Chapter 23

At that time, because the two-year deadline was too long, she hesitated and almost didn’t want to accept his contract.

But today, she took the initiative to propose renewing it.

Zhou Sujin handed her the phone, “Just play these two years well, don’t mess it up before the two years are over.”

Wei Lai took the phone. She had already memorized all the contents in the memo. “I will definitely perform well and strive to be with you for the full two years, and then we can renew the contract.”

Zhou Sujin glanced at her without responding.

In preparation for meeting his parents the day after tomorrow, she was well-prepared, even indirectly inquired a lot about his habits and preferences from Uncle Yan and Assistant Yang.

But he knew nothing about her except that she owned a supermarket.

“Don’t you want to know about me?” she asked.

Zhou Sujin replied, “No need. I’ve seen your background check.”

“Does it mention my preferences?”

“No.”

“Well, you should know a little bit at least. It might not be necessary for dealing with your family, but what about your friends? You have to behave differently in front of them.”

Wei Lai reminded him, “Mr. Zhou, you promised me. You liked me first and pursued me.”

It’s impossible to pursue someone without knowing anything about them.

After a moment of consideration, Zhou Sujin said, “Tell me a few of your preferences, I’ll remember them.”

Her preferences were complex, with many likes and dislikes. Wei Lai was thorough, “I’ll write them down, and you can pick what you need to remember.”

Back home, she opened her laptop. Zhou Sujin said she treated being his girlfriend as an important job, which wasn’t an exaggeration.

She saw the message her father sent her. From the bottom of her heart, she didn’t want to go to that house, she had always rejected it since she was a child. Her father wouldn’t understand how cruel it was to make his own child watch him happily in love with someone else.

[ Dad, I’m going to Beijing tomorrow. Let’s have a meal when I have time. ]

She didn’t specify the time because it might be indefinitely postponed.

Wei Huatian wanted to ask his daughter if she was going to Zhou Sujin’s house to meet his parents but restrained himself.

[ Are you on a business trip? Take care of yourself. ]

Wei Lai: [ Okay. Dad, go to bed early. Good night. ]

Wei Huatian wanted to see his daughter, [ When are you coming back? Dad will pick you up. I haven’t seen you in days. ]

Wei Lai wasn’t sure how many days she would stay in Beijing. Perhaps her father would be busy that day. [ No need to pick me up. I’ll accompany you for afternoon tea when I return, and then take you to see the seventeenth store I’ve chosen. ]

She hadn’t expressed her feelings to her father for many years: [ Dad, go to bed early. You are as important to me as Mom in my heart, and I still love you as I did when I was a child. Nothing has changed. ]

Putting her phone aside, she took a few minutes to compose herself, then began to sort out her preferences.

The next day at noon, on the plane, Zhou Sujin received a PowerPoint file sent by Wei Lai. She listed her likes and dislikes, some with detailed explanations and even photos.

It was over thirty pages long, and the last page was her self-assessment, which was fairly objective.

—Vain and vulgar.

He actually read through the entire PowerPoint.

Wei Lai was drinking coffee, easing the tension of landing in Beijing.

Zhou Sujin glanced at her. The coffee in her hand was brewed specially by the flight attendant for him, and she didn’t hesitate to hand it over to him to drink.

“Do you like it?”

Wei Lai came to her senses. “Not really.”

There was also his entourage nearby. She took another sip and said, “Maybe one day I’ll get used to it.”

Zhou Sujin said, “No need to force yourself.”

It wasn’t that she wanted to force herself, she just suddenly wanted to drink coffee, but there was only this flavor on his plane, with no other options.

Wei Lai didn’t know if she was asking for too much, “How about you put some of the coffee I like on your plane? Then I wouldn’t have to force myself.”

Since they would be together for at least two more years, and she might often travel on his plane in the future, Zhou Sujin didn’t refuse her request. He said calmly, “That can be arranged.”

Hearing the boss say this, Yang Ze realized his negligence. He should have asked about Wei Lai’s preferences and tastes in advance.

[ Mr. Zhou, what flavor of coffee does Miss Wei like? I’ll have it prepared after we land. ]

Zhou Sujin directly forwarded the PowerPoint Wei Lai sent him to Yang Ze. [ Her likes and dislikes are all listed here. ]

Yang Ze: “…”

Until this moment, he couldn’t imagine how meticulous the boss would be after falling in love, paying attention to every detail about Wei Lai.

