Wife
The distance of over a thousand kilometers made it an extravagance to expect him to travel back and forth every week. So, she never dared to hope.
But he fulfilled that wish without a word.
Wei Lai wrapped her arms around his broad back. Even this embrace couldn’t fully express the flood of emotions in her heart. She leaned in closer, her nose brushing against his neck, as his clean, crisp scent filled her senses.
The collar of his black shirt was slightly undone, revealing a vein on the side of his neck that snaked downward. Holding her breath, she kissed his distinct, alluring Adam’s apple mirroring the tenderness with which he had kissed her neck just moments ago.
Zhou Sujin’s breathing faltered for two seconds. He raised a hand to grasp her head and instinctively leaned back.
He didn’t say a word, but from his reaction, Wei Lai deduced that his Adam’s apple was his most sensitive spot.
She didn’t kiss it again. Instead, she kissed along the vein on his neck and murmured, “How many days will you stay each time?”
“At least one night, ideally two.”
“All I heard was the last two words of the sentence.”
Zhou Sujin had grown accustomed to her getting an inch and wanting a mile. Sliding his hands behind her back, he took his time removing his cufflinks.
Wei Lai felt his arms brush against her sides, moving purposefully against her nightgown. “What are you doing?”
“Nothing, just taking off the cufflinks.”
“I’ll help you.”
She sat up from his embrace.
Zhou Sujin had already removed one cufflink, leaving the other for her.
As Wei Lai worked on unfastening it, she casually mentioned that she was free tomorrow.
Zhou Sujin watched her unclip the cufflink and carefully roll his sleeve up twice before asking, “Anywhere you wanna go?”
“You decide.” Wei Lai found it hard to imagine what a date with him would even look like. From pretending to be a couple to where they were now, they’d never had an official date.
Zhou Sujin had work scheduled for tomorrow, but he adjusted his schedule on the spot.
“What about the day after? Will you let me accompany you?”
Wei Lai put down the cufflink and wrapped her arms around his waist. “En, I’m off the day after, too.”
Zhou Sujin pushed all his work back by two days and muted his work phone.
In his career so far, he had never gone two consecutive days without working. Even on vacations, he would handle emails in the evenings.
After showering, he emerged from the bathroom. Wei Lai had already turned off the floor lamp.
Tying his robe, Zhou Sujin opened the door and stepped out.
Wei Lai, still awake, called to him from behind, “Are you working overtime again?”
“No. I’ve pushed everything back. No overtime.”
He left the bedroom, his footsteps fading down the hallway.
Wei Lai wasn’t sleepy. She reached out and picked up one of his cufflinks, rolling it between her fingers. Before she could examine its details, the door opened.
Zhou Sujin returned.
“What you’re holding is…” She trailed off, but Wei Lai had already guessed what it was based on the box’s size and shape.
So, he’d bought them on his way home, carrying two or three boxes in his hand.
She set the cufflink back down. Just as she was turning around, he pulled her into his arms.
Zhou Sujin positioned her head to rest in the crook of his arm and kissed her cheek. “Were you upset last night?”
Wei Lai shook her head and leaned against his chest. “Not upset, but at the same time, I did wish you’d held me.”
Pulling her even closer, Zhou Sujin shifted his body and pressed her beneath him as he lowered to kiss her.
Wei Lai welcomed his kiss, her hands instinctively circling his back to grip his robe.
They were still unfamiliar with each other’s body heat, but his kiss slowly and deliberately explored her lips, tongue, and body, drawing her closer to him with every touch, guiding her to familiarize herself with him.
“Honey, where are you planning to go tomorrow? I don’t want to stay home for a date,” she broke the silence, partly to mask her own voice.
Zhou Sujin: “Not at home.”
As for where, he didn’t elaborate.
Skin pressed against skin, and Wei Lai suddenly wanted to kiss his Adam’s apple.
But Zhou Sujin was quicker to act, capturing her lips before she could reach his sensitive spot.
His lips never left hers.
In the air around them, his domineering coolness blended seamlessly with her gentle warmth.
Wei Lai’s breath paused as she wrapped herself tightly around him, and he held her even closer.
The tremor reached her heart.
Still unfamiliar, yet no longer strange.
With no need to work tomorrow and the absence of a clock in the bedroom, time was left to their whim.
He made up for yesterday as well.
The next morning, Wei Lai was roused by the persistent buzzing of messages.
Half-asleep, she reached out to find her phone, realizing too late that she’d forgotten to put it on silent the night before.
Instead of her phone, her hand brushed against a long, strong hand.
Wei Lai’s eyes flew open. Zhou Sujin, already dressed, was leaning over to retrieve her phone for her.
“What time is it?” she asked, collapsing back onto the bed, waiting for him to hand it over.
“8:20,” he replied after checking his watch.
Wei Lai noticed he was wearing a different watch today. Both her car and his had arrived in Jiang City last night, and this watch must’ve been brought over by Uncle Yan. She recognized it instantly—it was the one his maternal grandfather had won at an auction a few years back and gifted to Zhou Sujin.
Handing her the phone, Zhou Sujin asked, “Do you wanna get up? If you’d rather sleep a bit more, we can head out in the afternoon.”
