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As the year-end approached, most companies had already given their employees an early holiday, but Shuo and the law firm hadn’t yet. Today was the last day of work, and everyone finally had something to look forward to.
The morning alarm rang as usual. Zou Lexiao instinctively pulled the blanket over her head, wanting to steal a couple more minutes of sleep.
In the law firm’s group chat, messages were flooding in non-stop.
Coupled with the buzzing alarm, the vibration from her phone on the bedside table pierced straight through her eardrums.
Zou Lexiao threw off the blanket, brushed her hair back, and grabbed her phone.
In the group chat, the managing director of the law firm, He Junshuo, who rarely chimed in, posted: [“Here’s your year-end bonus—two things: First, it’s snowing heavily today, so you can come in by 10 a.m. Second, there’s an extra New Year’s gift—a set of cosmetics, custom-designed with a cherry blossom theme. As our female colleagues would say, the packaging is gorgeous. Our male colleagues can take the gift boxes home for their wives or girlfriends, and you’ll all have a smooth holiday.”]
The group chat exploded with “haha” responses.
A faint smile tugged at Zou Lexiao’s lips as her drowsiness slowly faded.
She didn’t interact much with Director He. The few times they’d met were in the law firm’s cafeteria, where they exchanged brief greetings. Her impression of him was that he was serious, nothing more.
She never expected him to have such a humorous side.
She loved anything cherry blossom-themed—even her notebooks had cherry blossom covers.
She wondered what kind of New Year’s gifts the firm usually handed out in previous years. Whatever it was, she assumed it was likely purchased to maintain client relationships, probably bought from some major clients.
That was her guess.
Many female colleagues in the group, hearing about the custom cherry blossom design, showered Director He with thanks.
Their excitement and enthusiasm practically radiated through the screen.
It seemed she wasn’t the only one who adored cherry blossom designs.
There were very few people immune to the charm of cherry blossoms.
Privately, the CFO asked He Junshuo: [“Director, will this payment be made after the New Year?”] So far, he hadn’t received any notice from the firm about purchasing cosmetic sets.
He Junshuo replied: [“No need for the firm to pay. I didn’t have time to mention it in the group.”]
Soon, he sent another group message: [“Regarding this year’s New Year’s gifts, it has nothing to do with our firm, nor did I personally foot the bill. It was a major client I’ve worked with before. He’s interested in pursuing one of our beautiful female lawyers here at the firm. Knowing she likes cherry blossom-themed cosmetic sets, he customized these sets for everyone.”]
The group chat erupted like a pot boiling over, with everyone speculating about which beautiful lawyer was being pursued.
There were several talented and elegant women in the firm, many of whom came from well-off families.
Zou Lexiao felt a twinge of envy, though she knew it wasn’t her.
In their social circle, she was notorious for being a spoiled princess. No one wanted to marry someone like her and deal with the headache. Besides, everyone knew she liked Yu Jingze.
In the past year or two, before she matured, the chances of anyone actively pursuing her were slim.
Several people in the group asked: [“Which major client?”]
He Junshuo: [“Let the beautiful lawyer being pursued reveal it herself. She knows who it is.”]
Sure enough, it had nothing to do with her.
Since they could arrive at the law firm two hours later than usual, Zou Lexiao turned her phone to silent and planned to catch a quick nap.
But no matter how much she tossed and turned, she couldn’t fall asleep after half an hour.
For no apparent reason, she began to envy the colleague at the firm who was being pursued.
After this Spring Festival, if she met a suitable guy around her age, she considered starting a relationship. Maybe she wouldn’t love him deeply at first, but perhaps over time, she might grow to really like him.
It had been a month and a half since her last conversation with Yu Jingze in the verification box.
During that time, she hadn’t visited her second brother’s house either.
Her heart felt empty, unsure of what to fill it with.
When she wasn’t busy, she still thought of him.
________________________________________
At the Yu family home, everyone was having breakfast.
Even though it was the holiday season, their biological clocks kept them waking up at roughly the same time as usual.
Today, Yu Qing and Fu Jichen had also joined them, mainly to discuss Yu Jingze’s lifelong happiness.
“Dad, how’s it going? Did you handle everything?” Yu Qing asked, concerned.
Yu Shaohong nodded: “It’s done. I’ve recorded the cost of the custom cosmetic sets. Later, I’ll have Yu Jingze repay me with interest.”
Last month, after Yu Jingze went on a business trip, Yu Qing called a family meeting. Everyone unanimously agreed that Yu Jingze liked Zou Lexiao.
However, Yu Jingze had too many concerns, and his reaction time was slow. If he waited until he took the initiative to pursue her, Zou Lexiao’s child might end up calling him “Uncle.”
