Author: plum

I Told You, This Isn’t A Marriage Of Convenience

It took half an hour to drive from the condo to Jiang’an Cloud Residences, even with no traffic. Wei Lai napped for a long time, but it was a restless sleep. Her grip on Zhou Sujin’s shirt gradually loosened, leaving creases on the fabric.

Uncle Yan stopped the car at the entrance of the elevators in the garage.

“Wei Lai, wake up.” Zhou Sujin’s arm, which she had been leaning on, had gone numb.

His flat voice sounded from above, startling her awake. For a moment, Wei Lai forgot that before falling asleep, she had confirmed that this man was her husband. She jolted upright.

Assuming they had arrived at her condo, she quickly smoothed out her messy hair from sleeping and said groggily, “Goodnight. You should get some rest too.”

With that, she opened the car door and stepped out.

Zhou Sujin merely glanced at her and said nothing before getting out from the other side of the car.

It wasn’t until she got out of the car that Wei Lai fully woke up. It turned out that they had changed routes midway and came back to Jiang’an Cloud Residences instead.

She quietly shut the car door without asking Zhou Sujin why he hadn’t dropped her off at her condo.

After all, they were married now.

It wasn’t as chilly inside the elevator, so she didn’t bother putting her coat back on.

Zhou Sujin reached out his long arm and pressed the button for the floor. Turning slightly to her, he said, “The house is stocked with your daily essentials, but there aren’t any of your clothes.”

“It’s fine.” Wei Lai met his gaze with an air of confidence. “I’ll head back in the morning to change. It’s not like I have to clock in for work.”

Only she knew how much effort it took to maintain that outward appearance of nonchalance.

Once inside, Wei Lai handed him her coat. “Honey.”

She debated whether she should thank him. They weren’t that familiar with each other yet, so a little politeness seemed appropriate. “Thank you.”

Here at Jiang City, Zhou Sujin had to do everything himself. Back at his home in Beijing, he rarely even hung up his own coat, let alone someone else’s.

Taking her coat, his gaze lingered on her face as he instinctively hung it in the closet. “What will you do when I’m not home?”

Wei Lai understood what he was implying. If he wasn’t home, she wouldn’t hang up her own clothes?

She played along with his words, “Then I guess you’ll have to stay home more often.”

Zhou Sujin suddenly fell silent for a few seconds, his eyes shifting away from her. As he rolled up his shirt sleeves, he walked through the long hallway toward the bedroom.

Wei Lai didn’t follow him. Instead, she stood by the living room window, using the view to ease the tension she felt inside. She reminded herself that this was now her home and that he was the one who she would spend the rest of her life with.

All the lights in the living room were on and vague shadows outside. She could only see her own reflection in the glass.

She found the remote and turned off most of the lights, leaving only the floor lamp beside the sofa.

Looking outside again, the distant mountains and nearby lake came into soft, blurry focus.

“Wei Lai?”

“In the living room.”

“Come here and choose.”

“Choose what?”

As she spoke, Wei Lai made her way toward the bedroom.

She still hadn’t decided whether to sleep in the master bedroom with him or in the guest room by herself tonight.

“Choose what?” she asked again, stopping at the doorway.

His shirt was untucked from his pants, the hem wrinkled. This was the first time she had ever seen him look so unkempt something she would’ve never imagined before.

Zhou Sujin pointed to the bed. “Pick a side left or right.”

Wei Lai: “The right…”

In that moment, whether she wanted to admit it or not, Wei Lai lost the ability to think. The two words she uttered didn’t even feel like they came from her own mouth.

As soon as she said that, she saw Zhou Sujin move the pillow from the right side to the left, swapping the two pillows. It suddenly dawned on her he had always slept on the right.

After switching the pillows, Zhou Sujin looked up at her. “What about the comforter? Should I get you a new one or share with me?”

“This is fine…”

Since they had already decided to share a bed, adding more boundaries would only make things feel even more awkward.

Zhou Sujin: “You can use the bathroom first.”

Wei Lai, trying to keep her composure, nodded. “Okay.”

In reality, her heart was racing.

Zhou Sujin headed to the study next door but paused when he walked past her.

Wei Lai had assumed he would just walk by without stopping, so she didn’t look at him, trying to steady her breath. She hadn’t expected him to halt so suddenly.

She looked up, hoping to catch a trace of nervousness on his face or in his eyes, but there was nothing. His expression, as always, revealed nothing, making him impossible to read.

Regarding his decision to have her sleep in the master bedroom tonight, Zhou Sujin offered a simple explanation, “We’re apart more than we’re together. Better to start getting used to having someone beside you.”

Before she could respond, he closed the bedroom door.

Wei Lai took a moment to steady herself, then went to check the bathroom and walk-in closet to see what items were there she could use. She found PJs, a robe, and even cosmetics everything she needed to freshen up and get ready for bed.

The bathroom carried a faint, cool scent the same as the one on him.

Turning on the shower, the steady stream of warm water washed over her face.

She forced herself to calm down.

In the study, Zhou Sujin wasn’t on a break. As soon as he left the master bedroom, he joined an overseas meeting.

The executives in the meeting were aware of their boss’ recent marriage and saw the wedding ring on his ring finger. At the end of the meeting, everyone offered their congratulations.

“Thank you,” Zhou Sujin responded before exiting the meeting.

At 1:09 a.m., he closed his laptop.

He sat in the study for a few more minutes, allowing his mind to go blank before getting up and heading back to the bedroom.

Opening the door, the room was still lit. The nightstand lamp was also on. She had already showered and changed into a robe, sitting cross-legged on the bed, looking down intently at what appeared to be a document.

Zhou Sujin looked at her. “Still working?”

“No.” Wei Lai looked up from the document. “I’m reading our prenup.” Since she couldn’t sleep anyway and lying down would just be pretending to sleep, it just so happened that she had a copy of their prenup in her purse, so she pulled it out to pass the time.

Zhou Sujin: “You’ll only need that if we divorce. No need to read it.”

“It’s not the original agreement. I’m reading the addendum.” She wasn’t interested in the original; all the clauses regarding assets had been decided by her dad.

Wei Lai put away the addendum on the nightstand and casually asked, “It’s two pages. How much of it do you remember?”

Zhou Sujin walked over to the nightstand and charged his phone, saying, “I didn’t read it closely.”

“… You signed without reading it?”

“No matter what you wrote in it, I’d probably agree in the end.”

She didn’t respond, and the room fell into an abrupt silence.

Zhou Sujin slowly began unbuttoning his shirt, but paused at the third button, looking at her. “Do you want to continue this conversation? If not, I’m going to take a shower.”

Wei Lai: “Let’s continue.”

“Why did you stop talking then?” Zhou Sujin’s hands dropped from his shirt, leaving the rest of the buttons untouched.

Meeting his cold gaze, Wei Lai said, “I was just thinking that my addendum is incomplete. I need to add more.”

A brief silence followed.

“Why didn’t you think of it before?”

“No one’s perfect. Even I can overlook things.”

Zhou Sujin looked at her for a moment. “You can’t keep adding things whenever you think of them. I’ll allow you to make changes three times. After that, no more.”

With that, he turned to leave the bedroom.

“Where are you going?”

“To get a pen.”

Zhou Sujin returned from the study with a black pen, handing it to her. “Write down what you want to add in the blank spaces, and I’ll sign it for you.”

Wei Lai took the pen and quickly scribbled down her addition. “No need for your signature. I’ll sign it myself. This is a commitment to myself.”

Zhou Sujin didn’t quite understand, standing beside her as she wrote: Henceforth, I will carefully listen to every word Zhou Sujin says and read every message he sends me.

She signed her name, then checked the time on her phone, marking the exact hour and minute alongside her signature.

It dawned on him slowly this was her subtle way of reminding him to take her two-page addendum seriously.

After signing, Wei Lai handed the pen back to him.

Taking the pen, Zhou Sujin said, “Go to bed early.”

He turned off the nightstand lamp for her.

He went to take a shower. Wei Lai didn’t lie down to sleep. Instead, she leaned against the headboard and continued reading her addendum.

It wasn’t until the sound of the shower stopped that she finally pulled back the covers and settled into bed.

Zhou Sujin emerged, wearing a matching robe to hers except that his was black.

“Weren’t you sleepy in the car? Why aren’t you sleeping?”

Wei Lai answered truthfully, “I’m not sleepy.” With someone else next to her, she couldn’t quite calm her mind. After hesitating for a moment, she suggested, “Maybe we should sleep separately tonight. That way, we can both get a good night’s rest.”

“Just sleep. You’ll have to get used to it eventually,” Zhou Sujin said as he turned off the light.

Even in the darkness, neither of them felt sleepy.

They were both pretending to be calm, trying their best to keep the atmosphere not awkward nor intimate.

Wei Lai could sense that he wasn’t asleep either. She turned around slightly to look at him. There was an arm’s length of space between them not intentionally far apart, but not purposefully close, either.

“Zhou Sujin?” Her voice was soft.

“What’s wrong?” He then asked, “Having trouble sleeping? Want to grab onto my shirt again?”

“No…” She informed him, “I tend to hog the blankets when I sleep. If I end up wrapping myself in all of it, just pull it back. It won’t wake me up.”

“It’s fine.”

Zhou Sujin asked her again, “So, do you want to hold onto my shirt or not? If you want to, just come closer.”

“If I grab onto your shirt, you won’t be able to sleep.”

“I can’t sleep anyways.”

His husky voice carried a faint, barely noticeable rasp.

Zhou Sujin said, “Come here.”

It’s better for two people to be unable to sleep than just one.

Wei Lai didn’t give herself time to hesitate. She moved closer, reaching under the comforter until her hand found the hem of his robe.

The room fell silent again.

About half an hour passed. Wei Lai remained quiet, no longer moving around.

Zhou Sujin had overestimated his self-control, it was now like a taut string about to snap.

In fact, before bed, he had taken a cold shower.

It had long since lost its effect. He would need another.

Her hand was still clutching his robe. He touched the back of her hand, trying to remove it.

There was no protection at home, and he hadn’t planned on anything more tonight anyway.

Wei Lai was a light sleeper. As soon as she felt someone touching her hand, she awoke suddenly, instantly aware of where she was and who was beside her.

The room was dark. She opened her eyes, but couldn’t see anything. “What’s wrong?”

“Did I wake you?”

“No, I wasn’t really asleep.” Wei Lai was groggy.

Zhou Sujin was silent for a few seconds before saying, “I told you, this isn’t a marriage of convenience.”

Wei Lai: “En.”

From the moment she walked through the door, she had been forcing herself to adjust to everything this house, this bedroom, and him.

Her hand was still gripping his robe. Zhou Sujin lifted his arm and pulled her into his embrace.

Looking at the woman in his arms, he said, “The three times to amend the addendum… tonight doesn’t count.”

Wei Lai, trying to ease her nerves, quipped, “Add two more times.”

“You’re pushing your limits again.”

His lips, along with his cool, domineering presence, descended on hers.

Wei Lai’s breath stopped, and after a few seconds, she wrapped her arms around his neck, responding to his kiss.

It was all unfamiliar.

Zhou Sujin deepened the kiss, and Wei Lai was on the verge of being breathless.

A gust of air from the shifting comforter swept the two-page addendum off the nightstand, sending it fluttering to the floor.

That black pen rolled off as well.

The watch’s longhand silently ticked past more than twenty rotations.

Zhou Sujin released her, reaching for the cherry blossom-scented wipes on the nightstand. He pulled out two, wiping his palms and fingers.

Wei Lai hadn’t fully recovered. She glanced at his hands, and recalling how she had been in his arms, quickly averted her gaze.

Zhou Sujin suddenly turned to her and asked, “Can you help me?”

The shower in the bathroom was already running. Zhou Sujin adjusted the spray nozzle to the side to avoid wetting his clothes.

He took her hand in his.

With the lights from the bedroom lit, they could see each other clearly.

Wei Lai could feel the heat radiating from her palm, and sensing that her grip wasn’t firm enough, he once again tightened his hold on her hand.

She looked up, his prominent nose and sharp features right in front of her. Even under the sway of hormones, he still appeared calm and composed.

She wanted to see what he would look like if he lost control.

But Zhou Sujin didn’t give her that satisfaction. He gently pressed her head against his chest.

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Honey

Zhou Sujin opened his laptop and dove straight into work. Registering their marriage and seeing his family off at the airport had taken up two hours from his work, and he still hadn’t caught up with the work that had piled up after yesterday’s engagement.

After replying to an email from his secretary, Yang Ze, he took a sip of water and called Zhou Jiaye, planning to convene an impromptu board meeting before the end of the year. His motive was to reduce their stake in Xinming Semiconductor and increase their investment in Jiang’an Group.

“Aren’t you supposed to be registering your marriage today? And you’re still working?”

“Is there a clash between the two?”

Zhou Sujin shifted back to the topic at hand. “Try to schedule the meeting for this Thursday or Friday. Inform everyone now.”

It was Monday, and since his lil’ bro had just gotten married to Wei Lai, it made sense to give him a few more days off.

Zhou Jiaye asked, “Aren’t you staying in Jiang City for a few more days? There’s no rush for the meeting, we could do it next Monday.”

“No need,” Zhou Sujin replied as he placed his cup back into the holder. “Hanging up now.”

Before Zhou Jiaye could say anything else, the call was hung up.

They just landed in Beijing, and he rode back to the city with their mom and aunt.

Ning Rujiang knew a bit about Xinming Semiconductor—it was a wholly-owned subsidiary of Xinming Group, a company with considerable influence in Jiang City, second only to Yunhui Group owned by the wealthiest man in the area, Wen Changyun.

She shared her thoughts with her eldest nephew, “Whether it’s reducing shares or canceling the investment plan, you guys need to tread carefully. So much money has already been poured in; you guys might not even get the capital back.”

“You don’t know him well enough. He won’t make money that leaves him feeling unsatisfied.”

Ning Rujiang knew exactly who controlled Xinming Semiconductor, but Ning Ruzhen wasn’t as informed. She pulled out her phone, did a quick search, and when she saw that the chairman’s surname was Zhang, it all clicked.

Wei Lai’s ex-boyfriend was Zhang Yanxin—the one who almost became the owner of that watch. Chairman Zhang must be his father.

She exited the search page. “Jiaye, does your brother’s new watch have any collectible value? I see him wearing it often.”

“There’s no collectible value.”

Ning Ruzhen smiled and didn’t press further.

She exchanged a glance with her sister. See? No collectible value.

Ning Rujiang sent her sister a message, “Sujin is gracious and composed. By continuing to wear that watch, he’s telling Wei Lai that even though it was a gift for her ex, he doesn’t mind.“

Ning Ruzhen: “…”

Meanwhile, in Jiang City—

Zhang Yanxin had taken the day off and was in his study, waiting for a call from Secretary Liu.

He couldn’t suppress his burning curiosity any longer. An hour ago, he’d asked Secretary Liu to investigate the watch Wei Lai had gifted him—what it looked like and whose hands it was in now.

Knowing Wei Lai’s personality, there was no way she would’ve kept the watch after they broke up. He wanted to buy it back.

He had heard that she registered for marriage today.

Suddenly, his phone buzzed on the desk. Zhang Yanxin quickly picked it up.

“President Zhang, that particular watch had a seven-month waiting list. It was a one-to-one purchase*.“

* – usually for luxury items, such as Hermes, you need to buy an item’s worth of amount in SLGs (small leather goods) to even be qualified for a Birkin or Kelly

Secretary Liu added cautiously, “It’s currently in Zhou Sujin’s hands.“

He opened the image of the watch. It was the exact one Zhou Sujin often wore.

Zhang Yanxin clutched his phone tightly, unable to regain his composure for a long while.

Wei Lai sat down in front of her computer and immediately got to work. By the time she looked up again, two hours had already passed.

Her mom walked past her office door, then paused and retraced her steps.

“Lai Lai, why are you at the office? Honestly, you…”

Cheng Minzhi stepped inside and scolded her helplessly.

“We just registered our marriage, that’s all. I’ll have dinner with Zhou Sujin tonight to celebrate—that’ll be enough.” Wei Lai’s eyes were dry from staring at the screen, so she tilted her head back and applied a few drops of eye drops.

The company’s management team was understaffed, and everyone had been working overtime. She couldn’t justify taking time off for leisure in the middle of it all.

“Mom, how’s the hiring process on your end? Have you found anyone suitable?”

“There are two potential candidates. One of them has a particularly impressive resume—his name is Chen Qi.”

Wei Lai made a mental note of the name as she twisted the cap back onto the eye drop bottle. She quickly grabbed a tissue to dab away the excess drops that had trailed down her eyes.

“Have you scheduled the interviews yet?”

“Tomorrow afternoon at 2:30.”

“I’ll be there too.”

Wei Lai’s desk was piled high with various reports, including her keyboard. She dug her phone out from beneath a stack of files.

“I’m heading out to have dinner with Zhou Sujin.”

She stood up, grabbed her coat from the back of her chair, and slipped it on as she walked.

Cheng Minzhi glanced at her daughter’s desk—her computer was still on, the reports and documents were left untouched, and she was only taking her phone with her, not even bothering to grab her bag.

“You’re coming back to work after dinner?”

“En, I still have to handle things for tomorrow.”

Cheng Minzhi followed her daughter out of the office, feeling helpless. “You just got married today.”

“Zhou Sujin’s working overtime too.”

Wei Lai turned around with a smile and gave her mom a quick hug. “Mom, I’m heading down now.”

Cheng Minzhi locked up the office behind her daughter, then turned to see Wei Lai, hands tucked into her coat pockets, already halfway to the stairwell. She moved quickly, disappearing behind the wall in just a few strides.

Then came the sound of her footsteps, quick and light, echoing down the stairwell.

Zhou Sujin was in the car, in the middle of a meeting. Uncle Yan had gone inside the supermarket to wander around, enjoying the festive music playing on repeat—songs celebrating the New Year, which he loved at his age.

Wei Lai walked straight to the back of the Bentley, bent over, and peered through the window. She could barely make out his silhouette inside. She gently tapped twice on the glass with her finger.

Hearing the sound, Zhou Sujin turned around sharply. She smiled at him, her eyelashes glistening slightly as if wet, sparkling under the light. She was still wearing the same camel-colored cashmere coat, but her shirt had changed; this morning, for their marriage certificate, she had worn a white blouse. Now, she had swapped it for a caramel-colored turtleneck that matched the coat.

He muted the mic and rolled down the window. “I’m in a meeting.”

Wei Lai pointed toward the supermarket. “I’ll go browse inside. Call me when you’re done.”

She figured she’d take this chance to do a store inspection, something she hadn’t had time for lately due to her busy schedule.

Just as she stepped through the supermarket doors, the sound of lively drums blared from the speakers, filling the air with festive cheer.

Wei Lai moved from the bakery section to the snack aisle, where she ran into Uncle Yan.

Uncle Yan had been wandering the supermarket for nearly two hours, with nothing much to do, examining each shelf one by one. He was holding a package of a new Happy Lemon snack, studying the ingredient list.

“Uncle Yan.”

Uncle Yan turned around and smiled when he saw her, holding up the snack in his hand. “I haven’t seen this snack in other supermarkets yet. You’ve got it on the shelves early.”

He spent his free time wandering through other supermarket chains in Jiang City, treating it as a way to know the competition.

Wei Lai had been too busy with her engagement and registering her marriage over the past few days to pay attention to the supermarket. It turned out that the new Happy Lemon snacks had already arrived at the warehouse.

She replied to Uncle Yan, “Yes, the manufacturer prioritized us with the first batch of orders.”

Blissful Garden Supermarkets would probably have to wait another three or four days. This small window would be enough to draw a good number of customers to their store to stock up on New Year’s goods.

They were able to get the order first thanks to some help from Happy Lemon’s regional manager, Qi Linsheng.

