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Psst! We're moving!
◎The direction I prefer is upward growth.◎
That night, Fu Jiaxi told him about her life over the past two months.
She spoke of her work, which had been more fulfilling than ever before.
She attended a fifteen-day closed training session at the Shanghai Futures Exchange and Guangzhou Exchange. She told him about her trip to London and shared photos—Tower Bridge, Buckingham Palace, and many other places in the city.
Yue Jincheng paused on the photo of St. Paul’s Cathedral and stated confidently, “This was taken by Yu Yanqing.”
“How do you know?” she asked.
“The angle clearly suggests it was taken secretly.”
“Not secretly—grab shot,” Fu Jiaxi corrected him with precision, rejecting his biased phrasing.
Yue Jincheng snorted dismissively.
“He’s such a coward.”
Fu Jiaxi shot him a sidelong glance. “You think everyone is like you, bold enough to fall into a morally questionable abyss with someone who has a boyfriend.”
Yue Jincheng remained silent.
“Are you mad?” she asked.
“No,” he replied. “I’m reflecting.”
“…”
Fu Jiaxi chuckled. “I should’ve recorded this. I’ll forward it to your entire company email list.”
Yue Jincheng seemed unfazed. “Sure, go ahead. Announce it to everyone. Then they’ll all know I’m your lover.”
Fu Jiaxi’s cheeks flushed. “What lover? We’re already parents.”
“Even if you become a grandmother, I’ll still love you,” Yue Jincheng said.
Their conversation was mundane, sincere, and slightly boring yet immature, like a candle flickering in the dark, slowing the flow of air, with their eyes and hearts filled with each other.
Fu Jiaxi asked, “What about you? Have you been doing well?”
“If you’re asking this way, you must’ve heard somewhere that I haven’t been doing well,” Yue Jincheng smiled. “Tell me, what have you heard?”
“That you didn’t let Yue Yunzong return to Jincheng, preventing him from reuniting with his son. That you were disobedient and unfilial to your father. And there are even rumors that your father’s declining health in recent years is because you used extreme measures.”
Fu Jiaxi remembered every word related to him without missing a single detail.
“Your aunt and uncle had their project funding chain break, causing delays. Your cousin also keeps getting into trouble. A casual affair resulted in the woman showing up pregnant, demanding recognition as the father.”
Fu Jiaxi had gathered these stories from others, worrying so much that she couldn’t sleep for several nights.
Outsiders talk without knowing the truth, spreading rumors carelessly.
Unexpectedly, Yue Jincheng simply said, “Yes.”
Fu Jiaxi was stunned. “Ah.”
“Yue Puhui enjoyed a lifetime of glory but forgot how he built his empire. Since he doesn’t hold any affection for my mother, why should he expect smooth sailing now? As for his declining health, perhaps even heaven disapproves—it can’t let him have everything.”
Yue Jincheng’s gaze turned icy, like a razor-sharp blade honed to perfection, thin as a cicada’s wing, deadly in its subtlety.
“Yue Yunzong volunteered to take charge in South China, so he should’ve been prepared. As a member of the Yue family, it’s normal for him to endure hardship and sacrifice. Among us three brothers, Shao Heng loves outdoor activities and has broken his arm rock climbing and fractured his leg surfing. As for me, I went to America alone as a teenager. If I didn’t die abroad, I at least shed two layers of skin. Yunzong had the happiest first half of his life, basking in our father’s favor and thinking highly of himself. As brothers, we share both joys and hardships. Once the good times are over, it’s time to face some difficulties. It’s only fair that he deals with his own mess.”
Yue Jincheng sneered with disdain.
There was an underlying meaning in his words, chilling upon deeper reflection.
But Fu Jiaxi wouldn’t play the role of a saint, trying to persuade him to let go of his grudge out of misguided kindness.
The grievances ran deep, not something that could be erased with a stroke of a pen or a few words.
Fu Jiaxi simply said, “If you think it’s fine, then everything is fine.”
Yue Jincheng smiled. “With you here, I feel fine.”
Having a companion in life is like clinking glasses with oneself—a tender-hearted deity celebrating together.
________________________________________
Fu Jiaxi’s Spring Festival holiday was short, and she soon had to head to New York to meet up with Yu Yanqing. Yu Yanqing was negotiating interest rate hedging cooperation on foreign debt with Morgan Stanley and needed her assistance.
The night before her departure, she stayed at Yue Jincheng’s Sandalwood Mansion.
She had organized several large categories of materials, all in English.
Yue Jincheng flipped through a few volumes—the language was highly professional.
