Chapter 39

He had guessed it already, so Wai Lai didn’t beat around the bush anymore and told him she had just arrived in Beijing.

Zhou Sujin’s call came shortly after, “How did you get here? Wasn’t the flight stopped?”

These days, there was a sudden heavy snowfall, and some sections of the high-speed rail were temporarily suspended. It seemed that some flights had also been canceled. He hadn’t paid attention to which ones were canceled specifically, or whether the flights from Jiangcheng to Beijing were taking off as usual.

Wai Lai: “I drove from Kulinan.”

Rarely did anything make him stir, but her words just now had quite an impact on him.

He had driven for thirteen hours from Beijing to Jiangcheng himself; he knew how tiring it was.

Zhou Sujin calmed down for two seconds, “Were you stuck on the highway?”

“Yeah.” She casually replied, “Many cars were stuck on the road, but later they were directed to service areas where there was hot water and food.”

Zhou Sujin asked, “Where are you now?”

Wai Lai looked up. A thin layer of snow had already settled on the windshield, making it barely possible to see the iconic buildings around.

She gave him a rough location.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Sujin realized she was still on the southern ring road.

Wai Lai continued the previous topic, asking him if they should make an appointment to meet when on business trips.

“We’re both in Beijing now, so should we meet?” His magnetic voice came through the phone.

Wai Lai looked at the dry snowflakes sticking to the glass, gradually blurring her vision.

She said, “I feel if we don’t make an appointment in advance, a sudden meeting might disrupt your plans and invade your personal space.”

Zhou Sujin bluntly told her, “It would.”

Wai Lai: “…”

He continued, “We just need to coordinate; it’s not a big deal.”

Wai Lai said, “Then let’s meet. There won’t be another chance before the New Year.” She asked him, “Are you free tonight, or tomorrow?”

Zhou Sujin: “I’m free both.”

He looked up and instructed Uncle Yan to find an exit off the expressway.

Then he said to the phone, “I’ve arranged to have dinner with Lu Yu and the others tonight. Are you coming with me?”

Zhou Sujin also told her who would be at dinner tonight.

However, she was still on the southern ring road while he was stuck on the elevated road in west city. They might not meet for another two hours.

Wai Lai turned off the car. “No need for Uncle Yan to detour. You go directly to the restaurant, and I’ll take the subway to meet you.”

The subway was the fastest way, and there happened to be a subway station nearby.

Wai Lai put on her coat inside the car. She had been in the car since arriving in Beijing and hadn’t felt how cold it was outside.

Opening the car door, the sharp cold wind, accompanied by snowflakes, almost froze her, making her want to retreat back into the car.

The cold pierced through her coat and went straight to her bones.

The coat was perfect for Jiangcheng’s weather, but here, it was not enough to keep her warm.

With one hand wrapped around her chest and the other clutching the coat collar tightly, she braved the bone-chilling wind and walked forward.

She had just walked a few tens of meters when she received a call from Zhou Sujin.

“Are you cold?”

“Yes.” It was an instinctive act to act spoiled in response to his concern.

Zhou Sujin: “Go back to the car and drive slowly over. Don’t rush; I’ll wait for you.”

Wai Lai had left her earphones in the car. “It’s okay, I can manage. Let’s not talk for now; my hand is cold.”

The entrance of the subway station was under construction, so people had to queue in a single file to enter, and the line stretched out onto the road.

Wai Lai quickened her pace and stood at the end of the line.

In the blink of an eye, three or four more people had joined the line behind her.

There seemed to be more people than usual taking the subway today. She had to wait for two trains before managing to get on.

There was no direct route to the restaurant near the subway, so she had to change trains once in the middle.

The restaurant for tonight’s dinner was on the opposite side of the subway exit, requiring her to cross a pedestrian bridge.

After getting off the train, Wai Lai hurried out of the station. It was warm inside the station, but it would be bitterly cold outside. Next time she came to Beijing in winter, she would wear the thickest down jacket she had.

“Have you arrived yet?”

Before exiting the station, Wai Lai sent a voice message to confirm his location.

Zhou Sujin: [Yes, I’m here.]

“I’ll be there soon. Just wait for me in the lobby.”

Sending out this message, she reached the top of the escalator. Wai Lai put her phone in her pocket and raised her collar, feeling the biting wind. Her coat was minimalist, without buttons, and the wind pierced through everywhere.