“Mr. Qi, do you have any time to visit Jiang City and check out the market soon?“

Qi Linsheng had just finished a meeting and was on his way back to his hotel. “Not until after the New Year. I’m tied up in Beijing until then.“

Wei Lai decided she’d go to Beijing to treat him to dinner. “I’ll head to Beijing in a few days. I’d love to meet in person to discuss some things with you. Looking forward to working more closely next year.“

This trip wouldn’t be just for Beijing; she also had meetings lined up with two other manufacturers’ bosses.

Both manufacturers were now well-known publicly traded FMCG* enterprises, but back then, they were relatively unknown. The owners themselves used to travel around the country with their sales teams to find markets.

FMCG – fast-moving consumer goods

When her mom’s supermarket had just started, cash flow was tight. Those manufacturers gave her a lot of support. Every year since, during the Spring Festival, her mom made a point of visiting them personally.

Now that the supermarket was fully handed to her, she would be the one making the visits this year.

With the addition of seeing Qi Linsheng, she had three cities to visit. Since it was difficult to get train tickets close to Chinese New Year, she planned to drive herself. By the time she finished her visits and returned to Jiang City, it would be almost time for Chinese New Year’s Eve.

“Uncle Yan, let me treat you to some of the new snacks.”

She smiled and picked up a holiday gift pack from the shelf.

Uncle Yan chuckled, “You and President Zhou should enjoy them. I’m too old for snacks.”

As they chatted, Wei Lai and Uncle Yan made their way toward the checkout area. All the cash registers, including the self-checkout lanes, were lined with customers. Uncle Yan checked his watch and said to her, “I’ll head outside and wait for President Zhou to give instructions.”

Wei Lai waved goodbye and joined the end of one of the long lines.

The cashier was used to seeing her come downstairs to buy snacks and smiled, asking if she needed a bag.

“No thanks.”

After paying for the snack, Wei Lai tore open the outer packaging. Inside were three small bags. Her coat pockets were large enough, so she slipped one into each pocket, then opened the nori* and cheese-flavored one to try.

nori – seaweed in Japanese

Tasting snacks was part of her work routine. As she snacked, she provided feedback to her mom about the texture and flavor of the new products. “Mom, we should order more of the nori and cheese-flavored one. It’s definitely going to sell out before Chinese New Year.”

Cheng Minzhi had the same thought. She had already sampled all the new flavors and agreed that the nori and cheese-flavored one was the standout. “I’ll have the finance team place an order tomorrow. Weren’t you going to dinner?”

“Zhou Sujin’s still in a meeting, so I’m just browsing the supermarket.”

It was cold outside, so Wei Lai sat in the supermarket’s free book bar, waiting for Zhou Sujin to finish his meeting.

Twenty minutes later, he finally called her.

Wei Lai suggested going to a nearby buffet to celebrate their marriage registration and asked what Zhou Sujin thought.

“I’m fine with whatever.”

He got out of the car with his coat in hand.

Wei Lai’s coat pockets were stuffed full of snacks, so she pulled them out and left them in the car for now.

Zhou Sujin glanced at the two bags of snacks. Most of the items in his car were related to work; at most, he’d keep a few bottles of sparkling water in the car’s mini-fridge.

Respecting his habits, Wei Lai never ate snacks in his car. “I’ll take them with me later.”

Zhou Sujin didn’t respond, only giving a slight nod.

The two of them walked toward the buffet restaurant, with Wei Lai’s hands tucked into her coat pockets as she walked beside him.

Turning slightly, she asked when he would be heading back.

“Tomorrow in the afternoon or evening.”

Wei Lai nodded, unsurprised by his predictable style.

After two busy hours of work, both of them had gradually calmed down from the excitement and bustle of the past few days.

Zhou Sujin looked at her and asked, “Any chance you could join me in Beijing before Chinese New Year?”

“No chance; the supermarket will be open until 6 p.m. on Chinese New Year’s Eve, so I’ll be busy right up until then.” It looked like they wouldn’t meet again until after Chinese New Year.

The buffet restaurant was just across the street from the supermarket, diagonally opposite. All they had to do was cross the road.

They arrived early, so most of the tables were still empty. Wei Lai chose a seat by the window and draped her coat over the chair before casually pulling her long hair into a bun.

“Honey, could you help me grab some food in a bit? Thanks.”

Zhou Sujin was in the middle of taking off his coat, and his movements paused briefly as he looked up at her.

Not meeting his gaze, Wei Lai focused on fixing her hair, realizing she’d missed a strand and had to undo the bun to redo it. The word “honey” had taken all her courage. It was her first time calling him that, and it wasn’t easy to say.

But she’d ultimately said it.

Not only did she need to get used to it, he also needed to as well.

For the next few moments, neither of them spoke.

Zhou Sujin looked away and took out his phone, opening the PowerPoint she had sent him long ago. It detailed her likes—eight slides about her favorite foods, complete with pictures.

He brought her two plates of food, all things she liked.

As they ate, Wei Lai mentioned she still had to return to the office to finish her work as there were three days’ worth of work piled up, becoming a mountain.

Zhou Sujin: “I’ll head back to the company. Call me when you’re about to finish.”

Wei Lai didn’t stand on ceremony. “Okay.”

Kunchen Group’s branch office in Jiang City wasn’t far from the supermarket. Without traffic, it was about a 15-minute drive at night.

After their buffet dinner, Wei Lai went straight back to work, staying busy until almost 11 p.m.

As she shut down her computer, her mind was still filled with thoughts of reports and inventory transfers needed across different stores. At that moment, she suddenly felt the exhaustion her mom must’ve experienced in the past.

The supermarket had long since closed. The headlights of the Bentley were on.

Seeing her emerge, Zhou Sujin said to Uncle Yan, “Let’s drive her Cullinan.”

Bringing the Cullinan home would make it easier for her to get to work in the morning. Both of them had a little red wine earlier, so the Bentley would be driven by the bodyguards, following them.

The Cullinan pulled out of the supermarket garage and headed toward Wei Lai’s condo.

Wei Lai leaned back in her seat, utterly exhausted, but the Starlight Headliner of the car eased some of her fatigue.

That night, Zhou Sujin received a call from his aunt. She mentioned that she had just realized they hadn’t taken any wedding photos. She suggested that he ask Wei Lai if she wanted to do a photoshoot during the upcoming holiday while they had the time.

He asked Wei Lai, “Do you want to take wedding photos?”

Wei Lai was still gazing up at the Starlight Headliner, shaking her head.

Influenced by her parents, she had no strong feelings toward wedding photos or family portraits.

When her parents divorced, there were several thick, heavy wedding albums they didn’t know what to do with. Her mom wanted to throw them away, but Wei Lai had quietly asked if she could keep them instead.

Her mom had held her and cried for a long time that day.

After a brief silence, Wei Lai said, “Let’s talk about wedding photos another time.”

She was exhausted and closed her eyes to rest.

The warmth inside the car was comfortable, and she quickly drifted off to sleep.

At some point, she woke up suddenly, realizing that she had leaned against Zhou Sujin’s shoulder. Jolting upright, her mind cleared as she remembered that they had registered their marriage today.

Zhou Sujin glanced at her. “What’s wrong? Did you remember there’s more work left to do?”

“No…”

How did he even guess that?

Wei Lai met his gaze, though neither could see the other’s expression clearly in the dimly lit car.

“I’m gonna sleep a bit more. Wake me up when we arrive,” she said, this time resting her head openly on his shoulder.

She hadn’t slept well for several nights, an inexplicable excitement kept her up. It didn’t take long before she fell asleep again.

As Wei Lai slept, her entire weight leaned against him. Her hand, seemingly unconsciously, clutched his shirt around his waist, gripping it tightly.

Zhou Sujin glanced down at her. She was holding on so tightly—she must’ve dreamt that he didn’t give in to her in her dream again.

Looking up, he instructed Uncle Yan, “Go back to Jiang’an Cloud Residences.”

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She Gently Grazed His Lips

It was just a brief, fleeting kiss, yet Zhou Sujin’s presence seemed to dominate the entire space, leaving her breathless as if he had stolen the air around them.

When he pulled away, Wei Lai opened her eyes, but her hand was still clinging to his suit jacket.

Someone in the audience started to cheer, and Lu An, eager to join the fun, chimed in, encouraging them to kiss again.

Sitting next to him, Zhou Jiaye quietly reminded, “Why are you egging too? Zhou Sujin might not recognize most voices, but yours? He could pick it out even with a voice changer.”

Lu An glanced up at the stage. “I’m not afraid of him anymore.”

“Oh, you’ve grown up?”

“… That’s not it. What do you mean, ‘grown up’?”

Lu An’s best trait was that he was very self-aware. He laughed as he said, “It’s not about growing up. The thing is, whatever little personal time he has now goes to Wei Lai, so he doesn’t have the time to scold me anymore.”

Zhou Sujin naturally ignored the voices from the audience. Wei Lai still hadn’t let go of his suit, so he kept holding her, giving her time to regain her composure.

Her breath got messed up earlier, so she was now trying to steady herself.

From the moment he kissed her to the teasing from the audience, only twenty or thirty seconds had passed. But standing on stage, under the gaze of countless eyes, each second felt like an eternity.

It seemed as though two or three minutes had gone by.

Zhou Sujin looked down at the woman in his arms before leaning in once more, this time kissing her temple. As he did, he whispered in her ear, “Let go of my suit. You can clutch on to it again later if you want.” His tone was gentle, almost coaxing.

His warm breath brushed against her ear, sending a tingling sensation down her spine.

Wei Lai responded with an “En,” and released her grip. Before leaving his embrace, she wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him briefly, wrapping up the kissing segment.

Their coordination was seamless, everything appearing so natural that no one could tell there was any unfamiliarity between them.

After that kiss by her temple, Lu An in the audience took credit, “See? It’s all thanks to my cheering.”

Zhou Jiaye didn’t correct him, thinking to himself that it was only because Wei Lai was clutching onto a certain someone’s suit jacket.

Today, Mu Di was also in attendance, accompanying her dad and seated at the table diagonally behind Lu An.

Her dad patted the back of her hand, and Mu Di understood his meaning. The better the relationship between Wei Lai and Zhou Sujin, the more stable her own future with Zhang Yanxin would be.

She whispered to her dad, “Zhang Yanxin’s dad doesn’t want Wei Lai to marry Zhou Sujin.”

This was because, once they were married, Zhou Sujin might reduce his investment in Ximing Semiconductor, something Zhang Yanxin’s dad wasn’t eager to see happen.

People were inherently selfish. Papa Mu was only concerned about whether his daughter would have a comfortable life after marriage; the financial interests of his son-in-law’s family were of no concern to him.

If his son-in-law’s family was too powerful, it might not necessarily be good for his daughter. Without capital backing from Beijing, his son-in-law might even maintain a lower profile.

Just moments ago when Zhou Sujin kissed Wei Lai, Mu Di had recorded the entire scene. She sent the clip to Zhang Yanxin with a message, “They’re not like what the rumors say, that it’s just a marriage of convenience. Judging by how they are today, there are feelings. Wei Lai is doing well, so you can stop feeling guilty about her.“

The last part was meant to needle Zhang Yanxin.

She then added, “Keep giving her the compensation you owe her. I have no objections.“

Zhang Yanxin, thinking it was a clip of the vow exchange, opened it without hesitation.

As the scene played and he saw the moment when Wei Lai actively hugged Zhou Sujin, a sharp pain shot through his heart.

He quickly closed the clip and deleted it.

Mu Di had deliberately sent the video to upset him, but instead of reacting angrily, he transferred her 20,000 RMB with the message, “Thanks for the effort.“

Seeing the transfer, Mu Di’s emotions momentarily got the better of her, and she instinctively bit her lip.

Suddenly aware that she was in a public setting, she quickly composed herself and grabbed her purse before leaving the venue to touch up on her makeup in the restroom, worried that lipstick had stained her teeth.

Once she reached the restroom, she finally found some peace and quiet.

The lively atmosphere inside the venue continued.

Wei Lai changed into her third gown and joined Zhou Sujin for the toasts.

He didn’t let her drink alcohol, handing her a glass of sparkling water instead.

After the stage ceremony, she went backstage to change. The makeup artist remarked that her ears were flushed like peach blossoms in early spring, a pale pink tinged with deep red.

So, they restyled her hair, letting it fall loosely down.

After making the rounds for toasts, she changed into her fifth gown. The only thing that remained unchanged was her hairstyle.

She couldn’t help but wonder when she would develop the kind of composure Zhou Sujin had, where even if a mountain collapsed in front of him, he wouldn’t bat an eye.

After finishing the toasts, she went to change into the final gown.

The makeup artist commented, “This one isn’t suited for your hair to be down.”

Standing in front of the mirror, Wei Lai lifted her long hair. The redness in her ears had mostly faded, barely noticeable unless you looked closely. During the kissing segment, when Zhou Sujin had whispered to her, his lips brushed against her earlobe.

Her ears were the most sensitive for her, otherwise, it wouldn’t have turned so red.

Zhou Sujin stood at the doorway of the dressing room, waiting for her. His glass was empty, so he placed it on a tray and swapped it for a fresh glass of warm water, motioning for the waiter to carry on without following him.

He glanced at his watch. She had only been inside for five minutes and wouldn’t be out anytime soon. Thus, he headed to the adjacent lounge.

Leaning back on the sofa, he rubbed his temples.

The last time he drank this much was at the anniversary gala for Yunhui Group. That night, he had toasted Wen Changyun three times when he went to pick her up, and then had two more drinks at his own dinner gathering.

“Zhou Sujin?”

He heard Wei Lai calling for him in the hallway.

In the nearly six months he’d known her, this was the first time she’d ever called him by his full name to his face.

Zhou Sujin stood up. “I’m here.”

Wei Lai had already found her way to the lounge entrance. “I thought you went back to the main hall.”

Zhou Sujin glanced at Wei Lai’s gown, noting how much more elaborate it was compared to the previous ones. The heavy fabric of the skirt seemed to weigh her down. “Isn’t it tiring to change into so many gowns?”

Wei Lai shook her head. “Not at all. I could change into two more if needed.”

His gaze briefly glazed over her lips before meeting her eyes. “We’re going to register our marriage tomorrow. Have Uncle Wei draft the prenup in the afternoon, and I’ll come by to sign it in the evening.”

Wei Lai was a bit surprised. “You want my dad to draft it?”

“I’m the one who proposed the marriage. I can’t take all the benefits.”

“I’m going to include all of my conditions in it then.”

Zhou Sujin was speechless for a moment, sipping his warm water before speaking, “A prenup is meant for worst-case scenarios. Are you really going to divorce me over not giving in to you one day?”

Wei Lai: “It’s not that serious. If you forget once in a while, I’ll forgive you. But what if it happens so often that I lose faith in our marriage?”

Zhou Sujin: “I don’t have amnesia.”

Wei Lai laughed. “I’m still going to include it.”

Zhou Sujin was helpless against her playful stubbornness and let her have her way.

Zhou Sujin laid down a firm rule. “You can’t put something like ‘feeling wronged if I don’t accompany you for hotpot’ in the prenup. Got it?”

Wei Lai couldn’t help but laugh. Just how demanding did he think she was for him to worry about something like that?

After marriage, she certainly would respect his likes. She wouldn’t expect him to change his habits for her, just as she wouldn’t switch to drinking dark roast coffee for him.

Feeling bold, she teased him with a smile. “I can’t hear you.”

Zhou Sujin looked at her silently.

Wei Lai tugged on his suit jacket. “Say something.”

“… You’re still tugging?”

“You said on stage that I could hold onto your jacket again if I wanted.”

They both instinctively thought of the kiss.

Wei Lai composed herself. “I was just joking earlier. I won’t put the hotpot clause in.” She still hadn’t let go of his jacket.

He was holding a cup of water, and she assumed it was hers. “Let me have a sip.”

With that, she reached for the cup.

Zhou Sujin handed it to her. “The waiter took yours. This one’s mine.”

Wei Lai paused briefly before taking the cup and drank from it.

Zhou Sujin glanced down at her other hand she was still holding onto his jacket even while drinking water.

Wei Lai only took a sip. “I feel like I got the short end of the stick today.”

“What did you lose out on?”

“During the kissing segment, you were in control. I was completely passive.”

“En, so what are you going to do about it?”

“I’m gonna get even.”

All afternoon, she had been docile in front of him, all because of that kiss.

Zhou Sujin let out a chuckle, momentarily at a loss for words.

“There’s a big difference between being the one kissing and the one being kissed.” While mastering a strong heart might be nearly impossible, being in control seemed within reach.

Wei Lai handed him back the cup, then wrapped her arms around his neck. “You have to give in to me.”

Zhou Sujin turned his face away slightly, taking another sip of water. “Not cooperating with you means not giving in to you?”

“En.”

“Is that reasonable?”

“Nope.”

She moved a half step closer into his embrace. The final gown had a large skirt, so even standing this close, it wasn’t quite as intimate as on the stage, where she was practically pressed against him.

Zhou Sujin set down the cup and turned around, wrapping his left arm around her waist.

Wei Lai, shorter than him by a head, was wearing heels that weren’t particularly high. Without him lowering his head, she couldn’t kiss him.

“Come closer to me.”

This wasn’t a marriage of convenience, so Zhou Sujin indulged her, bending down to accommodate her height.

She gently grazed his lips with hers, giving him a peck. “You kissed me twice on stage.” With that, she kissed him again.

Zhou Sujin’s breath caught for two seconds, and despite his usual self-control, his Adam’s apple bobbed involuntarily.

Now he understood what she meant there really was a difference between kissing and being kissed.

Wei Lai pulled back after the kiss, stepping back slightly.

There was no need to discuss their feelings; he likely experienced the same as she did on stage a moment of disrupted breath.

She appeared calm and composed as she said, “Let’s head back. Auntie might be getting worried since we’ve been gone for so long.”

When it came to maintaining composure, Zhou Sujin didn’t lose to her.

Without a word, he glanced at her before holding her wrist, and together, they made their way back to the hall.

“Is the clause of giving in to you also going to be written into the prenup?”

Wei Lai smiled. “En, all of them included.”

As soon as the engagement party ended, she went to find her dad.

When he heard it was to draft their prenup, Wei Huatian’s worries eased. Marriage wasn’t for divorce, but having an additional layer of protection was never a bad idea.

Drafting the prenup became the top priority, so he went straight to the law firm.

Wei Lai returned to the dressing room to change back into her regular clothes. The six gowns were packed by professionals and sent to their home at Jiang’an Cloud Residences.

Zhou Sujin had quite a bit to drink today, and his head was aching. He hadn’t rested well since returning from Shanghai to Jiang City in the middle of the night. “I’m going to catch up on some sleep. Are you coming to my place or heading home?”

Wei Lai was removing her eye makeup and looked at him through the mirror. “I’m not going over. Go home and get some sleep.”

Zhou Sujin nodded and took his suit jacket before leaving.

She watched his figure leave through the mirror.

Zhou Sujin woke up at five, took a quick shower, and changed into a different outfit before heading to the hotel.

In the cold winter, the sky had already darkened before 5:30 p.m.

His mom and aunt were staying at a hotel downtown. His mom had only stopped by his place on the night she arrived in Jiang City.

In the hotel lobby’s lounge area, Zhou Jiaye was on a phone call.

Seeing Zhou Sujin, he quickly wrapped up the conversation and hung up.

Zhou Sujin saw him too and walked over.

Zhou Jiaye set his phone aside. “Don’t bother going upstairs. When I was coming down, Mom was still saying how it seemed like you were getting engaged reluctantly. Anyone who didn’t know better would think this was an arranged marriage.”

Zhou Sujin sat down across from him and poured himself a cup of warm water. “How does it seem like I’m reluctant?”

“She said she’s never seen such a simple ceremony.”

“Mom’s overthinking it. Even if my girlfriend is someone I’ve pursued, the engagement ceremony wouldn’t be any more elaborate than today’s.”

