She even wants a “good afternoon.”
Li Wanqiu paused. Looking back over her shoulder, she asked in an undertone, “Do you need to hear a bedtime story too?”
Ji Jinyan nodded, her smile serene. “I wouldn’t mind.”
Li Wanqiu blurted out at once, “Good afternoon.”
With that, she ducked briskly out of the suite. Just before the door clicked shut, a low chuckle drifted from behind—warm, melodic, and blending seamlessly with the faint fragrance in the air, refusing to dissipate.
Li Wanqiu: “?”
*
Friday arrived in the blink of an eye.
Wrapping up a full day of work, Li Wanqiu took a long, indulgent bath and happily burrowed under her duvet.
No sooner had she settled in than Yan Weiwei’s call rang through. Li Wanqiu picked up, sprawling lazily across the mattress. “Hello?”
“What are you up to?” Yan Weiwei asked. “There’s an outing tomorrow, want to come? Song Yu said she found a great spot to take us working out.”
“Can’t,” Li Wanqiu said, hugging a bolster as she rolled onto her side. “I already have plans tomorrow. Going out with someone, so I won’t have time.”
“Plans?” Yan Weiwei paused, then pounced immediately: “Is it with Guan Chun? Word is she’s back in the country. After all the grief you had to swallow over the years because of her, are you really going to hang out with her?”
“It’s not her,” Li Wanqiu said, shaking her head.
“Then who is it?” Relieved by her denial, Yan Weiwei’s tone shifted into full interrogation mode. “Something’s fishy here. Do you have someone in your life?”
“As if,” Li Wanqiu scoffed, dropping the mystery. “I’m treating Ji Jinyan to dinner.”
Yan Weiwei went dead silent for a beat. “Wait, what? You and her have something going on?”
“Huh?”
Yan Weiwei declared with righteous conviction, “What sane person takes their own boss out to dinner?”
Li Wanqiu fell silent.
Feeling utterly helpless, Li Wanqiu waited a moment before explaining, “It’s not like that. Something happened earlier, and I owe her a favor.”
“Oh. I see.” Yan Weiwei sounded almost disappointed.
“A ton of people online are head over heels for President Ji, you know,” she added after a short pause. “Are you really not considering shooting your shot? She’s only seven years older than you, it’s not like that age gap is insurmountable.”
“What on earth are you talking about?” Li Wanqiu laughed in disbelief. “You’re reading way too much into this.”
“Fine, fine.” Yan Weiwei sighed. Seeing that she wasn’t keen to pursue the topic, she pivoted to gossiping about recent drama at the club.
Quite a while passed before they finally hung up.
Li Wanqiu checked the time. Guessing that Ji Jinyan was likely still awake, she hesitated for a few seconds before opening WeChat to reconfirm their meeting time for tomorrow.
Once sent, no reply came for a long while.
Li Wanqiu wasn’t in any rush. Remembering Yan Weiwei’s comment, she opened her browser on impulse and typed Ji Jinyan’s name into the search bar.
The loading icon spun a few times before results filled the screen. The top hits were mostly related to Bisha, extolling Ji Jinyan as young and accomplished and praising the winery’s picturesque landscape. There were also numerous industry pieces analyzing the market outlook for domestic wines and Bisha’s strategic roadmap.
Aside from that, glowing remarks about her appearance were everywhere.
Li Wanqiu tapped casually into a forum thread dedicated to Ji Jinyan that was already hundreds of replies deep. Apart from screenshots culled from interviews and news clips, the rest of the thread was practically wall-to-wall fangirling.
Netizen A: President Ji is drop-dead gorgeous! Why don’t I have a boss this stunning? Her visuals are straight out of heaven. Is it too late for me to switch careers and study viticulture?
Netizen B: Never too late! Winemaking is serious technical craftsmanship, though—might not be so easy to pick up.
Netizen C: ? You two above should just wash your faces and go to sleep; dreaming is a whole lot easier.
Netizen D: Seconded.
Netizen E: Thirded.
It was oddly entertaining.
Scrolling down with amused curiosity, Li Wanqiu noticed several users comparing her to various animals—some claimed she gave off feline energy, while others insisted she was like a fox. Right in the middle of this debate, an animated GIF caught her eye.
The backdrop appeared to be an upscale gala drawing to a close, the ambient lighting both dazzling and intimate. In the moving image, Ji Jinyan wore a pale blue evening gown; slender-waisted and long-legged, she was breathtakingly alluring.
Holding a wine glass as she navigated the crowd, she effortlessly commanded every eye in the room. Then someone seemed to call out to her; she paused mid-stride, lifted her gaze, and let out a faint, captivating smile.
In that fleeting second, everything in her vicinity seemed to dim into obscurity. The frame held only her—radiant, breathtaking, and magnetic.
She really does look like a bewitching fox.
Li Wanqiu caught herself, having formed the thought entirely on instinct. Before she could process it further, the phone in her hand vibrated violently.
Startled, she answered, her voice trembling slightly: “Hello?”
“I just finished up work and saw your message,” Ji Jinyan’s voice murmured through the receiver. “Tomorrow’s time works perfectly.”
