There’s Nothing To Hide, She’s My Girlfriend
Whether it was enough or not, Wei Lai knew saying it was pointless because Zhou Sujin wouldn’t care.
He allowed her to show off but would never indulge her without limits.
His aunt and uncle arrived at Jiang City Station at 12:25 p.m. After picking them up, Zhou Sujin asked his auntie what she wanted to eat and suggested taking them to have lunch first.
Ning Rujiang and her husband had eaten a little on the high-speed train. “Let’s go out for dinner tonight. Let’s head home and drop off our luggage first.”
She then remembered, “You haven’t eaten yet, right? How about I make you something?” Her cooking skills were average, but she was fairly good at making the dishes her two nephews liked.
Zhou Sujin nodded. “Sure.”
Ning Rujiang reminded her nephew in advance to stop by the supermarket.
Sitting in the passenger seat, Zhou Sujin stretched out his long arm to enter “Wei Lai Supermarket” into Maps.
Uncle Yan glanced at the words “Wei Lai” on the screen from the corner of his eye. The nearest store was less than a kilometer away, but it wasn’t the one with the office.
The boss’ gaze fixated on the screen.
He speculated whether the boss wanted to go to the one with the office but didn’t know the exact address, so he couldn’t input it into Maps.
He remembered that store’s address.
Uncle Yan directly searched for the address, and the navigation voice confirmed the change of destination successfully.
Zhou Sujin suddenly turned around and glanced at Uncle Yan a few times, but ultimately said nothing.
Uncle Yan: “…”
It turned out the boss intended to buy ingredients nearby and did not necessarily want to go to the Wei Lai Supermarket store with the office. He had misinterpreted.
Zhou Sujin never made things difficult for the people around him and said, “Let’s go to this one.”
Uncle Yan breathed a sigh of relief. “Got it.”
Hearing the change in destination, Ning Rujiang asked curiously, “Why did we change destinations?”
Zhou Sujin said, “This store is bigger.”
Ning Rujiang teased her nephew, “Not bad. You’re almost a half-resident of Jiang City now, knowing the size of each supermarket.”
Zhou Sujin remained silent as always.
Uncle Yan remained even more silent.
The Bentley took nearly 40 minutes to drive from the North Station to the central west area, partly due to traffic.
After parking the car, Ning Rujiang patted her nephew’s shoulder from behind. “Let’s go, I’ll take you to the supermarket.”
Zhou Sujin: “… still treating me like a kid.”
“If you don’t want to, forget it.” Ning Rujiang dragged her husband to accompany her to the supermarket.
Looking at the supermarket sign, she said to her husband, “The owner’s surname of this supermarket must be Wei, with a single given name Lai. Not bad, the name is easy to remember.”
Zhou Sujin didn’t get out of the car or look upstairs, instead browsing today’s financial news.
Wei Lai had a meeting with Lu Song, the head of Yunhui Group’s shopping malls, at 2:30 p.m. today. With no time for an afternoon nap, she made herself a cup of coffee to wake herself up before leaving.
Every time she drank coffee, she would lean by the window, watching the endless stream of cars and people outside.
As she finished her coffee and stood up, she glanced downstairs and paused when she saw Zhou Sujin’s Bentley, with him sitting in the passenger seat.
A middle-aged couple got out of the back of the Bentley, arm in arm, and walked straight into their supermarket.
She recognized that elegant lady
it was Zhou Sujin’s auntie.
“President Zhou, I see you.“
Zhou Sujin turned his head slightly and looked up at the second floor from the car.
Their eyes met.
With the one-way glass, she could see him clearly.
But, he couldn’t see her.
Zhou Sujin replied to her, “My aunt wanted to buy groceries. Uncle Yan took it upon himself to drive here.“
Wei Lai said half-jokingly, “I should thank Uncle Yan then. Today’s revenue at my family’s supermarket just went up a bit.“
It’s hard to joke with him, so she got straight to the point, “President Zhou, do you know that if we were really a couple and currently in the honeymoon phase, you would tell me you’re downstairs. I would then pretend to pass by the car as a passerby while your aunt is shopping. We’d find a way to see each other no matter what.” His aunt had just entered the supermarket two minutes ago, leaving enough time for a quick meeting.
