Chapter 34
Wen Yan took the kitten to the nearest pet hospital for an examination, deworming, and cleaning.
The kitten was settled into a clean observation cage, letting out faint mews; its amber eyes were a little brighter than they had been in the rain.
The vet recommended keeping it hospitalized for at least a week to make sure there were no hidden illnesses or stress reactions.
Wen Yan completed the foster paperwork, left her contact information, paid an additional fee, and asked the nurse to take extra care of it.
By the time she walked out of the pet hospital, the sky was completely dark.
And the fine, cold rain from earlier had somehow quietly turned to snow.
It was the first snowfall of the winter.
At first, the flakes were still fine and sparse, drifting down tentatively; soon they were swirling thickly, spinning in the orange halo of the streetlights and draping the whole city in a hazy veil.
The ground quickly wore a thin layer of silver-white, swallowing the mud left by the rain; the world instantly turned quiet and dreamlike.
Wen Yan stood at the entrance, exhaled a puff of white breath, and lifted her head to watch the snow falling in rustling white streams.
The cold air seeped into her lungs, yet it oddly carried a refreshing lift.
She took out her phone, aimed it at the street shrouded in snowlight, snapped a photo, and sent it to Jin Zijin.
No extra words; just three simple characters: “It’s snowing.”
The reply came almost instantly.
Jin Zijin sent over a cute expression with sparkling eyes, followed by an exuberant voice message: “It’s really snowing! It’s the first snow! Then let’s go eat at a street stall tonight!”
Wen Yan: “...?”
She held the phone, failing for a moment to follow that leap of logic.
What exactly did first snow and a street stall have to do with each other?
As if guessing her confusion, Jin Zijin’s next voice message came right after, her tone brimming with eager excitement: “Eating at a street stall on a snowy day is the best!”
“Think about it: outside it’s icy and snowy, the wind is howling, and we’re sitting somewhere sheltered, the pot is bubbling away with steam, the skewers are sizzling, and we can have a little drink too... wow...”
“Doesn’t it feel like the end of the world in the dead of winter, with only the two of us left in a shelter, leaning against each other and keeping warm?”
“Isn’t it especially romantic?”
Listening to the undisguised delight in her voice, Wen Yan could almost picture how animated she looked right now, and she couldn’t help laughing softly into the cold air.
This person always had a way of making any ordinary moment vivid and interesting in the most unexpected fashion.
She didn’t hesitate any longer. Her fingertip tapped the screen, and she sent back a voice message: “Okay. I’m done with class, so I’ll come find you.”
Jin Zijin quickly sent back a location.
At Hengxing Tower.
This was the center of the Jin family’s business empire; it was also the “battlefield” where Jin Zijin usually plotted and directed everything.
Wen Yan hailed a taxi and gave the address.
Outside the window, the snow grew heavier by the minute. The whole city, in the rapidly receding street view, gradually turned into a giant snow globe wrapped in whirling flakes.
End of the world in a bitter winter?
Only two people, leaning on each other?
It did sound a little romantic.
Wen Yan watched the snow outside and felt a vague anticipation.
When she arrived at Hengxing Tower, the well-trained staff at the front desk immediately bowed upon seeing her and led her to the dedicated elevator.
“President Jin is still in a meeting; she’ll probably be finished in about an hour. Miss Wen, please rest in President Jin’s office for a while.” The receptionist’s voice was gentle and polite.
Wen Yan nodded her thanks. The elevator rose silently and swiftly, carrying her straight to the top floor.
Jin Zijin’s office occupied the best corner of the building’s view. When the door slid open soundlessly, a highly designed space came into view.
Beyond the enormous floor-to-ceiling window lay the city, blanketed in snowfall; it was breathtaking.
Wen Yan glanced around and found herself wandering casually.
Jin Zijin, in private, was a very lively person.
On the wall-mounted display shelf, Wen Yan saw an imposing full set of Lego models from Star Wars.
Not only that; neatly arranged among them were wands from the Harry Potter series, the Golden Snitch, and a lifelike sculpture of Smaug from The Hobbit.
There was even a nearly half-meter-tall Unicorn Gundam model standing quietly in the corner, its metallic surface catching the light with a cold sheen.
Wen Yan’s gaze swept over the collection, and the corners of her lips lifted unconsciously.
Her tastes were so obvious; one could even say she was a bit of a nerd.
If she’d known Jin Zijin liked these things, she should have given her a full set of Gundam models instead of jade.
Sigh; what a miscalculation.
Wen Yan let out a helpless laugh.
Then she sat down on the spacious sofa and noticed a copy of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy casually spread open beside her; it was clearly being read recently, since the pages were still in the middle.
This was something Wen Yan had filled in on her preferences form not long ago.
Jin Zijin had remembered it; not only remembered, she had immediately found it to read.
Wen Yan felt pleasantly content.
She picked up the book beside her and started reading too.
