If Zhao Jing had to describe the Vietnamese noodle shop where Wei Jiayi was dining, he would use phrases like “bustling with activity” or “crowded with people.” It was a scene of throngs of people and shoulder-to-shoulder commotion.
The noodle shop occupied three storefronts. On this dark, snowy winter night, its white signboard with red lettering glowed under flickering lights that cast uneven brightness. The sign’s colors looked aged, as if faded by years of sunlight. Raindrops glistened under the lights as they fell steadily, and a dense crowd gathered beneath the sign, making the two-lane road feel unusually narrow.
Zhao Jing asked his driver to stop by the roadside and observed for a couple of minutes. If not for the fact that everyone appeared normal in both clothing and demeanor—and that the crowd vaguely formed a proper line, with waiters occasionally coming out to take down group sizes—it might have looked like a local gang hosting a street meetup.
The shop had two glass walls that should have revealed its interior, but the temperature difference between inside and outside had fogged them up. From a distance, Zhao Jing could only make out that it was packed and noisy inside.
The neighborhood was generally peaceful, so Zhao Jing instructed his secretary to inform the bodyguards to stay back. With an umbrella in hand, he approached the shop’s entrance.
His height allowed him to see over the heads and umbrellas of the crowd at the door. Through the constantly opening and closing door, he noticed even more people crammed inside. What was going on? Had something happened? Zhao Jing wasn’t familiar with dining at such establishments, so he was puzzled but remained composed. He decided to call Wei Jiayi for clarification.
On the other end of the line, Wei Jiayi sounded both surprised and excited. After a brief moment of hesitation, he hurriedly came out to greet Zhao Jing.
The light snow and wind didn’t bother Zhao Jing. He waited patiently for about ten seconds before he heard a faint voice from inside the shop, “Excuse me, excuse me, could you please let me through?”
Shortly after, the door was pushed open.
Wei Jiayi emerged along with a burst of warm air. He wore a loose black leather jacket, a thin chain around his slender neck, and a ring hidden beneath the fabric of a light T-shirt. His soft black hair was tied back, and his steps were unsteady. Glancing around the crowd, he looked a little lost.
When he finally spotted Zhao Jing standing by the roadside, his eyes seemed to light up. Quickly maneuvering around a few diners at the entrance, he ran over. “Why are you standing so far away?”
Zhao Jing held the umbrella over Wei Jiayi’s head. Wei Jiayi didn’t blink; his gaze, full of longing and affection, lingered on Zhao Jing. In a soft voice, he asked, “Didn’t you say goodnight to me this morning?”
“Sleeping on the plane still counts as sleep,” Zhao Jing pointed out confidently. “You didn’t ask where I was sleeping.”
“…Fine.” Wei Jiayi chuckled, glancing back at the entrance before leaning in to give Zhao Jing a hug. “Next time, I’ll ask.”
Wei Jiayi didn’t bother to hide his reliance on Zhao Jing. His arms barely tightened in a light hug before he released him. Zhao Jing couldn’t quite catch his scent—it had already been whisked away by the wind.
“Are you coming in?” Wei Jiayi asked softly. “It’s a bit crowded, but Xiao Chi and I are at a four-person table, so there’s still room. If you’re hungry, you can eat with us. The food’s pretty good.”
Zhao Jing didn’t immediately register everything he said. Maybe his head was still full of those childishly scribbled cumulus scores and the faint, drifting scent of Wei Jiayi.
Another gust of wind passed, and their gazes met. Wei Jiayi leaned in closer, clearly seeking warmth from him. After a brief pause, he couldn’t help but ask, “Zhao Jing, were you even listening?”
“I’ll eat.” Zhao Jing was curious to see what kind of extraordinary flavors had people lining up like this. Closing his umbrella, he placed a hand on Wei Jiayi’s shoulder and guided him toward the entrance.
The people in line were surprisingly courteous, parting to make way for them. Once inside, Zhao Jing realized it wasn’t as cramped as he’d expected.
The shop was filled with the sweet aroma of broth, and plumes of steam rose from large bowls of soup. The heat was enough that Zhao Jing took off his jacket. A small shop like this obviously didn’t have a coat-check service, so he simply draped it over his arm. He unbuttoned his cuffs and rolled up his sleeves, fitting right in with the atmosphere.
Wei Jiayi led him to a small table where two bowls of pho were already placed. Across from them sat a young man in a gray hoodie, his hair dyed blond—it was Xiao Chi.
When Xiao Chi noticed them, he immediately stood, making the already cramped table space feel even smaller. “Ge!”