Zhou Jiaye wanted him to be honest how did he really feel about getting married? Was it good or bad?

Zhou Sujin was silent for a moment. “It can’t be described as good or bad. She’s someone I chose and want to marry.”

Zhou Jiaye repeated, “I want an honest answer.” He paused after each word, emphasizing, “An. Honest. Answer.” He wasn’t interested in any lengthy explanations.

Zhou Sujin looked up. “I’m still not used to it.”

He had been accustomed to living alone, but now he had to consider her feelings in everything he did, her reputation, and accept all of her habits, both good and bad.

They chatted for about three or four minutes, roughly the time it takes to smoke a cigarette.

He set down his cup. “Tell Mom I came by.”

Zhou Jiaye: “…”

Zhou Jiaye called out after him as he turned to leave, “Where are you rushing off to?”

“To sign the prenup.”

Uncle Wei had written the prenup by evening and sent it to his email for review to see if any further adjustments were needed.

Wei Huatian had informed his daughter to be at the law firm by 8 p.m. He asked Zhou Sujin and his lawyer to arrive at 7:30 p.m., giving them half an hour to discuss any final details.

He handed the printed version of the prenup to Zhou Sujin. “I didn’t change any of the terms. Have another look.”

As he spoke, Wei Huatian pulled out a few more sheets of paper, loosely stapling together at the top corner. He said with a smile, “This is the supplementary agreement. Lai Lai insisted I include it.”

Although it had no legal binding power, his daughter was adamant that it be put in writing, so he added it.

Zhou Sujin took the papers. These were her personal requests for him, detailed over two pages.

He knew that what Wei Lai valued most wasn’t the legally binding contract, but this supplementary agreement.

His personal lawyer, Attorney Xing, noticed that Zhou Sujin was about to sign the supplementary agreement without a second thought and quickly intervened. “President Zhou, let me review it first.”

Zhou Sujin didn’t hand it over. “This one doesn’t need reviewing.”

He signed his name on the supplementary agreement and dated it.

The next morning—

Wei Lai arrived at the entrance of the Civil Affairs Bureau at 8:20 a.m. The marriage registration would take place in Jiang City.

Zhou Sujin was delayed by traffic on his way from the Industrial Park, arriving five minutes later than Wei Lai.

He asked her whether she wanted to take photos outside or do it on-site.

Wei Lai didn’t mind whether the photos were retouched or how they turned out, so she said, “On-site is fine.”

Today wasn’t a special date, so there weren’t many people at the Civil Affairs Bureau.

Within 20 minutes, their first photo together had been stamped with an official seal.

He was now her husband.

It still felt surreal.

As they left the Civil Affairs Bureau, Zhou Sujin handed his marriage certificate to her. “You keep this.”

Without hesitation, Wei Lai took it and placed both marriage certificates together.

Zhou Sujin informed her that his mom and aunt had a flight back to Beijing that afternoon.

Wei Lai: “I’ll go see them off.”

The room hadn’t been checked out yet, and Ning Ruzhen was busy packing her suitcase.

Ning Rujiang was with her sister, standing on the balcony and carefully overlooking the entire downtown area of Jiang City. The last time she visited, Jiang City’s CBD felt enormous, but from this view, it didn’t seem as big as she had thought.

When the doorbell rang, she went to open the door.

“Auntie.”

“Back already? Let me see the certificate.”

Ning Rujiang looked at the photo on the marriage certificate and couldn’t stop complimenting it.

“You two look very much like husband and wife*.”

* – there’s a saying that couples look similar to each other

Wei Lai just smiled.

She didn’t see it though.

Since Wei Lai and Zhou Sujin had registered their marriage today, Ning Ruzhen had prepared a gift. She brought out a gift box for Wei Lai. As always, she was few with words and said with a slight smile, “This is a little something from your dad and me. I hope you two will be happy. If Sujin ever makes you feel wronged, let me know.”

Wei Lai was touched. “Thank you… Mom.”

It was her first time calling her that, and it didn’t come naturally.

When she called her “Mom,” Zhou Sujin glanced at her once more.

Ning Ruzhen insisted that there was no need for them to see them off, saying they didn’t need to be so formal between family.

However, Wei Lai was determined to see them off, and she and Zhou Sujin escorted them all the way to TSA, only leaving after watching them pass through.

On their first day as a married couple, Zhou Sujin didn’t have any specific plans. He asked Wei Lai if she had anything in mind.

Wei Lai: “I’m heading back to the office.” With just over ten days left until the New Year, everyone was starting to stock up on holiday supplies, making this the busiest time of the year for supermarkets.

Getting married didn’t mean neglecting her responsibilities.

As they arrived at the office building, Wei Lai turned to him before getting out of the car and asked, “In the future, will you be picking me up and dropping me off from work?”

Zhou Sujin seemed to ponder her question, then asked, “Are you hoping I’ll pick you up after work today?”

He always seemed to understand what she wanted. Wei Lai nodded. “En.”

Zhou Sujin glanced at his watch there were still two and a half hours until the end of the workday. As he opened his bag and pulled out his laptop, he said, “Go and finish your work. I won’t leave; I’ll just stay here in the car.”

Previous | Index | Next

Gently Brushing Against Her Lips

When the store manager entered, she saw Wei Lai nestled beside Zhou Sujin with one of her hands resting on his leg while the other held a cup of black tea she was sipping from. Zhou Sujin, with his legs crossed, leaned comfortably on the sofa, exuding a relaxed demeanor as he took a phone call.

There was a natural aloofness about him. Despite Wei Lai leaning on him, their closeness didn’t come off as overly intimate to an outsider.

“I’m out at the moment, so it’s not convenient. I’ll talk to you later,” Zhou Sujin said before ending the call.

The store manager placed several rings in front of Wei Lai that she thought might catch her interest, while the men’s plain rings were positioned closer to Zhou Sujin.

To Zhou Sujin, all the men’s rings looked more or less the same, with nothing particularly worth deliberating over. He casually picked up the one closest to him.

It happened to be a perfect fit for his finger, and after trying it on, he didn’t bother taking it off.

As Wei Lai looked at the ring on his slender ring finger, it was only then that she began to feel a slight sense of reality that he really was her husband now.

Until now, she had struggled to adjust to the sudden shift in their relationship.

She kept staring at the ring on his finger. Zhou Sujin tilted his head slightly. “You don’t like it?”

Since he asked for her opinion, Wei Lai replied honestly, “It’s alright.”

Zhou Sujin gestured for her to take over. “You choose.”

Wei Lai explained, “It’s just that I think it’s alright. Our tastes originally are quite different.”

Zhou Sujin didn’t respond, just looked at her, waiting for her to choose.

Wei Lai carefully examined all the men’s rings before picking one she thought looked the best.

Without a word, Zhou Sujin removed the ring he had casually chosen earlier and slipped on the one she had picked.

He then asked her, “Do you need my opinion on your ring?”

Wei Lai quickly shook her head. “I’ll choose it myself.”

“Are you sure?”

Wei Lai nodded; after all, she was the one wearing the ring, so it had to be something she genuinely liked.

People were strange like that—if he had just sat there silently, she might’ve felt a bit disappointed. But now that he was actively offering to help her choose, she felt she didn’t need his input.

Zhou Sujin: “As long as you’re sure. I don’t want to hear you complaining once I’m gone.”

As he spoke, he stood up, and that cool, crisp scent of his seemed to suddenly drift away from her. Wei Lai looked up and asked, “Where are you going?”

“Not far, just returning a call.”

“Come back soon.”

She didn’t even realize that there was a hint of coquettishness in her voice.

“En,” Zhou Sujin agreed.

He left a black card for Wei Lai and stepped outside with his phone. The call earlier had been from his mom.

His aunt must’ve told his mom about his decision to get married, and now his mom was questioning him about what he thought marriage really meant.

Ning Ruzhen felt a splitting headache; even when she used to argue with her husband, it was never this bad.

Her son’s call came through, and she took a few deep breaths before answering.

“Mom, I’m planning to get engaged next weekend. I don’t care who doesn’t show up, but I hope you’ll be there.”

Ning Ruzhen was furious at her son, but even more so at herself for not having any principles.

Whenever her son used the family card, she had no defenses as a mother.

“Zhou Sujin, you might as well drive me to an early grave!” she exclaimed before hanging up the phone.

Shortly after, Zhou Sujin received a message from his aunt, advising him to discuss with Wei Lai when their parents should meet.

His mom’s quick and begrudging acceptance of the situation was largely due to his aunt’s efforts.

When Zhou Sujin returned to the jewelry store, Wei Lai had already chosen an engagement ring and had used his black card to pay for it, while the ring on his finger was bought with her own money.

Noticing that there wasn’t a ring on her finger, Zhou Sujin asked, “They didn’t have your size?”

“They did.”

Zhou Sujin nodded and didn’t press further.

They arrived at the store in a Cullinan, and on the way back, it was still Zhou Sujin behind the wheel.

Wei Lai sat in the passenger seat, taking out the engagement ring she had chosen for a look. It wasn’t a matching set with Zhou Sujin’s ring, but the design bore a striking resemblance. The store manager had mentioned that it was the work of the same designer.

At first, she had been torn between two rings, but after hearing the manager’s comment, she decided on this one.

Zhou Sujin caught sight of the ring box in his peripheral vision. “Why aren’t you wearing it?”

Wei Lai looked over at him. “You put it on for me.”

Zhou Sujin was driving, so it wasn’t convenient. “One sec.”

At the next intersection, the red light was nearly a minute long. He braked the car and turned slightly before taking the ring box from her hand, opening it. “Give me your hand.”

Wei Lai placed her hand in his, her palm lightly resting against his.

He held her hand and gently slid the engagement ring onto her ring finger.

As he did, she held her breath the entire time, her eyes fixed on the sharp lines of his profile. She couldn’t quite imagine what he would be like if he ever softened up.

“All done.” He handed her the ring box from the center console, indicating for her to put it away.

“I’m heading back to Beijing tomorrow.”

As the light turned green, he started the car.

Wei Lai had been admiring her engagement ring, and his words caught her off guard. “Didn’t you say you’d stay a few more days?”

As the car moved through the intersection, Zhou Sujin focused on the traffic around them, not glancing at her.

“The rings are bought. There’s nothing left for me to do here, so I’ll head back to start preparing for the engagement.”

Wei Lai responded with a simple “Oh.”

She had thought he might be able to stay with her for a couple more days too.

To make things easier for her, the engagement party was set to be held in Jiang City.

As for when their parents would meet, Zhou Sujin asked for her input.

Wei Lai responded without hesitation, “The day before the engagement, so Auntie won’t have to fly to Jiang City twice. It’d be too much for her otherwise.”

He was accommodating her, and she didn’t want to be selfish.

Zhou Sujin glanced at her. “Meeting the day before the engagement is cutting it too close.”

“It’s fine. My parents will understand.”

Zhou Sujin suddenly recalled his schedule. “I don’t have time that day. I have to attend a forum in Shanghai.”

The forum was of such significance that skipping it wasn’t an option.

Understanding the demands of his work, Wei Lai reassured him, “Just focus on your work.”

To her, the meeting was just a formality; she didn’t care much for those traditions.

On the day the families were supposed to meet, Zhou Sujin’s dad was unable to attend due to work commitments, so his aunt and uncle stood in for him.

Since Zhou Sujin couldn’t attend, he specifically invited He Wancheng and Wen Changyun to join the meeting. With them present, any awkwardness or uncomfortable silences could be avoided.

It had been 15 years since Cheng Minzhi and Wei Huatian had last sat together.

As they exchanged pleasantries and sat down, both were overwhelmed with emotions. The love they once shared, the bitterness of their past, and the unresolved feelings all intertwined, but they both worked hard to suppress their inner turmoil, not wanting anyone to notice anything unusual.

He Wancheng discreetly shifted his gaze away from the former couple.

Today, he spoke more than ever, taking it upon himself to keep the conversation flowing smoothly at the table.

At one point, the conversation turned to the history of Wei Lai Supermarket’s success. He Wancheng casually remarked, “Our President Cheng was a top student in law school. No matter the field, she would excel.”

Ning Rujiang looked at Cheng Minzhi in surprise. “You were a lawyer too?”

Cheng Minzhi smiled. “I don’t look like one, do I?’

Back then, Cheng Minzhi had made the resolute decision to become her own boss so she could always have her daughter by her side.

Ning Rujiang had always seen Wei Lai through rose-tinted lenses, which naturally extended to Cheng Minzhi. Eventually, she even swapped seats with Wei Huatian and sat next to Cheng Minzhi, eager to learn how she had raised such a well-mannered and sweet-talking child like Wei Lai.

Cheng Minzhi and Ning Rujiang hit it off immediately, finding endless topics to discuss, from parenting to business.

Meanwhile, Ning Ruzhen, typically reserved and not one to be overly warm, maintained a smile throughout the evening, giving Zhou Sujin enough face.

With the engagement set for tomorrow, she didn’t want any further rifts between them.

The families discussed everything that needed to be settled, finalizing all the necessary details. As they left the restaurant, Wei Lai felt a weight lift off her shoulders. The past few hours had been a mix of anxiousness and sadness.

Anxiousness for herself, and sadness for her mom.

But finally, the ordeal was over.

Once inside the car, Wei Lai hugged her mom tightly.

Cheng Minzhi gently reassured her daughter, “I’m okay. Maybe I should’ve met your dad sooner to discuss your studies, your work, and even your relationships.”

The reason she struggled to let go was because she was still living in the past.

Today, seeing him again was initially painful, but gradually, she found herself able to speak to him calmly.

She smiled. “Who knows? Maybe by the time your wedding comes around, I’ll have finally let go of all those old grievances.”

This was the first time her mom had admitted to not fully moving on from her dad.

After dropping her mom off at home, she didn’t feel like returning to her own condo. Instead, she decided to stay the night at her mom’s place.

As she was getting ready for bed, her phone rang—twice.

Without even drying her hair, she rushed to the nightstand to check her phone. It was a missed call from Yuan Hengrui.

She immediately called back, “What’s up?”

Yuan Hengrui was at his office currently. In the past, he would’ve jumped into his sports car and driven straight to her condo to confront her in person about the situation.

“Are you really getting engaged tomorrow? The hotel’s already booked?”

“En.”

Yuan Hengrui fell silent for a long time, long enough that the cigarette he was smoking burned halfway down.

Wei Lai didn’t hang up, patiently waiting for him to process the news.

Yuan Hengrui tapped the ash off his cigarette into the ashtray, some of it missed and scattered outside.

“I’ve thought about it… marrying Zhou Sujin is probably the best thing for you. If you were waiting on me, who knows if I’d ever make it onto the billionaire list? Sure, you’ve got He Wancheng backing you now, but he can only help you with the supermarket issues. When you run into personal problems, you can’t rely on him.”

He took another smoke from his cigarette, though it tasted flat.

How many times had he been heartbroken now?

And each time, it was because of the same woman.

“I’m not exactly a bad catch, right?”

Wei Lai: “…”

Yuan Hengrui answered his own question, “I think I am.”

He stubbed out his cigarette. “Whenever you’re free, let me treat you to a meal. It won’t be easy to meet up once you’re in Beijing.”

“No need for a meal, I’m not going to Beijing. What would happen to my family’s supermarket if I did?”

Yuan Hengrui felt a surge of relief. Why didn’t she say so earlier? As long as she stayed in Jiang City, his soul would be alive.

“I wish you and President Zhou the best.”

They chatted a bit more, reluctantly ending the call.

He couldn’t be the only one feeling miserable. He had to rope Zhang Yanxin into this, spreading the news that Wei Lai was about to get married.

The next morning, Wei Lai naturally woke up at dawn.

She couldn’t fall into a deep sleep last night, waking up twice, but she felt refreshed.

She got up and freshened up quickly, waiting for the makeup artist to arrive.

There were six gowns in total, brought over by Zhou Sujin’s aunt from Beijing. Two or three would’ve been enough, but Auntie insisted that the more gowns the more photos.

Her group chat with her plastic friends was buzzing with excitement too. Although they weren’t that close, she still invited them to her engagement ceremony.

“BB, how many gowns do you have?“

“6“

“!!“

“Even Mu Di only had two main wedding gowns and four haute couture ones!“

Wei Lai decided to keep a low profile today. “You guys chat, the makeup artist just arrived.“

The makeup artist wasn’t arriving until nine, so it was still early.

She tapped on Zhou Sujin’s profile picture. “Are you back from Shanghai?“

They hadn’t seen each other since they bought the rings.

Zhou Sujin: “I’m back, arrived in Jiang City at dawn.“

He asked, “Should we meet at the hotel, or should I pick you up?“

“Come pick me up.“

Her mom knocked on the door and came in to help her change into her gown. The six gowns each were a different style, and she chose a gown with gems making a gradient effect for the first one.

The second was an elegant blue embroidered gown, full of dreamy details.

She hadn’t decided on the order for the remaining four, but she liked every single one.

Once her hair and makeup were done, the doorbell rang.

Her mom looked down from the second-floor window and called out, “Sujin, I’ll get the door for you.”

Wei Lai straightened up, lightly pursing her lips together as she looked into the vanity.

The makeup artist chuckled. “Are you getting nervous?”

Wei Lai: “…”

Soon, footsteps echoed from the staircase, and the makeup artist quickly closed her makeup case. “I’ll wait for you at the hotel,” she said conscientiously and left with her case.

As the makeup artist departed, Zhou Sujin entered the room.

Wei Lai could see him in the mirror, but she turned around to face him directly. Today, he was wearing a gray suit paired with a dark shirt, exuding a cool and refined elegance.

According to Auntie, he originally planned to wear black, but she suggested gray would compliment her dress better, so he opted for the gray suit.

Zhou Sujin’s gaze wandered over her for a moment before settling on her delicate wrist. “Not wearing your watch?”

Wei Lai’s wrist was adorned only with a few bracelets. “The watch is too valuable. What if it gets scratched or dropped?”

Zhou Sujin: “It’s okay.”

With that, Wei Lai took out the watch and put it on.

With the diamond-encrusted watch on her wrist, the gown seemed to lose a bit of its luster.

It was about time to leave, so she headed to the hotel with him.

On the way, Zhou Sujin asked about how the meeting with the elders went last night.

His tie felt a bit tight, so he loosened it slightly at the collar.

Wei Lai: “The conversation went well. The only concern everyone had was about us living apart after getting married.”

A few days after they registered their marriage, Chinese New Year would arrive, and they would be spending it apart.

As they arrived at the hotel and got out of the car, Wei Lai received a message from Zhao Yihan, saying she was already inside the venue. She quickly replied that she was on her way.

After getting out of the car, Zhou Sujin strode into the hotel. After finishing her reply, Wei Lai hurried to catch up with him, linking her arm with his. “Wait for me.”

Zhou Sujin glanced at her. “Who did you see this time?”

Wei Lai: “I didn’t see anyone.” This time, she wasn’t using him as a shield. She explained, “We’re about to meet your mom and the others.”

Zhou Sujin pulled his arm free, then took her hand in his.

With each step in her high heels, it felt like she was stepping on her own heartbeat, her heart beating in sync with her movements.

When they reached the elders, Zhou Sujin then let go of her hand.

Ning Rujiang urged the two of them, “Go backstage and rehearse with the emcee.”

Zhou Sujin: “I said it doesn’t need to be so complicated.”

“It’s not complicated at all. There are only three or four things. You’ve invited so many guests—you can’t just skip the stage and have them sit down to eat, right?”

Once they walked away, Ning Rujiang leaned in close to her sister, whispering, “Stop worrying about whether they’re real or not. At least he’s taking this engagement seriously. Think of it as them meeting on a blind date. Over time, feelings will grow.”

