The next day at noon, Zhou Jingqian returned to the old residence for lunch. His dark suit jacket was draped over his arm as he walked in. He nodded to Aunt Zhang, who had come out to greet him, and asked about Grandmother's recent appetite and sleep.
Aunt Zhang smiled and said, "The old lady has been in a good mood lately—eating well and sleeping well too!"
Zhou Jingqian had already mentioned to Grandmother in advance that Su Qiu was busy on set, so there was no need to make a special point of his birthday in front of her.
Knowing that his wife wouldn't be coming back with him today, the old lady seated at the head of the table showed no sign of disappointment.
"Whenever you have time, go visit Xiao Qiu on set more often. You're the company boss—your schedule is flexible. Xiao Qiu has directors, lead actors, and producers breathing down her neck. She doesn't have the freedom you do."
Zhou Jingqian curved his lips slightly. "Grandmother, you certainly know a lot."
"Of course I do," the old lady chuckled. "Xiao Qiu sends me photos from the set every now and then."
Even while on location, Su Qiu hadn't forgotten the original purpose of their marriage—to put the two elders at ease. She always found time to send Grandmother snippets of her daily life on set every few days.
After lunch, Zhou Jingqian received a call from his father, Zhou Jianming. The father-son relationship had been lukewarm over the years. After a few brief exchanges, the phone was passed to his mother, Liang Jing.
Liang Jing's feelings toward Zhou Jingqian, her eldest son, were complicated. Her voice carried both affection and an indescribable stiffness.
As the firstborn, Zhou Jingqian had never been part of the couple's plan. Liang Jing and Zhou Jianming were both devoted to their careers, leaving their eldest son at the old residence with only two or three visits a year.
When he was young, Zhou Jingqian genuinely believed his parents were too busy. That was until the year his younger twin siblings were born.
He stood at the nursery door, watching his mother hold the soft, chubby babies with tender affection, watching his father bend down to shake a rattle to coax them.
That was when Zhou Jingqian understood—they weren't parents too busy to care for their children.
"Jingqian, happy birthday." Liang Jing's voice paused. "We originally booked flights to come back, but your brother and sister didn't do well on their recent exams, and today they have another very important one…"
"Mom, it's not a big deal," Zhou Jingqian said with a faint smile. "No need for you to make a special trip."
Liang Jing fell silent for a moment, and Zhou Jingqian didn't speak either. But she couldn't bear to hang up, so she chatted a bit more about Su Qiu. Zhou Jingqian responded to each topic, and finally, the call ended.
Zhou Jingqian stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at the lush green garden, and recalled the first time he and Su Qiu had walked through it together.
He lowered his gaze, unlocked his phone, and opened his chat with Su Qiu. They had exchanged messages this morning, though only a few brief replies.
Spotting a new post from Su Qiu on his Moments feed, Zhou Jingqian tapped into it.
Su Qiu had posted a photo of three people. She sat in the middle, pressing a cold drink against her cheek, her eyes curved into a smile.
On her left was Xia Tong, whom he'd seen in the elevator. On her right was presumably her good friend Jian Yin. Both girls held up their drinks in similar photo poses.
Zhou Jingqian's gaze drifted back to Su Qiu in the center. The ends of her hair were slightly lifted by the wind, her smile was pure, and her features looked relaxed and carefree.
Zhou Jingqian tapped the like button, and his thin lips curved upward ever so slightly in tandem with her smile.
In the afternoon, Zhou Jingqian attended a digital finance summit by invitation.
After the series of engagements concluded, at eight in the evening, he had the driver take him directly to the Lanting Club.
This British-style heritage building sat in the heart of Ningcheng. The ground floor housed a Rolex flagship store, while the floors above featured restaurants, a cigar lounge, and private dining rooms.
"Good evening, President Zhou. Right this way, please."
Two attendants bowed and opened the private room door. Warm crystal chandeliers cast a dazzling glow, and the room full of young men and women turned at the sound—all refined and distinguished, the cream of the crop.
Their parents had been old friends, and they'd grown up playing in the same circle. Some had become second-generation wastrels squandering the family fortune, while others had taken over the family businesses and ran them properly, forming their own groups.
You Xun was the first to approach. He was always the life of the party. Seeing Zhou Jingqian arrive alone, he was somewhat surprised. "Wait, where's your wife?"
Zhou Jingqian raised an eyebrow. "Did I say I was bringing her?"
You Xun: "Come on, it's your thirtieth birthday."
Zhou Jingqian: "Twenty-nine."
You Xun: "Round it up!"
Zhou Jingqian gave a helpless laugh.
The others in the room joined in the laughter. Most of them had heard about Zhou Jingqian's marriage through You Xun, and not a single one had believed it at first.
Whether sincere or just for fun, none of these men ever lacked female company—except Zhou Jingqian, who had lived like a monk for years and was often teased that "President Zhou's wife is his company, Ruis."
Who would have thought he'd be the second among them to get married—and a whirlwind marriage at that?
