YJDNY - 38

By the time the two returned to the hotel that evening, it was already late. They had spent almost the entire afternoon walking, and as soon as they got back, Xiang Ge collapsed onto the tatami, not wanting to move an inch.

It wasn’t until her stomach finally protested with a loud growl that she reluctantly got up to eat.

For dinner, they had wagyu hot pot. The broth was light, but the beef was rich in flavor. Xiang Ge held her bamboo chopsticks in one hand, resting her chin on the other as she watched Zhou Xingyan add meat and vegetables to the pot. “I feel like I haven’t been hungry in such a long time.”

Zhou Xingyan glanced at her. “You know it yourself.”

Xiang Ge playfully pinched her cheek. “Have I lost more weight?”

Zhou Xingyan placed two pieces of shiitake mushrooms into the pot, his tone calm but laced with sarcasm: “Don’t worry, you’ve become immortal. At the golden elixir stage, you don’t need to eat.”

Xiang Ge smiled. “Being thinner might actually be good for my role.”

Zhou Xingyan’s movements paused.

The wagyu hot pot began to boil, bubbling gently as fragrant white steam rose. Across the table, the woman’s voice was calm, carrying a faint smile and radiating a soft glow.

It was slow and weak, yet fresh and tender—like a butterfly breaking free from its cocoon, like a seedling finally sprouting after a long winter, gradually awakening from dormancy, bursting with vitality.

Zhou Xingyan smiled silently. In a soft voice, he asked, “Have you made up your mind?”

Xiang Ge’s gaze fell on the pot, watching the slices of bright red wagyu slowly change color as they cooked. She lifted her chopsticks to nudge them around, letting the broth soak through. After a while, she spoke softly, “I think fate has been kind to me. While I’m still young, I get to go through this journey. It’s like cultivating immortality—becoming a god requires enduring trials. Life is so short; how can I keep being bound like this forever? I’ve been stuck on this hurdle for over a decade—it’s time to move past it. If not for this movie, who knows how much longer I’d have dragged it out.”

“Shen Jing died once. She walked the path to the underworld, drank half a bowl of Mengpo’s soup, but in the end, she couldn’t bear to leave this world. She turned back, reborn. Being on the edge of life and death does make you realize many truths, but there’s no rule that says you have to be pushed to the brink and choose to end your life in order to find peace. There’s too much unavoidable suffering in life. If everyone chose this way to find relief, imagine how much it would boost the sales of sleeping pills.”

Xiang Ge stared at the piece of beef as it cooked, then fished it out, dipped it in yuzu vinegar, and placed it on Zhou Xingyan’s plate. Smiling, she looked at him. “So, I need to try a different approach. Based on past experiences, sleeping pills are a terrible value for money. I might as well rely on my future boyfriend-in-training.”

The future boyfriend-in-training remained silent, quietly gazing at her. His eyes were clear and deep, both gentle and sharp.

Xiang Ge raised an eyebrow. “Do you think my little motivational speech was too good?”

“No,” Zhou Xingyan lowered his eyes to the piece of meat on his plate. “I don’t eat yuzu vinegar.”

“…”

Oh.

Kyoto had countless shrines and temples. Over the course of nearly a week, Xiang Ge and Zhou Xingyan visited many of them, along with various small shops. Though they didn’t visit the famous thousand torii gates of Fushimi Inari Taisha, they became deeply interested in the roadside stalls nearby.

Xiang Ge’s mental state gradually improved. On the Shinkansen from Kyoto to Tokyo, she even applied makeup.

After arriving at their hotel and unpacking, Xiang Ge immediately took over the vanity, layering products onto her face.

Zhou Xingyan leaned against the table, watching her.

Her skin, covered with a thin layer of foundation, looked as smooth as porcelain. Her lashes were long and thick, and her naturally sharp, upward-slanting eyes were accentuated even further, giving her an air of subtle aggression.

Xiang Ge considered adding contour but, after tilting her head left and right to examine her still-thin face, decided against it and went straight for lipstick.

She turned slightly, tilting her head back to look at Zhou Xingyan beside her. Blinking, her mascara-coated lashes fluttered. “How do I look?”

Zhou Xingyan studied her for a moment before suddenly leaning in closer.

Instinctively, Xiang Ge leaned back slightly.

Zhou Xingyan frowned. “Don’t move.”

Xiang Ge blinked again and stayed still.

Zhou Xingyan reached out, his thumb lightly grazing the edge of her lower lip, wiping gently from the corner to the center.

Xiang Ge lowered her gaze, watching the streak of crimson stain his pale fingertip. It caught her eye, looking particularly striking.

Zhou Xingyan withdrew his hand and straightened up to examine her carefully. Finally, he arched an eyebrow and said slowly, “Who are you trying to seduce?”

Xiang Ge puckered her red lips and blew him a kiss. “Sister is taking you to a big health spa tonight.”

Zhou Xingyan: “….”

It wasn’t until they stood at the entrance of Kabukichō, seeing the sign for Kabukichō Ichiban Street, that Zhou Xingyan realized her “big health spa” was literally just that—a big health spa.

Beside him, Xiang Ge let out an excited “Wow,” her face brimming with anticipation.

