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Yu Jingxin wasn’t recounting these things to accuse Yu Jingze. She simply wanted to try communicating, bringing the issues they had always avoided but could never truly escape into the light of day.
Their father had said he wanted to relive the days they had missed, but with only Yu Qing pushing them forward from behind, their progress wouldn’t last long.
“It’s all in the past. I don’t blame you.”
Of course, there was still some lingering sadness and heartache.
After all, she was just an ordinary person—prone to jealousy and envy.
Yu Jingze set down his wine glass, turned slightly, and gently embraced Yu Jingxin.
He didn’t know how to express his feelings in words, so everything was conveyed through this hug.
Yu Jingxin accompanied Yu Jingze by drinking half a glass of red wine. When his glass was empty, he reached for the bottle again. She advised him, “It’s late. Pace yourself.”
Yu Jingze: “I’m waiting for Yu Qing to call. Otherwise, I have nothing to do.”
Yu Jingxin hit him where it hurt. “She won’t call you. Even if she’s awake, she won’t reply.”
Yu Jingze: “….”
He suddenly remembered their father’s advice—to recharge more to get hints.
He almost forgot that Yu Qing was a money-burning machine.
Yu Jingze transferred money to Yu Qing, hesitating briefly before sending a red envelope first to see if she’d accept it.
Since the amount in the red envelope couldn’t be seen, he sent 20 yuan.
Five minutes passed, and Yu Qing hadn’t accepted it.
Yu Jingxin noticed his screen activity. “Even if it’s the maximum amount for a red envelope, it’s only 200 yuan. That small amount probably isn’t enough to make her want to talk.”
Yu Jingze transferred 2,000 yuan, thinking that should be enough. A few words of advice wouldn’t take much of her time.
Yu Jingxin glanced at the amount. “Still uncertain.”
Yu Jingze brooded silently for a moment before asking her, “When Yu Qing helped you before, how much did you pay her?”
Yu Jingxin shook her head. “She even subsidized me. To cut off Wen Ning Media’s financing channels, she owed favors to so many people—you know that.”
This wasn’t just preferential treatment; it was outright disregard.
Yu Jingze, setting aside his jealousy, transferred another 20,000 yuan and waited quietly for Yu Qing to accept it.
This was the first time he encountered someone refusing to take his money.
He speculated that perhaps Yu Qing was waiting for him to transfer more.
Now it was a psychological battle—whichever of them could hold out longer would win.
Yu Jingze set his phone aside and swirled his wine glass.
Yu Jingxin, having drunk half a glass of red wine, didn’t dare drink more for fear of getting sleepy. She still had to wait for Ji Qingyuan to return.
Leaning on the bar counter, she watched Yu Jingze glance at his phone every now and then, his anxious wait making her feel sorry for him. She offered him a suggestion. “Why don’t you squeeze a bit more money out of Dad for Yu Qing?”
Yu Jingze thought it was feasible. He corrected her: “It’s not squeezing—it’s borrowing.” Though it was borrowing without repayment.
He messaged his father: [Dad, are you still busy?]
Yu Shaohong was also away on a business trip these past few days. [No. Playing a bit of games to pass the time.]
Yu Jingze: [Aren’t you going to ask if I’ve passed the level?]
Yu Shaohong stared at the message thoughtfully. [Sweep your own doorstep snow, don’t worry about others’ frost.]
Yu Jingze: “….” So, he didn’t care whether he had passed the level.
He stopped beating around the bush. [Dad, I want to recharge, but I don’t have much cash left. Can I borrow some from you?]
Yu Shaohong: [Just a moment.]
During this time, Yu Jingxin leaned against Yu Jingze, watching curiously as their father replied. To her surprise, their father was so generous with money this time.
She wondered, “Why is Dad being so agreeable this time?”
Yu Jingze’s interpretation was: “Maybe he has always relied on recharging to pass levels, so he can empathize.”
Soon, their father’s message came again, sharing a business card—it was the WeChat ID of the director of the microcredit department at Yu Bank.
Yu Shaohong: [Our bank’s small loan service suits you well. The process is simple, funds are disbursed quickly, and the interest rate isn’t high.]
