Chapter 41.1

The next morning, Song Wei was the one driving. With more experience, she was now comfortable with his car and the road.
“Don’t you have a lecture at Nan’an University this week?” she asked.

His company, Guangnian, was planning to build a science outreach base at the school. He replied,
“It was originally scheduled for Thursday, but the school has an inspection coming up, so it’s been postponed to Sunday evening.”

He looked at her and raised an eyebrow.
“Want to come with me?”

Song Wei declined.
“You’re going for work. What would I do there? No, I’ll pass.”

He didn’t press the issue. After the lecture, there would likely be networking events—better not to bring her along.

Learning from her past mistake, Song Wei didn’t practice reverse parking that day. She parked at the mall entrance, exited smoothly, and went upstairs.

At the office, she instinctively picked up her mug to fetch water but paused. She remembered how lively the break room would be today and decided against it.

Work was as hectic as ever. By the time she finished for the day, her mug of water remained untouched. In the afternoon, she spent over two hours coordinating with Shan Kaicheng in the tech department. Speeding up progress meant overtime, and no one liked that. Song Wei had to coax them into compliance.

As she prepared to leave, her phone buzzed with a message:
“I have a business dinner tonight. Make yourself something simple or order takeout.”

She replied:
“Got it. Go focus on work.”

This time, his response was instant: a cute cat emoji nodding. Song Wei chuckled, turned off her phone, and packed up to head home.

Once home, Zhu Qingfei bombarded her with messages, asking for advice on what to wear and how to behave for her dinner with Chu Qi. Song Wei reassured her and calmed her nerves.

By 7:30, the messages stopped—likely because Chu Qi had arrived.

Exhausted from several late nights, Song Wei planned to go to bed early. Yet, once she lay down, she found herself unable to fall asleep.

At ten o’clock, Zhu Qingfei’s messages bombarded her phone again. Patiently, she listened as Zhu Qingfei recounted the evening’s events. There wasn’t much of note—just a routine dinner and chat. Yet, as the conversation grew more personal, the young woman couldn’t help but get excited.

After the call ended, the doorbell rang.

She hadn’t ordered any food delivery, and even her parents didn’t know this apartment’s exact location. Since moving in, the doorbell had never been rung.

Throwing on a small jacket, Song Wei cautiously avoided turning on the lights and moved quietly toward the door.

Upon seeing the monitor on the door lock, she relaxed. It was Chen Jubai, leaning on another man, perhaps a driver or someone else—she didn’t recognize him.

When she opened the door, someone who wasn’t visible on the monitor stepped into view: Ning Shuhui.

Song Wei froze for two seconds. “Sister Ning…”

Chen Jubai was still conscious, though his steps were unsteady. As he leaned away from the man and onto Song Wei, his arm wrapped around her waist for support. “Thanks for everything tonight,” he said, voice faint.

Ning Shuhui smiled gracefully and nodded. “The clients were insistent tonight, and Jubai drank quite a bit on my behalf. He’s a little drunk. Weiwei, take care of him.”

“Ah… okay.”

Chen Jubai turned with her into the apartment, leaving the man and Ning Shuhui at the door without a glance back.

Song Wei had no time to overthink as she helped him to the sofa, squatting to check on him. “Are you okay?” she asked.

His eyes were open, though slightly bloodshot with fatigue. He meant to reassure her with “I’m fine,” but instead murmured, “My head hurts a little.”

“I’ll make you some honey water.”

He didn’t stop her, his gaze following her movements as she walked away.

She quickly returned with the drink, sitting beside him and thinking for a moment before pulling him close to rest on her shoulder. She held the cup to his lips. “Drink some first.”

Obediently, he drank half of the honey water.

Song Wei set the cup aside and asked, “Are you feeling warm?”

“Yes… warm…”

She removed his suit jacket and then moved to loosen his tie, undoing the top button of his shirt.

As she finished, he made another request. “My belt…”

Song Wei hesitated briefly before reaching for his belt. He leaned heavily against her, and she had to fumble in the dim light. Pulling his shirt out of the way, her hand brushed against his toned abdomen, soft yet firm.

Though she knew nothing would happen, her face gradually flushed.

Unfamiliar with men’s belts, it took her a few tries to undo it. Finally, she managed to pull it off.

Her voice softened as she asked, “Anywhere else uncomfortable?”

“No.”

“Do you want to shower or sleep first?”

The intoxicated man was unusually compliant, shaking his head like a child. “Let me hold you for a bit…”

Song Wei smiled faintly, settling into the sofa and adjusting their positions for comfort.

The living room fell silent except for his heavy breathing, tinged with the faint scent of alcohol. Song Wei’s heart ached as she lightly patted his back in comfort.

