The call was still connected. Feeling guilty, Wei Jiayi meekly said, “I’ll explain when you get back,” gripping the phone tightly, not daring to make a sound. In truth, he had no idea how he could possibly explain.
Zhao Jing was clearly furious and remained silent on the other end. His distrust had likely reached its peak, and he was probably combing through Wei Jiayi’s financial records, searching for more issues to confront him about. However, since Wei Jiayi didn’t have many documents to scrutinize, Zhao Jing’s search likely only left him angrier.
Wei Jiayi wanted to see Zhao Jing’s records too, but Lawyer Lin hadn’t sent them over yet. So, he could only lie on the bed, pretending to be dead.
After a while, Wei Jiayi heard the sound of a car door closing. Zhao Jing still hadn’t hung up, and Wei Jiayi didn’t dare to either. Carefully, he asked, “Are you here yet?”
Zhao Jing likely didn’t want to answer, but Wei Jiayi called again, “Zhao Jing.”
After a brief pause, Zhao Jing finally replied, “Mm.” His tone was irritated but honest as he confirmed, “I’m here.”
Wei Jiayi sat up in bed, listening as Zhao Jing entered the elevator, came upstairs, and unlocked the door. A few moments later, the bedroom door swung open.
Zhao Jing stood in the doorway menacingly. His face was dark, his gaze locked onto Wei Jiayi like a volcano on the verge of eruption—ready to blow at any second if not properly appeased.
Wei Jiayi felt a little helpless. This wasn’t the only thing he had lied to Zhao Jing about, and he couldn’t think of any excuses. He sat there, locked in a silent standoff. But the stalemate didn’t last long. Zhao Jing strode forward, stopping just short of the bed, still glaring down at Wei Jiayi, displeased.
He had changed into a suit and looked mature, though his eyelashes were as thick as a child’s, and his face was drawn into a sulky expression.
As long as Wei Jiayi didn’t think about Zhao Jing’s earlier attempt to torment him to death that morning, he still found him cute. Adjusting his posture, Wei Jiayi knelt on the bed and, understanding Zhao Jing’s clear signal, wrapped his arms around his waist, leaning in for a kiss.
At first, Zhao Jing stubbornly refused to open his mouth, resisting as if he intended to assert his willpower through abstinence. Yet his hand had already slipped under Wei Jiayi’s shirt, resting on his lower back.
Wei Jiayi persisted, kissing him a few more times. Zhao Jing finally muttered, “Weren’t you going to explain?” before returning the kiss. Then, as if reprimanding Wei Jiayi for his shameless behavior in broad daylight, he added, “Why are you thinking about this again? I was planning to take you out.”
Still, his hands gripped Wei Jiayi’s waist and pushed him down into the mattress.
Wei Jiayi nearly ran out of breath and instinctively pushed against Zhao Jing’s shoulders, trying to shove him away as he retreated slightly.
That only deepened Zhao Jing’s dissatisfaction. His brows furrowed tightly, and Wei Jiayi awkwardly tried to salvage the situation. “About the mortgage—it’s like this.” But then he stopped.
A second later, Zhao Jing, growing impatient, pressed, “Like what?”
“We weren’t together at the time.” Wei Jiayi hadn’t come up with an excuse—perhaps because he didn’t really want to. He recalled how he had felt back then and decided to tell the truth. “I’ve always had this much work because I don’t like being idle or taking breaks. At the time, I didn’t want to explain too much to you, so I just made something up and said I needed to pay off the mortgage.”
The explanation wasn’t anything grand, nor did it come with a touching backstory. Zhao Jing, already difficult to appease, was unsurprisingly unimpressed. He simply stared at Wei Jiayi with a blank expression.
“I’m sorry,” Wei Jiayi said weakly, tugging at Zhao Jing’s shirt.
Zhao Jing didn’t shake him off. He let Wei Jiayi pull at him for a while before speaking in a firm tone. “Wei Jiayi, why do you look so upset?” Then, he reached out and pulled Wei Jiayi into an embrace. “It’s not that big of a deal.”
Resting his head heavily on Wei Jiayi’s shoulder, Zhao Jing called his name. “Let’s forget about the past. But we’re married now. From now on, you need to prioritize this family.”
