Psst! We're moving!
It was almost eleven o’clock. Yu Jingxin saved her file. She hadn’t been able to focus much that morning, often stealing glances at Ji Qingyuan.
He sat quietly across from her, flipping through the promotional materials for their bank’s financial derivatives.
“Where should we have lunch?” she asked for his opinion.
Ji Qingyuan closed the brochure. “Let’s eat in your company cafeteria.”
It was still a bit early for lunch, so Yu Jingxin casually browsed through her computer, contemplating which dress to wear to his office later.
Ji Qingyuan leaned back in his chair, aimlessly scrolling through his phone.
Without meaning to, he glanced up and saw Yu Jingxin lost in thought as she stared at her computer screen.
From this angle, it reminded him of the first time he had seen her photo. Using his sister’s description of a screenplay heroine, he would call her appearance “stunning beauty.”
When he met her in person, his sister described her as a “nine-out-of-ten” beauty. He didn’t know what the standard for nine points was, but in his eyes, Yu Jingxin was a perfect ten—flawless in every way.
Except for the fact that she didn’t love him.
That, perhaps, was where she lost a point.
Ji Qingyuan stared at her for a moment before pushing himself up from his seat. Leaning across the desk, he kissed her.
Yu Jingxin was startled by the sudden kiss. Her body instinctively tried to pull back, but Ji Qingyuan held her shoulders firmly. He kissed her forehead, her nose bridge, the tip of her nose, then her chin, and finally returned to her eyes.
Yu Jingxin: “Are you trying to make a baby again?”
In an instant, the mood was ruined.
Ji Qingyuan: “Can’t I just kiss you?” He ruffled her hair forcefully. “If you want to kiss me, feel free to do so anytime. I promise I won’t be like you, deliberately causing trouble.”
Yu Jingxin: “….”
She couldn’t decipher his line of thinking, but it was true that he coveted her looks. It was simply male instinct and nature.
________________________________________
At eleven-thirty, Yu Jingxin took Ji Qingyuan to the cafeteria. She had a private dining room with chefs preparing meals tailored to her preferences.
Two chefs were assigned to cook for her, and their salaries were paid separately by her father. This led to rumors that she even brought chefs with her on business trips.
But it wasn’t just her—her younger sister, Yu Qing, was also picky. If the food wasn’t good, Yu Qing would rather starve than eat. However, Yu Qing didn’t spend money on hiring two chefs.
Instead, she asked her father to convert the chefs’ salaries into cash and spent it all herself.
The dishes arrived, and Ji Qingyuan tasted a few bites. They were no less impressive than the best restaurants in Beijing—and this was just her everyday meal. His private restaurant was currently recruiting chefs; clearly, he’d need to scout talent with high salaries.
“How did you become so picky?” Ji Qingyuan wondered. Even his own sister wasn’t as particular as Yu Jingxin. His sister was spoiled by the whole family, but Yu Jingxin wasn’t.
Thinking about this, he glanced at her again.
Yu Jingxin spoke with a calm tone. “When I was little, I thought that if I didn’t eat properly, my parents would both sit down to eat with me and wouldn’t separate.”
Back then, she was too young to understand what divorce meant.
She only hoped her parents would stay together instead of her father being with another woman or her mother with another man.
Later, she realized it made no difference. Even if she refused to eat, nothing changed.
Her father assumed she didn’t eat because she was picky, so he hired chefs to prepare various dishes for her. When hunger became unbearable, she started eating.
Ji Qingyuan suddenly didn’t know what to say. He felt sorry for her. He decided to be more accommodating and not lose his temper with her. If she wanted to take advantage of him, so be it.
As long as she stopped saying things that hurt his pride, he could endure anything.
In truth, he had already treated her well enough—driving her to work and asking her for 520 yuan.
He asked her, “Do you want to go shopping this afternoon?”
Yu Jingxin shook her head. If he was working overtime, she wanted to keep him company.
Ji Qingyuan didn’t push. “Then come with me to the company.”
He tried to find a light-hearted topic to discuss. “Tell me about your sister. She spends money as soon as she gets it. I wonder if Yu Jingze took her shopping yesterday.”
He added kindly, “At this rate, only a fool would marry her.”
Yu Jingxin: “….”
She retorted, “Did you marry me because I don’t spend money?”
Ji Qingyuan had a ready answer. “I only found out later how stingy you are. After being married for so long, you’ve only spent thirty yuan on me.”
Yu Jingxin reminded him, “I transferred you five hundred and fifty.”
Ji Qingyuan: “….”
He gestured toward her plate. “Eat.”
Yu Jingxin fell silent, afraid her words might hurt him.
________________________________________
After the meal, Yu Jingxin returned to the lounge to start applying makeup. She replicated the look she had worn during their blind date, including choosing a dress in a similar style.
Ji Qingyuan waited outside in the office. It was the first time he had waited specifically for a woman to finish her makeup and change clothes—it felt like waiting for a long-awaited date.
Because of the prospect of having a child, he and Yu Jingxin had unconsciously grown closer.
After so many years of marriage, this was the first time they had reached an unspoken understanding and agreement on something.
If only today could be the first day of their marriage—no arguments, just sharing a meal together.
Forty minutes later, Yu Jingxin finally emerged from the lounge.
The moment she stepped out, Ji Qingyuan was momentarily stunned. His expression faltered slightly before he regained composure. He didn’t want to appear overly smitten. “You look much better like this.”
Yu Jingxin had expected him to compliment her further, but when he didn’t, she let it go.
She picked up her bag and left with him.
In the elevator, Ji Qingyuan used his height advantage to steal glances at her from time to time.
His gaze lingered on her shoes. “Starting tomorrow, stop wearing high heels.”
