Chapter 46

After breakfast, Jin Zijin’s drowsiness soon rolled back over her.

Like a satiated cat, she settled into the most comfortable position in Wen Yan’s arms, her eyelids already starting to droop.

Wen Yan carefully laid her flat, tucked the blanket around her, then lay down on her side as well, looping an arm around her waist and drawing her close.

“Sleep,” she whispered, her palm patting Jin Zijin’s back in a steady rhythm, as if soothing a child.

Outside, fine snow fell soundlessly; inside, the warmth was dim and hazy.

Jin Zijin fell asleep almost instantly, her breathing quickly turning long and even.

Wen Yan didn’t fall asleep right away. She quietly watched the serene face in her arms, listened to her steady breathing, and savored the stillness unique to a snowy morning.

Only after a long while did her eyelids slowly close, her consciousness sinking into a peaceful light sleep.

They didn’t sleep all that long, but the rest was excellent.

When they woke again, the snowlight outside was even brighter, turning the room into a luminous box.

Jin Zijin woke first. She blinked, moved an arm that had gone a little numb, and immediately roused the lightly sleeping Wen Yan.

“Hm? Awake?” Wen Yan’s voice was still husky with sleep, but her arm unconsciously tightened.

“Mm.” Jin Zijin rubbed against her in the crook of her arms; her voice, still lazy and rough from having slept well, was also full of clear satisfaction. “What time is it?”

Wen Yan glanced at the smart watch on the bedside table. “Ten fifteen. Still early.”

The two of them lingered in bed a while longer; neither mentioned getting up right away.

It was only when Jin Zijin’s stomach gave a soft rumble that she laughed in embarrassment. “I think I’m… hungry again.”

Wen Yan smiled too and kissed her forehead. “Then let’s get up? Wash up first. What do you want for lunch? I’ll make it.”

Jin Zijin thought about it. “It’s too cold. Don’t cook; let’s order takeout.”

Wen Yan tilted her head. “Then what do you want to eat?”

“Mm… spicy hot pot!”

Her tastes were really down-to-earth.

Wen Yan couldn’t help laughing. “Okay.”

She picked up her phone to order food. The two of them stayed wrapped up in each other, and only then did Jin Zijin reluctantly crawl out of her arms; hand in hand, they went to the bathroom.

When they washed up together, their reflections appeared in the mirror.

Looking at the completely different styles of their pajamas, Jin Zijin thought that they really ought to buy a few more sets of matching sleepwear.

Dating!

If you’re dating, everything has to match!

Halfway through brushing her teeth, Jin Zijin glanced at Wen Yan in the mirror and suddenly mumbled, “Wen Yan, your hair’s all flipped up from sleeping.”

Wen Yan was washing her face; hearing this, she looked up and sure enough saw a rebellious little lock of hair sticking up at her forehead.

She reached up and pressed it down, but it wouldn’t lie flat.

After rinsing her mouth, Jin Zijin leaned over, dipped a finger in water, and carefully smoothed the strand for her; the movement was natural and intimate.

By the time they went downstairs, Little Honey had already finished her breakfast and was scratching at the cat tree in the living room.

Hearing movement, she shot down in a blur, scampering to the foot of the stairs on her short little legs and meowing up at them with her tail held straight in the air.

“Oh, our Little Honey was waiting impatiently, huh?” Jin Zijin hurried down a few steps, bent to scoop up the fluffy little bundle, and rubbed her face against the cat’s soft head. “Sorry, Mommy and Mama overslept.”

Little Honey purred loudly in her arms and stretched out a pink tongue to lick her chin.

Wen Yan followed behind, and at the sight of this, her heart softened a little.

While they were waiting for the takeout, she worried Jin Zijin might get hungry, so she went to the kitchen to warm two glasses of milk and cut up some fruit, then brought them to the low table in the living room.

Jin Zijin was already sitting on the carpet with the cat in her arms, her back against the sofa, holding a feather teaser and gently waving it back and forth.

Little Honey’s eyes were wide as saucers; her head followed the feather left and right.

Then she suddenly pounced, grabbing the feather and using all four paws to bite and kick at it, having the time of her life.

Wen Yan sat down beside her, handed her the milk, and took a slice of apple for herself, eating it slowly.

The room was filled with the tiny sounds of the kitten playing and Jin Zijin’s soft laughter. Outside, the snow fell quietly; time itself seemed to be soaked through with the warmth of the scene, becoming slow and viscous.

