Chapter 26：Give Him the Cold Shoulder

Annoyed, Ji Xiaonian yelled aloud, "Bai Yan, you're an arrogant, loyal dog."

'I don't believe you can't hear me, or reply to me, or keep pretending to be deaf.'

Ji Xiaonian pondered in her mind. There was nothing she could not achieve in this world. She had ten million different methods to make a reticent man speak.

'One of those methods will surely tear your defensive walls down.'

As expected, Bai Yan could not remain silent anymore when the little girl next to him called him a loyal dog. He kept one hand on the steering wheel and extended the other hand to pull Ji Xiaonian's ear.

"How dare you call me a dog."

She quickly pushed his hand away in a mischievous manner and revealed a sly smile. "You see, a loyal dog is different from a normal dog. For instance, a loyal dog is much taller and bigger than a normal dog. The latter could either be a stud or a dam…"

"Ji Xiaonian, don't think that I won't throw you out of this moving car."

There was only one silly little girl in the whole world that was bold enough to call him a dog, and she did so assertively. 

If he was allowed to, he would kick her out of the car in an instant. 

"Alright, I'll keep quiet so please don't do that. I'll listen to you and be well-behaved, and I'll never say a word again, ever."

Her hands flew to her mouth quickly and her big rounded eyes fluttered like a butterfly's wings as they stared at Bai Yan. She looked adorably cheeky. 

Bai Yan threw her a sideways glance and proceeded to ignore her while keeping a straight face. 

The sedan came to a halt in front of Ji Residence. Bai Yan remained in his seat and motioned to Ji Xiaonian to get out of the car.

She thought for the first time that the distance between her university and her house was too short as she felt like she had arrived home within seconds. 

Ji Xiaonian remained seated because she was reluctant to leave. She pouted her little mouth and looked at Bai Yan in a delicate and loving way. "Um… I want to go to your house to visit Uncle and Aunty. I kind of miss them."

"Ji Xiaonian, you'll have to walk to university tomorrow if you don't get out of the car soon."

He had to burn the midnight oil later to handle some company business and would not be able to work peacefully if she followed him home.

Bai Yan realized that the more he spoiled this girl, the more rebellious she would become.

Seeing that he was unwilling to compromise, Ji Xiaonian got out of the car in a huff. She stood outside ready to wave goodbye to Bai Yan, but before she could speak, the sedan drove away in a rush.

Standing there alone, Ji Xiaonian felt unhappy and down.

She stood there by herself for a long while, feeling the cold breeze caressing her face until someone shouted from the villa located not far away.

"The person has already disappeared out of sight so why are you still standing there? Ji Xiaonian, can you be a little more reserved and not cling to that man all the time?"　

Ji Chen who was standing at the balcony on the second floor witnessed Bai Yan sending his little sister home.

He was speechless and helpless at the fact that his little sister was so attached to the man. Seeing his little sister reluctant to enter the house even after the man was gone left Ji Chen feeling distressed, but there was nothing he could do. 

Ji Xiaonian heard the voice and turned around to the source of it.

After noticing her brother Ji Chen was looking down at her from the balcony, she pouted, frowned, and spoke in a spoilt manner, "Brother, I'm hungry and I want you to make me Yangzhou fried rice."

An unpleasant expression washed over Ji Chen's face. "He didn't bring you out for dinner even though it's already so late?"

This Bai Yan was getting more ridiculous. How could he abuse their darling like that?

Ji Chen would really teach that guy a lesson if he was still uncaring and unsympathetic in the future.

"He brought me out for food but I'm still not full. Brother, hurry down and make me some fried rice. Otherwise, I'll keep knocking at your door in the middle of the night."

Ji Xiaonian tilted her head and blinked at the man on the balcony.

Ji Chen simply could not say no to his darling sister. He sighed and replied, "Hang on, I'll change my clothes and come down in a second."

Seeing that her brother had given in, Ji Xiaonian smiled slyly and hurried into the house.

Lying lazily on the couch in the living room, she yelled loudly while waiting for the delicious food being prepared in the kitchen, "Brother, are you sure that Fang Miaoling is the daughter of Bai Yan's lifesaver?"

A man's mellow voice came from the kitchen. "I'm sure."

"How do you think Bai Yan will treat her in the future? He's going to bring Fang Miaoling back to his house this week and then both of them will live together. What if familiarity breeds fondness?"

Ji Chen who was wearing a bright-colored apron came out from the kitchen carrying a plate of fragrant Yangzhou fried rice. With great posture, he took big strides toward the girl. 

He sat down beside Ji Xiaonian, placed the plate in front of her, and then handed her the spoon. He could not resist to tap her playfully on the head before schooling her, "How many times do I have to say this, you should never cling on to a man like that. Otherwise, he will never learn to cherish you."

Ji Xiaonian took the spoon and looked at Ji Chen as she began to devour the food. "I really like him though, even you agree that he's a rare man of superb qualities. I'm afraid that if I miss this opportunity, I'll never come across a man like him in the next hundred or thousand years." 

Ji Chen could not help to knock her on the head again. "Although he has some good qualities, you are not poor yourself too. Why do you have to be the one making all the effort?"

Ji Xiaonian glared at Ji Chen in pain. "Brother, can you stop hitting me on the head? I'm already not so bright, to begin with. I might not be able to recognize you one day if you keep hitting me on the head like that. When that day comes, don't blame me for being cold-hearted."

Then, she shoved another huge mouthful of rice into her mouth. "The thing is, he'll not show me any kindness if I don't cling on to him like that. You don't know him that well, he's like…"

Ji Xiaonian thought about it as she bit on the spoon. As if suddenly inspired, she grinned as she continued speaking to Ji Chen. "He's outwardly cold but deep and passionate inside. Oh, and yes, he's slightly two-face. Anyway, the more relentless you pursue him the more he likes it. In the end, you'll be indispensable in his life. Trust me!"

As she was reminded of Bai Yan's changed attitude and how he forced a kiss on her, Ji Xiaonian felt that she was not far away from success.

Well, maybe she could successfully call him her man in the near future.

Ji Chen was speechless.

"..."

He scoffed at the little girl next to him but also felt like crying at the same time.

She claimed that he did not know Bai Yan well?

Nonsense. He spent way more time with Bai Yan than she did and he was definitely the person that knew him the best in the whole world.

He continued to discipline Ji Xiaonian, still adhering to his own point of view. "Hold it with that clingy trick of yours and listen to your brother. Give him the cold shoulder for a few days and just go on with your life as usual. I promise that he'll take the initiative to contact you in less than a week." 

Ji Chen rested his arms behind his head and leaned back on the sofa effortlessly in an elegant posture. "Even if he doesn't take the initiative to contact you, he will come to me to enquire about you."

In fact, Bai Yan had done so several times.

Ji Xiaonian raised her head from the food. Several grains of rice were stuck to the corners of her lips which made her such a hilarious sight to look at. "Really? But what if I miss him too much?"