“Mm, good.” Li Wanqiu nodded, still slightly flustered. “See you tomorrow, then.”
“Li Wanqiu.” Picking up on the subtle tremor in her voice, Ji Jinyan asked, “Is something wrong?”
“Nothing.” Li Wanqiu shook her head, clearing her throat in slight embarrassment to regain her composure. “I was just getting ready to sleep.”
“Did I disturb you?”
“Not at all.”
“That’s good.” Ji Jinyan went quiet for a few seconds before murmuring softly, “Goodnight.”
The word slid into Li Wanqiu’s ear, stirring an odd, ticklish warmth.
Li Wanqiu wished her goodnight in return. She was just about to end the call when Ji Jinyan spoke again. Her tone was velvety, carrying an unmistakable trace of playful amusement:
“Li Wanqiu, do you need a bedtime story?”
The teasing laughter in her voice was impossible to conceal.
The next day.
This was the very first time Li Wanqiu was meeting Ji Jinyan outside of a work context. A flutter of nerves made her agonize over what to wear. After much deliberation, she ultimately settled on an elegant white sundress.
When she arrived, she found that Ji Jinyan had abandoned her sharp power suits today in favor of a flowing black dress.
One short and one long; one white and one black. As though coordinated in advance, they complemented each other surprisingly well.
Stepping forward, Li Wanqiu greeted her, “Have you been waiting long?”
“No,” Ji Jinyan shook her head. “Just arrived a minute or two before you.”
“You offered to treat me to a meal—have you decided on a place?” She asked.
“Of course.” Li Wanqiu unlocked her phone to show her the map. “It’s not far from here. Should we take the subway or walk?”
Midday weekend traffic was notoriously congested, and neither of them had brought a car. Glancing at the screen, Ji Jinyan considered it for a moment. “Let’s walk. We can consider it a bit of exercise.”
“All right.” Li Wanqiu nodded, slipping her phone back into her bag.
Back before her parents’ business had taken off, the family moved frequently. When she was ten years old, Li Wanqiu had lived in this exact neighborhood. Over a decade had slipped by, yet the district remained largely unchanged.
To keep the walk engaging, Li Wanqiu pointed out landmarks along the way, recounting the history behind the surrounding architecture.
Ji Jinyan listened attentively, nodding in agreement. “I’ve actually heard a bit about this area before.”
“You have?” Li Wanqiu looked surprised.
“Mm. I used to visit here.”
“When was that?” Curiosity piqued, Li Wanqiu pressed, “What brought you here?”
“A very long time ago,” Ji Jinyan smiled faintly. “As for why, that’s a secret.”
An eyebrow arched delicately, the subtle upturn of her lips bearing an uncanny resemblance to that clever fox from the forum.
Li Wanqiu: “?”
“Fine, then.” She nodded. Since Ji Jinyan was keeping it under wraps, she didn’t pry any further.
The restaurant was indeed close by, and after a short stroll, they arrived at the entrance.
Li Wanqiu had booked a private dining room in advance. Taking the elevator up, they were ushered inside by a server and took their seats. Passing the menu across the table, Li Wanqiu murmured softly, “Why don’t you order?”
“The dishes here are wonderful—nicely balanced, not too salty or heavy. I think they’ll suit your palate.”
“How did you know my preferences?” Ji Jinyan asked, sounding genuinely curious.
“I took note when we had lunch after visiting Elder Liu,” Li Wanqiu admitted, feeling a touch self-conscious. “I remembered what you liked.”
Ji Jinyan nodded, her eyes softening. “I see. In that case, I won’t hold back.”
Lowering her gaze, she began reviewing the selections.
Sitting opposite her, Li Wanqiu looked up. Ji Jinyan’s eyelashes were long, fanning downward like delicate butterfly wings as she browsed, framing her sculpted features with breathtaking elegance.
Watching her in quiet contemplation, Li Wanqiu suddenly understood the fervor of those forum commenters. Even if she wasn’t normally drawn to women older than herself, she had to admit: Ji Jinyan was undeniably gorgeous.
Lost in her thoughts, she didn’t notice Ji Jinyan suddenly looking up.
Caught red-handed, Li Wanqiu averted her eyes in flustered haste, asking awkwardly, “Is something wrong?”
“What would you like to drink?” The corners of Ji Jinyan’s lips curled teasingly. “How about orange juice?”
“Th-that won’t be necessary,” Li Wanqiu stammered, shaking her head. She maintained that she had only ended up like that the other night because she had drunk too fast and on hard liquor. “Red wine is fine. A couple of glasses won’t hurt.”
“Fair enough.” Ji Jinyan nodded, sliding the menu back toward her. “Care to look it over?”
“No need.” Shaking her head, Li Wanqiu stood up to hand the menu to the waiting server.
The moment she sat back down, Ji Jinyan spoke up unhurriedly: “Actually, having a few extra glasses wouldn’t be an issue either.”
Li Wanqiu paused, blinking blankly. “What?”
“The wine. We’re out to unwind, having a good time is what matters.”
“Worst case, I’ll just do what I did that night.” Ji Jinyan smiled, her refined features bathed in the warm ambient light, appearing remarkably gentle.
“And carry you home.”