At the break of dawn, the alarm went off, but it only woke Wei Jiayi.
He had a magazine cover shoot that day. Before the celebrity arrived, he needed to scout the location, meet with the editor-in-chief and stylist, and confirm the theme and style, so he got up early. After freshening up and getting ready to leave, he noticed that Xiao Chi hadn’t arrived yet. Taking a quick glance into the bedroom, he saw that Zhao Jing was still hugging the substitute pillow he had left behind, sleeping in the same position.
Zhao Jing’s sleep mask was neatly in place. Just looking at his composed appearance while asleep, it was hard to imagine that he could come up with and execute so many outrageous ideas. The night before, Zhao Jing had harassed Wei Jiayi so much that he had considered leaving the house to him and moving out overnight. But now, seeing him lying there motionless, looking so handsome, he once again thought he could endure staying a few more days.
Unconsciously, Wei Jiayi stood leaning against the doorframe for a few minutes, watching him. Then, his phone buzzed with a message from Xiao Chi, saying he was about to arrive. Wei Jiayi pocketed his phone, leaned down to kiss Zhao Jing over the eye mask, and left a note saying he’d be home from work on time. He stuck the note on the lamp.
Zhao Jing didn’t wake up, but his grip on the pillow noticeably tightened, as though he might snap it in two.
Downstairs, the door of the business car was already open. Xiao Chi poked his head out, holding a coffee for Wei Jiayi, his face full of excitement.
Wei Jiayi climbed into the car. Xiao Chi handed him the coffee and then passed over a gift bag. With the driver present, Xiao Chi winked and gestured. “Jiayi-ge, here’s a souvenir I got for you from my trip!”
Wei Jiayi took the item, thanked him a few times, and suddenly felt as though the necklace around his neck had grown heavier.
The photoshoot was at the magazine’s usual studio, a place Wei Jiayi was very familiar with, having worked there many times. At first, everything went smoothly. The actress was easy to work with, but her manager was incredibly difficult, as if he had come specifically to find faults.
While the actress was getting styled, Wei Jiayi checked the lighting. As soon as she was ready, they started taking test shots. After just a few pictures, both the editor-in-chief and the actress were satisfied. However, the manager nitpicked endlessly, claiming the styling didn’t highlight the actress’s image and strengths. His remarks made the actress second-guess herself, and she decided to redo her look. After the adjustments were complete, they did another round of test shots, then took a break for lunch before proceeding with the official shoot.
Wei Jiayi grabbed a boxed lunch and sat with the editor-in-chief, chatting while glancing at his phone. Three hours earlier, Zhao Jing had messaged him: “I’m awake.” Two hours ago, there was another message: “I’ve arrived at the office.” Then, an hour ago, he followed up: “I’ve asked Wu Rui to hire an organizer. They’re sorting through your closet.”
He also added: “There are a few apartments listed for sale next door. I bought one. The clothes being sorted will go there, so they won’t get lost.”
Wei Jiayi was initially just puzzled, thinking that with this young master’s lifestyle, he’d probably buy an apartment after a few days, and if he stayed longer, maybe even an entire floor. Then, out of the blue, he remembered the other ring he’d hurriedly tucked away deep in his wardrobe after returning home.
He immediately felt uneasy, wanting to avoid unnecessary complications. Moreover, he realized he didn’t want to see Zhao Jing even slightly upset. After some thought, he asked indirectly: “Are you supervising them in person?”
“Of course not.” Zhao Jing replied almost instantly: “I’m in a meeting.” After a few seconds, another message followed: “If I were supervising, I’d make them pack all your transparent and belly-revealing clothes into the pajama drawer.”
“I don’t have transparent clothes.” Wei Jiayi couldn’t help but laugh out of frustration.
After responding, the editor-in-chief leaned over. “Jiayi, texting your boyfriend? I heard he’s tall and handsome. So, where’s your ring?”
Wei Jiayi didn’t deny it. He tugged at the necklace around his neck and indicated, “I’m wearing it.”
“So low-key,” the editor-in-chief remarked before suddenly coming to a realization. “Is it because wearing a ring would be inconvenient for him when operating construction machinery? Is he still working with the construction team? Maybe I’m too old to understand young people’s thinking. Even though the income difference between your careers must be significant, the fact that he’s still willing to do this kind of hard work while dating you shows he’s a dependable young man.”
The rumors had become so absurd that Wei Jiayi felt compelled to clarify on Zhao Jing’s behalf. He explained, “He’s not actually in that line of work. He just knows how to drive construction vehicles, so when he was volunteering, he drove one for a few days.”
The editor-in-chief, much like Wei Jiayi had been at first, seemed puzzled. She didn’t understand how someone not in the industry could know how to operate such machinery. A trace of confusion appeared in her eyes as she asked, “Then what does he do for a living?”