Fu Jiaxi’s English hadn’t been particularly strong before, but in just two years, she had self-studied to reach this level—it was clear she had put in tremendous effort.
He lifted his head, his gaze falling on her with admiration, appreciation, affection, and respect.
Fu Jiaxi was on an international call with her counterpart. Her spoken English was fluent, her expressions natural and poised.
He had to admit that after leaving Bai Feng, her knowledge, mindset, and abilities had grown exponentially, far surpassing her past self.
Yue Jincheng also realized he wasn’t as devastated as he once thought he’d be.
Instead, he felt genuinely happy—happiness from the bottom of his heart.
Look, this was his lover, the mother of his child, the person he had chosen at first sight to spend his life with.
How perceptive of him!
After ending the call, Fu Jiaxi noticed his prolonged gaze. “You’ve been staring at me for a while. What’s wrong? Is there a bug on my clothes?”
She looked down and checked herself with raised hands.
The next moment, she was pulled into Yue Jincheng’s embrace.
His hot breath tickled her hair, and his steady heartbeat faltered momentarily when she reached around his waist.
He closed his eyes and sighed deeply. “I want to retire already.”
“Alright,” Fu Jiaxi laughed. “Retire. I’ll take care of you.”
Yue Jincheng chuckled softly. “I’m easy to take care of. Simple food will do.”
Fu Jiaxi naturally continued, “Three meals a day.”
“Through all four seasons.”
Fu Jiaxi tilted her head slightly, raising an eyebrow. “With whom?”
“With you.”
…
Yue Jincheng had an important meeting the next day, so he couldn’t drive her to the airport and sent the driver instead.
Fu Jiaxi accepted willingly.
The love between two adults seemed to transcend mere romance.
It carried an unspoken understanding and boundaries—respecting one’s own limits while also measuring the other’s.
Her direct flight was scheduled for 4 PM.
Fu Jiaxi planned to leave at 1:30.
Right after lunch, she received an unexpected phone call.
At the airport, T3 Departure Level.
International flights had relatively fewer passengers, and the café on the second floor was quiet.
“I don’t have much time for you,” Fu Jiaxi glanced at her watch. “Fifteen minutes, tops.”
Wan Yu: “Isn’t your flight at 4?”
There was still over an hour left.
Fu Jiaxi: “Why do you assume everyone should accommodate you? I do have plenty of time, but it depends on who it is.”
Wan Yu realized.
It wasn’t that she didn’t have time to chat more—it was that she only deemed him worthy of fifteen minutes.
Wan Yu felt awkward, his hands fidgeting uncomfortably against the coffee cup.
Fu Jiaxi didn’t beat around the bush. “What do you want?”
Wan Yu fell silent for a few seconds before lifting his head. “Ask Brother Yue to keep an eye on Jia recently.”
Fu Jiaxi frowned.
Wan Yu: “The day before yesterday, Yue Yunzong returned to Jincheng briefly. I overheard him making a call—it seemed like… but I’m not sure. His intentions—do they really involve Jia? In any case, stay vigilant.”
Fu Jiaxi’s expression changed instantly, and instinctively, she stood up.
“You don’t need to rush!” Wan Yu stood up as well, stopping her. “Yue Yunzong only returned to the company this morning. If he really wanted to do something, it wouldn’t be so quick, and he’s not that stupid.”
Fu Jiaxi sneered coldly, “Do you think I’d believe you?”
Wan Yu pouted, “Alright, alright. Then tell Brother Yue yourself.”
Fu Jiaxi scrutinized her for a few seconds, then sat back down.
She raised her phone slightly—the recording page was still running.
Wan Yu looked astonished.
Only then did Fu Jiaxi press the stop button and send the recording to Yue Jincheng.
“You, you…” Wan Yu struggled to process her emotions in that moment.
“I will never take any chances when it comes to my son’s safety. Although I’m not particularly interested in you—or maybe this is part of your scheme to play the victim and gain sympathy—I still need to confirm everything.”
Wan Yu suddenly felt defeated and lost, her voice faint. “Sister Jiaxi, I’ve always envied you.”
Fu Jiaxi’s attention was on her phone, but she glanced up at her briefly.
“Since the time I first met Yue Yunzong, I’ve heard about you.” Wan Yu paused, then asked, “Don’t you want to know what others think of you?”
Fu Jiaxi said, “If you want to say it, go ahead. If not, I don’t care. Just a reminder—there are twelve minutes left.”
Wan Yu sniffled, her expression even more desolate.
She was so confident and unbothered—it was clear she didn’t care about others’ opinions.
“Compared to me, your reputation is much better.”