Wei Lai’s phone rang, and she saw that it was her plastic sister from Jiangcheng.

Most of their time together was spent on plastic things, but they also had sister time occasionally.

“Baby, want to go out for hotpot tonight? I heard you’re helping Aunt Cheng manage the supermarket now and planning to open one in Jiang’an Yunchen.”

“And there will be free books and a coffee corner, right?”

Wei Lai: “Yes.”

She set down the coffee that she found hard to swallow and decided to drink it slowly.

“Who told you about it?”

“Yuan Hengrui, who else? He’s the only one who cares about your tiny matters. But forget about him. Let’s talk about your coffee corner. Let’s brainstorm together tonight. We could do some wall paintings for the coffee corner. You like abstract things, right? Wall paintings would be perfect. But let’s leave it for now, I have another call coming in the same place tonight after work. The one who arrives last pays!”

Wei Lai asked her to hold on for a moment. They couldn’t make it for hotpot tonight. “I’m about to go to Beijing. I’ll treat you to dinner when I get back.”

“Oh, going to Beijing to meet the parents?”

Their rare warm sisterly time had already ended, leaving only plastic.

Wei Lai: “It’s not exactly meeting the parents. It’s my uncle-in-law’s fiftieth birthday. We’re just going there for a meal.” This was the first time she addressed him by name in front of him.

At her words, Zhou Sujin’s gaze shifted towards her. When she boasted, she didn’t avoid him at all, making her realize that being low-key with him was probably impossible in this lifetime.

After she hung up, he typed on his phone for her to see: [Were you like this before?]

Wei Lai leaned over and typed on his keyboard:

[Are you referring to my vanity and love for showing off?]

Zhou Sujin didn’t reply, but his eyes confirmed her meaning.

Being so close, their breaths intertwined, and he didn’t deliberately avoid her.

Wei Lai continued typing on his phone: [Mr. Zhou, I used to be very low-key.]

Zhou Sujin: “…”

He couldn’t help but chuckle.

If he didn’t believe her, there was nothing she could do.

Wei Lai tapped her fingers and typed again: [Mr. Zhou, I’ve only ever shown off because of you.]

After making sure he had finished reading, she deleted each word.

After deleting them, she edited: [Once the contract ends and I don’t have your backing, I’ll be modest and low-key again.]

Zhou Sujin: “…”

It was the first time he had met someone so self-aware.

The plane landed half an hour later.

It was the nineteenth today, and her uncle-in-law’s birthday banquet was tomorrow night, giving her one more day to prepare.

She stayed at Zhou Sujin’s villa tonight. The house in Jiang’an Yunchen wasn’t really his home; this place was, with traces of his life and presence everywhere.

Her suitcase was sent to the master bedroom along with Zhou Sujin’s luggage. After going upstairs, Zhou Sujin pointed to a room next to the master bedroom. “You’ll stay in the guest room. Bring your things to my room in the morning when you wake up.”

There were housekeepers and butlers at home, unlike in Jiang’an Yunchen, where she had more freedom.

Wei Lai bid him goodnight and went to her room.

Zhou Sujin closed the door, unbuttoning his shirt with one hand. His aunt had just asked him what Wei Lai liked to eat, and he hadn’t had the chance to reply yet.

After seeing her PowerPoint on the plane in the afternoon, he remembered a few dishes she liked and edited them to send to his aunt.

After a moment, he added: [She likes seafood risotto, but she only eats the rice, so pick out the seafood for her in advance.]

Ning Rujiang: [No problem.]

Zhou Sujin asked: [How many people did you invite tomorrow?]

Ning Rujiang: [Four tables. The space at home is limited, so we didn’t invite the younger generation; if they all came, there wouldn’t be enough seats.]

Zhou Sujin didn’t need to ask to know who was probably invited. [With such a big gathering, how will Wei Lai handle it?]

Ning Rujiang: [The more people who come, the more people will know that you brought your girlfriend home. Shouldn’t you be happy about that?]

[Bring Wei Lai over early tomorrow morning.]

Zhou Sujin replied with a simple “okay.”

In the adjacent room, Wei Lai had taken a shower and lay in bed without feeling sleepy.

Their scriptless play, when it would end and how it would end, she couldn’t guess.

