, she looked towards Zhong Yu Bai leaning against the door frame, not indicating which bed she wanted to sleep in. Her gaze was somewhat profound, then unexpectedly, she said, “I suddenly feel like a parasite.”

His brows furrowed slightly.

“I don’t think I’ve told you before, my parents separated when I was very young.”

She thought for a moment, still avoiding using the word ‘divorce,’ and continued, “Later, I lived with my father. He started a new family and had a son, my brother. His house had a bedroom for me, kept for me until now. But every time I go back, I feel like it’s not my territory. My aunt is very kind; she pitied my situation, so she set up a bed for me in her shop, telling me I could stay there and help her look after the shop. So, I grew up in that small shop, but I knew it wasn’t home. As for the dormitory, it’s like a temporary hotel, with many years of changing roommates. During my schooling, those beds less than a meter wide were truly mine, even though the feeling of sole ownership was fleeting. But only in the dead of night, lying on the dormitory bed, would I think, this is truly my bed.”

“You see, today I’m lodging here with you. Although using the term ‘lodging’ is a bit serious, ultimately, it’s still a form of dependence on others’ hospitality.

“Every time I go somewhere, I’m adapting to unfamiliar beds. Making them mine, then quickly bidding them farewell. Clearly, I had a habit of recognizing beds as mine when I was young, but later, I forced myself to change.”

“You say this place isn’t your home but a long-term residence. But for me, the term ‘long-term’ seems extravagant.”

As the rain intensified, her voice became smaller, as if it were trickling.

Ji Zhen Tang remained calm, slowly lowering her head, unable to conceal her disappointment.

She said, “I also wish I had a key, not a spare one, not shared with others, but a key only I could control, a door only I had the right to open. But it seems difficult, like having a precious feeling that is solely for me.”

Lifting her head, she looked at Zhong Yu Bai and continued, “I agreed to sleep here because it’s not much different from sleeping at my aunt’s. If I had a home, I would choose to leave today.”

She didn’t know if he could understand, but she still confessed, on this night, she handed over her fragile and vulnerable heart.

Listening quietly to her, Zhong Yu Bai maintained silent for a while, gazing into her eyes, not rushing to deliver comforting words. He calmly said, “You will have what you want, the key and the feeling, it’s just a matter of time.”

“How can I have them?” Ji Zhen Tang asked.

“Through effort and waiting,” he replied, “by striving to create and waiting for life’s surprises.”

She curved her lips, “Exercising perseverence.”

He smiled and nodded, “Correct.”

Then he added, “No matter how many words of encouragement one receives, it’s not as good as climbing to a high place and seeing for oneself. Essentially, the bell must be rung by the person who tied it.”

Ji Zhen Tang asked, “What can one see from climbing to a high place?”

He replied, “There’s your bright future and the love that comes for you.”

Moved, she smiled and looked at him with deeper eyes.

Zhong Yu Bai lowered his voice further, “I will also strive to make you feel less afraid.”

It sounded like he was saying it more for himself.

He also had to make an effort to reduce this objective distance.

Ji Zhen Tang looked at him as if she understood and didn’t understand.

“Do you like this room?” he interrupted and asked.

“They’re all similar, this one’s fine,” she remembered something and added, “I have an 8 am class tomorrow.”

Zhong Yu Bai nodded, indicating he understood. After speaking, he didn’t hurry to leave. He approached her, placed his hand on her head, gently stroked her hair a few times, a somewhat intimate gesture, but at this moment, it was clearly a form of comfort. Zhong Yu Bai said, “Have sweet dreams.”

“Good night.”

After he closed the door and left, she stood in place for a while, looking at the closed door.

As far as the eye could see, it was a strange room, a strange bed, the space layout was very simple, everything was brand new.

After taking a shower, Ji Zhen Tang washed her clothes too. She went to bed wearing only a new towel.

Asking if there were any women’s pajamas in his house wasn’t difficult. If there weren’t any for women, men’s could do, but she ultimately chose the most dangerous way, sleeping naked, even without locking the door. It wasn’t until the next morning that she realized how brave she was. Her clothes from last night were dry, so she quickly changed into them.