Ning Ruzhen: “Long-distance is tough, you don’t understand. A month, even a year might be fine, but what about after years? As a mother, I naturally hope they’ll be happy, but there will come a day when they’re too exhausted to even want to catch a flight…”

She paused before adding, “Let’s not talk about this today.”

Meanwhile, backstage, the original plan had only four things, but after reviewing it, Zhou Sujin asked the host to cut two things, simplifying it to fit his minimalist nature.

The host wiped his forehead nervously. The steps might be fewer, but it couldn’t be too short either—after all, the guests weren’t there just to see him.

Trying one last time, the host suggested, “President Zhou, it’s best not to remove this one. Although it’s not a wedding, this part makes it feel complete.” He pointed to the kissing segment Zhou Sujin had crossed out.

After a few seconds, Zhou Sujin said, “Then keep it.”

Before noon, the venue was already full.

When Wei Lai stepped onto the stage, she had changed into her second gown, the embroidery sparkling under the lights.

There were too many people—nearly half of Jiang City’s affluent were in attendance, and she couldn’t make out who was who.

At this moment, every eye in the room was fixed on her.

When the news of her engagement to Zhou Sujin first broke, many were stunned. Behind closed doors, the speculation was rampant. People were convinced it was a marriage of convenience. After all, Zhou Sujin’s family wasn’t one you could just waltz into, and he wasn’t a lover boy like Yuan Hengrui. Other than mutual benefit, they couldn’t find any reason for him to get married so quickly.

Moments ago, when the host mentioned the kiss, people found it hard to imagine Zhou Sujin, who was always so aloof, kissing someone in public. At most, they thought he’d kiss her on the forehead. Even Wei Lai assumed the same, especially since the host had fought so hard to keep that part of the ceremony.

Zhou Sujin handed back the mic to the host.

He turned to face Wei Lai, pulling her close with one hand.

In his embrace, Wei Lai’s breath quickened.

Zhou Sujin placed one hand gently on her waist while the other cradled the back of her head as he leaned down to kiss her.

The cool, imposing aura he carried seemed to envelop her as well.

Wei Lai closed her eyes. His heartbeat was steady and strong, but hers was racing. She couldn’t help but clutch his suit jacket. His lips touched hers, a soft fleeting brush against her lips.

Previous | Index | Next

Let’s Get Engaged First, I’ll Give You An Engagement Ceremony

Just a day ago, around this time, she and the designer had just arrived at the restaurant, and her dad was still on his way. He hadn’t yet made that phone call to her.

It was as if they existed in parallel worlds.

Who could have imagined that just one day later, they would be on the verge of becoming husband and wife?

Wei Lai accepted the car keys and set them aside.

“I forgot to wish you a happy birthday yesterday.”

“It’s fine.”

They lapsed into silence again.

Wei Lai couldn’t think of anything else to say. She picked up her glass of water, slowly processing the reality that she was about to marry him.

Halfway done with the glass of water, she calmed down and realized that the most important thing hadn’t been discussed yet.

“There’s one more thing…” She looked up at him.

Zhou Sujin was slicing the meat on his plate. He glanced at her before continuing what he was doing. “Go ahead.”

“Are we going to have a marriage in name only, or…?”

“No, it won’t be just for appearances.” He then asked, “Do you want that?”

Wei Lai shook her head.

A scene she had once set up suddenly flashed back to her mind.

And just like this, they finished their blind date dinner.

As they reached the bottom of the restaurant stairs, it dawned on Wei Lai that Zhou Sujin didn’t let her drink because he wanted her to drive the Cullinan back.

Without giving her a chance to refuse, Zhou Sujin said, “I drove it here from Beijing. It took almost thirteen hours.”

Wei Lai stared at him in disbelief. She had assumed it was Uncle Yan who drove it over.

“You’ve always complained that I never took the initiative.”

Zhou Sujin wasn’t one to explain things in detail. He motioned for her to get in the car. “From now on, you’ll be driving this. The people who know you will understand what that means when they see it.”

Wei Lai believed that when she treated him to dinner in Su City and said those words, she had tried her best to keep the tone light as if they were just chatting.

Little did she know that she had unintentionally let slip a bit of her true feelings.

But it wasn’t to the point of truly blaming him.

It was one of those feelings that could only be understood and not easily put into words. Any attempt to explain would seem weak, so she chose to stay silent.

“When are you heading back to Beijing?”

“I’ll stay a couple more days.”

The chilly air outside prompted Zhou Sujin to motion for her to get inside the car again.

Wei Lai opened the door of the Cullinan and slid into the driver’s seat. She glanced out the window at him; his sharp features were as cold and indifferent as they had been when she first met him.

Seeing that she hadn’t started the car yet, Zhou Sujin took a couple of steps closer to the window. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

Not everything had to be said tonight.

With a wave, Wei Lai drove away from the restaurant.

The Cullinan quickly merged into the traffic.

She didn’t head back to her own condo but went to her mom’s place instead.

In the depths of winter, the gated community was cold and eerily quiet.

The Cullinan came to a stop at the gate of the courtyard, and Wei Lai leaned out of the window to call for her mom to go outside.

“I’m coming!” Cheng Minzhi came out wrapped in a cashmere shawl.

Wei Lai gestured for her mom to sit in the back seat. “I have a surprise for you.”

Cheng Minzhi didn’t ask how her daughter ended up driving Zhou Sujin’s car. Her daughter has always done things with a sense of decency, so she never worried.

She said with a smile, “I have to sit in the back?”

“Yep, only from the back can you see the surprise,” Wei Lai said with a grin.

Once her mom was seated, she activated the starlight headliner.

Her mom was momentarily stunned before letting out a series of gasps in admiration.

“It even has shooting stars; this is so cool!”

Wei Lai turned to her mom and said, “It was Zhou Sujin’s birthday gift to me, but I returned it to him after we had a falling out.”

Cheng Minzhi had always been a good listener, never asking more than necessary.

From her daughter’s tone, it seemed they were planning to reconcile.

The weight that had been on her shoulders for months was finally lifted.

Wei Lai let her mom admire the starlight headliner a little longer before turning back and entering the code to the safe, retrieving the precious gift inside.

It wasn’t overly packaged, just a simple velvet box. When she opened it, the diamond-encrusted watch sparkled even brighter than the stars above.

It was the only women’s diamond watch in his collection, one he had said he would give to someone special someday.

And now, he had given it to her.

“Mom.”

“En?” Cheng Minzhi responded gently.

Her mom had never known that she and Zhou Sujin were in a contractual relationship, thinking they had truly broken up. Now that they decided to get married, she didn’t plan to reveal the truth. What was in the past would stay in the past.

So she carefully chose her words, “Zhou Sujin came to reconcile with me tonight, and he also proposed.” She counted his question about whether she’d consider marrying him as a proposal.

After all, there was no love, so expecting too much wasn’t realistic.

Cheng Minzhi asked her daughter, “What are your thoughts?”

“I want to be with him.”

“Then be with him.”

Wei Lai’s voice was hoarse. “Thanks, Mom.”

No matter what she did, her mom had always supported her unconditionally.

Cheng Minzhi gently ruffled her daughter’s hair. “Are you staying with me tonight?”

Wei Lai nodded, deciding not to go back to her condo.

“I’ll go make your bed then,” her mom said as she got out of the car. Wei Lai sat in the car alone for a long time, having not shared the news with her dad yet. She picked up her phone and began typing a message.

“Dad, Zhou Sujin and I are planning to get married. We’ll come by in a few days for dinner to discuss the wedding.“

Before Zhou Sujin reached Jiang’an Cloud Residences, he received a message from his older brother, informing him that the meeting with a British company had been rescheduled for tomorrow afternoon.

He replied, saying he was still in Jiang City and couldn’t return yet.

Zhou Jiaye: “On a business trip?”

He figured it couldn’t be to see Wei Lai. It wouldn’t be surprising for anyone else to get tangled up in an on-again, off-again relationship, but it was the last thing he’d expect from his brother.

Zhou Sujin: “I came to see her.“

Zhou Jiaye stared at those words on his screen for half a day, completely baffled. “Did you change your mind and decide to keep pretending?“

“No, I’m going to marry her.“

This completely upended Zhou Jiaye’s perception of Zhou Sujin.

After the initial shock, Zhou Jiaye laughed. Not even their grandpa could see this coming.

“Mom might faint from the news, but the happiest person about your marriage to Wei Lai will be our aunt. She’s the only one who can speak up for you.“

Zhou Sujin switched to his chat with their aunt and sent her a message: “Wei Lai and I are getting married.“

Ning Rujiang was stunned—married?

This kid was really going all out against the family. If they dared to pressure him into marriage, he’d go ahead and do it.

They had thought he was afraid of his grandpa and wouldn’t dare go against him, but it turned out he wasn’t scared of anyone.

She glanced at her sister, who was sitting next to her with a face mask on. If she saw the message Zhou Sujin had just sent, the mask might burst right off in anger.

“Sis, I’m going to return a call from Lao* Shen.”

Lao – a prefix often added to surnames to show respect in informal situations towards anyone not definitively young or to indicate affection or familiarity

Ning Ruzhen waved her hand, signaling her to go ahead.

Ning Rujiang returned to her room and locked the door behind her.

This kid was really something.

“What are you up to, Zhou Sujin?” She demanded, calling her nephew by his full name.

Zhou Sujin remained calm. “Mom’s so troubled by my marriage that she can’t even come home. Grandpa won’t admit it, but deep down, he hopes I’ll settle down soon. I can’t keep being unfilial.”

That it was—he had every reason on his side.

Ning Rujiang rarely got truly angry with her two nephews, but she couldn’t hold back today. “A fake marriage won’t fly with me. Don’t expect me to help you smooth things over. There’s no way!”

“Auntie, I’ve planned the rest of my life with her. Do you really think I’d enter into a fake marriage?”

Ning Rujiang snorted coldly, not believing him.

If one lied once, it was incredibly hard to earn back trust.

Zhou Sujin explained to his aunt that on Wei Lai’s birthday, he had proposed a contractual marriage to her. She hadn’t hesitated and rejected him outright.

“After we broke up, she didn’t use any of my connections or resources. Instead, she preferred to give up thirty percent of her shares to work with He Wancheng. Even if I wanted a fake marriage, Wei Lai would have to agree first.”

Ning Rujiang had a soft spot for Wei Lai, so she asked her nephew, “What’s your plan for you two’s future?”

“I’ll gradually shift my work focus. In three to five years at most, I’ll be able to split my time evenly between Beijing and Jiang City.”

If it was a real marriage, Ning Rujiang naturally was delighted. Finally, someone to chat and have coffee with in the courtyard. Her sister, however, would be angered to the point where she couldn’t sleep.

Zhou Sujin: “For the meeting between parents, can you help coordinate with Mom?”

The pressure was now on her shoulders.

But how was she supposed to bring this up with her sister?

The next morning, Zhou Sujin stayed in and spent the entire morning in a video meeting with Zhou Jiaye. Midway through the meeting, Lu An joined in.

He was a bit puzzled. “Why the sudden decision to reduce our holdings in Xinming?”

Xinming was a semiconductor materials company owned by Zhang Yanxin’s family. The original plan was for their Kunchen Group to invest another three billion next year into them.

Now, not only would they not invest more, but they would also reduce their stake.

Zhou Sujin simply replied, “We’re increasing our investments in Jiang’an Group instead.”

“But that doesn’t have to affect our ongoing partnership with Xinming.”

Once the business discussion wrapped up, they shifted to small talk. Zhou Jiaye leaned back in his chair, sipping his coffee, and said teasingly, “Someone doesn’t want to make money for his rival.”

Lu An thought it was something more serious. “If we’re talking about rivals, Yuan Hengrui is one too. I heard he’s head over heels for Wei Lai.”

Zhou Jiaye: “It’s different. One’s the ex, and the other is just an admirer, unrequited.”

Zhou Sujin kept his eyes on his phone as if none of this concerned him.

Lu An didn’t dare to speak this in front of Zhou Sujin, so he privately messaged Zhou Jiaye to correct him, “How is Zhang Yanxin the ex? What about a certain someone?“

Zhou Jiaye: “He’s the current, about to marry Wei Lai.“

In his excitement, Lu An accidentally exited the meeting.

Zhou Sujin turned to his brother and said, “I’m logging off.”

The meeting ended.

Today’s discussion was just among them, but the final decision would need to be made at the board meeting.

After closing his laptop, Zhou Sujin received a message from Lu An. He opened it to find a screenshot—a coupon for Wei Lai Supermarket’s Jiang’an Cloud Residences store.

SPEND $88 GET $25 OFF

Zhou Sujin: “Besides the project, there’s nothing you don’t pay attention to.“

Lu An, being bold for once, decided not to respond.

He had never dared to do that before. Before, he would’ve responded regardless, even with just a simple ellipsis.

Zhou Sujin closed the chat with Lu An and searched for Wei Lai’s. With so many messages every day, he had to scroll down a bit before spotting her profile picture.

In his personal WeChat, the contacts were either family or close friends; he always read and replied to all unread messages, so he hadn’t pinned anyone’s contact at the top.

“What time will you be done this afternoon?“

At that moment, Wei Lai was on her way from the Yunhui Mall store to the Jiang’an Cloud Residences store. She sent him a voice message, “I haven’t arrived at the Jiang’an Cloud Residences store yet. I’ll know how much work needs me once I get there.” Manager Kang was so busy she hadn’t even checked her phone, and the morning issues hadn’t been reported to her yet.

“What’s up?” she asked.

“Let’s go buy a ring for you; you should go pick it out yourself.”

Yesterday, he had given her that fully diamond-encrusted watch, so Wei Lai had assumed he wasn’t planning to get her a ring.

“If you don’t have time, tomorrow works too. I’m in Jiang City for the next few days.”

“I want to choose it today.”

“Okay,” Zhou Sujin immediately agreed.

Hearing that she was almost at the Jiang’an Cloud Residences store and knowing it was less than a five-minute walk from the store to the condominium, he asked her, “Want to come up? I’m at home.”

Wei Lai didn’t hesitate. “En.”

Zhou Sujin hadn’t ordered lunch yet. Without a butler or maid, he had to handle everything himself.

“Let me know when you’re almost here. I’ll order food in advance.”

Wei Lai planned to cook for herself, takeout often didn’t suit her taste. “No need to order for me. I’ll make bibimbap.”

After handling the issues at the store, she bought some ingredients for making beef and seaweed bibimbap and carried them upstairs.

At the door, she habitually pressed the doorbell. She pressed it twice, but no one came to open it.

Zhou Sujin was in the bedroom, changing out of his loungewear. He called her, “Did you forget the code?”

“No.”

Wei Lai realized this would soon be her home too. “I’m hanging up.”

She entered the code and walked in.

Going from a business partner to becoming his wife, she hadn’t quite adjusted to the shift in her identity yet.

The living room was empty, so Wei Lai placed the ingredients on the kitchen island. She pulled out a newly bought apron from the shopping bag, remembering that there wasn’t one here last time, so she’d had to be extra careful while making bibimbap, worried about staining her clothes.

Hearing footsteps behind her, Wei Lai instinctively turned around. He was wearing a black dress shirt today, his figure tall and lean.

During their contract period, even in his Beijing home, he had never worn a robe or loungewear in front of her. The moment he stepped out of the master bedroom, he’d always put on a dress shirt. Moreover, it would be neatly tucked into his pants, never casually hanging out.

After tearing off the tag from the apron, Wei Lai quickly tied her long hair into a bun before putting on the apron.

Noticing her skillful knife work, Zhou Sujin asked, “Can you cook anything?”

Wei Lai: “If I don’t like eating it, I don’t know how to cook it.”

As she spoke, her hands paused briefly while cutting the beef. That implied she wouldn’t know how to cook anything he liked either.

After lunch and a brief rest, they headed to a jewelry store to pick out a ring. This was just a temporary one for her to wear; the wedding ring would be custom-made from a brand he was familiar with.

It wasn’t until they were about to leave that Zhou Sujin booked an appointment at a flagship jewelry store—the only one in Jiang City.

The drive from the industrial park to downtown was smooth, with green lights all the way, much faster than expected.

Inside the jewelry store, the store manager occasionally glanced at her tablet, waiting for an email.

Twenty minutes ago, she received a notification that the second son of the Zhou family from Beijing was coming to pick out a ring. They only mentioned the surname “Zhou” without specifying his full name, and she didn’t dare to pry further. It’s not uncommon for people from Beijing to purchase the latest collection from the Jiang City flagship store. Previously, someone surnamed Min bought three limited-edition bracelets, but they were always picked up by drivers—none of the buyers ever showed up in person.

Today was the first time someone of that status would personally visit the store.

In all her time as store manager, she had never met a tycoon from Beijing.

Fresh flowers were arranged in vases in the VIP room. Not knowing the client’s preferences, she prepared a variety of teas.

As she waited for more information on the yet-to-be-released rings, a familiar customer walked into the store.

Wei Lai led the way inside, with Zhou Sujin following behind.

The store manager recognized her instantly and greeted her with a warm smile, “Lai Lai, long time no see!”

Wei Lai was taken aback by the warm greeting. “You still remember me?”

In sales, having a good memory was the most basic.

The store manager chucked. “You’re Sitian’s best friend, shares the same name as Wei Lai Supermarket, and you’re stunning. I can’t forget even if I wanted to.” It wasn’t just flattery; there was a Wei Lai Supermarket in her neighborhood, making the name memorable.

Wei Lai returned the smile. Qiao Sitian mentioned by the store manager was one of her so-called “plastic” friends and a super VIP at this jewelry store. Every time she visited, the store manager personally attended to her.

Once, Wei Lai had accompanied Qiao Sitian to pick out some jewelry and had browsed through some wedding rings herself. That was back when she was still with Zhang Yanxin.

Qi Sitian had introduced her to the store manager at the time: “My best friend, the heiress of Wei Lai Supermarket, and Zhang Yanxin’s girlfriend.”

The store manager discreetly glanced at the imposing man standing behind Wei Lai, assuming he was Zhang Yanxin. She had heard that they had been dating for over two years, and the relationship was very steady. Wei Lai had even come to the store a few months ago to look at wedding rings, suggesting that a wedding might be imminent.

“What would you like to see today?”

“Wedding rings.”

The store manager’s smile was perfectly timed. “Congratulations.” Zhang Yanxin’s family was one of the top three most influential families in Jiang City. For the two of them to make it this far was no small feat.

“Thank you,” Wei Lai replied, glancing at Zhou Sujin beside her. Her expression silently questioning him—Didn’t you make an appointment? Why isn’t anyone here to greet you?

The two women had been chatting since they walked in, so Zhou Sujin hadn’t interrupted them.

Just at this moment, the store manager said to Wei Lai, “The rings you liked before are still available, and we’ve just launched some new designs for the New Year. Would you like me to have someone bring them all out for you to take a look?”

Wei Lai: “…”

It seemed like the store manager had mistaken Zhou Sujin for Zhang Yanxin.

She quickly deflected. “Just the new designs,” she said with a light-hearted tone. “My taste has improved since then.” She was genuinely worried the store manager would call Zhou Sujin “President Zhang” any second now.

Just as she was about to introduce Zhou Sujin as her boyfriend, he spoke up first.

Zhou Sujin asked, “Is Manager Chen here?”

“That would be me.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Zhou Sujin.”

The store manager froze upon hearing Zhou Sujin’s name

The second son of the Zhou family? He’s here already? And without any entourage?

There was no time to dwell on things. She quickly composed herself and adjusted her expression. “President Zhou, welcome. My apologies for not greeting you properly. Please, come inside.”

Turning to Wei Lai, she said with her most professional smile, “Please enjoy some coffee while I have all the new designs brought over.”

She led Zhou Sujin and Wei Lai into the specially prepared VIP room, silently breathing a sigh of relief.

She had narrowly avoided a major faux pas.

Just the thought of almost addressing him as “President Zhang” sent a shiver down her spine.

