HU - 63

◎You shouldn’t stop. Instead, chase the moon once more with all your heart.◎

Her tongue felt numb, her lips swollen and aching. Aside from the faint sweetness of mint lingering between her teeth, it wasn’t exactly a pleasant experience.

Yue Jincheng’s words were deliberately provocative.

Fu Jiaxi was no longer like before—shy and reserved about matters between men and women. She cut to the chase, calmly countering, “You’ve been plotting this for a while, haven’t you?”

Yue Jincheng said nothing, neither confirming nor denying.

She extended her hand， her palm fair and smooth, with a faint layer of calluses on her fingertips. “This mint flavor is quite tasty. Let me try one.”

Yue Jincheng couldn’t describe the feeling at that moment. He stiffly turned his head away. “No. If you want to taste it, kiss me again.”

Fu Jiaxi chuckled softly. “Then I’ll pass. Not really in the mood.”

Yue Jincheng turned his face back toward her, his gaze sinking like a stone dropped into the center of a lake.

Fu Jiaxi leaned across the center console, her hair cascading onto his lap, brushing against him ever so slightly.

She reached out and pressed the button on the driver’s side to unlock the car door herself.

In just a few seconds, before he could react, she had already pushed the door open and stepped out.

Yue Jincheng’s Adam’s apple bobbed. Though the scent in the car was faint, it felt as though he’d downed a shot of high-proof liquor, leaving his heart racing.

After only two months apart, she had grown adept at navigating the pleasures between men and women. No longer shy or timid, she had reversed roles and learned to take the initiative.

Had Yu Yanqing taught her this?

The mere thought suffocated Yue Jincheng, tightening his chest without needing confirmation.

Manor Yuan was quiet. Uncle Liu, the butler, had accompanied them to the temple, leaving only an elderly woman who had worked there for decades. She enthusiastically asked if they’d like a bowl of soup.

Fu Jiaxi, already hungry, thanked her with a smile.

The woman was delighted, thrilled to share her culinary skills. “Wait a moment—I’ll go ladle some for you.”

“Thank you,” Fu Jiaxi said softly. “And please, don’t put green onions in his bowl.”

Yue Jincheng clenched his fists tightly, his gaze heavy with confusion.

They sat in silence, each finishing their bowl of soup.

Fu Jiaxi wiped her mouth and handed him a couple of napkins. “Nothing planned for the afternoon, right? Shall we go for a walk?”

In the heart of Jin City’s CBD, the festive atmosphere was thick. Crowds of people had come out to enjoy the holiday air. Nanli Street hosted a themed event, with countless stalls offering food, games, and trinkets. There was even an updated version of the classic ring-toss game, with plump white geese as prizes.

Fu Jiaxi found it novel and squeezed into the crowd.

Her slender figure, even clad in a down jacket, remained delicate.

Yue Jincheng used both hands to shield her, pushing through the throng on either side of her, carving out a path. While she enjoyed the spectacle, his suede shoes bore the marks of countless scuffs.

Fu Jiaxi was eager to give it a try.

Without asking, Yue Jincheng scanned the QR code to pay and handed her thirty rings.

Unsurprisingly, she didn’t win—and it was probably for the best.

Yue Jincheng dared not imagine what it would be like to have a goose in the car, its smell permeating every inch.

They continued following the flow of the crowd.

There were stalls selling jianbing, popcorn, sugar figurines, and young women dressed in traditional Hanfu handing out red slips of paper for writing wishes—it was said to be very auspicious.

Walking side by side, Yue Jincheng and Fu Jiaxi made an eye-catching pair. Everyone they passed handed them wish slips.

Unable to refuse such warm hospitality, they accepted the slips for good luck.

Without hesitation, Fu Jiaxi wrote:

• Become a better version of myself.

She craned her neck to peek at what Yue Jincheng had written.

He had just finished, his pen strokes sharp and decisive. What he wrote was:

• May my wishes come true.

She asked, “Is that about me?”

Yue Jincheng replied coolly, “From a moral standpoint, I’ll say no.”

Fu Jiaxi glanced at him. “Funny how you act all righteous after what happened in the car earlier.”

Yue Jincheng’s brows furrowed slightly.

But she had already begun walking ahead, unhurried and composed.

Fu Jiaxi strolled leisurely, particularly fond of small handicrafts.

Her attention was drawn to a stall crafting clay figurines—meticulous, exquisite, and steeped in intangible cultural heritage.

Yue Jincheng noticed her interest in a pair of small clay dolls, examining them repeatedly.