Zhou Sujin replied: [I’m on the overpass. I’ll come over to pick you up. Be careful not to miss me.]

The phone vibrated in her pocket, but Wai Lai didn’t notice.

For the first time, Zhou Sujin was looking at every person passing by, not missing anyone.

Wei Lai wore a light milky coffee-colored coat today, with a same-colored collar-lined shirt inside, the style of which was relatively loose.

She liked to match in the same color scheme, and her inner layer was often a shade darker than her outerwear.

Zhou Sujin crossed the pedestrian bridge and spotted her figure as he descended the stairs. She walked with her head down, not even glancing sideways.

“Wei Lai.”

She suddenly looked up, seemingly incredulous.

Zhou Sujin draped a black coat over his arm, matching the color he was wearing, albeit with a slightly different style.

His luggage for the business trip was in the trunk of the car, with a thick coat that happened to be there.

“It’s so cold, why didn’t you wait for me in the restaurant?”

Wei Lai’s tone carried joy as she walked towards him, taking two steps at once.

Zhou Sujin handed her the coat. “Put this on first.”

Wei Lai took the coat and moved aside so as not to obstruct others. She held his coat in her hands but didn’t put it on, looking up at him. “Husband.”

Zhou Sujin couldn’t miss her intention, raising his hand. “Give me the coat.”

As he took the coat, she instinctively stepped closer to him.

Zhou Sujin glanced down at her, her playful demeanor unaffected by the cold.

He helped her put on the coat, buttoning it up one by one.

With an extra layer of clothing, Wei Lai suddenly felt more alive, though she still shivered from the cold.

Now enveloped in his scent, even her breath carried the faint chill from his body.

His mid-length coat became an extra-long one on her.

The sleeves covered her fingertips, effectively blocking the wind.

Wei Lai walked beside him, seeking some warmth.

They walked across the pedestrian bridge, snowflakes swirling around them. The bridge was already covered in a layer of white, making it easy to slip in the cold weather.

Zhou Sujin reached out, holding her wrist through the layers of coats.

Wei Lai didn’t turn her face to look at him, instead gazing at the endless line of red taillights below the bridge, forming a romantic sea of lights as he led her across the bridge.

After descending the bridge, the road was less slippery, and Zhou Sujin let go of her hand.

Only then did Wei Lai look at him. “Husband, aren’t you holding my hand anymore?”

“… “

Having no other choice, Zhou Sujin grabbed her hand again.

S.Z. Restaurant was less than fifty meters ahead, where they would be dining tonight. Wei Lai took the initiative to mention inviting people for dinner there tomorrow.

Zhou Sujin asked, “Is the table reserved?”

“Yes.” However, they reserved it a bit late, so they only got a table away from the window. S.Z. was a high-end scenic restaurant, and people came here mainly to enjoy the night view.

“How’s the location of the table?”

“It’s average.”

Zhou Sujin nodded and didn’t say anything more.

Meanwhile, in the private room of S.Z. Restaurant, Lu Yu had been stuck in traffic for over an hour and had just arrived. If it weren’t so cold outside, he would’ve considered getting out of the car and walking over.

The ones who arrived earlier were playing cards and hadn’t seen Zhou Sujin yet.

Lu Yu asked Min Ting, “Where is he?”

“He’s gone to pick someone up.”

“Who? Isn’t the car still downstairs?”

“He went to pick them up by walking from the subway station across the street.”

“But that means he has to cross the pedestrian bridge!”

Lu Yu wasn’t exaggerating. Besides his grandfather, there was no one else who could make Zhou Sujin walk such a long way to pick them up. But his grandfather couldn’t possibly be taking the subway.

“Who exactly is he picking up? Can’t you just tell me directly instead of beating around the bush?”

Min Ting wasn’t intentionally beating around the bush; he was busy calculating the cards in his opponent’s hand. Since his opponent was his brother-in-law, he didn’t want to lose and didn’t have time to bother with Lu Yu.

Zhou Jiaye was leisurely and didn’t care about winning or losing. He replied to Lu Yu, “You tell me who else he could be picking up.”

Lu Yu suddenly realized, “Is Wei Lai coming to Beijing to see Zhou Sujin?”

