When A Snail Falls in Love

All of Ji Bai’s friends who grew up with him shared the same view, which was he was still single only because he was picky and selective.

Ji Bai declined to comment, but he was certain of one thing, that his other half should be unique like a rare treasure.

That being said, he had been indirectly rejected by his little apprentice, and she had done so in his presence without any hesitation.

What he felt at the moment was subtle yet hard to describe.

He had been mentoring her personally for a few weeks now and generally was very satisfied with this apprentice of his. She was smart, hardworking, quiet, pleasing to the eyes, and he never needed to repeat himself a second time. Sometimes she would understand what he was asking for before he even completed his sentence. In addition to this, she occasionally voiced opinions that amazed him.

She was an unpolished jade that had fortunately fallen into his hands and it was now his duty to refine her.

When his childhood friend Shu Hang heard that he had taken a female apprentice, he sighed. “Sigh, if this task was left to someone else, then it might actually stir up an exciting, forbidden love between mentor and apprentice. In this case, however, you will most probably mentor this lady the way you would a man, right? You’ll only end up causing harm to a beauty, and that’s a merciless and unforgivable act.”

Ji Bai laughed after hearing this.

He definitely had to be strict, but he did not treat her like a man.

In the eyes of Ji Bai, who was twenty-eight years old, Xu Xu, who was twenty-four years old, was still just an inexperienced young lady.

The sun during spring was just nice and bright. The brown desk gave off a faint glow and the air was filled with a dry warmth as the petite girl sat upright in her seat with a solemn look on her red and white face. She looked like a girl ready to fight at any time…

‘Alright, maybe she doesn’t really dislike me per se. She probably said this in typical Xu Xu fashion due to her complicated mind and simple heart.

‘On the other hand, this passerby who suddenly popped out of nowhere…’ Ji Bai glanced at Ye Zixiao subtly, then lowered his head to continue reading the newspaper as he thought, ‘Xu Xu should be able to settle it herself.’

Initially, Xu Xu wanted to end the absurd situation as quickly as possible, but once she said this, the two men fell silent.

The atmosphere suddenly became less tense and more confused.

Right then, a “ding ding” sound rang out as the door of the shop was opened and Yao Meng strolled in with three cups of bubble teas. When she noticed the new addition to the table, she was quite surprised but she was also perceptive, so she kept quiet and quickly shot Xu Xu a confused look.

Upon seeing Yao Meng, Ye Zixiao was a little stunned before he turned to Ji Bai.

When Xu Xu said what she did, his anger naturally faded away and his expression changed faster than a bat out of hell. “I’m sorry I misunderstood. I’m Ye Zixiao.” He reached his hand out to greet Ji Bai.

Ji Bai took a glance at him before extending his hand to greet him with his usual unbothered face. “Ji Bai.”

Ye Zixiao was in a daze, but he was not mad. He took a look at the dishes on the table and smiled. “Since I misbehaved today, the meal will be on me.” As he reached into his pocket to take his wallet out, Ji Bai stopped him and smiled. “There’s no need for that, it’ll be on me.” He often ate at the shop and was close to the owner, so he had put a surplus of money on his tab to spare himself the trouble of paying every time.

Ye Zixiao smiled then looked at Xu Xu. He was playing dumb and was taking his time to fawn over her. Xu Xu sighed to herself and stood up. “Let’s talk outside.”

This was exactly what Ye Zixiao had been hoping for, so he immediately stood up and even pulled Xu Xu’s chair out for her.

After the two of them left the shop, Yao Meng who had been quiet all the while suddenly realized. “Her bag is still here.”

Ji Bai did not look at her as he replied, “She’ll be back.”

“Oh.” Yao Meng muttered as she slowly stirred her bubble tea with the straw.

A brief moment later, Yao Meng piped up and asked with a smile, “Oh right, Captain. I’ve been wanting to workout lately too. How many rounds do I need to run?”

“Anything will do.”

Yao Meng continued, “Hmm, but Xu Xu runs ten rounds, so I shouldn’t run less than her, right?”