Yu Jingxin: “I know.”
He was overstepping his boundaries.
The ride to Ji Shiguang Group remained quiet.
Yu Jingxin didn’t know what to talk about with Ji Qingyuan, so she turned on the car stereo. At least it filled the silence somewhat.
Both of them were lost in their thoughts.
In less than twenty minutes, the car pulled up directly in front of the Ji Shiguang Group building.
Despite the short distance, this was the first time Yu Jingxin had visited after being married for so long.
The security guard noticed a car parked right in front of the entrance and hurried over to signal the driver to move it. Though he didn’t recognize the license plate, the consecutive numbers suggested wealth and status.
Before the guard reached the car, the person stepping out of the driver’s seat was none other than the boss himself.
Yu Jingxin also unbuckled her seatbelt and got out. “Why didn’t we park in the underground parking lot?”
Ji Qingyuan: “Since I’m not working today, it doesn’t matter where we park.”
Yu Jingxin didn’t think much of it and followed him into the building.
Finally arriving at Ji Qingyuan’s office, Yu Jingxin breathed a sigh of relief. She had felt tense being watched by others along the way.
Ji Qingyuan closed and locked the door behind them.
Yu Jingxin discreetly observed his office. The decor was similar to his home study—cool tones, minimalist yet luxurious.
Ji Qingyuan removed his suit jacket. “I need a nap. Come join me.” He woke up early every day and usually took a one-hour nap in the afternoon.
For some reason, Yu Jingxin instinctively resisted going into his rest area. “No, I’ll just sit here. You sleep.”
“You don’t usually nap?”
“I do.”
“Not tired today?”
“….”
Yu Jingxin still refused. She sat down on the sofa.
Ji Qingyuan looked at her. “What’s wrong now?”
Yu Jingxin: “Nothing.”
Ji Qingyuan placed his hands on her shoulders. “I promise I won’t do anything. Just rest for a bit.”
Yu Jingxin looked up. “Don’t force me. What I might say next could ruin your mood.”
Ji Qingyuan felt confused. “Then let it ruin my mood.”
Yu Jingxin: “….”
Perhaps, she shouldn’t have come at all.
At the time, she had only thought about spending more time with him and forgot that someone else frequently came here. Halfway through the journey, she had already regretted it, but suddenly refusing to come would have sparked another argument between them.
She was tired of their cold wars, especially when he said those emotionless words that made him feel like a stranger to her.
Ji Qingyuan stared at her, his tone sharp. “Go ahead and say it. You’re used to ruining moods anyway. Does it matter one more time?”
Yu Jingxin stood up. “You rest. I’m leaving.”
She grabbed her bag and headed for the door.
Ji Qingyuan wanted to tell her, If you leave, don’t come back.
But he couldn’t bring himself to say it.
He quickly caught up to her and pulled her into his arms. “Tell me what’s bothering you. Let me fix whatever’s wrong.”
Yu Jingxin tried to calm herself down, softening her words as much as possible. “Can I stay home while you work overtime? I’ll keep you company there.”
Ji Qingyuan: “Why suddenly want to go home?”
Yu Jingxin pressed her lips together, pausing for a long moment. “Only you and I are at home.”
Initially, Ji Qingyuan interpreted her words literally. “Are you afraid of seeing people?” Then, realization dawned on him.
He grew irritated. He realized she was... nitpicking everything. Was he supposed to demolish the entire building and rebuild it just because Leng Wenning had visited Ji Shiguang Group before?
He chose to overlook it, pretending she was just possessive and jealous. He wouldn’t hold it against her.
“I’ll replace the elevator and move my office upstairs.”
He negotiated with her. “Can you at least lie down on the bed for now? That bed is yours.” He glanced at the floor. “I don’t know which part she stepped on. If you’re really uncomfortable, I’ll carry you later.”
Yu Jingxin: “….”
Suddenly, she felt completely at ease. Earlier, she had simply resisted lying on a bed someone else had used. Everything else didn’t matter anymore. “Forget it. Don’t change the elevator or the office. I don’t mind anymore.”
She turned and went into the rest area.
In the future, she vowed never to check that Weibo account again.
But deep down, she knew she wouldn’t be able to resist. Her hand always betrayed her intentions.
Ji Qingyuan stared at her back. One day, she would give him a heart attack.
He entered the rest area. “What’s going on with you?”
Yu Jingxin shook her head. “It’s intermittent. Don’t worry about me.” She lay face-down on his bed. “Ji Qingyuan, let me be quiet for a bit. I’m tired.”
Ji Qingyuan hummed in acknowledgment, deciding not to press further.
Truthfully, he was tired too.
He didn’t know what had kept him going for so long. It wasn’t just love.
After a moment, he asked her, “Are you upset because you might be pregnant?”
Yu Jingxin: “… Just stop talking.”
Ji Qingyuan tucked her in with a blanket. “Once you’re pregnant, you can act however you want. I’ll consider it part of your pregnancy symptoms and enjoy your ten months of drama.”
Yu Jingxin’s lips curved slightly. Her earlier bad mood dissipated entirely. Perhaps he really was slowly letting go of the past and wanted to live a peaceful life with her.
She should also put aside her biases and work together with him to conceive a baby.
Life with three people wouldn’t be so bad, would it?
Even if, at the beginning, he didn’t love her.
Ji Qingyuan didn’t sleep and didn’t leave the rest area.
Yu Jingxin didn’t know when she had fallen asleep, but she slept soundly.
Three weeks later, Yu Jingxin finally put her pregnancy test strips to use. She stayed in the bathroom for a long time before coming out, her legs numb from standing. She tested several times, and each time, there were two lines.
She sent Ji Qingyuan a message: [Congratulations. You’re going to be a dad.]