She Hugged Him, “Safe Travels.”
As they were about to reach them, Mu Di suddenly grabbed her father.
Just seconds earlier, there had been some distance between Zhou Sujin and Wei Lai. The two had been talking normally, but in the time it took for her to look down and put her phone back in her purse, Zhou Sujin embraced Wei Lai.
Wei Lai must’ve seen her and her father approaching, and not wanting to meet her, had come up with this ploy, which Zhou Sujin actually played along with. Though they weren’t by the road, the area in front of the cafe was still busy with people passing by.
They didn’t seem to care at all, acting as if no one else was around.
It would be too inappropriate for her to go over and disturb them now.
From his angle, her father couldn’t see what was happening between Zhou Sujin and Wei Lai, so he was puzzled. “What’s the matter?”
Mu Di pulled her father back. “Let’s talk in the car.”
On Wei Lai’s side, she waited for a while, but no one came over.
Earlier, when she leaned into his arms, she didn’t know where to put her hands, so she just grabbed the corners of his suit jacket.
Her racing heart was hidden beneath a calm exterior, concealing the turmoil within.
“They’re gone,” Zhou Sujin said, releasing her.
Wei Lai stepped out of his embrace, releasing the corners of his jacket, and said again, “Thank you, President Zhou.”
Zhou Sujin: “Not one peaceful day.”
Wei Lai just looked at him without saying a word.
Zhou Sujin nodded slightly toward the Cullinan, gesturing for her to get in the car. “Call me if you need anything.”
As they were about to part, Wei Lai took a half-step closer, standing as close to him as she had been when he held her in his arms earlier.
Zhou Sujin looked down, curious about what she was up to.
Wei Lai wrapped her arms around his waist over his suit jacket and gave him a brief hug. She repeated, “President Zhou, safe travels.”
Letting go, she turned and walked toward the Cullinan.
That final hug was meant for Uncle Yan, who was nearby, to see, but it seemed to carry a hint of genuine reluctance to part.
Even they couldn’t tell if it was sincere or just a convincing performance.
Zhou Sujin stood there for a moment longer, waiting until Wei Lai drove past him before getting into his own car and leaving.
Wei Lai returned to the office while the Bentley headed toward the airport.
“Dad, do you think they can last?”
On the way home, Mu Di asked her father.
Father: “I hope they can last.” After a moment, he added, “That way, you and Zhang Yanxin’s newlywed life can be stable.”
Mu Di turned to look at her father, wanting to say something but stopping herself.
Her father said no more, gently patting her hand. “Dad knows everything.”
Did he know that the cordialness between her and Zhang Yanxin is just a show for others?
Did he know she’s been forcing a smile all along?
When she got home, Zhang Yanxin was there.
Shortly after their engagement, they registered their marriage, so their days now were effectively like being married.
Zhang Yanxin was in the living room on the phone, mentioning Wei Huatian’s name. She knew instantly that he was introducing more business to Wei Huatian.
She knew about the breakup compensation he gave to Wei Lai and the conditions he agreed to for the breakup. She had tacitly allowed him to compensate Wei Lai so generously because even she felt indebted to her.
After Zhang Yanxin finished his phone call, she casually asked, “By the way, how many years of business are you planning to refer to Huatian Law Firm?”
Five years.
This was something Wei Lai had brought up the night they broke up. However, ever since Wei Huatian found out about their breakup, he has refused all the business referrals from him, so he had to find indirect ways to help out.
Zhang Yanxin replied, “Twenty years.”
Mu Di’s face fell. “Isn’t that a bit too long?”
Wei Lai would be between the two of them for twenty years.
“How about I talk to Wei Lai and see if we can arrange some other forms of compensation for her?”
Zhang Yanxin: “It has nothing to do with her. I’m compensating her voluntarily.”
Mu Di didn’t press the issue of shortening the compensation period any further. There was no point in insisting; arguing wouldn’t change his mind. On some matters, he only gave her face in front of others, but in private, he never compromised.
She unwrapped a piece of chocolate and ate it, trying to neutralize the bitterness welling up inside her.
The living room remained silent.
Zhang Yanxin’s phone buzzed with a message from Secretary Liu, “President Zhang, Wei Huatian has refused a client again. He might have guessed the client was referred by you.“
“Got it.“
Wei Huatian wouldn’t accept any of his goodwill at all. Though Wei Lai had taken the breakup compensation, she immediately set up a free book bar and study room.
“Why aren’t you wearing a watch?” Mu Di’s gaze casually fell on his wrist. It was bare. He hadn’t worn a watch in a long time, not even for events.
Zhang Yanxin put away his phone and said, “Not interested.”
Ever since the night he broke up with Wei Lai, he had lost interest in any other watches. He wondered what kind of watch Wei Lai had given him, and how long she had waited in line to get it.
