Chapter 88
On the morning of the second day of the Lunar New Year, before dawn had fully broken, the warm lights in the villa were already on.
They had played mahjong through the entire New Year’s vigil the night before. After returning to their own villa, they’d washed up and collapsed straight into bed.
Wen Yan woke early, but Jin Zijin had her firmly caged in her arms, leaving her no room to move.
The woman’s chin rested on her shoulder; her breathing was light and even, still deeply asleep.
Her hands and feet were wrapped around Wen Yan like an octopus, clinging to her without the slightest intention of letting go. Even in sleep, she kept burrowing a little farther into Wen Yan’s arms.
Wen Yan looked down at the defenseless face in her embrace and couldn’t help curving her lips.
She tried to move carefully, wanting to get up, but the moment she shifted even half an inch, Jin Zijin’s arms tightened abruptly and dragged her back again.
“Mm…” The person in her arms gave an unhappy murmur, burying her face deeper into Wen Yan’s neck as she mumbled, “Sleep a little longer…”
Wen Yan laughed helplessly and lowered her head to press a kiss to the top of her hair. “We need to get up. We’re going to the Wang family’s place to pay New Year’s greetings today. If we’re late, he’ll start making trouble again.”
Only then did Jin Zijin stir. Her long lashes fluttered; she slowly opened her eyes.
She glanced at Wen Yan, then tucked herself closer into Wen Yan’s arms and hummed with her eyes closed, “Let me laze around for five more minutes.”
“The Wang family’s place is just for appearances anyway. It doesn’t matter whether we go early or late.”
After a pause, she added, with the righteous confidence of someone defending her own: “Besides, with me there, could Old Master Wang really say anything to you?”
That said, five minutes later, she still obediently got up.
While washing up and changing clothes, Jin Zijin specifically picked Wen Yan a soft dark navy cashmere coat, which made her features look even sharper and more elegant.
When she was helping her with the scarf, Jin Zijin lowered her head and pecked her on the lips, all domineering. “If you don’t want to deal with it, say less. With me here, no one’s going to give you a cold face.”
“I’ll handle the old man.”
Wen Yan’s eyes curved. She reached up to straighten the pearl necklace at Jin Zijin’s neck and said softly, “Got it.”
“It’s just a formality. It’s fine. No matter what, he’s still my grandfather. On the second day of the New Year, everyone will still give each other face.”
After breakfast, they left together.
The Jin family car was already waiting at the door, the trunk stuffed full of New Year gifts prepared for the Wang family.
The two rode in comfort all the way to the villa district where the Wang family lived. When the car stopped at the entrance, the Wang family’s servants were already waiting, opening the door respectfully and leading them inside.
The living room was already full of people.
Seated in the seat of honor was Old Master Wang, hair neatly combed, dressed in a dark suit and looking vigorous and well.
To his left sat Wen Yan’s mother, Wang Manyu, and father, Wen Xinjian; to his right were Wen Yan’s uncle, Wang Jinyu, and the family of Zhang Peng’an, fiancé of Wen Yan’s cousin Wang Yuchen.
The room was lively with everyone flattering the old man and chatting cheerfully.
When the two of them entered, the noisy living room fell quiet for a moment.
Every gaze turned toward them at once, as though arranged in advance; each looked over Wen Yan first, then settled on Jin Zijin with a little more scrutiny and warmth.
“Zijin, Yan Yan is here? Come, sit, sit.” Wang Jinyu was the first to react, hurrying over to greet them.
A polite smile spread across his face at just the right degree. He took their coats and kept saying, “It’s the second day of the New Year, and you still had to make the trip over. Isn’t it cold outside? Come on, have some tea.”
Across from them, Wang Manyu gave the two of them a glance and, awkwardly, did not get up.
“It’s what we should do; we came to pay New Year’s greetings to Grandfather and the elders.” Jin Zijin nodded slightly, her tone proper and considerate.
She led Wen Yan by the hand to Old Master Wang’s side and greeted him, “Grandfather, Happy New Year.”
“Wishing you health in the year ahead, longevity like the pines and cranes, and smooth sailing in all things.”
Wen Yan also bent slightly and said, her voice calm and even, “Grandfather, Happy New Year.”
Old Master Wang smiled and nodded, signaling for a servant to bring tea.
His eyes swept over the two of them as he exchanged pleasantries, but his gaze landed especially warmly on Jin Zijin. “Good, good. It’s good that you came.”
“Sit, Zijin, sit next to your mother. It’s the New Year; there’s no need to be so formal.”
Jin Zijin said yes and pulled Wen Yan to sit beside Wang Manyu.
