Chapter 20
Wen Yan, acting as the “playmate,” did her job conscientiously and kept exactly the right pace. Grandma Sun played to her heart’s content and was in high spirits.
Unknowingly, they’d been battling it out on the court for an hour and a half. Only when her breathing grew a little uneven did she finally set down her racket, still wanting more.
On the way back to the living room, Grandma Sun waved a hand and sighed with a smile. “I really am getting old. My bones and muscles aren’t what they used to be; I’m worn out after just a little activity.”
Jin Zijin supported her with practiced flattery. “That’s what they call growing old, yet growing stronger, like Yu Xin’s prose.”
“Full of vigor and strength. That net shot just now—I almost didn’t get to it.”
Grandma Sun glared at her with a smile. “You girl, your mouth is getting smoother and smoother.”
Back in the elegantly arranged living room, they sat down to drink tea.
After a bit of small talk, Grandma Sun’s expression turned more serious. She looked at Jin Zijin and said evenly, “That medical imaging AI-assisted diagnostic system your company has: this year, you must put real effort into iterating and upgrading it. The clinical data has to be solid and reliable. Next year...”
She raised a finger almost imperceptibly, giving a subtle hint. “There’ll be a more crucial evaluation and application window. Seize the opportunity and make a good showing.”
Jin Zijin had been waiting for precisely this assurance on this trip.
At those words, the last trace of unease in her heart quietly settled. She nodded with a light smile. “Don’t worry, Grandma. I know what matters.”
Grandma Sun nodded in satisfaction, then motioned to the butler standing by.
The butler brought over a rosewood tray. On it sat a delicate landscape ornament carved from golden nanmu wood; the grain flowed like rippling water, with a faint lingering scent.
There was also a rolled painting scroll, its silk mounting antique and elegant.
“This one is an untitled Ming-dynasty painting, ‘Spring of a Quiet Ravine,’ by an anonymous artist,” Grandma Sun said, turning to Wen Yan with a kind, gentle smile. “The brushwork is rather graceful. Keep it for enjoyment. Little Wen, this is a meeting gift.”
“My place is quiet; once I retire, I’ll be even freer. If you have time, come often and keep this old woman company. Help me move my bones around a bit and chat with me.”
Wen Yan was flattered and hurriedly stood, taking it with both hands in a respectful posture. “Thank you, Grandma.”
“As long as you don’t mind me bothering you, I’ll definitely come often to learn from you.”
Seeing the business concluded, Jin Zijin naturally took her leave. “Grandma, then we won’t disturb your rest any longer today.”
Grandma Sun Jianlan saw them off to the entrance of Lanyuan.
Twilight had just begun to fall; warm yellow light glowed from the wind lamps under the eaves.
“Dr. Wen,” Sun Jianlan said with a smile, “next time there’s a chance, I’ll treat you to dinner alone.”
At that, Jin Zijin immediately shifted half a step sideways, unobtrusively blocking Wen Yan a little as she replied unhurriedly, “She’s busy. No time.”
Then she took Wen Yan’s hand and waved at Sun Jianlan. “We’re off.”
Sun Jianlan clicked her tongue, leaning against the door with her arms folded as she watched them. She shook her head and laughed. “So stingy.”
Wen Yan was led by Jin Zijin into the car. Through the slowly rising window, she could still see Sun Jianlan standing at the door, smiling as she saw them off. She fell into thought.
Jin Zijin followed her gaze, glanced once, then withdrew her eyes and lightly tapped Wen Yan’s hand. “What are you looking at? Is she that pretty?”
Wen Yan turned back and looked at her, asking casually, “Miss Sun... is she your childhood friend?”
Jin Zijin thought for a moment. “More or less. We’ve known each other since we were little. Why do you ask?”
“Nothing,” Wen Yan said, lowering her eyes as her fingers absentmindedly traced the leather pattern on the seat. “I just think you’re very close.”
This time, Jin Zijin considered it seriously for a moment before giving a more precise answer. “She’s a very good partner.”
Wen Yan felt a faint, subtle stir in her heart and gave a soft “oh.”
A very good partner.
Then what about her, this “partner” who had barged in halfway through because of a marriage contract?
In Jin Zijin’s mature, fully formed system for measuring human relationships, what was she?
A passable “life partner”?
