I hope that one day Zhou Sujin will love me lots.
Five days passed in a blur.
On the 28th of the lunar calendar, the sun was shining brightly. It had been clear for several days in a row, and the snow in the backyard had melted. The footprints had disappeared, revealing patches of yellowing grass.
The Cullinan was left in Beijing. We Lai was flying back on Zhou Sujin’s private jet. With the flight scheduled for 2:30 p.m., Zhou Sujin didn’t wake her up when he left that morning.
Wei Lai woke up naturally at 8:15 a.m., staying in bed for a few more minutes.
The past few days felt like a dream, yet not.
After washing up and having a simple breakfast, she started packing for her trip home, specifically setting aside a suitcase for calligraphy paintings.
A couple of days ago, Zhou Sujin had taken her to visit his paternal grandparents. When his grandfather heard that every store in her supermarket chain had a free reading corner, he proactively asked if she’d like some calligraphy pieces for decoration.
The calligraphy was all done by his grandfather himself, who rarely gave it away as gifts. Wei Lai was overjoyed and took many pieces with her.
Before heading to the airport, she called Zhou Sujin.
Zhou Sujin was in the middle of a conversation with someone. He nodded apologetically, then stepped outside with his phone in hand.
When he answered, Wei Lai said, “I’m heading to the airport now.”
“En, give me a call when you get home.”
In the past, he would’ve just responded with a simple acknowledgment, without adding that last part.
Wei Lai said into the phone, “Honey.”
Zhou Sujin: “What’s wrong? Did you want me to take you to the airport?”
It wasn’t anything in particular.
It wasn’t that she wanted him to take her to the airport. She knew how important today’s meeting was for him. Only she knew that when she called him “honey” just now, it wasn’t out of coquettishness like before. This time, it was different.
“No reason, just wanted to call you that.”
In the courtyard, the Bentley drove in.
Wei Lai grabbed her bag and headed downstairs, “Uncle Yan is here. I’m hanging up.”
They were about to be long-distance again. After adding a clause to their agreement, detailing how they should stay in touch while apart, she didn’t have much else to say. She left it up to him to decide.
The plane soared into the sky, carrying her farther and farther away from him.
By the time she landed in Jiang City, her dad was already waiting for her at Arrivals.
There were two large suitcases. Wei Huatian wouldn’t let his daughter push them, so he pushed them both himself.
Walking beside her dad, Wei Lai made small talk.
Wei Huatian said, “I thought you would be spending Chinese New Year with Zhou Sujin in Beijing.”
“If I did that, Mom would be spending Chinese New Year’s Eve all by herself,” Wei Lai responded too quickly, realizing her mistake as soon as the words left her mouth. Both of them fell silent for a long while. Since it was already said, she didn’t try to explain further.
Once in the car, Wei Huatian took off his glasses and meticulously wiped them with a cloth.
Wei Lai glanced at the glasses—there probably wasn’t any dust on the lenses.
She withdrew her gaze and pulled out her phone to send a message, “Honey, I’ve landed.“
Zhou Sujin called back immediately. “Who came to pick you up? Dad or Mom?”
“My dad.”
“I’ll come see you after the holiday.”
“Okay.”
With that, their brief conversation ended.
Back in the city, Wei Lai first delivered gifts to her paternal and maternal grandparents. By the time she arrived at the office, it was already dark.
Cheng Minzhi was staring intently at her computer screen, reviewing reports, when someone knocked on the door. “President Cheng.”
She looked up suddenly to see her daughter walk in with a smile.
“You… didn’t I tell you not to come back?”
“I missed you.” Wei Lai bent down to hug her mom, resting her head on her shoulder for a moment before scooping up the pile of pending documents on her mom’s desk. “I’ll take care of these.”
Cheng Minzhi asked, “When is Sujin coming after Chinese New Year? Or are you two planning to go somewhere for a few days?”
Wei Lai wasn’t sure. Zhou Sujin hadn’t shared his specific plans after the holiday.
On Chinese New Year’s Eve, Zhou Sujin and Zhou Jiaye spent the evening with their mom at the ancestral family estate. The whole extended family—dozens of them—had gathered at their paternal grandparents’ home for a reunion lunch, but by evening, everyone returned to their own homes.