She had more than one VIP client within Zhang Yanxin’s social circle, but she always maintained her professionalism, never prying into their personal lives or gossip. It turned out that Zhang Yanxin was now a part of Wei Lai’s past.

In the VIP room, Wei Lai sat down next to Zhou Sujin. With the store manager and staff busy fetching the rings, it was just the two of them. She turned to look at him, realizing he must’ve picked up on the store manager’s earlier comments. To avoid any awkward misunderstandings, he had introduced himself first.

Zhou Sujin: “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“I know you don’t mind, but I still feel the need to explain. Back then, I visited every jewelry store in the city, not just this one, and it wasn’t only their rings that caught my eye. So when you suggested coming here, I didn’t think much of it.”

Zhou Sujin: “Every time you used me in the past, wasn’t it because of Zhang Yanxin? If I was going to be petty, would I still be marrying you?”

The past was the past. Bringing it up now would only be disrespectful toward him.

The two of them were sitting so close that there was almost no space between them. Wei Lai hesitated for a moment, unsure of where to place her arm. After a brief internal struggle, she decided that she would need to get used to this kind of intimacy sooner or later. Finally, she rested her arm on his leg, trying to appear as natural as possible.

Zhou Sujin glanced at her.

Regarding the rings, Wei Lai suggested, “I’ll buy your ring. You just need to buy my engagement ring.”

Zhou Sujin neither agreed nor disagreed.

While they were still waiting for the store manager, Wei Lai asked him, “Are you planning for us to register our marriage right after we buy the rings?” She added candidly, “I don’t want to register our marriage so quickly.”

Zhou Sujin looked down at her. “You love to compare yourself to others so much. Do you think I’d let you miss out on something others have? We’ll get engaged first, and I’ll give you an engagement ceremony.”

Previous | Index | Next

After We Get Married, You Have To Pamper Me And Go Along With What I Want

After Zhou Sujin hung up, the bowl of seafood noodles had already gone cold. It was made specially for his birthday, so he took it back to the private room to have it reheated.

The birthday dinner wrapped up around 8:30 p.m., but he still needed to visit his nainai and yeye.

Lu An followed him downstairs. “Your grandma isn’t asking you to go over to set you up on a blind date, is she?”

“Not sure.”

“Don’t you usually have a good sense for these things?”

Zhou Sujin didn’t respond, focusing on sending a message arranging the next day’s work for Yang Ze.

Earlier, out of boredom, Lu An had entered a giveaway on Wei Lai Supermarket’s official social media account. He won a digital voucher of $25 off any in-store purchase over $88, valid until the 25th of this month.

Not a bad deal.

Lu An wanted to ask Zhou Sujin if he had plans to visit Jiang City anytime soon, but he swallowed his words, fearing a cold response.

When the elevator stopped, Zhou Sujin glanced at the floor indicator to confirm it was the first floor before striding out.

After getting in the car, he instructed Uncle Yan, “I’m going to Jiang City tomorrow. Bring the Cullinan to my place.”

The Cullinan was parked in the company’s underground garage, so Uncle Yan dropped him off at the ancestral residence before returning to the company to retrieve the car.

As Zhou Sujin entered the courtyard, the ancestral home felt even quieter and desolate than his own home.

Yeye was upstairs practicing calligraphy, so he didn’t go and disturb him.

Nainai was reading a medical journal, all in English. His grandparents never got along well, even when they were younger. Their marriage wasn’t arranged by matchmakers but by the orders of their parents, who were war comrades.

After marriage, raising several children and familial responsibilities kept them bound together.

The two of them could hardly exchange a few words without getting into an argument, neither willing to back down. As they grew older, they became even more stubborn, with yeye being particularly headstrong and domineering, while nainai preferred to avoid unnecessary trouble by immersing herself in medicine. Despite her age, she still insisted on seeing patients twice a week.

Seeing him enter, nainai flipped her magazine facedown on the sofa and took off her reading glasses.

“Sujin, have a seat. I’ll make you some noodles.”

“Nainai, it’s okay. I already had my longevity noodles.”

She paused, then reached behind the sofa cushion and pulled out a large red envelope, speaking to him in a playful tone, as if he were still a child. “Here, go buy yourself some food.”

Zhou Sujin smiled as he took the envelope. “Thank you, nainai.”

No matter how wealthy he and his brother had become, nainai insisted on giving them a red envelope every year on their birthdays and during Chinese New Year, always saying something along the same lines.

“Your mom’s been in London for nearly a month now, hasn’t she? Still not back?”

“… En.”

In reality, his mom hadn’t gone to London, nor was she in Beijing. She had gone on a quiet getaway with his aunt.

A few days ago, his aunt had called him, complaining that her face was sunburned and painful after spending too much time at the beach, so they were preparing to head back. His mom, however, wasn’t ready to return and planned to visit his maternal grandparents instead.

Nainai pointed to a few gifts on the side table. “Someone came to see me this afternoon. At this rate, the house is going to be piled high with presents.”

They all used the excuse of visiting his grandma to set him up on blind dates, leaving even his grandma at her wit’s end.

“Nainai,” Zhou Sujin put away the red envelope, “next time someone tries to set me up, just tell them I’m rekindling an old flame.”

Nainai put on her glasses again and resumed reading her medical journal.

She was never one to lecture, and when conversations went sideways, she preferred to mind her own business.

With nothing better to do and not in the mood to go upstairs to chat with his grandpa, Zhou Sujin counted the money in the red envelope.

After spending half an hour at his grandma’s, he got into the car driven by his bodyguard and headed back. A few minutes after he pulled into the driveway, Uncle Yan returned with the Cullinan.

Zhou Sujin was waiting in the courtyard and held out his hand, “The keys.”

He then added, “Take the next two days off.”

Uncle Yan was puzzled. “And the car?”

If he took time off, who would drive the car to Jiang City?

Zhou Sujin explained briefly, “I’ll drive it myself.”

Hearing this, even the usually stoic bodyguards glanced at him more than once.

It was over a thousand kilometers from Beijing to Jiang City, and Uncle Yan was so shocked that he stood there holding the car keys, unable to hand them over.

Zhou Sujin said calmly, “Uncle Yan, the car keys.”

Snapping out of his daze, Uncle Yan quickly handed over the keys. Driving over a thousand kilometers in one day would be exhausting for someone who isn’t used to long-distance road trips.

Knowing he shouldn’t say more, Uncle Yan couldn’t help but suggest, “President Zhou, let me drive part of the way. It’s too tiring for one person to handle such a long drive.”

“No need.”

Uncle Yan went on leave, and the two bodyguards would follow after in the Bentley.

The next morning, just before 5 a.m., the Cullinan and Bentley left the mansion in tandem, heading straight for the highway entrance.

Wei Lai woke up a little after five. Although she had slept, it was a restless sleep. Her thoughts were tangled up all night, she even dreamed about whether or not she should marry Zhou Sujin.

When he brought up marriage over the phone last night, her first thought wasn’t about whether they were compatible or not, but rather, if she refused again, there would be no interactions between them in the future.

Before hanging up, he had said he’d arrive in Jiang City around seven or eight tonight.

That left her with less than twenty-four hours to decide.

To determine the course of her entire life in just one day she wasn’t sure if it was rash or not.

After freshening up and applying her makeup, it was still dark outside.

She didn’t go to the office that morning. After breakfast, she headed straight to the Jiang’an Cloud Residences store, where the promotional event for the grand opening would continue until the 25th.

The coffee corner offered a limited supply of free coffee each day. On the first day of the grand opening yesterday, both the coffee corner and free book bar received rave reviews. Many customers bought freshly baked bread from the supermarket and sat down in the cafe to enjoy it.

“Lai Lai, you’re here early today.”

Store Manager Kang greeted her as she took off her coat.

“Good morning, Auntie Kang.”

Auntie Kang had been transferred over here from the main store. She had been a store manager for as long as Wei Lai Supermarket had been open, even older than her mom. Having watched Wei Lai grow up, she was used to calling her “Lai Lai” and would occasionally tease her by calling her “President Lai.”

With the grand opening, Manager Kang had been so busy that she was always the last to leave and the first to arrive.

“Oh right, Lai Lai, a customer suggested that we stock some Gesha coffee beans yesterday. They said they didn’t mind the price as long as it came directly from its origin. The Gesha beans you provided at the free coffee corner were praised by those who understand coffee as being authentic, and now they want to buy some to brew at home.

The area was surrounded by mid-to-high-end residential buildings, and most of the residents were young professionals. As long as the coffee beans were of high quality, they would sell easily.

Manager Kang: “Where did you get the Gesha beans? Could you look into the supplier and see if we can establish a partnership?”

There wasn’t any supplier; Zhou Sujin had someone airship them directly from a plantation in Panama.

Since the store wasn’t open yet, Wei Lai brewed two cups of coffee and handed one to Manager Kang. “Let’s talk about it tomorrow.”

Manager Kang chuckled. “Is tomorrow some special day? To wait until then.”

It wasn’t a special day; it was just that she wasn’t sure if she could work things out with Zhou Sujin when they met tonight. If things didn’t go well, she’d feel too awkward to ask him for another favor with the coffee beans.

Shortly after 7:30 a.m., Wei Lai sent a message to Zhou Sujin, “Are you busy?“

Zhou Sujin received the message just after leaving an RSA*, so he couldn’t reply right away and had to wait until he reached the next one.

RSA – Rest and Service Area, these pit stops allow people to refuel and grab food. These RSAs are usually very nice.

By the time he replied, nearly half an hour had passed.

“Not busy now.“

Wei Lai: “As I mentioned before, marriage is a big deal. Let’s meet in person like a proper blind date.“

Zhou Sujin noticed that she no longer addressed him as “President Zhou,” without needing any reminders.

He asked her, “Where would you like to meet for our blind date?“

Wei Lai just wanted to clarify things in person. As for the location, she didn’t have any particular preference there was no restaurant in Jiang City that she wanted to go to.

“You decide.“

Zhou Sujin immediately instructed Yang Ze to book a table at Riverside Restaurant for that evening, specifically requesting a private room.

He had a simple lunch at the RSA and made four stops along the way. By 5:50 p.m., the Cullinan exited the highway in Jiang City.

Knowing he’d be driving all day, he had dressed casually in the morning.

After exiting the highway, Zhou Sujin headed to Jiang’an Cloud Residences first, passing by the 17th store of Wei Lai Supermarket. The entrance was bustling with people coming and going.

This was his second blind date. Once home, he changed into a shirt and put on a coat.

“I’ll come pick you up, be there in about half an hour.“

Wei Lai: “No need, I’ll drive over myself, just in case the blind date goes south.“

Zhou Sujin called her, saying, “I’m already on my way. You willing to go on a blind date with me means that it won’t go south.”

Wei Lai wanted to prepare him mentally. While she had considered marrying him, she wasn’t sure if they could come to an agreement in person. “You might not take marriage as seriously as I do, but it’s something I care about. Once I care, I tend to have a lot of expectations. You might not be able to accept what I say.”

“If there’s something I can’t accept, I’ll endure it it should be manageable.”

Before the half-hour was up, the Cullinan pulled into the supermarket’s garage.

Wei Lai had just finished her tasks on hand; however, her efficiency had been average today, distracted by everything on her mind.

She took out her makeup bag and was about to touch up on her makeup when her mom walked in.

Cheng Minzhi entered holding the sales reports for the first half of the month from each store. Noticing that her daughter was wearing a maxi dress and had dressed up more than usual even her nails matched the color of her dress she smiled and asked, “Going out to dinner with a friend tonight?”

“No, I’m having dinner with Zhou Sujin.”

“He’s here?”

“En.”

Cheng Minzhi rolled up the reports, and with them, tucked away her curiosity. “Let’s go over this tomorrow then. They’re just routine reports, nothing urgent.”

“Wei Lai?” Zhou Sujin’s voice came from the doorway, followed by a gentle knock.

The door was open, and with her small office, Wei Lai only had to look up to see him standing there. He was wearing a crisp black coat. It wasn’t the first time he had waited for her downstairs, but it was the first time he had come to her office.

“Hello, Auntie Cheng.”

“Sujin, come in and have a seat.” Cheng Minzhi turned to her daughter, “I’ll head home now, you guys chat.”

Zhou Sujin had already taken a few steps into the office and was surprised by how quickly Cheng Minzhi left, backstepping to walk her out.

“No need to see me off, there’s no need to be so formal with me,” Cheng Minzhi said as she closed the office door behind her. Even though they had broken up, they still saw each other frequently for meals. It never quite felt like a complete breakup.

Wei Lai’s office was simple to the point of being spartan a desk, a few light gray filing cabinets, and two sets of sofas by the window alongside a small tea cart. The room was only about twenty square meters, far from spacious and impressive offices found in high-rise office buildings.

After more than two months apart, she couldn’t think of a suitable way to start the conversation.

“Would you like something to drink?” Wei Lai stood up and walked to the tea cart.

“No need, you can finish whatever you need to do.”

Zhou Sujin took off his coat and sat down in the chair across from her desk.

Despite his reply, Wei Lai still poured him a glass of warm water. She knew he was particular about his coffee, and she didn’t have the kind he preferred.

For a moment, they sat in silence, looking at each other.

During the two months they were apart, there had been moments when she was utterly exhausted, and an unrealistic thought would pop into her mind would he suddenly come to see her?

“What brought you upstairs?”

Zhou Sujin looked at her and said, “I came up to say hello to Auntie Cheng.”

Wei Lai nodded and began organizing the reports on her desk, putting the important documents away in the filing cabinet.

She had said she would drive herself to the restaurant but realized now that Zhou Sujin hadn’t told her which restaurant they were going to for their blind date.

Once she finished tidying up, she walked downstairs with him.

As they walked side by side, her mind was racing with thoughts.

Initially, they walked in step, but as they descended the stairs, she became so lost in thought that she fell two steps behind him. Suddenly, he turned around.

It was a completely ordinary gesture, but for some reason, in that moment, it felt special to her.

Neither of them said anything as they continued down the stairs.

In the garage, alongside the Bentley was the Cullinan.

Zhou Sujin opened the front passenger door of the Cullinan. “Let’s take this one.”

He didn’t mention that he had driven the Cullinan all day to bring it here. Wei Lai assumed that a driver drove it over.

It wasn’t until the car turned onto a road all so familiar to her that she realized he had booked a table at the Riverside Restaurant.

She hadn’t been back here since she broke up with Zhang Yanxin.

He had reserved the best private room with a view of the river, right next to the one where she had celebrated Zhang Yanxin’s birthday.

Zhou Sujin gestured for the server to leave the room and poured Wei Lai a glass of warm water.

This was Wei Lai’s first official blind date, and it was with someone from an influential family, a man who excelled in all areas. She lightly held the glass cup, saying, “You’ve been on a blind date before, so you have the experience. You go first.”

Zhou Sujin’s expression remained unchanged. “That time didn’t really count as a blind date.” He wasn’t making excuses. “I can go first.”

He wasn’t planning to drink tonight, so he set the wine glasses aside and poured himself a glass of water.

As he poured, he said, “There are many reasons why I decided to marry you.”

This was the part Wei Lai most wanted to hear, and she instinctively held her breath.

He straightforwardly stated one of his reasons, “There were regrets.”

Wei Lai knew exactly what he meant by regrets. He had promised to give her two years to leverage their relationship, but it ended after just three months.

The disappointment she felt when they broke up was something no one could truly understand.

“I refused the blind dates my family arranged because I never considered getting married so early, but the way we interacted I can live with that.”

“You think the way we interacted during our time pretending was good?”

Zhou Sujin nodded. “Yeah.”

He was open and honest. “After marriage, we can continue in the same way. We’ll have a home in Jiang City, and you can continue to develop your career here. All my resources and connections will be at your disposal. I’ll visit you once every one or two weeks, and if I’m not too busy, I can come once a week. We’ll spend the holidays with our families as needed. Neither of us has to be trapped by the trivialities of marriage.”

A marriage free of mundane conflicts was exactly what Wei Lai wanted as well.

Zhou Sujin then added, “There won’t be any mother and daughter-in-law conflicts either; I’ll handle everything on that front.”

He even addressed what could happen during their marriage. “If one day you feel like you can’t continue, you can ask for a divorce.”

Wei Lai took a sip of warm water, knowing that sometimes water could help calm the mind.

She asked, “And what if one day you feel like it’s not working out?”

Zhou Sujin didn’t mince his words, “I’ve always thought our personalities aren’t compatible, but it doesn’t matter. I can tolerate most of your shortcomings.”

Wei Lai: “…”

It wasn’t exactly pleasant to hear, but it was the truth.

During the time they were pretending to be a couple, no matter what she asked for whether reasonable or unreasonable he always agreed without exception.

Zhou Sujin finished saying what he wanted to say. “Now, tell me your expectations for our marriage.”

Marrying him seemed perfect in every way, except that he was too emotionally detached. In a marriage without love, responsibility and patience were essential, and he needed to provide her with the emotional support she needed.

Wei Lai: “My demands aren’t that high, but for you, they might be very high, very difficult.”

Not just difficult almost impossible.

“After we get married, you can’t let me suffer even the slightest bit of grievance.”

“That won’t happen.”

Wei Lai gripped her cup again, feeling as if she were asking for something unreasonable for the first time, uncertain of his response. “After we’re married, you’ll need to pamper me and go along with what I want.”

Zhou Sujin: “…”

A heavy silence fell over the private room.

Wei Lai tried to lighten the mood with a laugh, saying, “I told you tonight’s blind date might fall apart, and you didn’t believe me.”

Even if they couldn’t reach an agreement, she would still enjoy the dinner.

Zhou Sujin looked at her and asked, “Any other requests?”

Wei Lai: “No, that’s it.”

Without saying more, Zhou Sujin took out the Cullinan’s car key and handed it to her. “There’s something valuable in the glove compartment. It’s for you.”

Wei Lai glanced at the car key, then at him. It seemed he had accepted her conditions.

Previous | Index | Next

He Made A Wish For Her On His Birthday

Wei Lai looked at the single “Okay” in his reply and placed her phone down, absentmindedly pulling her seatbelt across and fastening it with a “click.” She unconsciously gripped the seatbelt for a while longer.

When she returned to her senses, she quickly let go and grabbed her water bottle from the cup holder. She unscrewed it and drank half the bottle of warm water to calm herself down before starting the car.

The sixteenth store at the mall wouldn’t be ready to open by New Year’s Day.

Upon arriving at the office, she discussed with her mom the idea of delaying the opening to coincide with the launch of their Jiang’an Cloud Residences store, so both could run promotional events simultaneously.

“Mom, pick a date for the opening.”

“I haven’t had the chance to tell you yet,” Cheng Minzhi began discussing the opening date. “This morning, Xiao Yuan called and said he found a fortune teller to choose an auspicious date for the opening of our seventeenth store. January 18th is a lucky day. I checked the almanac, and it indeed looks like a good day for starting new ventures.”

Wei Lai: “Yuan Hengrui, he…”

Wei Lai was at a loss for words.

He always liked to consult fortune-tellers. In the past, he had asked when she would break up with Zhang Yanxin and even tried to figure out who her future husband would be. He almost went as far as asking the fortune teller if her future husband’s surname would be Yuan.

She just wasn’t sure if January 18th was suitable or not.

It was a date she had only recently deleted from her reminders.

Cheng Minzhi said to her daughter, “Let’s set it for that day.”

Wei Lai didn’t oppose the idea. It was purely coincidental, not something she had planned.

And so, the opening date was decided.

Cheng Minzhi instructed her secretary to organize everything, ensuring each product’s promotional strength was confirmed, and to push advertisements across all platforms within Jiang City’s downtown area a week before the opening.

Additionally, they needed to prepare printed promotional leaflets.

“Lai Lai, for the partnership discussion, you should have a lawyer with you that day.”