Yu Qing came up with a plan. She suggested that Yu Shaohong contact his childhood friend, He Junshuo, who specialized in divorce cases, for help. Yu Shaohong would cover the costs while Yu Qing helped coordinate. They customized a set of gift boxes and distributed them as New Year’s gifts to everyone at the law firm.
Later, when Yu Jingze and Zou Lexiao got together, they would realize that it was Yu Jingze who had made the grand gesture of ordering the sets.
In the past, Zou Lexiao had lost face and pride; now, she could regain some of it.
Another benefit was that it would push Yu Jingze a little.
“Did Qin Yu send pictures of the cosmetics to your ‘Playboy’ group?” Yu Qing asked Fu Jichen.
Fu Jichen glanced at his phone, “Yeah, he did.”
Qin Yu had already arrived at the law firm and taken photos of the hundreds of cosmetic gift boxes stacked in the lobby, posting them in a friend group.
Someone asked Qin Yu: [“What’s going on? Are clients using cosmetics to pay legal fees?”]
Qin Yu replied: [“No. Someone is pursuing Zou Lexiao, and we’re all benefiting from it. That person customized a set for everyone in our firm.”]
He specifically tagged Yu Jingze: [“Is it you? Such a grand gesture—to give her a gift, you even gave everyone in the firm one. This New Year, Zou Lexiao has received blessings from the entire firm. You’ve really thought this through.”]
Yu Jingze remained silent. These gift boxes weren’t his doing.
He privately messaged Qin Yu: [“Someone is pursuing Zou Lexiao?”]
Qin Yu: [“Yeah. Not you?”]
Yu Jingze: [“No. I’m abroad.”]
Qin Yu: [“Alright then, I won’t bother you.”]
He casually forwarded the message to Yu Qing: [“I’ve already pushed Yu Jingze. As for the effect, it’s hard to say.”]
Yu Qing: [“The effect will definitely be good. He’s probably clutching his chest right now.”]
She put down her phone and continued eating breakfast. “Dad, when my brother finally gets together with Zou Lexiao, I need to ask them for compensation. It’s not easy helping them out like this.”
She had to cater to their preferences to ensure the romance, restore Zou Lexiao’s dignity, and push Yu Jingze to take the leap.
Speaking of help, she reminded her father, “Uncle He and Qin Yu were a great help this time. Let’s treat them to dinner during the Spring Festival.”
Yu Shaohong waved his hand dismissively, “No need. Those two scammed me into getting a few extra cosmetic sets.”
Yu Qing: [“...”]
“Qin Yu asking for more makes sense, but what does Uncle He need them for?” Uncle He was currently single. Perhaps after marrying so many times, he found it meaningless, so he hadn’t sought a partner in recent years.
Yu Shaohong: [“He said he’d give them all to Qin Yu, who can give them to his girlfriend to last two years.”]
As they chatted, Yu Qing’s phone vibrated. “It’s my brother. He finally couldn’t hold back.”
Fu Jichen: [“What did he say?”]
Yu Qing: [“He asked if I’ve been following any stars with my sister recently.”]
She replied: [“Nope, been busy with year-end stuff.”]
In reality, she knew Yu Jingze was indirectly asking if she’d been star-chasing with Zou Lexiao lately and whether she knew about Zou Lexiao’s current situation.
Yu Jingze gazed out the window as the sun was just rising.
He was currently in Shanghai. The flight from abroad had landed yesterday, and he was attending a meeting at the Shanghai branch. He would return to Beijing on an evening flight today.
He heard that it was snowing heavily in Beijing, while here in Shanghai, the skies were clear and cloudless.
Originally planning to adjust to the time difference, he now felt wide awake.
He didn’t know exactly when it started, but a certain牵挂 grew increasingly clear in his mind.
Yu Qing had once told him that Zou Lexiao liked Beijing because he was there. At the time, he believed her, but now he realized she was just saying it to make him happy.
She stayed because of Fu Jichen.
Now, he realized that among all the cities, he still wanted to stay in Beijing the most.
________________________________________
At a little past eight, Zou Lexiao left her house.
The streets were filled with the festive atmosphere of the upcoming New Year, yet these days were also among the quietest in Beijing.
Today, there wasn’t much to do at the office—just pick up the cosmetic sets, attend a meeting, clean their respective work areas, and chat about gossip while tidying up their desks.
It was a rare moment of relaxation.
“Lexiao, which rich second-generation heir is pursuing you?” a colleague teased.
Zou Lexiao smiled, “Not me.”
“You beauties are so low-key. I asked two others, and they both said it wasn’t them either.”
