Chapter 93
Wen Yan’s annual leave had been approved for a full half month; by the time they came down from the mountain, barely a third of it had passed.
But Jin Zijin was so busy her feet hardly touched the ground.
Hengxing Group’s new product launch for its home smart care robot, which had been in preparation for half a year, was scheduled for the weekend at the convention center.
The entire project had been one of Jin Zijin’s core priorities for two years. From product development to the rollout of publicity, every step required her personal approval. Her schedule was packed from top to bottom, and even the vacation plans they had finally settled on had to be put on hold for the time being.
At ten at night, the CEO’s office was still lit.
Jin Zijin stared at the densely packed schedule spread across the desk and let out a long sigh, her fingertips drumming restlessly against the surface.
She turned to look at Wen Yan, who was curled up on the sofa in the lounge area reading papers, her eyes full of guilt.
“Yan Yan.” She walked over, crouched at Wen Yan’s feet, and buried her face against Wen Yan’s knees, her voice muffled. “I’m sorry. I said I’d take annual leave and travel around with you, but the launch can’t be rescheduled, and now I’m dragging you into my work again.”
Wen Yan set down the paper in her hand and reached out to gently smooth her long hair; her fingertips brushed tenderly over the crease between Jin Zijin’s brows, her voice soft and warm. “What do you have to apologize for?”
She curved her lips slightly, her tone gentle and reassuring. “You handle your work; I’ll stay with you.”
Then she bent down and pressed a light kiss to Jin Zijin’s forehead, adding, “You accompany me, I accompany you; that’s life.”
That was enough for Jin Zijin. She looked up at Wen Yan, and all the guilt in her eyes melted into warmth.
She got up and sat in Wen Yan’s lap, wrapped her arms around her neck, and buried her face in the crook of Wen Yan’s neck, breathing in deeply the familiar water-rose scent on her body. In a muffled voice, she said, “Then will you go with me to the launch on the weekend?”
“I want you sitting in the audience, watching me.”
“Of course.” Wen Yan slipped an arm around her waist and gently rubbed her back with her fingertips, smiling as she agreed. “Our President Jin is going out to fight on home turf; how could I be absent?”
——————
The convention center was completely packed on the weekend.
Hengxing Group’s launch for its new home smart care robot was the annual event for the entire consumer electronics and healthcare industry.
Not only were more than a hundred mainstream media outlets and upstream and downstream partners present, but officials from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the National Health Commission were also in attendance.
The livestream went up simultaneously; the moment it started, millions of viewers flooded in, and the attention was unprecedented.
Wen Yan entered the inner venue in advance through the VIP channel and took a seat in the first row, closest to the stage.
She was wearing a sharply tailored black suit with a simple white shirt underneath; her long hair was loosely tied back, revealing a slender neck.
With the gentle smile she usually showed Jin Zijin carefully tucked away, Wen Yan gave off a cool, composed air.
Seated among a crowd of business and political heavyweights, she didn’t look the least bit out of place. On the contrary, with her unique composure and poise, she became the invisible focal point of the entire venue.
Cameras swept over her from time to time; her profile flashed across the big screen, and the livestream chat instantly exploded.
“Holy shit, is that Dr. Wen? She’s even prettier in person than in videos!”
“So cool and beautiful, what kind of celestial face is that?”
“She and President Jin are seriously a perfect match!”
“Wait, is her right hand not healed yet? I’ve seen her keep it resting on her lap without moving it.”
“Didn’t you watch that video of her subduing the assailant before? Her hand was cut pretty deeply then; it should still be recovering.”
Wen Yan knew nothing about any of this.
Her gaze stayed fixed on the entrance at the side of the stage, her fingertips lightly rubbing the ring on the ring finger of her left hand, her heartbeat a little faster than usual.
Ever since she started wearing this ring, she had developed a habit: whenever she felt nervous, she would unconsciously touch it.
Just like now.
She didn’t know why she was nervous.
The star of the launch wasn’t her. The one going onstage wasn’t her. The one facing thousands of people and millions of online viewers wasn’t her.
And yet her heart was still racing.
Because the person on that stage was the most important person in her life.
At eight in the evening, the lights in the venue suddenly dimmed.
A giant circular screen lit up, playing the product promotional film for the smart care robot.