After a round of formal greetings, Old Master Wang tapped his teacup and steered the conversation toward Wen Yan.
Slowly, with all the authority of an elder, he said, “Yan Yan, that hospital mess of yours at the end of last year; has it all been settled?”
“It’s all been settled. Thank you for your concern, Grandfather.” Wen Yan lifted her eyes. Her tone was flat, revealing nothing.
Old Master Wang nodded, took a sip of tea, and began lecturing lightly, as if brushing off dust. “Good that it’s settled.”
“Your profession is one of saving lives. At work, you still need to keep your emotions steady, be cautious in speech and conduct, and avoid making mistakes easily.”
“As a girl, you still need your own career in order to have something solid to stand on. Don’t act on impulse and sacrifice the work you love. That would be more loss than gain.”
As soon as he finished, Wang Jinyu chimed in to back him up. “Dad’s right.”
“Yan Yan, this isn’t me criticizing you, but that last incident was too dangerous.”
“Everyone online was attacking you. If you’d handled it badly, your whole life would’ve been ruined. In the future, when you do things, you should discuss them more with the family. Don’t try to shoulder everything alone.”
Wen Yan lowered her eyes, her fingertips resting against the side of her teacup, and said nothing.
Inside, though, she couldn’t help a cold laugh.
They sounded more righteous than anyone else.
If they really cared, why hadn’t the Wang family lifted a finger when she was being attacked online?
Forget helping; even their words of concern were laced with probing, as if they were testing whether Jin Zijin would abandon her.
Scheming and calculating, weighing gains and losses.
In the end, they didn’t even compare to her money-minded mother. At least when things happened, her mother had still been willing to transfer her 500,000 yuan.
The whole room joined in, saying things like, “The old master is right,” and “Yan Yan, you should listen to your grandfather and uncle.”
Wen Yan only nodded faintly and said nothing more.
Jin Zijin spoke up at the right moment, smiling as she smoothly changed the subject.
With just a few sentences, she steered everyone’s attention to Old Master Wang’s calligraphy hobby, drawing him into conversation until he completely forgot about lecturing.
Wen Yan turned her head to look at Jin Zijin’s composed profile as she handled everything with ease, and warmth flooded her heart.
Secretly, under the table, she squeezed Jin Zijin’s hand.
——————
Lunch was laid out across the table, a full spread of mountain delicacies and seafood.
The Wang family had strict rules, so even at the meal, everything remained politely ceremonial.
Jin Zijin sat in the guest seat of honor and accompanied Old Master Wang and Wang Jinyu in drinking a couple of cups of coconut juice.
Wang Yuchen kept serving dishes to both her and Wen Yan, praising them nonstop; praising how well-matched they were, praising Jin Zijin for being young and accomplished, praising Wen Yan for her good fortune.
Afterward, she leaned over and asked Jin Zijin with a smile, “Zijin, I’ve been thinking of starting a new energy business lately. You’ve got a sharp eye; could you give me some pointers?”
Jin Zijin smiled and agreed, explaining the ins and outs of the industry in just a few sentences.
She gave advice without overstepping; her sense of proportion was impeccable.
Wen Yan sat beside her, watching how effortlessly she handled everything, her eyes full of a smile.
Quietly, she peeled a shrimp and placed it in Jin Zijin’s bowl.
The meal passed smoothly. No one said anything inappropriate, and no one brought up the previous incident.
They only picked pleasant topics and New Year anecdotes, creating a lively and respectable atmosphere.
After the meal, everyone returned to the living room to drink tea.
A servant brought fresh-brewed pu’er tea. After only a few words of casual conversation, Old Master Wang gave Wang Manyu a look, and the topic quickly turned to the Chengdong plot.
Wang Manyu immediately understood. Though a little unwilling, she still smiled and said, “Zijin, you’ve been in business for so many years; your judgment is much better than mine.”
“Lately, people in the circle have been saying that several key universities in the capital are going to move en masse to Chengdong. Is that true? Your father and I are cut off from the latest news, so we can’t tell what’s real and what isn’t. We were just about to ask you.”
Jin Zijin held her teacup and lightly tapped the rim with her finger.
A proper smile remained on her face as she answered unhurriedly, “Mother’s information is sharp. There is indeed such a plan.”
“But it’s still in the early stages of evaluation. The ministries haven’t finalized anything yet, so there are still many variables.”
Wang Jinyu’s eyes lit up; he leaned forward a little and took up the thread. His tone carried a careful probing. “Then in your opinion, how likely is it that this will actually go through?”