It was then that Ji Bai finally looked up at her.

Undoubtedly, this lady was very beautiful. Her pale white face was flushed as if painted with vibrant rouge, while her big, watery eyes stared at him boldly. The look in her eyes was bright and had a hint of hope and enthusiasm in them.

Ji Bai laughed and said, “An excellent criminal police officer needs to have reasonable time management. Xu Xu is physically weak, so she needs to spend more time on this aspect, whereas you have a superb physique, so you should spend more time on your profession and cases. Your own scheduling is up to you so don’t ask me anymore.”

Xu Xu and Ye Zixiao walked back to the sports field and found a patch of grass with nobody around. Xu Xu sat down and immediately cut to the chase, “I won’t change my decision so you shouldn’t waste your energy anymore. Additionally, you’re causing me trouble now. I hope that this time, you’ll listen to what I say.”

Ye Zixiao did not immediately reply her. He tilted his head upward and lit up a cigarette as he watched the people running under the sun. After sharing some silence, he said, “You said that you don’t like men like me, why?”

Xu Xu remained quiet for a while then answered, “There’s no reason in particular.”

Ye Zixiao turned around as he inched closer to her with his tall body. “What kind of man am I then?”

Xu Xu could not help but back away before she could reply as Ye Zixiao added, “Xu Xu, do you think that you’re very smart and observant? Did you, through you so-called psychoanalysis, decided that I’m not right for you?

“Xu Xu, how can reality be so simple? Does an introverted person like you really have that many admirers? Also, how many of them are like me, who not only adores you but is also able to provide you with a life that other women can only dream of? I am really not a terrible guy so why don’t you seize this chance, or just give it a try?”

When he saw that Xu Xu had put on a cold face and was not replying, he continued, “Is it because of your stubbornness and virtuousness that you’ve never had a boyfriend before? Don’t you feel that you’re actually quite a failure with regards to that?”

These thoughts had gone through his mind over and over again over the past few days and they genuinely contained some of his personal feelings. He intended to speak his mind to try to wake her up from her foolish way of thinking.

Xu Xu felt a sharp pain as she turned around to face the other way. “I don’t want to talk about this anymore.”

When Ye Zixiao saw her indifferent expression, a huge rage rose from his heart and without even thinking, he grabbed onto her arms. Her skin felt so delicate and soft as Ye Zixiao’s mind raced to recall what it was like when they had previously shaken hands. It was like a melting jade, soft, clear, and a simple grasp seemed to penetrate her to the very bone.

He lowered his head to gaze at her thin skin that was almost transparent, her dark eyes were also looking back at him. They looked so calm, so cold.

Ye Zixiao’s mind went blank all of a sudden as he instinctively lowered his head to kiss her.

Xu Xu’s body froze and although she shifted her head to avoid him, the warmth from the side of his lips still brushed against her cheeks. It was a strange feeling, which made Xu Xu blush immediately in addition to making her feel very embarrassed.

On the other hand, the way Ye Zixiao saw it, he had been completely right about Xu Xu’s psyche. She just was not aware that she was too bookish, and so, they still had a chance. If he kept putting in the effort, then slowly but surely, he would be able to soften her heart.

Nonetheless, he knew that his impulsive behavior had made him lose his poise. Hence, he let go of her arms and tried to apologize. However, the rage in Xu Xu’s eyes made it evident that she was truly angry as her voice sent chills down his spine. “You asked me what kind of man you are? Very well, I’ll tell you.”

Ye Zixiao was shocked and had a bad feeling as he braced himself for what was about to happen next.

“Firstly, you’re conceited. You seek risk and excitement. I’ve seen the data on Longxi Electronics and the majority of the investments you made were high-risk, high-reward projects. I’ve also noticed that the second a project starts to profit, you’ll immediately start developments on a new, separate project.”

“Since you’ve taken over the company, although it’s been relatively profitable, none of the projects had gone on to become models of the industry. Not one project of undeniable success had been completed – every single one of them were neither here nor there. Due to your nature, you prefer taking risks over being conscientious. From my point of view, being with you will only mean bearing higher financial risk than normal.”

