Author: plum

I’m Only Like This With You, Not With Just Anyone

When Zhou Sujin returned home from the flower shop, the house was empty. A sticky note left by Wei Lai was affixed to the cabinet door in the entryway:

“Hubby, I’m going home for a bit. I’ll be back in about an hour.“

Peeling off the note, he carried the bouquet of roses into the bedroom.

Wei Lai hadn’t gone back to her condo—she headed to her mom’s. Tomorrow’s date was to spend the entire day at home, and the only way to pass the time was by cooking.

Since there was nothing at their Jiang’an Cloud Residences condo, she came back to grab some ingredients.

Inside the fridge, she found tangyuan filling her paternal grandma had made before the New Year, both sweet and savory options. She only took the lard, sesame, and fresh pork. Just as she closed the fridge, she remembered she hadn’t grabbed the glutinous rice flour.

Adding some snacks, she packed two large bags and hauled them to her car’s trunk.

Before driving off, she snapped a picture of the loaded trunk and sent it to her mom: “Can’t guard against thieves—I practically emptied the fridge.“

Cheng Minzhi laughed. “I stocked it up for you to take. Is Sujin in Jiang City?“

“En, he arrived yesterday morning. We went to Shanghai for coffee today.“

Cheng Minzhi had liked her daughter’s WeChat post earlier, assuming it was a cafe in Jiang City.

She was currently at the beach, BBQing with He Wancheng and his friends. As she typed her reply, a shadow suddenly fell over her. He Wancheng set down a plate of skewers he had grilled and placed them on the table in front of her without saying a word.

“Mom, I’m gonna drive now. Let’s chat when you’re back. Have fun!“

Wei Lai started the car, only to hit traffic at three intersections in the city. Once she reached the residential area, the roads cleared, but the delay added over 20 minutes to her ETA.

When she arrived home, Zhou Sujin had already showered and was sitting in the living room, flipping through one of her books.

“Honey, I’m back.”

Seeing the two large bags she was carrying, Zhou Sujin closed the book and walked over to her. “Why didn’t you call me when you were downstairs?”

“I can handle it. I’ve been carrying heavy loads since I was a kid, following the stock clerks around to help restock shelves. And I was great at P.E. In every sport from elementary to high school, I always came first in the girls’ long-distance run.”

She wasn’t sure if he enjoyed hearing these bits of her past.

Zhou Sujin took the grocery bags from her hands and looked at her. “Want to join me for a run tomorrow morning?”

“…” It was going to be -4°C tomorrow.

After a brief two-second internal struggle, she smiled and shook her head, changing the subject. “Why didn’t you work while I was out?”

“I’ll handle it the day after tomorrow,” Zhou Sujin replied.

He didn’t mention the roses he had bought for her. It wasn’t until Wei Lai went to the bedroom to shower that she noticed the large bouquet of red roses on the nightstand.

There was also a handwritten card next to it. Unlike his usual bold, sweeping handwriting, the message on the card was written with care.

So that’s why he went out earlier—not to find a quiet place to rest, but to buy her flowers. This was the first time he had given her a gift on his own initiative, and roses were different from any other gift.

She picked up the bouquet, the floral scent filling the air.

Zhou Sujin entered the bedroom, and Wei Lai turned to look at him. “Thank you. I love them.”

Her joy couldn’t be put into words. She carefully set the flowers down and hugged him.

As she hugged him, Zhou Sujin held her close.

“What made you think of getting me flowers?”

“No special reason. I just felt like it.”

Wei Lai’s heart skipped a beat at his straightforward response. She looked up at him from his embrace. He was always calm and reserved, his emotions rarely visible. It was hard to catch even the slightest ripple in his eyes.

“You picked the flowers yourself?”

“En, I picked them all myself.”

She was even more pleased, and said smiling, “No one would believe it if I told them.”

Zhou Sujin continued the convo, “They wouldn’t. Even Lu An calls me cold-blooded and says I’m not a good person.”

“What you’re like doing business doesn’t matter to me. As long as you treat me well in private, that’s enough.” Bolstered by his roses, her confidence surged, and she dared to ask, “Zhou Sujin, are you only like this with me? You’re not good to just anyone, right?”

As soon as she asked, she couldn’t bring herself to meet his eyes and avoided looking at his expression.

Zhou Sujin looked down at her. Her long, thick eyelashes trembled ever so slightly.

He said, “En, I’m only like this with you.”

Wei Lai was momentarily speechless, her heart racing wildly in her chest.

She hadn’t felt this kind of butterflies in a long time.

She clutched onto his shirt at his waist, holding on for a few seconds in her sudden loss of composure.

Sensing her emotional state, Zhou Sujin shifted to hold her with one arm. His left hand took her hand which was clutching his shirt and gently stroked the back of it with his thumb. “Go take a shower. I’ll put the flowers in a vase for you.”

“Just hold me for a bit longer,” Wei Lai held his finger tightly.

His hands were well-defined, dry, and warm, speeding up her already erratic heartbeat.

Wei Lai stood on her tippy toes, wanting to kiss him but couldn’t reach him.

Zhou Sujin bent down, meeting her kiss halfway while pulling his hand free from her grasp to princess-carry her.

Firmly held by his strong arms, Wei Lai tentatively pushed her tongue past his lips.

Zhou Sujin carried her to the bed, holding the back of her head as he deepened the kiss.

Wei Lai trembled, her breath becoming ragged. The lack of oxygen made her chest ache unbearably, as though she were a fish stranded on shore, her heart threatening to stop at any moment.

At the brink of suffocation, she broke away from his lips, burying her face against his neck, gasping desperately for air. Only then did the oxygen feel sufficient.

Zhou Sujin wrapped his arms around her shoulder, pulling her close to help her calm down. “Take a shower and go to bed early tonight.”

Wei Lai nodded. After last night’s intensity, she knew she couldn’t handle more of him today.

The bouquet of roses was placed in a vase on her nightstand.

The next day, Wei Lai woke up early. Zhou Sujin woke up even earlier and was already out for his morning run.

Another long “date day” for him, stretching over ten hours. Wei Lai had planned out the day: cooking in the morning, napping after lunch—sleeping until around 4 or 5 p.m., and the day was pretty much over.

When Zhou Sujin returned from his run, he saw her pulling out ingredients from the fridge. “Let’s eat out for lunch.”

Wei Lai: “Let’s stay in. I’ll cook, and you can work beside me. That way, we’re still spending time together.”

Zhou Sujin understood that she was trying to give him as much space as possible, but he disagreed. “It’s rare to have a day off. Don’t waste it in the kitchen.”

“What should we do this morning then? It’s freezing outside, and there’s not much to do here.”

“Stay home. Don’t you enjoy reading?”

“The books I read might not interest you.”

“That’s fine. You can read to me.”

Wei Lai hadn’t thought a date could be like this.

After breakfast, Wei Lai brewed two cups of coffee—one Gesha for herself and another he liked.

They sat on the sunlit balcony. She sat with her back in the sunlight, opening a book she was halfway through and starting over from the beginning. Occasionally, her reading was interspersed with phrases in their local dialect.

Zhou Sujin had silenced his personal phone. He didn’t understand the local dialect and asked what it meant.

Wei Lai put down the book. “Want me to teach you our local dialect?” She worried he might not have the patience for it.

Zhou Sujin nodded. “Sure.”

Wei Lai moved her chair closer to his, sitting face-to-face.

This didn’t feel like a date. A few times, she had the urge to rest her feet on his lap. She couldn’t help but act a little spoiled, “Honey.”

Zhou Sujin glanced at her. “Want to rest them on me?”

“En.”

He adjusted his posture slightly. “Go ahead.”

Wei Lai stretched out her legs, placing her feet on his firm, muscular abdomen.

Zhou Sujin glanced at her twice but didn’t say anything, letting her do as she pleased.

On the second day after the Chinese New Year holiday ended, Wei Lai finally found time to meet a few of her plastic sisters for hotpot. Most of the group was out of town, leaving only Qiao Sitian and Yin Le in Jiang City.

In their group chat, only these two ever called her “Baby.” The others called her “Lai Lai,” as baby was overly cheesy.

She rushed to the hotpot restaurant after work and was the last one to arrive.

They often had hotpot together, so everyone was familiar with each other’s preferences, so Qiao Sitian had already ordered the soup base and ingredients and was waiting for the broth to boil.

Yin Le slid a few slices of watermelon toward her. “Where’s your CEO Zhou?”

“He left last night.” Wei Lai took off her coat and hung it up before grabbing a slice of watermelon to eat.

Qiao Sitian glanced over Wei Lai’s radiant oval face, her complexion glowing with a soft pink hue. “Looks like someone’s been well taken care of.”

Yin Le was sitting beside Wei Lai. “Baby, let me take a look.” She grabbed Wei Lai’s face, trying to turn it toward her. Wei Lai laughed and playfully pushed her away.

As Qiao Sitian placed slices of meat into the spicy broth, she said, “Do you know what they’ve been gossiping about you lately?”

Wei Lai had paid no attention nor cared in the slightest. Ever since her breakup with Zhang Yanxin, rumors had been swirling nonstop, with over a hundred variations by now.

“What are they saying about me?”

“They’re curious about the details of your prenup with Zhou Sujin. Someone saw him taking his personal attorney to your dad’s law firm before registering your marriage.”

With a prenup in place, Zhou Sujin’s wealth would have nothing to do with Wei Lai then.

Qiao Sitian asked cautiously, “So, you really signed one?”

Wei Lai admitted openly, “I did.”

Besides a supplementary agreement, there were specific arrangements concerning assets.

“Are they pitying me again? Saying my dream of marrying into affluence has been shattered for the third time?”

Qiao Sitian just smiled, fishing out the cooked meat from the pot. Using communal chopsticks, she carefully removed the Sichuan peppercorns and placed the meat onto Wei Lai’s plate.

Switching the topic, she mentioned Xinming Group. “Zhou Sujin has decided to completely withdraw from Xinming. He clearly cares a lot about you, so don’t worry about what others say behind your back.”

Wei Lai was stunned. “Completely withdraw from Xinming? When did this happen?”

“Recently. You didn’t know?”

Wei Lai shook her head. Zhou Sujin hadn’t brought it up, but it must’ve had something to do with that watch.

He said this matter between him and her was in the past, something confined solely to them. As for what transpired between him and Zhang Yanxin, she didn’t ask another word.

Qiao Sitian couldn’t resist gossiping. “What did Zhang Yanxin do to offend Zhou Sujin? I heard his dad threw a fit at home on the first day of Chinese New Year, but Zhang Yanxin didn’t care at all. He even said he’s been wanting to stop working with Zhou Sujin and already has someone else in mind for a partnership.”

She and her husband spent all last night speculating who Zhang Yanxin’s new partner might be.

Yin Le nudged Wei Lai. “Why so quiet? Isn’t this just so dramatic?”

It was, indeed, a little dramatic.

The watch she’d bought for her ex had ended up in her current husband’s hands.

Yet, even as the meal ended, Wei Lai said nothing about how dramatic it actually was.

After parting ways with Qiao Sitian and Yin Le, Wei Lai drove off. From the hotpot restaurant, she headed straight toward Jiang’an Cloud Residences.

It wasn’t until she neared the entrance to the residential complex that it dawned on her—Zhou Sujin wasn’t in Jiang City anymore. Their shared home was empty. By then, her car was already at the gate. She eased off the gas and slowly pulled over to the side.

Looking up at the towering building, she couldn’t even tell which floor their home was on.

At that moment, she missed him terribly.

Zhou Sujin had left Jiang City at dawn today, staying an extra night for her.

When she woke up this morning, she received a message from him. “I’ve arrived in Beijing.“

She’d once told him she wasn’t used to abrupt end of contact, hoping he would at least send her a message letting her know when he landed safely. This time, he’d sent one—but only that single sentence.

Wei Lai checked the rearview mirror. There were no cars behind her. She shifted into reverse, turned her car around, and left Jiang’an Cloud Residences, heading back to her own small condo.

Halfway home, Wei Lai received a call from Zhao Yihan, asking if she was at home so she could drop something off.

She glanced at the time on her screen. “I’m still outside. I’ll be home in about 20 minutes.”

“Alright, see you soon.”

It had been a while since she last saw Zhao Yihan. The last time was before Chinese New Year when they’d shared a Chinese New Year’s Eve dinner at her dad and Auntie Zhao’s place.

After dinner, Auntie Zhao walked Zhao Yihan home as usual, while her dad accompanied her back to her condo. Her dad, rarely one to bring up the past, brought up her mom. “These years, you and your mom spent Chinese New Year’s Eve together and not at your uncle’s place with your grandparents?”

“We didn’t go to Uncle’s cause Mom didn’t feel like it; she just wanted to stay home.”

After that, she and her dad walked the rest of the way in silence.

Shaking off the memory, Wei Lai found herself already at her condominium. Zhao Yihan had arrived first.

Zhao Yihan was still on vacation until next week, so she spent the whole afternoon making cherry jam from two boxes of cherries she’d bought. Knowing Wei Lai loved cherry jam as a kid, Zhao Yihan thought today’s batch turned out quite well, so she brought over a few jars for her.

“They’re sealed and ready—just put them in the fridge and enjoy.”

Wei Lai received the jars, touched but unable to express her gratitude in words.

She said with a smile, “I’ll buy some toast first thing tomorrow morning and spread this on for breakfast.” It was cold outside, so she invited Zhao Yihan upstairs.

“It’s too late; I’ll come by another day to hang out,” Zhao Yihan then asked how the supermarket financing was going.

“I’ve scheduled a meeting with a VC* in Shanghai. Chen Qi and I will head over the day after tomorrow to discuss.”

VC – Venture Capitalist

“All the best. If it doesn’t work out, I know someone who might be of help. I’ll connect you.” Zhao Yihan urged her to head inside as she opened the car door to leave.

“Thanks, sis,” Wei Lai stepped forward and hugged her.

Caught off guard by the sudden affection, Zhao Yihan felt a little awkward.

Wei Lai watched as Zhao Yihan’s car disappeared into the distance before heading upstairs to her condo.

Once inside, she checked her phone. Only her work and friends’ group chats had unread messages.

After showering, it was almost 10 p.m. Wei Lai subconsciously glanced at her chats again.

She knew she wouldn’t receive anything, but she couldn’t help holding onto a sliver of hope.

Meanwhile, Zhou Sujin had left his office and gone to his aunt’s house to deliver some items he’d brought back from Jiang City.

It was too late for coffee, so Ning Rujiang poured him a cup of warm water. As she handed him the cup, she briefly glanced at his wrist, noting that he was no longer wearing that watch.

Zhou Sujin calmly took the cup, acting normal.

Sitting down in a nearby chair, Ning Rujiang began to probe. She had already heard bits and pieces about what happened in Jiang City from her eldest nephew.

“Jiaye mentioned you’re planning to go to London soon. Your grandparents are still at the orchard. They’ll be back before long—what are you going there for?”

“For work.”

He was going to meet the person Zhang Yanxin was planning to partner with.

Ning Rujiang knew better than to beat around the bush with her nephew. “It’s related to Xinming Group, isn’t it?”

“Did my brother tell you about Zhang Yanxin wanting to buy the watch from me?”

“He did.”

Feeling sorry for her nephew, Ning Rujiang patted his arm gently. “It’s just a watch—don’t let it weigh on you. If you don’t feel like keeping it, give it to me. I’ll hold onto it for you, and when you don’t mind it anymore, I’ll give it back.”

“It’s in my watch safe.”

