She used to clutch like this before.
When she wanted to act spoiled, she did this; when she wanted to torment him, she clenched like this as well.
Zhōu Shíyì, of course, indulged her—whenever he could restrain himself, he let her have her way.
Not only did he let her, he would also whisper soothing words to her.
His strong arms supported her on both sides as he watched her silently and attentively.
Tonight was different from before; Zhōng Yì’s palms were burning hot, like when they first got together in their first year.
She didn’t last three minutes before she let go of him.
Her hands, still carrying his body heat and the scent of his hormones, had nowhere to settle.
Almost instinctively, Zhōng Yì wiped them on his bathrobe.
Zhōu Shíyì took her hand in his, interlocking their fingers.
“Just now, which was it?”
Zhōng Yì knew he was asking whether she had been acting spoiled or tormenting him by clutching his hand.
She simply met his gaze, saying nothing.
Zhōu Shíyì looked at her: “It’s our wedding day today. Aren’t you going to kiss me?”
Zhōng Yì still didn’t respond with words but wrapped her arms around his neck.
Zhōu Shíyì lowered his head in sync, and she took his lips.
His warm breath brushed her nose.
She kissed him, sometimes softly, sometimes deeply.
When kissing lightly, she thought of the flower wall.
When biting firmly, it was because after being apart for three years, the intimacy felt both strange and familiar, stirring complex emotions.
She knew his feelings at this moment were similar to hers.
Even more, he harbored an emotion difficult to let go.
The breakup was a taboo deep in his heart.
As she clasped the back of his neck and kissed him, Zhōu Shíyì’s hand slid down to her abdominal muscles.
“Been practicing yoga these years?”
“Yeah.”
After returning to China, she insisted on practicing yoga and combined it with regular running; her abdominal muscles were still well-defined.
He traced along her abs, his fingertip landing where he used to bury his face in kisses.
Zhōng Yì was powerless against his long and sensual hands.
She used to be.
And she still was.
Zhōu Shíyì hugged her tightly with his left hand, kissing her lips: “Do you love me?”
The question he asked earlier that morning when picking her up, which she hadn’t answered, was now pressed again in the night.
As he asked, his right hand’s fingertip twirled softly over her skin.
At this moment, Zhōng Yì didn’t want to admit defeat.
He stopped asking, pushing her lips open for a deep kiss, his fingertip still twirling.
Zhōng Yì couldn’t dodge.
Gradually, she couldn’t help but kiss him back.
By then, Zhōu Shíyì’s right hand—from palm to well-defined knuckles—felt like it had squeezed a handful of hand sanitizer.
A special kind of hand sanitizer: crystal clear and viscous, with a faint citrus scent.
Zhōng Yì finally answered his question.
They hadn’t been together for three years; she thought it would take several minutes to fully adjust to him again.
But the body held memories.
After an unknown length of time, he kissed her and said, “Don’t ever bring up breaking up with me again.”
His voice was hoarse and low, as if from prolonged exertion.
Zhōng Yì caught her breath, biting his lips:
“Who wants to break up if we can’t get along? I waited for you for half a year, thinking you were on a business trip.”
“I hoped maybe one day we’d both understand and stop caring about the past, and get back together. When the suit you ordered arrived at home, I didn’t know what to do.”
As she finished speaking, the blanket slipped off the bed.
This love contained longing, craving, and some lingering reluctance.
Zhōng Yì had taken a shower and was too tired to move or speak another word.
Zhōu Shíyì came out of the bathroom, turned off the light, and held her in his arms.
No matter what, there was no need to worry about dreaming of him leaving again.
Nor worry that if she woke up in the middle of the night and turned over to find an empty space beside her.
Zhōu Shíyì had been busy with the wedding these past days and barely slept at night; he was tired now as well.
They soon fell asleep.
***
When they woke, it was already 10 a.m. the next day.
Zhōu Shíyì was the first to wake; the person in his arms still lay as she had last night, probably too exhausted to even turn over.
He smoothed her short hair, gently laid her down, and got up.
The nightstand was a mess—he had no energy to tidy it up last night.
He gathered the crumpled paper and a few pieces of wrapping paper into the trash, and took the towel lying on top to the bathroom.
After he showered and dressed, the person in bed still hadn’t woken.
Zhōu Shíyì brought a cup of warm water, stepped onto the balcony, and called his mother.
The call connected, and he asked her which bakery in Beicheng made the best chestnut cake, asking for recommendations.
Shí Fànyīn: “Zhōng Yì likes it?”
“Yeah.”
Picio
It’s 5.20 today; time to celebrate for her.
Shí Fànyīn asked with concern: “Have you reserved a restaurant?”
“Yes.”
Zhōu Shíyì swallowed, then asked his mother, “How are you and Dad celebrating?”