Zhou Xingyan turned to leave but was stopped by Xiang Ge grabbing his arm.

She tilted her head and looked at him. “Senior Zhou, are you even a man? I don’t feel any excitement from you at all.”

Zhou Xingyan smirked faintly. “On the contrary, I feel plenty of excitement from you.”

Under the neon lights, Xiang Ge’s dark eyes sparkled as she tilted her head up to look at him. “I’ve wanted to check this place out for ages. Last time I was in Japan, I was here for work and didn’t have time to explore. Now that I’m finally here, we should take a walk around.” She raised an eyebrow teasingly. “A man’s paradise, Dr. Zhou. Stop pretending—I don’t believe you’re not even a little excited.”

Zhou Xingyan lowered his eyes, expressionless. “I already have my paradise.”

Xiang Ge let out a puzzled “Ah?” “What?”

“I already have my paradise.” He repeated slowly. “Seeing you excites me more.”

Xiang Ge: “…”

Xiang Ge: “….”

Xiang Ge: Hmm?

Where did you learn this flirty trick? You better explain yourself honestly.

She froze in place for several seconds, her expression unchanging, looking utterly stunned. It took her a while to find her voice.

“Xingyan, you’re breaking character.”

Zhou Xingyan gave a nonchalant “Oh.” “What character am I supposed to be playing?”

Xiang Ge thought for a moment. “You’re the type who shares a room with someone for a week and doesn’t do anything. Plus, you booked a standard room today. Let’s give Dr. Zhou a round of applause—doctors really are different.”

Zhou Xingyan watched her clap twice without sincerity, narrowed his eyes, and pulled her around to leave.

Xiang Ge’s heels clicked as she followed behind. “Where are we going?”

“To show you what makes doctors different.”

Twenty minutes later, the two sat down in an izakaya. Xiang Ge looked at him blankly. “You wasted all the effort I put into my makeup today.”

Zhou Xingyan flipped through the menu. “Three meals a day must be on time. We’ve been on the Shinkansen for so long, and you haven’t eaten since. Are you hungry?”

“Is this what makes doctors different?”

Zhou Xingyan calmly agreed. “Doctors pay extra attention to their health.”

Xiang Ge slumped her shoulders in defeat. “Then I’ll have curry udon.”

It was evening, and people were just getting off work. The izakaya was lively, filled with office workers in suits and students chatting animatedly in small groups. The food was exquisite and delicious, and much cheaper than traditional Japanese restaurants.

Xiang Ge ordered two cups of sake, pouring them as she kept her head down. Without looking up, she asked, “Until when is your vacation?”

Zhou Xingyan looked up at her. “Do you want to go home already?”

Xiang Ge picked up a slice of sashimi. “No one ever complains about a vacation being too long, but you’ve taken so much time off.” She raised her eyes. “Will you get fired when you go back?”

“Probably not.”

Xiang Ge raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean, ‘probably’?”

Zhou Xingyan recalled the chat screenshot Su Ying had sent him earlier and suddenly smiled. “Let’s say I’ve completed my mission.”

At the next table, a man in a dress shirt burst into laughter. Xiang Ge didn’t catch it. “What?”

“Nothing.” He shook his head. “Then let’s go back tomorrow.”

They bought tickets for the flight the next afternoon. Originally, they planned to arrive in the evening so they could go straight to sleep, but the flight was delayed, and they didn’t board until night fell.

By the time they landed, it was already late at night. They waited a long time at baggage claim, and by the time they got in the car, Xiang Ge’s eyelids were drooping, and she started yawning.

The ride from the airport to the city would take about an hour. Zhou Xingyan glanced at her, seeing tears welling up from her constant yawning. He rolled up the car window. “If you’re sleepy, rest for a bit.”

Xiang Ge slumped against the car window frame, listless. “I feel like I came back empty-handed. It’s kind of a waste.”

“When we left, we had one suitcase. Now we have two.” Zhou Xingyan reminded her.

Xiang Ge thought for a moment. “But I only bought some cosmetics.”

Zhou Xingyan nodded. “Were you planning to bring back all of Kabukichō?”

“That’s not it,” she denied, yawning again. “I just thought it would be fun to check out. If I really brought it all back, wouldn’t I just be creating competition for myself?”

Zhou Xingyan silently curved his lips. “Sleep. I’ll wake you when we get there.”

It’s easy to fall asleep in a car at night, especially after a trip that takes so much energy. Xiang Ge curled up in the passenger seat, dozing off in a daze. It wasn’t until she vaguely felt the car stop and heard the sound of a door opening and closing that she stirred.

The seatbelt around her was unbuckled. Reluctantly, Xiang Ge cracked open her eyelids a little.

The passenger door was already open. Zhou Xingyan stood at the door, his hand resting on the back of the passenger seat. He tilted his head slightly. “If you’re awake, get out yourself. You can sleep when we get home.”

Xiang Ge stared at him for three seconds with half-open eyes, then closed them again as if she hadn’t heard him. Her voice was soft, hoarse, and lazy. “Don’t bother with me. Just let me sleep in the car. You don’t have to carry me upstairs.”

Zhou Xingyan: “….”