She didn’t ask further. Jin Zijin also seemed not to notice her brief silence. Instead, she raised her eyes and told the driver up front the name of a landmark cloud-top hotel in the city.
Wen Yan was slightly surprised. “We’re going there? There’s still something planned for tonight?”
Jin Zijin blinked; her lashes looked especially thick in the dim light inside the car. “Mm. We need to change clothes.”
The suite on the top floor of the hotel had already been prepared.
The moment they opened the door, the professional makeup and styling team from the morning was already waiting inside, all of them silent and ready.
For Wen Yan, the stylist had prepared a simple yet design-forward strapless white evening gown.
The fabric draped smoothly, the cut exquisite; it outlined her tall figure just right.
Her long hair had been curled into soft volume and left loose over her shoulders, a few stray strands falling beside her neck.
Wen Yan stood in front of the full-length mirror, looking at the bare lines of her shoulders and arms in the reflection.
Those were the lines left by years of standing through surgery and maintaining physical training; the muscle definition was clear, carrying a resilient sense of strength.
She was silent for a moment as memories of her mother’s assessment surfaced quietly in her mind.
Big.
Really big.
Ugly. Awful.
Wen Yan had let it go in one ear and out the other. Back at school, she had gone and trained hard in retaliation, and the result was only that she got bigger.
Bigger and stronger.
As for those disgusting words like, “You look so ugly; how are you going to get married in the future?”
Get lost.
She wanted to eat well and grow tall and solid; she liked it, she wanted it, and she did not care what anyone else thought.
Hmph.
As Wen Yan was thinking, the door to the inner room of the suite opened, and Jin Zijin walked out.
At the sound, Wen Yan turned her head, and her breath was instantly taken away.
Jin Zijin had changed into a satin floor-length gown in a rich, subdued emerald green.
The deep, tranquil green was like the darkest seawater, its luxurious sheen flowing with every step she took.
The hem was long and brushed the floor, dignified and elegant. Her long hair had been carefully pinned up, revealing her slender, pale neck. A few curled strands had been left at her temples and along her ears, softening her facial contours and adding a touch of mature, alluring charm.
Wen Yan’s eyes widened at once.
So beautiful.
She knew her wife was gorgeous, but every single time, she still got dazzled by her.
Jin Zijin did not miss the flash of amazement in her eyes and curved her lips in satisfaction.
Under Wen Yan’s gaze, she walked step by step toward her.
Soon, she reached Wen Yan’s side.
Jin Zijin lifted her eyes and looked into the mirror, seeing Wen Yan’s beautiful bare back. There was unabashed appreciation in her gaze.
Then she lowered her head and looked at Wen Yan’s pretty, straight shoulders, unable to resist reaching out a finger and lightly tracing the subtle curve of Wen Yan’s shoulder blade.
The woman’s fingertips lingered on Wen Yan’s taut, smooth skin; the sensation made Wen Yan tremble.
Wen Yan asked shakily, “Zijin?”
Jin Zijin answered lazily, “Mm?”
Wen Yan hesitated before asking, “What do you think?”
At last, Jin Zijin’s gaze moved from her shoulder to her face, and she said very seriously, “It suits you very well.”
The gown she had picked really did suit her.
Wen Yan looked up at her with a rare flicker of uncertainty. “Will it make me look a little... ‘big’?”
She used the word from her memory that had always made her bristle.
Jin Zijin’s fingers slid along her shoulder line to the side of her neck, lifting a lock of stray hair away with gentle care.
“No.” She answered decisively, studying Wen Yan’s figure with serious eyes. “You have a good frame, and your shoulder and neck lines are excellent. This kind of dress brings out your style best.”
She leaned in slightly, close to Wen Yan’s ear; her breath was warm, carrying an ambiguous kind of praise. “I like it very much.”
“You can wear more of this in the future.”
Aiwen and her assistant Xu Ming, who were tidying the accessories nearby, both paused almost imperceptibly at those words and secretly exchanged a glance.
This always tactful, concise, and almost coldly impersonal President Jin was really a different person in front of her newlywed wife.
Aiwen was very quick on the uptake and immediately smiled as she chimed in, “President Jin is right.”
“Miss Wen’s kind of strong, powerful build is actually the most photogenic and the best at carrying a gown; it looks very high-end.”
