The Ring

On the ninth day after returning home, it was an ordinary evening.

When Jiang Wenzhe came home from work, he was surprised to find that Lin Sangyu wasn't waiting for him on the first floor. She wasn't in the bedroom either. He finally found her in her streaming room.

He had been searching for her a bit frantically, and was out of breath when he called out, "Lin Sangyu."

"Hold on, I'll be right with you." Lin Sangyu urgently stopped Jiang Wenzhe without looking up, continuing to type away, negotiating commission splits and event mechanics with the brand.

Ever since that video went viral again in the UK, she had started working on her streaming career after returning home. The brands she was currently discussing were all ones she had tried and genuinely thought were delicious.

Animals understand animals best—the pet snacks she picked out were bound to be the tastiest.

"Alright, you go ahead and work." Jiang Wenzhe paused, then said.

"Hehe, all done. See, I said I'd be quick," Lin Sangyu abruptly tore her eyes away from her phone screen and looked at Jiang Wenzhe standing beside her. Then she froze instantly, blinking only after a long pause. She said, dazed, "Why are you all dressed up so handsome today?"

Jiang Wenzhe usually favored a clean and tidy look, rarely putting this much effort into grooming himself. The stray hairs on his forehead were styled into layered, distinct strands by the stylist, not casually combed back like usual. A few locks lightly brushed his brow, softening the cold, unapproachable hardness of his features.

Moreover—maybe it was Lin Sangyu's imagination—she felt that Jiang Wenzhe's gaze was different today.

It seemed... a little bit... gentle?

"I just felt like dressing up," Jiang Wenzhe said, as if he didn't care much. "Open your hand."

Lin Sangyu opened her hand, and the next second, a ring slipped from Jiang Wenzhe's palm and landed in hers.

No packaging at all, just a ring.

She carefully picked it up with her fingertips, and the moment she touched it, she noticed the ring was slightly damp.

It must be sweat from Jiang Wenzhe's palm, Lin Sangyu thought.

Lin Sangyu's eyes lit up, and she praised sincerely, "So pretty."

The ring's main stone was a full pear-shaped pink diamond, its peach-pink hue warm and translucent, with a delicate, sparkling fire within. It was surrounded by two layers of trapezoid and round diamonds, stacking up like blooming snowflakes. The pink light and cool white complemented each other, a luxurious feeling washing over her.

Jiang Wenzhe's voice was hoarse, his gaze burning. "If it's pretty, then wear it. I just bought it on a whim; I don't know your ring size. See which finger it fits and wear it there."

"Okay." Lin Sangyu held it up and admired it for a while longer before getting ready to put it on.

Lin Sangyu was right-handed, so naturally she held the ring in her right hand to put it on her left. She started with her thumb—that didn't fit, then her index finger—no, middle finger—no...

Her ring finger,

it slid on.

Lin Sangyu's eyes widened slightly, and for a moment her mind went blank.

Was this a proposal?

But the thought was quickly dismissed by herself.

Only lovers proposed to each other, and she and Jiang Wenzhe were not that.

Besides, it wasn't the first time Jiang Wenzhe brought her a gift on his way home from work.

From the small—like when he'd come across an old lady selling flowers by the street at dusk, he'd buy them all and stuff them into her arms when he got home.

The little cakes she'd been craving for ages, the strange fried bugs... even if his face remained cold and stern, he'd still bring them home.

To the big—occasionally at auctions, he'd casually bid on a few items for her. Finished jewelry, crystal ornaments, vintage floral prints...

He had bought her rings before too, but back then, she had worn it on her index finger.

So, this time it was just a coincidence.

Jiang Wenzhe's heavy gaze fell on Lin Sangyu's ring finger. He had trimmed her nails just yesterday, painting a thin layer of nude base coat, clean and clear. With the ring on, her long, slender fingers stretched out, perfectly natural—whether the ring enhanced her or she enhanced the ring was hard to say.

Jiang Wenzhe's breathing was very light, his skin and flesh holding back tension, and he deliberately made his voice sound calm and flat: "Then just wear it on your ring finger; it fits."

Lin Sangyu murmured, "But... but isn't that for married people?"

It seemed to go against convention.

"What does it matter? It's just an accessory," Jiang Wenzhe coaxed in a low voice. "Besides, wearing it on your ring finger can help avoid some bad romantic entanglements. Or are you still thinking about marrying three men home?"

Why bring up that embarrassing incident again? Lin Sangyu quickly denied it: "No such thing!"

"Then wear it. Coincidentally, tomorrow is my birthday banquet, and you can't attend in a gown without any accessories." Jiang Wenzhe sounded like he was genuinely giving advice.

Lin Sangyu was still torn, but she looked down at the diamond ring again—brilliant, dazzling, truly beautiful, completely matching her aesthetic. Once it was on, she wouldn't want to take it off.

Seduced, Lin Sangyu said, "Fine."

"If you still feel awkward about it, I can wear one with you," Jiang Wenzhe said. "Also on the ring finger."

The last bit of hesitation dissolved, and Lin Sangyu smiled, a radiant smile. "Sure, sure, let's wear them together."

Suddenly, a drop of colorless, odorless rain fell from ten thousand meters high, hitting the ground with a loud sound. Then the summer rain, with its unique, overwhelming force, came crashing down—whoosh—and in an instant turned into a downpour.