“I’m not sure about the specifics.”

As they were chatting, the restaurant manager knocked on the door and came in to check if everyone had arrived. He was already familiar with the people in the private room and didn’t need to greet them, especially.

Some were playing cards, and some were making phone calls. He looked around and didn’t see Zhou Sujin, realizing that not everyone had arrived yet. So, he closed the door.

Just as the manager turned around, he saw Zhou Sujin and a beautiful woman approaching.

“Mr. Zhou, good evening.”

Zhou Sujin nodded and asked, “Is the table by the window available tomorrow?”

“Yes.” They always reserved a few tables internally every day “Mr. Zhou, how many people are you booking for?”

Zhou Sujin turned to look at Wei Lai. “How many people are you inviting tomorrow?”

“Just Mr. Qi.”

Zhou Sujin said to the manager, “A table for two.”

The manager reserved table number nine for her, and Wei Lai canceled her own reservation. Before entering the private room, she whispered to Zhou Sujin, “Thank you.”

Zhou Sujin didn’t respond and pushed open the door to the private room.

Wei Lai had met them at the engagement banquet. At that time, Zhou Sujin had introduced them to her one by one, and even now she could still match their faces with their names.

They didn’t make her feel like an outsider, and they let her be herself.

Seeing her holding a cup of hot water in her hands, Zhou Sujin asked, “Still cold?”

“Yeah.”

Even sitting in a room with plenty of heating, holding the hot water, Wei Lai still felt cold all over. She had worn too little and was frozen on the way here.

Zhou Sujin asked her, “Do you want the kitchen to cook you a bowl of noodles?”

Hot soup and noodles might warm her up a bit.

Wei Lai nodded. “Okay.”

The restaurant manager thought Zhou Sujin wanted to eat noodles himself and instructed the chef to prepare a seafood noodle dish.

Zhou Su Jin took off his coat and went outside with his phone.

Lu An wasn’t at the card table, so he chatted with her and asked when she had arrived.

Wei Lai said, “Two hours ago.”

Lu An was curious about how she had come. With some train services suspended and some routes only recently restored, there were widespread flight delays at Jiangcheng Airport. His assistant was still in Jiangcheng, unable to take off.

Wei Lai smiled. “I drove.”

Lu An gave her a thumbs-up, thinking to himself that it was no wonder she was Zhou Sujin’s wife. One of them drove from Kurinon to Jiangcheng, and the other drove back with the car.

It wasn’t just a hundred kilometers away; it was over a thousand kilometers.

“Are you going to London with Zhou Sujin tomorrow?”

Wei Lai took a sip of hot water and said, “I came here on a business trip. I have to treat someone to dinner tomorrow.”

He was going to London tomorrow, but she hadn’t heard him mention it.

He must be going to spend the Chinese New Year with his grandfather’s family in London.

In the restaurant’s lounge area, Zhou Sujin was on the phone with his grandfather, telling him that he and his grandmother would visit after the new year.

Grandfather: “It’s better if you don’t come.” Out of sight, out of mind.

“You’ve made a mess of your marriage. You act as if the problem of being apart isn’t there, and you don’t try to solve it. In the first year of marriage, you’re spending the New Year in two different places. Zhou Sujin, your mother said your marriage was a contractual one, and she wasn’t wrong!”

Using both his first and last names meant he was really angry.

Worried that his grandfather would be upset, Zhou Sujin didn’t argue.

His grandfather told him to calm down. “Don’t come after the new year for now. In a few days, your grandmother and I are going to the cherry orchard to make cherry wine.”

The cherry orchard was in the southern hemisphere, and they would stay for at least ten days to half a month.

His grandfather was mostly retired now and rarely concerned himself with the affairs of the group unless there were major decisions to be made, in which case he would occasionally attend meetings.

After retiring, his grandfather liked to make various fruit wines and had bought several fruit orchards.

After ending the call with his grandfather, Zhou Sujin returned to the private room.

The card game in the private room had ended, and everyone took their seats.

They didn’t gather to play cards or eat; they talked about investments after the new year. Wei Lai and Zhou Sujin were already married, so they didn’t avoid saying anything in front of her.

Wei Lai listened quietly, and if she didn’t understand something, she wouldn’t ask Zhou Sujin what he meant.