Secretary Li Yue knocked and came in, bringing a cup of hand-brewed coffee. The aroma was rich and mellow. “Miss Wen, please have some.”
She set the coffee down, then couldn’t help sneaking a few more looks at Wen Yan.
The woman before her was wearing a simple down jacket, barefaced, her hair slightly damp from the wind and snow outside, casually tied back.
Yet even in such unadorned form, there was an effortless handsomeness to her.
There was a settled steadiness in her features; her posture was upright and straight as a pine, rather like a celebrity athlete, full of restrained strength.
Wen Yan looked up from the book and glanced at her with a faint smile. “Thank you.”
Li Yue lowered her head and met those eyes.
Long lashes fluttered lightly; those eyes were big and clear, pure as a fawn’s, utterly spotless.
No matter how many people she had seen, Li Yue still felt her heart skip a beat from that glance.
People this pure and transparent were rare in the world; no wonder the boss got married.
This one was just too attractive!
Li Yue smiled lightly. “You’re welcome.”
“Do you need anything else? Please let me know.”
Wen Yan nodded.
Li Yue left the office.
Thinking of Wen Yan’s earlier appearance, she couldn’t help pulling out her phone and typing quickly in the group chat reserved for core assistants: “The boss’s wife is here; oh my god, she’s completely different from what I imagined.”
“Super pretty! The kind of pretty that would make even women fall for her; so clean and striking!”
“She’s like glass, transparent and sincere; completely the opposite of President Jin, that gorgeous domineering CEO pineapple!”
The group immediately exploded, everyone clamoring for details.
Of course, Wen Yan knew nothing about any of this in the office.
She sipped her coffee in small mouthfuls and flipped through The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, but she really couldn’t settle down. In the end, she stood up and slowly walked around the office.
Her fingertips skimmed across the smooth desktop as she imagined Jin Zijin sitting here, brows knit while reviewing documents, or looking at the screen and making plans with that commanding air.
Outside, the snow had started in earnest, falling thick and steady, joining heaven and earth into one hazy stretch of white.
Through the huge glass window, the neon-lit city looked softened and distant in the snow curtain, dreamlike and unreal.
Wen Yan stood quietly watching, and a strange sense of calm and contentment rose in her heart.
On this snowstorm-filled afternoon, she was idly waiting for someone to get off work, then they would go eat a meal at a street stall full of ordinary, lived-in warmth...
For the past twenty-eight years, in a life she had spent trying her best to keep efficient and independent, she had never experienced anything like this.
It was trivial; it was unproductive; it even carried a bit of childish willfulness.
And yet it made her feel incomparably grounded, incomparably happy.
Wen Yan couldn’t help taking out her phone and snapping a live photo of the outside scene.
She didn’t know how long had passed before the glass door behind her office was gently pushed open.
Wen Yan turned around; Jin Zijin had come in.
She was wearing a gray-and-white striped oversized suit, soft leather flats on her feet, her long hair pinned into a low bun with a few loose strands falling at her cheeks.
No gorgeous gown, no high heels; and yet just standing there, she carried a naturally cool and capable presence.
Like a lone, precise alpha wolf on the snowfield, with a trace of sharpness still lingering in her eyes and brows from the meeting room.
However, the moment her gaze landed on Wen Yan, that sharpness melted away at once, turning into a pool of spring water spreading outward.
Jin Zijin smiled. She walked over and naturally slipped her arm around Wen Yan’s waist, leaning slightly into her arms as she asked, “Have you waited long?”
“I just got here a little while ago.” Wen Yan naturally wrapped her arms around her; her palm pressed against her slender yet straight back.
Jin Zijin wrinkled her nose and sniffed at the crook of her neck like a little animal.
The woman looked up, her eyes glittering with mischief. “Liar.”
“You’re all warm central-heating smell, plus my coffee scent... you’ve been here at least forty minutes.”
Wen Yan laughed softly. “Really? I didn’t even notice.”
Jin Zijin didn’t press further; she only leaned in a little closer.
Her arms circled Wen Yan’s neck, her gaze shining, her voice lowered and carrying a hint of coaxing command: “Lower your head.”
Wen Yan obediently bent down.
A gentle, lingering kiss fell softly on her lips.
It carried the chill from outside, and Jin Zijin’s own warm breath.
There was no urgency, only a careful tracing and sucking kiss, as if confirming and comforting the longing they’d both held through the whole day apart.
When the kiss ended, Wen Yan’s arms tightened slightly, and she actually lifted Jin Zijin cleanly off the ground, turning half a circle before setting her lightly on the edge of the heavy, broad office desk.
Jin Zijin gave a small cry of surprise, then laughed and let herself sit on the desk, her legs dangling.
From that height, she could face Wen Yan’s slightly raised gaze at eye level, even a little above it.
She cupped Wen Yan’s face with both hands, her thumbs brushing lightly over her cheekbones. In her eyes, the snowlight seemed to have fallen in, bright enough to catch the whole Milky Way.
“Did you miss me?” she asked, her voice as soft as falling snow.