Yu Jingze choked on the wine in his mouth and hurriedly turned away to cough.
Yu Jingxin couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
Their father’s move was a killer blow.
Yu Jingze recovered a bit, but since he hadn’t borrowed any money and Yu Qing hadn’t replied, he downed the rest of his wine and decided to head back to his room.
“You’re still waiting for Ji Qingyuan?” he asked Yu Jingxin.
Yu Jingxin nodded. She had never deliberately waited for him before, but tonight she would wait once.
“Don’t stay up too late. Go to bed early,” Yu Jingze said, taking his phone and heading to his bedroom.
________________________________________
In the courtyard, Ji Qingyuan had already returned.
Twenty minutes ago, when he entered the living room, he overheard their brother-sister conversation. Tonight, he had an engagement, and his secretary accompanied him. The driver dropped him off at the villa entrance and then headed back to take the secretary home.
Yu Jingxin and Yu Jingze were too engrossed in their conversation to notice him.
To avoid disturbing the atmosphere, he retreated and sat by the lake, smoking a cigarette.
“I thought that when I have a home, someone will share my joys and sorrows.” Yu Jingxin’s words still lingered in his ears.
When the timing felt right, Ji Qingyuan extinguished his cigarette and went inside.
In the dining room, only Yu Jingxin remained. There was a glass of milk in front of her, her gaze fixed on a corner of the table, her thoughts far away.
When Ji Qingyuan’s footsteps approached, she suddenly looked up.
“Why aren’t you sleeping so late?” Ji Qingyuan casually draped his suit jacket over the back of the chair, slightly raised his chin, and loosened a button.
Yu Jingxin pointed at the glass. “I just finished working and was hungry, so I drank some milk.”
Ji Qingyuan leaned down, one hand on the back of the chair and the other bracing himself on the table. “Let me give you another chance. Why aren’t you upstairs yet?”
He glanced at her work attire. “You haven’t even changed out of your work clothes.”
Yu Jingxin turned to look at him. They were so close that her cheek brushed against his nose, picking up a hint of the alcohol scent on him.
Or maybe it was the red wine she had drunk earlier.
Either way, she couldn’t tell whose scent it was.
Ji Qingyuan lowered his head a little more, his lips almost touching hers.
Yu Jingxin held her breath, struggling to utter a coquettish line. “I’m waiting for you to come back.”
Ji Qingyuan kissed her. “Go upstairs and change into a loose long dress, then come back down.” Saying this, he pulled her up while sitting in her seat, claiming her glass of milk for himself.
Yu Jingxin didn’t understand why he wanted her to change into a dress—it probably wasn’t for anything bad, as the dining room was a public area of the house.
She decided to comply with his request and headed upstairs.
Less than ten minutes later, Yu Jingxin came back down.
Ji Qingyuan glanced sideways—she was wearing a strapless long dress.
Her cold and aloof demeanor accentuated the sexiness of the dress. Those unfamiliar with her personality might mistake her for a queen—elegant, noble, and detached from the world.
Yu Jingxin stood there. “Are we going for a walk by the lake?”
“So late? What walk?” Ji Qingyuan walked over, lifted her by the hips, and carried her. He gestured for her to “Cooperate a little.”
Yu Jingxin was unused to being held like this. She wrapped her arms around his neck, but her legs dangled awkwardly.
Ji Qingyuan smirked. “I know your legs are long, but can you curl them up?”
Yu Jingxin: “….” She lifted her legs and wrapped them around his waist.
Ji Qingyuan carried her into the elevator and kissed her left chest.
He wondered how much space he occupied in her heart.
There was a brief silence in the elevator. Yu Jingxin tried to strike up a conversation. “How’s the dress?”
Ji Qingyuan: “Not as good-looking as you.”
Yu Jingxin’s lips curved slightly upward.
He carried her all the way to the master bedroom. Entering the bathroom, the lights were off.
Borrowing the outside light, they could barely make out each other’s silhouettes.
Yu Jingxin pressed her back against the tiles, her entire weight supported by him.
She thought he would put her down once he got tired, but he never did.
In this position, he claimed her.
________________________________________
It was dawn, and the rain in Jiangnan hadn’t stopped.
