Chapter 6

The next afternoon, Wen Yan switched shifts.

She got off work early, and the driver was already waiting at the hospital entrance.

This time it wasn’t a Maybach, but a more low-key Audi A8, dark gray and blending into traffic without attracting any attention.

“Miss Wen, back to the apartment, or...?”

“To Grandma’s,” Wen Yan said.

The car headed toward the southern suburbs.

Leaning back in her seat, Wen Yan watched the streetscape flash past outside the window. She thought of Jin Zijin in last night’s video call, thought of that diamond necklace, thought of how she had said, “You’re the first.”

Something strange and delicate itched in her chest.

By the time the car stopped in front of the Jin family’s old residence, it was still early.

The old house of gray brick and blue tiles stood in sharp contrast to the high-rise apartment in the city center; time itself seemed to move more slowly here.

Aunt Liu came out to greet her with a gentle smile. “Miss Wen is back? The old lady’s been waiting for you.”

“Hello, Aunt Liu.” Wen Yan nodded. “Has Grandma eaten yet?”

“Not yet. She said she’d wait for you.”

Wen Yan followed her through the courtyard.

Inside, the old residence had a traditional Chinese layout, with winding corridors and deep courtyards.

An ancient ginkgo tree in the yard was full of gold; fallen leaves lay thick across the ground.

Old Madam Jin Shuangye was sitting in a wheelchair, waiting under the veranda by the main hall.

When she saw Wen Yan, her face lit up. “Yan Yan’s back?”

Wen Yan had only met the old lady twice in total, but that didn’t stop her from being a well-mannered child.

She hurried over and crouched in front of the wheelchair. “Hello, Grandma. Why are you in a wheelchair?”

“It’s an old problem,” Jin Shuangye said, patting her hand. “My knees hurt every winter, and walking gets difficult.”

The butler beside them added softly, “Madam’s had rheumatism since she was young.”

Wen Yan reached out and gently pressed through the wool blanket. “It might be rheumatoid arthritis. There may be fluid in the joint cavity.” She looked up. “Would you like me to massage it for you? It should ease the pain.”

“No, no.” Jin Shuangye waved her off repeatedly. “You’ve just gotten off work. Eat first.”

“Has Grandma eaten?”

Jin Shuangye didn’t answer. The butler smiled and said, “We’ve all been waiting for you.”

“Then let’s eat first.” Wen Yan stood and naturally moved to the back of the wheelchair. “I’ll massage you after dinner.”

“I minored in acupuncture and tuina in college; my technique is very good.”

She praised herself without the slightest modesty.

Jin Shuangye was stunned for a moment, then the smile in her eyes deepened. “Good. We’ll listen to our Yan Yan.”

The dining room table was already full of dishes.

Wen Yan glanced over and was a little surprised.

Steamed sea bass, blanched bok choy, crab roe tofu, yam and pork rib soup... everything was light, all the flavors she liked.

“I didn’t know what you like to eat,” Jin Shuangye said, motioning for the butler to serve her soup. “So I had the kitchen make a little of everything.”

Wen Yan took the bowl. “Thank you, Grandma.”

For the whole meal, Jin Shuangye barely touched her own chopsticks; she spent all her time putting food into Wen Yan’s bowl.

“Eat more; look how thin you are,” the old lady kept saying. “Being a doctor takes so much energy. You need to be sturdier.”

Wen Yan’s bowl quickly became a mountain.

She lowered her head and ate hard, doing her best to finish everything.

“You’re the good one,” Jin Shuangye said, watching her eat with fondness. “You can eat; that means you’re healthy. Not like Zijin, that girl—she has such a tiny appetite, every meal has to be coaxed out of her...”

Wen Yan swallowed what was in her mouth and smiled. “She’s probably busy with work, so her appetite isn’t great.”

“No matter how busy work is, she can’t neglect herself.” Jin Shuangye sighed, then suddenly lowered her voice. “Yan Yan, that child Zijin, she’s cold by nature and stubborn-tempered. If there’s ever anything unpleasant between you two later on, you have to bear with her, all right?”

