You Never Took The Initiative With Anything
The restaurant where they were meeting for dinner was not far from He Wancheng’s company. She had brought some of Jiang City’s finest tea for He Wancheng. After dropping off her luggage at the hotel, she went to his company to deliver the tea.
Jiang City had a tea plantation whose teas had been hyped to astronomical prices; her dad had pulled some strings to get her a few boxes.
“Is Chairman He’s company’s office building in the old city district?”
En,” Wei Lai looked out the car window. The buildings in the old city district had height restrictions. “Their new company headquarters is in the CBD zone, about forty or fifty stories high, but he said he’s used to the old office building, so he hasn’t moved.”
Cheng Minzhi nodded.
The chauffeur listened quietly to the conversation in the rear without interjecting.
There was heavy traffic on the way, and by the time they reached He Wancheng’s company building, it was already pretty late.
The car stopped, and Wei Lai’s hand had just touched the door handle when she suddenly froze. A black Bentley drove past them. Through two layers of car windows, neither could see the other.
Cheng Minzhi also noticed the Beijing-licensed Bentley. The license plate was very familiar; it had even been to their home before. Her daughter must’ve seen Zhou Sujin’s car, and from her reaction, it was clear there was a problem in their relationship.
She got out of the car as if she hadn’t seen anything.
Wei Lai hadn’t tried to intentionally avoid Zhou Sujin; his car passed by as she was lost in thought.
She opened the car door and grabbed her purse and coat before getting out.
She didn’t look back.
Whether it was out of fear or because she felt it was unnecessary, she wasn’t sure.
“President Zhou, it’s Miss Wei,” Uncle Yan said, unaware of their “breakup,” as he saw Wei Lai through the rearview mirror and spoke up to inform him.
Zhou Sujin, who had been looking down at his phone, turned to look out the car window but saw no one outside on either side.
“It should be Chairman He’s car at the entrance,” Uncle Yan added.
“Reverse.” Zhou Sujin put away his phone.
Wei Lai was grabbing the tea from the trunk when she sensed a car approaching from behind. She turned abruptly and saw the black Bentley’s rear only two or three meters away. It had stopped and braked.
The rear door opened, and there he was, wearing a white shirt and a tie, likely for an important event. She had never seen him wear a tie before.
Her mind went blank, unsure if she should call him President Zhou or say nothing at all.
“Hi, Auntie Cheng.”
“Oh? Sujin, you’re here too?” Cheng Minzhi pretended to be both surprised and delighted.
Zhou Sujin said with a smile, “I came to attend a forum.”
“You two go ahead and chat,” she said as she took the tea from her daughter’s hand. “I’ll wait for you in the lobby.”
After Zhou Sujin got out of the car, Uncle Yan drove the car to a nearby parking spot, and Chairman He’s chauffeur also drove the car away, leaving just the two of them.
Standing two or three meters apart felt a bit distant and impolite for a convo, so Wei Lai took a few steps closer. Even though they were a fake couple, it felt like they had gone through a real breakup.
At this moment, she was incredibly grateful for ending the contract early. If they had continued for another two years, the eventual breakup would have been even more painful.
“I saw your car earlier, but I didn’t have a chance to call out.”
She apologized and explained, “I haven’t told my mom about our breakup yet, but she probably could’ve guessed it. I’ll explain everything to her when we get back.”
Zhou Sujin: “No worries. I heard from President He that you’re here to learn from someone in the industry.”
“En, there’s a lot to learn.”
Meeting again didn’t have the awkwardness of the day she rejected him; his attitude made things less tense between them.
If she postponed that owed dinner any longer, there really wouldn’t be another chance to make it up.
“President Zhou, when are you free? Let me treat you to dinner here. I’ve owed you one for a while now.”
Zhou Sujin hesitated slightly. He had a dinner event tonight and was scheduled to return to Beijing early tomorrow morning for some important matters, with all his plans already set and unable to be postponed.