But compared to the torrential downpour of the night, the rain now trickled down like broken strings of pearls.
Yu Qing had slept for a few hours in the afternoon and was wide awake now.
Fu Jichen was in the living room on a video call, while she sat by the bedroom window, gazing at the night view.
Raindrops clung to the windowpane, and the neon lights outside shimmered hazily, creating a dreamlike glow.
From time to time, she glanced at her phone.
Earlier, Yu Jingze had sent her a red envelope and two transfers.
She hadn’t accepted them yet, wondering if she could wait for a larger sum.
Looking around hopefully, after half an hour, there was still no movement.
Yu Qing guessed that Yu Jingze was starting to use tactics—he was just waiting for her to take the money and initiate a conversation.
The bedroom door opened, and Fu Jichen entered after finishing his work. Seeing her mischievous smile as she stared at her phone screen, he asked, “What’s making you so happy?”
Yu Qing clicked to receive the money. “I’m now a person earning twenty thousand a day.”
Fu Jichen picked her up, sat down, and let her sit sideways on his lap. “You’re coaxing money out of Yu Jingze again?”
“It’s him insisting on giving it to me. How could I refuse such earnestness?” Yu Qing transferred the money into her account. “It’s a sweet burden, though it worries me.”
Fu Jichen chuckled softly, pressing his cheek against hers. “Did you coax his money like this when you were little?”
Yu Qing: “Of course not.”
She raised her hand to touch his forehead—it wasn’t hot.
Fu Jichen: “It’s fine. I took a hot shower and drank the tea you made.”
Yu Jingze’s message came in: [Since you’re still awake, say a few words.]
Yu Qing replied in Fu Jichen’s tone: [I’m Fu Jichen. Yu Qing is asleep. Whatever it is, wait until she wakes up tomorrow.]
Yu Jingze: “….” [Then return my money. It’s not easy for me to earn it.]
Yu Qing: [It’s raining heavily here, and there’s a power outage. The signal is poor. Don’t send anymore messages—I probably won’t receive them.]
She muted her phone and snuggled into Fu Jichen’s embrace.
Outside, the rain had mostly stopped.
Yu Qing asked, “What was it like walking back through the water today?”
Fu Jichen: “Much easier than last time.”
Last time, he had to carry her through the water, careful not to pull her too close lest she think he was taking advantage of her. By the time they reached dry land, his arms were nearly exhausted.
Yu Qing brought up that night. “If it were someone else, would you have carried them?”
Fu Jichen looked into her eyes. “Only you got that chance. You were the first woman to be my tennis practice partner. If it were anyone else on that rainy night, I would have arranged another car to take her home—I wouldn’t have personally escorted her. You were also the first woman I brought home.”
He asked, “Lawyer Yu, is there anything else you want to know?”
Yu Qing thought for a moment. “Not for now. I’ll ask you when I think of something.”
“Then I have something I want to know.” Fu Jichen tugged her earlobe. “I already gave you the house access card. Didn’t you realize? I waited for you for several days, but you didn’t come. Two weeks passed, and you finally showed up. After that, did you intend to deny what happened?”
Yu Qing suddenly knew what to ask. “Hey, Boss Fu, after I got you and stopped contacting you, one day we ran into each other in the company lobby. Was that you, unwilling to let go, waiting there to demand an explanation?”
Fu Jichen: “….”
He didn’t answer directly. “It was a long time ago. I don’t remember.”
“Let’s sleep. Little Fish needs to grow.” He deflected the topic.
He carried her to bed.
Yu Qing knew he was pretending to forget. “I have time. Wait for you to slowly remember.” She pulled the blanket over herself, leaving only her eyes exposed. Later, she turned to her side and couldn’t help but smile.
Fu Jichen turned off the lights, embracing her from behind. One arm served as her pillow, and the other hand held hers, both resting on her belly. “Sleep. Don’t overthink.”
________________________________________
The next day, the rain had passed, and the skies cleared completely.
The sky was azure blue, as if washed clean.
Fu Jichen’s business trip ended. Pan Secretary and Jian Hang’s group returned to Beijing first, while his and Yu Qing’s destination was Shanghai.