Ning Rujiang stared at her nephew. The watches he kept in his safe were all ones he deeply valued. “That watch—you can’t bring yourself to get rid of it because Wei Lai put so much thought into it, right?”

Zhou Sujin didn’t respond. Instead, he handed over the tea leaves and confectioneries he’d brought back from Jiang City. “Wei Lai picked these out specifically for you. She waited in line for an hour just to buy the confectioneries.”

He skillfully steered the conversation away. Ning Rujiang understood her nephew well; if he didn’t want to say something, it was impossible to press him further. “Thank Lai Lai for me.”

After finishing half the cup, Zhou Sujin got up to leave.

Sitting in his car, he glanced at the time before opening his chat with Wei Lai. “Go to bed early. If anything is bothering you, you can tell me.“

Previous | Index | Next

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

Previous | Index | Next

I Thought About You Twice

Wei Lai wasn’t sure what to do about the watch.

The night they broke up, she sold it without a second thought. By then, she felt no lingering attachment to Zhang Yanxin. It was simply a coincidence that the watch ended up with Zhou Sujin.

“Do you want to hear my explanation?” she asked, looking up at him.

Zhou Sujin only looked back at her quietly, saying nothing.

He remained expressionless, but there was a trace of warmth in his otherwise cold gaze.

Wei Lai took a moment to gather her thoughts. “At first, I didn’t think it was necessary to tell you. You were the one who paid for it; I didn’t gift it to you. I figured after our contract ended, we might never see each other again. It’s just a cheap watch to you, easy to fix if it breaks, and you probably don’t even think it looks good.”

She paused. “So I didn’t mention it.”

She lowered her gaze, avoiding his eyes as she continued.

“After we married, I didn’t know how to bring it up. It’s only been twenty days since we registered our marriage, and it hasn’t been easy to meet face-to-face. I thought about mentioning it a few times while in Beijing, but I held back, not wanting to ruin the mood… so it dragged on until now.”

“If I had known Zhang Yanxin wanted to buy the watch back, I would’ve told you sooner, no matter what.”

Wei Lai looked up again. “I’m sorry for putting you in such an awkward position in front of him.” Maybe even humiliating.

Zhou Sujin never liked hearing explanations, yet today, he listened to her every word with patience. And after all she said, he realized what he most wanted to hear wasn’t in her explanation.

His grip on her shoulder softened as he asked, “Is there anything else you want to tell me?”

Wei Lai clearly felt his hand loosening on her shoulder. “Yes.”

Zhou Sujin gestured to her to continue with his eyes.

“I want you to hold me a little longer.”

Zhou Sujin met her eyes for a moment before pulling her tighter into his arms, more firmly than before.

Going out for a fancy dinner was out of the question tonight. Wei Lai decided she’d cook something simple herself—it’d help her calm her mind, too.

“What do you want to eat? I’ll try making something. We can just keep it casual.”

Zhou Sujin glanced down. “Weren’t you looking forward to celebrating with me all day?”

“Mhm.”

“Something like this isn’t enough to make me lose my appetite; I’ve already made the reservation.” He habitually raised his wrist to check the time, but his hand was empty.

That watch had long been taken off.

Unfazed, he said calmly, “It should be here soon. I’ll respond to an email in the study first.”

Even as he spoke, he hugged her tightly.

Only when her hands loosened around his waist did Zhou Sujin slowly let her go.

Wei Lai sat on the sofa for a moment to collect herself, taking out the watch box. She opened it and picked up the card with her fingertips, but she couldn’t quite remember what she’d been feeling when she’d written it.

Putting the watch box aside, she held the card and walked quickly to the study.

The door to the study was open, so she knocked twice before entering.

Zhou Sujin was focused on his computer screen, less perceptive than usual; he didn’t notice her footsteps until she reached the doorway. Looking up, he asked, “What’s wrong?”

Wei Lai pointed to his desk. “Can I use your shredder?”

He only used it occasionally for documents, so it wasn’t on.

She turned on the shredder and fed the card into it, watching as it quickly became a small pile of confetti.

As for the watch, she still hadn’t figured out the best way to handle it. He liked collecting watches, cherishing them in a way others couldn’t understand.

She couldn’t simply discard the watch he had worn for more than half a year, the way she had shredded the card.

“Continue with your work,” she said, turning off the shredder and getting ready to leave.

“Wei Lai.”

He rarely addressed her so formally.

Wei Lai turned back around.

Zhou Sujin said calmly, “The watch…” give it to me.

“He started, but then changed his mind. “I’ll get it myself.”

With that, he closed his inbox and stood up.

She couldn’t guess why he wanted the watch and didn’t ask, silently walking beside him back to the living room.

Back in their home in Beijing, she would always reach for his hand or hold onto his sleeve as they walked together. Today, she stayed quiet. Zhou Sujin glanced at her a couple of times.

The watch and its box lay on the sofa. He bent down, carefully placed the watch back in its case, then slipped the box into the bag. He stored it in the entryway cabinet, among a few other things he kept there temporarily.

Wei Lai couldn’t quite understand his intentions. “So… you don’t need me to deal with it?”

“No need. I’ll take it back.” Zhou Sujin closed the cabinet door and added, “I have so many watch safes, plenty of space for it.”

Her eyes grew watery, and she looked away to keep him from noticing.

The doorbell rang—dinner had arrived. Zhou Sujin went to answer it.

Wei Lai took the moment to slip into the bathroom to wash her hands and steady her breath. By the time she sat down at the dining table, there was no sign of her eyes being watery. She hadn’t expected herself to feel this moved.

Tears seemed to come at a moment’s notice lately—this was already the second time.

The first was on her birthday, the day their contract ended, when he messaged her, “Lu An visits Jiang City often. If you ever need anything, you can reach out to him. Wishing you all the best in the future.“

In that moment, she couldn’t hold back; she broke down in tears.

Zhou Sujin brought out a bottle of red wine from the wine cabinet but couldn’t find the corkscrew.

Wei Lai knew exactly where it was—it was she who had put it away. “I’ll get it for you.”

He took it from her. “How did you know where it was?”

She’d only been here a handful of times.

“On Chinese New Year’s Eve, I came over to clean and tidied up a few things.” Watching him open the wine, she added, “I also put up the Spring Festival couplets on the door. They’re a bit crooked.”

Putting them up alone, she hadn’t been able to get the height just right and had to rely on her own judgment.

When Zhou Sujin saw the couplets on the door this morning, he’d assumed the condominium management had put them up and didn’t think much of it.

After uncorking the wine, he handed her the corkscrew to put back.

That one corkscrew made him realize she had slowly started treating this place like her own, organizing things to her preferences.

Wei Lai stared at the wine bottle. She didn’t know much about wine and was only familiar with the labels sold from their supermarket.

“Where’s this wine produced?”

“My maternal grandpa’s vineyard. It’s his personal collection and he doesn’t sell it commercially.”

No wonder she hadn’t recognized the name.

Zhou Sujin poured her the first glass. “If you don’t like it, I can open another bottle.”

Wei Lai was particular about coffee but didn’t know much about wine; to her, they all tasted pretty similar.

During dinner, neither of them spoke much. No matter how they tried to keep up appearances, the tension from Zhang Yanxin’s actions earlier had clearly affected them both.

After dinner, Zhou Sujin went back to work.

Before Chinese New Year, Wei Lai had brought two suitcases of her clothes and belongings here when she came over to put up the spring couplets. She hadn’t had time to organize them then, so tonight, it became a way to pass the time.

Once everything was organized, the door to the study remained closed, so Wei Lai decided not to disturb Zhou Sujin and instead ran a hot bath.

The bathtub here didn’t have a view outside, which helped her focus. She mentally reviewed the store inspections from earlier in the day and started planning the upcoming round of venture funding for work.

That night, she went to bed earlier than usual, lying under the covers before ten.

But as soon as she closed her eyes, her mind wandered. Unable to fall asleep, she sat up, determined to keep herself busy, and opened her phone to continue refining her pitch to investors.

A few days ago, Yang Ze had given her a list of Beijing-based VC firms connected to Zhou Sujin. After looking it over, she decided to give up on Beijing investors entirely; nearly all the influential firms there were run by people in his circle.

She set her sights on Shanghai instead.

Around 11 p.m., Zhou Sujin came into the bedroom and noticed her working on something. “Still up?”

Wei Lai saved her documents and looked up. “Waiting for you.”

Zhou Sujin habitually reached to take off his watch but paused, remembering he wasn’t wearing one. His fingers moved to his cufflinks, which he quietly removed.

“No protection at home,” he said, coming to her side of the bed, and while removing the other cufflink, suggested, “I’ll sleep in the guest room tonight. Are you okay sleeping in the master bedroom alone?”

It wasn’t because there was no protection; he was still simmering with anger, and he didn’t want that to intrude between them as a couple.

He placed the cufflinks on her nightstand. “I’ll be back tomorrow night.”

Wei Lai nodded, giving him time to process his emotions.

If she were the one wearing a watch he’d gifted to his ex—a woman he’d once wanted to marry, too—she wouldn’t be just sleeping in a different room now. She’d probably be heading back to her own condo to cool off.

“Get some sleep, don’t stay up too late.”

Zhou Sujin murmured a barely audible response as he went to the closet to grab his PJs.

Wei Lai put down her phone and lay back on the pillow.

Her eyes followed him as he moved from the closet door to the doorway. He reached out to turn off the light for her.

“Zhou Sujin.” She suddenly sat up.

This was the second time she’d called him by his full name.

Zhou Sujin paused, his hand hovering over the switch. “What is it?”

Wei Lai quickly got out of bed, running barefoot to him.

“Nothing; just wanted to hug you.” She wrapped her arms around his waist, holding him tightly, more so than ever before. “Goodnight, honey. Will you take me to work tomorrow?”

“Sure. Get back into bed.”

Wei Lai looked up and said softly, “Carry me back to bed.”

She hadn’t acted this way all night. Zhou Sujin handed her his PJs, bent down, and lifted her up in a princess carry.

Though it wasn’t the first time he’d held her like this, her heart still raced.

He gently placed her back on the bed and pulled the covers over her before saying, “Go sleep.” Then he turned off the bedside lamp and took his PJs with him to the master bedroom bathroom.

Soon after, Wei Lai heard the sound of water running in the bathroom.

He might just be showering there because it was familiar, though he probably still planned to sleep in the guest room. She closed her eyes, feigning sleep, so he wouldn’t be put in a difficult position even further.

The water was barely warm, with just a hint of heat—it felt cool on his skin.

Zhou Sujin deliberately turned the temperature low, using the cold water to clear his mind.

When he came out, Wei Lai was lying on her side, breathing evenly, looking as if she’d fallen asleep.

Zhou Sujin knew what she looked like when she was truly asleep and not as tense as she was right now. He didn’t head to the guest room and climbed into bed next to her before turning off the light.

Wei Lai reached out for his hand, grasping it gently.

She didn’t move closer to him, keeping a full arm’s distance as she fell asleep.

The next evening, both the Bentley and Cullinan arrived in Jiang City.

Zhou Sujin asked Uncle Yan to return Lu An’s Rolls-Royce Wraith. Having no car to drive, Lu An had stayed in all day. He asked Uncle Yan where Zhou Sujin was and heard that he was at the office, so he took his car and drove to Kunchen Group’s Jiang City office in the Financial District.

It took some courage to try to talk sense into Zhou Sujin. After parking, Lu An lit a cigarette and opened the car’s ashtray to tap off the ash—only to spot a cigarette inside, untouched, nearly bent in half. He was stunned.

The chauffeur would never waste a cigarette like that, so it must’ve been Zhou Sujin who had wanted a smoke but found his car had no lighter.

Forget smoking himself—Lu An snuffed out his cigarette and called Zhou Jiaye right away.

“Zhou Sujin actually crossed his no-smoking line.”

“He smoked?” Zhou Jiaye was equally shocked.

Zhou Sujin never smoked, no matter who offered; he’d never once broken that rule.

Lu An rolled down the window to air out the smell. “He’s at the office. I was thinking of going in to talk him out of any more quarreling with Wei Lai.” But now, he didn’t dare.

He was worried he’d only make things worse.

“Look at what this has done to him.”

Zhou Jiaye: “Don’t bother, there won’t be any conflict between them.”

His lil’ bro wanted to acquire Xinming Group because Zhang Yanxin had humiliated him on Chinese New Year’s, which had infuriated him, but smoking wasn’t just about anger.

Lu An didn’t leave, though. He locked his car and went upstairs.

He was already here, so he might as well see if Zhou Sujin had calmed down. But any words of advice would be kept to himself.

On the 26th floor, Lu An knocked and entered the office.

Zhou Sujin was on the phone, noticeably without any watch on his wrist.

The voice on the other end belonged to He Wancheng, who began with an apology. It was a gesture from Zhang Yanxin’s father, who had been his close friend for many years and had reached out for a favor he couldn’t refuse.

As for the actual conflict between Zhou Sujin and Zhang Yanxin, Papa Zhang was in the dark; any attempt to inquire had hit a wall.

“Is it because of Wei Lai?” He Wancheng asked bluntly.

Zhou Sujin said calmly, “Chairman, it’s all in the past.”

What happened yesterday was something he didn’t want to revisit today.

If he didn’t feel inclined to give face, even He Wancheng wouldn’t be an exception.

He Wancheng glanced toward Cheng Minzhi in the distance and lowered his voice. “I don’t care about anyone else—I just want to know how Wei Lai is doing. It’s the New Year; don’t let there be arguments between you two.”

Mentioning Wei Lai, Zhou Sujin said a bit more. “She’s fine. There aren’t any arguments. This afternoon, a new employee asked to meet her for a chat.”

As long as there was no argument, He Wancheng was relieved.

Ending the call, Zhou Sujin turned to Lu An and asked if he had dinner plans.

“No plans,” Lu An replied cautiously. “You’re not going home to eat?”

Zhou Sujin set down his phone. “Wei Lai isn’t home. She went out with a colleague.”

Lu An nodded; finally, there was a hint of a couple’s dynamic in that statement.

Neither had brought a chauffeur today, so they each drove to Riverside Restaurant.

While they were waiting for the elevator, someone recognized him. “President Zhou, Happy New Year! So you’re spending the new year here. Where’s my baby, Wei Lai? Not with you tonight?”

It was Qiao Sitian, arm-in-arm with her husband, greeting him.

Zhou Sujin recognized her as one of Wei Lai’s friends from their hotpot gatherings. She had attended their engagement reception, surname Qiao—her first name slipped his mind.

He nodded politely. “She’s out having dinner with a colleague. Please send my regards to President Qiao.”

Qiao Sitian smiled. “Of course. I’ll thank President Zhou on my father’s behalf.”

Two elevators arrived simultaneously, and Zhou Sujin and Lu An took one of them.

As the doors closed, Lu An asked, “Are she and Wei Lai close? The way she addresses her is… interesting.”

Just then, a message popped up on Zhou Sujin’s phone, so he ignored Lu An.

“Honey, where are you?“

Zhou Sujin typed with one hand, “I’m at Riverside Restaurant with Lu An. Ran into a friend of yours—surnamed Qiao.“

“That’s Qiao Sitian.“

She only had one plastic sister surnamed Qiao.

Wei Lai had just gotten home, having spent the afternoon discussing the supermarket’s current issues and potential improvements with Chen Qi.

Chen Qi had some family matters to attend to in the evening, so after a quick meal, Wei Lai returned home.

