On Zhao Jing and Li Mingcheng’s final day on Buderus Island, the forest excavation work came to an end. They hadn’t been able to recover all the missing people like superheroes might, but they had done everything within their power.
Around noon, Wei Jiayi received a message from Li Mingcheng at the base of the mountain.
Li Mingcheng wrote that they had delivered new supplies to the resettlement area earlier that morning. Zhao Jing had also donated the excavator he had been operating over the past few days to the local rescue team. Additionally, Nick had invited them to a farewell dinner at his home that evening.
Wei Jiayi replied, “Okay,” but suddenly remembered something. Glancing at stock prices, he noticed that, even without releasing more PR news about the CEO’s involvement in tsunami relief efforts, Zhao Jing’s company stock had already recovered to its pre-scandal levels.
Meanwhile, news notifications revealed that the war was ongoing, and elections were in full swing. The world wouldn’t stop just because of the pain in some regions. For Wei Jiayi, the only thing left to contribute was his honest and thorough documentation of the events.
Slipping his phone back into his pocket, a sense of melancholy crept over him. He hoped it wasn’t because Zhao Jing and Li Mingcheng were about to leave, but deep down, he wasn’t so sure.
After spending the afternoon filming, Wei Jiayi drove to Nick’s house.
The moment he stepped into the front yard, he saw Zhao Jing sitting on a bench with Lini.
Lini was perched on Zhao Jing’s right leg, holding a remote that Zhao Jing was guiding his hands to operate. Nearby on the ground lay a small pile of gravel, its purpose unclear. But when Wei Jiayi noticed Lini’s dusty little hands, he realized Zhao Jing must have told him to collect it.
As always, Zhao Jing looked impeccable, dressed in a light-colored outfit that seemed fit for a luxury brand photoshoot.
However, after spending half a month on the island, Zhao Jing’s fastidious cleanliness had eased somewhat. Even while holding Lini’s dirty hands, he operated the controls with ease, passionately explaining forklift techniques. The gap between his polished appearance and regular people seemed to narrow just a bit.
When Zhao Jing noticed Wei Jiayi approaching, he set Lini aside, returned the remote to him, and stood up. He greeted Wei Jiayi with a small nod.
Wei Jiayi stepped closer, and Zhao Jing told him, “The doctor examined me this afternoon and said that after another week of wearing the brace, I should be able to have it removed. Soon, I won’t even need the crutch anymore.”
Sensing he wanted some praise, Wei Jiayi said, “Then the next time I see you, I’m sure President Zhao will be walking briskly.”
“How could it be that fast? Walking briskly will take at least a month. Do you think I’m Superman?” Zhao Jing corrected him, pausing briefly before adding, “Wei Jiayi, you don’t need to call me ‘President.’ Just use my name.”
Zhao Jing’s expression remained composed, offering no explanation for his request. Wei Jiayi might have been overthinking it, yet a strange feeling stirred in his chest. Something felt off, though he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. Still, he replied, “Okay,” resisting the urge to add “President Zhao” at the end.
He was about to suggest they head inside when Zhao Jing said, “Then call my name.”
Wei Jiayi opened his mouth, tempted to explain that switching from “President Zhao” to “Zhao Jing” wasn’t a monumental change. It wasn’t like addressing someone as “Master,” “Young Master,” “Husband,” or “Wife.” A simple mention once should suffice, and it would come naturally next time. There was no need to rehearse it on the spot.
But Zhao Jing clearly saw it differently. To him, allowing someone to call him by his given name was equivalent to granting a blessing, one that required immediate acknowledgment on the spot. Not wanting to dampen his enthusiasm, Wei Jiayi forced himself to awkwardly say, “Zhao Jing.”
“That was so quiet. Is my name hard to pronounce?” Zhao Jing frowned slightly. “It’s not like you’ve never said it before. The second day after the tsunami, when you brought Nick to pick up Lini and me, you called me by my name.”
Wei Jiayi had no memory of this and suspected Zhao Jing might be just talking nonsense. But knowing Zhao Jing wouldn’t lie about such things, he replied, “Did I? Maybe it just slipped out in the heat of the moment. I don’t remember.”
“You don’t remember?” Zhao Jing’s unhappy expression returned. “It was only two weeks ago, not two years.”
Not understanding what had upset him this time, Wei Jiayi quickly apologized. “Sorry, my memory isn’t great. You know how many earbuds I’ve lost.” Then, raising his voice slightly, he repeated, “Zhao Jing. Is that good enough?” He wasn’t sure if he’d gotten the volume right this time.