After a few hours’ drive, they arrived at the hotel where they would stay in Shanghai.
Yu Qing owned several properties here, all left to her by her grandfather. They were in the same neighborhood as her eldest and second uncles, but she didn’t want to stay there.
Standing by the floor-to-ceiling window, she stared at the cruise ships on the river, lost in thought for a while.
Fu Jichen didn’t disturb her. On the way here, she had been teasing and joking with him, hiding any trace of sadness or nostalgia.
Yu Qing gazed at the shimmering river surface, suddenly wanting to visit a place.
Fu Jichen was tidying up their luggage in the bedroom when she came to find him. “I don’t need rest. I’m not tired at all. Let’s go out for a walk.”
“Where to?”
“A place I’ve been to, but don’t know if I’ve been to.”
Fu Jichen was confused. “Then how do you know where it is?”
Yu Qing nodded. “I have a photo.” On Valentine’s Day, her mother had posted a picture on social media, and a tiny version of her was captured in the frame.
She thought of taking a similar photo at that spot as a memento.
Over twenty years had passed. She had gone from being a child to becoming a mother herself. The place where her mother had taken the picture was no longer the same—the buildings behind were now towering and bustling with activity.
Yu Qing positioned herself near the same spot as in the photo and mimicked her mother’s pose.
Fu Jichen took the camera, snapping numerous photos and recording a short video.
By this time, dusk had fallen, and the sun was setting.
Fu Jichen packed away the umbrella and strolled with Yu Qing along the pedestrian path.
Yu Qing stayed close to Fu Jichen, constantly looking down at her phone, selecting the photo with the most satisfying smile to post on social media. The caption she chose was 【LOVE】.
Every few steps, she refreshed her feed to check for likes and comments.
One comment popped up: Fu Jichen: [Not bad photography skills.]
Yu Qing: “….”
She playfully slapped him twice. “Be more discreet next time.”
When she refreshed again, there were many comments.
Li Yanzhuo: [When did you arrive? Why didn’t you tell me? Do you want to come home?]
Yu Qing saw this comment and didn’t know how to reply.
After a moment of silence, she ignored it, deciding to contact him later when she returned to the hotel.
Li Yanzhuo sent another private message: [If you don’t want to come home, I’ll visit you. Stay in Shanghai for a few more days. I’m in Shanghai during this period too.]
After sending this message, he quickly called his secretary to book a flight. He could still catch the last flight to Shanghai that night.
He was currently in Beijing.
________________________________________
Yu Qing browsed through the other likes and comments one by one.
Her mother had liked the post and commented: [I have one too, with more.]
Yu Qing didn’t quite understand what her mother meant. A few minutes later, her mother posted a dynamic update with three photos.
The first photo was also taken at this location. In it, her mother wore maternity clothes. Yu Qing was still in her mother’s belly.
The second photo was the one her mother had posted on Valentine’s Day. At that time, Yu Qing was already two or three years old.
The third photo was the one she had just taken, standing where her mother had stood, with Little Fish in her belly.
She liked her mother’s post.
Afterward, she didn’t chat further with her mother.
Perhaps this was the best way for them to interact.
Night fell, and the streets were especially lively. They slowly strolled along the pedestrian path.
Yu Qing pointed ahead. “Turn into that alleyway, and you’ll find the lanes where my cousin often took me to play when I was little.”
Passing through two small roads, the area became quieter. All the memories rushed toward her. She missed her grandfather, her grandmother, and the home of her childhood.
She gripped Fu Jichen’s hand tightly. “If my grandmother were still alive, she would have loved you so much.”
Talking about these things was too sentimental, so she changed the subject. “Didn’t you say you would sing for me? There’s no one around now. Sing. I’ve been looking forward to it for days.”
Fu Jichen drank some water, cleared his throat, and intertwined his fingers with hers. Their pace slowed even more.
Feeling slightly nervous, he thought about the lyrics, lowered his voice, and began: “When I was young and noisy and unruly, my grandmother would always sing to soothe me… on summer afternoons…”
Yu Qing’s eyes instantly reddened. This was her favorite song, one she had listened to since she was a child. Her mother used to play it.
She didn’t know how he had found out about it.
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