Chapter 6: Marriage Contract

Xia Zhinian's cheeks were still abnormally flushed, and he opened his eyes in a daze, his apricot eyes blurred, and saw a figure leaning over.

"... Yan Ci?"

His voice was soft and a bit confused.

Yan Ci paused, his fingertips hanging in the air for a few seconds, turned his head and pulled the quilt up for him.

Forget it, he could try again when he woke up.

Yan Ci lowered his eyes and said "hmm".

"Go to sleep."

When Xia Zhinian woke up, there was only him in the inner room. The wind outside blew up the blue curtains, and a few metal rings on the drip rack jingled.

The pure white wall, the air filled with the smell of disinfectant, silence all around.

Xia Zhinian looked around, his eyes slightly empty, propped up his weak legs and walked to the door.

"Squeak" the door was pushed open, and a person met him face to face, breaking the silence in the room.

Yan Ci's eyes fell on him, looked sharply at his empty eyes, twisted his itchy fingertips, and asked softly with a jade-like warmth.

"Classmate Xia? Are you feeling better?"

Xia Zhinian stared at him blankly for two seconds, saw the doctor on duty outside through the door, and then sat back on the bed. He didn't come back to his senses until a while later. "It's nothing."

Xia Zhinian didn't know where the problem was that caused the two protagonists to have a "normal relationship". He planned to go back to the classroom and observe the situation.

But after he came out of the cellar, he had a fever and was discharged from the hospital the day before yesterday. He had another fever on the second day of discharge. Chu Qingjian called Jiang Yuan with a phone call and he was forced to go home to recuperate.

As soon as he entered the door, Xia Zhinian saw a young man sitting on the sofa in the living room. He was tall and straight, wearing a suit and tie, with a cold face.

His eyebrows and eyes were arched with cold air, as if he was not humane. His long phoenix eyes looked straight at him.

"You're back."

Xia Zhinian stuttered. "... Bro... Big brother?"

He had crossed over to this book for a while, but it was the first time he saw the original owner's brother. The original book didn't describe him much, and the original owner didn't have much contact with him either. He only knew that this big brother was cold and not easy to mess with.

"Don't stand, sit, I have something to ask you."

Xia Wenhan lifted his chin slightly and motioned him to sit on the sofa opposite.

The original owner's parents were not here at this time. There were only two of them in the living room. Xia Zhinian was not good at getting along with elders, let alone the original owner's relatives.

He wanted to make an excuse that he was uncomfortable and go back to his room, but when he met Xia Wenhan's eyes, his heart thumped, and he hesitated and moved towards the sofa.

His fever had gone down by now, and Xia Zhinian's face was no longer red, but showed a kind of weak paleness. His lips were light in color, but his spirit looked okay.

Xia Wenhan scanned his brother with a sharp eye. "Did you get a fever from getting soaked in the rain yesterday?"

Xia Zhinian nodded honestly. "Yeah."

"Mom said you brought an umbrella. Where is your umbrella?"

"Lost-"

Xia Wenhan snorted coldly without expression.

"..." Xia Zhinian shivered, his volume instantly lowered by a notch, and he shrank his neck. "... Borrowed... borrowed it to someone."

"The kid from the Chu family?"

"... Yeah."

Xia Wenhan looked at him coldly. "Then why didn't you stick to him and come out with him under one umbrella?"

Xia Zhinian: "..."

Big brother knew about the original owner's affairs.

The original text didn't write much about the Xia family, and the original owner didn't have much interaction with them after he came back. Xia Zhinian didn't know how to deal with it. He shrank in the corner of the sofa and tried to be a quail. He closed his mouth and said nothing according to the original owner's silent and aloof personality, intending to muddle through.

Xia Wenhan looked at him coldly, thinking of the things he had found out, only feeling angry, and suppressed it tightly.

"Xia Zhinian, mom and dad feel sorry for you for suffering outside for more than ten years. They can't bear to teach you a lesson. They don't care, but I do."

Xia Wenhan's lips tightened, his tone icy. "Now they don't know about the stupid things you've done. If you dare to follow someone else and cause trouble for others again, you don't have to go to school anymore. You can stay at home and have private tutoring. It will also save you from causing trouble for others."

Xia Zhinian sighed in his heart, lowered his head and said nothing, his fingers pinched a corner of his clothes and rubbed it repeatedly.

The Xia family was actually quite good to the original owner, but unfortunately...

Xia Wenhan saw that his clothes were crumpled by him and his wilted appearance was pitiful, his body's cold air paused slightly, and he frowned.