She continued texting Zhou Sujin: “Was Qiao Sitian surprised you’re here?“

“En.“

“Qiao Sitian is always bragging in the group chat about how well her husband treats her. I’ve been quiet lately because I’ve been so busy. Tomorrow, though, I won’t be as busy.“

Zhou Sujin: “…”

“Go enjoy your dinner.” Wei Lai ended the conversation.

Seeing that Zhou Sujin was finally done messaging, Lu An asked, “Are you considering working with President Qiao? Otherwise, you wouldn’t suddenly ask him for his regards.”

Zhou Sujin: “That’s the plan.”

“Good call. You’ll need a partner on par with Xinming Group’s strength. Jiang’an Group alone isn’t enough to keep Xinming in check.” Lu An flipped through the menu and casually ordered a few dishes.

When he and Zhou Sujin dined together, it was usually business-focused; a simple meal to fill up was enough.

The two chatted until ten before leaving the restaurant.

When Zhou Sujin got home, every light in the house was on, but the living room was empty. He found Wei Lai in the bedroom, freshly showered, leaning against the headboard and looking over some printed reports. A bottle of eye drops rested on the nightstand.

“Why so late?” she asked, her tone carrying a playful complaint.

“Got caught up in chatting and lost track of time. I’ll remember next time.” Zhou Sujin bent down and hugged her briefly to soothe her, slipping the report from her hands. “Aren’t your eyes tired?”

Wei Lai wrapped her arms around his neck. “They are, but if I don’t keep myself occupied, I keep getting distracted. I thought about you twice.”

His Adam’s apple moved slightly, and he propped himself with one hand on her pillow, the other wrapping her in a hug.

With her cheek pressed against his, she asked, “Are you still bothered by what happened yesterday?”

A simple explanation wouldn’t convince her.

Without a word, Zhou Sujin entwined his fingers with hers, pressing them gently against the pillow, and lowered his head to kiss her.

His cool scent stole her breath, leaving her with only the warmth of his kiss, softening her completely.

His lips traveled from her chin down to her neck, where they lingered in a series of gentle kisses.

The faint fragrance on her skin filled his senses.

He had never kissed her with such tenderness.

With their palms pressed together, Wei Lai clutched his hand, savoring the warmth spreading through every inch of her skin.

Looking up, Zhou Sujin pulled her into his embrace. “What happened yesterday is in the past. From now on, I’ll come to Jiang City every week to see you.”

Previous | Index | Next

Confrontation

Zhou Sujin’s tone wasn’t aggressive, but each word seemed to carry a hidden edge, an unspoken sharpness that pierced through.

Realizing he’d been seen through, Zhang Yanxin chose not to deny it any longer.

With the partnership between their companies already at an impasse, it was best to be straightforward.

“Since President Zhou already guessed that the watch was a birthday gift from Wei Lai to me, would you consider letting it go?”

Zhou Sujin, accustomed to being in control and calculating every move, had never felt as cornered as he did now, especially after being asked for a watch on the very first day of Chinese New Year.

At the dinner where he first met Wei Lai, she kept staring at the watch on his wrist. His mom quickly saw through their pretense as a couple, Lu An’s unusual behavior that day in his office, and even his mom’s hesitations during Chinese New Year’s Eve dinner.

So this was the answer.

“President Zhou, that watch holds no meaning for you.”

Zhou Sujin glanced toward the driver’s seat, where Lu An’s chauffeur waited for instructions. He lowered the phone slightly and said, “Give me a few minutes.”

With that, he grabbed his coat and stepped out of the car.

Pulling the coat over his shoulders, he looked across the car’s roof toward the supermarket’s coffee corner.

The sun had begun to rise, casting light across the large glass windows. All he could see was the shadowy outline of Wei Lai, seated in the chair he’d occupied earlier. Her head was bent over what seemed to be the store’s report.

On the other end of the line, Zhang Yanxin remained silent, unwilling to press further and lose his advantage.

This quiet confrontation—neither one was willing to back down.

Zhou Sujin withdrew his gaze away from the coffee corner and continued walking toward the rear of the car, speaking into the phone, “Whether I’m willing to let it go, you already know better than anyone.”

Zhang Yanxin paused, offering no response.

The early morning chill was biting. Zhou Sujin felt for the button on his coat, but in the end, he left it undone.

“Do you know why I decided to stop investing in Xinming Semiconductor? Why I choose to reduce our stake?”

In just half a minute, with two sentences, he’d shifted control of the conversation firmly back to himself.

Zhang Yanxin could only follow along. “I’m all ears.”

Zhou Sujin: “It was because of Wei Lai’s blazer. The day you made her go pick it up, I decided not to invest further.”

It concerned a lot of complexities involved, so the plan to divest was postponed for months.

“In business, having a ruthless edge and capability to match is a skill. But being greedy, putting profits above all else—that’s human nature. No one’s immune to it, including myself. But to make things difficult for a woman who once treated you well, especially right in front of me—what would you call that? What gives you the right to even think about a long-term partnership with me?”

Kunchen Group might not be investing more, and it had reduced part of its stake, but it was still a shareholder in Xinming Semiconductor.

“From now on, have your father be the point of contact for any business matters.”

To say this much was already giving Zhang Yanxin a huge face. With that, Zhou Sujin ended the call.

Wei Lai was still seated at the same table, head down, focused on a stack of reports at her side.

Zhou Sujin got back into the car and signaled the chauffeur to start the car.

Lu An’s chauffeur didn’t usually interact with Lu An, so unlike Uncle Yan, he couldn’t get Zhou Sujin’s unspoken signal and was unsure of their destination.

The chauffeur turned around and asked, “Where to, President Zhou?”

Zhou Sujin pondered for a couple of seconds. “Thank you for your help. Take a taxi back, I’ll drive myself.”

Lu An’s car was a white Wraith. Zhou Sujin got into the driver’s seat and headed east until he reached the lakeside, where he finally stopped. From their place at Jiang’an Cloud Residences, they had a clear view overlooking this lake.

Rolling down the window, he let the cold wind rush inside.

He dialed Lu An, asking where he had put the watch box.

When buying this watch back then, it was Lu An who paid for it, and he was the one who carried the box to the car. Zhou Sujin was only wearing this watch temporarily and didn’t care where the watch box ended up.

Lu An had been up all night playing mahjong. He’d barely been asleep for an hour when his phone blared to life, rudely pulling him from his sleep. He cursed under his breath and reached for his phone, wanting to see which inconsiderate person would disturb him so early on Chinese New Year’s morning.

Seeing Zhou Sujin’s name on the screen, he held his tongue and quickly picked up the call.

“Where’s the watch box?”

“What… watch box?”

“The box for the watch Wei Lai originally intended to give Zhang Yanxin.”

Lu An scrambled out of bed. “Zhang Yanxin reached out to you?”

“En.”

Lu An’s throat tightened, and he tensed. “When?”

“Twenty minutes ago.”

Fk you, Zhang Yanxin! Lu An hadn’t expected Zhang Yanxin to pull such a crazy move, reaching out to Zhou Sujin on Chinese New Year of all times. Was he trying to go all-in with this?

Zhou Sujin repeated, “Where’s the watch box?”

“Lemme think.” Lu An’s head was spinning as he tried to piece it together, anxiously tracing back.

That day, he had driven Zhou Sujin to the flagship store in Zhou Sujin’s Cullinan. After Zhou Sujin tried on the watch and found it suitable, he wore it out without taking it off. They’d then stopped by Riverside Restaurant for late-night takeout. When they got to the hotel, he only remembered grabbing the food; he seemed to not have grabbed the bag from the flagship store.

That’s where his memory ended—completely blank after that.

“It’s probably in the Cullinan’s trunk or somewhere around there.” He threw off the blanket and got out of bed. “Is the Cullinan at your place? I’ll come over and find it, then I’ll bring it to you.”

Zhou Sujin: “No need to go to all that trouble. Just send it over by air.”

But Lu An insisted, “My family’s been rushing me into marriage—annoying. This is the perfect excuse to escape.”

He had to head to Jiang City himself. He needed to ask Zhang Yanxin what he was doing.

“That watch…” Zhou Sujin paused. “Did Wei Lai have to spend one-to-one to buy that watch?”

Lu An froze, caught off guard that Zhou Sujin would even care about a watch’s price. In situations like this before, Zhou Sujin was never one to ask so many questions.

Luxury watch brands these days all require accompanying purchases; there was no special treatment, more less for Wei Lai.

“Yeah, it did. The watch itself was over eight hundred thousand, and she bought a matching amount in jewelry.”

Wei Lai didn’t earn that much annually; he’d heard she took on project after project and worked overtime almost daily just to afford the watch. Such devoted love, yet Zhang Yanxin hadn’t the slightest appreciation.

“Got it.” Zhou Sujin hung up.

May all the days in the future be smooth, forever loving me.

by Wei Lai* 🙂

* – In Chinese, Wei Lai’s name has the same phonetics as “the future”

He could still picture the words neatly penned on the card, unlike her usual rushed handwriting.

In the console were Lu An’s usual brand of cigarettes. Zhou Sujin took one out of a pack and placed it between his lips. Searching the car, he couldn’t find a lighter, so he took the cigarette from his mouth, rolled it between his fingers, and then flicked it into the car ashtray.

“After Chinese New Year, Kunchen will completely withdraw from Xinming Semiconductor and pull out all investments from Xinming Group’s other ventures.“

He sent the message in several group chats and @everyone.

Min Ting was in those group chats and felt something was off when he saw the message so early in the morning.

Previously, Zhou Sujin had only reduced his stake, choosing not to invest more in Xinming Semiconductor but never withdrawing from Xinming Group’s other ventures.

Now he was withdrawing across the board.

It would have been one thing to simply withdraw, but he made it public in their group chats. Now, no one in their circle would consider working with Xinming Group again.

What had Zhang Yanxin done to provoke him so badly, enough to make him blow up on Chinese New Year?

Min Ting DMed him: “If you hurt your enemy by a thousand, you’ll lose five or six hundred yourself. Are you sure it’s worth it?“

Zhou Sujin: “No worries. Withdraw first, then acquire.“

Min Ting: “…”

“You’re planning to acquire Xinming Group?“

Zhou Sujin: “I’ll acquire the areas I’m interested in.“

Min Ting: “Why not lead the team yourself? That way, you’ll get plenty of chances to travel to Jiang City.“

Not in the mood for jokes, Zhou Sujin replied, “I’m driving.“

He tossed his phone onto the passenger seat and started the car, heading back to the office.

At the Jiang City office, he had a temporary office with a 270-degree floor-to-ceiling view that overlooked the lake.

The company garage was nearly empty, with only a handful of cars. He parked at a random spot.

When the receptionist on duty saw the CEO arrive, her mind went blank for a second. OMG, what’s going on?

She barely had time to close her game before quickly setting her phone down and standing up.

“Happy New Year, President Zhou,” she stammered, barely managing to catch her breath.

Zhou Sujin nodded. “Happy New Year,” and added, “No need to call anyone in.”

She had been about to call the CEO’s Executive Assistant for Jiang City but immediately replied, “Got it, President Zhou.”

The office had been cleaned a few days earlier, so everything was tidy and clean.

He turned on the AC and turned on his computer.

Zhou Jiaye saw the message in the group chat about half an hour later. He had anticipated many scenarios but hadn’t expected Zhou Sujin to withdraw entirely from Xinming Group.

There was no need to ask—Zhang Yanxin must’ve chosen today to ask for the watch. He understood Zhang Yanxin’s mindset: You ruined my Chinese New Year’s Eve, so I’ll ruin your New Year’s Day.

If I can’t enjoy it, neither can you.

A complete divestment wasn’t a trivial matter. He pulled up Zhou Sujin’s number and dialed, only to be rejected.

Zhou Sujin: “In a meeting.“

Checking the time, Zhou Jiaye noted it was not yet 10:30 a.m.—likely in a meeting with the team in Australia.

Even if the sky were falling, nothing could disrupt his planned schedule.

“Xinming Group’s power in Jiang City is second only to Yunhui Group. Acquiring them would consume a lot of your energy and won’t be a quick battle—it won’t be settled in just a year or two. Think carefully.“

Zhou Jiaye added a reminder, “A strong dragon cannot repress a snake.*”

* – a Chinese idiom that means that even a powerful outsider can’t easily take down the local giant

Zhou Sujin: “I know what I’m doing.“

Zhou Jiaye: “Let’s discuss this on call later.“

Once the meeting ended, Zhou Sujin collected himself.

He called his brother back and asked if there was anything else.

Zhou Jiaye first explained on Lu An’s behalf. “He didn’t mean to keep it from you. Wei Lai happened to be around that week, and it was the holiday season, so he planned to tell you after Chinese New Year.”

Zhou Sujin hadn’t cared about that at all.

Zhou Jiaye continued frankly, “Mom and Auntie probably knew about it for a while. They looked into that watch.”

He and his lil bro had a shared pet peeve: they hated it when people pried into their affairs. Their mom, despite claiming to be an open-minded parent who respected her children’s privacy, had done exactly that. And now, since she couldn’t admit it without revealing her own snooping, she’d kept it to herself.

Zhou Sujin was indifferent to all that. “Is there anything else? If not, I’m hanging up.”

Zhou Jiaye: “There actually is. Mom and Auntie asked me to check: why do you keep wearing that watch?” Of the last ten times they’d seen him, he’d been wearing it nine.

“It’s Lu An’s gift and a nice gesture of his. It’s not expensive, not rare, and easy to repair if it breaks. The watch you gifted me got damaged and had to be sent all the way to Switzerland for repairs, only for them to tell me it couldn’t be fully restored to original.”

After a pause, he added, “I’m already spending what little personal time I have on Wei Lai. I don’t have time to think about switching watches.”

Zhou Jiaye understood.

“I have to go now.” Zhou Sujin ended the call.

Wei Lai was at a work lunch with a few store managers, so Yang Ze ordered lunch from Riverside Restaurant and had it delivered to the office.

He worked through the afternoon until evening, by which time Lu An had arrived from Beijing.

Lu An had spent the entire journey silently cursing at Zhang Yanxin. Who would pick Chinese New Year to cause trouble?

No wonder Yuan Hengrui had hit him—he deserved it.

The shopping bag from the flagship store was still in the Cullinan’s trunk, along with Wei Lai’s handwritten card.

Lu An carefully placed the box on Zhou Sujin’s desk, keeping his mouth shut since the situation was unclear and anything he said might get him in trouble.

Zhou Sujin paused his work, opened the watch box, and immediately saw her handwritten birthday card.

He didn’t pick up and open the card. He removed the watch from his wrist, fastened the clasp, and set it back in the box.

Lu An watched him the entire time. Zhou Sujin’s expression remained as calm and composed as ever, without a hint of emotion.

“What… are you planning to do with the watch?”

Zhou Sujin put the box back into the dust bag and slipped it back into the shopping bag, replying, “I’ll let Wei Lai handle it.”

Lu An took a deep breath of cold air. He’d thought Zhou Sujin wasn’t going to tell Wei Lai, but it seemed the situation was more serious than he’d imagined.

After all, this was a matter between husband and wife; it wasn’t his place to say anything. Still, he suggested, “Maybe today isn’t the best time. It’s Chinese New Year, and you’re here to see her—Wei Lai must be thrilled.”

Zhou Sujin hadn’t planned to bring it up today.

But someone else had already told her—every detail.

Wei Lai had spent the day inspecting seventeen stores and returned to the Jiang’an Cloud Residences store. She brewed herself a cup of coffee and took a seat in the cafe to rest.