Wen Yan’s hand around her chopsticks paused.

She thought of Jin Zijin’s composed, reserved demeanor in last night’s video call; thought of how she had tugged her hair on the bed and said, “Bite here”; thought of that mint-scented kiss that morning.

“Grandma,” Wen Yan looked up, her gaze clear, “Zijin... she treats me very well.”

Jin Shuangye looked at her for a while, then smiled. “That’s good.”

After the meal, Wen Yan kept her promise and gave the old lady a massage.

She asked the butler to bring out medicinal oil; it was premium safflower oil.

Wen Yan rubbed her hands warm, then began massaging Jin Shuangye’s knees, inch by inch.

Her technique was professional, her pressure even.

At first Jin Shuangye still endured it; later, the relief made her sigh again and again. “Oh... right there...”

“That’s Zusanli; pressing it often is good for the body,” Wen Yan explained.

The living room was filled with the smell of medicinal oil, mixed with the fragrance of osmanthus from the courtyard.

Lanterns under the veranda lit up, their warm yellow glow filtering through the carved lattice windows.

With her eyes closed, Jin Shuangye suddenly said, “That child Zijin has it hard.”

“Her parents both have their own work, and I raised her myself. When she was little, she wasn’t like this—she used to smile a lot, and she was clingy too...”

Wen Yan didn’t stop her hands, only listened quietly.

“Then she grew up. Work got busier and busier, and her temperament became colder and colder.” The old lady opened her eyes and looked at Wen Yan. “Yan Yan, Grandma can tell. She really likes you, or she wouldn’t have agreed to marry.”

Wen Yan’s hands paused slightly.

“So,” Jin Shuangye patted the back of her hand, “you two be good, and Grandma can rest easy.”

Just then, footsteps sounded in the courtyard.

Immediately after, a cool voice with a hint of laughter came from the doorway.

“Grandma, how can you talk badly about me with my wife the moment I’m not home? That’s not very nice, is it?”

Wen Yan looked up sharply.

Jin Zijin was standing at the entrance to the living room. She was wearing a cream-colored wool maxi dress, with a khaki coat over it; her long hair had been slightly tousled by the evening wind, and she carried that winter-specific chill around her.

But she didn’t look tired at all. On the contrary, her eyes were bright as she smiled at Wen Yan.

She had arrived so suddenly, and so perfectly on time.

Their eyes met.

Wen Yan forgot to speak, forgot to move; she just crouched by the wheelchair, looking up at her.

Time seemed to freeze in that instant.

The lanterns under the veranda swayed gently, light and shadow shifting over Jin Zijin’s face.

She wasn’t wearing the diamond necklace from last night, only a jade peace pendant tucked beneath her collar, faintly visible with each breath.

Wen Yan even forgot to breathe, thinking only that the person standing before her must be some still-unawakened dream.

Until a few seconds later, Jin Zijin smiled at her.

“I’m back,” she said.

Her voice was soft, but it clearly cut through the warm light in the room and fell into Wen Yan’s ears.

In that instant, Wen Yan’s heart settled back into her chest as well.

Ah, so it wasn’t a dream.

——————

Jin Zijin’s sudden return was like a stone dropped into a calm lake at dusk, sending out two unexpected ripples.

The old lady had just been closing her eyes, enjoying the careful massage on her knees, when she heard the voice and opened them in surprise. Then the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes gathered into deep smile lines. “You child, didn’t you say you had an engagement tonight? Why did you come back?”

“I canceled it,” Jin Zijin replied lightly, handing her coat to the butler who came forward.

Her gaze crossed over her grandmother and landed on the crouching figure by the wheelchair.

Wen Yan looked up at her; the faint flush from exertion was still on her face.

Now, with her eyes slightly widened in surprise, the warm light from the swaying lanterns reflected in them, making her look soft enough to melt the heart.

“Have you eaten?” the old lady asked, as always most concerned about that.

Only then did Jin Zijin withdraw her gaze and walk to the sofa to sit down, her posture relaxed in the way only home could allow. “I just got off the plane and came straight over; how would I have had time?”