“Have you decided where we’re going?”
“I’ll take you to Shanghai for a cup of coffee.”
“Is the cafe pretty special?”
“You’ll probably like it.”
Wei Lai was suddenly wide awake. Glancing at her phone, she saw 61 unread messages from her “Plastic Sisters” group chat. Unbothered, she set her phone aside and got out of bed in an instant.
In her closet were several new dresses she’d brought back before the New Year. She picked the one she thought looked the best, but when she saw her reflection in the mirror, it was unwearable—a deep purple mark on her neck betrayed her.
She could only swap it out for a turtleneck sweater.
After a simple breakfast, they left the house at nine.
Zhou Sujin didn’t let Uncle Yan tag along; instead, he personally drove the Cullinan.
Seated in the passenger seat, Wei Lai scrolled through the group chat messages.
There were now over a hundred, most from Qiao Sitian, followed by Yin Le, with others chiming in.
Early that morning, Qiao Sitian had sent several pictures of tangyuan her hubby had made for her. She complained about how some had burst open, with the filling spilling out.
tangyuan – Chinese sweet dumplings
The important point wasn’t the tangyuan but the fact her hubby had taken the trouble to cook them for her.
Yin Le: “They actually look pretty good. Where’d you buy them? I’ll ask my helper to get some. My husband insisted on making them himself this year, and they were a total disaster—absolutely inedible.“
Wei Lai almost rolled her eyes. They were subtly flaunting their husbands.
Qiao Sitian, overshadowed by Yin Le’s response, was probably fuming.
Both women’s marriages were political, though their relationships had turned out well enough. Yin Le and her husband had a deeper bond, having grown up together, while Qiao Sitian and her husband started off as mere partners, their affection building over time.
Both of them were born with a golden spoon in their mouths, their privileged upbringings evenly matched. Before marriage, they’d competed over boyfriends; after marriage, they compared husbands—never stopping.
Their group itself was entirely superficial. No one was particularly close with anyone, yet there’d never been any real conflicts either.
Qiao Sitian @ her multiple times: “What surprise did your CEO have for you this New Year? Make us jealous!“
“Where are you, babe?“
“Baby, come out for hotpot tonight!“
These messages were from half an hour ago, just as she had woken up.
Wei Lai finally replied to Qiao Sitian: “Not today, I just left Jiang City, no idea what time I’ll be back tonight.“
Qiao Sitian responded instantly: “Business trip during the New Year?“
Wei Lai: “Zhou Sujin said there’s a nice cafe in Shanghai. He’s taking me to try it.“
Qiao Sitian had anticipated she wouldn’t stay low-profile for long. Sure enough, Wei Lai couldn’t resist showing off today.
“When are you free then? Le Le and I miss you like crazy.“
Yin Le chimed in, @ her: “Baby, how about the day after tomorrow?“
Wei Lai: “Can’t; Zhou Sujin cleared his schedule that day.“
There was soft music playing inside the car, keeping the atmosphere light.
Seeing her put her phone away, Zhou Sujin lowered the volume. “Done chatting?”
“En, all the showing off is done for now.”
Zhou Sujin kept his eyes on the road, glancing at her briefly from the corner of his eye. “You use that group to unwind when work gets tiring?”
Wei Lai, reaching out to switch tracks on the screen, froze mid-motion. Instead of pressing “next,” her finger hit the pause button, and the car suddenly fell silent.
She turned to look at him, caught off guard. A mix of warmth and bittersweetness surged in her chest—an indescribable feeling.
He was the first person to understand why she stayed in the “plastic sisters” group chat. Not even Zhang Yanxin had ever understood her.
She nodded. “En.”
Zhou Sujin asked, “Do they have things you don’t?”
Wei Lai: “A lot.”
She quickly added, “Not materialistic things. They never compare those.” Jewelry, luxury cars, and haute couture were everyday staples for Qiao Sitian and Yin Le—hardly worth mentioning.
“In the group, it’s always about showing off what money can’t buy.”
Her voice softened a little. “For example, you taking me out for coffee. But I’ve already shown that off.”
Zhou Sujin: “…”
They had just left Jiang City and hadn’t even had the coffee yet. She was already spending her bragging rights in advance.
Wei Lai recounted the group chat’s morning competition. “Qiao Sitian showed off that her husband made her tangyuan. Yin Le immediately followed up, saying her husband hand-wrapped theirs.”
“For New Year’s, we don’t eat dumplings—we eat tangyuan. They come in sweet and savory, but I like the sweet ones best. Savory comes second.”
Zhou Sujin remained silent.
“Honey, why aren’t you saying anything?”
“Your hints are so obvious. If I say I don’t know how to make them, you’ll feel wronged again. I’m thinking about how to settle this.”
Wei Lai laughed. “I won’t feel wronged.”
She added, “I know how to make them. Tomorrow, I’ll let you try Jiang-style tangyuan.”
Initially worried about how to plan tomorrow’s date, she now had the perfect idea for celebrating their first Chinese New Year.
Traffic was heavy on the way, and the city traffic delayed them further. It was almost noon by the time they arrived at the cafe.
