Chapter 39

The gathering ended a little past nine, and they arrived home around ten.

While he went to shower, Song Wei stepped into the fragrance lab that had yet to be dismantled.

Various bottles of scents were evaporating into the air, leaving no dominant fragrance. She picked up a small bottle labeled Jasmine, uncapped it, and took a sniff. Sure enough, it exuded a faint jasmine aroma.

She carefully placed it back, then leaned down to smell herself.

Nothing—she couldn’t detect any scent on her own body.

Returning to the bedroom, she retrieved the scarf that had been stored away in the closet. Unfortunately, after four or five months, it no longer carried any scent.

What exactly was it about her scent that had compelled him to choose marriage?

Sitting blankly on the bed, Song Wei couldn’t figure it out. Her chest felt heavy, as if weighed down by a stone.

Did he like her, or just the way she smelled?

When Chen Jubai finished showering, he emerged while toweling off his hair, as usual. “I’m done. Your turn.”

Song Wei looked at him—at his face, which betrayed no abnormality. She wanted to ask but didn’t dare to.

Finally, what came out was: “Can you go feed Snowflake?”

“Sure.”

After her shower, he was already leaning against the bed, replying to messages on his phone. He was probably working.

Song Wei circled to the other side, lifted the quilt, and lay down.

He set his phone aside and reached out to embrace her.

Last night, the two had tried for a second time. The experience was pleasant, and with some familiarity now, she knew his deeper desires. His clear gaze tonight told her he wasn’t in that mood, so she felt safe wrapping her arms around him.

She nestled into his arms, their breaths mingling.

Still not drowsy, Song Wei started a conversation. “I noticed today that Director Ning gets along well with everyone.”

“Yeah, she’s been around since the founding of Guangnian.”

Song Wei remained silent for a moment, then cautiously asked, “Is she very important to you?”

He paused to think before replying seriously, “Important, but not overly so. Even though she’s just a shareholder, she, Chu Qi, and Lao Ling are all founding members of Guangnian. The company’s success owes something to her.”

“They say she’s back to prepare Guangnian for an IPO?”

“She is, but I turned it down.”

Song Wei tilted her head. “Why?”

“She hasn’t been involved in day-to-day operations for years, so she doesn’t fully understand the situation. We’ve carefully planned Guangnian’s development trajectory, and now isn’t the right time for an IPO.”

Song Wei asked another question: “Is she really that impressive within the Ning family?”

She could have looked it up herself, but she wanted to hear it from him.

Chen Jubai didn’t overthink it. However, noticing her persistent interest in Ning Shuhui, he looked down at her. “Why so curious about her?”

Song Wei grinned. “Who wouldn’t be curious about someone so accomplished?”

He began, “I’m not sure about ‘impressive,’ but her journey hasn’t been easy. As the eldest daughter of the Ning family, she has an older legitimate brother, an illegitimate one, and two younger sisters who are more favored. Being caught in the middle hasn’t been smooth for her.”

“Before investing in Guangnian, she had already made a name for herself in venture capital. With a powerful family background and an education from a top overseas university, the two companies she worked for after graduation were both highly successful.”

“Then she leveraged Guangnian to make her mark in the virtual technology market. She’s bold. Two years ago, she started managing the Ning family’s overseas business, which has been thriving. Last year, the Ning family patriarch decided to hand over all overseas operations to her.”

These details matched the office gossip she’d overheard. Song Wei’s focus wasn’t entirely on the content of his words but rather on his tone and expressions. Her heart ached slightly. After a pause, she asked hesitantly, “You really admire her, don’t you?”

He answered plainly, “I suppose. She’s quite capable in some respects.”

Song Wei’s thoughts paused momentarily before she leaned closer, pressing against his chest. “Chen Jubai, do I smell good?”

The abrupt shift in topic made Chen Jubai laugh. He bent down, sniffing the fair neck she presented. “Yes.”

“What do I smell like?”

“Like body wash,” he teased. She had just showered, and that was indeed what she smelled like.

Fair enough.

But his “fondness” couldn’t possibly be for the body wash—it was the one he had always used himself.

She hugged him tightly, closed her eyes, and let go of the little nagging doubts from the day.

Ning Shuhui was undeniably remarkable. The years of shared struggles between them were irreplaceable.

The reason mattered, but the process mattered more. Whatever led him to “like” her wasn’t as significant as the fact that, over these months, she had genuinely felt his affection. That was enough.

This was how she consoled herself.

Before falling asleep, Song Wei murmured, “I’ll probably be really busy for the next while. I’m not sure when I’ll get off work, but I can come home on my own. It’s not far.”

“Okay. After work tomorrow, let’s pick up the car.”

“What kind of car did you get me?”

He responded, “Do you have a preference? We can change it.”

“I don’t know much about cars. You decide.”

“A white Panamera. If you don’t like the color, we can get it wrapped.”

Song Wei wasn’t particularly interested in cars and had never heard of this model. But now, she was a bit excited. She’d been enjoying driving these past couple of days and felt pretty confident in herself.

“Alright. Tomorrow, then. And let’s find time to visit my dad. If we wait too long, he’ll get upset.”

“Okay.”

“Goodnight.” Hugging him, Song Wei pressed her ear to his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat. It made her feel grounded and at peace.

Chen Jubai kissed her gently on the forehead. “Goodnight.”

….

A new period of busyness began. Song Wei’s mind was constantly occupied at work, leaving no room for distraction.

At lunch, she met Zhu Qingfei at the cafeteria as planned. It seemed like Zhu Qingfei had something to share; after getting their food, they found a quiet corner.