“Honey, I’m all done. How about you?“

Just as she sent the message, Zhang Yanxin’s call came in. She’d deleted his number long ago, but she knew it by heart.

She declined the call without hesitation.

“Wei Lai, I’m sorry to disturb you. I couldn’t resist looking into that watch, and by chance, it ended up with Zhou Sujin. I reached out to him this morning on behalf of my friend asking if he would consider selling it. He guessed the watch’s original owner was you.

I don’t know what’s come over me. I’d hoped we could move on and find our own paths. When the rumors surrounded you, I genuinely wished you’d meet someone better.

But I couldn’t let go.“

“Zhou Sujin has already decided to completely withdraw from Xinming Group. I didn’t think he’d take it so seriously—it might end up affecting you.“

“Sorry.“

Wei Lai abruptly stood up, her movement so sudden that the chair scraped loudly against the tile floor. Luckily, no one else was at the cafe today.

She wanted to go find Zhou Sujin immediately, but after a few steps, she stopped, realizing she had no idea where he was.

After calming down, she gave him a call.

He had already known about everything this morning, yet when he called her at noon, his tone had been completely normal, with no trace of displeasure.

The call connected, and Zhou Sujin said, “I’ll be at the entrance of the store in two minutes. Come out then.”

Wei Lai opened her mouth, but in the end, she only said one word, “Okay.”

She deleted Zhang Yanxin’s messages and blocked his number.

She had once loved him. Now, things had become this ugly—something she never wanted to see.

At the store entrance, she remembered her coat was still draped over the back of the chair and hurried back to get it.

Zhou Sujin had told her to come out in two minutes, but he had arrived in less than a minute. A white Wraith parked at the supermarket entrance, and the passenger door swung open from the inside.

Wei Lai got in, but her hand struggled to pull the seatbelt down.

Zhou Sujin leaned over, tugging the belt with enough force to loosen it for her.

If she hadn’t received Zhang Yanxin’s messages, she might’ve hugged his neck while he fastened her seatbelt. But now, her mind was in turmoil.

The Wraith drove from the complex’s east gate directly into the underground garage. Afraid of distracting him while he drove, Wei Lai stayed silent until they reached the elevator.

Zhou Sujin glanced at her from the corner of his eye. The woman in front of him was a completely different person from the one he’d seen that morning. “You found out?”

Wei Lai came back to her senses, their gazes meeting for a brief moment before she nodded.

The elevator arrived at their floor, and Zhou Sujin held down the open button. “Head home first. I need to grab something from the car.”

He hadn’t brought the watch up, planning to discuss it with her tomorrow. Now, there was no need to delay things any further.

Without taking off her coat, Wei Lai changed into her slippers and went straight to the living room to wait.

Where should she even begin?

The things she wanted to give him were beyond her financial reach right now.

As she drifted in thought, the front door opened.

She stood up from the sofa, taking a few steps forward to greet him.

He had already taken off his dark coat, now wearing only a white shirt, exuding an aura that felt distant and unapproachable.

Wei Lai reached out, wanting to hug him.

Zhou Sujin: “Let’s talk properly. Don’t act cute.”

Wei Lai met his cold gaze, freezing her arms in mid-air. “Oh.” Her fingers curled slightly, and she slowly lowered her arms, stepping back half a step.

The hurt on her face was hard to hide.

Zhou Sujin abruptly turned to look out the window, taking a deep breath to ease the tightness in his chest. Even the call with Zhang Yanxin in the morning hadn’t left him feeling like this.

He tossed a small bag onto the sofa before pulling her into his arms. “I never said you couldn’t.”

Wei Lai said aggrievedly, “I’ve been looking forward to tonight all day, just to celebrate Chinese New Year with you.”

“I know.”

Wei Lai wrapped her arms around him.

With one hand on her waist and the other wrapped tightly around her back, Zhou Sujin held her close. “The card and watch are both in the box. You take care of it. This matter is over between you and me.”

Previous | Index | Next

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?”

Previous | Index | Next

But we could have love too, couldn’t we?

After a brief kiss, Zhou Sujin pulled away from her lips, though his arm remained wrapped around her waist, gently holding her close. Wei Lai continued to embrace him, and so, he didn’t let go either.

Zhou Sujin: “Aside from the blazer, did you like the other pieces? If not, I can have them exchanged.”

“No need, the colors are all ones I like.”

As for the styles, even if they were exchanged, the store wouldn’t have anything she preferred more.

Wei Lai nodded toward the two watch safes. “Teach me a bit about them.”

Zhou Sujin looked down at the person in his arms. “Let’s eat first.”

Wei Lai almost forgot they hadn’t had dinner yet. Normally, she was quite punctual with her meals, and she rarely forgot to eat.

“Fine, after dinner then.” She stood up from his embrace.

Zhou Sujin only let her go once she released him.

When they went downstairs, Wei Lai didn’t hold his hand. With the maid and other people around, she didn’t cling to him in public, instead casually chatting with him over dinner.

“Do you remember, you said I could add five amendments to our prenup?”

Zhou Sujin calmly corrected her that it was thrice.

Wei Lai was easygoing. “Alright, thrice for now. After I’ve used them up, you can let me add more, yeah?”

Zhou Sujin didn’t give a clear response. “When will you stop causing me trouble?”

Wei Lai chuckled. “Probably never in this lifetime.”

She continued to talk about the prenup, intending to add a clause today.

Zhou Sujin asked, “What do you want to add?”

Wei Lai said straightforwardly, “On the prenup, it was written that you have to coax me.”

Zhou Sujin nodded and asked, “Did I forget to coax you one time?”

“No, you didn’t.”

He had always been attentive, going out of his way to coax her, never letting her feel the slightest bit wronged. Even during the honeymoon phase, no boyfriend had ever been as considerate as him.

Wei Lai wanted to bridge the emotional gap between them a little more, ensuring their relationship wasn’t just surface-level. “Could you start coaxing me without me having to ask? Like, you’d want to do it on your own.”

Zhou Sujin’s expression was composed. “If I don’t coax you proactively, would it be considered wronging you?”

Wei Lai shook her head. “No, it wouldn’t.”

She set down her fork from the fruit and vegetable salad, her tone serious. “Anything extra I want to add, I’ll discuss it with you. I respect your feelings. Think about whether you want to include it or not.”

Zhou Sujin: “Let’s not add it.”

Wei Lai paused for a moment. “Alright, then we won’t.”

Wei Lai lowered her head and continued eating from her plate.

If she didn’t initiate conversation, the dining table fell silent.

Zhou Sujin set down his chopsticks and picked up the glass of warm water beside his hand before taking a sip. “You’re upset because I didn’t agree, aren’t you?”

“No,” Wei Lai paused for a few seconds before continuing, “But you have to let me feel disappointed for a few seconds.”

She said as she kept her head down, eating absentmindedly.

Zhou Sujin looked at her. “Your request doesn’t suit the nature of our marriage one based on mutual benefit. That’s something for couples.”

Wei Lai looked up. “But we could have love too, couldn’t we?”

As soon as she said it, she regretted it, but there was no taking it back.

Zhou Sujin met her gaze for a few seconds. “Didn’t you say that marriage and love are meaningless?” Getting married was just to give yourself a strong background to rely on and to put your family at ease.

Wei Lai tried to recall. When he had first asked if she would consider marrying him, she had indeed said something like that. Hurt by Zhang Yanxin at the time, she had voiced her thoughts without much filter.

She explained, “Ideas change. You didn’t want to get married before, either.”

Zhou Sujin set down his cup of water and extended his hand. “Give me the pen and the prenup.”

Wei Lai didn’t move. “I’m eating.”

Suddenly, the salad in her mouth tasted much better.

Zhou Sujin caught the shift in her expression, from disappointment to delight. Earlier, he had made a slight concession on his bottom line. How this concession would eventually play out, and whether it would spiral out of his control, remained entirely unknown.

After dinner, Wei Lai went upstairs to retrieve a pen and the addendum from her purse. It was the same pen he had used back at their home in Jiang City, one she now carried with her everywhere.

She pondered for a long while over what exactly to add to the agreement but couldn’t decide, so she handed it directly to him.

“You write it.”

Zhou Sujin spread the agreement out on the dining table. “You carry this with you all the time?”

“En.” Ready to add to it anytime.

Wei Lai stood beside him, watching as he contemplated for a few seconds before writing a few words in bold strokes in the blank space: He will take the initiative to coax her in the future.

He signed his name and dated it.

This was probably the shortest agreement he had ever written.

But it moved her deeply.

Zhou Sujin capped the pen and handed the agreement back to her, glancing at his watch. “I’ll walk you through the watches in an hour. I have a meeting in a bit.”

“No rush. Take care of whatever you need first.”

Wei Lai contently took the signed agreement back to the bedroom.

While Zhou Sujin attended his meeting in the study, she caught up on work messages in the bedroom.

Most of the messages had already been handled by her mom, so it only took her half an hour to clear up the rest.

With Zhou Sujin still in his meeting, she decided to run a bath and soak for a while.

It was cloudy today, and the snow in the backyard remained nearly unchanged, looking just as it did in the morning untouched and powdery, with a few footprints across the ground.

Now, looking down at those footprints from the second floor, she realized just how aimless her morning had been.

From the warmth of the bathtub, she gazed at the snow-covered branches outside. For some reason, his bold and decisive handwriting of “He will take the initiative to coax her in the future” flashed across her mind.

She also thought back to the first time she met him at He Wancheng’s dinner. Back then, they had been from two completely different worlds.

“Wei Lai?” Zhou Sujin finished his meeting and came looking for her, only to find the bedroom empty.

Wei Lai was lost in thought and didn’t hear him.

It wasn’t until he entered the bathroom that he called out again, “Why didn’t you answer?”

“……”

Her mind went blank for half a second.

She was soaking in the tub, with just a few drops of essential oil in the water no flower petals, no bubbles, nothing to hide behind.

Instinctively, Wei Lai grabbed the edge of the bathtub. “I’ll be out soon.”

Zhou Sujin didn’t deliberately look away, but he also didn’t stare at her, his gaze settling on her face. “Did you get your PJs?”

“Yeah.”

He nodded and turned to leave.

Wei Lai took a moment to compose herself before rising from the tub and wrapping herself in a towel.

Although she and Zhou Sujin had been intimately close the night before, the room had been dark then. This time, it was different their proximity felt much closer.

The walk-in closet was temperature-controlled, but not as warm as the bedroom. Wei Lai layered a loose caramel-colored sweater over her strappy nightgown; the large neckline exposed the straps, making them look almost like an intentional design.

Zhou Sujin had showered as well and changed into his PJs. He pushed open the closet door to find Wei Lai standing in front of the safe, examining a watch.

The nightgown was short, and from his vantage point, her long, slender legs were immediately within view.

Wei Lai placed the watch back into the safe and removed her gloves before grabbing her phone. “Hold on a second.” She quickly opened the PowerPoint from before, continuing to add notes.

Zhou Sujin: “Do you really need to take such detailed notes?”

“En.”

Wei Lai listened attentively throughout his explanations, and with her quick typing speed, she managed to jot down nearly everything he said.

Due to time constraints, Zhou Sujin was only able to brief her on ten of the watches.

Locking the watch safe, he added, “I’ll tell you the rest another time.”

Wei Lai saved her PowerPoint.

Zhou Sujin glanced at her. She had been quieter than usual tonight and didn’t cling to him, just focused on note-taking. His tone deepened as he asked, “Didn’t I sign the agreement for you? Still unhappy?”

Wei Lai looked up, not upset, just contemplating how to respond.

Zhou Sujin pulled her closer, bringing her into his arms. “Just because I didn’t agree to you once, you’re still feeling wronged?”

Of course, she felt a bit wronged.

Wei Lai saved the file and tossed her phone onto the nearby sofa before leaning into his arms, tilting her head to look up at him. “Honey, can you do something about this height difference?”

This time, instead of a princess carry, Zhou Sujin used his height advantage to easily lift her up, positioning her against his waist. Wei Lai’s legs naturally wrapped around his waist.

Now, she was taller than him, allowing her to study every well-defined feature of his face.

Her gaze fell on his lips, bending down to kiss him.

Zhou Sujin tightened his hold on her, tilting his head up slightly to accommodate her, letting her lips and tongue have their way.

After a while, her legs started to tire from clinging on, and Wei Lai couldn’t help but let them drop.

Zhou Sujin gently set her back down, but Wei Lai clung to his arms, unwilling to let go, wanting to stay in his arms.

Zhou Sujin: “Can’t even have a two-minute break?”

“Nope, two minutes is too long.”

He looked at her, then picked her up again, this time not in a princess carry nor lifting her high, just raising her a few inches off the floor.

Wei Lai felt like she might slide down at any moment, so she tightened her hold around his neck.

This way of holding her took little effort, allowing Zhou Sujin to keep her close with just one arm, while the other slipped beneath the hem of her loose sweater.

A shiver ran through Wei Lai’s entire body, and before any sound could escape, he kissed her deeply, sweeping over her lips and tongue.

It was a cool, gentle kiss, paired with the warmth of his fingertips.

Zhou Sujin was exceptionally patient, the tingling sensations he brought her came in waves, like ripples in a wheat field, one after another, sweeping over her.

Wei Lai buried her face in the crook of his neck, avoiding his gaze.

She was suspended in the air.

The feeling of being weightless, combined with the accumulating tingling, hit her heart with double the intensity.

“Honey, let me down.”

Zhou Sujin didn’t let go. Even as she trembled uncontrollably in his arms, he held her tightly with both arms.

The second hand of his watch ticked past four or five rounds before Wei Lai finally calmed down.

There were no wet wipes in the walk-in closet.

Zhou Sujin went to the sink and turned on the faucet, letting the water run over his hand, washing away the evidence on his fingertips.

The next morning, Wei Lai was woken up by her alarm at 7:30 a.m.

Zhou Sujin had already left for the office, but he had left a note for her on the nightstand: Call me when you wake up.

Wei Lai rubbed her sore waist and legs, propping herself up to sit.

Out of the three-pack, there was only one left.

She had mentioned that she had plans to meet someone today, which was the only reason he hadn’t opened the third one.

Today, she definitely needed to wear a turtleneck. A faint hickey was left on her neck where he hadn’t been careful with his kisses.

“Honey.”

“Just woke up?”

“En, what’s up?”

Zhou Sujin told her to meet him at 5:30 p.m. at the hospital entrance, providing her with the address.

“What’s going on?” Wei Lai couldn’t help but feel anxious. “Is it you who’s unwell, or is someone else in the family not feeling well?”

Zhou Sujin: “We’re going to pick up my grandma. She’s working this afternoon.”

He added that they wouldn’t be going to visit his own family or his aunt’s. Instead, he wanted to take her to meet his paternal grandparents. Since they weren’t particularly sensitive about love, they didn’t need to put on a show just a normal conversation would be enough.

Wei Lai felt a wave of relief; as long as no one was unwell, that was fine.

She threw off the blanket and got out of bed, rubbing her legs a few more times before she stood up.

“I have to head over to Yuanwei Capital this morning to see if I can secure some funding.” After adding the clause to the addendum last night, she felt like they’d gotten a little closer, so she took the initiative to share some of her plans and arrangements.

Zhou Sujin: “Yuanwei Capital won’t invest in you.”

“…”

Wei Lai couldn’t help but laugh in exasperation. “Can’t you at least give me a little bit of encouragement this early in the morning?”