Both of them looked out the window at the same time. The wind rose, and the curtain fluttered low.

The desolate earth was fiercely washed by the heavy rain, and dark, damp moss spread out vibrant green in some unknown corner.

A damp breeze brushed her face, and Lin Sangyu said, "It's raining, Jiang Wenzhe."

Jiang Wenzhe "mm"ed and lowered his gaze again to look at Lin Sangyu, who was craning her neck to watch the rain. Her skin was pale and almost translucent, the line of her shoulder and neck stretching into a beautiful curve.

Jiang Wenzhe stated firmly, "Tomorrow will be a clear day."

"Really?" Looking at the heavy rain, Lin Sangyu was a bit skeptical.

"Mm, I checked the weather forecast."

"That's good, because tomorrow is your birthday," Lin Sangyu finally turned her head back, grinning at Jiang Wenzhe. "Today is the last day you're thirty-one."

"Yeah."

But you're still so young.

"Time flies."

The sound of rain continued, pattering, clear and crisp.

Jiang Wenzhe let his shoulders drop and asked very suddenly, "Say, now that you've become human, do you really have a human lifespan?"

Lin Sangyu thought for a moment and said, "I guess so. I've already lived for twenty-four years."

After a long while, Jiang Wenzhe said, "Will you live forever?"

Lin Sangyu's expression suddenly turned serious, her brows furrowed tightly, her face darkening.

Jiang Wenzhe had never seen her make such an expression before.

He heard her say, "Jiang Wenzhe, I don't want to live forever."

Living forever is painful.

Parting is also really painful.

The topic was too heavy, and Jiang Wenzhe didn't respond for a long time, so Lin Sangyu switched back to her playful self, opening her arms wide: "I'm tired. I want to take a shower and go lie in bed."

After collecting himself, Jiang Wenzhe picked Lin Sangyu up and said gently, "Okay."

"Are you really not going to work at all tomorrow?" Lin Sangyu buried herself in Jiang Wenzhe's arms, hiding all her expression.

"I took the day off, really." Jiang Wenzhe gave Lin Sangyu a little bounce, holding her higher to keep her from falling.

"Can we sleep in until eleven then?"

She hadn't slept in for ages.

"No." Jiang Wenzhe answered without hesitation.

"Why not?"

"Skipping breakfast is bad for you."

"...Fine."

*

The scent of their shared body wash from the blanket lingered, wisping into their noses.

"Why are your eyes still open? Not sleeping?"

Jiang Wenzhe was about to reach out to close them, but as soon as he did, a pair of wide, round eyes opened again.

"I told you, we can't sleep in tomorrow."

Lin Sangyu said, "I need to give you your birthday gift right on time."

Jiang Wenzhe said helplessly, "You can give it to me tomorrow during the day."

"No, no, it has to be right at midnight. I'm afraid I won't have the courage to give this gift tomorrow."

"Why would giving a gift need courage?" Jiang Wenzhe didn't take it to heart. "Then just keep your eyes open. I'm going to sleep."

"Alright, I set an alarm for twelve o'clock anyway, and it'll wake you up too." Lin Sangyu showed off by shaking her phone in her hand.

Jiang Wenzhe let out a very soft sigh and reopened his eyes.

Lin Sangyu then chattered nonstop, pulling him into all sorts of topics. When she got excited, she'd suddenly sit up and gesture wildly to demonstrate for Jiang Wenzhe.

After listening for a while, Jiang Wenzhe pulled her back down and tucked the blanket around her again.

"I'm not cold."

"Even if you're not cold, you should keep covered, especially your stomach—no exposing it."

"Ring ring ring—"

The alarm went off.

Jiang Wenzhe propped himself up and looked at her: "Time's up. Give me the gift and then go to sleep."

He should have known that letting her give a gift would make her stay up late; he wouldn't have asked her to.

Yet when midnight truly arrived, Lin Sangyu fell into an unusual silence for a moment, the air freezing.

Her movements slightly awkward, she turned over and got out of bed. The sound of a drawer opening came from the pitch-black bedroom.

When Lin Sangyu returned to bed, Jiang Wenzhe felt a cold, square card pressed into his palm.

Without turning on the light, the thick curtains blocking the moonlight, Jiang Wenzhe could only feel that it was a card. He guessed, "You're not giving me your salary card as a gift, are you? What I said last time about you being a miser was just a joke; don't take it seriously."

"No," Lin Sangyu said, clutching the blanket. "Jiang Wenzhe, this is an annual membership card for Heng'an Hospital."

Jiang Wenzhe was somewhat incredulous, his hand pressing on Lin Sangyu's shoulder, asking in an accusatory tone, "A hospital?"

"Yes."

"I have a family doctor who comes for regular check-ups every year. I'm very healthy."

Lin Sangyu took Jiang Wenzhe's hand and soothed him by rubbing his knuckles with her thumb, saying in a low voice, "But Jiang Wenzhe, you're really sick."

Jiang Wenzhe felt like he and Lin Sangyu were no longer on the same page.

He was fine. How could he possibly be sick?

How could he?

He asked, "Why don't I know about it?"

In the darkness, Lin Sangyu took a deep breath, as if gathering courage, and threw herself into Jiang Wenzhe's arms, her voice trembling as she said, "Jiang Wenzhe, go see a psychiatrist."