Mad Dog

Chapter 90: Brother — How many ex-girlfriends do you have?

The dress she wore was a misty blue color, clean and refined, making her fair skin appear even more translucent.

Around her swan-like neck hung a necklace with a sapphire pendant resting against her pale chest, making her almost seem to glow.

When Ji Liang noticed Zhi Yu’s eyes flicker as she walked over, she couldn’t help but smile with satisfaction. Even her voice became a little more playful as she fastened her seatbelt. “Sorry, I’m two minutes late.”

“It’s fine.”

Even someone as dense as Zhi Yu understood that girls usually took some time to get ready. However, after saying this, he added, somewhat awkwardly, “It seems like you forgot to put on lipstick.”

…

Idiot, this is nude lip gloss, okay?

Ji Liang suppressed her irritation and replied with a sinister tone, “Didn’t you notice how shiny my lips are?”

Zhi Yu glanced at her. “No, I didn’t.”

“This is called a nude shade, it’s part of a no-makeup makeup look. Didn’t you realize I look like I’m not wearing any makeup at all?”

Ji Liang rested her chin on her hand, patiently explaining, “I spent an hour on this look to highlight my artistic temperament, and now you’re making me feel like putting on a bold maple red.”

Zhi Yu, no matter how clueless, could tell that his comment had upset her.

Lacking much experience in making amends, he turned his head and looked at Ji Liang for a moment before unexpectedly leaning in and kissing the corner of her lips.

Ji Liang stared at him in shock, eyes wide, as Zhi Yu casually licked his own lips and said matter-of-factly, “Hmm, it does seem like you’re wearing makeup.”

After this ‘inappropriate’ action, he drove on as if nothing had happened, maintaining a facade of propriety.

But… damn, who said this guy couldn’t be charming? Ji Liang realized she might have underestimated him.

She didn’t say a word, deciding to brush off the intimate moment as just a natural part of dating between adults. Still, she couldn’t help but bite her lower lip, a faint blush creeping up her ears.

Ji Liang had thought tonight would just be dinner for the two of them, but as luck would have it, Zhi Yu ran into someone he knew at the restaurant.

It seemed to be a fairly close friend. The man with thick eyebrows and big eyes, holding a girl’s arm, smiled warmly when he saw Zhi Yu and greeted him, “Old Four! Long time no see. What have you been up to lately?”

“Work.”

Zhi Yu bumped fists with him. “Here for dinner?”

“Yeah, but we have to wait for a table…”

The man glanced over at Ji Liang, who was standing beside Zhi Yu, smiling faintly, and politely asked, “And who might this be?”

Ji Liang didn’t say anything, continuing to smile as she looked at Zhi Yu, curious about how he would respond.

“She’s my girlfriend, Ji Liang,” Zhi Yu said calmly.

“Wow, so she’s a sister-in-law then.”

The man seemed a bit surprised at first, but still smiled, turning to Ji Liang and extending his hand politely. “Hello, sister-in-law.”

Ji Liang didn’t quite understand why this man called Zhi Yu ‘Old Four’ and addressed her as ‘sister-in-law,’ but she obediently shook his hand and greeted him, “Hello.”

“Feng Qingdong, just call me Second Brother.”

As soon as their hands touched, they quickly released, and Feng Qingdong chuckled as he introduced himself, “I’m an old college friend of Old Four’s. We ranked ourselves by age, I’m the second oldest, and he’s the youngest.”

Oh, so that’s why he’s called Old Four. Ji Liang smiled and nodded. Her eyes glanced over to the waiting time for a table at this western restaurant, and she gently squeezed Zhi Yu’s hand.

Zhi Yu looked down, slightly puzzled by her gesture.

… He really doesn’t understand social etiquette, does he? How do his friends tolerate him? Ji Liang sighed softly, then turned to Feng Qingdong and the girl beside him, her expression warm and inviting. “We made a reservation earlier, so we don’t have to wait. Why don’t you join us for dinner?”

After all, they had already run into each other, and it wouldn’t be polite not to extend an invitation to friends.

“Mm.”

Zhi Yu wrapped his large hand around Ji Liang’s slender waist, giving her a light, approving pat, his tone carrying a hint of amusement. “Let’s eat together.”

During the meal, Ji Liang noticed that while Feng Qingdong did most of the talking, Zhi Yu, as a listener, was attentive—at least he didn’t show his usual impatience or bad temper.

Perhaps it was because friendships from school were untainted by any interests, making the relationships seem purer.

As the meal was nearing its end, Feng Qingdong suddenly remembered something. He looked a bit uneasy and, in an uncharacteristically soft voice for his usually loud self, said, “Old Four, um… the eldest is coming back from abroad at the end of the month and wants to invite everyone for dinner. Uh, what do you think?”

“The eldest, huh?”

Zhi Yu lowered his gaze, cutting a square of dessert with his knife, carefully arranging it before pushing it toward Ji Liang for her to eat.

He pulled a handkerchief from beside the table and wiped his long fingers before responding indifferently, “Alright, if I have time, I’ll go.”

After Zhi Yu said this, Ji Liang noticed that Feng Qingdong seemed momentarily stunned before smiling as if relieved. “Great, that’s good. There were a lot of misunderstandings before.”

“Second Brother,” Zhi Yu raised his glass. “Let’s eat. Don’t talk about others.”

“Uh, alright.”