Zhao Jing suddenly dropped his fierce demeanor and said softly, “Forget it.” Then he added, “Earbuds are just earbuds. Have Wu Rui prepare a few more for you.”
Wei Jiayi had completely lost track of Zhao Jing’s thoughts and felt he had been acting strangely these past few days. Exhausted from the long day, he decided not to overanalyze and simply smiled. “Let’s go eat.”
Lini’s aunt and uncle soon arrived. Nick’s family had prepared a feast and set out some beer.
Since Zhao Jing was still recovering, he couldn’t drink. That left him, Lini, and Lini’s aunt as the only people at the table abstaining.
Over the course of the meal, Wei Jiayi noticed that Li Mingcheng had a low alcohol tolerance. After just two cans of beer, his face turned bright red. When the conversation shifted to the tsunami, his eyes filled with tears. Hugging Nick’s shoulder, he murmured unintelligibly for a while before finally collapsing onto the table.
Wei Jiayi and Nick comforted Li Mingcheng, and even Lini came over, gently patting his back.
“Only half of them were found,” Li Mingcheng choked out.
Wei Jiayi patted his shoulder and softly reassured him, reminding him that finding even half of the missing people, and saving a mother and daughter, was already an extraordinary outcome. He encouraged Li Mingcheng to focus on what they had achieved rather than letting the other half weigh heavily on his heart.
After crying for a while, Li Mingcheng slumped over, muttering that he wanted to sleep.
Wei Jiayi and Nick carried him to a car and asked Lini’s aunt and uncle to take him back to the guesthouse first.
As the group thinned out, Lini watched cartoons inside. Wei Jiayi stood on the porch, gazing at the car as it drove away. Zhao Jing approached him out of nowhere and told him, “My mom scheduled an appointment for me with a therapist a few days ago.”
Wei Jiayi looked up at him, and Zhao Jing continued, “She probably thinks I need some comforting.”
He lowered his gaze to meet Wei Jiayi’s, his expression making it clear he wanted Wei Jiayi to guess what he was thinking.
Wei Jiayi didn’t want to guess, but Zhao Jing was such an open book that it was impossible not to know what was on his mind. With a hint of helplessness, he patiently asked, “So, what did the therapist say? Did they manage to comfort you?”
“Nothing useful. He just told me to come back once a week,” Zhao Jing summarized curtly. “I’m so busy—where am I supposed to find the time for that?”
By now, Zhao Jing could stand steadily on one leg, barely relying on his crutch. He pushed it back and forth, his restlessness evident. With the brace still on his leg, he had been stuck wearing golf shorts every day, whether operating an excavator or hopping around on his crutch. This made Wei Jiayi feel that Zhao Jing often seemed a bit childish, and also caused him to lose the proper distance he should have maintained.
Wei Jiayi asked, “Do you feel guilty, like Mingcheng does?”
Zhao Jing glanced at him and answered, “Not really. Because my construction team will stay here and continue digging on my behalf.”
For some reason, whenever Zhao Jing acted like a righteous hero, Wei Jiayi couldn’t help but want to laugh. He praised him, “That’s a very healthy mindset you’ve got.”
“Of course,” Zhao Jing replied with satisfaction, shrugging his shoulders.
At that moment, Zhao Jing’s phone rang—it was his father. He answered without walking away from Wei Jiayi. Wei Jiayi tried to leave and take a step further inside, but Zhao Jing stopped him with an outstretched arm.
Zhao Jing’s arm was long enough that he didn’t need to touch Wei Jiayi; he simply blocked his path.
Wei Jiayi raised his head to look at him, and Zhao Jing, not bothering to lower his voice, glanced directly at him and said clearly, “Don’t go. I’ll finish this quickly.”
“I’m not talking to you. I said it to Wei Jiayi.” Zhao Jing spoke into the phone, “Every time I answer the phone, he tries to leave.”
Hearing this, Wei Jiayi was left speechless. Zhao Jing’s father, however, seemed uninterested in the remark. After listening for a moment, Zhao Jing retorted angrily, “I don’t need an alarm clock to wake up.”
His father spoke again, and Zhao Jing replied, “My leg is perfectly fine. What’s a five-hour flight to me?” Then, he asked warily, “Who’s been gossiping that I move too much?”
When the call finally ended, Zhao Jing turned to Wei Jiayi and said, “I’m leaving at nine tomorrow morning. Don’t sneak down the mountain early again.”
