Chapter 41

The wind and snow had quieted outside, but inside the house, it was still.

When Wei Lai took her second shower, she saw the backyard covered in thick snow, and the bushes no longer had their delicate shapes.

She had only experienced such heavy snowfall in a small town near a ski resort.

“Before I get up, don’t clear the snow in the yard,” she said without looking at him. Just ten seconds ago, she was trembling in his arms.

The fluctuations in her chest had not yet calmed down.

Zhou Sujin replied, “I won’t clear it. I’ll leave it for you.”

He reached for the tissue box on the bedside table.

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

Zhou Sujin didn’t take the tissue box and instead pulled her back into his arms, his voice lowering. “If there’s anything uncomfortable, tell me.”

There was nothing uncomfortable.

Before he could leave, as he half rose to reach for the tissue box, the deep emotions stirred within her, sending a wave of warmth coursing through her body once again.

The palpitations repeated.

“Are you having dinner at home tomorrow night?” Wei Lai broke the silence.

Zhou Sujin looked into her eyes. “Yes.”

“Will we be having dinner at home for the next few days?”

“Mhm.”

Wei Lai wrapped her hands around his neck, their breaths mingling.

After a few seconds of silence, Zhou Sujin lowered his head, and she met his kiss. Even though they had communicated so deeply, the sense of unfamiliarity had only diminished slightly. The psychological unfamiliarity couldn’t be completely broken through by physical contact alone.

Tomorrow at noon, she had plans with someone else, and his schedule was also packed for tomorrow. Rationality prevented the fourth time from continuing.

Zhou Sujin kissed her lips lightly and got up.

Wei Lai didn’t have the energy for another bath, so she took a quick shower and changed into a clean nightgown. Both her nightgown and pajamas from last night were soaked and couldn’t be worn again.

The next morning, she slept until eight o’clock, and Zhou Sujin had already gone to the office.

The snow in the yard hadn’t been cleared, but it was still the same as last night when it stopped. She took a few photos first and left a few footprints in the snow.

If Zhou Sujin saw this, he would probably say she was bored.

It was almost ten o’clock, so she went upstairs to change and prepare to go to the restaurant.

Today, she chose a soft-colored knitted sweater dress, paired with a classic gray coat, and tied up her hair. She carefully inspected her neck but found no trace of kisses.

Zhou Sujin had shown remarkable restraint every time last night, taking care of her feelings. In such circumstances, he could still calmly control his desires.

She probably wouldn’t have the chance to see him lose control in this lifetime.

Just as she opened the door and got into the Endeavor, Zhou Sujin’s call came in.

“Are you up?” His clear voice came through.

“I’ve been up for a while, about to head out,” Wei Lai said, putting her bag on the passenger seat. After the hormones subsided, even relatively unfamiliar couples might feel a bit awkward.

“Husband, what’s up?” 

Zhou Sujin said, “Your clothes were picked out by Auntie. If there’s anything that doesn’t fit, I’ll have it exchanged for you.”

By the time she woke up, a batch of winter clothes had already been sent over, all in the styles and colors she liked. It turned out Auntie had such a good eye.

“There’s nothing that doesn’t fit. No need to exchange,” Wei Lai said, looking at the sweater dress she was wearing. “I thought you bought them for me.”

Zhou Sujin had promised her before that he would personally buy her anything from now on, explaining, “Today’s situation is special. I’ll buy them for you next time.”

He had a meeting this morning and couldn’t spare the time to pick out clothes for her, and she was in a hurry to wear them.

“Husband.”

“Yeah.”

She just called him once and then didn’t say anything else.

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

“…I suddenly forgot what I wanted to tell you.”

“Tell me when you remember.”

“Mhm, I’ll hang up now, about to go out.” Wei Lai couldn’t describe the subtle feeling she had when she was with him today. She even stuttered just now.

Maybe because the physical distance was gone.

—

Just after Zhou Sujin finished the call with Wei Lai, Auntie called.

Knowing that Wei Lai was in Beijing now, Auntie asked when her nephew would bring her over for dinner.

“I’m not busy lately; you can come any day.”

Although the ginkgo leaves in the yard had fallen, sitting inside the house, drinking hot coffee, and watching the snow scene outside was still nice.

Zhou Sujin said, “We’re not going. She’s here on business.”

Auntie was very enthusiastic. “You can still spare some time for a meal, even if you’re busy.”

After considering for a moment, Zhou Sujin honestly said to Auntie, “Even if I have time, I won’t bring her over.”

Auntie’s heart tightened. Could the young couple be disagreeing?

Somehow, she suddenly thought of that watch.

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

“Nothing much. We haven’t adjusted well, and there isn’t much emotion between us. When she comes home, she has to act again to appease you guys.”

Zhou Sujin had just returned to his office from the meeting room and still had work to do. “Auntie, I’m busy. When it’s time to go home, I’ll take her back.”

Ning Rujiang breathed a sigh of relief. As long as they weren’t arguing, it was fine.