“To be honest, our Wang family acquired a large tract of land in Chengdong ten years ago; over 300 mu. We never started construction, just waited for the right opportunity.”
“If those universities really move there, the value of that land will skyrocket.”
What he meant could not have been clearer: he wanted a definite answer from Jin Zijin, to confirm whether the Chengdong plot was worth investing in and whether it could be revived.
He wanted to ride the policy wind and turn the land they’d been holding for a decade around.
Jin Zijin understood perfectly.
Her face remained smiling, though her answer was deliberately vague and only sketched the edge of things, leaving no firm promise behind. “Chengdong is one of the municipal government’s key science-and-technology development zones for the next five years. In the long run, the growth potential is certainly there; that much is set in stone.”
“But policies are the most changeable thing. No one can say for certain when the plan will be implemented or what the exact relocation scope will be.”
“The Wang family bought the land early, so the cost was low. Even if it isn’t developed, holding onto it won’t lose much money. It’s much safer than those who bought in at the top.”
It sounded like an affirmation; in truth, it gave away nothing specific.
She could advance or retreat as needed, leaving herself no handle to be grasped.
But Old Master Wang seemed to hear exactly what he wanted.
A satisfied smile spread across his face, and he nodded repeatedly before turning to Wang Manyu. “Doing business requires this kind of vision; you have to think long-term.”
“That Chengdong land will make money sooner or later.”
Wang Manyu immediately nodded along. “Yes, yes, Dad is right. Now we have a much clearer idea.”
Jin Zijin only smiled without speaking, lifting her cup for a sip to hide the depth in her eyes.
They stayed for another half hour before rising to take their leave.
The whole Wang family escorted them to the door. Old Master Wang smiled and told Jin Zijin to come visit more often; Wang Jinyu also enthusiastically invited them to have a meal and drinks together another day.
Only Wang Manyu and Wen Xinjian, standing to the side, looked a little awkward. They reluctantly told Wen Yan to come home more often when she had time.
——————
After a round of polite exchanges, the two got into the car and left.
Wen Yan leaned against the window, watching the scenery outside race backward. After a moment of silence, she suddenly turned and asked, “What you told my grandfather just now about the Chengdong project; can it really be done?”
“It can be done.” Jin Zijin took her hand, her fingertips gently rubbing over the pad of her finger as she said calmly, “But if they do it, they’ll definitely lose money.”
Wen Yan was a little surprised. She raised an eyebrow, interested.
Leaning closer to Jin Zijin, she asked, “Oh? How so? I thought you really believed that plot had potential.”
“There is potential; it’s just ten years’ worth of potential, not right now.” Jin Zijin pinched her cheek, her eyes carrying a touch of proud mischief.
“The real estate boom is long past. What comes next is a hard landing and a collapse.”
“The Chengdong project looks huge, and the policy benefits sound impressive, but in reality the supporting infrastructure can’t keep up, and neither can the population inflow. Even if the universities really move there, it won’t take off for at least ten years.”
“That 300-plus mu of land the Wang family has; if they want to revive it, they’ll have to pour in several billion yuan. All the money invested upfront will sink into it, and getting the returns back will be harder than reaching the sky.”
“Their cash flow is already tight. If they throw themselves in headfirst, they’ll only drag the whole family down.”
She paused, drawing out the last syllable with a hint of suspense. “They want to use this tailwind to turn things around. When the time comes…”
“When the time comes, what?” Wen Yan pressed, curiosity filling her eyes as she shook Jin Zijin’s arm.
Jin Zijin glanced at her, lifted her chin in smug satisfaction, and reached out to flick her nose. “You’ll know when the time comes. Anyway, if the Wang family wants to do this project, they’ve got plenty of suffering ahead.”
Wen Yan laughed helplessly. “So you were teasing them all along.”
“I said so; why would you casually point them toward an easy road? So this is what you were waiting for.”
“What else?” Jin Zijin pulled her into her arms and lowered her head to kiss her cheek.
“Let them make money? Dream on.”
“Not a single day passes that the Wang family’s shares are not split to you, and not a single day passes that I’ll step in to help them.”
“Little by little, cut by cut; sooner or later, there’ll be a day they bleed heavily.”
“By then… hmph…”
Jin Zijin didn’t spell it out, but Wen Yan understood the rest.
Amused, Wen Yan couldn’t help gathering her into her arms and kissing her cheek. “Zijin, you’re really good.”
——————
The car soon arrived back at the Jin family’s old residence.
As soon as it stopped, the driver hurried over to open the door. Jin Zijin got out first, then casually took a large bag from the driver and placed it directly into Wen Yan’s arms.