“This is Xiao Chi, my assistant,” Wei Jiayi introduced, then paused. His voice noticeably slowed as he continued, “And this is Zhao Jing, my…”
“Husband. Legal spouse.” Zhao Jing, noticing Wei Jiayi stumbling over his words, finished the sentence for him. Then, he pulled out the chair by the window so Wei Jiayi could sit. “It’s not like Xiao Chi doesn’t know. Why are you shy all of a sudden?”
They took their seats, and Zhao Jing ordered a bowl of the same noodles as Wei Jiayi. It arrived quickly and, as promised, tasted great. However, Zhao Jing didn’t feel full, so he added a few more dishes to their order. After finishing the spring rolls, he finally felt satisfied and was about to pay the bill when a sudden knock on the glass window startled him.
Instinctively, Zhao Jing grabbed Wei Jiayi’s wrist, trying to shield him. But then he noticed a few young people outside the window, grinning as they leaned in to watch.
The window was still somewhat fogged up, but the condensation had cleared enough for Zhao Jing to make out six people, all of whom seemed to know Wei Jiayi.
“Jiayi!” a pretty girl among them called out, her muffled voice carrying through the glass.
“Jenna-jie!” Xiao Chi looked delighted as he waved at them through the window, clearly familiar with the group outside. Excitedly, he said to Wei Jiayi, “What a coincidence! Running into them here?”
Only then did Zhao Jing lower his guard and release Wei Jiayi’s wrist. Wei Jiayi had been squeezed so hard it hurt. He couldn’t help but feel surprised at the frequency of these “coincidental” encounters in recent days. After exchanging greetings with the people outside, he turned back to Zhao Jing and explained, “They’re colleagues I’ve been working with these past few days, part of the props team.”
Wei Jiayi had initially thought Zhao Jing would feel out of place in a Vietnamese noodle shop. However, once seated, Zhao Jing ate with genuine enjoyment, without a word of complaint. He even mimicked Wei Jiayi, hanging his jacket on the back of the chair and rolling up his sleeves to his forearms. It was surprisingly convincing. He ordered a few specialty snacks by name with impressive ease, as if he were a seasoned regular.
Zhao Jing gave a quiet “Mm” in response and signaled for the waiter to bring the bill. Just then, the people outside knocked on the window again. Someone pointed at Zhao Jing with a teasing smile. To Wei Jiayi’s surprise, Zhao Jing politely nodded back at them. Jenna immediately pulled out her phone and began taking selfies with Wei Jiayi through the glass.
Wei Jiayi thought he reacted quickly enough. He flashed a peace sign, trying to cover Zhao Jing’s face, though he wasn’t sure how successful he was. Before he could check, Jenna had already posted the photo in their work group chat.
The noodle shop had a quick turnover, and before long, Wei Jiayi’s colleagues moved up in line, leaving the window. Before they left, Jenna pointed to her phone, signaling for Wei Jiayi to check his messages.
Lowering his head, Wei Jiayi opened the group chat. Zhao Jing leaned in beside him to look as well. The chat was flooded with comments, all joking about Wei Jiayi sneaking his boyfriend onto set and asking if he was using company expenses to go on dates.
Jenna’s photo wasn’t particularly clear—fogged glass and Wei Jiayi’s hand had obscured most of Zhao Jing’s chin. Still, the image hinted at his tall, broad-shouldered build and striking features.
“None of the three photos captured me clearly.” Zhao Jing leaned against Wei Jiayi, completely unrestrained, scrolling through the pictures on his own and commenting, “Your hand blocked me.”
As he exited the photo gallery, Wei Jiayi caught sight of one of Jenna’s messages and instinctively tried to put his phone away. But Zhao Jing was quicker. Catching Wei Jiayi’s hand, he scrolled back to the message and read it aloud, his voice calm but firm: “Jiayi, your boyfriend has the vibe of a Cucinelli model. If you take him to a modeling agency, he’d get signed on the spot. But men always turn bad once they get rich, so it’s better if he stays out of the industry. Jiayi, I fully support you keeping him as your kept man! Spending a little cash on a handsome guy is never wrong.”
His voice wasn’t particularly loud, but Wei Jiayi felt so embarrassed his head hurt. From the corner of his eye, he saw Zhao Jing laughing as he read. “How exactly did you introduce me to people?”
“It all started because I bought the rings, and a friend happened to see it.” Wei Jiayi had no choice but to bite the bullet and explain how his friend had looked up the volunteer list at the time and only found Li Mingcheng and the construction team donated by Zhao Jing’s company. Since he didn’t correct them in time, they assumed he was a blue-collar worker, and the rumor spiraled out of control. Across from him, Xiao Chi listened, secretly laughing, but luckily, he didn’t add fuel to the fire by mentioning the other rumors he had heard.