“Of course.” Wei Jiayi felt his heart soften and added, “I’ve been taking on a lot less work.”
“Really?” Zhao Jing pulled back, folded his arms, and eyed Wei Jiayi warily. “And how much is ‘a lot less’? What percentage? Send me your updated work schedule.”
He fired off his questions as if Wei Jiayi’s credibility had dropped to zero. Wei Jiayi felt a headache coming on. “I’ll send it to you as soon as it’s finalized.”
“When will that be?”
Wei Jiayi couldn’t help but sigh. He pried apart Zhao Jing’s crossed arms, grabbed his hands, and said, “I’ll send it to you in the next few days, okay? My job isn’t as precise as yours, down to the minute. Stop interrogating me like I’m your subordinate.”
Zhao Jing let out a reluctant huff. “Got it.”
After a few seconds, he seemed to have thought of something and asked, “When you lied about having to pay off a big mortgage, did you already like me?”
His eyes were clear, like the sea around the heart-shaped island turning a dark brown. He looked so sincere that Wei Jiayi couldn’t refuse.
“And when I first went to your house to find you, when I left Buderus Island—did you like me then?”
His memory was sharp, like a camera suddenly pulling up details Wei Jiayi had hoped to forget. Now, Zhao Jing was earnestly questioning him, as if gathering evidence.
Wei Jiayi realized that being honest with Zhao Jing was easier than being honest with himself. He admitted, “I liked you.”
“But I didn’t think we had much chance of working out,” he confessed. “So I took on more work. When I was busy, I didn’t have to think about anything else.”
To Wei Jiayi’s surprise, Zhao Jing suddenly looked like a student who had just checked their answers and discovered they’d gotten a perfect score. A trace of smugness appeared on his face.
Wei Jiayi sensed trouble. Sure enough, Zhao Jing smiled at him and gently kissed him on the lips, as if rewarding him. “Wei Jiayi, I knew it.”
“…” Wei Jiayi felt like it was too late to take anything back now. Instead, he wrapped his arms around Zhao Jing’s neck and praised him, “You’re so smart.”
Zhao Jing pressed Wei Jiayi back onto the bed, lifting his pajama top and burying his face in his chest. No matter how much Wei Jiayi tried to push him away, it was useless. Zhao Jing only moved lower, biting at his waist. Then, he raised his head and pressed four fingers against Wei Jiayi’s lower abdomen, applying just enough pressure to make Wei Jiayi cry out.
Zhao Jing’s expression remained innocent as he suggested, “So flat. Do you want to put something in there?”
Wei Jiayi was once again reminded of Zhao Jing’s perverse tendencies and felt an urge to curse him out. Instead, he grabbed Zhao Jing’s hand and tried to speak as gently as possible. “I have work tomorrow.”
It was an in-town job and not particularly strenuous, but he still had to get up early. If Zhao Jing kept going, Wei Jiayi worried he wouldn’t even be able to walk tomorrow.
Zhao Jing responded with a nonchalant “Mm” and lowered his head to brush against Wei Jiayi’s hipbone.
Terrified that Zhao Jing might try something, Wei Jiayi quickly sat up, pulled his clothes back into place, and changed the subject. “Where were you planning to take me?”
“Oh, I was thinking of taking you to my parents’ place,” Zhao Jing said, finally sitting down on the edge of the bed. “My mom asked about it again this afternoon.”
Wei Jiayi froze. “Did you set a time?”
“No,” Zhao Jing replied. “What’s there to set? They’re home every evening these days. When you’re free, I’ll just take you over. Not today, though—after you finish work tomorrow. You’ll be done by 4:30, right? Unless 4:30 somehow turns into you overworking and being exploited until 10 PM?”
“You’re talking so fast. Don’t I need to prepare gifts?” Wei Jiayi watched Zhao Jing’s indifferent attitude. Zhao Jing had already started badmouthing Wei Jiayi’s clients. He was already feeling anxious. “What do Uncle and Auntie like?” But after asking, he realized he might not even be able to afford anything suitable.
“They’ll like anything. What do you have in mind?” Zhao Jing thought for a moment before adding, “You haven’t been to the house where I used to live. I’ll take you there to pick something out.”
And just like that, their plan was haphazardly settled. Wei Jiayi changed his clothes and followed Zhao Jing to his old home to select gifts.