“It’s not about lacking confidence in you. Several of Yuanwei’s shareholders know who you are. They might assume that you’re seeking investment behind my back, and if they agree, it could create conflict between us.”

Wei Lai only knew the public-facing boss of Yuanwei Capital but wasn’t aware of who was the real power behind it clearly, someone with an influential background. She guessed, “The major shareholders behind Yuanwei are your friends?”

“En, some of them were at that dinner the other night.”

Trying to secure funds from his friends would be no different than directly asking them for money.

Wei Lai changed her mind on the spot. “Then I won’t go to Yuanwei. I’ll try other VCs instead.” There were plenty of VCs out there, and she knew more than just this one.

Zhou Sujin was silent for a moment before asking, “Why not seek investment from me?”

Wei Lai joked, “I was waiting for you to say that.”

Zhou Sujin suddenly chuckled.

It wasn’t that Wei Lai hadn’t considered asking him for investment, but that was a last resort, something she’d only consider if she had no other options. As long as there was another path, she would do it on her own.

She shifted back to the main topic. “I want to try raising funds myself first. If that doesn’t work out, then I’ll come to you.”

Zhou Sujin: “Alright.”

Concerned that her next choice of a VC might also be connected to his friends, she asked, “Could you have Secretary Yang put together a list of your friend’s VCs for me, so I can avoid them?”

Zhou Sujin confirmed, “You’re sure you want Yang Ze to compile it and send it directly to you?”

“Of course.”

“So you have no issues with Yang Ze anymore?”

Wei Lai was puzzled. She couldn’t remember ever having any issues with Secretary Yang, so she asked what he meant.

“You didn’t want to add his WeChat, and every time I suggested you reach out to him, you seemed reluctant, like you weren’t too happy about it.” When she was asking about the supply chain for the Gesha coffee beans, he originally was going to have her ask Yang Ze directly, but after recalling how she reacted, he ended up handling the matter himself instead of having her reach out.

Wei Lai: “It has nothing to do with Secretary Yang.”

In the past, she felt that explaining was unnecessary, but now that they were married, she decided to clarify. “It’s a conditioned response from my last relationship. Back then… he didn’t even directly break up with me. He just told me that if I needed anything in the future, I should contact his secretary. So whenever you tell me to reach out to Secretary Yang, I instinctively think that you might be planning to end things between us.”

She laughed, adding, “But it’s all good now.”

“Let’s continue when I get home tonight. I’m at my brother’s place.”

“Alright, talk to you soon.”

After hanging up, Zhou Sujin signaled to Zhou Jiaye to continue.

Before Wei Lai’s call came in, they had been talking about a project partnership for next year. The partnership involved four companies, and one of them happened to be his previous blind date’s family company.

He was against the partnership, proposing that either they withdraw or their Kunchen would withdraw.

Zhou Jiaye was puzzled. “It was just a blind date, not even a relationship. Our companies can’t even collaborate?”

Zhou Sujin: “Not for me.”

Zhou Jiaye knew a bit about the blind date. They had met at a hotpot restaurant, and his lil’ bro ordered something else for himself, merely getting through the meal. Though they exchanged WeChats, he used his work account and never talked to her again after that one meal.

“Wei Lai wouldn’t care,” Zhou Jiaye remarked, knowing that she wasn’t the type to get jealous over such things.

Zhou Sujin said, “She wouldn’t care.” They were married but without love. Naturally, she wouldn’t be jealous.

Zhou Jiaye laughed, a bit confused. “If you know she wouldn’t mind, what are you worried about?”

“I married her in a rush, and people have been speculating that we have a marriage of convenience divorcing sooner or later. If we were to partner with them now, who knows how the rumors would spread? I can’t control what others say about her behind her back, but I won’t create opportunities for them to gossip about her myself.”

With that, Zhou Sujin pushed the letter of intent for the partnership back to his brother. “You know me, I don’t make just any money.”

Previous | Index | Next

Today’s Busy, I’ll Buy It For You Next Time

The storm outside had quieted, but not inside the room.

As Wei Lai took her second shower, she noticed the backyard was blanketed in thick snow, the neatly trimmed bushes now unrecognizable beneath the heavy layers.

The only other time she had seen snow this heavy was in a small town near a ski resort.

“Don’t clear the snow in the yard before I get up,” she said, not looking at him. Just ten seconds ago, she was still trembling in his arms.

Her heart was still beating, yet to settle down.

Zhou Sujin: “I won’t. I’ll leave it for you.”

He reached for the tissue box on the nightstand.

“Honey, don’t move.” Wei Lai suddenly grabbed his arm.

Zhou Sujin paused, not reaching for the tissue box. Instead, he pulled her back into his embrace, his voice becoming hoarse, “Tell me if you feel uncomfortable.”

There was nothing uncomfortable.

He hadn’t moved out yet, so when he half-rose to grab the tissue box, it sent a warm, electrifying sensation throughout her whole body.

The tremors of desire surged within her again.

Breaking the silence, Wei Lai asked, “Will you be home for dinner tomorrow night?”

Zhou Sujin’s eyes met hers. “Yeah.”

“Will you be eating at home for the next few days?”

“En.”

Wei Lai wrapped her arms around his neck, their breaths intertwining.

After a few seconds of gazing into each other’s eyes, Zhou Sujin leaned down, and she met his kiss. Despite their intimate connection, the unfamiliarity between them had only slightly diminished. The emotional distance couldn’t be bridged by physical closeness alone.

She had a luncheon with someone the next day, and his schedule was packed as well, so reason prevailed, and they didn’t go for a fourth round.

Zhou Sujin kissed her on the lips before rising from the bed.

Wei Lai didn’t have the energy for another bath, so she quickly showered and changed into a clean robe. The nightgown and PJs she had worn earlier were completely soaked and unwearable.

The next morning, she slept until eight, by which time Zhou Sujin had already left for work.

The snow in the yard remained untouched, just as it had been when it stopped falling the previous night. She took a few photos before leaving a trail of footprints in the snow.

If Zhou Sujin saw, he’d probably comment that she must be really bored.

Around 10 a.m., she went upstairs to change and get ready for her luncheon.

She chose a soft-colored knit sweater dress, paired with a classic gray coat. After pulling her hair back, she carefully checked her neck—no visible marks.

Zhou Sujin had been exceptionally restrained last night, always attentive to her needs. Even in those moments, he maintained a calm control over his desires.

She figured she’d probably never see him lose control in her lifetime.

Just as she opened the door of the Bentayga and got in, Zhou Sujin called her.

“Are you up yet?” His crisp voice came through.

“I’ve been up for a while. I’m about to head out.” Wei Lai placed her purse on the passenger seat. After the hormones wore off, the unfamiliarity between them as a couple created a slight awkwardness.

“Honey, what’s up?”

Zhou Sujin: “The clothes were picked out by my aunt. If anything doesn’t fit, I’ll exchange it for you.”

By the time she had awakened, a batch of winter clothes had already been delivered to the house, all in her preferred style and colors. It turned out to be his aunt’s good taste.

“No, everything fits perfectly, no need for an exchange.” Wei Lai looked down at her knit dress. “I thought you had picked them out for me.”

Zhou Sujin had previously promised her that any gift he gave her in the future would be something he personally picked out. He explained, “Today’s situation is special. I’ll buy it for you next time.”

There was a meeting this morning, so he didn’t have time to choose clothes for her, while she urgently needed something to wear.

“Honey.”

“En.”

She called him once but then fell silent.

Zhou Sujin asked, “Why aren’t you saying anything?”

“I suddenly forgot what I wanted to say…”

“Tell me when you remember.”

“En, I’m hanging up now, I’m heading out.” Wei Lai couldn’t quite describe the subtle shift in their interactions today. She had actually stumbled over her words earlier.

Maybe because the physical distance between them had disappeared.

Just as Zhou Sujin ended the call with Wei Lai, his aunt’s call came in.

Ning Rujiang had heard that Wei Lai was in Beijing and asked her nephew when he was planning to bring her over for dinner.

“I’m not too busy these days, so you two can come by whenever.”

Although the ginkgo leaves in the year had all fallen, it was still nice to sit inside and drink coffee while enjoying the snow-covered garden.

Zhou Sujin: “We won’t be coming. She’s here on a business trip.”

Ning Rujiang said enthusiastically, “No matter how busy one is, surely there’s time for dinner?”

Zhou Sujin pondered for a moment before honestly telling his aunt, “Even if there’s time, I wouldn’t bring her over.”

Ning Rujiang felt a sudden pang of concern. Were the two of them having problems?

For some reason, the watch suddenly came to her mind.

“Sujin, what’s going on between you two?”

“It’s nothing. We’re still adjusting to one another. There’s not a lot of feelings between us yet. If we’re around family, she puts on a show for you guys’ sake.”

Zhou Sujin had just returned to his office from a meeting and still had work to finish. “Auntie, I’m busy. When it’s time to head home, I’ll bring her with me.”

Ning Rujiang sighed in relief—as long as they weren’t fighting.

She understood her nephew’s decision. After all, pretending was too exhausting, and he didn’t want Wei Lai to tire herself out keeping up appearances for the family.

After hanging up, Zhou Sujin set his phone aside and opened a document awaiting his signature.

Lu An knocked once before stepping inside, holding his phone to his ear. He pulled out a chair across from Zhou Sujin and sat down as the person on the other end of the line explained the reason for the call.

“President Lu, did you buy a second-hand watch in Jiang City last August?” Zhang Yanxin asked directly.

“Yeah.”

Lu An glanced at Zhou Sujin’s wrist, where the watch was still sitting. He had suspected Zhang Yanxin was after Zhou Sujin’s watch, and it seemed he was right.

Zhang Yanxin had figured out the whole story. The night he and Wei Lai broke up, the watch had been bought by Lu An and Zhou Sujin.

“That watch was a birthday present from Wei Lai to me.”

“What did you just say!” Lu An’s shock made his voice jump a few notches, almost swearing in disbelief.

Across from him, Zhou Sujin glanced at him a few times at his outburst.

Lu An could no longer care about the warning glance from Zhou Sujin. His fingers pressed hard against his temples, feeling the loud thudding of his heartbeat.

Zhang Yanxin repeated himself, “The watch was a present from Wei Lai to me. For President Zhou, it doesn’t hold any special meaning, and I don’t want to make him uncomfortable. I’d appreciate it if you could help me buy it back. Don’t worry, I won’t wear it out. President Zhou will never know about the connection between the watch and me.”

“Sorry, I’m afraid I can’t help you with that.”

“I understand it puts you in a difficult situation. No worries. Sorry for the trouble, President Lu.”

Lu An ended the call, his mind buzzing.

He couldn’t shake the feeling that he had just stumbled into a huge mess.

Back then, Zhou Sujin hadn’t even given this watch another glance. It was he who had insisted they check out the flagship store in Shanghai, and Zhou Sujin only reluctantly agreed to the watch because it was too much trouble otherwise.

And now look at the situation.

“What did you need from me?” Zhou Sujin looked up at him.

Lu An snapped out of it and grabbed his phone before standing up. “Wrong room. I was looking for Zhou Jiaye.”

He practically bolted out, heading straight for Zhou Jiaye’s office. Once inside, he slammed the door shut and even locked it.

Zhou Jiaye gave him a long look. “Running that fast—did you get on Zhou Sujin’s bad side?”

“… Ugh, don’t even get me started.”

Wearing a thin sweater, Lu An was sweating profusely, so he yanked it off, leaving just his shirt on—though he still felt hot.

He wiped his forehead, his fingers coming away damp with sweat.

Zhou Jiaye was about to make another joke, but seeing Lu An drenched in sweat, he realized the gravity of the situation.

“What kind of trouble did you get yourself in? Did you screw up the investment project you two are working on?”

Lu An gulped down a glass of cold water. “If it was just about money, I’d be relieved.”

Setting down the glass, he explained the whole situation, not leaving out a single detail.

After hearing the story, Zhou Jiaye fell silent too.

Lu An, both scared and frustrated, blurted, “Do you think Zhang Yanxin’s out of his mind?”

With no time to cuss, he asked Zhou Jiaye for his analysis of what Zhang Yanxin might do next.

Zhou Jiaye: “For now, he won’t do anything. Even if he wants the watch back, he has to consider his partnership with our Kunchen.”

The thing Lu An was worried about was, “The board already passed the decision last week to reduce our stake in Xinming Semiconductor. If Zhang Yanxin finds out about this, do you think he’ll still hold back?”

Zhou Jiaye: “That’s why I said for now.”

Suddenly, he remembered how his mom and aunt had also shown unusual interest in that watch. He had been puzzled at the time, but now it all made sense. Since it was a present from Wei Lai to Zhang Yanxin, his mom couldn’t understand why Zhou Sujin wore it so nonchalantly, without a second thought.

“Why are you so anxious? It’s not like it’s your fault.”

Lu An wasn’t exactly anxious, it was mostly guilt. “I accidentally broke the watch you gave him, and it still hasn’t been fixed. I thought I’d replace it with something else, and now there’s this whole mess.”

Even after calming down, he still had no idea what to do. He asked Zhou Jiaye, “So, what now?”

Zhou Jiaye thought for a moment before saying, “Let’s deal with it after the new year. Wei Lai’s still here.” He told Lu An not to overthink it. “There’s nothing Zhou Sujin can’t handle.”

At Table No. 9 of S.Z. Restaurant

Wei Lai had arrived 20 minutes early.

She had barely sat down when Qi Linsheng walked in. He was the same type of person as her, who would never keep others waiting, regardless of who was treating.

“Mr. Qi, long time no see.” Wei Lai greeted him with a smile as she stood.

“Please, sit. No need for formalities.”

This was only their second meeting, but there was no sense of awkwardness between them.

Qi Linsheng frequented this restaurant and knew which tables were reserved for exclusive guests. Their table, for instance, wasn’t something an average person could book. “I’m sure it wasn’t easy getting this reservation.”

Wei Lai: “Not really. My husband helped arrange it.”

Qi Linsheng noticed the wedding ring on her finger. She hadn’t been wearing one the last time they met. Since he had driven himself today, he raised his glass of water to toast her. “Congratulations.”

He wasn’t one to pry into personal matters, so after the congratulations, the conversation quickly moved on.

“I heard Chen Qi joined your team.”

Wei Lai was surprised. “You know Chen Qi?”

Qi Linsheng nodded. “We’ve known each other for years due to work.”

Chen Qi had once asked him about the management team at Wei Lai Supermarket. Knowing Chen Qi well, he had simply said, “I think you’ll get along.”

Wei Lai was grateful. “Thanks to you, else Chen Qi wouldn’t have joined us.”

Qi Linsheng smiled. “You’re welcome.”

During lunch, the conversation naturally shifted to Wei Lai Supermarket’s expansion plans for the upcoming year, and securing capital was the top priority.

Through her previous role, Wei Lai had built a modest network of contacts. Tomorrow, she had a meeting lined up with an account manager from Yuanwei Capital to see if they might be interested in investing in Wei Lai Supermarket.

Wei Lai and Qi Linsheng continued chatting until 2:30 p.m. before parting ways. Qi Linsheng mentioned that he might visit Jiang City to assess the market after the new year. She extended her hand and said, “We look forward to having you visit and learn from you, Mr. Qi.”

After saying their goodbyes, they each went to retrieve their cars.

Out of habit, Wei Lai looked for her Cullinan, but among the sea of cars, she didn’t spot a dark emerald SUV. A few steps later, she suddenly remembered that she had driven Zhou Sujin’s black Bentayga today.

Once inside the car, she didn’t start it right away, mulling over where she should head next.