“Wei Jiayi, you’re something else.” After hearing this, Zhao Jing looked a bit speechless, but he wasn’t angry. After a short pause, he convinced himself and said objectively, “Forget it. The fewer people who know, the better for you.”
Switching topics, he commented, “Your friends are pretty entertaining.” He casually scrolled through the group chat a little more but, finding nothing else of interest, finally released Wei Jiayi’s hand and said magnanimously, “Let’s go.”
After settling the bill, they headed outside. Wei Jiayi suspected that Zhao Jing’s height and commanding presence were why people instinctively made way for them.
At the entrance, Wei Jiayi’s colleagues were still waiting outside, huddled together without umbrellas. When they saw Wei Jiayi, Zhao Jing, and Xiao Chi emerge, they crowded around to tease them.
“Caught you red-handed!” Jenna said cheerfully. “See? Sneaking around doesn’t work! Quick, introduce him properly!”
Wei Jiayi hadn’t even figured out what to say yet, but Zhao Jing happily spoke up first, looking like he was in a great mood. “Hello, I’m Zhao Jing.”
“Hi, hi!” Jenna probably never followed financial news and didn’t seem to recognize Zhao Jing. Enthusiastically, she added, “You can just call me Jenna. Are you here to keep Jiayi company while he works? I ran into him at the airport, but I didn’t see you there.”
Wei Jiayi noticed that one of his friends hadn’t said anything. A hint of hesitation flashed in the friend’s eyes—he must have recognized Zhao Jing. Meanwhile, Zhao Jing had already started chatting with Jenna. “I only arrived this afternoon. I had some business to take care of, and I thought I’d pick him up on my way back.”
Suddenly, the rain intensified, pouring down so hard it threatened to soak everyone through. The group scrambled to huddle under the awning, and Zhao Jing opened his umbrella, holding it over Wei Jiayi. He turned to Jenna and asked, “You don’t have umbrellas? How many tables ahead of you before you get in?”
“Yeah, we didn’t bring any. The sun was shining so brightly this afternoon—who’d have guessed it would rain this hard tonight? There are still four tables ahead of us.” Jenna caught sight of the logo on Zhao Jing’s umbrella and froze for a moment.
“The winters here have terrible weather.” Zhao Jing, unaware of her reaction, offered a solution. “How about this? I’ll drop Jiayi off at the car first. There’s an extra umbrella inside. You can take it.”
The umbrella was large. Jenna quietly followed them as they walked toward Zhao Jing’s car. The driver got out, and after Zhao Jing spoke to him briefly, he retrieved another umbrella from the slot in the front passenger door.
The car was a convertible, the same brand Zhao Jing usually favored, but a model Wei Jiayi hadn’t seen before. It looked big, its shape reminiscent of a speedboat. Wei Jiayi overheard Zhao Jing quietly instruct the driver, “I’ll drive. You take the security car.” He also told the driver to take Xiao Chi to the hotel and gestured for Wei Jiayi to get into the passenger seat.
When Zhao Jing wasn’t speaking nonsense, he actually looked quite reliable. After closing the door for Wei Jiayi, he turned and passed the umbrellas to Jenna. She took them, suddenly looking a bit flustered. Murmuring “Thanks” a few times, she held one umbrella while opening another and then ran back to the restaurant entrance.
With the passenger door closed, the car fell silent. Wei Jiayi watched Zhao Jing walk through the rain around the front of the car, get into the driver’s seat, and shut the door. The sound of the rain came and went.
Droplets clung to Zhao Jing’s dark cashmere coat, catching the colorful lights from outside and glinting softly. Wei Jiayi’s gaze drifted to Zhao Jing’s face. Zhao Jing’s expression was composed as he asked, “Where to now?”
Wei Jiayi’s thoughts scattered, leaving him speechless. Zhao Jing paused for a moment, didn’t start the car, and then leaned in to kiss him.
The kiss carried the faint taste of the complimentary mint candies from the noodle shop. Their lips brushed repeatedly, achingly tender and intimate. In the quiet of the car, Zhao Jing’s hand slid over Wei Jiayi’s shoulder, pulling him closer.
“There, satisfied now?” After kissing for a while, Zhao Jing moved away. His tone was helpless as he proceeded to ruin the mood. “Whether you’re satisfied or not, I need to drive. Otherwise, your friends might think we’re doing something indecent in public.”
Wei Jiayi didn’t have anything to say, responding only with an “Mm.” Zhao Jing pressed lightly on the gas pedal, guiding the car out of the street.