Zhou Sujin asked, “Is this how you date?“
Wei Lai pondered over his question, assuming he was referring to her past relationship with Zhang Yanxin.
She replied, “It was more or less like this before.“
Zhou Sujin: “Got it.“
Then, he added, “Come down, no need to pretend to be a passerby.“
Since there was no need to pretend to be strangers, Wei Lai grabbed a bottle of water and coffee from the fridge and quickly made her way down the stairs from the second floor.
She handed the sparkling water to Uncle Yan and passed the coffee through the rolled-down car window to Zhou Sujin, saying, “I like this flavor.”
Uncle Yan grabbed the bottle of water and his pack of cigarettes, walking over to a distant trash can to smoke. He understood that youngsters would seize any chance to meet, even if it was just a moment during the early stages of dating.
“Uncle Yan definitely won’t suspect we’re pretending to be dating now.” Accomplishing her mission, Wei Lai didn’t linger. “President Zhou, I’ll head back upstairs.”
Zhou Sujin nodded, and she hurried back just as quickly as she had come down.
Their coffee preferences differed. He twisted open the bottle of coffee and just drank one sip.
Auntie and Uncle soon came out from the supermarket, and Uncle Yan started the car.
“No wonder you brought me to this store. The fresh produce is quite good,” Ning Rujiang said, satisfied with the groceries she had bought. The store had a wide selection of imported goods, some of which she often purchased.
The drive from Wei Lai Supermarket to Jiang’an Cloud Residences in the east part of the city took another 40 minutes.
Ning Rujiang exclaimed, “Jiang City is such a big city.”
Uncle Yan silently thought to himself, it’s not that Jiang City is so big, it’s that he took more than half the usual route.
After taking a long detour, they finally arrived home. Uncle Yan helped only to push the luggage to the doorstep before leaving.
Zhou Sujin carried the luggage inside and fetched the slippers he had prepared for his aunt and uncle from the shoe cabinet.
“This condo is so bright,” his aunt said, standing by the floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room, admiring the view of the lake and mountains. She was used to living in siheyuans and thought it was also nice to stay in a high-rise occasionally.
Taking off his suit jacket, Zhou Sujin hung it in the foyer closet. Opening the closet, he saw Wei Lai’s white, thin blazer inside. She had forgotten to take it back the last time she was here.
His aunt was the type of person who, if she saw certain items belonging to a woman directly, would suspect him of having ulterior motives.
On the contrary, it was his attempts to conceal things that would make his aunt believe he was really in a relationship.
Zhou Sujin didn’t bother to take another hanger; he simply draped his suit jacket over Wei Lai’s white blazer. His jacket was bigger, effectively concealing Wei Lai’s inside.
Ning Rujiang noticed every subtle expression her nephew made, and anything out of the ordinary was definitely suspicious.
She silently withdrew her gaze, pretending to be captivated by the scenery outside the window.
“You’ve made a great choice with this condo; the view is expansive. I’m tempted to even stay a few more days,” she highly praised her nephew.
Zhou Sujin walked over from the foyer. “You and Uncle should stay here for a few more days then.”
“Your uncle would have to agree first; he’s afraid the company won’t function without him,” Ning Rujiang complained, taking off her coat and casually taking her husband’s. “I’ll take it.”
She hung both coats in the foyer cabinet, then lightly adjusted her nephew’s suit jacket, revealing a thin white blazer underneath.
She didn’t need to see it fully; just from the fabric and button details of the white blazer, she knew which brand and style of women’s blazer it was. She had a similar one herself.
“You can accompany your uncle for some tea; I’ll go make lunch for you.”
As if nothing happened, she closed the closet door and carried the bag of groceries she had bought from the supermarket into the kitchen.
Planning to stay for two or three days, she had bought a bit more, intending to cook for her nephew again tomorrow.
