"He kind of brings me luck."
After stepping out of the shower, Su Qiu saw a WeChat friend request pop up on her phone, the profile picture a grinning Shiba Inu.
Su Qiu accepted, and the requester's message immediately followed: [Miss Su, I'm Zhou Jingqian's assistant, Yang Ming.]
[These are all of Mr. Zhou's property documents in Ningcheng. Please take a look.]
Su Qiu paused mid-towel-dry, remembering that this was indeed a thing.
In the car leaving the civil affairs bureau today, Zhou Jingqian had asked her, "Where would you like to live?"
He'd added, "Anywhere is fine."
He said he'd send her all his properties in Ningcheng to choose from—which one to use as the wedding home would be her call.
The file Yang Ming sent was too large to view comfortably on her phone.
Su Qiu dried her hair, climbed into bed, propped herself against the headboard, and pulled her laptop onto her lap, opening the file.
Location, square footage, floor level, interior design plans—every property's details were clearly marked, ranging from villas to high-rise apartments.
Su Qiu flipped through page by page until she came across a property along the Ning River.
The Ning River bank bordered the city's central park, where Su Qiu often went for walks.
There was a period when her plot was badly stuck, so she'd bring her laptop there, sitting alone on a bench, watching the tree shadows sway in the wind, feeling her tangled thoughts smoothed out along with them.
That park brought her luck.
However, property prices in that area weren't cheap, and Su Qiu had originally planned to buy a place there in a couple of years.
Now it looked like she wouldn't need to.
Su Qiu didn't bother flipping through the remaining dozen-plus pages. She simply screenshotted the address of this property.
She switched to another person she'd added today but hadn't yet chatted with, and sent the screenshot over.
After sending it, she casually tapped to enlarge the person's profile picture.
Su Qiu recognized it at once—the coastline of the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland.
So they'd both been to the same place before.
Su Qiu had gone with Hao Hao and Jian Yin—their three-person graduation trip.
Zhou Jingqian's photo showed only the magnificent scenery, no figure in it.
Su Qiu picked up her phone and tapped into Zhou Jingqian's profile picture again to view his Moments.
But Zhou Jingqian's Moments were set to visible for only six months, and in those six months, he hadn't posted a single update.
Su Qiu quietly exited.
Just then, Zhou Jingqian sent a message: [Choosing this one?]
Su Qiu replied: [Mm.]
Then asked: [What do you think?]
Zhou Jingqian: [This one it is.]
His reply was crisp and decisive, and Su Qiu was quite satisfied. She set down her phone and turned off the light to sleep.
The next morning, Yang Ming drove over to pick up Su Qiu.
Yang Ming opened the car door for her, smiling. "Miss Su, Master Li the driver and I were both specially arranged by Mr. Zhou to stay in Ningcheng. Feel free to contact me anytime you need to go anywhere."
Su Qiu nodded, then thought of something. "Which city is Zhou Jingqian going to for his business trip?"
Hearing this, Yang Ming couldn't help exchanging a glance with Master Li.
They knew their boss and Miss Su had a quick arranged marriage—it was normal that there wasn't much feeling between them.
But the two had only just gotten their marriage certificate. One didn't ask where the other was going for business, and the other didn't bother to report in. Their relationship really seemed to have zero emotional connection.
"Mr. Zhou's flight was at seven this morning, heading to Orlando."
Su Qiu gave a small acknowledgment.
Right, Orlando. Zhou Jingqian had told her in the car yesterday, and she'd casually asked how many days he'd be gone.
How many days was it? She seemed to have forgotten.
Yang Ming turned back. "Miss Su, from now on, you can ask me anything about Mr. Zhou's schedule. I'll tell you everything I know."
"Oh, thank you."
"Of course, of course. You're too kind."
With that, the car fell quiet.
No follow-up.
Su Qiu wasn't curious about Zhou Jingqian's itinerary—he'd come back eventually, after all.
She'd gotten up earlier than usual today, so she let out a small yawn behind her hand, closed her eyes, and started catching up on sleep.
The two in the front seats exchanged another look.
Master Li mouthed: She's asleep.
Yang Ming: "…"
Su Qiu hadn't actually fallen asleep—she was just resting with her eyes closed. She woke up as the car entered the building's underground garage.
The apartment was on the twentieth floor, the top floor, with four elevators serving one unit per floor.
Yang Ming accompanied Su Qiu upstairs and registered her face and fingerprint on the entry door.
"All done. Give it a try." Yang Ming closed the door again and stepped aside.
Su Qiu stood before the door. The lock recognized her face, and a crisp click sounded.
Su Qiu's eyes flickered slightly.
The thoughts that had been muddled from waking up too early sharpened considerably in the moment the door slowly swung open.
This was her new home.
The place where she and her newlywed husband Zhou Jingqian would live together.
After viewing the new apartment, Su Qiu planned to move in right away.