The footage swept over the development team’s day-and-night effort, over rows of data in the testing lab, and finally froze on a line of text: three years and seven months, fifty-four invention patents.
Right after that, a spotlight fell on the stage entrance.
Jin Zijin walked out slowly from the darkness in a pair of heeled leather shoes.
She wore a custom pure white suit; the shoulders were crisp, the trouser legs perfectly straight.
Her long hair was twisted into a neat low bun, with only two loose strands left to frame her face, giving her both a woman’s softness and elegance and the sharp, commanding aura of a business leader.
The venue erupted into thunderous applause; the livestream chat instantly flooded with comments, and the flashing lights formed a sea of stars, all of it falling on her.
Wen Yan’s breath caught for a moment.
It wasn’t the first time she had seen Jin Zijin like this, but every time she saw her, her heart still skipped a beat.
Standing at the center of the stage under everyone’s gaze, with the spotlight on her, she was the only light in the entire room.
Jin Zijin stood at center stage, took the microphone, and curved her lips faintly.
There was no unnecessary pleasantry; she opened with the main point: “Good evening, distinguished guests, media friends.”
Her voice carried through the sound system, steady and powerful, with just the right amount of warmth.
“Tonight, I want to begin with a number: 280 million.”
“This is the current number of people in our country aged sixty and above. Among them, more than 40 million are disabled or partially disabled. At the same time, there are still several million postoperative rehabilitation patients every year who need professional care after discharge.”
“Behind these numbers are the real difficulties faced by countless families.”
“Children have to work, live, and take care of their elders; they simply can’t split themselves into pieces.”
“There is a shortage of professional caregivers, and the costs are high; ordinary people can’t afford it at all.”
“Smart care robots are not cold machines; they are the key to solving this dilemma.”
She paused and swept her gaze across the venue, her tone firm and decisive.
“Hengxing Group spent three years and seven months, invested more than two billion yuan in R&D, and secured fifty-four invention patents for one reason only: to build a key that can truly solve problems.”
From the pain points of home elder care and postoperative rehabilitation in China, to the core development logic behind the smart care robot.
From breakthroughs in multimodal interaction to full-scenario implementation for postoperative rehabilitation, elder care, and disability assistance.
She was rigorous and eloquent; every data point was at her fingertips, every technical milestone explained clearly and thoroughly.
Wen Yan sat below the stage, her gaze never leaving her for a single moment.
She watched Jin Zijin pace the stage with ease, occasionally pointing to the big screen behind her, occasionally exchanging glances with guests below.
She watched every gesture, every expression, every pause.
She thought: this person is really too dazzling.
Dazzling enough that just being able to stand here and watch her feels like the luckiest thing in the world.
The ninety-minute launch was all Jin Zijin’s own speech, without any script.
She not only presented the product’s core highlights flawlessly, but also responded calmly to every professional question from industry experts. Even the trickiest technical implementation issues were answered without the slightest slip.
The applause below the stage rose wave after wave; the livestream’s popularity directly broke industry records.
Seated in the audience, Wen Yan’s lips curved up unconsciously.
She thought of last night in the hotel, of Jin Zijin lying on her stomach on the bed, practicing the presentation over and over in front of the PPT.
She was wearing loose pajamas, her hair a mess, like a college student preparing for a final presentation.
“Yan Yan, help me hear this part; is it too long?”
“Yan Yan, will people understand it if I explain this data like this?”
“Yan Yan, I’m so nervous. I’ve never been this nervous before. Oh my god, I’ve really gone and done something huge.”
Wen Yan thought she was adorable, and had laughed at the time while ruffling her hair. “Of course. This really is a very, very big thing.”
Now, sitting in the audience and watching the person onstage shine so brilliantly, she thought: she really is dazzling.
By the final media Q&A segment, the early questions had all centered on product technology and industry strategy.
Then a male financial reporter stood up and turned the subject toward private life.
“President Jin, hello. We all know that the arranged marriage incident involving the Wang family caused a huge stir online some time ago.” His tone was sharp, with no attempt to hide it. “This time, your move into the smart care sector; is it related to your marriage alliance with the Wang family? Is it a new strategic layout for the group in healthcare?”
The venue fell quiet for a moment, and every camera was trained on Jin Zijin on stage.