Fu Jiaxi chuckled softly. “What kind of reputation is this? What use is such a reputation? Can it earn me money or give me a raise? These empty titles—when you care too much about them, they control you. When you focus too much on them, you forget who you are.”
Wan Yu’s eyes reddened. “I can’t do it. I’m not as capable as you.”
“It’s not that you can’t—it’s that you made your own choices,” Fu Jiaxi said calmly. “Even if life falls apart, you can still find beauty in solitude. To integrate into this world, you must first reconcile with yourself. If you reverse priorities, how can you expect things to go well?”
Wan Yu’s tears fell as she wiped them away with a tissue. “Jiaxi, I’m serious. I apologize to you and Jia. I’m sorry—I hurt both of you.”
At that moment, Yue Jincheng replied to her message.
[Everything is fine. Rest assured.]
Fu Jiaxi finally relaxed and turned back to Wan Yu. “This ‘sorry’ is well-deserved by me and Jia.”
Wan Yu shook her head, tears streaming down her face. “I don’t know what came over me. I was possessed by some evil thought. I like money, I crave luxury. I’m vain about being the second Mrs. Yue, obsessed with status… But Jiaxi, I truly, truly didn’t mean to hurt Jia.”
Fu Jiaxi said, “Whether intentional or not, the harm has been done. Saying this now—apart from hoping for my forgiveness to ease your guilt—does it serve any other purpose?”
Wan Yu fell silent in shame, her fingers gripping the coffee cup so tightly they turned pale.
A brief silence.
Fu Jiaxi sighed inwardly but didn’t want to push things too far. She said, “Since you have clear goals—to seek wealth and status—you’ll need to let go of some things. Wanting others to respect you while doing things that depend on others is contradictory. You won’t succeed at either. I accept your apology. From now on, take care of yourself.”
She stood up to leave.
Suddenly, Wan Yu spoke. “I’m getting a divorce from Yue Yunzong.”
Fu Jiaxi froze mid-motion, her gaze fixed on Wan Yu’s face.
Wan Yu smiled bitterly. “Surprised? When this thought first crossed my mind, I couldn’t believe it myself. But after thinking about it several times and facing it honestly, I found my answer.”
Fu Jiaxi curved her lips slightly. “Divorce is something… where you lose out.”
“Yue Yunzong has made me suffer—belittling me, cursing at me, mocking me. I’ve had enough.” Wan Yu shrugged. “Anyway, these past two years, I’ve benefited quite a bit from him. Those limited-edition bags and jewelry—I’ve already sold them all. With the money I have now, it’s enough for me to do what I want.”
Fu Jiaxi couldn’t help but feel a twinge of admiration for her. She asked, “What do you want to do?”
Wan Yu said, “Open a funeral goods shop. Selling paper offerings, coffins, and maybe offering Taoist rituals on the side.”
Fu Jiaxi laughed and nodded approvingly. “With the aging population, this could be a promising niche.”
Wan Yu lowered her gaze. “You might not believe it, but I truly, truly envy you. No wonder President Yue respects you so much. I’ll make you my role model.”
Fu Jiaxi said, “Wish you success.”
The airport announcement sounded, signaling boarding for the flight.
Outside, a gentle breeze accompanied the clear sky, the blue expanse almost surreal.
Fu Jiaxi paused, took a photo, and sent it to Yue Jincheng.
After a few minutes, Yue Jincheng replied: Everything went smoothly. I’ll pick you up when you return.
For quite some time, Fu Jiaxi hadn’t given him the chance.
After finishing her work in the U.S., she was sent to the London Stock Exchange for training. After completing the training, she traveled to South America, examining copper resources in Chile and negotiating basis profits with an iron ore company in Brazil. During the negotiations, Fu Jiaxi even found time to watch a European Cup match in Berlin.
On her way back, Fu Jiaxi admired a beautiful sunset and bought a cup of coffee to enjoy it in front of a church.
Free-spirited, independent, content, fulfilled.
This was the life she wanted.
Meanwhile…
Yue Jincheng grew increasingly impatient waiting. What was supposed to be a one-week trip stretched to ten days, then half a month, and now nearly a month had passed without a word.
Calling or video chatting with her required timing. Even Jiao Rui remarked that since Sister Jiaxi went abroad, the boss had been working overtime until the early hours more frequently.
Fu Jiaxi sent Yue Jincheng her location—it was London again.
Yue Jincheng panicked. “Another training session?”
Fu Jiaxi giggled, “Hehe.”
Yue Jincheng sighed. “So how long will this one last?”
“Fifteen days.”