After a while, he murmured, “Wife…”

“Hm?”

With a voice filled with weariness and helplessness, he explained, “Dinner was with higher-ups tonight. Some drinks are hard to refuse.”

“I understand,” Song Wei replied softly.

Ning Shuhui had said he drank for her. Previously, Li Cheng had also mentioned how Chen Jubai shielded others from drinking. It wasn’t a big deal, but Song Wei felt a pang of sympathy for him.

Her parents, Yang Yingqiu and Song Gaoyi, were cultured people working in education and research. As a small-time manager herself, she could offer little help to him. The most she could do was take good care of him.

“That man outside is Ning Shuhui’s driver,” he added. “He dropped me off first and will take her home next.”

Song Wei paused, surprised he felt the need to explain. After a moment, she resumed patting his back and replied gently, “I know.”

In her arms, he fell silent, his breathing evening out as he drifted to sleep.

Once he was fully asleep, Song Wei carefully eased him onto the sofa, adjusting his posture and covering him with a blanket from the bedroom.

Standing by the sofa, she watched him for a few minutes before turning back to her room. She switched off the main lights, leaving only a couple of dim nightlights to illuminate the space.

…..

The next morning, Thursday, Song Wei was lightly roused by the sound of water running in the bathroom. She rubbed her eyes, fully awake.

As she brushed her teeth, the bathroom door opened mid-routine, and Chen Jubai walked out, freshly showered—and stark naked.

Song Wei glanced down instinctively before quickly averting her gaze.

Chen Jubai, far more at ease, smirked lazily, tying a towel around his waist and leaning in to kiss her flushed cheek. “Morning.”

“Morning,” she mumbled through a mouthful of toothpaste, avoiding his gaze, her ears burning.

“What’s there to be shy about?” he teased.

Song Wei didn’t answer, her face now a deep shade of red. Sensing her embarrassment, he stopped teasing and said, “I ordered breakfast.”

“Okay.”

After breakfast, they left for work together, with Song Wei driving. Her skills behind the wheel had improved considerably, and Chen Jubai no longer needed to guide her.

Before she got out of the car, he called her back. She turned to him, having already unbuckled her seatbelt.

“I have work tonight,” he said. “Do you want to eat at dad’s place? I’ll let him know.”

“No need. I’m not a child who can’t arrange her meals,” she replied, then asked, “Will you be drinking tonight?”

“No.”

“Alright, I’m off.”

As he reached out to stop her, she was already out of the car, his hand grasping empty air.

Watching her walk away, an inexplicable unease crept into his heart. Yet, on further thought, he found nothing amiss.

By Friday, they were set to pick up their car as planned.

That morning, he reminded her to meet him at the parking lot after work.

When the workday ended, the parking lot was crowded. Song Wei waited by the mall entrance, avoiding his car to prevent any accidents.

She encountered two groups of colleagues who offered her a ride, but she declined.

Checking her watch after the third time, it was 6:20—twenty minutes past quitting time. If he’d left on time, he should’ve been downstairs by now.

Anxiety began to rise. She took a deep breath, telling herself he was probably delayed and would show up soon.

Just wait a little longer.

Thankfully, a familiar car appeared around the corner three to four minutes later.

Song Wei’s heart finally settled back into place.

Twenty minutes later, they arrived at a Porsche dealership. Song Wei was stunned, her eyes glued to the familiar “Porsche” logo.

She had assumed he’d buy a modest car, maybe something in the range of two or three hundred thousand yuan, or even a new energy vehicle. But this was a sports car! Why would he buy her a sports car?

Chen Jubai noticed her wide-eyed stare and chuckled. “It’s not that expensive.”

“Not that expensive? How much?”

“Seven or eight hundred thousand?”

Song Wei didn’t believe him. She quickly looked it up on her phone, and her expression shifted from shock to dismay. “Over a million! Why did you buy something so expensive? It’s just for commuting to work. Isn’t this a waste? Plus, I’m still a new driver. What if I scratch it? Chen Jubai!”

The man’s lips curled into a small smile. “The full payment is already made; there’s no turning back.”

Song Wei sighed, feeling both annoyed and helpless. “What were you thinking?”

“Let’s go. The salesperson is waiting for us.”

He took her hand and led her inside. By now, Song Wei had no choice but to accept the reality. Before entering the dealership, she stopped him and spoke earnestly, “Chen Jubai, our family doesn’t pursue extravagance. I’m not used to such luxury. Thank you for buying me such an expensive car, but in the future, for gifts or big expenses, you don’t need to spend so much. We could use that money for other things.”