Feng Qingdong swallowed back the words he had been about to say—something about how Ye Lingling might come along—and finished his meal absentmindedly.

Zhi Yu covered the bill. After saying goodbye to Feng Qingdong and his girlfriend, Ji Liang, hanging onto Zhi Yu’s arm, tilted her head up at him with an obvious and playful expression on her delicate face. She said suggestively, “I’ve heard the cherry ice cream here is really good.”

She hadn’t ordered it earlier.

Zhi Yu nodded and called over the waiter to request the dessert.

As they waited, Ji Liang twirled the small fork on the table between her long fingers, musing aloud, “Zhi Yu, who is Ye Lingling?”

She had overheard Feng Qingdong mentioning this name several times during the conversation.

Zhi Yu paused before answering in a neutral tone, “She’s the eldest’s girlfriend.”

“The eldest—the one who’s coming back from abroad?”

The ice cream was brought over, and Ji Liang asked, her words slightly muffled from the cold, “Why would his girlfriend have anything to do with you?”

Though Ji Liang’s question seemed casual, her tone was probing.

The reason for her curiosity was simple: she had noticed that when Zhi Yu heard the names ‘the eldest’ and ‘Ye Lingling,’ his expression had shifted, and Feng Qingdong’s reaction had been strange too.

Maybe it was just a woman’s intuition, but Ji Liang sensed there was more to this.

“Ye Lingling is the eldest’s girlfriend, but she’s also my ex.”

As expected, Zhi Yu hesitated for a moment before dropping this bombshell, which left Ji Liang somewhat surprised.

However, his reaction remained calm, as though he were talking about someone else. “We were all students at Lan University. During college, I dated Ye Lingling for about six months, but we realized we weren’t compatible and broke up. Then she went abroad with the eldest.”

Ji Liang blinked, holding her spoon in silence for a while before asking, “Uh, did your ex cheat on you?”

“Please don’t let your imagination run wild.”

Zhi Yu looked up and gave her a quick glance. “We ended things amicably. It was a peaceful breakup.”

…

That made sense. From Zhi Yu’s personality, he didn’t seem like someone who could be easily cheated on.

But Ji Liang still had questions, so she asked eagerly, “Then why did Feng Qingdong act so weird when he mentioned them earlier?”

“Maybe he has a bad habit of feeling secondhand embarrassment.”

Zhi Yu replied flatly, “That’s just how he is.”

Ji Liang: “…You really have no filter, do you?”

Surprisingly, Zhi Yu actually laughed.

His sharp black eyes softened as he smiled, and through the candlelight on the table, he looked at Ji Liang and said, “At the end of the month, when the eldest returns and invites everyone for dinner, would you like to come with me?”

‘The eldest,’ of course, referred to his dorm mate.

Ji Liang blinked innocently. “Why would I go?”

“Aren’t you my girlfriend?”

Zhi Yu chuckled softly, his meaning clear. “Besides, you seem pretty curious about my ex-girlfriend.”

“Nonsense, who’s curious?”

Ji Liang protested, her words firm, but her eyes darted around as she asked, “Zhi Yu, how many ex-girlfriends do you have?”

“Just one. I dated her in my sophomore year for about six months.”

Zhi Yu looked up at her, half-smiling. “Anything else you want to ask?”

“Ugh, you’re so annoying. I’m not interrogating you.”

Ji Liang pouted, her chin resting in her hand, her bright eyes sparkling playfully. “Say whatever you want.”

“Then let me ask you.”

Zhi Yu felt a slight stir of interest as he intertwined his long fingers. “How many ex-boyfriends do you have?”

“Just one.”

Ji Liang smiled. “We’re even now.”

If Zhi Yu had exes and she didn’t, Ji Liang would’ve felt it was unfair.

“Mm.”

Zhi Yu responded, “So, will you go with me?”

“Hmm?”

“To tell my friends.”

Zhi Yu watched as Ji Liang finished the last spoonful of ice cream in her bowl and signaled the waiter to clear the dishes. He said seriously, “I have a girlfriend again.”

…

Although Ji Liang felt like Zhi Yu’s reason for bringing her was to show off, she still agreed after thinking it over.

Why not? It wouldn’t hurt, and she didn’t have much work this month anyway.

Besides, even though they were technically ‘dating,’ both of them had been so busy that their time together had been sparse. So… an extra ‘date’ counted as more time spent together.

As she left the restaurant, Ji Liang felt quite at ease with their relationship, whether it would eventually lead somewhere or not.

“The rain is getting heavier.”

Standing inside the glass doors as misty rain drizzled down, Ji Liang wrapped herself in Zhi Yu’s coat, waiting as he came out of the restaurant.

Zhi Yu had borrowed an umbrella and quickly opened it to shield them both. He naturally put his arm around Ji Liang’s slender shoulders, his voice cool and low. “Let’s share this.”

Ji Liang paused for a moment, then slowly raised her cold hand, placing it over Zhi Yu’s as they held the umbrella together.

Perhaps a girl’s thoughts were naturally artistic and delicate, for in this moment, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of peace. The scene reminded her of a line from a poem: *Let the wind and rain do as they please; I will remain unbothered.*

The mist and rain in Lin Lan were beautiful, and walking with someone who matched her made it feel all the more reassuring.

Ji Liang’s slender fingers tucked themselves into the sleeves of Zhi Yu’s large suit jacket as a contented smile tugged at the corners of her lips.