He Zhinian drove up the mountain alone and arrived at the temple.
He Zhinian: “Master Yuanwu[1]The title “Master” here reflects the Chinese honorific dashi, used for a respected Buddhist religious teacher. jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3733032_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3733032_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });.”
Master Yuanwu, seated on a cushion, poured a cup of tea for He Zhinian, who sat opposite him, then slowly pushed it across the table.
He Zhinian nodded to thank him.
“Where are your prayer beads[2]In Buddhist practice, strings of beads are often used for counting recitations or as devotional objects; their significance in this story is also personal to the characters. jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3733032_1_2').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3733032_1_2', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });?” Master Yuanwu asked with a smile, glancing at He Zhinian’s bare wrist.
Surely He Zhinian hadn’t come all this way just to have tea with him.
He’d already been sitting there for more than half an hour.
He Zhinian looked calm and composed, but two words slipped from his lips: “They broke.”
Master Yuanwu smiled and shook his head.
He Zhinian had come here three months ago and paid a high price to ask for that bracelet.
At the time, Master Yuanwu had told him, “Those beads can’t restrain you. Within three months, you’ll break your vow again.”
He Zhinian had replied coolly, “No one has that kind of power.”
…
Not long afterward, He Zhinian walked out of the temple with a small strand of prayer beads in his hand, made of milky-white mammoth ivory.
By the time he came down from the mountain, dusk had fallen.
He Zhinian parked in the underground lot. When the time on the dashboard display reached six, he called Ye Zhenshu.
“Hello…”
Ye Zhenshu was acting furtive. The instant she saw He Zhinian’s name, she hurriedly answered.
“I’m in the parking lot. Come down,” He Zhinian said.
Ye Zhenshu replied, “Oh,” and hung up. Then she hurriedly changed He Zhinian’s WeChat name to 【Roommate】.
She couldn’t be blamed. He was the one who’d said they shouldn’t draw too much attention.
If people at the company found out about her relationship with the boss during these last two weeks, they’d have plenty to gossip about.
Ye Zhenshu didn’t leave work right away. She waited until most people had gone before heading downstairs.
When she reached the underground parking lot, she recognized He Zhinian’s car at once.
She furtively looked around. Seeing no one nearby, she went over to the car, opened the door, and climbed into the passenger seat.
“President He, did you need me?”
She stumbled over the words. She still didn’t know what to call him.
He Zhinian let out a faint sigh. “You don’t have to call me that in private. Husband or Zhinian—you choose.”
“…Zhinian.”
She lowered her eyes instead of looking at him, but her cheeks betrayed her, growing warm.
“Give me your hand,” He Zhinian said.
Ye Zhenshu held out one hand, while the other lightly tugged at her hem. Her long lashes fluttered; every so often, she stole a glance at He Zhinian, only to drop her eyes again at once.
He Zhinian looked at her clean, slender, delicate hand. An image flashed through his mind: that night, her hand pushing against his chest.
She was nowhere near one-tenth as strong as he was. In the end, she’d endured the pain and left several scratch marks on his chest.
She’d also pulled off his prayer beads.
He Zhinian’s Adam’s apple bobbed slowly. He took the bracelet, still warm from his pocket, and carefully held her hand as he slipped it around her wrist.
Warmth brushed her wrist. Ye Zhenshu’s gaze settled on his hands.
He Zhinian had large, rough hands, with calluses from training that had yet to wear away completely.
They were worlds apart from hers.
“Don’t take them off,” he said mildly.
“What made you think of giving me something all of a sudden?”
Ye Zhenshu’s voice was soft, like a lover’s shy murmur.
He Zhinian drew his hand back and noticed that the flush had spread to her ears.
“I haven’t given you anything before. Think of it as a congratulations on your new car.”
“Thank you!” Ye Zhenshu lifted her wrist slightly and examined the beads closely.
He Zhinian watched her intently.
A faint smile curved her lips, and a rosy blush warmed her cheeks. The soft light slanting in through the car window gave her a gentle, endearing air.
He Zhinian started the car and drove out of the parking lot.
Qi Wenling, sitting in her car and looking at her phone, suddenly glanced up and saw a black Rolls-Royce pass in front of her.
Ye Zhenshu was in the passenger seat, blocking her view of He Zhinian.