But he still agreed, “I have time tonight.”
Wei Lai: “Tonight might not work…”
“I’ll call President He. For meetings between people in the same industry, Auntie Cheng can go on her own.”
Zhou Sujin then called He Wancheng, explaining that he was taking Wei Lai to dinner tonight and informing him that Cheng Minzhi was already in the building’s lobby.
He Wancheng naturally agreed, saying, “Perfect, you youngsters have your own gathering, and we older folks can have our own. I’ll go down and meet her now.”
Wei Lai entered the building and exchanged a few words with He Wancheng. Zhou Sujin also went inside and personally introduced Cheng Minzhi.
Cheng Minzhi felt quite apologetic that He Wancheng had to come downstairs to greet them. At He Wancheng’s age and his long-standing position, his aura of authority had naturally mellowed into one of poise and approachability.
“President He, nice to meet you.” Cheng Minzhi extended a handshake.
He Wancheng smiled and shook her hand. “The pleasure is mine. I’ve heard a lot about you from Wei Lai. These two kids are meeting on their own tonight, so let’s leave them be.”
He gestured toward the elevator. “My old friend is on the way. Let’s go to my office first.”
Wei Lai accompanied them to the elevator, watching the doors close and waving goodbye before leaving.
Getting into the car, Zhou Sujin loosened his tie and apologized to Wei Lai, “I can’t let you choose the place for dinner tonight; I’ll make the arrangements.”
Anticipating her next comment, he added, “You can pay.”
The dinner venue was a five-star hotel’s Western cuisine restaurant in the city center of Su City. When they arrived at the reserved table, Zhou Sujin took off his suit jacket and draped it over his chair before saying to her, “Wait for me a few minutes; I need to stop by a private room upstairs.”
Wei Lai wasn’t slow to react and met his usual clear gaze. “You have a dinner tonight?”
“It’s fine,” Zhou Sujin replied nonchalantly. “It’s not very important. I just need to go over, have a drink, and make an appearance.”
As he rolled up his sleeves, he walked toward the restaurant’s entrance.
He had taken off his tie before getting out of the car.
Wei Lai watched his tall figure disappear from view before lowering her gaze to casually browse the menu, remaining uninterested until he returned.
Zhou Sujin arrived at the largest private room upstairs, where everyone was already present and waiting for him.
He filled his glass and drank two cups as a self-imposed penalty, explaining that he couldn’t stay long because he had to accompany someone for dinner.
For him to personally cater to someone, it must be someone of significant importance.
Likewise, those present knew better than to joke or inquire too much about who it was, despite their curiosity. They urged him to hurry back down so as not to keep the person waiting.
After he left and the door to the private room closed, they began to discuss among themselves.
“Who could it be?”
“It should be the one from Jiang City.”
“The one he brought home?”
“En.”
“I heard they broke up. The car’s with Lu An now.”
Zhou Sujin returned to the restaurant, and Wei Lai was still looking at the menu.
“Why haven’t you ordered yet?”
“I’m treating, so you should order first.”
“Anything’s fine.”
As long as it isn’t hotpot.
Zhou Sujin ordered a bottle of red wine. He didn’t let the server help; instead, he wrapped the bottle with a towel and took Wei Lai’s wine glass to pour for her.
Wei Lai’s gaze fell on his distinct hands, finding a random topic to break the silence. “When we were pretending, I don’t remember you ever pouring me a drink.”
Zhou Sujin looked up. “You yourself said it was pretend. We were in a contract relationship then.”
“You never took the initiative with anything.”
“Right.”
His straightforward answer left Wei Lai momentarily speechless.
She changed the subject, “President He helped introduce us to his old friend because of you.”
During the time they were in a contract relationship, she had grown tired of saying, “Thank you, President Zhou.” So tonight, she didn’t repeat it. Instead, she raised her glass, the rim slightly lower than his, and clinked it gently.