Ji Zhen Tang pushed open the window and looked at the rain outside. The spacious and bright bathroom was different from the ambiguous alley house where she lived year-round. Within reach were the exquisite brick carvings on the outer wall. She reached out and gently touched it, then withdrew her hand, thinking that if it were damaged, even if she were sold, she couldn’t afford to compensate.

The delicate arched window was filled with glass with bark patterns, covered with traces of rain on the outside. She looked up again, watching the raindrops crawling.

The surroundings seemed beautiful because they were too quiet.

Apart from the rustling sound of brushing teeth, there was only the chirping of birds outside.

There were no sounds related to people at all. No arguments, no newspaper vendors, no erhu music, no breakfast stalls, no customers knocking on doors to do business.

None at all.

It had been a long time since she enjoyed this kind of peaceful early morning.

After washing up, Ji Zhen Tang looked at herself in the mirror.

She had just styled her hair recently, so it was in its most beautiful state. The curls, tousled by the night’s tossing and turning, lay softly on her shoulders. Not finding a comb, she casually tidied it with her hands.

There’s no one truly beautiful who is unaware of it, and Ji Zhen Tang certainly knew she was beautiful. With the French genes of her late grandfather, she possessed a face that friends had described as “naturally lovable.”

But this flawless face had yet to show its wonders. Whenever she thought she was about to be loved in the next second, the story would end in loneliness.

The breakfast prepared by Zhong Yu Bai was simple: toast, butter, salad, and half-cut eggs lying in the center of a smooth, long plate.

When Ji Zhen Tang came downstairs, he was wearing a black shirt, standing by the floor-to-ceiling window in the living room, facing outward with his back to her, leisurely buttoning up his shirt. Broad shoulders, narrow waist, long and straight legs, his figure was impeccable. Thinking of last night, a classic black trench coat was worn by him with a commanding presence.

Ji Zhen Tang sat down at the dining table.

Seeing his splendid house and the owner of the house standing in the natural scenery adorned by the drizzle, as solitary as a cloud and as free as a crane.

He built his own empire, effortlessly stirring up the winds and clouds, yet his appearance was calm and peaceful.

Such a person, if labeled with a kindly appearance, wouldn’t be surprising.

But her experience in dealing with people didn’t teach her how to deal with such individuals.

Should she take the initiative, ensuring a bright future for herself? Or, in the worst case, become a pawn in his calculations?

Was she worthy?

Ji Zhen Tang recalled the novel she had reread before falling asleep last night, an ebook. Eileen Chang’s “Happy Inn.”

A Cambridge female student from a poor family accidentally met a Hong Kong tycoon and was supported by this old man, satisfying her desires.

“In the books I’ve read, girls who are possessed by wealthy old men don’t end up well.” She ventured to say, her voice crisp, not naive but not cunning either.

It was a rather abrupt statement.

Shortly after, a cold and light male voice followed her words.

“What old man?” He didn’t recognize these two words, avoiding the heavy and light, and lifted the question lightly, seemingly quite concerned.

Zhong Yu Bai turned his head and looked at her, his eyes not confused, knowing she meant something.

She fell silent.

As he approached, leisurely buttoning his cufflinks, Ji Zhen Tang caught a faint smell of sandalwood from him. This time, it wasn’t perfume; it should be the real scent after worshiping the Buddha. The scent was very light, only discernible because of her sensitive nose. This scent also made her familiar because there was a Buddha altar in her aunt’s house, and when she prayed for wealth, she would occasionally catch a whiff of it.

She didn’t know where Zhong Yu Bai’s Buddha altar was at home, but this faint scent enveloped her, reminding her inexplicably of the phrase “like a spring dream, leaving no trace.”

Too ethereal.

It’s really impossible to vividly describe such a feeling.

Just like facing him at this moment.

Ji Zhen Tang continued daringly, “I heard that lunatics all love to worship Buddha. Is it convenient to set up a good hypocritical image of mercy?”

Zhong Yu Bai casually agreed, “Yes.”

He sat down across from her.

She widened her eyes, “Seriously, when others are mocking you like this, aren’t you angry?”

He shrugged, “When it hits the mark, what’s there to be angry about?”

“But you look very sincere,” she said, spreading butter on her toast and beginning to eat.

Zhong Yu Bai looked at her, pondered for a moment, his tone low and magnetic, “Drawing a tiger is easy, but drawing its bones is hard; people’s hearts are hidden behind their skins.”