Zou Lexiao wanted to explain that it wasn’t about being low-key—it was that no one was willing to put in the effort to pursue her. Even if someone did, they’d buy her a gift directly instead of going through the trouble of giving gifts to the entire firm.
By three in the afternoon, colleagues began leaving one by one. Some had bought tickets to return home for the evening. With nothing left to do at the office, Zou Lexiao picked up her gift box and the New Year’s wishes, then decided to leave early as well.
While waiting for the elevator, she bumped into Yu Fei.
“They said you denied it. Is it really not you?” Even Yu Fei was curious and couldn’t resist asking.
Zou Lexiao joked, “If it were me, wouldn’t I be bragging about it? I’d have posted it on social media already.”
She changed the subject. “Are you traveling for the New Year?”
Yu Fei shook her head. “My son has tutoring classes, so we can’t go. I’m too lazy to travel anyway. I’ll just stay home, relax, watch TV, and scroll through my phone.”
She asked, “What about you? Any plans to go out?”
Zou Lexiao hadn’t made any plans. She couldn’t muster any interest in anything. When her younger sister invited her to Fashion Week, she declined, citing busyness.
“My plans are similar to yours—catching up on sleep at home.”
She wanted to visit the little fish seedlings, but she was afraid of running into Yu Jingze and making him uncomfortable.
Once Yu Jingze got married, she wouldn’t be able to visit whenever she wanted.
Downstairs, Zou Lexiao bid farewell to Yu Fei.
She sat alone in her car for a while, then opened the gift box. Its beauty was almost surreal. This kind of surprise had never belonged to her.
She was merely an observer, witnessing someone else’s happiness.
When she got home, her parents were still busy at work.
Zou Lexiao changed into a thick down jacket and headed out. Being alone at home made her prone to overthinking, so she decided to walk to the bank to pick up her dad after work.
Previously, when she pretended to be Yu Jingze’s girlfriend to arrange a date, she lied to her dad, saying she had to work overtime. In the end, her dad prepared a late-night snack and delivered it to the office, only to find no one there.
She still felt guilty about it, so this time, she figured it would make up for it.
The snow on the sidewalk hadn’t been cleared yet, leaving behind several sets of footprints, varying in depth.
Zou Lexiao avoided the paths others had walked and stayed close to the inner edge, creating a fresh set of footprints. Her snow boots crunched softly against the snow.
A journey that usually took nearly an hour by car took her just over half an hour on foot today.
“Zou Lexiao.”
A magnetic and familiar voice called from behind her.
The air was crisp and cold after the snowfall, making his voice sound especially pleasant.
Like a dream, Zou Lexiao turned around abruptly.
Yu Jingze’s car had slowly pulled over to the side of the road. He stepped out, closing the car door behind him.
The wind was strong, and he used one hand to button up his trench coat before walking toward her.
Some feelings of longing surge uncontrollably in a single moment, washing away the last remnants of rationality and restraint, breaking through barriers like a flood.
She still liked him, still missed him so much.
Yu Jingze crossed the road and approached.
Ahead lay the Yu Family Bank building, a necessary stop for picking up her father after work.
Fearing he might misunderstand, Zou Lexiao quickly explained, “I’m here to meet my dad.”
Yu Jingze nodded. He hadn’t assumed she was waiting there for him. He had changed his flight last minute, and no one knew. “On vacation?” he asked.
His question felt redundant—if she weren’t on vacation, she wouldn’t have the time to stroll here.
Zou Lexiao: “Mm, just got off today.”
Out of politeness, she asked, “What about you?”
Yu Jingze: “We got off yesterday, but some people still have to work shifts.” He had just returned from the airport and hadn’t expected to run into her.
Right now, there was one thing he desperately wanted to know: “Are you with that university classmate of yours?”
Zou Lexiao: [“...”]
He sounded like an elder caring for her, so eager to see her married off.
He even stopped his car halfway to confirm the news, greeting her proactively.
To put his mind completely at ease, after a few seconds of struggle, she forced a painful nod. “He treats me exceptionally well. I think we can make it work, so I accepted him. Thank you for your concern, President Yu.”
Yu Jingze wasn’t sure if it was the biting cold of Beijing’s wind or if he hadn’t dressed warmly enough, but he shivered involuntarily.
After a long pause, he said, “That’s good.”
Zou Lexiao managed a faint smile, unable to say another word.
She waved at him and turned to walk away.
After a few steps, she pulled up the hood of her down jacket, zipped it all the way up, covering her mouth.
Years of unspoken affection and admiration melted away like snowflakes falling to the ground.
Many years later, aside from herself, no one would remember.
Yu Jingze watched the direction she left in, her figure gradually fading into the distance, eventually becoming a blurry dot.
Only at this moment did he fully realize the weight of his attachment and affection.
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