“Song Wei, what do I do? Chu Qi said he wants to take me out for dinner!”

Song Wei worked tirelessly throughout the morning, leaving her stomach rumbling with hunger. After taking a couple of bites, she finally responded, “Isn’t this a good thing?”

“It is, but I’m a bit scared. I’ve never been alone with him before,” Zhu Qingfei confessed.

Song Wei gave her a sidelong glance. “Weren’t you together Saturday night?”

“Oh, come on, that doesn’t count! He was drunk that night,” Zhu Qingfei said bashfully. “What should I wear? Should I go straight after work or head home to prepare? What should I talk about with him? Definitely not his exes, but maybe work or hobbies?”

While eating, Song Wei answered casually, “Anything works. Getting to know each other means chatting about all kinds of topics to find common ground.”

“What about you and President Chen? How did you two start? What’s your common ground?”

Song Wei paused mid-bite, reflecting. Slowly, her gaze dropped.

Their relationship began with his “liking” her, followed by work interactions after she joined Guangnian. Marriage added family ties and shared daily routines. But when she tried to pinpoint their shared interests, none came to mind. She didn’t even know his hobbies—apart from work and an affinity for certain scents.

The realization felt disheartening. Did she really know so little about him?

Zhu Qingfei didn’t notice her distraction as Chu Qi approached their table.

He glanced at Song Wei before addressing Zhu Qingfei. “Did you see my message?”

“I did… but I haven’t had a chance to reply,” she stammered. “What’s up?”

“Thanks for helping me home last weekend. Let me treat you to dinner. Are you free?” Chu Qi’s tone softened as he saw her dazed expression. “Manager Song can join us too.”

Song Wei snapped back to reality and immediately declined with a laugh. “I’ve been swamped with work lately. No time, even if I wanted to join.”

Chu Qi nodded and turned back to Zhu Qingfei. “How about it?”

“Sure… When?” Zhu Qingfei was utterly flustered.

“Not tonight; I’m busy. Tomorrow evening. I’ll text you the time and place.”

“Okay…”

As Chu Qi walked away, he glanced back at Zhu Qingfei tugging at her cheeks, her face adorably puffed. He chuckled and shook his head as he left the cafeteria.

Meanwhile, Zhu Qingfei sat in disbelief. “Song Wei, did you hear that? I’m having dinner with him tomorrow!”

“Yes, I heard,” Song Wei teased. “Calm down. Don’t scare him off by being too jittery.”

Straightening her posture, Zhu Qingfei put on a poised smile. “You’re right! I need to be confident, cheerful, and optimistic!”

After lunch, Song Wei returned to her office. With an hour and a half to rest, she reclined her chair and messaged Chen Jubai: “Have you eaten lunch?”
“Any updates about Chu Qi recently?”

Though Chu Qi’s invitation seemed genuine, she worried it might be misinterpreted as merely friendly or professional, leaving Zhu Qingfei disappointed.

She waited a long time for a reply. Finally, just before work resumed, a message came in: “I had lunch with visiting company executives from Shenzhen. What about Chu Qi?”

Song Wei replied: “It’s nothing. I’ll tell you tonight. Focus on work.”
“Alright,” he responded.

Spring lethargy made the mid-afternoon hours drag. Song Wei stretched and headed to the breakroom for coffee. The drink had become her go-to energy boost—whether the effect was psychological or physiological, it worked every time.

In the pantry, she bumped into Ji Yao, who was yawning so much her eyes barely stayed open.

“You should wash your face,” Song Wei suggested, laughing.

“I can’t. I still have makeup on,” Ji Yao said, patting her cheeks to wake herself up. “By the way, a new hotpot place opened near the mall. Yao Miaoxuan and I are going tonight. Want to join us?”

“No can do,” Song Wei said, thinking about work and their car appointment. “I’ll treat you all next time if it’s good.”

“No problem,” Ji Yao replied, more awake now. “I was going to invite Xiao Xu too, but she said she’s busy tonight. Apparently, there’s a banquet at the Ning family, and she’s helping out.”

“A banquet?” Song Wei asked curiously.

“Yeah, not sure if it’s for a birthday or something else. Even people from our company are going to help out.”

“Will President Chen attend?”

“Not sure. Probably?”

Song Wei nodded, carrying her coffee back to her desk. She figured if Chen Jubai was attending, he would have told her.

Work piled up in the afternoon, and she often glanced at her computer’s WeChat notifications, only to find them all work-related. Near the end of the day, she messaged him again but received no response. When she called, he didn’t answer.

At six o’clock, the office buzzed with activity as people left for the day or planned their evening outings. Song Wei stared at her phone, feeling her heart sink.

He often got caught up in work and couldn’t reply promptly, but he always responded when he could. Yet today, the silence felt unsettling.

She told herself not to overreact. The Ning family was important, and attending their event made sense.

After packing her things, she decided to skip their car appointment and texted him: “I’ll go to my dad’s for dinner today. We can reschedule picking up the car.”
She also messaged her father: “Dad, I’m coming over for dinner.”

Her father replied first: “Alright. I’ve got some work to finish, so why don’t you grab groceries on the way?”

Song Wei: [If he doesn’t go, I’ll go alone.]

Song Gao Yi: [Did you have a fight?!]

Song Wei looked at the exclamation mark and suddenly laughed, typing: [No, what are you thinking?]

She exited the chat and glanced at the still-unreplied avatar below. After half a minute, she switched over and opened a ride-hailing app.