She tossed and turned until late before finally falling asleep. She woke up as soon as it was dawn the next day.

After getting up, she tidied the room and bathroom as if no one had stayed there. Since it was still early, she reviewed the notes about visiting his home again.

Finally, at seven o’clock, she sent a message: [Mr. Zhou, are you awake?]

Zhou Sujin had finished exercising and showered. [I’m up.]

Wei Lai: [If it’s convenient, I’ll bring your things to your room now.]

[Come over.]

Immediately, Wei Lai heard the sound of the door opening in the adjacent room, and she took the suitcase over.

He had already changed into a shirt and was putting on cufflinks.

The guest room was tidy, but the master bedroom needed some deliberate arrangement. Wei Lai took out her pajamas from the suitcase and placed them on the edge of his bed, as far away as possible from where he would sleep.

There was no dressing table in the room, so she brought out her cosmetics and placed them on the vanity in the bathroom. She had brought quite a few cosmetics, enough to fill three rows.

Zhou Sujin finished buttoning his cufflinks, but she hadn’t come out yet.

The bathroom door was open, so he walked over. “Wei Lai? Let’s go down for dinner.”

“I’ll be there in a moment.” Wei Lai hastily arranged the last few bottles on the table.

Her personal items were occupying his personal space.

“Mr. Zhou,” she gestured to the pile of cosmetics, “can I leave these here so I don’t have to carry them back and forth? Is that okay?”

Zhou Sujin nodded. “Sure. There’s enough room for you to put them.”

After arranging her things, there were still other places to decorate. Wei Lai tried to be generous because being awkward would only make the atmosphere more uncomfortable. “Mr. Zhou, there’s another important detail to arrange. Do you want me to buy props?”

Last time, it was in a hotel, and they had everything they needed like lubricants and tools, which they could use immediately.

Zhou Sujin understood. “Alright, I’ll buy them.”

Despite being straightforward, his heart rate quickened a bit, and the air fell silent for a few seconds.

Wei Lai broke the silence. “When are we going to your aunt’s house?”

As she spoke, she walked out of the bathroom.

Zhou Sujin replied, “In the evening.”

Wei Lai wished the evening would come quickly but was also nervous about how to handle it.

The contradiction was extreme.

A day passed in torment, and finally, it was four o’clock in the afternoon.

Wei Lai touched up her makeup and practiced her expressions in the mirror.

She had thought about meeting the parents before and even rehearsed it in her mind, but at that time, she was still with Zhang Yanxin, and she thought about what to say to the elders when she went to his house.

“Wei Lai?” Zhou Sujin knocked on the door of the master bedroom. “Let’s go.”

She was doing her makeup in his room, and he hadn’t entered.

Wei Lai picked up her bag and followed him downstairs.

She was not unfamiliar with the route to her aunt’s house. When the car was about to arrive at the entrance of the quadrangle courtyard, she unconsciously grabbed Zhou Sujin’s hand, treating him as her boyfriend in that moment.

Zhou Sujin felt her nervousness and gently squeezed her hand.

“It’s just acting, not really meeting the parents. What are you nervous about?”

Feeling the warmth from his dry palm, Wei Lai’s heart calmed down a bit. In the past, it was always her holding his hand, and he would let her, but he wouldn’t hold hers back.

For the first time, he returned the gesture and held her hand.

Zhou Sujin raised the partition in the Bentley, making the rear space a bit larger.

He asked, “Feeling better now?”

With the increased space in the car, it helped relieve tension.

Wei Lai nodded. Now, anything she said could be heard by Yan Shu, so she didn’t say thank you again.

Uncle Yan thought Wei Lai was car sick.

The car stopped at the entrance of the quadrangle courtyard, and Ning Rujiang had been waiting for her nephew all along. When she heard from the housekeeper that Zhou Sujin’s car had arrived, she hurriedly came out of the courtyard.

Zhou Sujin, as usual, bought a large bouquet of hydrangeas with eucalyptus. He handed the flowers to Wei Lai. “You can give them to Auntie later.”

“Sujin.” Even before reaching the door, Ning Rujiang called out to her nephew. She had only seen Wei Lai’s back in Jiangcheng, and after being curious for twenty days, she finally saw her true appearance. Soft and beautiful eyes, as bright as stars. It’s no wonder her nephew had fallen for her.

“So this is our Lai Lai, right? Finally, you’re here.”