When the noodles were served, she saw that it was seafood noodles. She lightly touched Zhou Sujin’s leg under the table.

Zhou Sujin turned his head, and she gestured with her eyes toward the bowl of noodles, which had both noodles and seafood. He moved the bowl closer to himself and continued chatting about investments with them. He said, “The management team of Jiang’an Group is pretty good.” As he spoke, he picked out the seafood from the noodles.

After cleaning the seafood, he handed her the noodles.

Lu Yu watched as Zhou Sujin picked out the seafood from Wei Lai’s bowl of noodles, nearly dropping his jaw. He never thought anyone could boss Zhou Sujin around.

Worried that Wei Lai might feel uncomfortable, he didn’t pay too much attention to what Zhou Sujin was doing.

Min Ting didn’t have a deep impression of Jiang’an Group, but he had heard of it. “What’s the boss’s last name?”

Lu Yu chimed in, “Yuan. It’s Yuan Hengrui’s dad.”

Min Ting didn’t often come to Jiangcheng, so he didn’t know much about the city. Even if he had heard gossip about it before, he had long forgotten. He asked Lu Yu, “Are you friends with Yuan Hengrui?”

Zhou Sujin took over the conversation. “He’s one of Wei Lai’s former suitors. He has good potential, but his abilities are still lacking. With a few more years under Mr. Yuan’s guidance, he should be fine.”

Min Ting and the others all looked at him. Wei Lai’s suitor, who could be considered his rival, received such a rational evaluation from him and even received investment from him.

Wei Lai ate her noodles and glanced at Zhou Sujin from the corner of her eye. Everyone said he was skilled and capable, but she thought he had more charisma than anything else.

His words were casual, but Jiang’an Group will be highly favored by capital from the Beijing area next year.

He wondered if Yuan Hengrui would consult him again before this Chinese New Year and if he would predict that he was one step closer to the Forbes list.

The snow outside grew heavier, and the dinner ended at nine o’clock.

Wei Lai went to the restroom, and Zhou Sujin settled the bill, waiting for her in the private room.

She had left her phone on the table as she hadn’t brought it with her. He reached out to pick it up and put it in her bag. Just as he placed it inside, her phone started ringing. It was from Cheng Minzhi.

He didn’t pick up, thinking that Wei Lai should be back soon.

After half a minute, Cheng Minzhi called again, and this time he answered.

“Lai Lai.”

“Mom, it’s me.”

Cheng Minzhi was momentarily stunned, still not used to this address. Her daughter said Zhou Sujin was very busy and not in Beijing, so she didn’t go to his villa and stayed at a hotel instead.

Was he back now?

“Sujin, hello.”

“We’re having dinner with friends outside, and Wei Lai went to the restroom. I’ll let her call you back in a bit.”

With her son-in-law in Beijing, Cheng Minzhi felt much more at ease. Her daughter had been stuck on the highway last night, and she had been worried all night. “I just wanted to ask if she settled down in Beijing after arriving. Now that I know, you guys have dinner. No need to call back.”

The door to the private room opened from the outside, and Wei Lai returned.

Zhou Sujin said to the other end of the phone, “Mom, please wait a moment.”

He handed her the phone. “Your mom called.”

Wei Lai put the phone in her ear, gesturing with her chin that Zhou Sujin could go downstairs.

After they left the private room, she held his hand and chatted with her mother as they walked, talking about the supermarket and telling her mother about the heavy snow in Beijing.

They didn’t hang up until they got into the car.

Wei Lai put away her phone, and Uncle Yan lowered the partition when he started the car. With no sound from the phone, the car became exceptionally quiet.

Zhou Sujin was reading the news, and she didn’t talk to him. As she looked at the snow outside, she suddenly remembered, “My suitcase is still in the car.”

Cullinan was still tens of kilometers away.

Zhou Sujin glanced at her. “You don’t need to take it. Your belongings are at home.”

Wei Lai met his gaze and told him in advance, “Lu Yu said you’re flying to London tomorrow. You won’t be at home, and I’m not used to staying in such a big house alone. Besides, it’s inconvenient over in the villa area. I’ll stay in a hotel tomorrow night.”

Zhou Sujin said, “I’m not going to London anymore. Grandpa and grandma aren’t home.” Then he added, “I’ll be in Beijing before the New Year. You can stay a few more days.”