Ye Zixiao was taken aback and his face looked glum. He stared back at her without saying a thing.

Xu Xu continued, “Secondly, on the day Ye Zixi was injured, you were standing right beside her, yet you didn’t perform first aid on her. You hesitated. In high school biology class, we’ve been taught to press on the distal segment if the artery is bleeding, so why didn’t you do so?

“When that happened, I suspect that were you were paralyzed by the thought of Ye Zixi dying if you did it incorrectly. Not once did you even consider Ye Zixi’s wellbeing. No, when faced with a life or death situation, you lacked the courage to bear your responsibilities…”

Ye Zixiao’s face changed greatly. “What is this nonsense you’re talking about?”

Xu Xu did not stop to reply him. “Thirdly, you misunderstood my relationship with Captain Ji Bai. In reality, we did nothing intimate at all, you simply overreacted after jumping to conclusions. Why is this so? There are two possibilities – One, Ji Bai is too attractive – if it was a normal person, you might not have been so angry. This only proves that you lack tolerance towards others and lack any true self-confidence. The second possibility is that you’re very possessive. Did you have an ex-girlfriend who broke up with you due to your over-the-top possessiveness?”

“Fourthly, you’re always stressing about your appearance. Every time we meet, you look like you’ve gone to great lengths to make sure that every single strand of hair is in place. There are also rumors on the internet stating that your ex-girlfriends were all beautiful women.

“When you saw Yao Meng just now, you were clearly distracted. Of course, men admire beautiful women, but you became quite agitated as well. Logically, your attention shouldn’t have been diverted so easily, yet you were still captivated by her beauty. This means that your interest and attention towards women is much stronger than that of a normal person. Moreover, based on your character of liking to seek excitement and freshness, as well as your open-minded and liberal environment overseas, I can presume that you’ve had sex outside of relationships, am I right?

“Thus, why should I accept a man who acts according to what he feels, lacks patience, is unable to bear responsibility during crucial moments, and might overstep boundaries with his body?”

…

After leaving the sports field, Xu Xu walked back to the Cantonese shop slowly.

She was slightly conflicted.

Even if she had put together an image of Ye Zixiao from the start, her instincts told her that she should not have said it out loud – it was too hurtful.

Everyone had flaws that, if magnified, would leave them vulnerable. Furthermore, Ye Zixiao was not actually that bad a person. In some regards, he was quite an outstanding man.

At the same time, if she did not make it clear why she was rejecting him, then he might still cling on to her. Besides, she was almost forcefully kissed, which infuriated her. In the end, she could not hold in it anymore.

Feeling a bit upset, she pushed the door open and saw that the shop was now packed with people. When she looked over, she saw Ji Bai still leisurely sitting in the same spot.

Xu Xu asked, “Where’s Yao Meng?”

Ji Bai replied, “She has already gone back.”

“Oh.” Xu Xu picked up her bag which was still on her chair. She knew that Ji Bai was waiting for her to return. “Thank you.”

Ji Bai stood up and Xu Xu followed him. The two of them did not say a word as they communicated silently with just their footsteps.

The morning sunlight was shining on the clean streets when Xu Xu looked up and saw that Ji Bai’s tall figure was shading her from half the sunlight like an upright tree. However, his pace was steady and unhurried. She did not know why, but as she walked on the bustling street, the tense mood she had from before gradually subsided until she felt peacefulness and warmth.

When they arrived at the basement, they got into their respective cars and went their own way.

Xu Xu followed her standard routine and bid Ji Bai farewell. “Captain Ji, see you tomorrow.”

Ji Bai had already expected that she would not mention nor explain her “dislike” for his person. Even so, when he looked at her magnanimous, unashamed face…

“You’ve thought about whether or not we’re compatible?” He asked slowly in a low voice.

Xu Xu was stunned.

Earlier on, she said that because she never planned to have a police boyfriend, so Ji Bai was automatically disqualified. However, he was implicitly demanding an explanation now, and even though Xu Xu was slow, she understood that the way she put it had given away the fact that she had let her imagination run wild in the past.

