At noon, Wei Jin and Xiao Ye ate lunch together at home. After a short break, Wei Jin asked Qi Zhu to send her some clothes.

Eventually, Qi Zhu and Meng Yue Sheng exchanged contact information, making it easier for them to coordinate the following work and collaborations.

This unexpected encounter led to a noticeable warming of the relationship between Wei Jin and Meng Yue Sheng, with a hint of mutual understanding between them.

After leaving Meng Yue Sheng’s house, Qi Zhu reported the work progress while driving. Even though Wei Jin had only taken the morning off, there were already three more files awaiting her.

Leaning back in the car seat, Wei Jin felt defeated, “So, when can I finally take a proper vacation…”

“If you keep busy for another month, you can start taking weekends off…” Qi Zhu replied cautiously.

The words sounded like the whispers of a devil.

“Qi Zhu, you’re a grown-up assistant now. You can read through the files yourself.”

Qi Zhu gave a forced smile, “Haha, you’re joking…”

In short, that’s the situation—though what the exact situation is, we’ll have to see how it unfolds.

Wei Jin kept herself busy for a while longer.

During this time, Wei Feng called her a few times, asking how things were going at the company. Little Dad also seemed to miss her (through gritted teeth), suggesting that she could come home for a meal if she had time (though it would be better if she didn’t). Then, he hung up.

Wei Jin understood what was going on.

For the past two months while she hadn’t been home, her mom and Little Dad were enjoying rare, peaceful days without the third wheel.

Before she experienced the sweetness of love, Wei Jin used to think: “I’m not here to break up this family, I’m here to join it.”

After tasting love’s sweetness, Wei Jin thought: “Forget it, I won’t bother Mom anymore.”

After all, she had her own love to chase now.

Thanks to Wei Jin’s introduction, Meng Yue Sheng and President Feng hit it off, and the follow-up work and collaboration were all settled. Meng Yue Sheng finally felt relieved.

Though both were busy with their own matters, they found time to chat on the phone, which was quite nice.

A month flew by.

Qi Zhu’s promise that she’d get weekends off after another month came true. With work on track, things weren’t as hectic. Most days, Wei Jin only needed to review some files, make plans, and sign documents.

Xu Xu and Gu Ziyan called Wei Jin to invite her out again.

It had been more than a year since the three of them last hung out, and Xu Xu missed Wei Jin quite a bit.

Since Wei Jin wasn’t too busy, they arranged to meet up for a nice meal over the weekend.

Thinking about how her friends were a couple, Wei Jin didn’t want to be the only one sitting there, so she thought about bringing Meng Yue Sheng along. But she was worried he might not have time.

After some hesitation, Wei Jin decided to call Meng Yue Sheng to ask if he was available.

Sigh, it felt kind of embarrassing to introduce him to her friends.

Wei Jin waited for the phone to ring, clearing her throat. The phone barely rang a few times before Meng Yue Sheng picked up.

His gentle voice came through, “What’s up?”

On the other side of the phone, Wei Jin’s crossed leg was practically twisted in knots. 

“Well, do you have time this weekend? My friends asked me to meet them for dinner, and I was wondering if you could come with me…”

“Friends?”

“Yeah… They’re really good friends I’ve known since I was a kid. They’re both married now, and if I go alone, it feels a bit awkward. It’d be great if you could come with me.”

Meng Yue Sheng chuckled lightly, “Since you’ve asked, even if I didn’t have time, I’d make time to go with you.”

“Ah—so, um, I don’t want to interrupt your work. I can go by myself if it’s too much trouble…”

“I’m kidding.” Meng Yue Sheng’s voice had a teasing tone. 

“Thanks to you, I’m not too busy lately. I’d already planned to keep my schedule open for you.”

“Oh, oh, that’s great! I’ll pick you up on the weekend then.”

“Sure.”

They didn’t say anything else after that, just listening to each other’s breathing.

