Han Zheng sat in the winery office, an unlit cigarette between his fingers, his gaze vacant. He had been staring into space for quite a while.
Yesterday, when he picked Xu Youqing up from the hotel, she had barely spoken the whole way back. When he asked what was wrong, she only said that Xu Weiyue's car didn't have enough room and asked him to come get her. Xu Youqing looked somewhat exhausted, with faint dark shadows under her eyes. When he asked, she just said she was tired from all the fun.
He sensed, with a keen unease, that she seemed to drift off frequently lately. Sometimes, in the middle of a conversation, her gaze would wander elsewhere, her eyes distant and hollow, as if lost in thought. When he asked, she would only shake her head and say nothing was wrong.
This elusive, uncertain feeling stirred a quiet panic deep inside him. Ever since that day she ran into Fan Meidi at the doorstep of their home, something seemed to have settled between them like an invisible barrier.
He was afraid. Afraid that something might change between him and her.
He couldn't wait any longer. He rubbed his brow in agitation. He had to do something—tie her firmly to his side. He thought of marriage. Yes, marriage. They were bound to get married sooner or later anyway—what difference did a little sooner or later make? Once they were married, everything would be settled, and those anxieties and possible variables would all disappear.
He remembered that suburban villa he had happened to see last time. Though the price exceeded his current budget and would put enormous pressure on him, it came with a small garden. Standing in that garden, his mind had been filled entirely with images of Xu Youqing.
Her reading by the window. Her watering the flowers among the blooms. Her pushing open the window, the wind lifting her hair, turning back to smile at him. He had thought then—she would definitely love it.
…
In the library, Xu Youqing sat in a corner, a book open before her. Half an hour had passed, and she hadn't turned a single page.
She suddenly couldn't take in a single word.
She had blocked Jin Zongmin's number and then deleted it. The moment her finger pressed down, her heart raced with anxiety. What would he do when he found out? Would he come to the school looking for her? Would he resort to more drastic measures? But she had already made herself perfectly clear to him.
Just as she was feeling restless, her phone vibrated.
It was Han Zheng. She picked up.
"Youqing, where are you? I'll come pick you up and take you somewhere."
The car drove all the way to the outskirts of the city, stopping at a newly developed villa community. The surroundings were quiet and serene.
Han Zheng took her hand and enthusiastically showed her around a model unit.
"Youqing, look at this south-facing room—the light is wonderful! How about making it your studio?" He pushed open a door and pointed inside. "That patch of land outside the window—you could plant all your favorite flowers. When you're tired from restoration work, you can just look up and see them."
Xu Youqing was bewildered, completely unable to keep up with Han Zheng's pace. "Why are we suddenly looking at houses?"
Han Zheng turned to face her. "I'm planning to buy it."
"Buy it?" Xu Youqing was puzzled.
"I'm planning to make it our wedding home." Han Zheng spoke.
Xu Youqing's face filled with surprise. "Wedding home? What do you mean?"
"Let's get married, Youqing." Han Zheng stepped forward, his tone urgent. "Let's just settle it, okay?"
It was too sudden. She had no mental preparation at all.
"We just got together. This is too fast—I haven't thought that far ahead yet."
"But we're going to get married sooner or later anyway, aren't we?" Han Zheng stared at her intently.
She couldn't answer that question.
She couldn't understand why Han Zheng suddenly brought up marriage. They had only just confirmed their relationship—how long had it even been? How could he jump straight to marriage?
"Don't you want to marry me?" Han Zheng asked again.
"We just got together, and you suddenly bring up marriage," Xu Youqing said, choosing her words carefully. "Honestly, I can't answer that."
This wasn't something that could be answered with a simple yes or no.
"Is being with me really that difficult for you?" Han Zheng's voice dropped.
She looked up at him. He stood by the window, backlit, his expression hard to make out—but the tight line of his jaw told her he wasn't happy.
Suddenly, he felt like a stranger to her.
"Han Zheng, what's really going on with you? You've been so strange lately. It feels like… you're rushing to get something done."
"What else could I be rushing for?" he said, his voice lower than before. "Everything I do, I do to make you happy."
"But this way, you're making me feel so much pressure."
"Don't I have pressure too?" Han Zheng's voice suddenly rose. "I'm terrified that I'm not doing something right, that I'm making you feel wronged, making you unhappy. Every day I'm afraid—afraid that one day you'll suddenly leave me."
Xu Youqing stared at Han Zheng in shock.
She never expected that being with her felt this way to him. Their relationship seemed to bring more exhaustion than anything. Did she really put that much pressure on him?
"Have you ever thought about how I feel?" Han Zheng asked.
Xu Youqing opened her mouth, but no words came out.
She didn't know he carried so much resentment.
Maybe she really wasn't a good girlfriend. She didn't know how to be in a relationship, didn't know how to tend to her boyfriend's emotions, and she didn't even know what he was worried about. But she felt wronged too. She had told him before, plainly—she didn't know how, she might not be good at these things.
"Fine," she heard her own voice, tinged with a hint of defiance. "It's my problem. I've been neglecting you."