As she was about to explain, she looked up and saw traces of a smile in Ji Bai’s dark eyes.

Xu Xu said, “About that…” but Ji Bai had already turned and walked away.

Ye Zixiao sped all the way home. As he watched every road sign on the flyover speed toward him, his heart became conflicted. He was outraged, dejected, and at a loss.

Never before had a woman criticized him like that. Moreover, every word she said was cruel and savage.

Since young, he had always been the favored one. The environment he was raised in naturally made him worldlier than his peers. He knew better than anyone else how to strive for more success and to live at the top of the food-chain whilst appearing honorable and glorious.

However, what she said cut him like a sharp knife as it ripped through his superficial mask of wealth and material goods, which made him boil with rage. Unexpectedly, he came to the sudden realization that he could not keep hiding from his demons.

Xu Xu knew what she said was true and Ye Zixiao knew it deep down in his heart too.

An hour later, he arrived home. Everyone was there, his father, his eldest brother and his wife, his second sister and her husband, his third sister and her husband, and Ye Zixi. Upon looking at his ghastly face, his third sister smiled and teasingly asked, “Who offended our young master this time?”

His father, on the other hand, sounded commanding and domineering. “Come over and eat.”

But Ye Zixiao only looked at Zixi before croaking up, “I’m sorry about that day.”

While Zixi was still confused, Ye Zixiao turned around and hurriedly left.

At night, Zixiao received some calls from a few friends asking him to join them at the “Night Sky” bar. The bar had great alcohol and hot ladies, so it was a place where the young princes of society loved to go.

When Zixiao arrived, his emotions reverted back to normal, but he still did not talk much. A friend of his saw that he was not very high-spirited, so he signaled to the lady beside him. She was the young daughter of another entrepreneur in the city who had been going after Ye Zixiao for a long time. The lady held a glass up for a toast. “Mister Ye, since you’re out to play, you should forget about whatever is bothering you, seeing you like this makes me sad.”

Ye Zixiao stared at the lady’s blurry face and her well-bestowed body for a while before Xu Xu’s words repeatedly flashed in his mind. “Why should I accept a man like you?”

He hugged the lady’s neck and lowered his head to kiss her.

Later on, they booked a room, and as they were madly going at it, Ye Zixiao thought to himself, ‘Xu Xu, you’re right, I’m exactly what you said I was. God, you make me feel so awful, so terrible.’

The weather the next day was very pleasant, as Xu Xu arrived at the sports field. The sky was a particularly bright blue color, like a silk sheet wrapping the earth.

During her run, she was a little distracted. She pondered about whether she should call Ye Zixiao to lessen the damage from yesterday, but when she considered his arrogant character and the fact that she might aggravate the situation, she promptly dismissed the thought.

While she was on her second lap, she saw that Ji Bai had stopped ahead of her and was now talking on his phone softly. As she slowly jogged past his sweat-drenched body, Xu Xu suddenly recalled their conversation from yesterday.

She had heard from Zhao Han that Ji Bai despised clingy women, so she felt the need to explain to him that she was not actually having indecent thoughts of him. The reason she said they were not compatible was due to his identity as a police officer. As an individual, however, he had great looks, an excellent physique, tough determination, and was quick-witted…

These thoughts were flashing through her mind when all of a sudden, hurried, steady footsteps were heard from behind her. The next thing she knew, she felt Ji Bai’s large and sweaty body approaching her speedily from behind. Before she could turn around, the scruff of her collar was tightened, and her legs that were still running no longer felt the pavement. He had actually lifted her up.

“What are you doing?” She frowned and turned to look at him, then scolded him softly.

Ji Bai was drenched in sweat, but his glowing face looked heavy and a sense of dread was emanating from him.

“Follow me. A female corpse was found at No. 3, Yue Ma Road, Lin An Mountain.”

Xu Xu’s heart stopped for a second as Ji Bai continued, “The victim is Ye Zixi”