She still hadn’t bought new clothes for her parents for the new year, and by the time she got back home, it would be close to Chinese New Year’s Eve, leaving little time for shopping.

She started the engine and drove to the nearest mall.

After buying clothes for her parents, she also picked up gifts for her grandparents on both sides. She even found something for her uncle’s family. The only person she hadn’t shopped for was Zhou Sujin.

Already back in the car with the engine running, she turned it off and headed back into the mall.

Wei Lai picked out a mid-length coat for Zhou Sujin. If he didn’t like it, she could occasionally wear it herself to keep warm.

Next door was the flagship store for one of her most worn brands. The spring collection was out, and the selection here had more variety than back in Jiang City, so she went in for a look.

She found a cardigan and a dress she liked, then noticed a lightweight blazer in her favorite color and style. Just as she was about to try it on, the store manager took it down and whispered some instructions to an assistant nearby.

After the manager finished, Wei Lai approached and asked to try on the blazer.

The store manager gestured toward the other fitting room and apologized, “I’m sorry, ma’am, but another customer had already set her eyes on this blazer. Would you like to take a look at something else?”

“Was there only one in stock?”

“Two, but the other one was purchased this afternoon.”

“Okay.”

Wei Lai felt disappointed but paid for the cardigan and dress before leaving the store.

By the time she left the mall, it was almost six, and the sky had already darkened.

Traffic was heavy, and it took her half an hour and a half to get back home.

In the driveway, the Bentley was already parked in its spot.

Wei Lai parked the car and only grabbed the coat she had bought for Zhou Sujin before heading inside.

The living room downstairs was empty. As she reached the top of the stairs, she called out, “Honey?’

Zhou Sujin was in his study and responded with a simple utterance.

When Wei Lai reached the study’s doorway, he happened to glance up. In that brief moment of eye contact, she couldn’t help but think of last night, feeling a bit awkward.

But thanks to him, she had learned how to keep her emotions in check now.

“Did you come home early?”

“Not too long ago.”

Wei Lai walked over and held out the new coat for him to see. “I bought something for everyone in the family, so of course, I couldn’t leave you out. Do you like it? If not, I’ll just wear it myself.”

Zhou Sujin commented, “Looks good.” Then, without looking away from his computer screen, he moved his mouse and said to her, “Hold on a second.”

Wei Lai’s gaze shifted from his long, slender fingers to the sharp lines of his jaw. His cold expression revealed nothing of his true feelings, making it impossible to gauge what he thought of the coat she had brought him.

After saving his document, he stood up and took the coat from her hands. “Went shopping this afternoon?”

“En.” Wei Lai followed him out of the study and toward the bedroom. As they walked, she grabbed his hand. Zhou Sujin turned his hand over to clasp hers, enveloping it in his palms.

Along with her hand, he also seemed to hold her heartbeat.

Hand in hand, they made their way to the walk-in closet.

Zhou Sujin pointed toward the sofa. “Bought this for you.”

Wei Lai glanced at the logo on the shopping bag and immediately recognized it—it was from the same women’s clothing flagship store she had visited that afternoon.

The clothes from this morning had been chosen by Auntie, and that was his first time breaking his promise to her, so he made it up to her in the evening.

Zhou Sujin: “I didn’t have time to go to the store, so I had them send over some options, and I picked out a few.”

Wei Lai slipped her hand out of his and walked over to take a look. Inside were spring dresses and to her surprise, the very blazer she hadn’t been able to purchase earlier. So, he bought the other one.

Suddenly, she felt completely content.

“You remembered I like white blazers? I wanted to try this one at the store this afternoon, but they didn’t have it in stock. I was a bit disappointed. I didn’t expect you to buy it for me.”

She walked over to him and wrapped her arms around him.

“Honey.”

“What is it?” Zhou Sujin pulled her closer with one arm, hanging the coat she bought him in the front section of the closet. “Is there something else you want?”

“No.” Wei Lai didn’t say anything more, simply gazing at him in silence.

Zhou Sujin looked down at her, no longer asking what was on her mind, and lowered his head to kiss her on the lips.

Previous | Index | Next

Embraced By Him Like This All The Way

All of her work could be handled remotely, and for anything that couldn’t, her mom was there to help. Staying a few more days in Beijing wouldn’t be an issue.

The only concern Wei Lai had was, “Won’t I completely mess up your schedule then?”

Zhou Sujin: “I’ll just rearrange it; it’s no big deal.”

He picked up his phone and instructed Yang Ze to adjust his schedule. As he typed, he asked her, “How many days will you be here? When are you heading back to Jiang City?”

Wei Lai opened her phone calendar, hesitating a little before finally deciding, “I’ll leave on the 28th.”

Including today, she’d be staying for five days.

This would be the longest, and perhaps the most luxurious stretch of time they would spend together.

“I’ll leave early on the 28th and should reach Jiang City by night.”

Zhou Sujin didn’t let her drive back by herself. “Leave the car here. I’ll have someone drive it to you after Chinese New Year.” He adjusted his schedule to match hers, right up until the day she left.

He didn’t have much time to spend with her, but he would try his best to come back early in the evenings and had already canceled a few dinners to make more time.

Just as Wei Lai was about to message her mom to let her know she’d be returning a few days later, her mom beat her to it, as if they were in sync.

“I forgot to tell you on the phone at first, but why don’t you just stay in Beijing for Chinese New Year’s? I’ll be busy late into the night on Chinese New Year’s Eve, and I’m heading to Ocean City for vacation early on Chinese New Year. I won’t have time to keep you company even if you come back.“

Having Chinese New Year’s Eve with her mom was a must, and her mom’s trip to Ocean City was just an excuse.

Wei Lai: “I’ll be back on the 28th. Don’t worry about it. Enjoy your vacation. I’m not a kid who needs you around all the time.“

Wei Lai not believing her words was within Cheng Minzhi’s expectations. “Why would I lie to you? I’m really going on a vacation. Chairman He has a resort in Ocean City and he invites a bunch of friends over for Chinese New Year’s every year. He asked if I wanted to go and meet some new friends. I thought about it and decided to go unwind for a few days. I can’t keep living in the past. If it weren’t for all the work I have at the supermarket on Chinese New Year’s Eve, I would’ve flown to Ocean City that night. You really don’t need to come back. No one will be home.“

Wei Lai was still determined to return, but she played along with her message, saying she’d stay in Beijing for Chinese New Year.

There was no way she would leave her mom to spend Chinese New Year’s Eve alone.

After wishing her mom goodnight, Wei Lai asked Zhou Sujin, “Chairman He has a resort in Ocean City?”

Zhou Sujin: “Yeah. He even has a pretty big private beach.”

He was browsing the news but turned to glance at her. “Do you want to go spend a few days in Ocean City?”

“Oh, it’s not like that.” Wei Lai explained that her mom’s trip was likely just a pretense, trying to keep her in Beijing so she and Zhou Sujin could spend Chinese New Year together as a couple.

Turning to look out the window again, she saw that the car had already entered the gated community.

Even though she had been here before, the place still felt unfamiliar to her.

As they passed the guest room where she had stayed for a few nights, she recalled some of the things that happened when they were still pretending.

“You’ll find all your clothes in the walk-in closet.”

Zhou Sujin’s voice brought her back from her thoughts. “Okay.”

At their home in Jiang City, the clothes he prepared for her were always uni-sized robes and loungewear, so she expected the same here. But as she stood in front of the walk-in closet, she froze for a moment. Her PJs and nightgown from when they met his parents during their contractual relationship days were still there.

She had told him to get rid of them and assumed he had done so long ago.

She took down the nightgown, planning to take a bath.

As she passed the row of watch safes, she couldn’t help but pause. The last time she was here, he gave her a detailed rundown of the watches in one of the safes, and she made a PowerPoint, numbering each watch in order.

Looking again today, she noticed that several watches were no longer in the same order as before. Upon closer inspection, there was a new watch she had never seen before.

“Honey,” she called out.

Zhou Sujin was standing at the foot of the bed, replying to an urgent email, not even looking up.

After a brief pause, he said, “Just leave it on the sofa for now. I’ll hang it for you in a minute.”

Wei Lai: “…”

He thought she wanted him to come over to hang up her sweater.

“I’m not asking you for that.”

“Just give me a minute.”

“Honey, come here right now.”

Zhou Sujin quickly reviewed his response one more time, confirmed it was good, hit send, and placed his phone on the bench at the foot of the bed before heading to the walk-in closet to see what she was fussing about this time.

As he reached the entrance, he glanced at her, “You can’t even wait a minute now?”

Wei Lai: “En.”

Zhou Sujin walked over to her side as they spoke.

Wei Lai pointed to the third watch on the left of the second row in the watch safe. “Did you get a new watch?”

Zhou Sujin was surprised that she could so accurately identify the new addition. He had assumed no one but he would notice.

He couldn’t help but glance at her again. “How did you manage to remember all these watches?”

“I made a whole PowerPoint, remember? It stuck after a few looks.” Wei Lai’s gaze remained fixed on the new watch. With her limited knowledge of watches, she tried to figure out why he had bought this one.

Zhou Sujin recalled that and asked, “How many times did you look at it?”

Wei Lai thought for a moment. “I don’t remember. Probably a lot.”

She turned to meet his gaze and said with a smile, “I can live with people calling me vain, but I won’t give anyone the chance to call me unprofessional. Vanity I can’t control, but professionalism I can.”

With that, she turned back to the watch. “When did you buy this one?”

“When we separated, I don’t remember when exactly.”

Thinking about those months they were separated still pained her, but she smiled and said, “I used to wonder if you’d ever just show up and surprise me.”

“A surprise visit? No.”

He then added, “If I were in Jiang City on business, I might’ve given you a call.”

Wei Lai didn’t dwell on the past. After all, they weren’t anything to each other back then.

“What about in the future? Would you come see me out of the blue?”

Zhou Sujin looked at her and nodded. “I will.”

His straightforward answer made Wei Lai’s heart skip a beat.

She wanted to say something in response, but at that moment, her mind went blank, and no words came.

Instead, she grabbed onto his shirt.

Zhou Sujin glanced down at her hand, which was gripping his shirt tightly. He said with endless patience, “Didn’t I just promise to visit you? What’s still not to your liking?”

Wei Lai went from holding his shirt with one hand to grabbing it with both. She looked into his eyes and said, “Now that you mention it, there is something not to my liking.”

“You had to dig deep for it?”

“…” Wei Lai laughed, “En.”

Zhou Sujin gestured for her to continue. “Let’s hear it.”

Wei Lai: “I’m not used to you going completely silent after you leave. One day we’re close, and the next, not a single message from you once you left Jiang City. I don’t need anything else, but you should at least text me when you land safely, so I know where you are. You’re my family now, of course, I’m going to worry.”

Zhou Sujin was a little moved. “I’ll keep that in mind next time.”

He looked at her, his gaze encouraging her to continue.

Wei Lai: “For now, that’s the only thing.”

She took her nightgown and headed for the bathroom, but just as she reached the entrance of the walk-in closet, she turned around. “I thought you’d gotten rid of all my stuff.”

Zhou Sujin was adjusting the order of his watches in the safe and replied, “At that time, I was already considering whether to marry you, so I decided to hold off.”

She stood still at the door.

He looked at her and added, “Even if we didn’t get married, I wouldn’t have thrown your things away. I would’ve mailed them to you, no matter how troublesome it was.”

“Thank you.”

Wei Lai went into the bathroom. She had been here once before when they met his family during the contract period, so she was familiar with the layout. The bathtub here was the same model as the one in their home in Jiang City, so she found it just as comfortable to use.

The tub was placed by the floor-to-ceiling window. After filling it with water, she turned off all the bathroom lights and leaned back in the tub, watching the heavy snowfall outside. It rarely snowed this much in Jiang City.

She had been soaking for a long time that Zhou Sujin went to shower in the room next door, and she still hadn’t come out even after he finished showering.

Worried she might have fallen asleep in the tub, he pushed the door open.

“Wei Lai?”

From the doorway, he couldn’t see the bathtub, so he called out again.

“‘I’m fine. I was just deep in thought about the location of the next store.”

Wei Lai slipped into her nightgown and carefully adjusted the hem before leaving the bathroom, but by the time she came out, he was no longer standing at the door.

Her hair was still damp, so she went to the vanity to blowdry it in front of the mirror.

Just as her hair was nearly dry, Zhou Sujin entered.

He was wearing simple black PJs, effortlessly refined.

“What time are you going out tomorrow?”

“I’m scheduled to meet at eleven-thirty, so leaving at ten should be fine.”

Zhou Sujin nodded. “If the Cullinan isn’t back in time, take the Bentayga.”

“Okay.”

“I won’t be home until seven tomorrow night. I won’t have time to keep you company, so you’ll need to make your own plans.”

That was probably the earliest he could make it back. “No worries, I know you’re busy.” With the last of the moisture gone from her hair, Wei Lai turned off the blow dryer.

“Honey.”

“En, what’s wrong now?” Zhou Sujin casually tidied up her cosmetics on the vanity and glanced at the blow dryer in her hand. “Want me to dry your hair for you?”

“No need, it’s already dry.” What she really wanted to ask was about the watches. “There are still two safes full of watches you haven’t explained to me yet. Can you give me a rundown when you have time?”

“Sure.”

Wei Lai put the blow dryer away. If they were a normal couple, this kind of reunion after time apart would’ve sparked something more passionate by now. But they were still adjusting to this unfamiliar relationship.

She turned to face him, contemplating how to break the silence, when Zhou Sujin pulled her into his arms and kissed her.

Wei Lai suppressed her nervousness and tiptoed, trying to return his kiss. But he stood straight, and she couldn’t reach him.

It wasn’t that Zhou Sujin was teasing her on purpose, he just hadn’t expected her to kiss him back.

Wei Lai laughed, easing the awkwardness. “You’re so much taller than me. If we ever argue and I want to kiss you, I won’t even be able to reach you. We have to fix this height difference issue.”

Zhou Sujin: “I’ll try to accommodate you in the future. But as for the height difference, there’s no fixing that.”

“There is.” But he definitely wouldn’t do it.

“What’s your solution?”

“You could just carry me.”

Zhou Sujin looked at her for a moment, then wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her up.

With her feet off the ground and suddenly in his embrace, Wei Lai’s heart skipped a beat. It felt like she’d lost her balance, and she instinctively clung to his neck.

She was still slightly shorter than him, but now she could nearly meet his gaze.

His expression remained calm and controlled.

Even though Zhou Sujin was in his PJs, his most relaxed state of the day, his aloofness didn’t lessen in the slightest.

Their eyes met for barely two seconds before he tightened his hold on her and pressed his lips against hers.

He kissed her deeply, domineering yet gentle, and Wei Lai almost couldn’t keep up with its intensity.

He carried her from the vanity to the bench at the foot of the bed, never breaking the kiss.

Throughout the entire kiss, he held her in his arms.

When the kiss finally ended, it was dark before Wei Lai’s eyes, and she was unsure if she was lying on her own pillow or his.

The moment their bodies made contact, her heart skipped a beat.

Looking up at his distinct and sharp features, Wei Lai said, “We don’t have any…”

Zhou Sujin: “I’ve prepared everything.”

He leaned down to kiss her again.

Wei Lai couldn’t fully focus on responding to his kiss.

It wasn’t until she fully accepted him that she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back, using the kiss to release the unfamiliar tension within her body.

Zhou Sujin took her hand and intertwined their fingers.