Just hearing Meng Yue Sheng’s steady breaths made Wei Jin feel as though her whole being was healed. She couldn’t help but imagine how happy she would be if she were lying in his arms at this very moment, like a content little puppy.

“Is work going well?” Wei Jin asked awkwardly.

“Mm, it’s going pretty well… What about you?”

“Same, not too exhausting.”

“……”

Once again, there was only the sound of their breathing.

Finally, Meng Yue Sheng broke the silence, “To be honest, I kind of missed you this past month…”

“See you on the weekend then…”

Before the sentence was fully out, Meng Yue Sheng hurriedly hung up the phone.

Wei Jin held her phone, frozen in place as her mind raced.

What did he mean by that? Was that a confession? It must be, right? Right?

That “I kind of missed you” echoed in her mind.

Wei Jin had this habit of recording her phone calls.

She quickly found the recent call in her recordings and skipped to the end.

‘…To be honest, I kind of missed you…’

Then she rewound it.

‘…To be honest, I kind of missed you…’

‘…To be honest, I kind of missed you…’

Ugh…

Wei Jin put the phone down on the couch and lay there, her ear pressed against the speaker.

She covered her face with her arm.

Why did his voice sound so good?

If Meng Yue Sheng ever switched careers to voice acting, he’d probably have a huge fanbase.

No, that’s unacceptable.

This voice should only be enjoyed by her.

Since Meng Yue Sheng had agreed to join the weekend gathering, Wei Jin suddenly felt much more motivated to get through her work, eagerly anticipating that day.

Xu Xu had made a reservation at one of her family’s hot pot restaurants. Known for high-quality ingredients and a rather high per-person cost, it wasn’t crowded, even on weekends.

Xu Xu and Gu Ziyan arrived early and had already ordered a few dishes.

For Wei Jin, bringing Meng Yue Sheng to meet Xu Xu and Gu Ziyan felt almost as significant as introducing him to her parents.

She dressed carefully, choosing a black dress that seemed casual yet held hidden layers of thoughtfulness.

Meng Yue Sheng, on the other hand, dressed much more simply in a tracksuit, looking like a fresh college graduate.

He was a blend of youthfulness and maturity.

Either way, Wei Jin liked how he dressed. No matter what Meng Yue Sheng wore, he always looked good.

But with this outfit, Wei Jin now looked like the older sister.

Which was… kind of exciting.

When they arrived, they were still a few minutes early, but the fragrant aroma from the private dining room had already wafted out.

As soon as they walked in, Xu Xu and Gu Ziyan’s eyes lit up like searchlights, scanning them up and down with playful smiles, making Wei Jin’s palms sweat.

Not that Wei Jin could be intimidated, but she was worried Meng Yue Sheng might feel awkward.

“Wow, you guys are early! Already started without us?” Wei Jin’s voice wavered slightly as she held Meng Yue Sheng’s hand, which was trembling a little. Meng Yue Sheng gently squeezed her fingers, reassuring her.

Xu Xu didn’t seem to mind and stood up, pulling out a chair, “It’s been two months since we could even get you out here, so of course we had to start a little early…”

“I’ve missed you so much…” Xu Xu stepped closer, arms wide open.

Wei Jin and Meng Yue Sheng exchanged a quick, understanding glance, their hands parting in sync, wordlessly expressing their connection.

Wei Jin leaned into the hug, and they embraced tightly, patting each other on the back.

“Ah! I really missed you…”

“Same here, same here…”

Gu Ziyan, seeing Meng Yue Sheng still standing by the door, quickly got up and invited him to sit down.

“I’m Gu Ziyan, one of Wei Jin’s oldest friends. Let’s sit, take a look at the menu, and order whatever you like…” Despite being a father of a three-year-old, Gu Ziyan still looked like a high schooler—no one would guess he was already a young dad.

“Thanks. I’m Meng Yue Sheng,” he replied, still somewhat reserved. He wasn’t sure how to directly explain his relationship with Wei Jin.