She downed her glass in one go.
Zhou Sujin watched her finish the entire glass in one go, his gaze fixed on her, studying her closely for the first time
from her brows to her eyes.
The woman before him had a stark contrast to the one who used to push boundaries and act spoiled at the drop of a hat.
He didn’t like it when people talked incessantly during meals, so Wei Lai spoke very little tonight. By the time they finished dinner and left the restaurant, she hadn’t said much at all.
She found that a quiet meal was rather nice too.
No need to expend effort thinking of topics; she could let her mind wander freely.
Uncle Yan brought the car around.
Wei Lai stood in front of the car, not intending to get in. She pointed to a tall building with a hotel logo in the distance. “I’m staying there. It’s just a couple of blocks away, a nice walk to help digest dinner.”
Zhou Sujin had never been one to force others. He lightly held the car door handle and looked at her. “If you ever go to Beijing on business, feel free to contact me.”
Wei Lai smiled, “Sure.”
But she hardly ever goes on business trips to Beijing.
After saying goodbye, she put her hands in the pockets of her coat, adjusting her coat as she walked along the sidewalk towards the hotel.
This dinner was to thank him and also a goodbye.
Tonight, they finally put a formal end to their contractual relationship.
She thought about how she had both feared him and acted spoiled with him.
She thought about how he had gone out of his way to pick her up from Wen Changyun’s party.
And she thought about how he had eaten the half piece of tea pastry she didn’t want.
Although everything was fake, it still left many marks on her heart.
The next morning, Zhou Sujin returned to Beijing.
After getting off the plane, he sent a message to his aunt, “I’ll come see you and Uncle tomorrow night.“
Ning Rujiang hadn’t seen her nephew in some time. Having watched him grow up, she knew him too well. He wouldn’t visit without a reason.
Tomorrow was the weekend, and she just so happened to be free.
Her nephew’s sudden visit gave Ning Rujiang a strong premonition. She said to her husband, “It looks like Sujin is going to break up with Wei Lai. My dad already confronted him. According to my mom, my dad almost lost his temper at customs. If it had been at home, Sujin wouldn’t have been let off the hook so easily.”
Her husband was incredulous, “It really was fake?”
Ning Rujiang sighed and nodded.
Uncle: “Such an absurd thing doesn’t seem like something Sujin would do.”
“He’s always been rebellious. There’s nothing he wouldn’t do. Only my dad can somewhat keep him in check.”
Her husband suddenly looked at her, puzzled. “Logically speaking, if your older sister could tell it was fake, you shouldn’t have missed it.”
Ning Rujiang replied honestly, “It’s because I like Wei Lai.”
She patted her husband’s shoulder, joking, “See, liking someone makes you lose your sense of judgment.”
“Alright, I’ll personally make dinner for you. What time will you be here tomorrow?“
“Around 3 or 4 p.m.“
“I’ll have coffee ready for you.“
It became quite chilly over the past few days, causing the temperature to drop below freezing. Only a few yellow leaves were left on the ginkgo trees, sparsely hanging on the branches.
Even though the sun was shining brightly during the day, it was still too cold to stay outside.
That weekend, it was cloudy too.
Before her nephew arrived, Ning Rujiang moved the tea table inside, placing it right next to the wooden window.
Just a few minutes past 4 p.m., Zhou Sujin’s car stopped at the entrance of the siheyuan.
“Just made coffee for you.”
Her nephew never added sugar to his coffee, so Ning Rujiang just added a packet to her own.
Zhou Sujin took off his coat and hung it up. “Is Uncle not home?”
“He went to the office and said he’d be back before dinner.”
Ning Rujiang pretended to know nothing, chatting casually, “With you being so busy every day, do you still even have time to go see Wei Lai?”
Zhou Sujin stared at his coffee for a few seconds. “We broke up.”