The pressure from his palm transferred to her own hand.

During their contract, she had hastily torn open three in his hotel room in Jiang City. Tonight, he made sure they were all accounted for.

Outside, the heavy snow continued to fall, finally stopping in the middle of the night.

Previous | Index | Next

You Can Stay A Few More Days

He had already guessed it, so Wei Lai didn’t bother being vague and told him she had just arrived in Beijing.

Zhou Sujin’s call came through shortly after. “How did you get here? Weren’t the flights grounded?”

Over the past two days, heavy snow had hit suddenly, causing some bullet train routes to temporarily close, and several flights had been canceled. He hadn’t paid attention to which flights were affected, or whether the ones from Jiang City to Beijing were still flying.

Wei Lai: “I drove the Cullinan here.”

It was rare for anything to faze him, but her response genuinely took him by surprise.

He had driven from Beijing to Jiang City himself—13 hours—so he knew exactly how exhausting it could be.

After a brief pause, Zhou Sujin asked calmly, “Did you get stuck on the highway?”

“En.” She downplayed it, “Lots of cars were stuck, but we were eventually guided to an RSA. There was hot water and food.”

Zhou Sujin: “Where are you now?”

Wei Lai glanced up. A thin layer of snow had already accumulated on the windshield, barely able to see the nearby landmarks.

She gave him a rough idea of her location.

Zhou Sujin immediately realized she was still on the South Outer Ring Road.

Wei Lai returned to the earlier topic and asked if they should agree on whether to meet up when one of them was on a business trip.

“You’re already in Beijing. Do you think we should meet or not?”

His deep, magnetic voice resonated through the phone.

Wei Lai watched as the snowflakes stuck to the windshield one by one, gradually blurring her view.

She said, “I just thought if we don’t agree on it ahead of time, a surprise meeting might disrupt your schedule or invade your personal space.”

Zhou Sujin said plainly, “It would.”

Wei Lai: “…”

He quickly followed up, “I can adjust it. It’s not a big deal.”

Wei Lai: “Alright then, let’s meet. There won’t be another chance before Chinese New Year anyway.” She asked, “Are you free tonight or tomorrow?”

Zhou Sujin: “I’m free both.”

He looked up and instructed Uncle Yan to take the next exit off the highway.

Then, speaking into the phone again, he said, “I have dinner with Lu An and the others tonight. Want to join me?”

Zhou Sujin went on to tell her who else would be at the dinner.

The problem was that she was on the South Outer Ring, and he was stuck on the overpass on the West side. It could easily take more than two hours before they could even meet.

Wei Lai turned off the car. “Don’t have Uncle Yan take a detour. You go straight to the restaurant. I’ll take the subway to meet you.”

The subway was the fastest option, and there happened to be a station nearby.

Wei Lai put on her coat while still in the car. Since arriving in Beijing, she hadn’t stepped outside, so she hadn’t fully grasped how cold it was.

The moment she opened the car door, the sharp, snow-filled wind nearly drove her back inside.

The cold cut straight through her coat, chilling her to the bone.

The coat, which had been perfect for Jiang City’s weather, was no match for Beijing’s bitter cold.

Bracing herself against the biting wind, she wrapped one arm around her chest. She clutched the collar of her coat tightly with the other, pressing forward against the freezing gusts.

She had barely walked a few dozen meters when her phone rang—it was Zhou Sujin.

“Are you cold?”

“Cold.” The instinctive response to his concern was to be coquettish.

Zhou Sujin: “Get back in the car and drive here slowly. There’s no rush. I’ll wait for you.”

Wei Lai had left her earbuds in the car. “I’m fine, I can handle it. Let’s talk later, my hands are freezing.”

The entrance to the subway station was under construction, forcing everyone to line up single file, with the queue stretching almost out to the street.

Wei Lai quickened her pace and joined the end of the line.

In the blink of an eye, three or four people had already lined up behind her.

There was an unusually large number of people taking the subway today. She had to wait for two trains before finally squeezing on.

There was no direct line to the restaurant, so she had to transfer once.

The restaurant was right across from the subway exit, so she’d have to cross a pedestrian bridge to get there.

After stepping off the train, she hurried through the warm station, knowing that the cold wind outside would be waiting for her. Next time she came to Beijing in winter, she’d definitely wear the thickest down coat she owned.

“Are you there yet?”

Before leaving the station, while her hands were still warm, Wei Lai sent a voice message to check where Zhou Sujin was.

Zhou Sujin: “I’m here.“

“I’ll be there soon, just wait for me in the lobby.”

As she sent the message, the escalator reached the top. Wei Lai quickly stuffed her phone in her pocket and pulled up the collar of her coat. The minimalist design of her coat didn’t have any buttons, so the wind crept in from everywhere.

Zhou Sujin responded to her, “I’m on the pedestrian bridge, coming to get you. Keep an eye out so we don’t miss each other.“

Wei Lai’s phone buzzed briefly in her pocket, but she didn’t feel it.

For the first time, Zhou Sujin found himself scanning the crowd, carefully watching each person who passed by.

Today, Wei Lai was wearing a light, creamy beige coat with a loose, similarly toned sweater underneath.

She liked to pair similar shades together, always choosing a slightly darker tone for her inner layers.

As Zhou Sujin crossed the pedestrian bridge, he spotted her on the stairs, head down, walking without even glancing to her sides.

“Wei Lai.”

She looked up suddenly in surprise.

Zhou Sujin had a black coat draped over his arm, matching the one he wore, though with a slightly different design.

His suitcase for business trips was packed in the trunk of the car and just so happened to have another heavy coat.

“It’s freezing. Why didn’t you wait for me inside the restaurant?”

Wei Lai’s voice was filled with delight as she walked up two steps at a time toward him.

Zhou Sujin handed her the coat. “Put this on first.”

Taking the coat, Wei Lai stepped to the side so she wouldn’t block anyone passing by.

She held the coat in her hand but didn’t put it on, looking up at him. “Honey.”

Zhou Sujin naturally could guess her intention, raising his hands. “Give me the coat.”

As she handed it to him, she instinctively took a step closer to him.

Zhou Sujin lowered his gaze, looking at her. Even in such cold weather, she still found a way to be coquettish.

He helped her put on the coat and fastened each button.

With the extra layer, Wei Lai immediately felt a bit more alive, though her body was still trembling from the cold.

Now, she was enveloped in his presence, the crisp, faint scent he carried filling her lungs with every breath.

His mid-length coat became oversized on her.

The sleeves fell past her fingertips, perfectly blocking out the biting wind.

Wei Lai nestled close to him as they walked, seeking warmth.

They crossed the pedestrian bridge together, snow swirling gently in the air. The surface of the bridge had already collected a thin white layer, and in this cold, it was easy to slip.

Zhou Sujin reached out and through the two layers of coats, grasped her wrist.

Wei Lai didn’t turn around to look at him. Instead, she looked down at the road below, where an endless line of red taillights stretched out, creating a sea of romantic lights as he held her hand and guided her across the bridge.

Once they were off the bridge and back on safer ground, Zhou Sujin released her hand.

Wei Lai then looked at him. “Honey, you’re not gonna hold my hand anymore?”

Helpless against her, Zhou Sujin took her hand back in his again.

They were less than fifty meters from S.Z. Restaurant, where they were going to have dinner tonight. Wei Lai casually mentioned that she would be treating someone there for lunch tomorrow.

Zhou Sujin asked, “Have you made a reservation?”

“En.” However, she booked late, so she wasn’t able to get a window seat. S.Z. Restaurant was a high-end restaurant known for its panoramic views which people came there for.

“How’s the seating?”

“It’s alright.”

Zhou Sujin nodded and said nothing more.

Meanwhile, in a private room at S.Z., Lu An had just arrived after being stuck in traffic for over an hour. If it hadn’t been so freezing, he might’ve considered walking the rest of the way.

A few people who had arrived early were playing cards, but Zhou Sujin was nowhere in sight.

Lu An asked Min Ting, “Where is he?”

“He went to pick someone up.”

“Who? Isn’t his car still parked outside?”

“He walked across the street to the subway station.”

“Doesn’t that mean he has to cross the pedestrian bridge!”

Lu An wasn’t overreacting; there were only a handful of people Zhou Sujin would personally walk that far to pick up, and aside from his maternal grandpa, there wasn’t anyone else. But Grandpa Ning would never be caught riding the subway anyway.

“Seriously, who’s he picking up? Stop keeping me in suspense!”

Min Ting wasn’t intentionally being evasive. He was currently focused on calculating his opponent’s hand. His opponent was his brother-in-law, and losing wasn’t an option, so he ignored Lu An.

Zhou Jiaye was nonchalant, indifferent to winning or losing, and replied to Lu An, “Who else could it be?”

Lu An connected the dots. “Wei Lai came to Beijing to see Zhou Sujin?”

“Not sure on the details.”

Just as they were chatting, the general manager of the restaurant knocked and entered the private room, checking if everyone had arrived. He was quite familiar with this group, so there was no need for the usual pleasantries.

Those playing cards continued their game while others were on their phones. After scanning the room and realizing Zhou Sujin was still absent, the GM* quietly closed the door and stepped out.

GM – General Manager

As he turned, he was met by Zhou Sujin walking toward him with a strikingly elegant beauty at his side.

“Good evening, President Zhou.”

Zhou Sujin nodded, then asked, “Are there any more window tables available for tomorrow?”

“Yes.” They had a few reserved for internal use, and not available for public booking. “For how many, President Zhou?”

Zhou Sujin turned to Wei Lai. “How many are you inviting tomorrow?”

“Just Director Qi.”

Zhou Sujin said to the GM, “For two.”

The GM reserved Table 9 for her, and Wei Lai canceled her original reservation. Before entering the private room, she said softly to Zhou Sujin, “Thank you.”

Zhou Sujin didn’t respond, simply pushing open the door to the private room.

Wei Lai had met them before at their engagement party, where Zhou Sujin had introduced them to her one by one. Seeing them again, she could still match their names to their faces.

None of them treated her like an outsider and told her to make herself at home.

Zhou Sujin saw her pour a cup of hot water. “Still cold?”

“En.”

Even though the room was well-heated and she was clutching a cup of hot water, Wei Lai still felt chilled to the bone. She hadn’t worn enough and had been frozen through on her way over.

Zhou Sujin asked her, “Want me to ask the kitchen to make you a bowl of noodles?”

Some hot soup and noodles might help warm her up.

Wei Lai nodded. “Sure.”

The GM thought Zhou Sujin was the one who wanted noodles, so he told the chef to prepare a seafood noodle.

Zhou Sujin took off his coat and stepped outside with his phone.

Lu An wasn’t playing cards, so he chatted with her, asking when she had arrived.

Wei Lai: “Two hours ago.”

Lu An was curious how she got here. Most bullet train routes were suspended, with only a few recently resuming. Jiang City Airport had been hit with massive flight delays, and his secretary was still stuck there, unable to take off.

Wei Lai smiled. “I drove here.”

Lu An gave her a thumbs-up, thinking to himself, No wonder she and Zhou Sujin are a couple—one drove the Cullinan to Jiang City and the other drove it back.

It wasn’t just a hundred kilometers, but a thousand.

“Are you and Zhou Sujin heading to London tomorrow?”

Wei Lai drank a sip of her hot water and said, “I’m here on a business trip. I still have to treat someone to dinner tomorrow.”

So, he was going to London tomorrow? He hadn’t mentioned it to her.

He was probably heading to his maternal grandpa’s for Chinese New Year.

In the restaurant’s lounge area, Zhou Sujin was on the phone with his maternal grandpa, telling him that he and Wei Lai would visit after the holiday.

Grandpa: “Good. Better that you don’t come.” Out of sight, out of mind.

“Look at your marriage! Ignoring the issue of long-distance, not even trying to fix it. First year of marriage, and you’re spending New Year’s in separate places. Zhou Sujin, your mom wasn’t wrong when she said it was a contractual marriage!”

Calling him by his full name meant his grandpa was furious.

Worried that the anger might affect his grandpa’s health, Zhou Sujin didn’t argue.

His grandpa calmed himself down and said, “Don’t come after the holiday either. Your grandma and I are going to the cherry blossom orchard soon to make cherry blossom wine.”

The cherry blossom orchard was in the southern hemisphere, and they would stay there for at least ten days to two weeks.

His grandpa was mostly retired now, rarely getting involved in the company’s affairs unless there was a major decision requiring his input.

After retiring, his grandpa had developed a hobby for making fruit wines and had bought several orchards for it.

After ending the call with his grandpa, Zhou Sujin returned to the private room.

The card game in the private room had ended, and everyone settled into their seats.

They hadn’t gathered to play cards, and even less for dinner—they were there to talk about investments for next year. Now that Wei Lai and Zhou Sujin were married, they didn’t avoid discussing anything in front of her.

Wei Lai quietly listened, not asking Zhou Sujin questions about things she didn’t understand.

When the noodles were served. She saw it was a bowl of seafood noodles. She lightly nudged him under the table.

Zhou Sujin turned around, and she signaled with her eyes for him to look at the bowl—half noodles, half seafood. He placed the bowl in front of him and continued talking about investments with the others. “The management team at Jiang’an Group is pretty solid,” he said as he began picking out the seafood.

After removing all the seafood, he handed the bowl of noodles to her.

Lu An, who had been watching Zhou Sujin pick out the seafood for Wei Lai, almost had his eyes pop out of his sockets. He thought no one would ever be able to boss Zhou Sujin around like that.

Afraid Wei Lai might feel uncomfortable, he didn’t pay too much attention to what Zhou Sujin was doing.

Min Ting didn’t know too much about Jiang’an Group, but he had heard of it. “What’s the boss’ surname?”

Lu An chimed in, “Yuan. He’s Yuan Hengrui’s dad.”

Min Ting wasn’t based in Jiang City and didn’t know much about the affairs over there. Even if he’d heard some gossip before, he had long forgotten it. He asked Lu An, “Are you friends with Yuan Hengrui?”

Zhou Sujin answered instead, “He used to pursue Wei Lai. He’s got decent vision but lacks the necessary ability. With a few more years under Chairman Yuan’s guidance, he should be good.”

Min Ting and the others glanced at him. This was Wei Lai’s former suitor, so technically a rival in love, yet Zhou Sujin was able to give such a calm and rational assessment, even considering investing in the other.

As Wei Lai ate her noodles, she glanced sideways at Zhou Sujin. Everyone said he was skilled and capable, but she felt he was more charismatic.

With just a few words from him, Jiang’an Group would likely attract a lot of capital from Beijing next year.

If Yuan Hengrui got another fortune reading for himself before Chinese New Year, it might reveal that he’s one step closer to the top richest list.

Outside, the snow was falling heavier, and by 9 p.m., the dinner gathering had wrapped up.

Wei Lai went to the restroom while Zhou Sujin signed the bill and waited for her in the private room.

She had left her phone on the table, so he picked it up and tucked it into her purse for her. Just as he did, a call came through—it was from Cheng Minzhi.

He didn’t answer, thinking Wei Lai would be back soon.

Half a minute later, the phone rang again. This time, he picked it up and answered.

“Lai Lai.”

“Mom, it’s me.”

Cheng Minzhi was momentarily taken aback, still not quite used to the way he addressed her. Her daughter had told her Zhou Sujin was busy and not in Beijing, so she hadn’t gone to his house and stayed at a hotel instead.

Did he come back after all?

“Hi, Sujin.”

“Wei Lai and I are out to dinner with some friends. She just went to the restroom. I’ll have her call you back shortly.”