Since it involved the transfer of shares and future dividend issues, everything needed to be clearly stated in the partnership agreement.

Wei Lai came back to her senses. “I’ll have Dad accompany me.”

Cheng Minzhi nodded slowly. “That works.” In all fairness, Wei Huatian was more attentive to his daughter’s affairs than to his own.

As for herself, she needed to gradually work on resolving her own inner conflicts.

With the delays at the sixteenth store, Wei Lai had to put plans for opening other new stores on hold. She intended to revisit the expansion after He Wancheng officially became a shareholder.

Lately, she had been feeling quite exhausted and desperately needed a break.

“Mom, I’m taking an extended vacation.”

So much had happened over the past half a year that Cheng Minzhi sympathized with her daughter. “Go relax and have fun. When He Wancheng comes over at the end of the month, I’ll handle the discussions.”

Wei Lai smiled. “I don’t need that long of a break. A few days at home will do.”

She had no interest in traveling; all she wanted was to relax in her small condo and bask in the sunlight, reading.

After handing over her work to her mom, she switched to vacation mode in the afternoon.

She still hadn’t finished reading the collection of poems she had bought during her previous fake vacation, so she picked up where she left off when she got home.

Though she was on vacation, she still took time before bed to check messages in the various work group chats, occasionally handling a few tasks.

Some store managers were unaware she was on break, so they continued to send her their work reports as usual.

After handling some work, Wei Lai scheduled a time with her dad.

When Wei Huatian heard she was planning to transfer her shares, he asked, “Did your mom agree?“

“She did. She had met He Wancheng and they got along pretty well. Partnering with He Wancheng is our supermarket’s best chance to break into the top 30 nationwide.“

Wei Huatian didn’t say much more. “Alright. I’ll go with you that day.“

After saying goodnight, Wei Lai turned off her phone and went to sleep.

In the following days, she maintained a regular routine: waking up at 7 a.m., having a simple breakfast, making a cup of coffee, and reading on the balcony. For lunch, she’d treat herself to a hearty meal, trying out different homestyle dishes.

In the afternoon, she’d go window shopping before grabbing dinner from the foodie street*.

foodie street – a street full of restaurants and food stalls

By 10 p.m., she was in bed.

Whenever she felt worn out from working overtime, this was her way of recharging.

That afternoon, after waking up from her nap, she heard the low rumble of a sports car on the street below. In the past, she always associated the arrogant roar of a sports car engine with Yuan Hengrui.

But ever since he had settled down, he hadn’t touched a sports car.

One couldn’t help but chant, speak of the devil.

Just as she was praising him for maturing and giving up his car obsession, she was proven wrong the next second.

“I’m downstairs. Come down.”

It had been a while since Yuan Hengrui had driven a sports car, and he had gotten a bit rusty. The bright red sports car that was a gift from his dad made its debut today.

But he wasn’t out for thrills.

Wei Lai: “What’s up? Just say it over the phone.”

Yuan Hengrui leaned against his sports car, looking up at the sixth floor. “Let’s go for a drive.”

He waited for a while, but she still didn’t appear at the window.

“Just think of me as a friend today. You’ve known me long enough to know my character. I’m not here to pursue you today—I swear.”

When it came to his character, Wei Lai did trust him.

Today was December 28th—the day of Zhang Yanxin’s wedding.

She appreciated him coming to comfort her. “I don’t need to go on a drive. I’m not at home avoiding work because of Zhang Yanxin. Lu Song has been giving me a hard time for nearly a month. Now that things are resolved, I’m just feeling a bit worn out.”

She had just changed and was about to head out for a stroll.

“How about I treat you to afternoon tea?”

Yuan Hengrui was taken aback. He’d liked her for three years, and this was the first time she’d ever offered him this kind of attention.

But his excitement lasted only a couple of seconds before a warning bell went off in his head. “You’re not planning to reject me to my face, are you?”

He scared himself with the thought. “Wei Lai, just simply treat me to a cup of coffee. You don’t need to say anything. I already know—I know you’re not interested in me, and that there’s no chance for us.”

His tone was sincere with a hint of hope.

Hope that she would willingly treat him to a cup of coffee.

Wei Lai: “If there’s anything to reject, it’s been done a long time ago. I’m too tired to lecture you. If I wanted to lecture you, I wouldn’t be offering to treat you to coffee.”

Yuan Hengrui’s face lit up with joy, and he smiled apologetically. “I guess I was overthinking it. How about the cafe we went to last time?”

The last time they met for their supposed blind date, she showed up in that Cullinan. He was so frustrated that he didn’t even savor the coffee—downing it in one go like water before rushing off to pick a fight with Zhang Yanxin.

He regretted it later, wishing he’d spent a few more minutes with her in the cafe.

Wei Lai: “Alright.”

She didn’t ride in his sports car and drove herself instead.

They ended up choosing the same seat as last time. Back then, Yuan Hengrui could turn around and see the Cullinan parked outside. Today, when he looked out the window, he saw her own car.

In just a few short months, she and Zhou Sujin had gone public so high-key. She drove around town in the Cullinan, flaunting. Zhou Sujin even bought a house in Jiang City, and they even met each other’s families. But after returning from Beijing, they quietly broke up.

Even he, who had been secretly hoping for their breakup, couldn’t help but feel a pang of pity for them.

Wei Lai locked her car and walked into the cafe.

Today, she was treating him to coffee as a way to thank him for all the help he’d given her lately, and also to encourage him to let go of his feelings for her.

Raising her coffee cup like a toast, she said, “Here’s to you achieving your dream of becoming one of the top three richest people in Jiang City.”

Yuan Hengrui’s voice was a bit husky as he replied, “Thank you.”

For those words alone, he was determined to fight his way to the top three.

After taking a few sips of coffee, Wei Lai asked, “Was the supermarket’s opening date really chosen by you?”

Yuan Hengrui was particularly happy that they had chosen the date he suggested. He had once been jealous when she bought a watch for Zhang Yanxin, and evenious when she opened a supermarket for Zhou Sujin. But now, knowing that the opening date had been chosen by him, he felt content.

“Of course, I even made a special trip to find the perfect date.”

Wei Lai: “Then, did you know that day is Zhou Sujin’s birthday?”

“I…!”

Yuan Hengrui wanted to punch himself.

The day after Zhang Yanxin’s wedding, Wei Lai received a call from He Wancheng, asking to meet at his company’s Jiang City branch office.

She arrived a few minutes before her dad and waited for him downstairs.

Just then, a light brown-colored sedan pulled up, sporting a five-digit Jiang City license plate.

It was she who had once mentioned that light brown was better looking than black, which led Zhang Yanxin to buy that color.

The car had fully tinted windows, so it was impossible to see who was inside or how many people were in the car.

As the car turned into the lot, Mu Di spotted Wei Lai standing at the entrance of the building, wearing a camel-colored coat. The simple design accentuated her tall and slender figure.

Today, she was accompanying Zhang Yanxin to deliver their wedding favors to He Wancheng. There had been so many guests at the wedding yesterday that they hadn’t been able to give everyone the usual attention, so her in-laws had asked them to make this special visit.

“Wei Lai,” she informed Zhang Yanxin.

“I know.”

Mu Di turned around slightly. His expression was indifferent, making it impossible to gauge what he was thinking.

The car came to a stop, and they had no choice but to get out.

Whenever the two of them appeared together, Wei Lai’s eyes would always find Mu Di first.

In Mu Di’s eyes, Wei Lai must seem pitiful and tragic—her dreams of marrying into affluence shattered once again, dumped yet again, and facing endless setbacks in her career.

It had indeed been a rough time for her. Being tormented by Lu Song for a month had drained her completely.

As Mu Di closed the car door, the diamond ring on her ring finger gleamed harshly in the sunlight.

She was the first to greet Wei Lai, smiling. “Long time no see.”

Wei Lai gave a slight nod.

She didn’t spare a single word.

As Zhang Yanxin walked past her, he glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. During the vows at yesterday’s wedding, he suddenly remembered what she had once said to him on his birthday, “Happy Birthday, always love me.”

They entered the building, and Wei Lai continued waiting outside at the entrance for her dad. She waited another six minutes before he arrived.

She quickly walked over to her dad’s car and told him not to rush to get out, suggesting they sit for a bit before going up.

Wei Huatian: “Did Chairman He have something come up unexpectedly?”

“You could say that.” Wei Lai got into the back seat and closed the door. “Zhang Yanxin came by to deliver wedding favors to him.”

Wei Huatian nodded, taking his daughter’s hands into his to warm them, gently shifting her focus. “Why didn’t you wear more layers?”

Wei Lai smiled. “I’m fine, not cold at all.”

They didn’t have to wait long in the car. After Zhang Yanxin and Mu Di delivered the wedding favors, He Wancheng politely mentioned that he had a meeting scheduled, so the two of them took their leave.

In the 22nd-floor conference room, He Wancheng’s secretary and lawyer were already present.

When both parties met, they began with brief introductions and pleasantries. Wei Lai introduced her dad, naturally presenting him as her lawyer.

With the same last name and a striking resemblance to Wei Lai, it wasn’t hard to figure out who he was—Wei Lai’s dad and Cheng Minzhi’s ex-husband.

He Wancheng smiled warmly and extended a courteous handshake.

The night he introduced his old friend to Cheng Minzhi, it turned out that all three of them were divorced. Naturally, the conversation drifted to their thoughts on marriage, but Cheng Minzhi said the least.

It seemed she still hadn’t fully moved on from her ex-husband.

After the small talk, they took their seats. Wei Lai immediately laid all her cards on the table, showing her sincerity. The partnership with He Wancheng went smoothly, and after three hours of discussion, they finalized all the details.

By the time all the necessary changes were processed, it was already mid-January. Without a moment to rest, the opening day of the stores at Jiang’an Cloud Residences and Yunhui Mall arrived.

On January 18th, the day of the grand opening, the designer made a special trip from Shanghai to offer his congratulations, arriving at the store around 1 p.m.

The supermarket was crowded, so they found a quiet spot at the coffee corner to chat.

The designer took a sip of the coffee Wei Lai had brewed for him. “Gesha?”

“En, do you like it too?”

“A colleague likes it, so they often brew an extra cup for me.”

Wei Lai brought her own cup over. “I brought over all my Gesha beans from home, planning to finish them and then switch to something else.”

The designer glanced around the coffee corner. “You’ve put more thought into this store than the other sixteen combined.”

Wei Lai smiled. “You’re exaggerating.”

Designer: “It’s not an exaggeration.”

He then asked her, “Before, you mentioned that you didn’t know how to define your feelings toward the number seventeen—whether familial, friendly, or romantic. Have you figured it out now?”

Wei Lai: “There’s no need to define it anymore.”

They continued chatting casually, and before they knew it, evening had arrived.

Wei Lai stood up. “Let me treat you to a big dinner.”

“No need for a big dinner, but I can’t stop thinking about that restaurant here.”

The designer called Wei Huatian, and the three of them went out to enjoy Jiang City’s specialty cuisine.

Before starting the car to head to the restaurant, Wei Lai took one last look at Jiang’an Cloud Residences.

Meanwhile, at the S.Z. Restaurant in Beijing, Lu An was placing a candle shaped like the number 30 onto a cake.

Since Zhou Sujin had to visit his paternal grandmother later in the evening, they had to come early at around 5 p.m. to celebrate his birthday. Every year, Zhou Sujin never blew out the candles or made a wish, but each time, Lu An made sure to place the candles anyway.

“Thirty is a milestone. You have to make a wish.”

With a flick of the lighter, Lu An lit the candle.

All the childhood friends who weren’t on business trips had gathered, and they egged him on to make a wish.

Min Ting lightly drummed his fingers on the table in front of Zhou Sujin, urging, “Come on, make one—anything will do.”

“Alright, I wish you all would chatter less in the future.”

After making his wish, he took away the lighter and promptly snuffed out the candle’s flame by pinching the wick.

Today, no one at the table mentioned the starlight headliner in the Cullinan or brought up Jiang City, yet when Zhou Sujin raised his wine glass, he inexplicably thought of Wei Lai.

“You’re kind-hearted.”

“When the two years are up, you can renew the contract with me.”

“It would be best if we could pretend for the full two years. President Zhou, you know I don’t want to end it early.”

“I’m planning to open a hundred stores and make it into the top thirty among the nation’s supermarkets.”

He downed the entire glass in one go.

For the first time in his life, he made a birthday wish for a woman, hoping that her dreams would come true.

After a few rounds of drinks, the room filled with the smoke of lit cigarettes.

Avoiding the smell of smoke, Zhou Sujin grabbed his drink and headed to the rooftop terrace for some fresh air.

It was cold, so it was only him on the rooftop.

It was even quieter than home.

Back downstairs in the private room, Lu An had been looking for Zhou Sujin for a while with no luck. After asking several of the waitstaff, one finally mentioned seeing him head to the rooftop terrace.

“Why didn’t you bring your phone?”

Lu An approached, holding Zhou Sujin’s phone in one hand and a tray with a bowl of longevity noodles in the other.

“Your aunt called you twice. I couldn’t find you, so I answered the call for you. She reminded you not to forget to eat your longevity noodles, so I had the chef make a bowl.”

Lu An set the tray down. “Eat it while it’s still hot.”

He had drunk quite a bit tonight, so he leaned back into a nearby chair. The wind on the rooftop was strong and cold, perfect for sobering up.

Zhou Sujin put down his wine glass and noticed that the bowl of noodles also contained seafood.

Lu An pulled a chair closer to the table, leaning his elbow on it as he rubbed his temples to ease his headache.

“Do you know what today is, besides your birthday?”

Zhou Sujin glanced at him.

Lu An knew that look all too well—it was a silent warning to cut the nonsense and get to the point.

“Today is also the grand opening of Wei Lai Supermarket’s store at Jiang’an Cloud Residences. Oh, and also the sixteenth store at Yunhui Mall too.”

He rubbed his temples. “Look at how graceful Wei Lai is. When you guys were together, she opened a supermarket for you. Now, even after the breakup, she’s celebrating your birthday in this way. And you? You chose to break up with her on her birthday.”

Lu An had drunk a bit too much, and the alcohol was making him more talkative than usual.

He clarified, “I didn’t contact Wei Lai. I saw the grand opening news on my phone. I had followed Wei Lai Supermarket’s social media account and had gotten a push notification. You definitely didn’t follow it.”

The rooftop was at least three or four degrees below freezing that night, and Lu An couldn’t take the cold any longer. “Take your time eating the noodles. I’m heading back down.”

Zhou Sujin didn’t touch the noodles. Instead, he picked up his phone and dialed Wei Lai’s number.

“Hi, President Zhou.”

“Where are you? Is it convenient to talk?”

“I’m having dinner with my dad and the designer.”

“Step outside and find a place to take the call.”

“Okay, give me a moment.”

Zhou Sujin listened as the noise on the other end of the line faded, replaced by a “Table 65, your meal is ready.”

This sound wasn’t unfamiliar—it was from the order call system at that particular restaurant.

Soon, the background noise disappeared, leaving only the faint sound of her breathing as she walked.

“President Zhou, what’s up?”

Zhou Sujin: “It’s nothing.”

“…” Wei Lai’s heart inexplicably began to pound.

Zhou Sujin asked, “Did you finalize the deal with He Wancheng?”

“En, we completed all the paperwork two days ago.”

Zhou Sujin took a slow sip of his wine, his voice husky and composed. “You won’t use the connections and resources available to you and instead decided to give away thirty percent of your shares.”

Wei Lai could hear the emotion in his voice. That day, when he praised her for being decisive enough to spend money to solve problems, there was a hint of reproach in his tone.

“President Zhou, you’ll eventually have to go on blind dates and get married. In the eyes of others, I’m your ex-girlfriend. It’s not appropriate for me to keep using your connections and resources.”

On the topic of blind dates and marriage, Zhou Sujin shared, “My mom is using the excuse of staying in London for an extended period, so people have started visiting my paternal grandparents every few days instead. They’re old and can’t handle the constant social pressure.”

He didn’t elaborate, but Wei Lai understood—it wouldn’t be long before he might be forced to go on more blind dates again.

After a brief pause, Zhou Sujin said, “It was wrong of me to end our contract on your birthday. I didn’t think it through. Today is my birthday, so let me ask you again.”

Wei Lai’s heart started to beat rapidly.

Zhou Sujin spoke into the phone, “Do you want to consider marrying me?”

He added, “Not a contract marriage—continuing just like this, with the same dynamic as before. You don’t have to answer now. I’ll come to Jiang City tomorrow to see you.”

Previous | Index | Next

Is someone giving you a hard time?

Since they broke up, he hadn’t been back to Jiang’an Cloud Residences.

Letting Lu An make himself at home, he took his suitcase to the bedroom. The makeup Wei Lai had brought here was still scattered on the bedroom vanity.

There was also her makeup at his house in Beijing, which he had already had the maid gather from his room and neatly organize in another room, restoring the bathroom to how it looked before he brought her home.

There was no maid over here, so the property management arranged for someone to clean regularly, but they only cleaned and didn’t touch his belongings.

In the walk-in closet, there was her makeup case. Zhou Sujin found it but didn’t know how to organize the makeup. He sorted the bottles and jars by size and neatly placed them in the makeup case.

There were dozens of brushes.

“The chef’s here. Let him know what you want to eat.”

Lu An walked to the bedroom entrance but didn’t go in, waiting for his instructions.

“Get me a courier,” Zhou Sujin said without looking up as he bent over the vanity, writing a note.

Not sure if you still need these, but I’ve packed them all here for you.

—Zhou Sujin

Lu An asked, “Send to where?”

“Send it to Wei Lai.”

“Just call for a delivery service then.”

Lu An didn’t know they were just pretending; he thought it was because Uncle Zhou and Auntie Zhou disapproved of their relationship. The starlight headliner had just been installed, and they broke up the next day.

“I’m not saying you were wrong, but you shouldn’t have broken up with her on her birthday.”

Zhou Sujin didn’t respond to him, pressing the sticky note firmly onto the makeup case.

Lu An asked, “Which address?”

“Send it to her office.”

He hadn’t been to her office, but he had heard her mention it was on the 2nd floor.

Lately, Wei Lai had been swamped with work. According to the original plan, the store at the Yunhui Mall was supposed to be ready by the end of the month and have a soft opening during the New Year period. However, due to various reasons, the construction was delayed by more than a quarter.

Just a moment ago, the secretary of Lu Song, the director of the mall, called her and bluntly informed her that the bakery section of the supermarket had to be removed and replaced with another business project.

The reason for the removal was that the mall’s first floor had a chain dessert and bakery shop, which demanded exclusivity rights when they moved in, so the supermarket’s bakery section had to go.

The bakery was a major feature of Wei Lai Supermarket. Their affordable, freshly baked bread and cakes were always in high demand. Removing it would strip away their uniqueness and significantly impact profits.

When they initially signed the contract, there was no exclusivity agreement at all.

Among the social circles in Jiang City, everyone knew that Zhou Sujin and her had broken up. Lu Song couldn’t openly breach the contract, so he made things difficult for her in various ways, hoping she would back out of the mall on her own and make room for Blissful Garden Supermarket.

She had been enduring this bullying for almost three weeks. Despite complying with their demands, they were never satisfied, and the construction progress was continuously delayed.

Now, they were even targeting the supermarket’s operations.

Since there was no room for negotiation, there was no need to endure the mistreatment any longer. Wei Lai smiled and retorted, “Exclusivity agreement? There are two bakeries and a dessert shop on the first floor. Why isn’t there an exclusivity agreement for them then?”

The secretary ignored her and informed her, “Besides removing the bakery section, the free book bar also needs to be changed.”

As for why the book bar needed to be changed, they didn’t even provide a specific reason.

In short, Wei Lai Supermarket had to align with the mall’s operational philosophy and overall interests.

Anything that needed to be changed was naturally not in line with the mall’s requirements.