Even though she knew it was fake and had mentally prepared for her nephew’s breakup, hearing him say it out loud still made Ning Rujiang feel sad for both of them.
She couldn’t quite understand where this sadness came from.
Her nephew had likely come today specifically to tell her this and to pass the message on to her sister.
After dinner, Zhou Sujin prepared to leave.
Ning Rujiang grabbed a coat and followed him out to see him off.
Zhou Sujin objected, “It’s cold outside.”
“I’m wearing enough.”
Every time her nephew visited, she made it a habit to greet him at the door, and when he left, she always walked him to his car.
Today, her nephew drove the Cullinan, which had been left in Jiang City for four months, and with twists and turns, it had finally come back.
The day after having dinner at his aunt’s house, Zhou Sujin flew to the London subsidiary, staying there for over half a month before flying to Manhattan.
By the time he returned to China, it was mid-December already.
There were several matters with the project in Jiang City that required his decision, so he landed directly at Jiang City Airport.
Being free, Lu An went to the airport to pick him up.
In the afternoon, Zhou Sujin had a meeting with several heads of partner companies. Half of his investments in Jiang City were in partnerships with local leading enterprises, including the families of Zhang Yanxin and Mu Di.
Business came first; knowing Wei Lai second.
Lu An picked him up and reported on the project’s progress.
In the afternoon, Zhang Yanxin was among the attendees of the meeting. “Your love rival will be there too.”
Zhou Sujin didn’t catch on immediately. “What love rival?”
“Zhang Yanxin, Wei Lai’s former former ex. And you’re her recent ex,” Lu An explained, thinking of how deeply Wei Lai had felt for Zhang Yanxin. This made them obvious rivals.
Zhou Sujin remained silent.
Zhang Yanxin wasn’t particularly eager to see Zhou Sujin either, but he did it for the sake of the project.
Upon meeting, Zhang Yanxin’s first glance was at Zhou Sujin’s wrist, still wearing that new watch. This watch had made frequent appearances.
Why he paid so much attention to Zhou Sujin’s watch puzzled Zhang Yanxin himself.
He was completely out of it during today’s meeting.
It wasn’t until almost 5 p.m. that the meeting finally ended.
As they left the conference room, Lu An teased, “Zhang Yanxin must’ve taken a liking to your watch. He glanced at it at least a hundred times.”
Of course, he was exaggerating.
Zhou Sujin glanced at him, “You’re interested in everything else except the project.”
Implying that he wasn’t focused on the project, which left Lu An at a loss for words.
Lu An quickly changed the subject, “Zhang Yanxin is getting married next week, on December 28th. The wedding will be held here in Jiang City, and he’s sent us a few invitations.”
Naturally, he wasn’t stupid enough to ask Zhou Sujin if he would attend the wedding. With their business relationship, there was no need for Zhou Sujin to make an appearance. “I’ll go that day.”
From beginning to end, Zhou Sujin didn’t say a word about Zhang Yanxin’s wedding.
They went straight back to Jiang’an Cloud Residences from the CBD.
Lu An was now permitted to go to the condo over there.
Before entering the underground garage of the gated community, they passed by the commercial shops first.
Glancing outside the car window, Lu An noticed the impressive facade of the Wei Lai Supermarket and a prominent, distinctive number 17 logo.
The supermarket didn’t have a flagship store; otherwise, he might’ve thought this was the flagship location.
Just from the appearance and quality of the store’s facade, it was clearly several notches above the other Wei Lai Supermarket locations.
“There’s a Wei Lai Supermarket opening here, did you know?” He turned to ask Zhou Sujin.
Zhou Sujin turned to look out the car window on Lu An’s side. He saw the car logo as the car window just so happened to be aligned with the number 17 for a moment before it moved past.
Withdrawing his gaze, he replied to Lu An, “I knew.”
Wei Lai had mentioned it to him.
“I’ll open a supermarket to make it convenient for you to shop.“