She could understand her nephew’s decision. After all, acting was too exhausting, and he didn’t want Wei Lai to go to great lengths to deal with the elders.

After hanging up the phone, Zhou Sujin put his phone aside and opened the documents that needed to be signed.

Lu Yu knocked on the door and came in while talking on the phone. He sat down opposite Zhou Sujin, and the person on the other end of the phone was clearly stating his purpose.

“Lu, in August last year, did you buy a watch that someone else had resold in Jiangcheng?” Zhang Yanxin went straight to the point.

“Yes.”

Lu Yu glanced at Zhou Sujin’s wrist, and he was wearing it. He had thought Zhang Yanxin was interested in Zhou Sujin’s watch, and it turned out he was right.

After finding out the ins and outs of the matter, Zhang Yanxin revealed that on the night he broke up with Wei Lai, that watch had been bought by Lu Yu and Zhou Sujin.

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

“What did you say?” Lu Yu was so shocked that he almost swore.

Zhou Sujin, on the other end, couldn’t help but glance at him because of his surprise.

Lu Yu didn’t care about Zhou Sujin’s reminder and pressed his temples with his fingers, clearly feeling the “thump-thump-thump” in his head.

Zhang Yanxin repeated, “The watch was a gift from Wei Lai to me. For Mr. Zhou, that watch has no significance whatsoever. I don’t want him to feel uncomfortable, so I asked for your help to buy the watch for me. Don’t worry, when the watch comes back to me, I won’t wear it out, and Mr. Zhou won’t know the relationship between that watch and me.”

“Sorry, I’m powerless to help.”

“I know you’re in a difficult position. It’s okay, President Lu, you’re busy. I won’t bother you.”

Lu Yu hung up the phone directly, his mind buzzing.

He felt like he had accidentally stirred up a huge mess.

Zhou Sujin didn’t even take a sip of his coffee. “What do you need from me?” he asked, looking up at him.

Lu Yu snapped out of it, grabbed his phone, and stood up. “I’m in the wrong place. I need to go find Zhou Jiaye.”

“…”

He hurriedly walked to Zhou Jiaye’s office, closed the door behind him, and locked it.

Zhou Jiaye said in a faint voice, “Why are you in such a hurry? Offend Zhou Sujin?”

“…Yeah, don’t mention it.”

Lu Yu was wearing a thin sweater, sweating profusely. He took off his sweater, leaving only his shirt, still feeling hot.

He wiped his forehead and felt the sweat on his fingertips.

Zhou Jiaye was originally going to make another joke, but seeing how much Lu Yu was sweating, he realized the seriousness of the situation.

“What kind of trouble did you get into? Did you mess up the project you invested in with him?”

Lu Yu poured himself a glass of cold water and drank it. “It’s not about money.”

He put down the glass and told Zhou Jiaye everything, word for word.

After listening, Zhou Jiaye also fell into silence.

Lu Yu was both scared and angry. “Do you think Zhang Yanxin is insane?”

He didn’t have time to scold anyone. He asked Zhou Jiaye to analyze what Zhang Yanxin would do next for him.

Zhou Jiaye said, “He won’t do anything for the time being. Even if he wants to take back that watch, he has to consider his cooperation with our Kunchen.”

Lu Yu was frustrated. “The board of directors passed the resolution to reduce their holdings of Xinming Semiconductor last week. If Zhang Yanxin knows this news, do you think he’ll still hesitate?”

“So I said he won’t do anything for the time being.”

Suddenly, Zhou Jiaye thought of his mother and auntie paying special attention to that watch. He had been wondering before, but now he understood why. It was because it was a gift from Wei Lai to Zhang Yanxin. His mother couldn’t understand why Zhou Sujin had no hard feelings about wearing it.

“What are you nervous about? It’s not your fault.”

Lu Yu wasn’t nervous, but he felt guilty. “I broke the watch you gave him, and it still hasn’t been repaired. Can I make up for it with another one? But now, I’ve run into such a troublesome thing.”

After calming down, he still didn’t know what to do, so he asked Zhou Jiaye, “What should we do?”

Zhou Jiaye focused for a moment. “Let’s talk about it after the New Year. Wei Lai is still here.” He told Lu Yu not to think too much. “There

S.Z. Restaurant’s Table No. 9, Wei Lai arrived twenty minutes early.

Just a few minutes after sitting down, Qi Linsheng arrived. He and Wei Lai were of the same kind; no matter who was treating them, they wouldn’t let the other person wait.

“Mr. Qi, long time no see,” Wei Lai smiled and stood up.

“Please, have a seat.”

Although it was only their second meeting today, there was no sense of unfamiliarity between them.

Qi Linsheng often came to this restaurant and knew which tables were not available to the public. This table they were sitting at was usually not accessible to most people. “This meal must have caused you some trouble.”

“It wasn’t much trouble. My husband helped make the reservation,” Wei Lai replied.

Qi Linsheng noticed the wedding ring on her ring finger, which she hadn’t worn the last time they met. Today, he also drove here, so he only had water to offer her as a toast. “Congratulations.”