"In two days I'll take you to Chu's house. You go and apologize to Chu Qingjian, and stay away from him from now on."

On the weekend, in the evening, Chu's living room was full of guests. Xia Wenhan was talking to someone not far away in front of him. He ordered his brother to behave and not run around.

Xia Zhinian curled up on the sofa in the corner of Chu's living room, holding a small cake in his hand and eating it happily. His apricot eyes occasionally looked left and right for the protagonist gong's figure.

He thought for a few days, but still didn't know why the relationship between the protagonists didn't go on track.

But it didn't matter anymore. He would pull the plot if it deviated, and he would play matchmaker if the feelings were crooked.

Anyway, he had to make this world follow the original book's content until the car accident, ensuring that he would go offline.

There was a burst of laughter from the crowd. "Young Master Yan is here. Mr. Yan is really thoughtful. He can't get away himself, so he let Young Master Yan come to wish Mr. Chu a happy birthday."

The Xia and Chu families had a good relationship with each other in terms of power holders. The Chu family and Yan family had some friendship in their grandfather's generation. Otherwise, with Yan family's status, it wouldn't matter if they came to Chu family's banquet or not.

Xia Zhinian looked forward and saw Yan Ci in a slim suit, tall and handsome, with a jade-like face and a gentle smile. He said, "Mr. Chu and my grandfather have been friends for many years. Even if my grandfather is gone, the friendship is still there."

"It's just that my father is out of town and can't come back. So I, a junior, came. I hope Mr. Chu won't mind."

"How could that be." Some people laughed kindly and praised Yan Ci.

Xia Zhinian lowered his eyelashes and pouted his mouth. He muttered softly and bit a bite of the cake.

He was worthy of being a white-skinned black-hearted shou, smart and black-hearted, and very good at pretending.

"Is Classmate Xia thinking bad things about me?"

A pleasant voice suddenly sounded behind him. Xia Zhinian was startled without warning. He subconsciously protected the small plate in his hand and turned around to look.

It's Yan Ci. He didn't know when he shook off the people who wanted to get close to the Yan family. He circled around to the back of the sofa and looked at him unhurriedly.

Xia Zhinian's eyes widened and turned his head away. "What are you thinking about? You're delusional."

Yan Ci took two steps forward, his lips slightly raised. "Really? But I just saw Classmate Xia look at me and then bite his teeth and vent his anger on the cake."

He saw him as soon as he entered the door. Xia Zhinian was wearing a white suit, which outlined his slender waistline and long straight legs. His eyebrows and eyes were delicate, and his rosy lips bit the cake in small bites.

He was eye-catching even hiding in the corner.

Xia Zhinian: "..."

Xia Zhinian thought of the original text's love line and decided to give the protagonist shou a little stimulation. He stuffed a soft cake into his mouth and didn't give him a look.

"Do you want to stick to Brother Chu? Don't dream, Brother Chu will only be with me."

"Oh." Yan Ci felt a tingling sensation on his body, his nerves tensed for a moment, he didn't care, his wrist moved slightly, and he smiled softly and gently. "How do I remember that your Brother Chu said that I and you are already together."

"..." Xia Zhinian raised his amber eyes and pursed his mouth.

"That's because his head--" was caught by the door. "Ahem, he didn't get the situation clear, he was a bit confused."

Xia Zhinian looked unhappy, his apricot eyes were round and fierce, and a bit resentful.

Yan Ci hooked his lips. "Is Classmate Xia dissatisfied with me and you being together, or dissatisfied with Chu Qingjian and me having rumors all over the sky?"

He was dissatisfied that they hadn't made the rumors come true.

Xia Zhinian thought of the original text and continued to play hard. He straightened his chest.

"You'd better stay away from Brother Chu. Brother Chu and I have a marriage contract!"

Yan Ci's usually gentle smile faded a bit. He tilted his head slightly and looked at him. "Marriage contract?"

"Heh, I wonder who is talking nonsense here. I didn't recognize him. It turns out to be Xia family's young master."

Yan Ci attracted too much attention. In no time, some people noticed this side and slowly approached. Hearing Xia Zhinian's words, they laughed openly.

"What era is this? Is it considered a marriage contract if you marry with your fingertips?"

"The Chu family never said anything about this. It's just this Young Master Xia who keeps talking about marriage contracts all day long. He really thinks he can get into the Chu family's eyes."

"Hahaha, Young Master Xia who came out of the orphanage, it's not clear if he's real or fake--."

The person laughed halfway and suddenly realized something. He abruptly shut up and turned his head to look.