When she gave him that watch, had she thought they might get married?
He considered asking Secretary Liu to look up the original order details for the watch, but then he remembered he was married now and suppressed the thought.
He couldn’t be certain that someday in the future, he wouldn’t be overwhelmed by the strong desire to find out.
The National Day holiday passed in a blur, and Cheng Minzhi returned from her trip.
She brought back a lot of gifts for her daughter and went straight to her daughter’s condo from the airport.
Wei Lai was fretting over what gifts to choose for Zhou Sujin’s family. It wasn’t any easier than meeting the parents for the first time in actuality. She had nearly filled two pages with potential gift ideas but still felt none of them were quite right.
She selected a few and sent them to Zhou Sujin. “Take a look for me.”
Zhou Sujin, still abroad, replied, “You don’t need to prepare anything. I’ll handle it.“
Wei Lai: “How can I let you buy the gifts? Your family must’ve carefully selected gifts for me too. Even if it’s just for show, I should put some thought into it. I can’t waste the kindness your family is showing.“
Just at this moment, the doorbell rang, and her mom called her from outside the door.
“Mom, I’m coming!” Wei Lai dropped her mouse and ran barefoot to open the door.
Cheng Minzhi, looking travel-worn, stood there with two large suitcases. One of them was filled with gifts for her daughter.
Wei Lai didn’t have time to look at her own gifts. She pulled her mom over to her desk. Worried that her mom’s mood wouldn’t improve even after returning home, she decided to give her mom something to do, hoping to distract her.
The only thing that could take her mom’s mind off her own troubles was Wei Lai’s matters, especially concerning her relationship.
“Mom, can you help me decide on a gift? I’m meeting Zhou Sujin’s family on the 20th.”
“Zhou Sujin?”
“En, the one from Beijing. Didn’t you say to let you know if there was any good news? Well, we’re together now.”
“Hold on, let me process this for a moment.”
Cheng Minzhi had been on a non-stop schedule for seven or eight days, and she just endured a four-hour flight back. Exhausted and travel-weary, her brain was a bit slow to absorb information.
Wei Lai poured her mom a glass of water and placed it on the table, then explained in detail, “His family knows he has a girlfriend, and his uncle’s 50th birthday is on the 20th. He wants to take me home for the occasion. Honestly, I’m not sure if we’re right for each other or if we’ll last long-term, but I’m quite happy that he wants to introduce me to his family so soon.”
Cheng Minzhi interpreted this quick introduction to the family as a sign that Zhou Sujin—coming from a prominent family, wanted his family to acknowledge his relationship with her daughter, easing any insecurities that her daughter might have dating him. Zhou Sujin’s serious and thoughtful approach to their relationship reassured her.
Rather than putting pressure on her daughter, Cheng Minzhi advised Wei Lai to stay calm. “Meeting the family is a good step, but Lai Lai, you shouldn’t rush into marriage just because your last relationship didn’t work out. Take your time, enjoy the process, and don’t worry too much about whether it will work out in the end.”
Wei Lai was fretting about how to lay the groundwork for a breakup two years down the line, but she hadn’t expected her mom to be so understanding, easing her worries. She hugged her mom tightly, resting her head on her mom’s shoulder and acting a bit spoiled. “Mom, thank you.”
Cheng Minzhi squeezed her daughter’s cheek in return. “Alright, let’s figure out what gifts to pick.”
There were two lists of potential gifts on the keyboard. She picked them up and saw they were covered in scribbles and notes, showing just how much her daughter had agonized over the selection.
Wei Lai stood up and went to the living room to drag a chair over, sitting down next to her mom.
Since her daughter had already decided to meet his parents, Cheng Minzhi also had to start preparing as well.
Cheng Minzhi asked her daughter, “Before you go to Zhou Sujin’s house, will he be coming to visit us? Is he going to your dad’s place first or mine?”
Wei Lai: “…”
She had completely forgotten about this part of the process.
“He’s still abroad. I’ll ask him when he’s coming back.”
What she really needed to ask was if he was willing to meet her parents.
It took them two hours to finalize the gift list, and there wasn’t enough time to go to the mall today. Her mom said she’d go with her tomorrow to buy the gifts.
After her mom left, she called Zhou Sujin to fill him in on the situation.
“Even if I manage to keep it from my parents for a while that I met your family, they’ll eventually hear about it.”
She asked him, “Do you have time to visit my family?”
Zhou Sujian was honest. “I have time, but it’s not part of my plan.”
Wei Lai understood. After all, they were a contract couple. She was pretending to be his girlfriend to deal with his family, and in return, he was providing her with whatever connections and resources she needed. Dealing with her family wasn’t part of the contract.
“No worries, I’ll find an excuse. My parents are pretty easygoing.”