Their father wasn’t home for Chinese New Year’s Eve. Every year, it was just the three of them—their mom, his brother, and him—eating Chinese New Year’s Eve dinner.
Ning Ruzhen glanced at her youngest’s wrist, then shifted her gaze to her oldest, who rejected blind dates and relationships, and her anger began to rise.
The two brothers had barely said more than a handful of words since returning.
They had always been like this since they were children—treating silence like it was golden, speaking as little as possible.
Trying to keep her tone gentle, Ning Ruzhen asked, “Sujin, it’s just us tonight. Can we calmly talk about why you got married?”
Zhou Jiaye turned to look at his lil’ bro. He hadn’t cared before, but ever since he found out that the watch was one Wei Lai had originally given to Zhang Yanxin, he had been curious about his lil’ bro’s true feelings toward their marriage and how deep his feelings for her were.
Zhou Sujin: “Because we’re compatible.”
Ning Ruzhen: “…”
She reminded herself not to get mad as it was Chinese New Year’s Eve, after all.
Zhou Sujin looked at his mom. “I’m not just saying it. She and I are compatible in many ways.”
He gave her examples to help her understand. “For instance, I wouldn’t ask her to stop acting spoiled, and she doesn’t mind that I’m of few words. She puts effort into understanding my hobby, and I can satisfy and tolerate her vanity. There’s so much more— too much to explain in just a few words. You and Dad have been married for years, but you two might not have the same level of mutual respect. Wei Lai and I do.”
Ning Ruzhen somewhat understood. Her son found comfort in his relationship with Wei Lai. Indeed, finding someone who was easy to be with was much harder than finding someone who you might fall in love with at first sight.
“Let me nag a little more—try to find a way to solve the long-distance issue. Your dad and I were long-distance for many years, and you don’t know how tough it was.”
During that time, she was raising their two children, and only she knew how hard it was.
“I have a plan.” Zhou Sujin clinked his glass against his mom’s. “Next year, I might not spend Chinese New Year in Beijing. Hope you’ll understand, Mom.”
Once Wei Lai Supermarkets were running smoothly, and Wei Lai didn’t have to work through Chinese New Year’s Eve, he planned to find a suitable city where both families could spend the holiday together. But he wasn’t sure when that day would come.
Ning Ruzhen: “There’s no need to ask for understanding. It’s not that serious. Your brother will be here to keep me company.”
Zhou Sujin drank the rest of his water. “He’s him. I’m me.”
Ning Ruzhen felt a lump in her throat. Although they both make her mad at times, in moments like these, she realized her two sons weren’t so bad after all.
Taking advantage of this rare heartwarming moment, she said to her youngest, “About your watch—do you think you could stop wearing it?”
Zhou Sujin: “What’s wrong with this one?”
“It’s just not as nice as the one your brother gave you.”
“That one still hasn’t been fixed yet.”
Ning Ruzhen had more to say, but in the spirit of the New Year, she decided to let it go.
After accompanying their mom until 11 p.m., Zhou Sujin and his brother returned to their respective homes.
It wasn’t midnight yet when he arrived home, so he gave Wei Lai a call.
Wei Lai answered cheerfully, “Happy New Year! I thought you weren’t gonna call.”
Zhou Sujin: “Were you waiting for my call?”
Wei Lai didn’t respond right away, realizing that she had let her true feelings slip a moment ago.
“Wei Lai?”
“En, I was waiting the whole time.”
“And last night?”
This time, Wei Lai stayed silent.
He was the busiest right before the new year, with endless social obligations. He came home after 2 a.m. the night before.
She hadn’t received his call yesterday—she must’ve felt wronged again.
Zhou Sujinn: “I’ll stay a few more days when I come to Jiang City this time.”
Wei Lai didn’t actually feel upset since this was how they agreed to interact. She waited for his call because, deep down, she hoped for it.
But if it didn’t come, it seemed normal to her, too.
With only a few minutes left until midnight, she took her phone and headed to the balcony upstairs.
Zhou Sujin heard the faint sound of wind through the phone. “Are you in the courtyard?”