Since he and Wei Jin hadn’t formally defined their relationship, it was a tricky situation, so he simply chose not to elaborate.

Meanwhile, Wei Jin and Xu Xu were deep in conversation, with Xu Xu playfully complaining about being left all alone in Beijing. They were chatting away without any real direction, just enjoying the moment.

Finally, Gu Ziyan, unable to bear their chatter any longer, called out to Xu Xu, telling her to tone it down a bit.

Wei Jin, who had been in the middle of a dramatic “boo-hoo-hoo,” immediately stopped at the sound of Gu Ziyan’s voice.

Xu Xu instantly dropped the act, snuggling up to Gu Ziyan before turning to greet Meng Yue Sheng properly.

Seeing their interaction, Meng Yue Sheng couldn’t help but see glimpses of Wei Jin in Xu Xu, and his expression softened considerably.

After the introductions, they began ordering the main dishes.

Xu Xu and Gu Ziyan each had different tastes—one liked strong flavors, while the other preferred sweet ones—so they went for a split hotpot. In true long-time couple fashion, Xu Xu instinctively knew what Gu Ziyan wanted to eat and placed the food in the pot without him even asking.

Watching this, Meng Yue Sheng couldn’t help but feel a twinge of envy.

Would his life with Wei Jin be like this too, once they were together?

Wei Jin asked about Meng Yue Sheng’s preferences and finally settled on a rich, fragrant bone broth.

The first piece of meat was placed directly into Meng Yue Sheng’s bowl.

It warmed him, both physically and emotionally, as the steam rose between them.

Wei Jin was glad she hadn’t put on heavy makeup, opting for a subtle no-makeup look instead. Otherwise, she was sure her makeup would have melted by now from the heat.

Xu Xu poured drinks for everyone, chatting about funny incidents she and Gu Ziyan had encountered during their travels.

“M Country is so open. Some people even had the nerve to ask for Ziyan’s number right in front of me! I couldn’t believe it—there I was, standing right next to him, and they still asked who I was… Oh, and the hot springs in R Country were pretty nice too—cough, very relaxing for the body…”

Gu Ziyan nudged her foot under the table, pretending not to know anything.

Xu Xu awkwardly laughed, quickly changing the subject and turning to Wei Jin, her eyes darting between Wei Jin and Meng Yue Sheng with a teasing smile. 

“So, what’s your plan? Ziyan and I have been holding onto your wedding gift for ages…”

Gu Ziyan quietly stopped eating and perked up his ears.

Wei Jin chewed her food slowly, while Meng Yue Sheng cleared his throat and took a sip of his drink.

“Me? I’m getting there…” Wei Jin glanced at Meng Yue Sheng, meeting his gaze.

Meng Yue Sheng froze for a moment, “Yeah…”

“We’re not in a rush. Things are pretty good as they are now…” Wei Jin said casually.

Meng Yue Sheng didn’t say much more, just stirring a few greens into the hotpot.

“Oh~” Xu Xu raised an eyebrow.

“Besides, I can’t let him catch me so easily, right? That’d be too easy for him…” Wei Jin added with a smirk.

Xu Xu lifted her glass, “Alright then, we’ll hold onto that gift a little longer, but just so you know, no added interest!”

Wei Jin raised her glass to clink with Xu Xu’s, “Our friendship is all wrapped up in that gift—no need to say more.” Then she downed her drink.

Xu Xu laughed and followed suit.

“Don’t worry, it’s yours.”

Meng Yue Sheng placed a piece of cooked meat into Wei Jin’s bowl, adding two more leaves to it.

Wei Jin poured another drink and clinked glasses with Meng Yue Sheng.

“Want anything else? How about some fish tofu?”

“Sure.”

Xu Xu and Gu Ziyan exchanged a knowing, amused glance.

Their dear Wei Jin… had finally grown up.