“Oh dear, that won’t do.” The old lady immediately called toward the kitchen, “Zhang-ma, quickly make something for Zijin!”

“Right away,” came Zhang-ma’s voice from inside, along with the crisp clinking of pots and bowls.

Jin Zijin added loudly, “Zhang-ma, just a bowl of beef noodles will do; clear broth, and extra cilantro.”

As she spoke, her eyes drifted back to Wen Yan, her long brows lifting slightly, her tone carrying a trace of complaint that was half real and half fake. “Grandma, you’re really good at ordering people around.”

“Wen Yan and I only got married a few days ago, and you already have her waiting on me like this?”

Wen Yan’s hands didn’t stop moving; her fingertips were still precisely pressing Zusanli. Hearing that, she hurriedly looked up. “That’s not it. I saw Grandma’s legs were uncomfortable, so I offered on my own.”

Her tone was sincere, afraid of causing any misunderstanding.

Jin Shuangye laughed and patted the back of Wen Yan’s hand, then said to Jin Zijin, “Look at Yan Yan, how thoughtful she is. Only you come back and start picking at things.”

Then she turned to Wen Yan again, her voice affectionate. “Don’t mind her; she’s been like this since she was little, always teasing people.”

Jin Zijin curved her lips noncommittally, leaned forward, and carefully examined her grandmother’s knees under the thin blanket. Her voice softened. “How have your legs been these past two days? Does it still hurt badly at night when the weather changes?”

“Same as always, but after Yan Yan’s massage, it feels much better.” The old lady narrowed her eyes, clearly pleased. “You’ve still got good judgment, bringing such a good child into the Jin family.”

Jin Zijin’s gaze returned to Wen Yan.

The woman’s half-crouched posture made her look unusually obedient; her lowered lashes cast a small shadow under her eyes, and the fingers focused on massaging were long and strong, their tips turning faintly white from the pressure.

Jin Zijin looked at her for a while, then the corners of her lips rose into a very faint, but genuinely soft, curve. “Yes. We got lucky.”

Wen Yan happened to look up and met her smiling eyes.

There was no scrutiny like in the video call, nor distance like at the banquet; only a faint warmth remained there.

Wen Yan’s heart gave a small jolt. She lowered her head, but the tips of her ears quietly turned hot.

The noodles were brought over soon after.

The clear broth was transparent, the beef sliced thin and even, and chopped green cilantro scattered across the top, steaming hot.

Jin Zijin ate casually, but her movements remained elegant.

During the meal, she chatted with the old lady about matters in the group, mixed with a few finance terms and project codenames that Wen Yan didn’t really understand; her speech was steady, her logic clear.

Wen Yan listened quietly, occasionally massaging the old lady’s legs.

She liked this kind of atmosphere: not deliberately lively, but naturally intimate.

The dim yellow lighting, like honey; the aroma of food; the old lady’s gentle chatter; and Jin Zijin’s occasional glances, all of it reassuring... It wove together into a soft net that gently wrapped around her.

She suddenly felt that this was what a “home” should be.

Just after nine, Jin Zijin set down her chopsticks and wiped the corners of her mouth with a napkin. “Grandma, you should rest.”

Though reluctant, the old lady nodded.

The butler pushed the wheelchair forward, but Jin Shuangye waved him off and gestured to Wen Yan. “Yan Yan, come here.”

Wen Yan stepped forward. The old lady took her hand and slipped a jade bracelet from her wrist.

The green was as calm as water, shimmering with a gentle luster under the light.

“You got married in such a hurry that many of the formalities couldn’t be done,” the old lady said as she slid the bracelet onto Wen Yan’s wrist; the size fit surprisingly well. “Think of this as Grandma’s belated change-of-address gift. It’s nothing precious; I’ve worn it for many years, and it’s been well nourished.”

“Take it, and wear it often; it’s good for you.”

Wen Yan only felt a coolness around her wrist, but the heavy weight of it carried warmth.

She instinctively looked at Jin Zijin, her eyes asking for guidance.