“I’ll see you off,” Wei Jiayi replied helplessly. He had only gone down early once, a couple of days ago, to take some morning photographs, but Zhao Jing had been complaining about it endlessly since. Now that the subject had been brought up again, Wei Jiayi asked, “Do you want me to wake you up in the morning?”
Zhao Jing’s wake-up times were unpredictable. Usually, he was up early, but occasionally, he would oversleep. When that happened, Wei Jiayi would knock on his door to wake him.
Since Zhao Jing was leaving soon, Wei Jiayi wasn’t too concerned about upsetting him. If anything, an irritated Zhao Jing might delay their museum trip, giving Wei Jiayi some private time to catch a breather from work.
However, Zhao Jing seemed to misunderstand something. He gave Wei Jiayi a subtle look and, after a few seconds, said, “Alright, if you’re up, come wake me.”
Lini’s aunt returned after dropping off Li Mingcheng. She picked up Zhao Jing and Wei Jiayi, driving them onward while thanking Zhao Jing for his care and attention toward Lini.
The car window was slightly open, and a broadcast in the local language was playing, likely a news report. Lini’s aunt was listening to it as she drove. Wei Jiayi lowered his head, using the still-reasonable hour to reply to a few work messages.
He was halfway through when Zhao Jing suddenly leaned over and called him, “Wei Jiayi.”
Wei Jiayi stopped typing and looked up, meeting Zhao Jing’s steady gaze.
To stick to the anti-sexual harassment standards, Zhao Jing stayed seated on the right, holding onto the armrest. Even as he leaned toward Wei Jiayi, he maintained a leg’s distance between them.
It was odd that Zhao Jing didn’t say anything further. Wei Jiayi asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Have you ever,” Zhao Jing asked, “…been in a relationship?”
Wei Jiayi was startled, both by the question and Zhao Jing’s expression. At that moment, Zhao Jing looked almost bewildered and reserved. It was a look Wei Jiayi had never seen on him before, not even for a second.
Wei Jiayi felt confused. After a pause, he deflected with another question. “Why do you ask?” He didn’t want to answer, so he feigned ignorance.
“Just answer first. Have you?” Zhao Jing regained some of his composure and confidence, but his assertiveness seemed somewhat forced.
Wei Jiayi noticed Zhao Jing’s right hand clenching tightly. His own heartbeat quickened as he replied, “No.”
Zhao Jing responded with an “Mm” and said nothing more.
Wei Jiayi wanted to know why he’d asked but had a vague idea of the reason. He pressed his lips together, determined not to be the one to break the silence first.
After a moment, Zhao Jing noticed his quietness and spoke again, almost as if talking to himself but seemingly hinting at something. “They say people who’ve never been in a relationship can be a bit dense. Sometimes, even if they like someone, they don’t realize it right away.”
As Zhao Jing finished speaking, Wei Jiayi fully understood and could no longer deceive himself, even if he tried. The shock hit him so hard that the alcohol from the three beers seemed to evaporate instantly. His hands and feet tingled with clarity, leaving him more confused than ever—likely a mix of panic and disbelief.
Zhao Jing was still watching him, and Wei Jiayi had no choice but to appear calm.
The strange behavior Zhao Jing had been displaying over the past few days suddenly made sense. But for Wei Jiayi, it meant one thing: a sleepless night ahead.
The topic was impossible to continue. Fortunately, Wei Jiayi was experienced at fooling Zhao Jing and chose to ignore his words entirely. After a minute, he yawned, leaned his head against the window, and shut his eyes, feigning drowsiness.
He managed to maintain the act for only a short while before Zhao Jing lightly touched his arm. Wei Jiayi kept his eyes closed and remained still. Zhao Jing nudged him again, and something soft was placed on his lap. Peeking just slightly, Wei Jiayi glanced down—it was the pillow Zhao Jing had been leaning against. It still carried a hint of warmth, feeling as light as air but weighing like a stone on Wei Jiayi’s heart.
“Wei Jiayi, use it as a pillow.” Zhao Jing seemed reluctant to disturb him but felt the need to remind him, so he lowered his voice and said, “And lock the car door.” The tone was practically gentle.
Wei Jiayi didn’t move. Zhao Jing gently shook his arm again, making it impossible to ignore. Pretending to wake, Wei Jiayi cracked his eyes open and turned toward Zhao Jing, mumbling, “What’s wrong?”