Wei Lai finally understood why he had chosen to take her to another city for coffee. It was their first official date, and his reserved nature made navigating a long stretch of hours challenging. To avoid awkward silences or ruining the mood, while still adding a romantic touch, travelling to another city was a perfect solution.
He had to focus on driving on the highway, cutting down the need to converse. The hours spent coming and going naturally filled the day.
He had probably deliberated for a long time before settling on this date plan.
The cafe truly was unique, perched along the wide expanse of the Huangpu River.
Its decor was understated yet luxurious, exuding a subtle sense of sophistication. Every table featured a curated selection of books, doubling as both decoration and reading material for customers.
A cup of Gesha coffee and a worn collection of literature—both of which Wei Lai loved.
She snapped a photo and posted it to her WeChat Moments.
It was her first post in six months.
Zhou Sujin’s personal phone rang—a call from a friend in Shanghai.
He muted his phone and stepped outside the cafe to answer.
“Saw your Cullinan. Are you driving it yourself, or did you lend it to Lu An?”
“Myself.”
“Let’s grab lunch together then.”
“Next time, I’m accompanying someone for coffee.”
His friend was surprised and chuckled. “Who’s important enough to make you come all the way here just for coffee?”
“My wife.”
The words felt unfamiliar as he said them, but at least he managed without hesitation.
Hearing Wei Lai mentioned, his friend blabbered a bit more.
He had heard of Zhou Sujin withdrawing from Xinming Group. “Is there really no room to negotiate between you and Xinming?”
“None.” Zhou Sujin glanced at his watch; he had been outside for almost three minutes. Wei Lai would soon come looking for him. “Let’s chat another day.”
When he stepped back inside the cafe, Wei Lai’s first words to him were, “Why were you gone so long?”
Zhou Sujin sat down beside her without responding.
Just three minutes, and to her, it felt like an eternity.
They had a light lunch at the cafe before continuing to read in the afternoon.
Zhou Sujin picked up a book, though none of them appealed to him. But since he had agreed to read with her, he persevered, and read until the last page.
Closing the book, he asked her if there was anywhere else she’d like to go.
Wei Lai decided not to make things harder for him. For someone who had always been engrossed in work, suddenly putting everything aside for a date was clearly a struggle.
As the sun began to set, she returned both her book and his to their original spots. “Let’s go home.”
Going out on a date wasn’t quite as enjoyable as being at home. After all, reading was just reading. It was hard to be close outside. At least at home, she could snuggle up against him and joke around.
On the drive back, Zhou Sujin said to her, “In the future, if you want a specific kind of date, just let me know.”
Wei Lai: “Just having you with me is enough.”
“You don’t find it boring?”
“Not at all. Since we’re long-distance and don’t talk daily, our time together is short and our time apart is long. That’s why, even if you step away for just a few minutes during a date, it feels so long to me.”
Zhou Sujin realized he no longer had much of a bottom line. When he decided to marry her, it was the dynamic during their fake relationship that had shaped his decision.
Before, he only visited Jiang City every two or three weeks. They kept their distance when apart, giving him plenty of space.
Now, he was coming to see her every week, even carving out time specifically for dates.
It wasn’t feasible to shift to daily communication.
Silence fell inside the car for a long while. He turned on some music, playing one of her favorite songs.
By the time they reached Jiang City, dusk had settled in. The supermarkets, on holiday hours, had already closed.
Zhou Sujin dropped Wei Lai home first but didn’t follow after.
“Are you heading back out?”
“En, I have something to take care of.”
Wei Lai looked at him. “You haven’t hugged me all day.”
Zhou Sujin pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly. “I won’t be long. I’ll be back soon.”
Wei Lai didn’t ask where he was going. He’d spent the entire day with her—he probably needed a quiet moment to himself.
Taking off her coat, Wei Lai sat down on the sofa and quietly collected her thoughts for a while.
Although today’s date consisted of nothing more than coffee and reading in one place, Wei Lai felt deeply content. Finally, there was someone willing to sit beside her and read a book.
Meanwhile, Zhou Sujin headed downstairs, drove out of the garage, and turned right.
It took him two attempts before he found an open flower shop. He parked and stepped inside.
He was well aware that the date had been dull, yet he couldn’t think of a better place to take her.
The owner was just about to close shop, with one of the shop’s lights already turned off. It was then turned on again. He asked Zhou Sujin what kind of flowers he was looking for and whom they were for.
“Roses.”
The owner opened the cooler and pulled out a single rose, but Zhou Sujin stopped them. “I’ll pick them myself.” He had only ever bought hydrangeas for his aunt. Choosing roses was a first.
After carefully selecting a bouquet, he picked out a wrapping paper that he thought Wei Lai might like. He asked the owner to keep the packaging simple, nothing too elaborate.
“Do you have a card?” He asked the owner.
The owner was wrapping the flowers and gestured toward a table near the entrance stacked with various cards. “Pick one yourself.”
Zhou Sujin chose a plain light caramel-colored card. His handwriting, while not overly artistic, was neat and deliberate. He penned a single line:
Happy New Year.
—Zhou Sujin