But the reporter didn’t stop; his tone grew even sharper. “And many netizens are also curious: did you choose Dr. Wen Yan as your partner because of her professional background in medicine and her connection to Dr. Jiang from regenerative medicine, or even because of her superior genes?”
“As a female leader, how do you balance family and career?”
As soon as the question was out, the entire venue erupted.
The livestream chat exploded instantly:
“What kind of question is this??? Is he insane?”
“It’s 2032 and they’re still asking women this kind of thing? Can he get lost?”
“The people asking technical questions were all female reporters earlier; the male reporter opens his mouth and immediately starts asking a female entrepreneur about her private life?”
“What a tiny Adam’s apple, such big arrogance!”
Sitting below the stage, Wen Yan’s fingertips tightened slightly.
She lifted her eyes to the person onstage, a flash of coldness passing through them.
Absurd.
If this were a male entrepreneur standing here, he would only be asked about business strategy and industry prospects.
But Jin Zijin stood in the same place and delivered the same, if not even better, results, yet she was being pressed about how to balance family, having her marriage motives questioned, and her choice of partner speculated over.
Looking at that white figure onstage, Wen Yan felt both heartache and indignation.
But she also knew very clearly that Jin Zijin didn’t need anyone else to stand up for her.
She would stand there herself and push every doubt back down, one by one.
Onstage, Jin Zijin showed no sign of panic at all.
Holding the microphone, she stood in place, still wearing that polished, faint smile; even her brows didn’t furrow.
Only after the noise in the venue gradually subsided did she slowly speak, her voice crisp through the sound system and clearly reaching every corner of the hall and the livestream.
“First, to answer your first question.”
Her tone was calm, but carried unquestionable force. “Hengxing’s move into smart care was a core strategy set four years ago.”
“It relies on three years and seven months of R&D effort from our technical team, and on the fifty-four invention patents we hold. It has nothing to do with any marriage alliance, and nothing to do with any family.”
She paused, the corners of her mouth lifting faintly, carrying an almost imperceptible trace of mockery. “If an arranged marriage were enough to produce a smart care robot, then I suggest all the colleagues here go get married. That would save you two billion yuan in R&D expenses; what a bargain.”
Laughter broke out below the stage, and the atmosphere instantly loosened a little.
“Second, regarding my partner.”
Her gaze swept across the venue and finally settled steadily on Wen Yan in the first row.
The eyes that had been distant softened all at once, like a sky full of stars falling into them. “I chose Dr. Wen, not because of her professional background, not because of some so-called superior genes, but simply because she is Wen Yan.”
“Because from the very first glance, she was the person I wanted to spend my life with.”
As the words fell, she paused, the smile at her lips deepening, as though remembering something beautiful.
“She is one of the country’s top spine surgery experts, a doctor who can fight death for a patient on the operating table. In her own field, she is an undisputed standout.”
“She is not a chess piece in my business strategy; she is the love of my life, the person I want to stand beside me forever, my wife.”
Sitting in the audience, Wen Yan felt as if something had gently seized her heart.
It was so full it ached, so full it stung her eyes.
“Lastly, about the question of balancing family and career.”
Jin Zijin looked back at the reporter, the smile fading slightly from her face, her tone carrying unbending dignity. “I’ve always believed that balancing family and career is never a woman’s responsibility alone.”
“Family is between two people; there has never been any reason for one side to ‘balance’ it single-handedly.”
“I’m very lucky that my beloved and I are not only comrades standing shoulder to shoulder, but also each other’s harbor when we need support.”
“We each shine in our own fields, and we also protect our little home together.”
“As for outside doubts, I think whether it’s my career or my marriage, I don’t need to give anyone an explanation.”
The instant she finished speaking, the venue broke into long, thunderous applause; it was even more enthusiastic than any round before.
The livestream chat was also buzzing wildly.
#Jin Zijin says family is a two-person problem#
#Jin Zijin fell in love at first sight and wanted forever#
#Wen Yan and Jin Zijin’s fairy-tale love#
The three trending topics shot up at once, and the screen was filled with comments:
“The bigger picture! This is what someone with an independent personality sounds like!”
“I’m losing my mind, I’m losing my mind; what kind of divine love is this?”