Ning Rujiang put away the ingredients that wouldn’t be used today in the fridge. Surprisingly, the fridge wasn’t empty; there was beef and a large pack of furikake.
furikake – a rice seasoning consisting of seaweed, toasted sesame seeds, salt, and sugar
She knew her nephew well; he had never liked seaweed since he was little. It was impossible for such a thing to appear in his fridge.
First was the women’s blazer then the second with the seaweed, it seemed that his girlfriend had visited here. Her nephew was very clear about separating his personal and professional life; he wouldn’t bring his girlfriend on a business trip.
That left only two possibilities: either he had accompanied his girlfriend here for a visit, or his girlfriend was from here.
If it was the former, it meant her nephew wasn’t just a workaholic and was capable of being in a relationship too.
If it was the latter, then she had come to Jiang City at the right time. This visit might bring unexpected gains.
“Sujin, why is there seaweed in the fridge?” She asked deliberately.
“Seaweed?”
Zhou Sujin suddenly remembered that Wei Lai had eaten a bibimbap that night and left the rest behind.
Keeping a composed expression, he said, “Everything in the fridge was all delivered by the concierge.”
Ning Rujiang wanted to laugh internally, thinking, you’re just lying through your teeth now. “The concierge isn’t very thoughtful then, delivering things without checking with the residents first.”
Uncle, unaware of the underlying facts, thought his wife was just being picky. “It’s not like this is a villa area. With so many residents in the high-rise, the concierge can’t cater to everyone’s needs individually.”
Ning Rujiang stopped giving her nephew a hard time and tied on an apron to start cooking.
She didn’t cook often, so when she did, it took her a long time.
Zhou Sujin had to wait an hour and a half for one meat and one veggie dish.
Ning Rujiang had already noticed her nephew was wearing that new watch today, but she hadn’t had the chance to take a photo of it until now. “Sujin, wait a sec. I want to take a photo to show off my cooking skills on WeChat.”
Click, click, she focused on her nephew’s wrist, capturing a clear image of the watch before sending it to her husband’s secretary: “Look into the original order of this watch. I don’t need too much detail, just the basic customer information.“
20 minutes later, Ning Rujiang received a reply.
“The customer is a woman named Wei Lai from Jiang City.“
There wasn’t much information about the customer, but the details about the watch were thorough: “The watch had a wait time of over seven months and required a one-to-one match with purchases. The watch band was custom-made at an extra cost. The customer also requested a customized gift card with the watch. It must’ve been a surprise for her boyfriend.“
Wei Lai?
Isn’t that the name of the supermarket…Wei Lai Supermarket?
It turned out her guess was correct…the girl was indeed from Jiang City.
Ning Rujiang read through the message from the secretary again. A seven-month wait time for the watch indicated that they had likely been in a relationship for at least a year.
Her nephew had started investing in Jiang City two years ago, so the timeline matched up.
She shared the good news with her sister: “Sis, if anyone tries to introduce a girl to Sujin, just tell them he has a girlfriend, a girl from Jiang City.“
Ning Ruzhen: “Who told you she’s from Jiang City?“
Ning Rujiang screenshotted the secretary’s message and sent it to her sister. “The watch is from the girl. Let’s not dig into it further. Let’s respect the kids’ privacy. As long as we’re sure they’re really dating, that’s what matters.“
Ning Rujiang wasn’t entirely convinced. “How can a watch confirm that they’re really dating?“
Ning Rujiang: “It’s not just the watch. I know Sujin’s personality well. He wouldn’t go to such lengths, planning from a year ago, and getting all the details right if it wasn’t real.“
Ning Ruzhen contemplated and decided to let go of her remaining doubts. “Alright, let’s come up with a suitable reason to get Sujin to bring his girlfriend home soon. Once he brings her back, I can make sure everyone knows he’s taken that very night, and I won’t have to worry about refusing any more introductions.“
Ning Rujiang, knowing that Wei Lai’s family runs a supermarket, decided to probe her sister’s thoughts. “Sis, you don’t have any requirements for Sujin’s girlfriend’s family background?“
Naturally, Ning Ruzhen had expectations regarding the family background of her son’s partner. As a parent, it’s natural to want their child to find someone from a comparable family.