Without calling her Xiao Wei, the term Lai Lai instantly brought them closer.

“Auntie.” Wei Lai followed Zhou Sujin’s lead.

Ning Rujiang took the bouquet of hydrangeas. “Let me thank you on behalf of your uncle-in-law first for coming all the way here to celebrate his birthday.”

As they walked, Wei Lai didn’t stick close to Zhou Sujin but walked beside Ning Rujiang. “I’m blessed to be able to eat Uncle’s fiftieth birthday cake and share the birthday boy’s good luck.”

Ning Rujiang liked children who spoke sweetly. Unfortunately, her own children, including her two nephews, were not talkative, staying silent for half a day, which sometimes made her feel frustrated and angry.

They continued talking and entered the courtyard.

There was a tea table in the courtyard, and Ning Ruzhen was drinking tea.

Wei Lai saw Zhou Sujin’s mother from a distance, wearing a dark green cheongsam, elegant and dignified.

Like Zhou Sujin, that kind of aloof and indifferent temperament emanated from the bone, even when smiling, it kept people at a distance.

Zhou Sujin introduced them.

Wei Lai held her breath and greeted with a smile, “Auntie.”

Ning Ruzhen also smiled lightly, “Come sit, Uncle has made tea for you, and there are some pastries Auntie bought for you to have.”

Zhou Sujin said, “First, let’s go greet Uncle, and then come back to eat.”

Ning Ruzhen replied, “Sure.” Considering that Wei Lai might be nervous, she specifically instructed her son, “Once you’ve greeted, come back, no need to stay there too long.”

Zhou Sujin led her into the main hall. Wei Lai glanced around and saw that everyone sitting there was big shots in the circle of power, a scene she had never encountered before. Prior to this, it was hard for her to even imagine such a scene out of thin air.

She was always adept in social situations, but now, she felt like a freshwater fish thrown into the ocean.

Zhou Sujin placed his hand on her shoulder and whispered, “Don’t be nervous, just follow my lead when I call out.”

After the round of introductions, her heart rate shot up to 120.

Finally understanding why Zhou Sujin was so generous, with resources and connections at her disposal, accompanying him home was truly an ordeal, a matter of life and death.

Today, Uncle was the center of attention, and she didn’t need to linger in the living room. Compared to the people there, she instantly felt that Zhou Sujin’s mother was amiable and kind.

Coming out of the living room, she took a deep breath.

Zhou Sujin looked at her. “Consider today a rehearsal; there are even more relatives on my dad’s side.”

Wei Lai responded, “…”

“Lai Lai, come here.”

Auntie waved at her from the tea table.

“Coming, Auntie.” Wei Lai hurried over.

Ning Rujing picked up the broken ice blue on the table. “Do you know how to arrange flowers?”

“I can manage a bit, but I’m sure Auntie isn’t really interested in flower arranging,” Wei Lai followed Auntie’s lead, “I’ll learn a bit from Auntie.”

Ning Rujing really liked such a clever child; without much explanation, she understood her intention. “Let’s go, we’ll arrange flowers in the other living room.”

Wei Lai turned to Zhou Sujin, “I’m going to learn flower arranging with Auntie.”

Seeing that she wasn’t afraid of Auntie, Zhou Sujin figured she could handle it and didn’t follow them.

His mother gestured to a nearby chair, indicating for him to sit.

It was clear that she had something to discuss with him by asking Wei Lai to leave. Zhou Sujin didn’t inquire further, waiting for his mother to broach the topic.

Ning Ruzhen got straight to the point, “With so many people here today, they’ve all been asking about Wei Lai. As soon as they heard Wei Lai’s family is from Jiangcheng and runs a supermarket, they stopped asking further questions, assuming it was just a casual relationship and not something serious with Wei Lai. I told them since you brought her back, it must be with the intention of marriage, so they don’t need to introduce you to blind dates anymore.”

Zhou Sujin didn’t interrupt, waiting for his mother to continue.

Ning Ruzhen then added, “Your aunt mentioned that you bought a house in Jiangcheng, and decorated it quite warmly, unlike your other houses that are decorated like hotels.”

Zhou Sujin looked at his mother. “What are you trying to say, Mom?”

Ning Ruzhen said, “If you think it’s appropriate, just get engaged whenever you want. Mom won’t object to the person you’ve chosen.”