Wen Yan felt a little embarrassed and pressed her lips together. “Thank you.”
The styling was finally complete.
Wen Yan stood up in the high heels matched to the dress; she wasn’t used to the unfamiliar height and curve of the heels, and her body swayed slightly.
Jin Zijin immediately reached out and steadied her arm.
“Careful.”
“Thank you. I’ll get used to it.”
Wen Yan took a deep breath, lifted the hem of her skirt, and slowly walked two rounds over the soft carpet.
At first her steps were cautious, but very quickly her excellent coordination and sense of balance kicked in; her pace gradually became steady and fluid.
Jin Zijin leaned against the wall with her arms folded, her gaze following her all along, full of admiration.
After walking two rounds, Wen Yan had fully adjusted. She turned and walked toward Jin Zijin, her eyes especially bright in the light. “Okay.”
Jin Zijin beckoned to her. “Come here; let me put something on you.”
Xu Ming stepped forward at the right moment, holding open a black velvet box.
Inside, on the dark lining, lay a pink diamond necklace.
The stones were clear and pristine, a rare, tender shade of pale pink.
Under the light, they refracted a dreamy glow; around the main stone, pure white diamonds were closely pavé-set, and the chain was delicate and exquisite, clearly worth a fortune.
Jin Zijin took out the necklace, and Wen Yan obediently lowered her head slightly.
The cool diamonds touched the skin at her neck; the clasp clicked shut with a soft sound.
Jin Zijin stepped back to appraise her. The pink sparkle reflected against Wen Yan’s collarbones, blending in a strangely harmonious way with her calm temperament.
“Beautiful,” Jin Zijin said with certainty. “Your neck line is lovely; jewelry suits you.”
Wen Yan raised a hand to lightly touch the coldness at her throat and smiled awkwardly. “Thank you.”
“You,” Jin Zijin looked at her, a little helpless, “really do love saying ‘thank you.’ We’re partners; there’s no need to be so polite.”
But Wen Yan took her hand and looked up, her gaze clear and earnest. “It’s precisely because we’re partners that I should say thank you even more.”
Jin Zijin was momentarily dazed by the seriousness in her eyes. Then she tightened her fingers and held her hand even more firmly. “Let’s go.”
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The gilded doors of the banquet hall were pushed open silently by the attendants.
The imagined noise did not surge out. Instead, a gentle live orchestra drifted into the air.
The music sounded especially clear in the vast, quiet space, as if every note were falling straight onto people’s hearts.
Wen Yan instinctively looked toward Jin Zijin.
The scene inside the hall came into view.
All the densely arranged dining tables had been removed, leaving only one long table in the center, covered with a white tablecloth and decorated with flowers and candleholders.
On the circular gallery above, a small orchestra was playing attentively.
The lighting was soft, focused on the table, while the rest of the space sank into a tranquil, warm darkness.
This was clearly not an ordinary business dinner.
Wen Yan could not help asking softly, “Didn’t you say there was a dinner engagement?”
Jin Zijin led her toward the only table under the guidance of the attendant, then turned her head to look at her, candlelight reflected in her eyes. “Having dinner with my wife; isn’t that the most important ‘engagement’ of all?”
Wen Yan was at a loss for words, then laughed. The faint haze in her heart caused by the words “good partner” was quietly dispelled by this carefully prepared surprise.
After they sat down, Jin Zijin lifted her glass. The champagne inside glittered with fine golden bubbles. “To our second official date.”
Wen Yan smiled and clinked glasses with her; the crystal goblets struck with a crisp, pleasant sound.
Remembering their conversation from the morning, she could not help teasing, “Are we taking photos to record this one too?”
Jin Zijin tilted her head and indicated the very professional photographer quietly hidden in the distance, a sly glint flashing in her eyes. “There. Someone is in charge of documenting it.”
“You worked hard today, so all you need to do now is enjoy dinner.”
Dish after dish was served, each one as exquisite as a piece of art. Jin Zijin would occasionally lower her voice to introduce the ingredients and cooking methods, letting Wen Yan sample them one by one, and carefully asked, “Is it to your taste?”
“I’m not picky,” Wen Yan answered honestly.
Jin Zijin looked at her, the corners of her lips lifting. “Easy to take care of. Not picky; I like that.”