Wei Jiayi’s hotel room was small, and the surrounding neighborhood wasn’t the safest. Concerned that Zhao Jing’s car might be at risk if left there, he asked, “Do you have a place in the city?”
“See?” Zhao Jing shot him a quick look, seizing the opportunity to bring up old grievances. His dissatisfaction was evident. “If you’d bothered to skim through the agreement when signing, you wouldn’t have to ask such questions.”
“In the future, you can’t afford even the slightest carelessness, or else you’ll be tricked into digging coal in Siberia.” He was both exasperated by Wei Jiayi’s lack of progress and genuinely worried about him signing off on future surgeries without caution.
“Can you stop thinking about such unlucky scenarios?” Wei Jiayi wanted to laugh but didn’t dare. Instead, he softly reassured him, “For important matters—I would never sign without being careful.”
“Marital agreements aren’t important?” Zhao Jing shot him a sharp glare, still unwilling to let the argument drop.
“Can you dial down the aggressiveness a little?” Wei Jiayi was clearly amused. “That stack of documents was as thick as a mountain. How long would it have taken me to read through everything? Isn’t it easier to just ask you when I need to know?”
Fortunately, Zhao Jing no longer took offense at Wei Jiayi’s laughter. He glanced at him, remained silent for a moment, then admitted, “Fair point.” He let the matter drop.
On the way to Zhao Jing’s residence, they had to cross a suspension bridge notorious for traffic jams. That day, the congestion was particularly bad. Before reaching the bridge, the car inched forward a few meters every so often, but once they were on it, all movement came to a halt. The vehicles were packed so tightly that the glowing headlights looked like hundreds of mismatched beds in an open field on a snowy night.
Neither of them felt irritated and instead chatted casually. Zhao Jing recounted with grave seriousness how he’d been woken mid-flight by a call from a regulatory department and had to muster all his wits to outsmart them and save the company. Wei Jiayi laughed several times, then suddenly remembered something and asked, “So, what did you come here to handle? Is it all taken care of?”
At the same time, he couldn’t help but wonder why Zhao Jing hadn’t told him earlier. Was springing these surprise meetings on him Zhao Jing’s idea of how marriage should work? Even if he wanted to prioritize their relationship, it didn’t seem necessary to drop everything during a turbulent time at the company just to see Wei Jiayi a few hours earlier.
Sure enough, Zhao Jing’s gaze shifted briefly before he only answered the second half of the question, “It’s all done.”
Wei Jiayi immediately sensed something was off and wanted to press further, but Zhao Jing cut him off, suddenly exclaiming, “Did you notice? The rain stopped.”
“…” Wei Jiayi thought he should ignore such an obvious attempt to change the subject. If their roles were reversed, Zhao Jing would have called him out mercilessly. But perhaps he was too indulgent by nature—without even realizing it, he glanced out the window.
The rain had indeed stopped, and the sky seemed clearer. Yet, the cars around them remained stationary. Wei Jiayi turned his gaze back, prepared to resume his questioning, when Zhao Jing pressed a button, and the convertible’s roof opened. A burst of cold air flooded the car, instantly shattering its cozy warmth.
Dense clusters of tiny snow pellets and the crisp scent of snow-laden air swirled in. The suspension bridge’s parallel steel cables framed the sky like the borders of a massive movie screen.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Zhao Jing asked confidently. “Want to take a few pictures?”
It was a decent view, but it wasn’t spectacular enough to justify enduring the freezing temperatures in an open convertible. It wasn’t the aurora or a sky full of stars, and the biting wind made Wei Jiayi’s head spin. Around them, not a single other car had even cracked a window.
Instead of admiring the view, Wei Jiayi was more astounded by Zhao Jing’s creative attempt to divert attention. He wanted to politely refuse, “No need,” but his lips were trembling so much that they wouldn’t form the words. He shivered, contemplating whether to give up on questioning Zhao Jing altogether and instead beg him to close the roof.
“You’re freezing. Alright, I’ll close it.” Zhao Jing, seemingly smiling, shut the roof and leaned closer to Wei Jiayi, his warm hands cupping his face. Their proximity was so close that only ten centimeters separated them.
Wei Jiayi’s whole body was numb from the cold, making Zhao Jing’s body temperature feel as if it was as high as eighty degrees. Raising a hand to cover the back of Zhao Jing’s, he wanted to complain loudly like Zhao Jing, but the words that came out were barely above a whisper. “It’s really cold.”
At the same time, Zhao Jing also spoke, but instead, he said, “I love you.”