Jin Zijin nodded slightly. Her voice was gentle. “Since Grandma gave it to you, accept it.”

“Thank you, Grandma.” Wen Yan touched the bracelet on her wrist. The cool jade quickly took on her body temperature.

Seeing this, the old lady was satisfied and had Aunt Fang bring out seven or eight more boxes, saying, “These are my wedding gifts for you; take them too.”

Wen Yan: ...

One would have been enough. Why so many...

She sought help from Jin Zijin, and the woman smiled helplessly. “Grandma, you can have the butler send these over later.”

“It’ll take more than ten minutes for us to carry them back anyway; it’s inconvenient.”

The old lady quickly said yes, yes, and agreed to have the butler send them over later.

After a few more pleasantries, it was nearly ten by the time they returned to the bridal home.

When the heavy wooden door opened, the motion-sensor light in the foyer switched on automatically. The cold white light poured down like mercury, clearly outlining the two of them, worn out from travel.

Unlike the warm dimness of the old house, the lighting here was calm and modern.

The moment the door closed, Jin Zijin dropped every bit of her composed posture.

Leaning against the entry cabinet, she let out a long breath, then bent down and kicked off her shoes rather roughly.

The two exquisite satin shoes lay crooked on the floor, while she stepped barefoot onto the cool wooden boards.

Her ankles were slender, the tops of her feet pale and smooth, her toenails neatly trimmed and coated with a light transparent polish.

Wen Yan carefully set the brocade box with the jade bracelet on the side table, then turned and saw this scene.

She said nothing, simply went to the shoe cabinet, took out a pair of soft cream-colored sheepskin slippers, and walked over to Jin Zijin.

Wen Yan bent down and placed the slippers side by side by her bare feet.

“The floor heating hasn’t fully come on yet; going barefoot will make you catch cold,” she said softly, with a faint note of concern.

Jin Zijin gave a noncommittal hum.

Just as Wen Yan was about to straighten up, a weight suddenly settled on her shoulder.

She froze and looked up.

Jin Zijin still hadn’t put on the slippers.

Her hands braced behind her on the top of the entry cabinet as she leaned back slightly, looking down at Wen Yan.

And her right foot was now resting lightly on Wen Yan’s left shoulder.

The sole of the woman’s foot was cool; through the thin wool sweater, the sensation came through clearly and softly.

Wen Yan stood rigidly in place. Her gaze followed that foot upward, over the slender calf, past the knee half-hidden by the hem of the coat, and finally met Jin Zijin’s lowered eyes.

The woman looked down at her from above; the hallway lamp traced a hazy glow behind her, and her expression was languid and tired.

But those eyes were dazzlingly bright, churning with a direct and burning desire.

“Two days without seeing each other,” Jin Zijin said, her voice a little hoarser than usual, like a feather brushing against the eardrum. “Dr. Wen... did you miss me?”

Wen Yan’s throat moved. Before she could organize her thoughts, the weight on her shoulder shifted.

That foot slowly slid downward.

Her soft arch pressed over Wen Yan’s collarbone; her toes brushed, almost absentmindedly, over the curves beneath the wool sweater, with an unhurried, almost torturous familiarity, gliding all the way down until it landed on Wen Yan’s knees pressed together.

The woman even used her toes to mischievously hook at the fabric of Wen Yan’s pants.

“I,” Jin Zijin leaned in closer, her breath carrying a faint cool fragrance as it hotly brushed Wen Yan’s instantly reddening ear, “missed Dr. Wen very, very much.”

With a boom, Wen Yan only felt all the blood in her body rush to her head.

Then, under the tiny unconscious movements of Jin Zijin’s toes, it scattered outward in an instant, surging toward every inch of her skin.

Her mind went blank; all reason, all composure, collapsed under this straightforward, almost savage seduction.

Jin Zijin seemed very satisfied with Wen Yan’s completely dazed, helpless appearance; a pleased laugh slipped from her throat.

She moved her foot away; the next second, she leaned in and cupped Wen Yan’s face, kissing her without hesitation.