Wei Lai was so angry she laughed and immediately hung up the phone.

If she withdrew, the 4,000 square feet of construction and design fees would be completely wasted. This was a visible loss, along with many other sunk costs.

She opened the window and stood by it, letting the cold wind calm the anger in her heart.

Her phone rang—it was an unfamiliar number.

They said they had a package for her and asked for her specific office address.

She had been so busy recently that she hadn’t had time to shop. Wei Lai informed them it was the second room on the south side of the second floor before asking another question, “Where is the package from?”

“Jiang’an Cloud Residences.”

Wei Lai was momentarily taken aback. “Okay, got it.”

Soon, she heard the delivery guy’s voice outside the door.

After signing for the package and opening it, she found her makeup case and a note from him.

So he was here right now.

Just a few miles away from her.

He hadn’t messaged her before sending the package, and she didn’t message him to confirm she had received it.

She didn’t know when he had arrived here, how long he would stay, or when he would leave.

Wei Lai leaned against her desk, holding his note and reading it over and over again.

She stayed in the office until 10:30 p.m. The supermarket downstairs had already closed, and hers was the only office on the second floor with the lights still on.

Wei Lai finished her iced coffee and rinsed her cup before turning off the lights and leaving.

Downstairs, a Maybach was parked right before her car. It was Yuan Hengrui’s car. Despite there being an empty parking space nearby, he always either parked in her spot or blocked her car.

She tapped on his car window twice, signaling him to move.

Yuan Hengrui was half-lying in his seat, staring at the sky through the sunroof. The weather had turned cold, making even the clouds thinner and fewer.

He was so engrossed that the sound of tapping on the window startled him. Squinting, he saw that it was Wei Lai outside and quickly scrambled out of the car.

Looking at her, he said, “You’re the only one working late. Isn’t it scary to be alone in such a big office?”

Wei Lai glanced at him, surprised by his question.

She said, “It’s fine.”

Yuan Hengrui had been there for a while, waiting since the sun had set.

Today, while passing by the Yunhui Group Mall, he specifically went to the basement floor to check the supermarket out, only to find that construction still wasn’t finished.

“Didn’t you say you would have a grand opening on New Year’s? It’s already the 20th. Even if each day were 48 hours long, you wouldn’t finish in time.”

He had a guess, “Is Lu Song giving you guys a hard time?”

Wei Lai didn’t answer directly, “Move your car.”

“I’ll move it right away, but let me say one more thing.”

Yuan Hengrui had come to reassure her, “Don’t worry, even if you and Zhou Sujin broke up, you can still lease the space at Jiang’an Cloud Residences. The promise to sell the storefront to you still stands. If you can’t buy it in three years, then five years. You’ll be able to afford it someday.”

“Thank you.”

“What are you thanking me for?”

Yuan Hengrui didn’t take credit for himself. “It was my dad who said that. He’s the kind of person who never goes back on his word. If he promises something, he’ll make sure it happens.”

He walked from the driver’s side to her side and leaned against the car door.

His influence was limited and couldn’t affect the decisions of the Yunhui Mall. After all, Blissful Garden Supermarkets’ backing was Mu Di’s family.

At this moment, he hated his own powerlessness. “One day, when I become one of the top tycoons in Jiang City, you can open a supermarket wherever you want, and no one will dare to make things difficult for you.”

Wei Lai thanked him again. Yuan Hengrui was no longer as frivolous as before, so she was willing to say a few more words. “Don’t waste all your time on me. You’ve already wasted three years. It’s not worth it.”

“This isn’t a waste. Having someone you like gives you motivation every day when you wake up.” Yuan Hengrui walked back to the driver’s side. “Wei Lai, you don’t understand.”

He opened the car door. “Go home and get some rest. I’ll think of a way to help you.”

“No need,” Wei Lai refused without hesitation.

“I’ll find someone myself,” she said.

“Who are you going to ask? Can they help you resolve this?”

“Yes.”

Yuan Hengrui hesitated; her expression didn’t seem to have found someone who could help.

Wei Lai was exhausted and didn’t want to chat further. She drove straight back to her apartment.

The next day was the weekend. Before bed, she turned off her alarm and muted her phone, planning to sleep in until she naturally woke up.

She hadn’t had a good night’s sleep in over 20 days.

For the past month, she had been revising the renovation plans daily. After each revision, she had to submit the materials and plans to Yunhui Group for approval.

The person in charge of approvals was Lu Song, who always found some aspect that didn’t meet the standards.

While other businesses only needed to submit their plans before starting renovations and wait for final inspections afterward, Lu Song had special requirements for their supermarket, claiming it was for their own good.

The next day, she slept in until a quarter past nine.

Last night, she thought about things until midnight. Aside from a partnership, there was no other way forward.

Calling someone at 9 a.m. on the weekend seemed a bit early, so she set her phone down and went to the kitchen to make breakfast.

She brewed a cup of Gesha coffee, fried two eggs, and toasted a few slices of bread.

The Gesha coffee beans were sent to her a few days ago by Yang Ze, who mentioned they were air freighted directly from a plantation in Panama.

Yang Ze: “President Zhou doesn’t drink light-roasted coffee beans, so leaving it on the plane would be a waste.”

After thanking him, she accepted it.

She took her breakfast to the small folding table on the balcony. The balcony was not large, and the table was just big enough for two people to dine. When her dad remodeled this condo for her, he specifically designed the balcony in a style she liked for dining.

Today, the sun was shining brightly, casting a warm glow on the table.

The coffee was steaming hot in the sunlight.

It was the most leisurely breakfast she had eaten in months.

She slowly sipped the coffee, which tasted slightly different from the beans she had previously purchased.

“Lai Lai, take a good rest at home today.”

“I’ll find a way to handle the situation at Yunhui Mall.”

Her mom sent her two voice messages in quick succession.

Wei Lai brought the phone closer and replied to her mom with a voice message, “You don’t need to find anyone. I have a way to handle it.”

“Lai Lai, don’t go looking for Zhou Sujin.”

“Mom, don’t worry. I won’t go and trouble him.”

Outsiders didn’t know they were a fake couple. In the future, he would date and get married, so it wouldn’t be appropriate to ask for his help or maintain contact with him.

She understood this boundary well.

“Mom, just go ahead and take care of your things first.”

“Can I ask one more question? Who are you going to ask?” Cheng Minzhi couldn’t bear the thought of her daughter lowering her dignity to ask for help. At worst, the renovation and design fees could be foregone.

“He Wancheng.”

“You’re asking him?”

“En, I’m going to find him for a partnership, not asking for a favor. I’ll tell you more once it’s settled.”

After breakfast, Wei Lai cleaned the table and the kitchen. It was still early, so she opened the makeup case Zhou Sujin had sent her and meticulously arranged everything on the vanity. She placed the sticky note in a drawer.

At 10:05 a.m., she sent a message to He Wancheng: “President He, sorry to disturb you on the weekend. When would be a convenient time for me to call you?“

He Wancheng: “Not calling me Uncle He, I see this is a business matter.“

“Yes, I want to discuss a partnership with you. I hope you might be interested.“

He Wancheng called her directly and asked with a chuckle, “You want to open a supermarket with me?”

Wei Lai also laughed. “Nothing gets past you.”

She dared to approach the richest man in Su City for a supermarket partnership because he had invested in retail before. His old classmate in Su City owned a supermarket chain in which he held shares. Back then, his friend lacked startup capital and approached him. Out of friendship, he invested purely in helping his old friend through tough times without getting involved in the operations. He probably didn’t even know how many stores the chain had.

Unexpectedly, this investment turned out to be quite profitable.

Given the current scale of Wei Lai’s supermarket, He Wancheng naturally wasn’t interested. “President He, as I mentioned before, my goal is to be in the top 30 of the top 100 list.”

“30%”

“You don’t need to invest any money, just contribute your resources in exchange for a 30% stake. I will handle the operations, and you can manage the risks.”

Before approaching He Wancheng, she had given it a lot of thought.

As their supermarket chain expanded and grew in scale, the need to navigate various relationships would increase.

Having a shareholder with He Wancheng’s background would ensure that no one in Jiang City would dare to give her a hard time anymore. It was a one-time solution to many potential problems.

Moreover, with He Wancheng’s endorsement, future financing would be much easier.

Although she was giving up 30% shares, she wouldn’t lose out in the long run.

“President He, if you’re interested, we can meet in person to discuss the specifics of how the resources will be contributed and how the profits will be shared.”

He Wancheng had many connections and resources in Jiang City, and it would be a waste not to utilize them.

Becoming a shareholder in Wei Lai Supermarket would be pure profit with no losses. From a business perspective, there was no reason for him not to collaborate.

Moreover, Zhou Sujin had specifically asked him to look after Wei Lai Supermarket.

He asked, “Is this your mother’s idea?”

“No, it’s my decision alone. My mom has given me full responsibility for the supermarket. If I don’t do well, she’ll step in.”

He Wancheng laughed. “That’s great.”

He immediately agreed to the partnership, “You don’t need to come to Su City. I’ll be in Jiang City next week for a wedding. We can meet then to discuss the details.”

He was attending Zhang Yanxin’s wedding. Given Wei Lai’s special relationship with Zhang Yanxin, he didn’t mention it specifically.

Even if He Wancheng hadn’t said it, Wei Lai knew whose wedding he was attending. He was close friends with Zhang Yanxin’s parents, and Zhang Yanxin was marrying Mu Di the next week.

“President He, I have another favor to ask.”

“No need to be formal, go ahead.”

“Our supermarket’s sixteenth store is moving into Yunhui Mall. The person in charge, Lu Song, is close to Blissful Garden Supermarkets’ owner. He’s been blocking us at every turn. Our planned New Year’s opening is now indefinitely delayed.”

“Got it, leave it to me.”

He Wancheng didn’t even have to step in personally. He had his secretary make a call to Yunhui Group Chairman’s secretary, and all of Wei Lai Supermarket’s issues were resolved.

Given the significance of partnering with Wei Lai, He Wancheng felt it was necessary to inform Zhou Sujin. He dialed Zhou Sujin’s number, but it went unanswered.

At that moment, Zhou Sujin was at the ancestral residence. His mom was sitting across from him, and he had just muted his phone.

Her son entered the door 10 minutes ago, and aside from greeting her, he hadn’t said a word.

Ning Ruzhen found nagging to be quite annoying, but she had to say it. “Sujin, I can accept you finding a partner from an ordinary family, but I absolutely won’t allow you to treat marriage like a game.”

Zhou Sujin silently sipped his tea.

“Your nainai mentioned that someone recently visited her, trying to set you up with a match.”

People around had gradually learned about his breakup. In their world, family background and mutual interests often outweighed the personal feelings of those involved, so no one cared much that he had just broken up.

She couldn’t even enjoy three months of peace before the calls inviting her out for tea began again. Claiming to be in London visiting her parents, she declined all the invitations. Unexpectedly, they went straight to his nainai.

Currently, it was she who wanted to dodge the matchmakers more than her son.

Zhou Sujin suddenly reached out his hand. “Give me those people’s phone numbers. I’ll ask them if they have too much time on their hands. If they do, I’ll find something for them to do.

Ning Ruzhen: “…. You!”

“I have something to do, so I’ll head back now.” Zhou Sujin grabbed his coat and walked straight to the courtyard to call He Wancheng back.

With the issues at Yunhui Mall completely resolved, Wei Lai picked up her car keys and went downstairs to report to her mom at the office and to discuss partnership matters with He Wancheng.

Just as she got into the car and before she could even fasten her seatbelt, a call came in.

Seeing the number on the screen, she hesitated for a few seconds before pressing the answer button. “Hi, President Zhou.”

Zhou Sujin: “Is someone giving you a hard time?”

After not hearing his voice for a month, it felt like a lifetime had passed.

Wei Lai’s throat burned, and a sudden wave of grievance welled up.

During that month of being tormented, she had only felt anger. After all, in the business world, it’s always survival of the fittest, and there was nothing to be upset about. Sometimes, when Lu Song’s bullying went too far, she really wanted to roll up her sleeves and fight back.

Regardless of the timing, she had never had the sense of feeling wronged or treated unfairly.

But with his simple question today, she suddenly felt a wave of unfairness.

“It’s nothing. President He had already helped me sort it out.”

“Oh right,” she told him, “I’ve decided to invite President He to be a shareholder.”

Zhou Sujin continued, “En, he mentioned it.”

“Not bad. You’re willing to spend money to resolve issues and smart enough to find a strong ally.”

“Thank you for the compliment, President Zhou.”

There was a brief moment of silence before Zhou Sujin said, “I got to go now.”

Wei Lai glanced at the call duration on the screen – it was just a few seconds. “Okay, bye, President Zhou.” After a pause, she added, “Thank you for thinking of me.”

After ending the call, she remembered there was something else she had forgotten to mention.

Her makeup and some personal belongings were still at his Beijing home. Most of the makeup had already been opened. It would be too much of a hassle to pack and ship them back.

“President Zhou, please have the housekeeper take care of all my things at your place in Beijing.“

“Okay.“

Previous | Index | Next

You Never Took The Initiative With Anything

The restaurant where they were meeting for dinner was not far from He Wancheng’s company. She had brought some of Jiang City’s finest tea for He Wancheng. After dropping off her luggage at the hotel, she went to his company to deliver the tea.

Jiang City had a tea plantation whose teas had been hyped to astronomical prices; her dad had pulled some strings to get her a few boxes.

“Is Chairman He’s company’s office building in the old city district?”

En,” Wei Lai looked out the car window. The buildings in the old city district had height restrictions. “Their new company headquarters is in the CBD zone, about forty or fifty stories high, but he said he’s used to the old office building, so he hasn’t moved.”

Cheng Minzhi nodded.

The chauffeur listened quietly to the conversation in the rear without interjecting.

There was heavy traffic on the way, and by the time they reached He Wancheng’s company building, it was already pretty late.

The car stopped, and Wei Lai’s hand had just touched the door handle when she suddenly froze. A black Bentley drove past them. Through two layers of car windows, neither could see the other.

Cheng Minzhi also noticed the Beijing-licensed Bentley. The license plate was very familiar; it had even been to their home before. Her daughter must’ve seen Zhou Sujin’s car, and from her reaction, it was clear there was a problem in their relationship.

She got out of the car as if she hadn’t seen anything.

Wei Lai hadn’t tried to intentionally avoid Zhou Sujin; his car passed by as she was lost in thought.

She opened the car door and grabbed her purse and coat before getting out.

She didn’t look back.

Whether it was out of fear or because she felt it was unnecessary, she wasn’t sure.

“President Zhou, it’s Miss Wei,” Uncle Yan said, unaware of their “breakup,” as he saw Wei Lai through the rearview mirror and spoke up to inform him.

Zhou Sujin, who had been looking down at his phone, turned to look out the car window but saw no one outside on either side.

“It should be Chairman He’s car at the entrance,” Uncle Yan added.

“Reverse.” Zhou Sujin put away his phone.

Wei Lai was grabbing the tea from the trunk when she sensed a car approaching from behind. She turned abruptly and saw the black Bentley’s rear only two or three meters away. It had stopped and braked.

The rear door opened, and there he was, wearing a white shirt and a tie, likely for an important event. She had never seen him wear a tie before.

Her mind went blank, unsure if she should call him President Zhou or say nothing at all.

“Hi, Auntie Cheng.”

“Oh? Sujin, you’re here too?” Cheng Minzhi pretended to be both surprised and delighted.

Zhou Sujin said with a smile, “I came to attend a forum.”

“You two go ahead and chat,” she said as she took the tea from her daughter’s hand. “I’ll wait for you in the lobby.”

After Zhou Sujin got out of the car, Uncle Yan drove the car to a nearby parking spot, and Chairman He’s chauffeur also drove the car away, leaving just the two of them.

Standing two or three meters apart felt a bit distant and impolite for a convo, so Wei Lai took a few steps closer. Even though they were a fake couple, it felt like they had gone through a real breakup.

At this moment, she was incredibly grateful for ending the contract early. If they had continued for another two years, the eventual breakup would have been even more painful.

“I saw your car earlier, but I didn’t have a chance to call out.”

She apologized and explained, “I haven’t told my mom about our breakup yet, but she probably could’ve guessed it. I’ll explain everything to her when we get back.”

Zhou Sujin: “No worries. I heard from President He that you’re here to learn from someone in the industry.”

“En, there’s a lot to learn.”

Meeting again didn’t have the awkwardness of the day she rejected him; his attitude made things less tense between them.

If she postponed that owed dinner any longer, there really wouldn’t be another chance to make it up.

“President Zhou, when are you free? Let me treat you to dinner here. I’ve owed you one for a while now.”

Zhou Sujin hesitated slightly. He had a dinner event tonight and was scheduled to return to Beijing early tomorrow morning for some important matters, with all his plans already set and unable to be postponed.

But he still agreed, “I have time tonight.”

Wei Lai: “Tonight might not work…”

“I’ll call President He. For meetings between people in the same industry, Auntie Cheng can go on her own.”

Zhou Sujin then called He Wancheng, explaining that he was taking Wei Lai to dinner tonight and informing him that Cheng Minzhi was already in the building’s lobby.

He Wancheng naturally agreed, saying, “Perfect, you youngsters have your own gathering, and we older folks can have our own. I’ll go down and meet her now.”

Wei Lai entered the building and exchanged a few words with He Wancheng. Zhou Sujin also went inside and personally introduced Cheng Minzhi.

Cheng Minzhi felt quite apologetic that He Wancheng had to come downstairs to greet them. At He Wancheng’s age and his long-standing position, his aura of authority had naturally mellowed into one of poise and approachability.

“President He, nice to meet you.” Cheng Minzhi extended a handshake.

He Wancheng smiled and shook her hand. “The pleasure is mine. I’ve heard a lot about you from Wei Lai. These two kids are meeting on their own tonight, so let’s leave them be.”

He gestured toward the elevator. “My old friend is on the way. Let’s go to my office first.”

Wei Lai accompanied them to the elevator, watching the doors close and waving goodbye before leaving.

Getting into the car, Zhou Sujin loosened his tie and apologized to Wei Lai, “I can’t let you choose the place for dinner tonight; I’ll make the arrangements.”

Anticipating her next comment, he added, “You can pay.”

The dinner venue was a five-star hotel’s Western cuisine restaurant in the city center of Su City. When they arrived at the reserved table, Zhou Sujin took off his suit jacket and draped it over his chair before saying to her, “Wait for me a few minutes; I need to stop by a private room upstairs.”

Wei Lai wasn’t slow to react and met his usual clear gaze. “You have a dinner tonight?”

“It’s fine,” Zhou Sujin replied nonchalantly. “It’s not very important. I just need to go over, have a drink, and make an appearance.”

As he rolled up his sleeves, he walked toward the restaurant’s entrance.

He had taken off his tie before getting out of the car.

Wei Lai watched his tall figure disappear from view before lowering her gaze to casually browse the menu, remaining uninterested until he returned.

Zhou Sujin arrived at the largest private room upstairs, where everyone was already present and waiting for him.

He filled his glass and drank two cups as a self-imposed penalty, explaining that he couldn’t stay long because he had to accompany someone for dinner.

For him to personally cater to someone, it must be someone of significant importance.

Likewise, those present knew better than to joke or inquire too much about who it was, despite their curiosity. They urged him to hurry back down so as not to keep the person waiting.

After he left and the door to the private room closed, they began to discuss among themselves.

“Who could it be?”

“It should be the one from Jiang City.”

“The one he brought home?”

“En.”

“I heard they broke up. The car’s with Lu An now.”

Zhou Sujin returned to the restaurant, and Wei Lai was still looking at the menu.

“Why haven’t you ordered yet?”

“I’m treating, so you should order first.”

“Anything’s fine.”

As long as it isn’t hotpot.