Knowing her son-in-law was in Beijing, Cheng Minzhi felt more at ease. Her daughter had been stranded on the highway last night, and she’d been worried sick the whole time. “It’s nothing important, just wanted to check if she had settled in after arriving in Beijing. Now that I know, enjoy dinner. No need to call back.”

The door to the private room opened, and Wei Lai returned.

Zhou Sujin spoke into the phone, “Mom, hold on a sec.”

He handed the phone to her. “Mom called you.”

Wei Lai put the phone to her ear and gestured with her chin for Zhou Sujin to head downstairs.

As they walked out of the private room, she held onto his hand, chatting with her mom along the way about the supermarket and how heavy the snow was in Beijing.

It wasn’t until they got into the car that she hung up the call.

Wei Lai put her phone away as Uncle Yan started the car and pulled up the partition. With the sound of the call gone, the car was unusually quiet.

Zhou Sujin was reading the news, and she didn’t make conversation with him. Gazing out at the snow, she suddenly remembered, “My suitcase is still in the car.”

The Cullinan was parked several dozen kilometers away.

Zhou Sujin turned around slightly to look at her. “No need to get it. There’s everything at home for you.”

Wei Lai met his eyes and gave him a heads-up, “Lu An said you’re flying to London tomorrow. I’m not used to staying in such a big house alone, and it’s so far from everything, super inconvenient. I’ll stay in a hotel tomorrow night.”

Zhou Sujin: “I’m not going to London anymore. My grandparents aren’t home.” He added, “I’ll be in Beijing until Chinese New Year. You can stay a few more days.”

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Come see you or not?

Wei Lai squeezed a dollop of hand wash into her palm, lathering it into a foam before rinsing it under cold water. It was purely psychological, but her right hand still felt hot, each finger burning.

She hadn’t managed to see Zhou Sujin lose control at first.

In that moment, even the surge of hormones still couldn’t defeat his strong self-control.

It seemed that being overwhelmed by desire was not something that could happen to him.

As they lay back in bed, they felt even more unfamiliar with each other. In the darkness and silence of the room, awkwardness and an unspoken tension grew.

Zhou Sujin wasn’t used to sleeping with someone in his arms. Likewise, she wasn’t used to sleeping in his arms. That definitely wasn’t going to help her sleep. Under the covers, she cautiously moved, her hand accidentally brushing against his fingers. Startled, she quickly pulled away.

Zhou Sujin lay flat on his back, turning his face slightly to look at her. He thought she had already fallen asleep, her breathing steady just moments ago. He offered her the hem of his robe to hold onto.

“Thank you.”

Zhou Sujin didn’t respond, closing his eyes to sleep.

Her “thank you,” though soft and gentle, lacked any hint of coquettishness. Half an hour earlier, the soft moans she made in his arms, at the height of her pleasure, seemed like they had come from a completely different person.

A side of her he had never seen before.

“Get some sleep.”

“En, good night.”

Wei Lai was exhausted. Her mind was still a mess, but she fell asleep anyway.

The next morning, she woke up naturally at 10:05 a.m.

She had slept for six and a half hours, just enough to regain her energy.

Zhou Sujin wasn’t in the room. She deliberately avoided thinking about what had happened last night and got up to freshen up.

Her undergarments had been washed and dried, so Wei Lai retrieved them from the laundry room and changed. As she passed the study, the door was closed, but she could faintly hear him talking. It wasn’t clear whether it was a phone call or a meeting.

Not wanting to disturb him, Wei Lai did her makeup and headed downstairs to buy breakfast.

The sea salt croissants at the supermarket had just come out of the oven. She grabbed a few and then went to pick up several cartons of milk.

After placing the milk into her basket, she suddenly remembered that Zhou Sujin would be heading to Beijing today, and she wouldn’t stay there alone. Milk had a short shelf life and would expire long before he returned.

She put a few cartons back, leaving only two.

“Lai Lai, haven’t had breakfast yet?”

Wei Lai turned around and greeted with a smile, “Good morning, Auntie Kang.”

Manager Kang looked closely at the circles under her eyes. “Working overtime up until two or three again?”

“… Not that late.” Wei Lai smiled, giving a vague response.

Manager Kang never missed a chance to talk about work. “So, what’s the status of the Gesha coffee beans supply?”

Due to the engagement and registering their marriage, Wei Lai had completely forgotten about this matter. “Let me follow up and get back to you within an hour.”

After buying breakfast for the two of them, Wei Lai checked out and headed back home.

In the elevator, her phone rang—it was Zhou Sujin asking where she was.

“I’m almost home. I went to the supermarket to grab breakfast.”

“I had a restaurant deliver some breakfast.”

The breakfast had arrived while she was at the supermarket, a full spread with both Western and Chinese dishes.

Hearing the front door open, Zhou Sujin stood up from the sofa and washed his hands before sitting down at the dining table.

“Honey,” she called from the entryway without stepping inside.

“What’s up?”

“Can you help me with something?”

“Hanging up your coat?”

“En.”

Zhou Sujin was portioning the food onto plates. “With the time it takes for me to come over, you could’ve hung up a whole wardrobe by now.”

Despite the remark, he set down his plate and fork.

He came over from the dining room quickly. Wei Lai glanced at him—he had already changed into his business attire: a crisp white shirt and black pants, though he hadn’t put on his cufflinks yet, and his sleeves were casually rolled up once.

Zhou Sujin grabbed a hanger from the closet and asked her, “What did you buy for breakfast?”

“Bread, milk, and some fruit.”

After hanging up the coat, Zhou Sujin gestured with his chin. “Go have breakfast.”

Wei Lai walked ahead to the dining room. Earlier, on her way back from the supermarket, she had worried about the awkwardness that might arise when they sat face-to-face.

But she needn’t have. He wasn’t the type to let any interaction between them fall into an uncomfortable silence.

She didn’t unpack her groceries, placing the bag straight on the kitchen island.

Zhou Sujin glanced at the bag. “Didn’t you say you bought bread?”

“It’s fine, I’ll take it to the office as snacks.”

He casually made conversation, “The fresh-baked bread today?”

“En.”

“Bring it over, let me try.”

“It’s sea salt flavor.”

“That’s fine.”

Wei Lai handed him one of the croissants. He didn’t seem to particularly like croissants, but he accepted it, likely out of respect for her effort in going out to buy breakfast.

Zhou Sujin continued portioning the dishes, placing the first plate in front of her. “Take more if it’s not enough.”

“Thank you.”

As Wei Lai picked up her fork and began eating, she occasionally glanced at him from time to time. His calm, indifferent demeanor—it was something that only someone in his position of power could naturally possess.

She had tried her best to act normal with the events of last night, but she could only manage half of his naturalness.

Catching herself before her thoughts spiraled, she remembered she had something important to discuss with him.

“President Zhou.”

Zhou Sujin wasn’t used to hearing her address him that way, especially after she’d been calling him “honey” since yesterday. “Are we discussing a partnership or about work?”

“It’s more about my work.”

“Go ahead.”

“I used the Gesha coffee beans you gave me at the book bar at the Jiang’an Cloud Residences store. Customers love it and suggested we stock it in the supermarket.”

“You’re asking me for the supply channel?”

Wei Lai nodded. “Besides selling it, we’d also use some for the free book bar.”

She kept her gaze on him as she spoke, waiting for his response.

He was leisurely eating the sea salt croissant she’d bought. From his expression, there was no telling whether he liked it or not.

Zhou Sujin: “I don’t have the supply channel.” Not only did he not have it, but he also had never cared about it. “You should ask Yang Ze. He’s the one who ordered the Gesha coffee beans.”

He simply explained, “At that time, we were in a contractual relationship. There was no reason for me to personally buy you gifts.”

Wei Lai wasn’t interested in the past. What she wanted to know was, “What about henceforth? When you give me gifts in the future, will you still have your assistant or secretary order them for you?”

Zhou Sujin looked at her. “If you don’t want that, then I won’t let them handle it.”

Wei Lai added another condition. “Every gift—no matter how big or small, whether it’s expensive or just a trinket, even a single flower—has to come from you.”

Zhou Sujin stared at her for a few seconds before agreeing. “Alright…”

If he didn’t go along with her, she’d only end up feeling wronged again.

Finally finishing the sea salt croissant, he wiped his hands with a towel and picked up his phone to send a message to Yang Ze: “Wei Lai wants to place a bulk order of Gesha coffee beans to stock in all supermarket locations. It’ll likely be a long-term deal, so contact the plantation and find out who she should liaise with.“

Yang Ze: “Got it. I’ll reach out to them right now.“

Zhou Sujin: “I’ll be at the project meeting this afternoon.“

Originally, he’d planned to return to Beijing by noon, but Wei Lai had slept in so late that he had no choice but to delay his flight. He rescheduled his flight for the evening.

He turned to Wei Lai and said, “I’m heading back tonight.”

Wei Lai was already prepared for this. “What time is your flight?”

“Eight. I won’t make it in time to pick you up after work.”

Wei Lai: “You can make it up to me the next time you come to see me.”

After finishing breakfast, Wei Lai grabbed the grocery bags and prepared to leave. She had a busy day ahead, with lots of work to get done. At 2:30 p.m., she had an interview, and there wasn’t time for their date to continue.

Before parting, she reached out to hug him. “See you next time.”

She wanted to ask when he’d be back in Jiang City, but the words caught in her throat, and she swallowed them.

Before they separated, she double-checked, “While we’re apart, are we sticking to the same arrangement as when we were under contract?”

Zhou Sujin nodded. “That way, we’ll both have our own space.”

In the afternoon, Wei Lai met with Chen Qi for the interview. But really, it wasn’t much of an interview. It was Chen Qi choosing their supermarket, not the other way around. Chen Qi was good at conversing but composed. Wei Lai found him familiar, yet no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t recall where she’d seen him before, even after the interview ended.

As the conversation wrapped up, her mom asked Chen Qi why he chose to come to Wei Lai Supermarket. Given his resume, he could easily go to a larger company.

Chen Qi answered truthfully, saying: first, the compensation was competitive and not far off from the big corporations. Second, he was drawn to the free book bar and study area—working together would be enjoyable since their ideas aligned. Third, there had been a Wei Lai Supermarket near his house since he was a kid. Over 20 years had passed, and that store was still there. He wanted to ensure it would always stay that way.

He smiled as he added, “That last reason might sound a bit sentimental, but it’s genuinely how I feel.”

After graduating, Chen Qi worked at a large supermarket chain, steadily rising to senior management with outstanding performance. Her mom had mentioned that Blissful Garden Supermarket’s boss had previously tried to recruit him with a high salary but failed.

Who would’ve thought he’d submit his resume on his own?

Everything was agreed upon, and he would start after Chinese New Year.

As the interview wrapped up, Chen Qi remarked, “I often go to the free book bar at the Jiang’an Cloud Residences store. The Gehsa there is excellent, probably the best I’ve ever had.”

Wei Lai finally remembered—she had seen him at the free book bar before.

Maybe because he was dressed in professional attire for the interview today she hadn’t recognized him.

After seeing Chen Qi off, she had barely sat down in her office when an unexpected guest arrived. It was Tang Zhi, a former colleague.

She had invited Tang Zhi to her engagement party, so it had only been two or three days since they’d last seen each other.

“You don’t need to work today?”

“Nope, my project’s finally done, so I’m on annual leave.” Tang Zhi was off until Chinese New Year, making this her longest vacation since she started working.

Tang Zhi plopped down on the sofa, exhausted. She’s been burnt out the past while.

After Wei Lai resigned, she found work to be a drag. Her boss, Mu Di, was moody and unpredictable, making each day harder to get through. She was mentally drained.

Wei Lai brewed a cup of coffee for Tang Zhi. “Are you free tonight? Let’s grab dinner together.”

Tang Zhi took the coffee. “You don’t need to accompany your husband?”

“He went back already.”

“You guys have only been married for a day!”

“Last night, he stayed up late for an overseas meeting either way.”

Tang Zhi was speechless for a moment. “No wonder Zhou Sujin’s so rich.”

Wei Lai laughed and sat back down in front of her computer.

As Tang Zhi drank her coffee, she asked, “When’s your schedule free? Let’s take a few days off for a getaway.”

Wei Lai: “I won’t have time before Chinese New Year. I’m going on a business trip the day after tomorrow. The last stop is Beijing.”

She laid out her plans for the next ten days to Tang Zhi.

Tang Zhi was shocked. “You’re driving to Beijing all by yourself?”

“En, I’ll take my time. No rush.”

“You can’t drive into…” Tang Zhi stopped mid-sentence, remembering that Wei Lai’s Cullinan had a Beijing license plate, so she could drive straight onto the inner-ring highway*.

* – certain cities in China don’t allow outside license plates to drive on certain roads during peak hours, so if one has a Beijing license plate, they can’t drive on a certain road in Shanghai during peak hours

“I’ll come with you. We can take turns driving.”

“No need. By the time we’re back, it’ll almost be Chinese New Year. You finally got some time off, so you should stay home and rest.”

Tang Zhi sighed inwardly. It really was a rare break. Life for Mu Di didn’t seem to be going well after her marriage. One day, Tang Zhi accidentally overheard Mu Di quietly questioning someone on the phone: “Do you really think you’ll get that watch back? Have you ever considered how I feel?”

When the boss wasn’t in a good mood, the employees would bear the brunt of it.

“I might resign soon.”

She turned to look at Wei Lai. “If I do, I’m coming to work for you.”

Wei Lai laughed. “If you don’t mind, you’re welcome anytime.”

Tang Zhi: “Then it’s settled.”

Back when they worked together, the two of them were always in sync. The main reason was that Wei Lai’s calm demeanor made working with her stress-free.

The day after having dinner with Tang Zhi, Wei Lai set off on her trip.

She didn’t bring a chauffeur, opting to drive herself.

The two FMCG companies she was visiting on behalf of her mom were located in different provinces, but they were more or less along the way to Beijing.

She visited these two companies first, conveying her mom’s greetings and well-wishes, while also finalizing next year’s partnerships.

By the time she finished with the second company, it was already the fourth day since she had departed from Jiang City.

Over the past few days, the north had been hit by heavy snow, with temperatures plunging to minus seven or eight degrees.

Originally, she could’ve reached Beijing by the fifth day, but due to the snow and highway closures, she didn’t arrive until the evening of the sixth day.

She had arranged to meet Qi Linsheng for lunch the next day at S.Z. Restaurant.

The snow along the roadside hadn’t melted yet, and the sky was starting to sprinkle more snowflakes.

Over the past few days, she had only contacted Zhou Sujin once. He had told her who to get in touch with for the Gesha coffee beans procurement. The call lasted just a few moments—once they finished discussing business, it ended.

She didn’t know where he was now or what he was busy with.

While they were apart, each focused on their own careers. They only called when something important came up. When they were together, he would go along with whatever she wanted. As a couple who still weren’t familiar with each other, this arrangement seemed to work best.

The only thing she wasn’t used to was the sudden lack of any contact on the first day after they parted.

Wei Lai found a parking spot and parked the Cullinan before texting Zhou Sujin. “Are you busy right now?“

Zhou Sujin had just left the office and was on his way to his friend’s dinner. It was rush hour, and with the snow falling, the streets were completely gridlocked.

He replied, “Not busy. What’s up?“

Wei Lai: “We never really discussed this, but if I happen to be in Beijing for business, am I supposed to come see you or not?“

Zhou Sujin stared at her message and pondered for a moment before responding, “Are you in Beijing right now?“

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