The figurines were lifelike, clearly meant to represent a pair.

“So, does someone surnamed Yu also like these things?” Yue Jincheng’s tone was icy, clashing with the cheerful atmosphere.

Fu Jiaxi studied them carefully, replying unhurriedly, “There are many people surnamed Yu. Which one are you referring to?”

Yue Jincheng: “How many people surnamed Yu are pursuing you?”

Fu Jiaxi nodded lightly. “Not just those surnamed Yu. I can pick out plenty from the Hundred Family Surnames—for example…”

She stopped herself, tilting her head and casting a fleeting glance at him.

Yue Jincheng swallowed hard, as if tickled by a feather.

“Jia’s mom, so you have this kind of hobby,” he said, raising his voice slightly.

“Jia’s dad, turns out you have this kind of hobby too,” she countered breezily. “You think I’ve got a new boyfriend, yet you’re still obsessed with offending me in the car.”

Yue Jincheng: “….”

Great. After all this time, her sharp tongue had climbed several rungs higher.

That Yu Yanqing—what nonsense had he taught her?

His mood visibly soured, and he fell silent.

Fu Jiaxi only allowed her intense emotions to show when he wasn’t looking.

As the appointed time to pick up Zhou Xiaojun and Yue Jia approached, Uncle Liu called to say there would be a chanting and blessing ceremony the next day, and they had decided to stay overnight.

The freed-up time stretched endlessly, the night vast and long.

Fu Jiaxi indulged in sampling street snacks, leaving no room for dinner.

Yue Jincheng thought bitterly—it seemed she no longer wished to dine with him. How ironic. Once the closest of lovers, they now wouldn’t even share a table.

Each lost in their thoughts, they wandered until seven in the evening. The biting cold finally aligned their goals, and they headed back together.

The lantern-lit streets glowed warmly, red lanterns swaying in the winter breeze. The snow lay thick, and the night didn’t feel like night—it resembled the dawn breaking.

Fu Jiaxi walked at her own pace, carefree and unhurried.

Yue Jincheng grew tense, instinctively reaching out whenever her steps wavered.

“Ah.” She suddenly stopped.

Yue Jincheng quickly withdrew his hands, pretending nonchalance as they hung by his sides.

Fu Jiaxi said, “I forgot to take the pair of clay dolls I bought.”

It was the same pair she had left behind, deeming them too heavy to carry. The vendor had assured her they could wait until she finished browsing.

Fortunately, they hadn’t gone far—just a three-to-five-minute walk back.

As Fu Jiaxi began to turn around, something hot and forceful blocked her movement.

It was Yue Jincheng’s hand, stopping her.

“Don’t look back,” he said, his voice low and foggy. “It’s the New Year. Just keep walking forward.”

Fu Jiaxi obeyed quietly, maintaining her position until he returned.

Snow fell again, blanketing the world in white. The New Year’s snow covered everything, freezing away the dust and grime, preparing for the nourishing rains of spring to come.

“It’s done. I’ve brought them back.” Yue Jincheng returned quickly, slightly out of breath, worried she might have waited too long and caught a chill.

“Let’s go,” he said.

But Fu Jiaxi stood rooted to the spot like a rivet, refusing to take another step.

“What’s wrong?” Yue Jincheng asked, puzzled.

Fu Jiaxi spoke softly. “I didn’t turn back, but I also didn’t move forward.”

Her words seemed like a response to what he had said earlier.

Yue Jincheng hummed in acknowledgment. “Good girl.”

Fu Jiaxi tilted her face up, her gaze meeting his eyes. “Because I’ve been waiting for you.”

Yue Jincheng froze.

His mind raced. If interpreted as an extension of her previous statement, it made some sense.

Just as he was contemplating this, Fu Jiaxi lunged into his arms.

What followed defied reason and couldn’t be restrained.

Or perhaps, to some extent, they were both impatient.

Manor Yuan was already far from the city center. On the way back, Yue Jincheng skillfully turned onto a deserted road. Trees shielded them on all sides, and few people ventured here, especially on a Spring Festival night.

They had one round in the car.

It was unclear who initiated it—or perhaps neither held back.

By the end, Fu Jiaxi’s legs were no longer legs but noodles, limp in the man’s strong arms, swaying like a swing with the rhythm of his movements.

“…Yue Jincheng.” She tightened her grip on his hair, forcing him to lift his head from the sweetness.

“You don’t like this?” His voice was hoarse, like that of someone with a severe cold. “Then let’s switch.”

He rose slightly, his shadow covering her.