Watching Jin Zijin concentrate on teasing the kitten, Wen Yan suddenly thought of something and said casually, “Oh right, Qingchi once mentioned that when you were little, you were scratched by a stray cat afterward and didn’t really like cats much?”

Jin Zijin’s hand paused slightly. Turning in surprise, she looked at Wen Yan. “She even told you that?”

“Mm. She just happened to mention it.”

Wen Yan nodded, her gaze falling on the little furball in Jin Zijin’s arms as it gnawed on the teaser. “So… if you’d had a not-so-good experience before, why did you still agree to adopt Little Honey later?”

Jin Zijin set down the teaser and lifted Little Honey up with both hands, bringing the kitten face-to-face with her round amber eyes.

The kitten didn’t struggle at all, only gave a delicate little mew, the tip of its tail curling slightly.

“Because cats are cute,” Jin Zijin said, her voice unconsciously softening as she looked at the kitten. “Look, it’s like a little fluff ball—soft and fuzzy, with such big bright eyes.”

She tucked the kitten back into her arms and gently stroked the downy fur along its back. After a pause, her tone grew a little more serious. “And… I wanted to try.”

“Try what?”

“Try to see if I have the patience and sense of responsibility to raise a living being.”

Jin Zijin lifted her head to look at Wen Yan, her eyes clear and frank. “From feeding it, cleaning the litter box, and playing with it, to paying attention to its health and emotions… being responsible for it for more than ten years… it’s like a small-scale rehearsal.”

Wen Yan’s apple-chewing slowed.

She vaguely caught the implied meaning in Jin Zijin’s words.

Sure enough, Jin Zijin went on in a steady voice, as if discussing a long-planned project: “If I can adapt and enjoy the process… I think maybe we could have a child in the future.”

She seemed afraid Wen Yan would find it abrupt, so she added an explanation. “There’s also dual-egg fertilization technology now, and artificial womb development is becoming more and more mature.”

“Although it’s expensive, and the process is complicated, from a technical standpoint, it’s no longer impossible.”

Wen Yan completely stopped moving and set the apple slice aside.

After a few seconds of silence, she finally spoke, her voice giving away little emotion. “You… want a child?”

“Mm.” Jin Zijin nodded, very straightforward. “Part of it is because of my family situation.”

“You know our business empire is deeply tangled up, and there are many collateral relatives; many of them have a lot of thoughts of their own.”

“If I don’t have direct descendants, then in the future, even if I hand things over to professional managers or a foundation, there’s no guarantee that some people won’t find a loophole and slowly hollow everything out from the inside.”

“Having a child is, legally and ethically, a much more solid barrier.”

As she spoke, she reached out and took Wen Yan’s hand resting on her knee; her fingertips were faintly cool. “Of course, that’s not the only reason. I myself… really do like children.”

“They’re soft, they smell nice, and watching a little life go from nothing to something, slowly growing up, learning to call me Mama, learning to walk… just thinking about it feels kind of amazing.”

Wen Yan’s fingers curled slightly in her palm but did not pull away. She only responded in a low voice, “Oh…”

The reaction was too flat; Jin Zijin keenly noticed.

She turned more fully toward Wen Yan and studied her. “What, you don’t like children?”

The question was direct, but there was no pressure in her eyes, only curious probing. “If you don’t like them, or if you’re not ready yet, that’s fine. We can treat this as my personal plan.”

“I’d mainly be responsible for raising the child; you wouldn’t need to feel too much pressure.”

“There are housekeepers, nannies, infant caregivers at home; it wouldn’t take up too much of your time or energy…”

“It’s not that.” Wen Yan cut her off, frowning slightly as if trying hard to sort out her own thoughts. “It’s just… I haven’t really thought about it.”

“Thought about what?” Jin Zijin tilted her head; her long hair slid over her shoulder.

Wen Yan’s gaze drifted to the snowflakes swirling outside the window, her voice slightly distant. “I never thought… I might become a mother, or that I’d contribute genes to create a child.”

She tugged at the corner of her mouth, as if considering something. “I always feel like… with my selfish, cold personality, I probably wouldn’t pass on anything good to a child.”

“Other than this body that’s at least fairly healthy, and a mind that isn’t too stupid, I don’t have much else to offer.”

“How could that be?” Jin Zijin immediately objected, her tone unusually earnest, even a little urgent. “Wen Yan, you can’t think that way. How are you selfish or cold?”

“You just have strong boundaries and a very clear inner order. That’s exactly what being rational and clear-headed looks like.”

She ticked them off one by one on her fingers. “You’re physically strong, tall, and upright; that’s a healthy foundation so many people would envy.”