She packed up five suitcases' worth of belongings, and the housekeeper wheeled the cases downstairs, loading them one by one into the car.
Su Qiu and Zhou Jingqian's wedding was set for the end of the year. It was only April now, so there was plenty of time.
But her grandmother was flying to Hong Kong today to buy gold jewelry for the wedding.
In the old lady's eyes, nothing—not diamonds, not platinum—could compare to the brilliance and prosperity of gold. She'd already decided to buy her granddaughter at least eight to ten sets of gold pieces.
Su Qiu reasonably suspected she'd turn into a golden Christmas tree at her own wedding.
She hoped Zhou Jingqian would pretend to be a little enchanted when the time came—that way, Grandma would feel a greater sense of accomplishment and be happier.
Once the luggage was loaded into the car, Su Qiu walked over to the rabbit hutch and gave the two plump, round bunnies a gentle pat.
"I'm going to stay there for a bit first. Once I'm satisfied with the place, I'll come pick you two up."
And if she wasn't satisfied…
Then she'd just switch to another place and try again. After all, Zhou Jingqian had plenty of houses—she wasn't worried about running out of options.
"Don't miss me too much."
The two little rabbits were busy burying their heads in their feed, looking utterly indifferent—not a trace of longing in sight.
Su Qiu pouted, reached out, and lightly poked their soft cheeks, the pads of her fingers brushing against a bit of fine fuzz.
As if remembering something, she turned to look at her side.
Sunlight spilled across the ground in full measure, bright and warm.
Two nannies had come along with Su Qiu to the new home, helping her organize her luggage.
"Miss, which room is yours?"
The new apartment, including the terrace, spanned nearly five hundred square meters.
Italian-style luxury minimalism, a circular flow layout, a grand horizontal living hall, and floor-to-ceiling panoramic windows—yet it only had one large master bedroom. The rest were smaller guest rooms with less favorable orientations.
"That one." Su Qiu raised her hand and pointed to the master bedroom.
The new home had two studies, which was what Su Qiu liked most about it. She pulled out her phone, snapped photos of both studies, and sent them to Zhou Jingqian.
Su Qiu: [Which one do you pick?]
Zhou Jingqian was probably busy; half an hour later, he replied: [The one that's left.]
In the common areas, the Chinese kitchen, Western kitchen, and tea room were laid out in sequence. Su Qiu could neither cook nor did she care for tea, so she'd basically never set foot in those places—she left them as they were.
The dining area connected to the terrace garden, and the infinity pool's water was clean and clear, clearly maintained by someone on a regular schedule.
Su Qiu planned to put a set of rattan tables and chairs in the garden, where she could occasionally write her scripts.
The two aunties worked until evening and finally finished putting away everything from Su Qiu's suitcases.
The moment they left, the vast house was left with only Su Qiu alone.
She stood on the polished wooden floor, stomped her foot, and sure enough, heard the echo.
The space was too empty; it felt a little hard to get used to.
After showering, Su Qiu came out of the bathroom, her gaze landing on the two-meter-wide bed in the master bedroom.
Most of the furniture in the house had been fully furnished, and all of it was new, so Su Qiu hadn't bothered to replace anything.
She was used to sleeping in a small bed, feeling that it gave her more of a sense of security.
The bed before her was absurdly large—she could roll around in it however she pleased.
Su Qiu walked over, sat on it first, then slowly lay flat, stretching her arms out to measure, then curled up and rolled from left to right, then from right back to left, giving the bed a thorough, solid greeting.
On the first night in the new home, everything—the environment, the smells—was unfamiliar.
Though Su Qiu wasn't quite used to it, she still fell asleep quickly when it was time to sleep.
After two more days, Su Qiu had completely figured out the layout of the new home and no longer got lost wandering in circles.
For meals these past few days, she'd gone to restaurants in the nearby commercial area, getting familiar with the surrounding amenities, and had also taken two leisurely strolls through Central Park.
The rest of her time, Su Qiu spent almost entirely in the study.
The new script had fallen behind schedule because of the wedding and the move, and she was slowly catching up.
However, she wasn't satisfied with any of the several endings she'd written.
On the fourth day in the new home, Hao Hao, who had been on a business trip out of town with her husband, returned. The first thing she did upon getting back to Ning City was insist on seeing Su Qiu's wedding home.
Su Qiu went downstairs to pick her up, and the moment Hao Hao stepped inside, she started exclaiming: "My husband and I wanted to buy a place here before too, but we just didn't have the means."
Even within the wealthy circles, there were tiers of class.
Su Qiu's father was a self-made industrialist, steady and solid—neither prone to sudden leaps in status nor easy to knock down.
Hao Hao and her husband were rich second-generation heirs in an arranged marriage of families who'd grown up together. Though they'd inherited the family business, the power to make large expenditures still rested with the elders, so they couldn't spend freely.
As for the Zhou family, they belonged to a class even harder to reach.