“President Jin is too cool! Dr. Wen is so lucky!”
“Waaah, I hope the two of them will always be happy.”
“That line, ‘simply because she is Wen Yan,’ made me cry immediately.”
“Family is a two-person thing; well said!”
Wen Yan sat in the audience, listening to the overwhelming applause and looking at the dazzling figure onstage, and suddenly remembered a sentence she had once seen long ago:
Love is not about gazing at each other; it is about looking in the same direction together.
She and Jin Zijin had always been like that.
——————
The launch ended perfectly.
The moment Jin Zijin stepped down from the stage, she ignored the surrounding partners and officials trying to strike up conversations and walked quickly toward Wen Yan in the first row.
Under the gaze of all the cameras, she naturally took Wen Yan’s left hand, interlocking their fingers, their fingertips pressed tightly together.
“Are you tired?” Wen Yan squeezed her hand back, while her other arm naturally circled Jin Zijin’s waist to shield her from the cameras pressing in around them.
She lowered her head and said softly in Jin Zijin’s ear, her voice pitched low enough for only the two of them to hear, “President Jin, you were really handsome onstage just now.”
Jin Zijin’s ears flushed faintly red.
She pinched Wen Yan’s palm but didn’t avoid the cameras; instead, she held Wen Yan’s hand and led her toward the VIP passage.
All the while, she kept Wen Yan on the inside, using her own body to block the crowded press, not letting her suffer even a little.
“President Jin, can you say a few words?”
“President Jin, were those remarks you just made prepared in advance?”
“President Jin, have you and Dr. Wen considered having children?”
The reporters’ voices surged from every direction, and the flashing lights were so bright they made it hard to open one’s eyes.
Jin Zijin didn’t look back; she only tightened her grip on Wen Yan’s hand.
It wasn’t until they sat in the car that had been prepared in advance, shutting out the noise and the flashes outside, that Jin Zijin finally let out a breath.
She leaned into Wen Yan’s embrace, shedding all her sharpness and hostility, like a cat at last able to relax.
“So tired, so tired...” She buried her face in the crook of Wen Yan’s neck, her voice muffled. “Those two hours just now were more exhausting than talking about a hundred-billion-yuan project.”
Wen Yan laughed and reached out to smooth her hair.
“You were especially handsome onstage just now,” she said gently. “When that reporter asked a question like that, I was angry on your behalf. But you pushed him back in just a few words and even won thunderous applause.”
“That’s right.” Jin Zijin lifted her head and looked at her with a smug little expression in her eyes. “Do you know who I am or not?”
Then she paused, lowered her gaze, and spoke more softly. “But... everything I said was sincere.”
Wen Yan froze for a moment.
“I mean... wanting to spend my life with you at first sight; that was true.”
Even if it was only for an instant, it was still the truth!
Jin Zijin’s voice came from within her arms, muffled and soft. “And things like standing side by side, covering for each other; those were true too.”
Wen Yan’s heart instantly softened into a puddle.
She lowered her head and kissed the crown of Jin Zijin’s hair.
“I know.”
I’ve always known.
She said, “Me too.”
The car slowly drove into the night; outside the window, the cityscape glittered in brilliant colors, neon lights strung together like a sea of stars, sweeping past the glass.
Jin Zijin leaned against Wen Yan’s chest and suddenly seemed to remember something. She looked up at Wen Yan and asked, “When the reporter asked those questions just now, were you angry?”
She paused, her fingertips lightly touching the healed wound on Wen Yan’s palm, her tone a little careful. “I didn’t tell you in advance before saying those things. Do you think I was being too flashy?”
Declaring forever in public like that; what if they ever broke up and got divorced later?
Ah!
Wen Yan immediately saw what she was fretting over and smiled. “How could I?”
She lowered her head and pressed a kiss to the corner of Jin Zijin’s reddened eye, her voice so gentle it could melt into water. “I’m very proud.”
“My beloved is not only excellent at what she does, she also defended me so bravely; I’m happy beyond words.”
As she spoke, she reached out and gently rubbed Jin Zijin’s calf, her tone turning a little tender. “You stood for two hours; are you tired? I’ll give you a massage when we get back to the hotel.”
Jin Zijin’s heart was instantly filled to the brim.