He never inquired about other people’s private affairs, so after the toast, they talked about other things.

“I heard Chen Qi went to your place.”

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

Qi Linsheng nodded. “I’ve known him for many years. We used to work together.”

Chen Qi had inquired about the management of Wei Lai’s supermarket from him. Since he knew Chen Qi, he only said one thing: he should control his temper.

Wei Lai expressed her gratitude. “Thanks to you, otherwise, Chen Qi wouldn’t have come to us.”

Qi Linsheng smiled faintly. “Don’t mention it, we’re helping each other.”

During the meal, they discussed Wei Lai Supermarket’s expansion plans for next year, with financing being the top priority.

Wei Lai had built up some connections from her previous job, so she had arranged to meet with a client manager from Yuanwei Capital tomorrow to see if they were interested in Wei Lai Supermarket.

Wei Lai and Qi Linsheng continued chatting until two-thirty before parting ways. Qi Linsheng mentioned that he might visit Jiangcheng to inspect the market after the New Year. Wei Lai extended her hand. “Looking forward to Mr. Qi guiding our work there.”

After bidding farewell, they each went to get their cars.

Wei Lai instinctively went to look for her own Cullinan. As she looked around at so many cars, she didn’t see the deep emerald SUV. She took a few steps forward before suddenly realizing that she had driven Zhou Sujin’s black Endeavour today.

After getting into the car, she didn’t rush to start the engine, thinking about where to go in the afternoon.

She hadn’t bought new year clothes for her parents yet. If she waited until she got home, it would be close to New Year’s Eve, and she might not have time to shop.

She started the car and headed to the nearest shopping mall.

She bought clothes for her parents and suitable gifts for her grandparents and grandparents. She even prepared for her uncle’s family, but the only one she missed among her family members was Zhou Sujin.

When she returned to the car after buying the clothes, she had already started the engine. She turned off the engine and returned to the mall.

Wei Lai picked out a mid-length coat for Zhou Sujin. If he didn’t want it, she would occasionally wear it herself to block the wind.

The flagship store next door was a brand she often wore. The spring collection was already out, with more styles than in Jiangcheng. She went in to browse.

She liked a cardigan and a dress, and she also saw a thin suit, exactly the color and style she liked. Before she could try it on, the suit was taken down by the store manager and then quietly explained something to the person next to her.

After the store manager finished explaining, Wei Lai said she wanted to try on the suit.

The store manager pointed to the fitting room on the other side and apologized, “I’m sorry, madam, this suit has been claimed by another beautiful lady customer. Would you like to look at other styles?”

“There’s only one of each?” Wei Lai asked.

“Two. The other one was also reserved this afternoon.”

“Okay.”

Wei Lai felt regretful and paid for the cardigan and dress before leaving.

It was almost six o’clock when she came out of the mall, and the sky had already darkened.

There was a traffic jam on the road, and it took her an hour and a half to get home.

There was no one in the downstairs living room. As she stepped onto the last step of the second floor, she called out to him, “Honey?”

Zhou Sujin was in the study and responded with a “Hmm.”

Wei Lai walked to the door of the study, just as he looked up. Thinking about last night when she felt it was awkward, she always felt like that when she faced him.

Fortunately, she had learned from him to remain calm in all situations.

“You came back early?”

“Not too long ago.”

Wei Lai walked over and showed him the new coat she had bought. “I bought clothes for everyone at home and couldn’t leave you out. Do you like it? I didn’t find anything I liked for myself.”

Zhou Sujin commented,

“Save the file properly,” he said as he got up, casually taking the coat from her hand. “Went shopping this afternoon?”

“Yeah.” Wei Lai followed him out of the study towards the bedroom. As they walked, she grabbed his hand, and Zhou Sujin reciprocated, wrapping her hand in his palm.

What he simultaneously held was her heartbeat.

He led her all the way to the dressing room.

Zhou Sujin pointed to the sofa. “I bought these for you.”

Wei Lai glanced at the logo on the shopping bag, recognizing it as the flagship store she visited in the afternoon.

The clothes in the morning were chosen by her aunt. Since he stood her up for the first time, he made it up to her in the evening.

“I didn’t have time to go to the store, so I had them send some styles for me to choose from,” Zhou Sujin explained.

Wei Lai pulled away from his hand and walked a few steps over. The clothes he bought for her were all spring dresses, including the suit she wanted but couldn’t find earlier. It turned out he bought the other one she didn’t pick.

Suddenly, she felt particularly content.

“Do you remember I liked white suits? I wanted to try this suit on in the store this afternoon, but they were out of stock. I was a little disappointed, but I didn’t expect you to buy it for me.”

She walked up to him, raising her hand to encircle him.

“Husband.”

“What’s wrong?” Zhou Sujin wrapped his arm around her, hanging the coat she bought for him in the first wardrobe. “Didn’t you find anything else you wanted to buy?”

“No,” Wei Lai didn’t say anything else and just looked silently at him.

Zhou Sujin lowered his gaze to her, no longer asking what else was on her mind, and kissed her on the lips.