However, knowing her son’s stubbornness and now that he was successful and independent, he wouldn’t listen to her.
“If she’s the girl he’s chosen, do you think my opposition would matter?“
Hearing her sister’s response, Ning Rujiang felt reassured.
She racked her brain to find a reason for her nephew to bring his girlfriend home. “How about we use my husband’s 50th birthday as an excuse? His uncle wants him to bring his girlfriend home to celebrate his birthday dinner. That sounds reasonable, right?“
If it were someone else’s birthday, Zhou Sujin might not care, but this was his uncle, who had taken him and his brother on road trips across the country when they were kids, creating a strong bond.
The two sisters decided to use Uncle Song’s 50th birthday as an excuse. Ning Rujiang was all smiles.
Zhou Sujin occasionally glanced at his aunt, suspecting she was conversing about him.
Ning Rujiang finally ended her convo and put away her phone before asking her nephew, “Sujin, where are we going this afternoon?”
Zhou Sujin: “To the tea plantation?”
“Sure, the air there is great.”
Before leaving, Zhou Sujin went to his closet to grab a different suit jacket.
Auntie was in an exceptionally good mood. Usually, she wasn’t particularly interested in tea plantations, but she strolled around the tea plantation for over an hour today. Uncle bought a significant amount of tea leaves.
By the time they returned to the city, it was already dark.
Ning Rujiang said to her nephew, “I don’t want fine dining. Take us to try some local dishes.”
Uncle Yan knew where to go, but after the previous misunderstanding, he didn’t dare make any decisions on his own anymore.
Zhou Sujin instructed, “Let’s go to that restaurant.”
On the way to the restaurant, they had to pass by the main store of Wei Lai Supermarket. Ning Rujiang now felt an unusual fondness for the name “Wei Lai.” She quickly instructed Uncle Yan, “Turn into the supermarket up ahead.” She then turned to her husband and said, “Didn’t you want to try some local rice wine? I’ll go buy a bottle for you.”
Uncle: “The restaurant will definitely have rice wine. It’s a hassle to go to the supermarket just for that.”
“It’s expensive at the restaurant.”
“…” He had never seen his wife so frugal before.
There were many cars queuing to enter the supermarket’s parking lot in the evening, and Uncle Yan was no exception.
Ning Rujiang looked at the stream of cars and patiently waited, feeling happier than when she was in love back in the day.
“Hey, Sujin, isn’t that your Cullinan?”
The deep emerald hue, and that familiar Beijing license plate she knew all too well.
Following his aunt’s gaze, Zhou Sujin watched as the Cullinan had just returned from outside. Wei Lai had her own reserved parking spot and was pulling into it.
She quickly parked, stepping out of the driver’s seat holding a file folder.
Without turning back, she strode briskly toward the entrance to the second floor.
Ning Rujiang only caught a glimpse of Wei Lai’s back but could tell she was sophisticated.
After Wei Lai entered the building, everyone withdrew their gazes.
It suddenly became unusually quiet inside the car.
Ning Rujiang smiled and said, “Let’s see what else you have to say now. Are you still not going to admit it?”
Zhou Sujin: “There’s nothing I can’t admit. She’s my girlfriend.”
Ning Rujiang knowingly asked, “What’s her name? Is she from here?”
“Wei Lai.”
Ning Rujiang also had a bit of acting talent in her. “Wei Lai?” She exclaimed, pointing outside the car window in surprise. “Same name as the supermarket? No wonder…”
She couldn’t help but chuckle. “No wonder you insisted I shop at this supermarket.”
She gave herself a ten out of ten for her performance.
“You’re not going to invite your girlfriend to dinner?”
Zhou Sujin: “I’ll bring her home when the time is right.”
Ning Rujiang countered, “And when do you think is the right time?”
“Alright, how about this? Your uncle’s turning 50 on October 20th. You bring your girlfriend home then. Okay?”
After a moment’s consideration, Zhou Sujin agreed, “I’ll bring her home that day then.”
