ST CHAPTER 20

A few days after returning home, Zhao Jing had already removed his brace and replaced his crutch. He walked much more naturally now. The company’s annual financial and operational performance showed steady growth, and while the end of the year was a busy time, Zhao Jing handled it all with ease. Everything seemed fine—except his mood.

The reason was that ever since Wei Jiayi had started working, he had been too busy during the day to send messages. At night, it depended on when he finished filming. If he wrapped up late, Wei Jiayi would only reach out the next morning.

Ultimately, this had to be because Wei Jiayi cared too much about Zhao Jing.

On the first night Wei Jiayi was filming in the highlands, he didn’t finish until 2 AM. When he messaged Zhao Jing to reply, he accidentally woke him up.

Zhao Jing called him as if sleepwalking, which seemed to startle Wei Jiayi. Concerned about disturbing Zhao Jing’s rest, Wei Jiayi urged him to mute his phone at night and stopped messaging him so late again.

Since Wei Jiayi’s actions stemmed from genuine care, Zhao Jing didn’t argue or push back. Instead, he calmly noted the date of Wei Jiayi’s return to the city and took the initiative to arrange a meeting. Through their interactions, Zhao Jing gradually guided the inexperienced-in-love Wei Jiayi to confront his feelings.

The night before leaving Buderus Island, Zhao Jing had tried to broach the subject, but Wei Jiayi had been so drunk that he fell asleep leaning against the car window before Zhao Jing could say much.

Sunday was the day of Wei Jiayi’s return, with his flight landing at 7 PM.

That afternoon, after finishing his rehabilitation session, Zhao Jing went to his parents’ house for dinner. During the meal, his mother brought up his new profile picture. “Weren’t the previous ones good enough? I really liked the one of you holding a child that Wei Jiayi took. Even your uncle called me this afternoon, saying that Li Mingmian mentioned the camera in your new photo is his.”

“What do you mean, his?” Zhao Jing replied coldly. “The wedding gift money I gave him could’ve bought twenty cameras. He abandoned me at the villa during the tsunami and still has the audacity to complain about one camera?”

Noticing Zhao Jing’s displeasure, his father changed the topic. “That photo of you holding the child was indeed nice. Does the camera in your new picture have any special meaning?”

Zhao Jing was straightforward and upright by nature, never one to explain himself unnecessarily. Since his relationship with Wei Jiayi wasn’t official yet, he didn’t think it was the right time to reveal anything. He simply told his father, “I’ll explain later,” and quietly went back to eating.

After dinner, Zhao Jing considered visiting his museum to take a few photos while waiting for Wei Jiayi’s call. However, the museum was large, and his leg wasn’t fully healed, so he decided against it. Instead, he watched the news with his parents. At 7:20 PM, he checked his phone and texted Wei Jiayi: “What time will your dinner finish?”

He noticed Wei Jiayi typing for a while, as if composing a long message, but in the end, Wei Jiayi sent only a brief reply: “Too tired. I’ll skip dinner and head home first.”

The photo frames Zhao Jing had prepared for him were already in his car. He texted back: “Where’s your place? I’ll bring the gift over.”

“No need to trouble yourself. I’ll come get it from you. I also brought you a gift.”

Zhao Jing immediately sent the location of his parents’ house. “Okay, I’m at my parents’ place. You can also visit the museum while you’re here. I’ll have the driver pick you up at the gate.”

Wei Jiayi spent a moment typing again before deciding to call Zhao Jing.

When Zhao Jing answered, Wei Jiayi’s voice was soft and tinged with fatigue. “Zhao Jing, the location you sent doesn’t show up on the map, so it’s hard to get a cab there. Plus, I didn’t prepare any gifts for your parents. Showing up empty-handed doesn’t feel right. Are you staying there all night? How about I come by your office tomorrow morning instead?”

He spoke sluggishly and in one breath. Zhao Jing’s ears registered the words, but his brain needed a moment to catch up. After replaying it in his head, he understood what Wei Jiayi had said.

“I’ll sleep at my place tonight,” Zhao Jing told him. “You head home. Send me your address, and I’ll come find you.”

The placement of photos was important—something Zhao Jing had learned from his professor the previous night. This was the perfect opportunity to personally help select a spot for his work in Wei Jiayi’s home.

After hanging up, Wei Jiayi complied and sent over his address, which turned out to be an apartment hotel in the city. He added: “I should get there a bit earlier than you. I’ll wait for you downstairs.”

Zhao Jing stood up immediately and announced he was leaving. His mother called after him. When he turned back, she hesitated, as if about to say something. In the end, she just waved him off. “Go on if you have something to do.”

Zhao Jing nodded, grabbed his crutch, and left.

Wei Jiayi’s place was located by the lake in a building with two wings: the left housed the hotel, and the right contained apartments. The modern structure had sleek black glass windows that reflected the dense clouds and the bright moon in the sky.