Still bent over, but no longer tending to the person beneath him—rather, tending to himself.

Seconds later, Fu Jiaxi whimpered.

Yue Jincheng’s voice rose and fell with hers. “No one’s around. You can make noise.”

The parched garden bloomed anew under the nourishment of rain.

“Let’s not return to Manor Yuan,” Fu Jiaxi pulled the man who was about to get up back down, panting softly into his ear. “There’s the ancestral hall—a sacred place for prayer. It would desecrate the gods.”

So her suggestion was clear: continue in the car.

Thankfully, the car had a stable chassis and a heavy body. No matter how vigorous their actions, nothing unusual could be detected from the outside.

Yue Jincheng’s spine tingled, his eyes bloodshot from the pleasure.

He wondered vaguely what this made him.

An adulterous lover?

He even felt a twinge of guilt toward Yu Yanqing.

“How did you have this in your car?” Fu Jiaxi’s hair was disheveled, her lipstick smeared beyond her lips like a gradient flower. In the faint light from outside, she looked unusually alluring.

A box of condoms, torn open violently, hastily.

“Just something I keep handy,” Yue Jincheng replied hoarsely.

Fu Jiaxi pulled out the last one and, in front of him, deliberately tore open the serrated edge.

Yue Jincheng’s scalp tightened.

She said, “Since I’ve already opened it, we might as well not waste it.”

A bountiful year foretold by the snow.

The phantasmagoria inside the car was equally spectacular.

Snow fell softly, the night deep and deserted. Their moans intertwined, forming the first hymn of the New Year.

________________________________________

Back at Manor Yuan.

Yue Jincheng stayed in the bathroom alone for a long time.

Wrapped in steam, he emerged, leaving wet footprints on the floor.

Feeling uncomfortable, Fu Jiaxi lay on the bedside reading a book.

“It’s bad for your eyes. Sit up,” Yue Jincheng said.

“I can’t sit up. My waist hurts.”

His gaze darkened further.

Words he had meant to swallow still spilled out.

“Fu Jiaxi,” Yue Jincheng approached the bed. “Let’s talk seriously.”

He took a deep breath. “I need to confirm something. Are you and Yu Yanqing dating?”

Fu Jiaxi replied, “Just dating? Is there no other option?”

Yue Jincheng’s heart felt as if struck by a heavy hammer.

Did she mean… marriage?

Reining in his emotions, he pressed urgently, gritting his teeth. “Fine. Let’s assume you’re heading toward marriage.”

Fu Jiaxi’s eyes were innocent, round and fixed on him, waiting for him to continue.

“So how do you plan to handle me?” Yue Jincheng asked. “Like what happened in the car earlier—summon me whenever you have time each month? Or set a specific place and time?”

Fu Jiaxi asked, “Can you do that?”

Yue Jincheng fell silent, his gaze like shattered porcelain.

Even Fu Jiaxi felt this question went too far.

Just as she was about to surrender, Yue Jincheng said, “I can.”

Fu Jiaxi paused, intrigued, and pressed further. “How exactly can you?”

“The time and place are up to you. If you’re worried about being discovered, use Hotel H—it’s under Bai Feng’s ownership. I’ll arrange it so the top suite is yours.”

“But my work often requires traveling, both domestically and internationally.”

“Your business mostly takes you to Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou,” Yue Jincheng said. “These three places frequently host corporate events. I’ll have Jiao Rui keep an eye out.”

Fu Jiaxi asked again, “And what about Yu Yanqing? How do you plan to hide this from him?”

Yue Jincheng’s patience was at its limit. Hearing this man’s name again nearly pushed him over the edge.

He swallowed his anger. “Whatever! If he finds out, let him kill me!”

Fu Jiaxi couldn’t hold back any longer and burst into laughter.

Yue Jincheng wanted to crush her. A man reduced to this level—how utterly shameless—and she was still laughing.

“It’s dangerous, you know. If the media exposes that the president of Bai Feng is the ‘other man.’”

“Don’t worry. I’ll take full responsibility. No one will photograph you.”

Fu Jiaxi’s laughter slowly faded. Softly, she asked, “So, Yue Jincheng, do you regret it?”

“Regret what?” Yue Jincheng frowned.

“Not approving my resignation.”

“No regrets,” Yue Jincheng insisted stubbornly. “You were leaving me anyway. I’m not some benevolent Buddha, and you’re not part of my job. I couldn’t remain rational or exercise restraint.”

Fu Jiaxi asked, “Anything else?”