“I’m on the balcony. Midnight’s almost here. I’m gonna make a wish under the fireworks. Who knows? It might come true.”
Every Chinese New Year’s Eve in Jiang City, there was a fireworks show. Each display lasted around half an hour. The first show started at 7 p.m. in the old district, and the second began at 11:50 p.m. in the Industrial Park area.
Though it was a bit far from where she stood, Wei Lai could still see the fireworks lighting up the sky from the balcony. The midnight fireworks were always the most breathtaking.
Zhou Sujin: “If you want your wish to come true quickly, you should wish to me instead of the fireworks.”
Wei Lai: “Even if I made this wish to you, you wouldn’t be able to make it come true.”
“Then make a wish I can make come true for you.”
“Honey, you’re the one who told me to.”
“En.”
Looking at the fireworks blooming in the distant night sky, Wei Lai took a breath before speaking into the phone, “I hope that one day Zhou Sujin will love me lots.”
As soon as she said that, it felt as though the wind on the balcony had stilled, and even her own breathing seemed to pause.
It was hard to continue after that, and she braced herself for the inevitable silence.
Zhou Sujin asked, “Any other wishes? You might as well make them all now.”
“That’s all.”
This one wish was already too much to ask for.
Zhou Sujin glanced at his watch—three minutes until midnight. “Want to wait and make another wish at midnight?”
The other wish didn’t matter anymore. “No need.”
Wei Lai stepped back inside, immediately feeling the warmth of the room wrap around her.
It was getting late, and Zhou Sujin suggested she go to bed early, mentioning that he still had things to take care of.
Wei Lai’s instinctive response was, “Do you have another call coming in?”
“No.” Zhou Sujin, still sitting in his car, turned off the engine. “Who would I be talking to at this hour? Just other matters.”
“Alright, then. I’m going to sleep.”
Wei Lai said goodnight and ended the call.
Her mom had already gone to bed, so she returned to her room.
Early the next morning, Cheng Minzhi was up by six. Train tickets from Jiang City to Hai City had long sold out, but she’d managed to secure a direct flight from Shanghai. That morning, she needed to take the high-speed train to Shanghai first.
She had gone to bed early last night, so she woke up to a dozen messages on her phone.
She replied to each greeting and then paused at the last one, silently taken aback.
He Wancheng: “President Cheng, I’m passing through Jiang City on my way to Shanghai. I can give you a lift.“
Su City was halfway between Jiang City and Shanghai. Hardly “on the way.”
Cheng Minzhi quickly declined. “Chairman He, no need for the trouble. It’s very convenient for me to take the high-speed train. It’s just an hour’s ride.“
He Wancheng replied almost instantly. “I’m already in Jiang City.“
There was little more she could say, so she could only thank him,
She wasn’t a three-year-old kid; a man going so far out of his way to give her a ride wasn’t doing it solely for work discussions.
After composing herself, she headed to the kitchen to make breakfast for her daughter.
Being the first day of Chinese New Year, visitors were plentiful. All they needed to do was check-in, so even non-resident vehicles could enter the gated community directly.
Just when she finished preparing breakfast, He Wancheng’s car pulled up at the front gate.
In the second-floor bedroom, Wei Lai was woken up by her alarm.
All their supermarkets were open today, and she planned to make her rounds.
She pulled open the floor-to-ceiling curtains to check the weather. A black sedan was parked by the front gate, and her mom was already out in the courtyard, pushing her suitcase. The car door opened, and the person who stepped out was He Wancheng.
Realizing what she was seeing, Wei Lai immediately pulled the curtains shut.
Last night when she sent her New Year’s greetings to He Wancheng, he had still been in Su City. Yet here he was, standing at their door early in the morning.
Wei Lai sat back down on her bed, lost in thought until her alarm went off again ten minutes later, snapping her back to the present.
She hoped that, this time, her mom would find someone who could truly be by her side for the rest of her life—someone who wouldn’t leave her bound by the past.
After He Wancheng’s car finally drove away, she then went downstairs.
Her mom had prepared breakfast and left her a note:
Happy New Year, President Lai!
I’ll be a little cringe today. Thank you for spending Chinese New Year’s Eve with me. This was your 26th Chinese New Year’s Eve with me, and I’m super content.