She wrapped her arms around Wen Yan’s neck and leaned in to kiss her.
The two of them held each other for who knew how long before finally parting.
Jin Zijin rested in Wen Yan’s arms, idly playing with the buttons on her shirt, her voice lazy. “Tell me, when I said all that onstage just now, did I put pressure on you?”
“What pressure?”
“I mean... I praised you so highly; now you have to keep being that good.” Jin Zijin looked up at her, her eyes full of teasing amusement. “Otherwise, the whole country won’t agree.”
Wen Yan couldn’t help laughing.
She reached out and pinched Jin Zijin’s face, her tone indulgent. “Then what can I do? I’ll just have to keep being this good.”
“That’s more like it.” Jin Zijin smiled in satisfaction and tucked herself a little deeper into Wen Yan’s arms.
————
Once they got back to the hotel, Jin Zijin kicked off her high heels first and padded barefoot across the carpet to flop onto the sofa like a kitten that had gone completely boneless.
“Finally free...” She buried her face in the cushion, her voice muffled.
Wen Yan walked over, knelt on one knee on the carpet, and gently lifted her leg onto her own knee.
Her palm covered Jin Zijin’s sore calf and began kneading with just the right amount of pressure.
“I told you not to wear heels that high.” Wen Yan looked up at her, her tone faintly reproachful, though her eyes were full of concern.
“I had to go onstage; I needed the presence.” Jin Zijin shrank a little into the sofa, her brows and eyes curved in a smile.
She let Wen Yan do as she pleased, closing her eyes in comfort. “Still, our Yan Yan’s massage is the best; even better than a physical therapist’s.”
Wen Yan chuckled and slowly pressed along the acupressure points with her fingertips. From ankle to calf, from knee to instep, every spot was worked through carefully and thoroughly.
“Does this feel sore?”
“Mm... a little.”
“What about here?”
“That’s sore too... use a bit more strength.”
The two chatted idly; the room was quiet and warm.
Only after Jin Zijin’s calf had completely relaxed did Wen Yan stop.
“All right, that should make it less uncomfortable.” She patted Jin Zijin’s leg. “Get up and move around a bit; see if it still hurts.”
Jin Zijin moved her leg and her eyes lit up. “It doesn’t hurt anymore! Dr. Wen, your skills are good enough to open a therapy clinic.”
“No way.” Wen Yan stood up with a smile and sat beside her. “I only provide service to one person.”
Jin Zijin curved her lips and leaned into her.
They clung together and talked for a while when Jin Zijin’s phone suddenly buzzed; it was Li Yue calling.
Jin Zijin got up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window to answer.
The smile on her face faded little by little. The warmth around her dropped instantly, as if she had become a different person.
“I understand.” Her voice was very low, carrying no discernible emotion. “Keep him under strict watch for me. I want every person in that drinking party accounted for, everything that was said, every tiny detail. Report to me immediately.”
After hanging up, she turned around.
The coldness on her face vanished in an instant; she was once again the good wife looking at Wen Yan with curved eyes.
Wen Yan looked up at her and asked softly, “What happened? Is something wrong?”
“Nothing.” Jin Zijin came back, sat beside her, and leaned into her arms, smiling as she changed the subject. “Just some unimportant little matters; there’s no need to mention them.”
Then she paused, raised her head to look at Wen Yan, her eyes sparkling. “Didn’t we agree I’d watch a movie with you after the launch? The sci-fi one you wanted to see before; I got the access key. Let’s watch it together?”
Seeing the way she deliberately avoided the topic, Wen Yan didn’t ask further.
She knew Jin Zijin’s temper; if Jin Zijin didn’t want to say something, no amount of asking would get it out of her.
But whenever she did want to speak, Wen Yan would be there.
Wen Yan slipped an arm around her waist and nodded. “Okay; I’ll listen to you.”
——————
The projection screen slowly lowered, and the hotel lights dimmed.
The opening of the sci-fi film gradually brightened, and the vast starry sky filled the entire wall. The two of them curled up on the sofa, Jin Zijin leaning against Wen Yan’s chest, her head resting on Wen Yan’s shoulder, a bag of chips in her hands.
After being together for so long, Wen Yan had discovered that Jin Zijin really wasn’t picky about food.