But that was He Zhinian’s car.
She’d only heard that He Zhinian hadn’t come into the office all day.
Usually, that car was driven by the chauffeur or Zhang Yiyang.
Ye Zhenshu had actually left in the boss’s car. Could she be dating Zhang Yiyang?
She pressed her lips together and called Qi Wenwan. “Sis, I’m on my way.”
“I’m heading out too. I’ve already booked the meal. Go ahead and have the server bring out the food when you get there.”
*
He Zhinian drove Ye Zhenshu home. “I have a dinner engagement tonight.”
“Okay.”
Ye Zhenshu got out downstairs and watched his car disappear into the night.
She drew a deep breath. At some point, her fingers had begun rubbing the bracelet on her left wrist.
“What’s gotten into him lately?” she murmured.
He was the one who’d said they shouldn’t draw attention. He was the one who’d said they should live quietly.
And now he was the one breaking the rules.
Could it be that after that night, he’d gotten a taste for it?
“Ye Zhenshu, this is my right…”
“Be good. Don’t cry. Just this once…”
“Ye Zhenshu, I’m sorry…”
…
He Zhinian had murmured so many soothing words in her ear that night.
She’d never imagined that this cool, distinguished man could be so wild in bed…
Ye Zhenshu touched her burning cheeks and hurried into the elevator.
She’d just stepped inside when she ran into Huang Yun.
“Director, do you live here too?” Ye Zhenshu’s heart pounded.
Good thing He Zhinian had a dinner engagement tonight. Otherwise, who knew what kind of awkward misunderstanding might have happened?
“Zhenshu?” Huang Yun was surprised too.
But she quickly put her concerns aside. Ye Zhenshu’s mother was Su Ruoting. Few people in the industry knew it, but Huang Yun knew a little about her.
She smiled. “I only moved here recently. But property in Nancheng is incredibly expensive. What floor do you live on?”
“I…”
She didn’t know whether Huang Yun knew He Zhinian lived here. If she did, it would be awkward.
Just then, Huang Yun got a phone call, and their conversation came to an end.
Huang Yun got off on the sixteenth floor.
They exchanged a knowing greeting and said goodbye, and Huang Yun walked out of the elevator, still on the phone.
Ye Zhenshu breathed a sigh of relief.
Once home, she took a shower, then lay on the bed and studied the bracelet carefully.
It hadn’t even been half a year since He Zhinian and Qi Wenwan broke up. Had he really moved on so quickly?
Or was this just to keep up appearances when he went back to his hometown?
*
At Nancheng Club.
He Zhinian sat in a corner of the private room, swirling his glass as he listened to Han Jichuan and several other comrades-in-arms who’d been discharged at the same time reminisce.
Before long, the conversation turned to He Zhinian.
“Zhinian, why didn’t you bring Sister-in-law?”
A man who was already half-drunk had started it.
The others joined in, ribbing him.
“Zhinian, keeping your marriage secret isn’t a good idea. The longer you keep it under wraps, the easier it is for someone to steal your wife.”
“Older Brother Chuan took a photo yesterday. Let me see.”
At that, they crowded around. The man opened the WeChat group and looked at the photo Han Jichuan had posted the night before.
It showed He Zhinian handing Ye Zhenshu a candied snack.
A smile lit Ye Zhenshu’s face, and the two of them made the cutest height difference standing side by side.
He Zhinian took a small sip of his drink and said nothing.
“Sister-in-law’s so beautiful, and you never bring her out. Are you afraid we’ll steal her?”
They laughed and teased him. “Why don’t we invite Sister-in-law over?”
He Zhinian said quietly, “Don’t be ridiculous.”
Han Jichuan said, “We just want to meet her! You’ve been drinking, haven’t you? Have her come pick you up.”
He Zhinian’s expression shifted slightly, but he ignored him.
“Don’t be shy! If you can’t bring yourself to call her, we’ll do it for you!”
With that, Han Jichuan signaled to the others beside him. Several of them stood up and headed toward He Zhinian.
“What are you doing?”
He Zhinian had barely spoken before they pinned him to the sofa.
“You’re taking it too far!” He struggled, but they covered his mouth and held his legs down.
Then Han Jichuan took the phone from his pocket and used He Zhinian’s finger to unlock it.
“Han Jichuan!”
References[+]