Unaware that Wei Jiayi was faking it, Zhao Jing repeated seriously, “This car is old. If the door isn’t locked, I’m worried it might open while you’re sleeping.”
Wei Jiayi reached out and locked the door before picking up the pillow and placing it between his head and the window. He stayed silent, continuing to pretend to sleep.
After some time, they arrived at the guesthouse. Wei Jiayi acted as though he had just woken up, dragging his feet sluggishly as he climbed the stairs. Once inside his room, he didn’t even dare turn on the light. Sitting on the bed, he couldn’t stop replaying Zhao Jing’s voice and expression in his mind.
Wei Jiayi didn’t want to overthink it, but Zhao Jing probably meant exactly what he suspected.
It wasn’t that Wei Jiayi couldn’t be in a relationship. He was single and free to date whomever he pleased. But Zhao Jing was entirely unsuitable—not because he was a bad person or because Wei Jiayi disliked him, but because Zhao Jing’s family background and status were burdens Wei Jiayi wasn’t willing to take on. Even if he did have strong feelings for Zhao Jing, he wasn’t foolish enough to pursue a relationship that could be so self-destructive. If they broke up, Zhao Jing’s life would remain unaffected, but Wei Jiayi’s career and future would be ruined.
Thankfully, Zhao Jing was leaving tomorrow.
Wei Jiayi opened the window, letting the mountain breeze flow in to clear his head and help him regain his composure. He resolved to act as if nothing had happened when tomorrow came.
Though he had feared a restless night, in reality, he slept deeply and for a long time. Waking at six in the morning, he opened his laptop and began editing photos, immersing himself in the task until 8:30. Afterward, he changed his clothes and went downstairs.
In the dining room, Li Mingcheng stood looking flustered. He said to Wei Jiayi, “It’s over—my ge hasn’t gotten up yet.”
Wei Jiayi thought to himself that Zhao Jing couldn’t possibly be this childish. Was he seriously waiting for him to come wake him up?
Walking to Zhao Jing’s door, Wei Jiayi knocked and deliberately reverted to his old way of addressing him. “President Zhao, are you awake?”
After half a minute, Zhao Jing opened the door, looking angry. “Wei Jiayi, we agreed you’d wake me up. Why didn’t you set an alarm?”
Although he looked slightly disheveled, it was obvious he’d already been awake for some time.
Wei Jiayi apologized, and the three of them quickly ate breakfast before taking the elevator upstairs.
The elevator had been newly installed outside the guesthouse just a few days ago, solely for Zhao Jing’s convenience in reaching the rooftop to board the helicopter, as he had difficulty walking. Although there were new helipads nearby, Zhao Jing had insisted on departing from this location, prompting the installation of the elevator just for him.
The helicopter was already waiting on the rooftop. Suddenly, Zhao Jing asked Wei Jiayi again, “You’re really not coming?”
Wei Jiayi said, “Mm.” Zhao Jing replied with a soft “Oh,” before adding, “See you at the museum.”
Wei Jiayi said goodbye and wished them a safe trip. As Zhao Jing and Li Mingcheng boarded the helicopter, Wei Jiayi headed back downstairs. The loud whirring of the rotors filled the air, but after a while, the noise faded. Wei Jiayi didn’t go to the window to watch them leave. Instead, he returned to the now-empty living room.
He thought to himself that he needed to find a new place to stay and started packing his luggage first.
On his way back up the stairs, Zhao Jing’s Chinese chef happened to step out and asked him, “Mr. Wei, will you be back for lunch? If not, do you have any preferences for dinner?”
Wei Jiayi froze for a moment, unsure how to respond. The chef continued, “President Zhao asked me to stay here until you come back.”
Wei Jiayi wasn’t sure what he said in reply—probably something vague about not being home for lunch and whatever for dinner was fine. In a daze, he wandered back to his room. After sitting briefly, he picked up his camera and prepared to head down the mountain.
Before leaving, he checked his phone and noticed that Zhao Jing had changed his profile picture again.
At first, Wei Jiayi didn’t recognize it. When he clicked to enlarge the image, he realized it was mostly a close-up of a camera. The lighting was dim, and a large hand held the camera as though it were a toy. It was unmistakably cropped from a much larger photo. Wei Jiayi immediately recognized which one it was—because he had been standing right next to Zhao Jing when it was taken.
ahhhhhhhhhhhh come on WJ accept ZJ!!
Thanks for the chapter <3333