Wen Yan hugged the bag and froze for a moment, looking down at the New Year blessing characters printed on it.
She looked up and asked, “What’s in here? It’s pretty heavy.”
“Red packets.” Jin Zijin smiled and adjusted Wen Yan’s wind-tossed hair, her tone natural. “It’s the second day of the New Year today. The collateral relatives of the family will all bring their children to the old residence to pay their respects.”
“Later, when the kids come to kowtow and greet you for the New Year, you just hand out two each.”
Holding the heavy bag of red packets, Wen Yan felt warmth rise in her chest. Her eyes curved as she nodded obediently. “Okay, got it. But why did you prepare so many?”
“The Jin family is large, and there are a lot of children in the collateral branches. I was afraid it wouldn’t be enough.” Jin Zijin took her hand and led her into the old residence.
She leaned close to Wen Yan’s ear and laughed softly, a little teasing. “Besides, I’m married this year. It’s my first time giving out red packets to the family’s kids, so of course I have to be generous.”
Wen Yan smiled and squeezed her palm.
Hand in hand, the two walked into the old residence.
The moment they pushed open the door, a thunderous rush of noise hit them.
The Jin family was large and had many relatives, and on the second day of the New Year, they all came to the old residence to pay respects to Grandma Jin. The enormous living room was packed to the brim.
Voices, laughter, children running and jumping, the clacking of mahjong tiles; all of it mingled together in rich, bustling New Year warmth.
When the two entered, the noisy living room went quiet for an instant. Then waves of greetings rose one after another:
“Zijin is back!”
“Happy New Year, Zijin! Happy New Year, Yan Yan!”
“Come sit, we’ve all been waiting for you!”
Wen Yan looked at the sea of people in the room and immediately felt a little dazzled; she could barely tell who was who.
Jin Zijin held her hand tightly and greeted everyone one by one with a clear, bright voice.
She introduced them to Wen Yan in turn: “Yan Yan, this is Auntie Number One, this is Auntie Number Two, this is Auntie Number Four, this is my eldest cousin…”
She introduced each person one by one, and Wen Yan followed along with nods and greetings. Jin Zijin leaned close to her ear and muttered softly, “It’s okay if you can’t remember them. We only see each other once a year anyway…”
Wen Yan’s ears grew slightly hot. She stayed close to Jin Zijin the entire time, never once feeling neglected.
The relatives watched the two of them holding hands and all smiled, teasing them about how good their relationship was. Wen Yan’s face grew even hotter, and she held Jin Zijin’s hand tighter.
Not even two minutes after they sat down on the sofa, a group of half-grown children came running over.
They gathered in front of the two of them, bowed properly, and chirped in their soft little voices:
“Happy New Year, Sister Zijin! Happy New Year, Brother-in-law Zijin!”
The one who ran in front was the youngest granddaughter of the second aunt, only five years old, with two little pigtails and an especially adorable face.
Jin Zijin smiled and patted the little girl’s head. “Happy New Year, sweetie. In the new year, may you be safe and sound, study well, grow more and more obedient, and receive so many red packets your hands go numb.”
As she spoke, she took two red packets from the bag and handed them over.
Wen Yan reacted too, quickly following suit and handing over two red packets of her own. The little girl took them and sweetly said thank you, sister, before bouncing away.
One was sent off, and another came running over.
A whole row of children came to pay New Year’s greetings one after another, each one with a sweeter mouth than the last, tossing out blessings one after another:
“Wishing Sister Zijin and Brother-in-law a great New Year’s fortune, bigger and bigger business, and ever more beauty!”
“Wishing Sister Zijin success in her career, and wishing Brother-in-law’s medical skills grow ever stronger so you can save lots and lots of people!”
“Wishing the two sisters sweet happiness, harmony and beauty, and an early birth to your precious child!”
At the words “an early birth to your precious child,” the tips of Wen Yan’s ears went red instantly.
Yet Jin Zijin only laughed heartily, squeezed her hand, and accepted it openly as she handed out red packets to the children one by one.
The two of them sat on the sofa and waited for the children to come pay greetings. The entire large bag of red packets took more than an hour to give out before it was finally emptied.
The relatives in the living room gradually thinned out, and the place finally became a little quieter.
Wen Yan leaned back against the sofa and let out a long breath.
Looking at the half-empty red packet bag, she reached out curiously and nudged Jin Zijin’s arm. “What exactly is inside these? I just now felt like they weren’t cash. Can I open one and look?”
“Of course. They were prepared for you in the first place.” Jin Zijin smiled and drew one packet from the remaining pile, handing it to her. “Here, open it yourself and see.”