Whether it was snacks, proper meals, or junk food, as long as it was tasty, she would eat a few bites.
She even occasionally ate hamburgers and drank cola. The reason she didn’t gain weight was entirely because she had to walk around every day, and once she started walking, it was more than twenty thousand steps; she burned a lot of calories.
Wen Yan still wanted her to put on a little weight, so she never interfered with what Jin Zijin ate; if Jin Zijin wanted to eat something, she would try her best to indulge her.
The movie was about mech warfare in future space, with a grand scale and stunning special effects.
Watching the screen’s medical absurdities, Wen Yan couldn’t help leaning down to whisper complaints in Jin Zijin’s ear.
Jin Zijin listened and giggled uncontrollably, nestling even tighter into Wen Yan’s arms.
“Dr. Wen, can’t you be a little more romantic? We’re watching a movie; don’t be so serious.”
“This has nothing to do with romance; it’s basic common sense.” Wen Yan said solemnly. “Look at the compression depth here; it’s clearly not enough. And this defibrillation timing is completely wrong.”
“If you really tried to save someone like that, the patient probably wouldn’t last three minutes.”
Jin Zijin grabbed a chip and shoved it into her mouth.
“Eat your snack.”
Wen Yan froze for a moment, then curved her lips and obediently chewed.
The movie went on, and Wen Yan still made the occasional complaint; Jin Zijin laughed so hard in her arms that she nearly folded over.
“Wen Yan, if you keep this up, I’m not watching anymore.”
“Okay, okay, I won’t say anything.”
“That’s more like it.”
She stayed quiet for less than five minutes.
“Look at the monitor data...”
“Wen Yan!”
By the time the two-hour movie ended, it was already deep into the night.
They went into the bathroom together to wash up; the warm water washed over them and scattered away all the fatigue from the day.
When they came out, the bandage wrapped around Wen Yan’s right wrist had already been removed.
The wound in her palm had completely healed, leaving only a faint mark that was almost impossible to see unless one looked closely.
Jin Zijin pulled her hand over and sat at the bedside, lowering her head to stare at the pale pink trace.
Her fingertips brushed lightly over it, careful as if she were afraid of breaking something.
She looked for a long time; then she bent down and gently pressed a kiss to the healed wound.
Wen Yan’s fingertips trembled slightly.
She lowered her head to look at Jin Zijin, her voice turning soft. “It’s all healed; look.”
She moved her fingers, making a fist and then opening her hand; it was as flexible as before. “There’s nothing wrong at all. It healed really well.”
Jin Zijin lifted her head and looked at her.
Her gaze was gentle, but she didn’t speak. She only lowered her head again and kissed Wen Yan’s palm once more.
Looking at the concern and lingering fear she couldn’t quite hide in her eyes, Wen Yan’s heart softened completely.
She reached out and lightly stroked Jin Zijin’s face.
Her fingertips traced slowly along the line of her jaw, each movement gentle and lingering.
The two of them were nose to nose now, their breaths mingling.
Wen Yan’s gaze was deep, carrying a faintly seductive smile. Her voice was low and husky, irresistibly suggestive: “Still worried?”
She paused, then used her fingertips to tilt Jin Zijin’s chin up a little, leaning closer so the warmth of her breath brushed across Jin Zijin’s lips. “If you’re still not sure, do you want to confirm it yourself and see whether I’ve really healed all the way?”
Jin Zijin’s ears turned bright red in an instant.
She glared at Wen Yan, but there wasn’t a trace of anger in her eyes; only softness and joy that couldn’t be hidden.
“Wen Yan,” she said, biting her lip, her voice gone soft, “you’ve learned bad habits.”
Wen Yan laughed.
She lowered her head and kissed Jin Zijin’s lips.
The kiss carried a bit of aggression, a bit of possessiveness, as if trying to fold all the emotions she had been holding back into it.
Jin Zijin was kissed until she couldn’t catch her breath; she raised a hand to pat Wen Yan’s shoulder and let out muffled sounds.
Only then did Wen Yan let her go, resting her forehead against hers and laughing breathlessly. “What is it?”
“You... you’re too fierce.” Jin Zijin accused her with a red face.
“Don’t like it?”
Jin Zijin said nothing; she simply wrapped her arms around Wen Yan’s neck and kissed her again.