Wen Yan: “...”
She set down her silver fork and looked at the beautiful woman across the candlelit table, hesitating for a moment before asking, “Did you arrange all this specially today because I prepared dinner last night?”
“Mm,” Jin Zijin admitted frankly, idly turning her wineglass with her fingertips. “A favor for a favor; that’s fair.”
“I don’t know how to cook, so I had to borrow someone else’s kitchen and skills to treat you back.”
Wen Yan’s mood was a little complicated. Half joking, half serious, she said, “Then every time I cook, you’re going to ‘treat me back’ like this once?”
“In theory,” Jin Zijin nodded, looking unexpectedly serious. “Yes. One time each; that’s fair.”
Wen Yan paused, looking at her with a helpless smile in her eyes. “Zijin, sometimes I feel like you’re a mirror.”
“Whatever I give you, you immediately think of a way to reflect it back clearly and return it to me.”
At those words, Jin Zijin also set down her glass.
She tilted her head slightly and met Wen Yan’s gaze with clear eyes. “Aren’t you the same?”
She raised a hand and lightly tapped the jade-green earring on her own ear. “Didn’t you send me something, and then immediately ‘return’ it?”
Wen Yan was speechless, then realized her misunderstanding and quickly explained, “I wasn’t returning a gift or maintaining some kind of ‘fairness.’”
Her tone grew a little urgent; feelings she was not skilled at expressing were desperately searching for an outlet. “That day I just saw them and thought they suited you, so I wanted to give them to you. There wasn’t any other reason.”
She didn’t need this exact, millimeter-perfect kind of reciprocity.
Because between them, it should not just be a cold exchange of equivalent value.
They were partners, weren’t they?
Jin Zijin looked at the way she hurried to clarify, and her eyes deepened.
She seemed to understand, and yet also to have touched some emotional logic she still did not fully grasp.
She did not continue the topic, but instead asked, “Are you full?”
Wen Yan blinked, then nodded. “More or less. Why?”
“Then,” Jin Zijin stood and reached out her hand, invitation rippling in her eyes, “let’s go dance.”
“I don’t know how.”
Looking at the small, polished dance floor not far away, Wen Yan panicked a little.
Jin Zijin had already taken her hand and gently pulled her up. “There’s nothing people are born knowing how to do; you learn it and then you know.”
She guided Wen Yan onto the dance floor and placed Wen Yan’s hand on her shoulder.
Her other hand wrapped around Wen Yan’s waist and led her to sway lightly to the rhythm of the music. “Relax; follow me. One, two, three, four... yes, like that, simple. You just need to move.”
Wen Yan had been stiff at first, but under Jin Zijin’s steady, patient guidance, she gradually relaxed and tried to follow her steps.
As they turned slowly, the hem of her skirt rippled outward.
Jin Zijin looked up at her; in the flickering candlelight, her expression was especially earnest. “See? Didn’t you learn it?”
Holding Wen Yan’s hand, she led her into another turn, her voice low and clear, blending into the music. “You have many new things to learn and adapt to; I also have many questions about how to become a better partner.”
“We can learn together, slowly figure things out, and find the rhythm and way that belong to us.” Jin Zijin went on, her gaze gentle yet firm. “Marriage may be like this dance.”
“The beginning may be clumsy, but as long as you’re willing to hold each other’s hands and listen to the same melody, you can always dance in harmony.”
Wen Yan understood.
She was explaining the intent behind all her “favor for favor” behavior today.
She was using the methods she was familiar with—calculating, giving back, arranging—to respond to and nurture this relationship.
She was a beginner too; she was learning too.
Learning how to properly cherish the relationship between them.
An unexpectedly warm, sour-sweet current surged up in Wen Yan’s heart, washing over the hidden unease it had held.
She looked at Jin Zijin’s eyes, full of seriousness and a hint of clumsy testing, and gently nodded. Her voice was a little hoarse. “Okay.”
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[head pat] The two of them are just like cats and dogs interacting: you give me one thing, I give you one thing; you give me something, I give you something back; however you treat me, I’ll treat you the same way.
They’re really so cute [panda head]
TL Note:
"growing old, yet growing stronger, like Yu Xin's prose" (庾信文章老更成) = a compliment meaning someone becomes more accomplished with age, especially in writing or style.