Wen Yan took it and carefully tore open the red envelope.
Inside wasn’t cash, but a glittering gold banknote, printed with a customized horse zodiac design for the Bingwu year.
It was exquisitely made and heavy in the hand.
She blinked and looked up at Jin Zijin, her eyes full of surprise. “You had these custom-made?”
“Mm, I had the factory make them at the start of the year.” Jin Zijin nodded, then stuffed the rest of the half bag of red packets into Wen Yan’s arms.
She reached out and lightly patted Wen Yan’s face, smiling openly and indulgently. “Each one is 50 grams. If we can’t finish handing them out today, they’re all yours; consider it New Year pocket money.”
Wen Yan hugged the heavy bag of gold notes and couldn’t help smiling.
She lifted her eyes to Jin Zijin, warmth and amusement brimming in them. “So this is you letting me embezzle money? President Jin is really generous.”
“Embezzle as much as you want!” Jin Zijin waved a hand, smiling with complete righteous confidence.
She pulled Wen Yan into her arms and lowered her head to peck her on the lips. “My money is your money, and my person is yours too.”
“Forget these little gold notes; all my pocket money is yours. Take as much as you want.”
After a pause, she leaned toward Wen Yan’s ear and lowered her voice. “Wife supports you.”
Wen Yan laughed at her and reached out to pinch her face, her eyes full of soft warmth that couldn’t be dissolved.
At night, the old residence’s banquet hall held its annual grand New Year party as usual.
Zhang Lijun had invited popular singers and idols, and the stage was full of singing and dancing.
Bright lights sparkled, the music was deafening, and the whole house was lively.
Jin Zijin held Wen Yan’s hand and sat with Grandma and the elders for a while before being pulled away by relatives for a couple of drinks.
Not long after, she noticed the tired look on Wen Yan’s face.
Leaning close to Wen Yan’s ear, she breathed, “Tired? Let’s go back to the villa and rest. It’s too noisy here.”
Wen Yan nodded quickly, as if granted amnesty.
The two greeted the elders and quietly slipped out of the banquet hall, heading toward the standalone villa in the estate.
The night wind carried the coolness of early spring, scattering the noise from the banquet hall.
The world instantly grew quiet, with only the occasional fireworks from beyond the suburban outskirts bursting somewhere in the night sky.
Back at the villa, after taking off their shoes and coats, Wen Yan flopped straight onto the cashmere sofa in the living room.
She let out a long sigh and lay completely limp, weakly saying, “At last, all the formalities are done. Good heavens, I feel more tired than after standing in the operating room doing spinal surgery for a full day.”
Jin Zijin smiled and went to sit at the side of the sofa.
She lifted Wen Yan’s legs and placed them on her own lap, gently massaging the muscles in her calves as she teased, smiling, “Already tired? Dr. Wen, are you sure you’re okay? I never saw you complain when you stayed up all night doing surgery.”
“This isn’t the same as the operating room.”
Wen Yan looked up at her, speaking very seriously. “In the operating room, if I stand there all day and just focus on surgery, with nothing else on my mind, time passes before I know it.”
“But social obligations are different. One person comes, then another, and I have to keep splitting my attention, all while dealing with endless small talk.”
“I can’t get into a flow state at all. Of course my energy gets drained faster.”
Jin Zijin was amused by her earnest expression.
She stood up, braced both hands on the back of the sofa, and caged Wen Yan beneath her. “Oh? That tired?”
As she spoke, she bent down. Their noses almost touched; their breaths tangled.
A moment later, Jin Zijin raised a hand to loop it around Wen Yan’s neck and looked down at her, her eyes brimming with flirtatious amusement. “Since Dr. Wen is all out of energy, then tonight… should I be on top?”
A sly glint flashed in Wen Yan’s eyes.
She wrapped her arms firmly around Jin Zijin’s waist and let her fingertips lightly brush the skin at her lower back.
Looking up at her, she tilted her head on purpose and spoke with an air of casual provocation: “Sure, if you can.”
Jin Zijin’s eyes lit up instantly.
She straightened at once and moved excitedly to pull Wen Yan up. “Then let’s shower right now; let’s shower together!”
Just as she was about to rise, Wen Yan suddenly used force and yanked her waist hard into her arms.
Jin Zijin gasped, losing her balance and falling into Wen Yan’s embrace, landing squarely on Wen Yan’s lap.
Before she could react, she heard Wen Yan speak against her ear, her breath warm and her laughter slightly hoarse. “What’s the hurry?”
The other woman leaned in and took her earlobe in her mouth, giving it a gentle lick; soft, yet forceful. “Let me hold you first.”