Zhou Jingqian's grandfather was in business, while his grand-uncle's branch was in politics, and the two sides were closely connected.
Zhou Jingqian's mother's family, the Liang family, also had vast holdings. Though their main operations were in Singapore, Zhou Jingqian's maternal uncle was developing his ventures domestically with no small amount of influence.
Not to mention the Zhou family's deeply intertwined extended background—just Zhou Jingqian himself, under thirty, was already the boss of a publicly listed company, with a personal net worth in the circle that was practically incalculable.
After Hao Hao had thoroughly explored Su Qiu's new home, she started asking about what she cared about most: "How's it going with your new husband?"
Su Qiu was making her a mango yogurt bowl and paused mid-motion as she sprinkled coconut flakes on top.
"What, not going well?"
"We haven't even started."
Zhou Jingqian was still on a business trip abroad.
Not only had the two of them not met face to face, they didn't even chat online.
Their WeChat conversation was still stuck at the study-selection exchange, and they hadn't spoken since.
They weren't the type to send robotic messages like "Have you eaten?" "Yes." "Going to sleep?" "Yes."
Hearing this, Hao Hao, who had married for love, couldn't help furrowing her brows. "Xiao Qiu, are you not going to regret this?"
Su Qiu thought back to the first time she met Zhou Jingqian, and the way inspiration had crackled and burst forth in her mind like a massive boost.
Su Qiu: "He kind of brings me luck."
But I kind of forget him…
Even though this wedding house is meant for two people to live in together.
Up until now, the place still only has Su Qiu's personal belongings.
Zhou Jingqian hasn't come back, nor has he arranged for anyone to move his luggage in.
Living a comfortable and fulfilling life all by herself, Su Qiu had forgotten that this beautiful big house wasn't just for one person.
If Hao Hao hadn't suddenly brought it up, Su Qiu would have completely forgotten she even had a husband.
"Brings you luck? What do you mean?"
Hao Hao grabbed her hand: "Xiao Qiu, getting married is fine, but you need to be careful with dating—wise people tread cautiously into love, and keep an eye on their wallet balance!"
Su Qiu nodded seriously: "Don't worry."
Though, she figured the few measly coins in her wallet probably weren't something Zhou Jingqian would even bother with.
"Don't make me such a big bowl, I've been gaining weight lately."
Hao Hao said that, but her gaze was already glued to the fresh, vibrant yogurt bowl Su Qiu had arranged.
Su Qiu wasn't good at cooking, but she had a real knack for whipping up these little desserts.
Su Qiu glanced at her curvaceous figure: "You're not fat."
She took off her disposable gloves and pushed the finished yogurt bowl in front of Hao Hao, "Ages zero to ninety-nine are exactly the years for loving food."
"You make such a good point!"
Hao Hao shoved the empty bowl onto the table and slumped lazily into the soft sofa: "Come to think of it, a husband who's handsome, rich, and never home—how is that not another kind of happiness?"
Su Qiu nodded in agreement. She really was enjoying life right now.
Jian Yin had taken on a drama role a month ago and was still filming in the mountains, but she also said she wanted to see Su Qiu's new place.
So Su Qiu sent her a video.
After watching it, Jian Yin screenshotted a frame and sent it back: [That bed is really big. [Dog face]]
Hao Hao: [I've seen it in person—it really is one huge bed. [LOL]]
Su Qiu: [It is pretty big, rolls around very comfortably.]
After sending the message, Su Qiu switched back to her document page. She had revised the ending again tonight and still wasn't satisfied.
Since literature wasn't working, she'd have to try the supernatural route instead.
Su Qiu switched back to WeChat: [@Hao Hao, do you have a photo of Zhou Jingqian?]
Jian Yin replied instantly: [We just talked about the bed and now you want your husband's photo? Su Xiao Qiu, your intentions are definitely not simple~]
Su Qiu thought about her purpose for wanting the photo—simple was one way to put it, at least simpler than standing on her head or knocking on a wooden fish three hundred times.
Hao Hao: [I don't have a solo shot of him; the whole internet probably can't dig one up either. But I think I have a candid photo from when he came to my company's annual meeting last time. Let me look.]
Within two minutes, Hao Hao sent a photo over.
In a crowd of impeccably dressed people, Zhou Jingqian was also in a crisp suit, yet he was the most captivating presence.
Under the flashy glow of the crystal chandelier, he wasn't deliberately looking at the camera—he just happened to turn his head and sweep his gaze in this direction.
His features were gentle and refined, yet carried a hint of cool detachment befitting someone in the world of fame and fortune.
Su Qiu slowly sat up straight, staring at the computer screen, but before long her eyes started to feel a bit sore.
She had already overused her eyes today, so she simply printed the photo out and held it in her hands to look at it a while longer.
However, Su Qiu's color photo printer seemed to be broken. Staring at the black-and-white photo in her hands, she fell into a brief silence.
A moment later, she whispered very quietly: "Sorry, pardon the intrusion…"