Yue Jincheng’s emotions, once unleashed, left him feeling drained. He spoke softly, “Jiaxi, I do regret it. Really, why couldn’t I just endure a little? I understand—you absolutely have the right to choose, whether it’s life, marriage, family, or career. You should maintain a clear sense of ‘self.’ You have the right to reach any destination you desire, even if it means sacrificing exclusivity along the way. I understand, I truly do. But I still lost control and became greedy… I wanted to be part of your ‘self,’ not something discarded in the name of exclusivity.”

Fu Jiaxi was momentarily stunned. Slowly, tears welled up in her eyes.

“You never told me these things.”

“A man who’s already made one mistake shouldn’t say too much. I didn’t want to be despised further.”

“So you gave up, willingly becoming the ‘other man’ rather than swallowing your pride?”

“It’s not that I wasn’t willing,” Yue Jincheng fell silent, regretting his misstep. “I never imagined Yu Yanqing would be so capable, winning you over in just over a month.”

His voice was bitter, his throat tight. “He’s indeed outstanding, exceptionally talented. The sense of crisis he instilled in me has existed since the first time we met.”

Women’s intuition is sharp; men are no different.

“So…” Fu Jiaxi’s tone lifted playfully, seemingly satisfied with his heartfelt confession, though one thing still puzzled her. “What exactly did Yu Yanqing say to you?”

Why bring him up again?

Yue Jincheng snapped impatiently, “Would he pass up such a perfect opportunity to flaunt his victory?”

“He didn’t stay long yesterday. When did he talk to you?”

“When you went with Grandma to the ancestral hall to copy sutras, he said he was going to feed the fish. It was in the corridor outside the courtyard.”

The corridor?

Fu Jiaxi suddenly remembered.

She laughed. “Don’t you remember? Last year, during the Spring Festival, on the first day of the lunar year, also in the corridor, what did you do?”

Yue Jincheng’s brow furrowed slightly. “Of course I remember. Every time you kissed me, I kept a record.”

“Nonsense. Every time, it was you who kissed me.” Fu Jiaxi pouted slightly. “I should’ve made you wait a few more days, ruined your New Year.”

Yue Jincheng caught the subtext. “Hmm?”

“Last year, you deliberately provoked Yu Yanqing by kissing me in front of him, ruining his New Year. A trader of his caliber has unparalleled patience and a blacklist that remembers everything. Don’t you think this evens the score?”

Of course, it wasn’t exactly honorable behavior—two thirty-something men acting childish. Fu Jiaxi couldn’t be bothered to comment.

“…”

Yue Jincheng seriously considered commissioning a plaque or sewing a banner for Mr. Yu.

Fu Jiaxi felt relieved. After being ignored for a month or two, her heart had grown heavy.

She rose from the bed, kneeling halfway, and reached out to pinch his cheek. “What’s with that expression? Planning to eat someone?”

“Nope, too full. Already eaten my fill.” His words sounded like a non sequitur, not entirely serious.

Fu Jiaxi was still savoring the moment, genuinely marveling. “Yue Jincheng, your moral底线 is lower than I ever imagined.”

Yue Jincheng glanced at her. “Hmm, learned something new? How will you thank me?”

“Of course, I must thank you. So… every two months, we’ll meet at the top suite of President Yue’s Hotel H. Remember, the condoms are self-funded.” Fu Jiaxi winked slyly.

Yue Jincheng chuckled, admitting defeat.

He looked at Fu Jiaxi. “Once a month works, or even once every six months. Whether we remarry depends on you, Jiaxi. I respect all your decisions.”

Fu Jiaxi’s voice trembled slightly. “So indulgent, President Yue.”

“This isn’t much. You deserve to live better, to experience the life you want, to climb higher without looking back.”

Yue Jincheng lowered his head, gently ruffling her hair. His gaze was like honey flowing slowly. “Your choice to marry and have children wasn’t meant to burden your life. If you still hesitate and waver in the face of what you truly want, then it’s my failure as a man.”

Fu Jiaxi’s nose tingled, her eyes misty with unshed tears.

Yue Jincheng’s calloused fingertip pressed against the corner of her moist eye. “Jiaxi, I truly love you. I don’t need you to cook or become anyone’s accessory. You’re so wonderful, so incredibly wonderful. You should explore more possibilities in life. You might encounter renewal, or you might suffer from human nature’s flaws. It doesn’t matter. Whenever you look back, I’ll always be here.”

The grand stages of life are inevitably swept away by wind and rain.

When the fog clears, those who stray see towering mountains.

You shouldn’t stop. Instead, chase the moon once more with all your heart.