Yan Ci's fine scar at the corner of his eye stretched out. His narrow eyes were slightly sharp. His lips still had a smile, but his eyes had a hint of coldness.

"The Xia family is not so easy to talk about. Be careful what you say."

There was a moment of silence around. Someone laughed awkwardly. "This is just a joke. I heard that Xia family's young master likes to find trouble for Young Master Yan--"

He glanced at Yan Ci's direction and then shut up again.

Yan Ci was tall and long-legged standing by the sofa. His gentle and refined skin seemed to be embedded on his face.

Xia Zhinian was surprised.

He had noticed that this corner was constantly approached by people before. He expected it to be such a scene, but he didn't expect--

Yan Ci, this black sesame dumpling, actually helped him speak.

Xia Zhinian's hair color was slightly light, and it looked especially soft under the light. His amber eyes were clear and bright, like a clean and unworldly jade, or like a glaze that had been high above and dust-free.

He was silent for a moment, got up quietly, and let all kinds of eyes fall on him. He turned around and left the banquet hall.

Yan Ci stared at his back, half a moment later, he tugged at his mouth slightly, and tidied up his cuffs in an orderly manner.

His fingertips rubbed against his pale wrist, bringing a burst of nerve-biting pain.

The people around dispersed. Xia Zhinian glanced at Xia Wenhan who was still talking to someone. He left the banquet hall and went to the small garden.

He had taken a few days off and didn't find a chance to explain his situation with Yan Ci to the protagonist gong. He wanted to explain it clearly face to face when he came to Chu's house, but Chu Qingjian followed Chu's old man all the time and didn't get any free time.

The sky had darkened, and the surroundings were dim. Only a few dim and charming lights were on. Xia Zhinian wandered around and wanted to go back and rest. He suddenly caught sight of a dark figure not far away.

The shadows of the trees were swaying, and the figure was vague. He suddenly remembered the day at the hospital when he bumped into two mysterious young men who didn't know what they were doing. They grabbed his hand and covered his eyes and threatened him.

...Learn from one's mistakes, it's better to leave first.

Xia Zhinian turned around and left. A suppressed voice came from behind him, low and hoarse, and then disguised as a muffled cough.

...There was a hint of familiarity.

Xia Zhinian had a two-second mental struggle. He hid behind a tree and slowly peeked out his head.

"Classmate Xia?"

The boy leaned against the wall with his back. His face was pale. His shirt cuffs were loose. The skin of his wrist was cold and white, with red marks spreading over it.

It looked like he couldn't control himself from scratching.

"Is it Classmate Xia?"

Yan Ci's voice was low and hoarse. He looked at the fluffy head that came out. His mouth curved up for a moment. He tied his cuffs unhurriedly and asked again.

Just now in the hall, a sudden surge of tingling pain swept over his body, overwhelming.

This situation was not the first time.

His skin, his nerves, seemed to remember the warm comfort he had received before. They eased for a few days, and then became more and more eager for the previous touch and pleasure.

They urged him to test.

To plunder.

Yan Ci propped himself up against the wall with one hand, breathing heavily. His thin figure looked a bit weak in the dark.

"Yan Ci?" Xia Zhinian's eyes wandered over him, remembering that night in the cellar. "Are you feeling unwell?"

It was too dark around. Was he sick?

Yan Ci stood up straight against the wall. His refined movements were mixed with a bit of weakness. He was fragile but not without dignity. He hummed softly, his voice gentle. "I'm a bit uncomfortable. Can Classmate Xia help me?"

Xia Zhinian: "...I can't hold you up. You wait here. I'll go find someone."

Fuck, this black sesame dumpling was so gentle and soft when he spoke last time in the cellar, and then he knocked him out when he came up.

Xia Zhinian's neck pain nerve suddenly became active. He turned his head and wanted to go back.

"Wait."

Yan Ci stopped him. He moved forward slowly and kindly said, "The banquet is lively. It's better not to disturb them. I still have some strength. Classmate Xia can support me for a bit."

Xia Zhinian shrank his neck and hid behind the tree. He only showed his head outside. The vague light seemed to coat his tender neck with a layer of cold white glaze. He looked at him warily with his eyes.

"There are people who are willing to help Young Master Yan even if it's lively. I'll go find someone."

Yan Ci's eyes were pitch black. He looked at his fast leaving back with a profound meaning. He casually said, "Classmate Xia is so afraid of me. Are you afraid that I will do something to you?"

"Or, in Classmate Xia's memory...have I done anything to you, such as...in the cellar?"