“…”
Yue Jincheng couldn’t wait any longer. He booked the earliest available flight, even if it meant flying economy class. Too lazy to pack, he simply grabbed his phone, a stack of foreign currency, and left.
Thirteen hours of flying in V Airlines’ economy class was utterly excruciating. The narrow seating space was extremely unfriendly for someone of his height and long legs.
Yue Jincheng sat uncomfortably but thought of seeing her soon, which helped him endure the hardship with some humor.
Finally arriving at Heathrow Airport, London was rainy and windy today. Yue Jincheng almost turned into an ice sculpture.
He called Fu Jiaxi, imagining her surprised reaction.
After a few rings, she answered.
“Guess where I am?”
“Guess where I am?”
They both spoke at the same time, saying the exact same thing.
Yue Jincheng frowned, sensing something amiss.
“I’m in London.”
“I’m downstairs at Bai Feng.”
It was like an explosive sun, sparks flying everywhere, overpowering even the fierce winds of London.
Yue Jincheng was speechless.
Fu Jiaxi was close to tears.
“This, this, this—I wanted to surprise you.”
Yue Jincheng accepted the reality and found it amusing. He hummed, “Funny, I wanted to surprise you too.”
The two, eager to meet, had endured so much travel and effort, only to end up in a sweet, romantic misunderstanding.
Fu Jiaxi laughed softly. “Come back soon.”
Yue Jincheng feigned seriousness. “Wait a few more days. Since I’m here, there’s a project I need to oversee.”
Fu Jiaxi teased, “Then should I fly over?”
Yue Jincheng exclaimed, “No! Missing once was enough!”
Fu Jiaxi burst into laughter.
The meeting delayed by two days was filled with passion and longing.
Scattered trousers, skirts, socks trailed from the entrance to the bedroom.
On the bed, besides the two of them, everything else was superfluous. The sheets and blankets were pushed onto the carpet, but they weren’t entirely useless—they served as soft padding for when the couple rolled off the bed.
At the peak of intimacy, Fu Jiaxi tilted her head back, her neck elongated.
She thought, after all these years, Yue Jincheng still knew how to please her.
As dawn approached, a thin layer of light illuminated the room, soft like mist or silk.
Fu Jiaxi rose, unclothed, and gazed out the window at the melting spring snow.
The snow at this time was delicate, gentle, as if drawing a perfect conclusion to winter.
When Yue Jincheng opened his eyes, this was the scene before him.
Fu Jiaxi stood quietly by the window, her back to the light. Her figure was slender, her long hair cascading down her waist, like a treasure revealed in an opened jewel box.
She reached out and carefully wrote a character on the fogged-up window.
When Yue Jincheng saw it clearly, his heart swelled like spring rain nourishing the earth.
Yue.
Noticing movement, Fu Jiaxi turned around.
Their eyes met, and she smiled gently.
Yue Jincheng picked up a fleece blanket, walked over, and draped it over her shoulders.
One arm wrapped around her shoulder while the other reached out to the glass.
In this intimate, sentimental moment, small romantic gestures came naturally.
He was going to write her surname.
Fu Jiaxi assumed he would write it next to hers.
But instead, Yue Jincheng placed his finger directly above the character “Yue.”
Fu
Yue
Fu Jiaxi was puzzled but didn’t ask.
Yue Jincheng volunteered, “Does it look familiar?”
“Hmm?”
“Last night’s position.”
“…” Fu Jiaxi blushed slightly, annoyed. “Nonsense.”
Yue Jincheng’s chest trembled with laughter.
Fu Jiaxi huffed softly, “I thought you wanted to walk alongside me.”
Yue Jincheng said, “Of course we can walk side by side. But I think the direction you prefer is upward growth.”
Fu Jiaxi was stunned, her eyes slightly moist. “Aren’t you afraid I’ll fly away and never come back?”
“If that happens, it means you’ve met someone better. And if that day comes, it won’t be your fault—it’ll be mine. It’ll mean I haven’t worked hard enough, that I’m unworthy of you.”
Yue Jincheng smiled. “Of course, I absolutely won’t allow myself to make such a fatal mistake.”
Fu Jiaxi hugged him, resting her cheek against his chest.
By the window, the spring snow fell slowly, like rain.
In her ears, his heartbeat was strong and enveloping.
Yue Jincheng whispered, “I feel… I’m not holding you, the person.”
Fu Jiaxi chuckled softly. “Am I not a person?”
As dawn brightened, the faint glow on the wall turned a soft rose color.
Yue Jincheng kissed her hair, sincere and devout. “It’s you—the free and abundant soul.”
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