Love ya, President Lai.
May the new year bring you happiness.
Wei Lai took a deep breath to settle her emotions and messaged her mom, “Love you too. Safe travels“
After breakfast, she headed out to visit the first store on her list: the Jiang’an Cloud Residences store.
On her way to the store, New Year’s greetings kept popping up on her phone.
At a red light, she glanced at a few messages. The top one was from Yuan Hengrui. It looked like a mass message, but she knew it wasn’t.
“As we welcome Chinese New Year, Yuan Hengrui wishes you and your family great fortune, health, and happiness!“
Wei Lai replied to him, “Happy New Year to you, too. Wishing you and Jiang’an Group all the best.“
Yuan Hengrui hadn’t expected a reply from her. “Thank you. Wishing you and President Zhou all the best.“
The traffic light began its countdown, and Wei Lai put down her phone.
On the first day of Chinese New Year, the supermarket opened an hour later than usual. By the time Wei Lai arrived, it had just opened. She parked her car, stepped out, and was about to close the door when her hand froze mid-motion as she caught sight of the table by the window in the free reading corner.
If she hadn’t caught a glimpse of his side profile, she wouldn’t have believed it was him.
She shut the car door with a loud bang, quickly covered the distance in a few long strides, and broke into a run before reaching the window, where she knocked on the glass.
Zhou Sujin turned at the sound, meeting her bright, happy smile.
“Happy New Year.”
The glass insulated the sound, but he could tell what she was saying from reading her lips.
Setting down his coffee, Zhou Sujin stood up and motioned for her to wait outside.
There wasn’t anyone around at this hour at the entrance. As Zhou Sujin came out of the entrance, Wei Lai threw her arms around him. “Why didn’t you call me?”
Zhou Sujin looked down at her. “Didn’t you want me to surprise you?”
“When did you get here?”
“Six-thirty.”
Last night, he had mentioned being busy—likely because he was already on his way to the airport.
Just at that moment, a passerby walked by the front of the supermarket, so Wei Lai released him.
“You said you’d stay in Jiang City for a few more days?”
Zhou Sujin: “En, there’s a lot to handle with the project here. I’ll be around for about ten days.”
In that case, there was no rush to say everything today. Wei Lai hugged him, apologizing, “I didn’t expect you to come today. I already promised each store manager I’d visit them today.”
Zhou Sujin: “No worries. I also have work to do anyway.”
Before leaving, Wei Lai tugged on his coat hem once more.
Zhou Sujin looked at her. “I didn’t forget. I’ll pick you up after work tonight.”
Satisfied, Wei Lai let go of his coat and headed into the store, immersing herself in work.
Today, Zhou Sujin was using Lu An’s car; his own hadn’t arrived in Jiang City yet.
As soon as he sat down in the back seat, his phone rang. Seeing the caller ID, he frowned slightly but answered anyway.
“President Zhou, Happy New Year.”
“Happy New Year. How can I help you?”
Zhou Sujin gave him face.
Zhang Yanxin was currently sitting in his quiet, chilly office. The heater had just been turned on, and the room was still cold. That watch had become his obsession. He’d tried to put it out of his mind, but it was no use—he’d lost interest in all his other watches and found himself constantly thinking about the one Wei Lai had bought him.
He’d even asked Lu An for help, only to be flatly refused.
In the past, he’d held back out of consideration that Kunchen Group was a shareholder of Xinming Semiconductor, so he endured it and didn’t go find Zhou Sujin.
But last night, he’d learned that Kunchen Group had decided to reduce its stake in Xinming Semiconductor.
With no chance of improving relations with Zhou Sujin, he saw no reason to keep quiet any longer.
He only wanted to get that watch back, without dragging Wei Lai into it. “President Zhou, there’s a watch that a friend of mine sold due to some… unavoidable circumstances. Later, he found out it ended up with you, and he asked me to see if you’d be willing to part with it. He’d like to buy it back.”
A heavy silence followed.
Zhang Yanxin didn’t say anything more, unsure of what Zhou Sujin was thinking.
After a few more seconds, Zhou Sujin finally uttered, “Is it really your friend who wants to buy it back, or is it you?”