The driver parked outside the apartment building’s glass doors, retrieved the bag containing the photos from the trunk, and opened the car door for Zhao Jing.

As soon as Zhao Jing stepped out, he saw Wei Jiayi standing a short distance away with a backpack over his shoulders.

Despite the cold wind, Wei Jiayi was dressed lightly in a gray long-sleeved sweatshirt and jeans. The familiar backpack hung on his back. His jet-black, soft hair was tied back, his face looked worn, and faint dark circles under his eyes made his cheeks appear even slimmer.

Zhao Jing suspected he had lost weight again. Taking the bag from the driver, he walked over to him.

“Hi.” Wei Jiayi smiled at him, his eyes crinkling slightly. “Long time no see.”

Was just over a week really a long time? Not by most standards. But to Wei Jiayi, it felt like it.

Rationally, Zhao Jing knew this wasn’t true. But after a full week of sparse contact and now seeing Wei Jiayi’s smile again, he didn’t mind indulging him.

Zhao Jing’s parents often told him he was impatient with people. His stance had always been that no one deserved his patience.

To him, needing patience from others was a sign of being less smart or capable. But now, if patience meant not arguing over disagreements or waiting an entire day for a response without getting angry, Zhao Jing realized he had acquired it.

When Wei Jiayi tried to take the bag from him, Zhao Jing held onto it. So, Wei Jiayi simply led him inside.

The lobby was bright and pristine. They passed through a common area featuring a water display as Wei Jiayi commented, “I haven’t been back in a while, and I don’t stay here often.”

At the elevator, he pressed the button and stole a few curious glances at Zhao Jing’s bag. Once they were inside, he couldn’t hold back any longer. “What is it? Can you tell me now?”

“Guess.” Zhao Jing lowered his eyes to look at him.

“I can’t guess.” Wei Jiayi swiped his key card. He lived on the 27th floor.

As the elevator ascended, Wei Jiayi’s curiosity got the better of him. When they reached the 20th floor, he glanced at the bag again. Seeing the shape, his eyes widened suddenly. “A photo?”

Zhao Jing gave an “Mm.” When the elevator doors opened, Wei Jiayi froze momentarily before stepping out.

His apartment was close to the elevator. After a short walk, Wei Jiayi unlocked the door and held it open for Zhao Jing. As Zhao Jing stepped inside, he quietly took in his surroundings.

The entryway led to a simple open kitchen with a round table for six. Beyond the counter was a living area with a sofa and coffee table, with floor-to-ceiling windows offering a view of the lake.

To the left, a hallway led to two closed wooden doors, likely the bathroom and bedroom.

As Wei Jiayi had mentioned, the space didn’t feel lived-in. It lacked personal touches or decorations. After a quick glance around, Zhao Jing concluded that the apartment was so bare that the photos could fit almost anywhere without issue.

Wei Jiayi set his hiking bag on the floor, and Zhao Jing took the opportunity to remove the two framed photos from his bag and hand them to him.

Following his professor’s advice, Zhao Jing had printed the photos in a standard large size, mounted them on white cardboard, and placed them in narrow, dark wooden frames.

Wei Jiayi picked up the first photo and studied it intently with his eyes wide open. Zhao Jing leaned in slightly and looked at it as well. “Do you like it?”

“I like it a lot.” Wei Jiayi couldn’t help but admire it, pointing to the bottom right corner. “Wow, you even signed it.” He then picked up the second photo, examining it just as carefully. Raising his head, he said to Zhao Jing seriously, “I really like them. Thank you.”

Zhao Jing nodded with a satisfied expression and asked, “What about my gift?” He had decided to show as much appreciation for Wei Jiayi’s gift as he’d just received.

Wei Jiayi placed the photos on the cabinet next to the TV. Turning back, he said, “This way, anyone who visits will see them immediately.”

Then, he returned to his bag, unzipped it, and pulled out a small box for Zhao Jing.

Zhao Jing opened it to find a small white Buddha statue with a slightly mottled surface.

“I bought it from the locals at the place where I was photographing,” Wei Jiayi explained. “They said it’s carved from yak bone and is meant to bring protection. I couldn’t find anything valuable to buy, and since you mentioned giving me a gift, I didn’t want to show up empty-handed. I just picked this up. If I find something better later, I’ll get it for you.”

Wei Jiayi’s gaze was genuine, his lips set in a straight line, and his words were so honest that they lacked the usual smoothness. The space he lived in was much the same—more like an impersonal hotel room than a home, radiating a sense of loneliness and isolation.

Zhao Jing hoped Wei Jiayi would let him get closer soon. But Wei Jiayi was oblivious to matters of love, entirely unaware and unspoken. All Zhao Jing could do was lift his chin slightly and say, “I like it a lot too. This is enough. You don’t have to get me something else. I have everything I need. I’ll just keep giving you things.”