The first to marry was Yao Wenan, who tied the knot right after graduation with his campus sweetheart. He posted in the group chat every day about his wife tying his tie for him and making him loving breakfasts.
In comparison, the treatment of Zhou Jingqian, the second married man, was vastly different. His wife didn't attend his birthday gathering, and he certainly tied his own tie at home.
Some people even began to suspect that this whirlwind marriage was probably fake.
"Qian-ge, did you really get married?"
Yu Xi couldn't wait to voice what everyone was thinking—including herself. She even hoped to hear Zhou Jingqian deny it.
Yu Xi had started picking out a dress for Zhou Jingqian's birthday party two months ago.
She had liked Zhou Jingqian for years—everyone in their circle knew it. For him, she had even refused to agree to the marriage alliances arranged by her family.
Who would have thought that she would dress up in all her finery, only to be met with news of his marriage?
Zhou Jingqian's gaze swept over the crowd as he slowly raised his hand. "How could this be fake?"
On his ring finger, a platinum band gleamed.
Yao Wenan, one of the only two married people present, was the first to notice. "That really is a wedding ring!"
And it was the latest spring model from that brand this year.
Yao Wenan's wife had recently become pregnant and her emotions were unstable. In a fit of anger, she had flushed their wedding rings down the toilet.
Yao Wenan had been planning to buy a new pair, along with a durian-and-kneeling-washboard combo to coax his wife back into good spirits.
Who would have thought that before he could even place an order for the style he liked, it would show up so magnificently on his good brother's hand instead.
Yao Wenan was now completely convinced. Raising his whiskey glass, he sidled over. "Qian-ge, us married men have to clink glasses!"
Yu Xi stepped aside, her fingertips secretly pressing against the stem of her champagne glass. Her face still wore a smile along with everyone else, maintaining her perfectly composed image.
Since Zhou Jingqian was already married, she wouldn't reveal her feelings anymore. She could let go of what she liked—she just needed time.
Besides…
Since it was a whirlwind marriage, there probably wasn't any real affection between the couple. Zhou Jingqian might seem gentle on the surface, but his heart was too cold!
After dinner, someone set up a card table and called Zhou Jingqian, the birthday boy, over to play.
Zhou Jingqian was leaning on the sofa looking at his phone.
Su Qiu was probably busy today.
The two had only exchanged a few messages in the morning about whether Little White and Little Grey liked playing with their new toys, and then there was no activity for the rest of the day.
Zhou Jingqian swiped across the screen. No new messages. He put his phone away and stood up. "Coming."
Zhou Jingqian played steadily, and with the birthday luck boosting him tonight, he didn't lose a single round.
But he didn't keep the chips he won either, casually distributing them to the people nearby.
The crowd teased, "Boss Zhou is so generous!" but no one actually dared to keep winning against him three against one. Zhou Jingqian smiled and stood up to give up his seat, and someone else immediately took his place.
Zhou Jingqian returned to the sofa and sat down, picking up a glass of iced whiskey and clinking it with He Yan beside him. "Thanks."
"What's there to thank? The first thing I planned to do after returning to the country was to clean out those rotten pests."
He Yan lounged on the sofa with his legs crossed, his posture lazy and casual.
Suddenly thinking of something, He Yan tilted his head. "Your wife is a screenwriter?"
Zhou Jingqian: "Mm."
He Yan: "When are you going to visit her on set?"
"Tomorrow night."
Zhou Jingqian turned his ring. If tomorrow's meeting ended early, he would go straight to the airport.
He Yan took a sip of his drink, his Adam's apple bobbing, and said with a blank expression, "I happen to be free tomorrow night. Let's go together."
"…" Zhou Jingqian raised an eyebrow. "I'm going to see my wife. What are you tagging along for?"
"I'm not going to be a third wheel." He Yan curled his lips and swirled the glass in his hand, listening to the ice cubes clink softly. "I also have an old acquaintance I need to go see."
Zhou Jingqian raised an eyebrow, sensing it was a personal matter, and didn't ask further. He and He Yan weren't that close to begin with.
One worked in finance, the other in media—their paths rarely crossed. It was only through handling Feng Yan's matter that they had started interacting.
When the party broke up, Zhou Jingqian had been drinking, so he had the driver take him home.
As they entered the underground garage, Zhou Jingqian was leaning back against the headrest with his eyes closed, resting, and didn't notice the bright lights shining through the floor-to-ceiling windows on the top floor of his building.
As the elevator ascended, Zhou Jingqian's steps remained steady. He had a good tolerance for alcohol, and he hadn't drunk too much tonight anyway.
It wasn't until his fingerprint unlocked the door and it swung open that a figure sitting on the carpet under the warm yellow light came into view.
Zhou Jingqian's steps halted abruptly, and his brow twitched almost imperceptibly. For a moment, he wondered if he hadn't drunk too little tonight, but rather was more drunk than he thought.
"You're back."
The two little rabbits squirmed in her arms, and Su Qiu quickly set them aside. As she stood up, the hem of her loose pajama pants brushed across the carpet's plush surface.