Wei Jiayi froze. He realized he couldn’t accurately describe the nature of Zhao Jing’s company. At that moment, the actress’s manager walked over to speak with the editor-in-chief, raising several new demands. The editor-in-chief, being quite strong-willed, wasn’t inclined to agree and began skillfully dodging the requests. Seizing the opportunity, Wei Jiayi quickly ate a few bites of his meal and left the area.
After he left, the editor-in-chief and the manager continued their argument, which led to some thematic disagreements. As a result, the atmosphere during the afternoon shoot wasn’t great. Wei Jiayi pretended not to notice and proceeded with the original shooting plan. By four o’clock, they were nearly finished and began reviewing the photos. The manager, however, found more faults and suggested reshoots.
Suspecting that overtime was inevitable, Wei Jiayi stood aside and preemptively messaged Zhao Jing, telling him to head home first as he might be late.
“Got it.” Zhao Jing replied, adding a complaint: “Wei Jiayi, how can you be exploited like this when you’re not even a capitalist?”
Before Wei Jiayi could respond, the editor-in-chief called him over.
Zhao Jing left his office at four. Since the working hours of a certain photographer were being unreasonably extended by some unknown magazine, Zhao Jing decided to go home first to inspect the progress of the organizing.
The organizers had finished their work and were waiting for him. Zhao Jing walked into the apartment they lived in and inspected the wardrobe, which was now neatly arranged. He then went to check out the new apartment he had recently purchased for storage. It was located very close to their current home, separated by only nine unit numbers.
“Summer clothes and older clothing and shoes have been moved there,” one of the organizers informed Zhao Jing. “But some items we couldn’t classify as strictly summer wear, and they seemed to still be in use recently, so we left them in the main wardrobe.”
Wei Jiayi had a fondness for fashion, often wearing lightweight outfits regardless of the season, making it difficult to manage his wardrobe. Zhao Jing nodded in acknowledgment.
The organizer continued, “There’s also this piece of jewelry. We weren’t sure where it should go. Logically, it should be placed in a safe.”
She opened a drawer in the new apartment, revealing a shopping bag. It was from the same brand as their rings but smaller than the one used when Wei Jiayi had presented their wedding rings.
Zhao Jing opened the bag and found a box inside. When he took it out and opened it, there was a ring lying inside.
For a moment, Zhao Jing froze. He picked up the ring, noticing that it was a smaller size. Just as he was about to inspect the inner engraving, he realized the organizer was still standing beside him. He glanced at her.
The organizer seemed startled by his look. She hesitated before saying, “Mr. Zhao, shall we take our leave now? If you have further questions, you can ask Secretary Wu to contact us.”
Zhao Jing replied with an “Mm,” and the organizers left the apartment.
Concerned he might have seen wrong, Zhao Jing turned on all the lights in the room for a clearer view. He carefully examined the ring’s inner engraving and discovered that this size-54 ring bore the same serial number as the wedding ring worn by Wei Jiayi on their wedding night.
However, the certificate and receipt in the bag revealed another detail: a size-52 ring had also been purchased the day after their wedding. The exact purchase time fell between when Zhao Jing had asked Wei Jiayi to send a photo of himself wearing the ring and when Wei Jiayi eventually sent that photo.
He had been deceived again. Zhao Jing slipped the small ring into his pocket, feeling like his mind was both full and blank at the same time. He didn’t want to guess, but he didn’t want to ask either. Rarely this bothered, he went downstairs, made his way to the mall, and bought himself a ring that fit his middle finger. His only thought at that moment was that, whatever else could be dealt with later, the rings needed to match as a pair first.
While buying the ring, Zhao Jing didn’t think his expression showed much emotion, but the salesperson seemed afraid of him. She barely spoke a word, completing the transaction quickly.
Back in the car, Zhao Jing sent a message to Wei Jiayi: “Still not done with work?”
When Wei Jiayi didn’t reply right away, Zhao Jing instructed the driver to head to the photography studio where Wei Jiayi was working. After waiting downstairs for a while, he finally received a response: “Almost done. The reshoots are finished, and there’s just a bit left to review.”
Lowering the car window, Zhao Jing glanced up at the low building, its curtains drawn tight, obscuring any view inside. Unable to spot Wei Jiayi, he called him instead. Despite being at work, Wei Jiayi answered, speaking softly, “What’s wrong?”
“I’m outside the studio,” Zhao Jing told him. “I want to come up and see you.”
Wei Jiayi sounded startled. “Why are you here?” He hesitated for two seconds before continuing, “It’s boring inside. I’m almost done. Why don’t you wait for me in the car instead?”