Xu Youqing took a deep breath and looked at Han Zheng. "Since being together makes both of us so miserable… maybe we should just call it quits…"
She thought to herself—maybe people who could be friends weren't necessarily meant to be lovers.
The air suddenly went still. Han Zheng stood frozen, as if he hadn't heard what she said.
"What did you say?" His voice trembled.
Xu Youqing didn't repeat herself.
Han Zheng stepped closer. "I complain a little, and you want to break up with me?"
His voice grew louder. "Am I really that insignificant to you? That dispensable?"
Han Zheng had never spoken to her this loudly before.
Xu Youqing felt deeply wronged too, her eyes beginning to redden, but she bit her lip, refusing to let the tears fall.
"Have you… ever actually thought about having a future with me?" Han Zheng's voice cracked, turning hoarse.
"I haven't thought about marriage yet," she said, trying to keep her voice steady. "Marriage is something far in the future for me."
"You just don't want to marry me!" Han Zheng exploded in fury, completely deaf to any explanation.
Xu Youqing felt utterly drained. She had no desire left to explain anything.
"Think whatever you want." She left those words behind and turned to walk away.
Behind her came a heavy, dull thud—Han Zheng kicked the wall.
…
For several days in a row, the two of them were locked in a cold war. Xu Youqing was still fuming and didn't take the initiative to reach out.
But after another four full days passed, there was still no word from Han Zheng. Something felt off. Given Han Zheng's personality, even if they were fighting, he would never leave her hanging for this long.
Her unease grew heavier by the moment.
Xu Youqing called Han Zheng—no answer. She then called Fang Dayu. On the other end of the line, Fang Dayu hemmed and hawed, only saying that Han Zheng had gone abroad on a sudden business trip, and that the signal might be bad or there might be a time difference.
Xu Youqing hung up, waited a day, and sent Han Zheng a message. Still no reply. But even if he were abroad, how could he not respond to a single message?
She called Fang Dayu again. This time, he didn't pick up either.
She scrolled through her contacts and found Han Zheng's younger sister's number.
"Xiaoxiao, have you been in touch with your brother these past couple of days?"
There was a brief silence on the other end of the line. Han Xiao's tone was grim. "My brother's in trouble. You didn't know?"
Xu Youqing rushed to the winery.
As she pushed the door open, Fang Dayu was sitting on the sofa staring into space, the ashtray piled high with cigarette butts. Seeing Xu Youqing walk in, he visibly panicked, stubbed out his cigarette, and stood up.
"Where's Han Zheng?" Xu Youqing charged in, her voice tight.
Fang Dayu hesitated for a moment before finally telling the truth: "Zheng-ge is in custody."
Xu Youqing's head buzzed. "Why? What the hell happened?"
"It's about business," Fang Dayu said vaguely. "Something went wrong."
"What kind of problem could be serious enough to get him detained? He's always so careful!"
Fang Dayu ran a hand through his hair in frustration and lowered his voice: "He needed to scrape together a sum of money and took a risky route."
"What money?" Xu Youqing pressed.
"Zheng-ge had his eye on a villa a while back. Wanted to buy it, but was short on funds."
Xu Youqing froze. Was it the one they'd looked at together last time?
Seeing that Xu Youqing wasn't saying anything, Fang Dayu quickly explained: "Even if something did happen, as long as the payment was made up in time, there would still be room to turn things around."
Fang Dayu's expression darkened as he continued. "But this time, it's clear someone up top wants to take him down. They're holding him and refusing to let him go, pushing to make the case as severe as possible."
Xu Youqing's eyelid began to twitch. A face suddenly flashed through her mind, along with the words he'd once said.
"Who is it?" Xu Youqing asked uneasily, though a name already seemed to be forming in her heart.
But the name Fang Dayu gave her was one she hadn't expected: "Ji Zhongyun."
Ji Zhongyun? Xu Youqing was stunned. Not Jin Zongmin?
"Who is Ji Zhongyun?" she asked.
Fang Dayu's expression was strange—like he wanted to say something but didn't dare. In the end, he only answered vaguely: "He's someone we can't afford to offend. He's made it clear he wants Zheng-ge destroyed."
A chill ran down Xu Youqing's spine.
"Is there any other way?"
"Meidi-jie has already gone to see Ji Zhongyun," Fang Dayu said. "They seem to have some prior connection."
Fang Dayu's expression shifted oddly, as if he'd let something slip. He quickly covered it up and added, "But even if she did, it might not do any good."
He told Xu Youqing to go home first and wait for news.
The next day, Han Xiao called Xu Youqing, her voice choked with tears: "My brother got beaten up inside. My mom's so worried she's fallen ill."
"Xiaoxiao, don't panic. We're working on a solution. Just stay calm and wait for news."
Xu Youqing offered a few words of comfort, hung up, and stood there in place for a long time.
Fang Dayu had been silent for too long. She couldn't wait any longer and went back to the winery.
When she walked in, she saw Fang Dayu sitting in his office, looking troubled. Seeing her enter, he cracked the window open a sliver to let out some of the cigarette smoke.
"Meidi tried on her end—no use." Fang Dayu's voice was hoarse. "It only made Ji Zhongyun angrier."