Her hair tips still had rabbit fur clinging to them, which she hadn't noticed. She smiled first, her eyes curving into crescents as she spoke: "Zhou Jingqian, happy birthday."
Zhou Jingqian watched her stand up and instinctively took a step forward, stopping at the edge of the carpet.
The man's features remained handsome and composed, but his Adam's apple moved faster than usual, and his voice unconsciously dropped a few notches. "How did you know?"
At that, Su Qiu raised a hand to scratch the back of her neck, a little embarrassed.
She really hadn't known that today was his birthday.
Even though their marriage certificate showed both of their birthdays, she… had only looked at their photos and hadn't paid attention to anything else.
It was thanks to Grandmother seeing the post she had shared on her Moments at noon that she learned Su Qiu was at the film set. Grandmother had called her, with the familiar square-dancing music playing in the background.
"Qiuqiu, isn't today Jingqian's birthday? Aren't you two young lovebirds celebrating together?"
Su Qiu had been stunned at the time.
After hanging up, Su Qiu started checking flights, but it was too late—there was only one flight left that evening.
Su Qiu booked the tickets, then called Yang Ming to ask what Zhou Jingqian usually did on his birthday.
After learning from Yang Ming, Su Qiu stopped worrying. Zhou Jingqian could first celebrate his birthday with family and friends as he did every year, and once he came home, she would celebrate with him then.
After all, this was Zhou Jingqian's first birthday since their marriage, and Su Qiu didn't want to seem too indifferent.
She was still thinking about inviting him to build their relationship—she couldn't leave a bad impression this early on.
With these thoughts running through her mind, Su Qiu landed at Ningcheng Airport at nine in the evening.
When she got home, Zhou Jingqian still hadn't returned. She wasn't anxious. She took a shower first, then went to pet the rabbit.
She picked two packs of snacks from the snack rack that Zhou Jingqian had bought for her, then leisurely took a stroll around the terrace.
Coming back inside, she sat down on the carpet and continued playing with the rabbit's toys. Finally, the sound of the front door unlocking came.
Su Qiu clasped her hands together, her attitude very proper: "Sorry, I forgot, but I'll definitely remember next year!"
Before she could even finish her sentence, Zhou Jingqian's arms were already lifting as he stepped closer to her.
But halfway through raising his arms, he remembered the smell of smoke and alcohol clinging to him, and stepped back. "Let me take a shower first."
Su Qiu blinked and let out an "Oh."
He suddenly stepped back without hugging her—she thought he was actually upset, but it turned out he wasn't.
Zhou Jingqian looked down at her. "Wait ten minutes for me."
Su Qiu smiled. "Mm, go ahead."
Exactly ten minutes later, Zhou Jingqian came out of the master bedroom, wearing a gray notch-collar pajama top, his slightly damp short hair falling across his forehead. He looked relaxed and at home, softening the cool, refined edge of his daytime intellectual persona.
Su Qiu was standing by the dining table, untying the ribbon on the cake box. Hearing his footsteps, she didn't turn around. "I figured you already had cake with your friends, so I didn't buy a big one. Just enough for the two of us is fine."
Before she could finish speaking, Zhou Jingqian hugged her from behind.
His movement was slow, not a sudden ambush—Su Qiu could hear his footsteps approaching.
Zhou Jingqian's presence was calm, and his movements were gentle.
But as his palm slid from her lower back to her front, then slowly closed around her in an embrace, she still sensed a subtle, distinctly possessive quality that was uniquely his.
Zhou Jingqian rested his chin on the top of her head. "The cake can wait. Let me hold you first."
Su Qiu stayed still and let him hold her for a while before saying, "Turn me around. I want to see your face."
A low chuckle came from behind her. Zhou Jingqian turned her around, and they looked into each other's eyes.
The next moment, Su Qiu actively wrapped her arms around his waist and quietly breathed in the fresh scent on him—it was the citrus fragrance she loved.
He had used the body wash she'd left behind.
She remembered that when they lived together before, Zhou Jingqian mostly used his own body wash—sometimes mint, sometimes fir wood. Those smelled nice too.
But for Su Qiu, citrus was always her favorite.
So tonight, he had deliberately used it, specifically so she could smell it when she hugged him.
How was this any different from deliberately using timothy hay to lure a little rabbit? Su Qiu thought with a smile.
Zhou Jingqian lowered his gaze, silently picked a bit of rabbit fur off the top of Su Qiu's head, then tightened the embrace.
Before coming home tonight, Zhou Jingqian's birthday had been no different from the birthdays he'd had over the past twenty-something years.
The routine felt like a fixed template—lunch with his grandparents, dinner celebrating with a group of friends, year after year. He had long grown used to it, and gradually stopped feeling like this day was anything worth special attention.
That was also why he hadn't wanted to deliberately remind Su Qiu that his birthday had arrived.
But he thought, starting this year, and next year, and every year after, his birthday would probably welcome a different kind of change.
He began to look forward to spending each other's birthdays together, every single year.