Zhou Sujin ordered a bottle of red wine. He didn’t let the server help; instead, he wrapped the bottle with a towel and took Wei Lai’s wine glass to pour for her.

Wei Lai’s gaze fell on his distinct hands, finding a random topic to break the silence. “When we were pretending, I don’t remember you ever pouring me a drink.”

Zhou Sujin looked up. “You yourself said it was pretend. We were in a contract relationship then.”

“You never took the initiative with anything.”

“Right.”

His straightforward answer left Wei Lai momentarily speechless.

She changed the subject, “President He helped introduce us to his old friend because of you.”

During the time they were in a contract relationship, she had grown tired of saying, “Thank you, President Zhou.” So tonight, she didn’t repeat it. Instead, she raised her glass, the rim slightly lower than his, and clinked it gently.

She downed her glass in one go.

Zhou Sujin watched her finish the entire glass in one go, his gaze fixed on her, studying her closely for the first time

from her brows to her eyes.

The woman before him had a stark contrast to the one who used to push boundaries and act spoiled at the drop of a hat.

He didn’t like it when people talked incessantly during meals, so Wei Lai spoke very little tonight. By the time they finished dinner and left the restaurant, she hadn’t said much at all.

She found that a quiet meal was rather nice too.

No need to expend effort thinking of topics; she could let her mind wander freely.

Uncle Yan brought the car around.

Wei Lai stood in front of the car, not intending to get in. She pointed to a tall building with a hotel logo in the distance. “I’m staying there. It’s just a couple of blocks away, a nice walk to help digest dinner.”

Zhou Sujin had never been one to force others. He lightly held the car door handle and looked at her. “If you ever go to Beijing on business, feel free to contact me.”

Wei Lai smiled, “Sure.”

But she hardly ever goes on business trips to Beijing.

After saying goodbye, she put her hands in the pockets of her coat, adjusting her coat as she walked along the sidewalk towards the hotel.

This dinner was to thank him and also a goodbye.

Tonight, they finally put a formal end to their contractual relationship.

She thought about how she had both feared him and acted spoiled with him.

She thought about how he had gone out of his way to pick her up from Wen Changyun’s party.

And she thought about how he had eaten the half piece of tea pastry she didn’t want.

Although everything was fake, it still left many marks on her heart.

The next morning, Zhou Sujin returned to Beijing.

After getting off the plane, he sent a message to his aunt, “I’ll come see you and Uncle tomorrow night.“

Ning Rujiang hadn’t seen her nephew in some time. Having watched him grow up, she knew him too well. He wouldn’t visit without a reason.

Tomorrow was the weekend, and she just so happened to be free.

Her nephew’s sudden visit gave Ning Rujiang a strong premonition. She said to her husband, “It looks like Sujin is going to break up with Wei Lai. My dad already confronted him. According to my mom, my dad almost lost his temper at customs. If it had been at home, Sujin wouldn’t have been let off the hook so easily.”

Her husband was incredulous, “It really was fake?”

Ning Rujiang sighed and nodded.

Uncle: “Such an absurd thing doesn’t seem like something Sujin would do.”

“He’s always been rebellious. There’s nothing he wouldn’t do. Only my dad can somewhat keep him in check.”

Her husband suddenly looked at her, puzzled. “Logically speaking, if your older sister could tell it was fake, you shouldn’t have missed it.”

Ning Rujiang replied honestly, “It’s because I like Wei Lai.”

She patted her husband’s shoulder, joking, “See, liking someone makes you lose your sense of judgment.”

“Alright, I’ll personally make dinner for you. What time will you be here tomorrow?“

“Around 3 or 4 p.m.“

“I’ll have coffee ready for you.“

It became quite chilly over the past few days, causing the temperature to drop below freezing. Only a few yellow leaves were left on the ginkgo trees, sparsely hanging on the branches.

Even though the sun was shining brightly during the day, it was still too cold to stay outside.

That weekend, it was cloudy too.

Before her nephew arrived, Ning Rujiang moved the tea table inside, placing it right next to the wooden window.

Just a few minutes past 4 p.m., Zhou Sujin’s car stopped at the entrance of the siheyuan.

“Just made coffee for you.”

Her nephew never added sugar to his coffee, so Ning Rujiang just added a packet to her own.

Zhou Sujin took off his coat and hung it up. “Is Uncle not home?”

“He went to the office and said he’d be back before dinner.”

Ning Rujiang pretended to know nothing, chatting casually, “With you being so busy every day, do you still even have time to go see Wei Lai?”

Zhou Sujin stared at his coffee for a few seconds. “We broke up.”

Even though she knew it was fake and had mentally prepared for her nephew’s breakup, hearing him say it out loud still made Ning Rujiang feel sad for both of them.

She couldn’t quite understand where this sadness came from.

Her nephew had likely come today specifically to tell her this and to pass the message on to her sister.

After dinner, Zhou Sujin prepared to leave.

Ning Rujiang grabbed a coat and followed him out to see him off.

Zhou Sujin objected, “It’s cold outside.”

“I’m wearing enough.”

Every time her nephew visited, she made it a habit to greet him at the door, and when he left, she always walked him to his car.

Today, her nephew drove the Cullinan, which had been left in Jiang City for four months, and with twists and turns, it had finally come back.

The day after having dinner at his aunt’s house, Zhou Sujin flew to the London subsidiary, staying there for over half a month before flying to Manhattan.

By the time he returned to China, it was mid-December already.

There were several matters with the project in Jiang City that required his decision, so he landed directly at Jiang City Airport.

Being free, Lu An went to the airport to pick him up.

In the afternoon, Zhou Sujin had a meeting with several heads of partner companies. Half of his investments in Jiang City were in partnerships with local leading enterprises, including the families of Zhang Yanxin and Mu Di.

Business came first; knowing Wei Lai second.

Lu An picked him up and reported on the project’s progress.

In the afternoon, Zhang Yanxin was among the attendees of the meeting. “Your love rival will be there too.”

Zhou Sujin didn’t catch on immediately. “What love rival?”

“Zhang Yanxin, Wei Lai’s former former ex. And you’re her recent ex,” Lu An explained, thinking of how deeply Wei Lai had felt for Zhang Yanxin. This made them obvious rivals.

Zhou Sujin remained silent.

Zhang Yanxin wasn’t particularly eager to see Zhou Sujin either, but he did it for the sake of the project.

Upon meeting, Zhang Yanxin’s first glance was at Zhou Sujin’s wrist, still wearing that new watch. This watch had made frequent appearances.

Why he paid so much attention to Zhou Sujin’s watch puzzled Zhang Yanxin himself.

He was completely out of it during today’s meeting.

It wasn’t until almost 5 p.m. that the meeting finally ended.

As they left the conference room, Lu An teased, “Zhang Yanxin must’ve taken a liking to your watch. He glanced at it at least a hundred times.”

Of course, he was exaggerating.

Zhou Sujin glanced at him, “You’re interested in everything else except the project.”

Implying that he wasn’t focused on the project, which left Lu An at a loss for words.

Lu An quickly changed the subject, “Zhang Yanxin is getting married next week, on December 28th. The wedding will be held here in Jiang City, and he’s sent us a few invitations.”

Naturally, he wasn’t stupid enough to ask Zhou Sujin if he would attend the wedding. With their business relationship, there was no need for Zhou Sujin to make an appearance. “I’ll go that day.”

From beginning to end, Zhou Sujin didn’t say a word about Zhang Yanxin’s wedding.

They went straight back to Jiang’an Cloud Residences from the CBD.

Lu An was now permitted to go to the condo over there.

Before entering the underground garage of the gated community, they passed by the commercial shops first.

Glancing outside the car window, Lu An noticed the impressive facade of the Wei Lai Supermarket and a prominent, distinctive number 17 logo.

The supermarket didn’t have a flagship store; otherwise, he might’ve thought this was the flagship location.

Just from the appearance and quality of the store’s facade, it was clearly several notches above the other Wei Lai Supermarket locations.

“There’s a Wei Lai Supermarket opening here, did you know?” He turned to ask Zhou Sujin.

Zhou Sujin turned to look out the car window on Lu An’s side. He saw the car logo as the car window just so happened to be aligned with the number 17 for a moment before it moved past.

Withdrawing his gaze, he replied to Lu An, “I knew.”

Wei Lai had mentioned it to him.

“I’ll open a supermarket to make it convenient for you to shop.“

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President Zhou, Sorry

Wei Lai felt her heart skip a beat, and for a moment, she was at a loss for words.

His eyes were distant and deep, clouding her judgment. She looked away.

Zhou Sujin gave her time to process. Even he had taken days to come to this decision, much less her.

Wei Lai took over half a minute to gather her thoughts and find her voice again. “Marriage is a big deal.”

Zhou Sujin asked her, “Have you ever thought about marriage before? Not with me specifically, just marriage in general.”

Wei Lai nodded. Despite her parents’ divorce, she wasn’t that pessimistic about marriage.

It might be because of her paternal grandparents’ influence. Their marriage was very happy. Even at their age, if one went to the library to read, the other would definitely go along.

She wanted a marriage like theirs: simple and lasting, with companionship into old age.

When she met Zhang Yanxin, she thought she could have that kind of marriage.

But in the end, it was just wishful thinking.

“I thought about marrying Zhang Yanxin.”

Zhou Sujin had been watching her out of the corner of his eye, but he suddenly turned his head to look at her.

He didn’t interrupt her, waiting for her to continue.

“I even picked out a ring.”

“I thought that next year after we’d been together for three years, our relationship would be solid enough to get married.”

“But then, when I gave him his birthday present, he broke up with me. He didn’t even look at the present, and we didn’t even eat that dinner together.”

“The man I loved for two years and wanted to marry suddenly left me without any warning and got engaged to someone else. In the end, he gave me a villa as compensation, thinking money could make up for all the emotional trauma.”

“I was so hurt by him that I got PTSD.”

“Since then, I’ve found marriage and relationships quite meaningless. It’s better to focus on running my supermarket and making more money.”

Bringing up her relationship with Zhang Yanxin again stirred some emotions within her.

She paused and composed herself before saying, “Even though I find it meaningless, I’ve never thought of getting married easily.”

Having shared her past, she felt more composed now. Marriage involved both families, and she couldn’t toy with her parents and grandparents.

On the day she brought him home, her mom was bustling around happily, and she already felt guilty toward her.

A contract marriage that ended after its term would only bring temporary joy to her grandparents as well.

She declined Zhou Sujin, “President Zhou, I’m sorry, but I won’t consider marrying you.”

Zhou Sujin’s response seemed a bit delayed, “It’s okay.”

It suddenly fell into silence inside the car.

Zhou Sujin glanced at his watch; it was already a quarter past midnight.

“It’s late, you should go back now.”

They both opened the car doors almost simultaneously and got out.

Wei Lai handed the car keys back to him. “President Zhou, I definitely won’t be taking the car.”

Zhou Sujin didn’t take the keys. “I’ll have Lu An come pick it up tomorrow.”

He closed the car door and then opened it again, realizing he had forgotten his suit jacket inside.

“Any other birthday wishes?”

Wei Lai shook her head. His gaze was always so calm and inscrutable; even when she rejected him, he didn’t show the slightest sign of displeasure.

“Thank you for coming to celebrate my birthday.”

“You’re welcome.” Zhou Sujin put on his suit jacket. “After just rejecting me, you’d definitely feel uncomfortable having dinner together. For tomorrow night’s birthday dinner, I’ll have Lu An find a few friends to celebrate with you.”

Wei Lai refused without a second thought, “No need, I’ve already told my mom I’d have dinner at home.”

Zhou Sujin didn’t insist. As he was leaving, he added, “Happy birthday.”

Uncle Yan had already driven away the Bentley. “President Zhou, how will you get back?”

“There’s a car.”

He urged her to go upstairs, then walked toward a black sedan by the roadside.

Wei Lai noticed the unremarkable car with a Jiang City license plate.

As he approached, someone immediately got out to open the door for him. She realized then they were his bodyguards.

After he got in the car, it didn’t start right away.

He was probably waiting for her to go upstairs first. Wei Lai pointed to the Cullinan, “I’ll watch the starlight headliner for a while longer.”

The black sedan started its engine.

She watched him leave, then got back into the Cullinan. Locking the doors from inside, the car fell into silence, occasionally a few silent meteors streaking across the sky.

She couldn’t compose herself for an entire hour.

After zoning out in the car for another half hour, she took the car keys and went upstairs.

The next morning, Wei Lai hadn’t gotten up yet when she received a message from Zhou Sujin.

“There’s an issue at work, so I have to return early. Lu An comes here often, so you can reach out to him for anything in the future. All the best.“

A wave of sadness surged in her chest, and she couldn’t hold back her tears, reaching for the tissues on her nightstand and pulling out several sheets.

At noon, she had lunch with her dad.

Her dad had reserved a table at a restaurant near his law firm. Today, he was treating her to Western cuisine and had the restaurant make a jasmine and grape cake specially for her.

To get to the restaurant, they had to pass by the entrance of her paternal grandparents’ complex and the front door of their once-broken home.

“Did you pull an all-nighter again last night?” Wei Huatian eyed the dark circles under his daughter’s eyes. “You can’t stay up late often; it’s too hard on the body.”

“I didn’t.”

Wei Huatian placed the candles and lit them before asking his daughter to make a wish.

She had already made two wishes last night while gazing at the starlight headliner: first, for Zhou Sujin’s safety in all his endeavors; second, for Wei Lai Supermarket to make it into the top 100 national supermarket chains.

Even the 100th spot would be fine.

Wei Huatian cut a large slice of cake for himself, leaving a small portion for his daughter. She wasn’t very fond of sweets and barely ate them a few times a year.

He picked the green grapes from his slice and gave them to his daughter. Looking up, he saw her zoning out.

“Lai Lai, what are you thinking about?”

Wei Lai ate a green grape with a fork, lying without missing a beat, “I was thinking about the new Jiang’an Cloud Residences store.”

After lunch, they left the restaurant, and the chauffeur brought the car around. Wei Huatian got in.

Wei Lai waved to her dad and only then did she notice the style of his trench coat. He had several black trench coats, and he was wearing the one she bought him in Beijing today.

Wei Huatian got into the car and took off his thin-rimmed glasses before pressing the bridge of his nose. Having worked overtime until past midnight last night, he was already feeling the strain today. He wondered how his daughter managed to cope after staying up late. After putting his glasses back on, he instructed the chauffeur to head to Jiang’an Group.

Yuan Hengrui personally received Wei Huatian, warmly inviting him from the reception room to his own office.

Although his tea-making skills were not very refined, he still insisted on doing it himself.

In his heart, Wei Huatian was always like a father-in-law to him.

“Uncle,” he handed the teacup to Wei Huatian, “I’ll get straight to the point. The storefront over there will only be sold to Wei Lai, and she has to sign the sales contract personally. I promised her, and I won’t go back on my word.”

Wei Huatian smiled. “Whether I buy it or she buys it, it’s the same. It’s for her anyways.”

“It’s not the same.” Yuan Hengrui sat down beside him, his elbows resting on his knees, leaning forward slightly, showing utmost respect to Wei Huatian.

“Uncle, I understand her. She wants to buy the things she desires with the money she earns herself.”

For example, the watch she gave to Zhang Yanxin. She saved the money for a long time and took on two projects simultaneously to buy it sooner, nearly working herself to death in the office.

That’s why when he hit Zhang Yanxin that time, Zhang Yanxin wasn’t undeserving.

Wei Huatian tried to persuade him, “You don’t understand a father’s feelings…”

“Uncle, I do. My dad is the same way with me. He threatened to disown me, but when he saw me sell my sports car, thinking I was short on money, he secretly had someone order me a new one. Though I don’t need it now.”

It was Wei Huatian’s first time meeting Yuan Hengrui, but he was no stranger to him. On any given day, if there was a modified sports car roaring down the streets of Jiang City, there was an 80-90% chance it was him.

After meeting him today, he realized he wasn’t as much of a playboy as he’d thought.

After parting ways with her dad at the restaurant, Wei Lai made another trip to Jiang’an Cloud Residences.

The project manager from the construction company noticed the difference, joking that she seemed to be the most attentive to the 17th store’s construction.

She smiled without responding.

The day seemed to drag on unusually long.

She spent several hours at Jiang’an Cloud Residences before visiting six other stores, and finally, it was evening.

“Your dad came to our company at noon and wanted to buy the Jiang’an Cloud Residences storefront for you. Over 1,500 square meters, and he didn’t even blink an eye before saying he wanted to buy it. He truly is your dad. But I didn’t sell it (seeking praise here).“

“Happy 26th birthday.“

Yuan Hengrui wrote all that nonsense up front just to find an excuse to say the last sentence.

Wei Lai: “Thanks.“

Yuan Hengrui suppressed the urge to chat with her further. After all, she had a boyfriend now. He locked his screen and tossed his phone far away.

Wei Lai sat in front of her computer. The screen was dark, not knowing what to do.

It felt like she had a breakup.

Lost in thought, a call came in. It was He Wancheng’s number.

Wei Lai instinctively sat up straight, answering with a smile, “Hi, Uncle He, how can I help you?”

“Didn’t I mention that I had an old classmate who runs a supermarket a while back? I met him today, and he said he knows Wei Lai Supermarket. He even visited it while on a business trip to Jiang City. When are you and your mom free? I’d like to connect you guys.”

Wei Lai was grateful. She wasn’t naive; He Wancheng’s diligent efforts to help weren’t because of her but because of Zhou Sujin.

She confessed, “Uncle He, I’ve broken up with Zhou Sujin. I’ve been busy dealing with the breakup lately.”

He Wancheng knew about their breakup; Zhou Sujin had told him and asked him to look after Wei Lai Supermarket if he was in Jiang City in the future. He didn’t know the reason for the breakup, and Zhou Sujin hadn’t mentioned it, but he could guess. After all, the disparity between their families was too great, and Zhou Sujin’s family wouldn’t agree.

“I don’t understand you kids’ issues, so I won’t say much. But Wei Lai, let me give you some advice: a breakup shouldn’t stop you from making money, right?”

Wei Lai laughed, “Right.”

“Then find some time to come to Su City.”

“Okay, thank you, Uncle He.”

She couldn’t stay lost in this vague sense of sadness, so after hanging up, she began planning her trip to Su City.

Cheng Minzhi had noticed her daughter’s unusual behavior over the past few days, but she kept it in her heart and didn’t ask questions.

On Friday, they set off for Su City.

On the way, Wei Lai chatted with her mom about the supermarket chain in Su City, which was ranked 41st on the top 100 list and was very strong.

As they were chatting, Wei Lai received a message on her phone from He Wancheng, sending her a phone number.

“The chauffeur is already at the station. Call him when you arrive.“

“Thank you for the trouble, Uncle He.“

He Wancheng: “It’s no trouble. It’s my pleasure to extend my hospitality in Su City.“

He put down his phone and looked at Zhou Sujin sitting on the sofa across from him.

Zhou Sujin arrived in Su City yesterday to attend a high-profile forum. With no meetings scheduled for this afternoon, he had stopped by He Wancheng’s office.

“Wei Lai and her mom are coming to Su City today. They should be arriving soon.”

With legs crossed and leaning back on the sofa, Zhou Sujin sipped the tea that He Wancheng had brewed for him. “Are they here for buying?”

“I’m introducing them to someone in their industry.”

Zhou Sujin nodded without saying anything further and took another sip of tea before looking up at He Wancheng. “Is this tea from Jiang City?”

He Wancheng was surprised and smiled. “You can actually tell where the tea is from?”

Zhou Sujin replied briefly, “I’ve had it before.”

It was the tea his uncle brewed on his birthday.

He Wancheng couldn’t quite grasp Zhou Sujin’s meaning and asked, “I’ve booked a table for dinner to welcome Wei Lai and her mom. Wanna join?”

“Thanks, but,” Zhou Sujin placed down his teacup. “I have dinner plans tonight.”

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