Wen Yan looked into her eyes and nodded without hesitation. “Yes.”
Jin Zijin smiled and reached into her suit pants, pulling out a small box. “Hold out your hand.”
Wen Yan froze for a moment, but still followed instructions and held out her right hand.
Jin Zijin opened the box. Inside lay two rings side by side.
Their design was stripped down to the utmost simplicity; two aurora-like arcs shimmered, flowing with quiet, warm light beneath the lamps.
She took out the slightly wider one, lifted Wen Yan’s left hand, and slowly slid it onto the base of her ring finger.
The size fit perfectly.
Wen Yan looked at the suddenly appearing band of cool, solid metal on her finger, momentarily dazed.
She hadn’t expected it to be so soon, and she certainly hadn’t expected it to happen in such a casual, private moment.
Jin Zijin held her hand and gently rubbed over the ring on Wen Yan’s finger. “I originally thought I’d find a more ‘romantic’ moment tonight, like when the street stall is steaming hot, or when the snow is at its heaviest, and then give it to you.”
“But I don’t seem to be able to hide things. The moment I saw you, I wanted to put it on you right away.”
She lifted her eyes and looked at Wen Yan, a little uneasy. “Do you like it, Wen Yan?”
Wen Yan’s throat tightened.
She lifted her hand and looked carefully at the plain band.
It was so simple, yet it seemed to hold countless words, steadily encircling her, and encircling some kind of promise.
A warm current surged through her heart, rushing up until her eyes stung.
“Yes,” she nodded hard, her voice a little hoarse. “I like it very much.”
Very, very much.
Jin Zijin seemed to let out a breath of relief, then deliberately put on a stern face to tease her: “You only like the ring? You don’t like me?”
Wen Yan was amused by the childish question; the touch of melancholy in her heart was instantly swept away.
She shook her head seriously and looked into Jin Zijin’s smiling eyes. “I like you too.”
She paused, then added, each word clear and solemn: “Very much.”
After speaking, she braced both hands on the desktop at Jin Zijin’s sides and slightly lifted her chin.
From this angle, Jin Zijin sat high above her, with the snowy cityscape glittering behind her; she was beautiful like a still frame from a film.
Wen Yan’s gaze traced over her brows, her eyes, her smiling lips, then she asked softly, “May I put a ring on you?”
It was such an odd sentence that Jin Zijin froze for a moment.
Then Jin Zijin curved her lips into a smile and pressed her index finger lightly against Wen Yan’s lips, grinning. “At this point, you still need to ask that?”
“Of course you can, Wen Yan.”
“I’m your wife, after all.”
Wen Yan pressed her lips together. She wanted to smile, but her eyes still couldn’t help turning red.
Because she was the wife... so she would be this good to her?
Because she was your wife, so you thought through every little detail like this?
Then to be able to be your wife... she really was too lucky.
It was a very subtle emotion, one she had never experienced in her past life.
She took a deep breath, suppressed the feelings rising in her chest, and said, “Okay.”
Saying that, Wen Yan picked up the other ring from the box, lifted Jin Zijin’s right hand, and slowly slid it on.
After the ring was on, Jin Zijin held up her hand and looked at it beneath the white light, very satisfied. “As expected, the simpler the ring, the better it looks.”
Saying that, she beckoned to Wen Yan. “Come on, give me your hand.”
Wen Yan opened the hand with the ring on it, and Jin Zijin laid her own hand over it; their fingers interlocked.
Jin Zijin held Wen Yan’s hand, exposing the ring flashing between their joined fingers, and took out her phone to snap a photo.
After taking the picture, she sent it to Wen Yan.
The moment Wen Yan’s phone vibrated, Jin Zijin reached out to her: “Give me your phone.”
Wen Yan unlocked it and handed it over.
Jin Zijin held her hand with one hand and her phone with the other, opened WeChat, and saved the photo.
After finishing all that, Jin Zijin lifted her eyes to Wen Yan and asked with a smile, “Can I use your phone to post on Moments?”
Wen Yan nodded. “Of course.”
Jin Zijin raised an eyebrow, looking satisfied.
Then she opened the phone, typed, and sent.
When she was done, she returned the phone to Wen Yan. “Done.”
Wen Yan was a little curious. “What did you post?”
As she spoke, she opened Moments, and then saw this line: “Watching the first snow with my wife. [image][image]”
Location: Hengxing Group.
The two photos were, one, the live shot of their hands clasped together with the rings visible.
The other was the live shot of Hengxing Group’s exterior that she had just taken outside.
Wen Yan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “Why did you turn on location when you posted Moments?”
Jin Zijin held her hand and looked perfectly justified. “Of course I have to.”
“If I don’t, how would people know you’re mine?”
Wen Yan blinked, then laughed.
Such strong possessiveness.
But was that for your wife, or for Wen Yan as a person?
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She really wanted everyone in Wen Yan’s social circle to know that Wen Yan was married [laugh-cry]