Zhou Sujin seemed to consider it for a moment. “When I go to Jiang City to pick you up, I’ll stop by and see Auntie Cheng. We can have a meal together, but I won’t meet anyone else.”
As long as her mom was appeased, Wei Lai was already content. She didn’t expect him to go to her dad’s place either. “Thank you, President Zhou.”
Zhou Sujin didn’t respond, but instead asked, “Anything else?”
Wei Lai wanted to ask which country and city he was in, but instead said, “That’s all.”
Zhou Sujin then hung up the phone.
He was willing to accompany her to make her mom happy, so she put in even more effort to accompany him home.
It took her a week to buy all the gifts. Two gifts weren’t available in Jiang City, so she drove to Shanghai over the weekend to buy them.
She checked the gifts again and packed them all into a suitcase.
It had been a busy and fulfilling week, with evenings spent shopping for gifts and days occupied with supermarket matters. The renovations for the 16th store were progressing smoothly.
Recently, she and her mom had been busy looking for a location for the 17th store. She was interested in the Jiang’an Cloud Residences area, but they couldn’t find a suitable property to rent.
“President Lai?” Her mom knocked on her office door.
Wei Lai smiled. “Come on in, President Cheng.”
Cheng Minzhi walked in, carrying a plate of freshly washed fruit. “Guess who just called me?”
Wei Lai was about to say “My dad?” but swallowed the words. She shook her head and casually picked a green grape to eat.
“Chairman Yuan. Yuan Hengrui’s dad.”
“How does Chairman Yuan have your number?”
“He probably asked your dad for it.”
Not wanting to talk about her ex-husband, Cheng Minzhi steered the conversation back to business. “Chairman Yuan said if we’re interested in any location among their company’s properties whether in the city or the suburbs to open a supermarket, just say the word. Lease terms are also negotiable.”
Jiang’an Cloud Residences was developed by Yuan Hengrui’s family’s company. Jiang’an Group was one of Jiang City’s earliest real estate development companies, primarily focusing on high-end luxury property development. In recent years, Jiang’an Group has started to adjust its focus, shifting its core business to delve into the semiconductor industry.
Wei Lai asked, “What are Chairman Yuan’s conditions?”
Cheng Minzhi: “He wants to connect with Zhou Sujin through you and aims for a joint investment in semiconductor projects.”
She peeled a green grape for her daughter. “I declined his offer earlier. If Chairman Yuan contacts you again, don’t even bother answering his call.”
“I’ll help him connect; it’s no trouble.”
“Don’t,” Cheng Minzhi objected firmly. “I’ve already turned him down. Just focus on your relationship with Zhou Sujin. If we can’t find a suitable location at Jiang’an Cloud Residences, we’ll find somewhere else. We don’t have to open a store in that neighborhood.”
Wei Lai reassured her mom, “Zhou Sujin said I can use his connections however I want.”
Cheng Minzhi: “His words are one thing.”
“Mom, I’ll only use them this once.”
Immediately, Wei Lai opened her chat with Zhou Sujin on WeChat and messaged him, “President Zhou, are you busy right now?“
It was night on Zhou Sujin’s end, and he was planning to rest. Seeing that she had messaged his business WeChat, he understood her intention.
“Need my connections?“
One advantage of dealing with a big shot was that being direct was never awkward.
Wei Lai was straightforward, “En. If you’re free, I’ll explain in detail.“
Zhou Sujin called her immediately. “You’re going to need to use my connections more often henceforth. Do you think I’ll have the time to handle all of this for you?”
His voice was cold yet magnetic, a tone Wei Lai had grown accustomed to. He usually delegated such tasks to his secretary. She had been reluctant to add Secretary Yang before, but now she found herself eating her words. “Share Secretary Yang’s WeChat with me. I’ll reach out to him to arrange things.”
Zhou Sujin shared Yang Ze’s WeChat with her from his personal account and asked, “Are you using my connections for yourself or for someone else?”
Wei Lai: “I’m helping Yuan Hengrui’s dad connect with you. He wants to meet you and explore the possibility of partnering on semiconductor projects. I’ll ask Secretary Yang to schedule a meeting later.”
Zhou Sujin turned off the living room lights and headed to the bedroom. “If you help him, what can he offer you?”
“I’m interested in opening our 17th store in Jiang’an Cloud Residences’ commercial area, aiming to lease around 1,500 square meters of a storefront. I found out they’re all owned by Jiang’an Group and are not available for external leasing currently. I’m using this opportunity to exchange resources with Chairman Yuan, effectively securing the storefront with your help.”
Zhou Sujin pondered for a moment. It seemed that the neighborhood he was living in was called Jiang’an Cloud Residences.
“You’re opening a supermarket there?”
“En.” Wei Lai replied boldly, half-jokingly, “I’ll open a supermarket to make it convenient for you to shop.”