Perhaps this was a warning not to trust anyone.

Including him.

“Let me guess what you’re thinking,” she said, holding the toast in one hand and raising a finger with the other. “Don’t say anything yet.”

He remained silent.

“You’re thinking about how to deceive the woman in front of you, enjoy her company, and when she becomes useless, dispose of her, then find another.”

A faint smile tugged at the corner of Zhong Yu Bai’s mouth uncontrollably as he pointed to the table, “I’m thinking about whether you’ll finish all this and still feel hungry during the morning classes.”

Ji Zhen Tang countered him, “You care about me? I don’t believe it. Do you have any evidence?”

The evidence was right beside her, a small box of pastries unnoticed until now, slowly pushed towards her. Zhong Yu Bai said, “Some desserts, so you can have them if you get hungry later. Your classes start too early.”

“…”

She cautiously opened the exquisite gift bag and peeked inside, confirming it was indeed true.

Ji Zhen Tang sighed.

Suddenly, she felt a sense of uncertainty.

She wrestled with mixed emotions for a moment and ate her breakfast in silence.

Zhong Yu Bai picked up a financial magazine to read.

Unexpectedly, Ji Zhen Tang spoke up again out of the blue, “When I’m wary of you, you’d better watch out for any ill intentions I might have towards you.”

He remained unperturbed, flipping through the pages, “What’s wrong with that?”

She said, “Once all relationships between men and women turn into love, they become complicated, entangled, and torment each other.”

He raised his eyes to meet hers, “They can also be loyal, passionate, and affectionate, like two birds flying together.”

“…” Ji Zhen Tang was taken aback, her face blushing with complex emotions, a mixture of embarrassment and indignation. “Drawing a tiger is easy, but drawing its bones is not. You’re lying; you don’t actually think like that.”

Feeling restless, she crushed the egg, preparing to finish it quickly and leave in haste.

Seeing her hurried demeanor, Zhong Yu Bai didn’t argue further but suddenly asked in a low voice, “Has anyone been causing trouble at school recently?”

Ji Zhen Tang hesitated for a moment, “Ah…”

Trouble? How did he know…

Suddenly, she remembered the incident when Zhao Siqi cursed at the exhibition.

Forget it, she thought bitterly, since she had already exposed her vulnerabilities to him, there was nothing major worth concealing.

She replied lethargically, “There was some conflict among classmates recently, but it’s been relatively peaceful lately. Some guy must be struggling with his career, skipping several classes, too busy to mock me.”

Ji Zhen Tang spoke with a bland expression, as if saying, “The storm has passed.” She finished her meal, put down her fork, leaned back, gathered her long hair with her hand, tied it tightly with a hair tie, and made a flamboyant ponytail high enough. She shook her head, and the curled tail of her hair spread out, like a faint light bursting out in the rainy day, fleeting.

Zhong Yu Bai looked at her for a moment, nodded in understanding.

He looked out the window at the falling rain and said, “The car in the yard is to take you to school.”

Ji Zhen Tang stood up.

At the same time, she heard him say again, “Study well.”

For some reason, upon hearing this instruction, Ji Zhen Tang felt a bit rebellious. She could have just remained silent, but she deliberately retorted, “I won’t.”

It’s evident that those who are favored and pampered can be truly unrestrained.

If Ji Huan cared for her like this, she would probably feel grateful and would strive to return the favor to her father.

Unfortunately, Ji Huan’s care was rare and often came with ulterior motives.

Zhong Yu Bai said, “Then eat well and rest well.”

Ji Zhen Tang walked to the door, bent down to change her shoes. She straightened up, looked back at the man in the dining room against the light, tilted her head, her ponytail swaying to one side, a hint of sarcasm in her smile, hands on hips, a bit mischievous.

“You’re almost like my old father. Should I call you dad?”

Zhong Yu Bai’s fingers paused as he flipped through the book, his eyes dimmed, a faint curve appeared at the corner of his mouth.

“As you wish.”

There was a black umbrella hanging on the shoe cabinet, which Ji Zhen Tang probably didn’t notice, as she strode past it.

Zhong Yu Bai caught a glimpse of it and smoothly played his hand, “The umbrella is also for you.”

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