Xu Youqing's heart sank. "Then… is there any other way?"
Fang Dayu was silent for a long time before he spoke with difficulty: "Meidi said… in this city right now, the only one who can touch Ji Zhongyun is probably Jin Zongmin."
He paused. "But Jin Zongmin won't even see her."
Xu Youqing's heart plummeted to rock bottom.
Should she go to Jin Zongmin? She really didn't want to. That day, she had said her piece in no uncertain terms, blocked him, and drawn a clear line between them.
But what about Han Zheng? Back in school, Han Zheng had gotten into trouble because of her. And this time, when it came down to it, it wasn't entirely unrelated to her either. If it hadn't been for that house, things wouldn't have come to this…
But even if she went to Jin Zongmin, would he definitely help? After she'd blocked him, he'd never reached out again—maybe he already had a new target.
Jin Zongmin might not even bother with her.
But no matter what, Jin Zongmin was her last resort.
…
In the private tea room of the club, the delicate fragrance of fine tea curled through the air.
Duan Sikai held a small purple-clay cup, smiling at Jin Zongmin, who sat across from him with an indifferent expression.
"That move of yours—killing with a borrowed knife—was truly masterful. You've kept your own hands completely clean, and your poor little darling has been calling me nonstop."
Jin Zongmin lowered his gaze to the tea leaves drifting in his cup and said nothing.
Beside him, Duan Sicheng let out a chuckle: "Zongmin grew up reading the Comprehensive Mirror in Aid of Governance and The Art of War. This little skirmish is nothing."
Duan Sikai laughed and chimed in: "Right—back when he led the whole crew in fights in the compound, he was the commander-in-chief."
Duan Sicheng's smile faded slightly. He turned to Jin Zongmin, his tone growing more serious: "Weiyue called me too, asking me to help."
He paused. "Zongmin, don't push it too far. Don't drive the girl to desperation."
Duan Sikai grinned, teasing his older brother: "Brother, are you the one worried about Xu Weiyue?"
Duan Sicheng shot him a sidelong glance, didn't answer, and picked up his teacup.
Jin Zongmin had no patience for the two brothers' bickering. He was in a foul mood.
Xu Youqing would rather beg every single person she knew, humbling herself, going through endless detours—and still refuse to lower her head to him even once.
Was she really that protective of that Han Zheng? Even though the man was foolish, impulsive, and had gotten himself trapped over money?
Seeing that Jin Zongmin wasn't speaking, Duan Sicheng studied his expression and asked in a low voice: "What do you plan to do about this?"
Jin Zongmin set down his teacup, his fingertip slowly tracing the rim.
"The fish will bite if it wants the bait," he said.
…
Xu Youqing sat on a bench by the roadside, staring blankly at the passersby. She had been on the phone all afternoon—from Xu Weiyue to Duan Sikai, and even a senior she'd met once at the museum who was said to have "extensive connections."
Everyone's answer was the same: Sorry, this is out of my hands.
Xu Youqing stared at her phone screen. There was only one person left she could turn to, but that person no longer existed in her contacts.
She had no choice but to call Secretary Gao.
The phone rang twice before it was picked up.
"Miss Xu." Secretary Gao's voice was warm and composed.
"Secretary Gao, I'd like to ask… does Mr. Jin have time today?"
There was a pause on the other end of the line. "Mr. Jin is not in Jingxi today."
"When will he be back?"
"Hard to say." Secretary Gao's tone remained courteous. "He's been quite busy lately. I'll notify you once Mr. Jin returns."
After hanging up, Xu Youqing waited the entire day, but Secretary Gao's call never came.
The next afternoon, unable to wait any longer, she dialed Secretary Gao's number again.
Secretary Gao replied, "Mr. Jin has returned, but his schedule is quite full today. He'll be staying at Fusui Hutong tonight. If Miss Xu is willing, you could go there this evening."
Xu Youqing blurted out almost instinctively, "Okay."
Only after hanging up did she realize what she had agreed to. But she had no other choice.
…
In the evening, a sudden downpour began. The entire city was shrouded in a gray, misty veil of rain.
The rain grew heavier and heavier. The taxi had barely made it halfway before getting stuck in traffic. The windshield wipers swung frantically back and forth, but beyond the glass, nothing was visible except water.
When they finally struggled to the vicinity of Fusui Hutong, the driver stopped the car and turned around. "Miss, there's a roadblock up ahead. Outside vehicles aren't allowed in. You'll have to walk the rest of the way yourself."
It hadn't been raining when she left, so she hadn't brought an umbrella. She looked out the window, pulled her coat over her head, pushed open the door, and dashed into the rain.
The rain quickly soaked her hair and shoulders, and she shivered from the cold.
By the time she finally reached the front gate, she was drenched through and through, a complete mess.
A servant hurried out holding an umbrella and, catching sight of her state, a flicker of surprise passed through their eyes. "Miss Xu, please come in quickly."
She was led through the covered walkway. As she passed a window, she glanced inside.
Jin Zongmin was standing right there within.
He had his back to the window, his posture tall and straight, slightly leaning forward as he playfully coaxed a beautiful bird perched on a ebony stand.