Zhao Jing could hear someone talking in the background on Wei Jiayi’s end, a woman’s voice, saying something to him.
With his sharp hearing, Zhao Jing caught the words, “It’s fine if he comes up,” “There’s only a few of us left,” and “Let him come see us.”
Without missing a beat, Zhao Jing said to Wei Jiayi, “I can already hear your colleague inviting me up.”
“Alright.” Wei Jiayi sounded a bit resigned. “I’ll come down to get you.”
Zhao Jing stepped out of the car and waited in front of the locked glass door. The sky was overcast, and the shadows of the trees fell like ominous shapes on the walls. It was cold, and since the area wasn’t residential, there were no passersby. In the brief two minutes he waited, Zhao Jing felt as though his shadow might dissolve into the surrounding darkness. If he were to turn into a demon, he thought, he’d drag Wei Jiayi down with him, and no amount of resistance from Wei Jiayi would soften his resolve.
But then, with a “beep,” the glass door unlocked and was pushed open from the inside. Warm air flowed out as Wei Jiayi appeared, his wide eyes peeking out, one hand on the door. “Come in quickly! Why are you standing out here waiting? It’s freezing, right?”
Zhao Jing still felt angry, though not at Wei Jiayi directly. Instead, he grabbed Wei Jiayi’s hand and pulled him outside, leaning down to bite his lips in a sudden kiss.
The studio’s heating was cranked up high, and Wei Jiayi had come downstairs without a coat, intending only to open the door. The outdoor temperature was far from what he could tolerate.
But Zhao Jing’s kiss was urgent, his bite sharp, carrying an unmistakable sense of dissatisfaction. Yet, instead of resisting, Wei Jiayi kissed him back.
The surrounding darkness was absolute. Wei Jiayi’s back felt cold, while his cheeks and neck burned with heat. After kissing for a short while, he found himself breathless, and Zhao Jing finally let go of him.
“What’s wrong?” he asked Zhao Jing, feeling extremely cold, and reached out to wrap his arms around Zhao Jing to warm himself. The door was locked, and since he couldn’t open it, he had no choice but to message the editor-in-chief for help.
After sending the message, Zhao Jing took off his coat and draped it over Wei Jiayi’s shoulders. Then, he said, “I saw your ring. The organizers found it when they were tidying up.”
Wei Jiayi froze, his mind taking a moment to catch up. His first thought was how unlucky he was—every lie he’d told had now been exposed. The coat on his shoulders seemed to make him feel even colder. He also realized that ever since he’d admitted to himself that he liked Zhao Jing, he could no longer remain as calm and composed as he once was.
Doubts crept in—after all the betrayals, Zhao Jing would soon be disappointed with his lack of certainty. Wei Jiayi’s life wasn’t a fairy tale, and eventually, both his feelings and the family they had just built would be left behind.
Looking into Zhao Jing’s eyes, Wei Jiayi couldn’t lie to himself—Zhao Jing had already figured everything out. There was no explanation he could give that wouldn’t sound weak or unnecessary. Instead, he suddenly found an unusual boldness. He opened his mouth and asked, “Then can you just pretend I bought the wrong size?”
Zhao Jing had probably never encountered someone like him before—his expression went blank for a second.
“You said you’d go easy on me.” Wei Jiayi saw that Zhao Jing wasn’t speaking and thought that, given his temper, he would say no. His hands trembled slightly as he gently held Zhao Jing’s arm and softly pleaded, “Let’s just pretend I actually proposed to you that day, okay?”
Before Zhao Jing could reply, the door behind Wei Jiayi opened again. The editor-in-chief appeared, starting to say, “How did you lock yourself out—” She stopped mid-sentence when she saw Zhao Jing, her expression freezing as she fell silent.
Wei Jiayi felt his face stiffen. He didn’t turn around, unwilling to meet her gaze. Zhao Jing, however, placed a steady hand on his shoulder and spoke directly to the editor-in-chief, “Have the photos been reviewed yet?”
It took a couple of seconds before she stammered out, “They’ve been reviewed.”
“Then I’m taking Jiayi home now,” Zhao Jing said.
He reached out to pull the glass door shut before wrapping his arm around Wei Jiayi and guiding him toward the car. The driver got out and opened the door for them. Zhao Jing ushered Wei Jiayi in first, carefully fastening his seatbelt before walking around to the other side and getting in himself.
On the way home, Zhao Jing raised the divider between the back seat and the driver’s compartment. He turned his attention to Wei Jiayi, holding his hand. When Wei Jiayi finally looked back at him, Zhao Jing leaned in and kissed his cheek and the corner of his lips. “You’re such a fool. You can’t even hide things properly, and now it looks like I’m bullying you.” He added, “Let me propose again.”