While Wei Jiayi was changing, Zhao Jing stood in the doorway, critiquing his choice of jacket. Wei Jiayi acted oblivious and ignored him, slipping out of his pajamas and into a T-shirt.
Zhao Jing squeezed into the narrow closet space, wrapping his arms around Wei Jiayi from behind and pinching him through the fabric. Then, he loudly declared, “Wei Jiayi, your shirt’s see-through. I can see everything.”
“It’s not see-through.” Wei Jiayi couldn’t stand Zhao Jing’s antics anymore. “No one would see it if you didn’t pinch me.” After a brief struggle, he pushed Zhao Jing out of the closet.
But even on their way downstairs, for the few steps between the door and the car, Zhao Jing still removed his coat and wrapped it around Wei Jiayi before they stepped outside.
Zhao Jing’s residence wasn’t far from Wei Jiayi’s, situated in a well-known luxury high-rise south of the city park. The building boasted stunning views of the lake and gardens, renowned for its privacy and spacious units.
Wei Jiayi had a client who lived on one of the mid-level floors in the same building and had once invited him to a party there, leaving a strong impression. However, he hadn’t expected Zhao Jing to have a private car elevator that led directly to his penthouse’s personal garage.
Following Zhao Jing into the living space, the first thing Wei Jiayi saw was a massive floor-to-ceiling window spanning three stories high, with a ceiling so high it seemed to touch the clouds. The furniture was all designer pieces, stamped with uniform luxury brand logos. Walking through the home felt like it would take 5,000 steps. Wei Jiayi couldn’t help but wonder why Zhao Jing would willingly stay at his much smaller place after getting used to a home like this.
His heart started to race. He realized he might like Zhao Jing so much that he didn’t want to acknowledge the stark differences between them. His pace slowed as his thoughts spiraled—if Zhao Jing ever stopped liking him, he would have to kidnap Zhao Jing and lock him up. He’d probably need to work 10,000 hours a day just to afford to keep him.
Zhao Jing glanced back at him, completely oblivious, and suggested, “How about we check the wine cellar? I bought a case last year to give my mom for her birthday.”
“Okay.” Wei Jiayi followed him.
They browsed through the shockingly large wine cellar before Zhao Jing led him to the cigar storage cabinet. Following Zhao Jing’s recommendations, Wei Jiayi picked out two boxes of cigars for his father. Noticing how well-stocked the cabinet was, Zhao Jing specifically clarified, “I don’t smoke these; they’re all my dad’s. My mom hates that he smokes, so sometimes he comes here to sneak a puff or two.”
“Mm,” Wei Jiayi responded, unable to say anything else. Zhao Jing seemed to notice his mood and asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” Wei Jiayi replied.
“There is.” Zhao Jing raised an eyebrow and asked, “What are you thinking about?”
Wei Jiayi shook his head. “I was wondering why you’re willing to live at my place.”
“Wei Jiayi, the agreement hasn’t even been signed yet. Your house is joint property, so what do you mean, your place?” Zhao Jing completely missed the point, correcting him before finally saying, “Because my intuition told me you wouldn’t want to move in here.”
Ordinary people wouldn’t declare their intuition like that, but Zhao Jing always spoke with absolute confidence. The scary part was—he was right. Wei Jiayi stared at him, and Zhao Jing only seemed more convinced of his own logic. “Plus, you’re so much younger than me, and I’m so much more mature than you. It’s my job to accommodate you. My parents taught me that marriage is about someone stepping up and taking responsibility for the family.”
Zhao Jing’s words were outrageous. The logic wasn’t wrong, but not a single word had anything to do with him.
Wei Jiayi was speechless, on the verge of laughing but somehow holding it in. He locked eyes with Zhao Jing, and after a brief silence, Zhao Jing said, “What did I even say? Don’t cry.”
Wei Jiayi wasn’t crying—at most, his vision was a little blurry, but no tears had fallen. He had a tough heart; even during the most emotional movies, he was always the one handing tissues to his friends.
Before Wei Jiayi could explain, Zhao Jing hugged him, sighing helplessly as he tried to coax him. “If you’re such a crybaby now, what will happen during the wedding ceremony? Are you going to cry yourself dehydrated during my speech?”