“You’re intelligent, strong in logic, calm, and focused; those are all excellent traits. More importantly…”

Jin Zijin cupped Wen Yan’s face, forcing her to turn back and look at her, meeting her gaze deeply. “I want my child to be safe and healthy first.”

“You can provide the best possible biological foundation; that’s already extremely, extremely good.”

“As for personality and values… that’s shaped by upbringing and environment.”

“Together, or mainly me, we’ll do our best to give her a good environment to grow up in.”

“But a healthy body and a smart brain are what you give; that in itself is invaluable.”

Looking at her sincere face, Wen Yan’s heart trembled.

Jin Zijin’s words were like a gentle chisel, lightly knocking against some deeply rooted self-perception in her.

“…You really do want a child, don’t you?” Wen Yan asked softly, this time seeking confirmation.

“Yes.” Jin Zijin answered without the slightest hesitation, her eyes firm. “It’s part of my long-term life plan.”

“Even before I met you, I’d already frozen my eggs, and I’d considered the possibility of having a child through technology in the future.”

She let go of Wen Yan’s hand and leaned back against the sofa again, her tone returning to its usual rational ease. “But still, this is my plan.”

“We’re married now, we’re together, but that doesn’t mean every major plan in our lives has to be completely synchronized and shared.”

“Raising a child, you can think of it as… hmm, a slightly special long-term project. I have the will, and I have the resources to launch and carry it out.”

“If you’re willing to take part, then we’re partners, working hard together.”

“If you’re not interested yet, or you have reservations, then I can be the project lead for now, and you can be… hmm, a special consultant? That works too.”

Hearing “project,” “partners,” and “special consultant” as descriptions, Wen Yan finally couldn’t help laughing and crying at the same time. “How can you compare it like that?”

“Raising a child isn’t as simple as doing a project.”

“It’s a living person, with emotions and an independent mind; they’ll cry and laugh, and they need endless love, patience, and company.”

Jin Zijin’s eyes lit up. Rather than feeling contradicted, she laughed.

She reached out and pinched Wen Yan’s cheek, her gaze indulgent. “I’m really glad you’d think that way.”

“That means you take this matter very seriously, and you’re very responsible. That’s even better than I expected.”

Wen Yan helplessly caught her roaming hand and, after a moment of silence, asked again, “Then… when do you plan to start this ‘project’?”

“No rush.” Jin Zijin leaned against her shoulder, playing with her fingers. “I’ve already frozen eggs, and neither technology nor funding is a problem.”

“Before I’m forty, probably. I still have more than eight years.”

“Right now, I should focus on work first and put the group’s key arrangements in place.”

“We can talk about children when we’re both more stable, and more mentally prepared.”

Eight years.

So Jin Zijin had been thinking of placing her in her future life plans after all?

Eight years… that was nice.

As she thought about it, Wen Yan suddenly realized something and turned to look at her, her expression becoming a little strange. “Wait… before forty? You’re… four years older than me?”

At that, Jin Zijin blinked, then burst out laughing. “Huh? You’re only realizing that now?”

She sat up straight, deliberately putting on a stern face, and tapped Wen Yan’s nose with her finger. “Call me sister.”

Wen Yan actually followed her lead and carefully examined her face.

Her skin was smooth and taut, her features delicate; because she’d just slept well, her complexion was rosy and her eyes bright. No matter how Wen Yan looked at her, she seemed younger than herself.

She reached out and gently held Jin Zijin’s face, looking left and right before honestly voicing her confusion. “That’s strange… why do I feel like the one who looks four years older is me?”

Jin Zijin was amused by her serious inspection and blunt words; she let out a soft laugh and raised an eyebrow. “What, do you think I’m too old? Or do you want me to call you sister?”

Her tail end lifted teasingly.

Wen Yan was very cooperative; she immediately dipped her chin slightly and curved her lips. “Alright.”

That answer came so cleanly and naturally that it instead left Jin Zijin speechless for a beat.

By the time she reacted, she was both embarrassed and annoyed, and reached out to tug Wen Yan’s ear. “Screw you; all you know is taking advantage of me!”

Wen Yan laughed and tilted her head away, then took the chance to pull her back into her arms and kiss her cheek. “Alright, alright, don’t be mad.”

She leaned to Jin Zijin’s ear, her breath warm. “My good sister.”

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Ah, the feeling of simply living life together is really nice [head pat]

Jin Zijin’s reason for wanting a child is pretty realistic, because her family has gone through this kind of thing before. [panda head]