Shí Fànyīn: “No time to celebrate with him; I arranged to have dinner with your Yuemou.”
Zhōu Shíyì was about to reply when he heard his own voice on the other end—his wedding speech.
“Mom, why are you watching this so early?”
Shí Fànyīn: “I played it for you, in case you forgot what you said yesterday.”
He could never forget the promises he made.
After the wedding, social media was flooded with that video.
There was even a clip of his father-in-law tearing up.
Shí Fànyīn said, “I hope you’re not just saying these things for the sake of the wedding, to please the guests.”
After chatting a bit more with his mother, Zhōu Shíyì hung up and returned to the room.
The bed was empty; the sound of running water came from the bathroom.
Zhōng Yì finished washing up and went to the walk-in closet to find a shirt and trousers to change into.
From her neck down, her skin was covered in marks left by Zhōu Shíyì.
He had them too, and his scratch marks were deeper.
So the collar button of her shirt could only be loosened by one.
Zhōng Yì buttoned the upper buttons of the white cropped shirt in the mirror.
It was a navel-revealing shirt she usually only wore to work, never to go out shopping.
She had bought it two or three years ago, but today was the first time she had the chance to wear it.
“Congratulations?”
She changed clothes and went out; Zhōu Shíyì was tidying the wedding gifts.
He had only finished half last night and continued today.
“What do you want for breakfast?” Zhōu Shíyì asked.
Zhōng Yì’s gaze left his hands as she bent down and took a few sips from his cup of warm water.
“Today is 5.20, should we celebrate?”
“Yes. The restaurant’s booked.”
Zhōu Shíyì placed the just-unwrapped Couple Watches on the coffee table. “Such an important day, I can’t not celebrate with you.”
She hadn’t mentioned it to him yet, so she wasn’t sure.
Zhōng Yì looked at the dark, dazzling watch face. “Who gave you these?”
“I gave them to you.”
Zhōng Yì sat on the opposite sofa, eyes scanning the gifts stacked on the carpet. “Except for the two Canvas Bags from Yu Lǎoshī, all of these are gifts from you.”
Zhōu Shíyì gave a faint “hmm.”
The other gifts from others, Jiang Bo was still counting; they hadn’t been brought up yet.
Zhōng Yì asked, “If you gave them to me, why did you unwrap them yourself?”
Zhōu Shíyì replied, “It’s been so long; I don’t even remember what’s inside.”
Zhōng Yì stared at him in disbelief, thinking he had bought these especially for the wedding.
Zhōu Shíyì: “Only the silk scarf is new; the rest aren’t.”
That limited-edition silk scarf’s color suited her short hair perfectly.
While speaking, he cut open another beautifully wrapped box.
These gifts were all bought during their first year apart; whenever he went on business trips, he had the habit of picking out gifts for her.
They ranged from a few hundred to millions.
After that, he never bought any more.
He put aside the wrapping paper and opened the box: two long-handled spoons featuring a windmill design—the handle topped with a Dutch mill windmill.
He had bought them on a business trip to the Netherlands.
Perfect for scooping honey red beans from coffee cups.
He handed the spoons to her. “One for home, one for the office.”
Zhōng Yì took the spoons. “Thank you.”
If she had received them then, it would have been a huge surprise.
Now, the feeling was more sour than surprised.
Zhōu Shíyì continued unwrapping other gifts, glancing at her: “Now that the wedding is over, won’t you sit next to me anymore?”
Zhōng Yì had just sat down out of habit, not because she didn’t want to sit beside him.
She said nothing, got up, and moved closer.
Less than half a fist’s distance between them.
“These are gifts you bought over three years?”
“Just the first year.”
Zhōng Yì understood. During the second and third years of their breakup, he hadn’t bought anything.
Watching him unwrap the gifts, she involuntarily drifted into memories, forgetting to speak.
Zhōu Shíyì tilted his head to look at her: “In these years, was there anything special you wanted?”
Zhōng Yì snapped back. “You.”
So straightforward, Zhōu Shíyì was caught off guard.
After a pause, he said, “You don’t count as a want since you’re mine. Anything else?”
Zhōng Yì spelled it out: “To be like before, completely and truly mine in body and soul. Not just getting one part.”
Zhōu Shíyì lifted his chin toward the cooling warm water in her hand. “Drink your water first.”
Zhōng Yì wasn’t thirsty and put down the cup, helping him unwrap gifts.
Sometimes Zhōu Shíyì was at a loss with her; he brought the cup to her lips.
Zhōng Yì froze. She really wasn’t thirsty, but he thought she was upset for not getting a straightforward answer.
Since he was willing to feed her water, she drank a few sips with his hand guiding her.
Zhōu Shíyì drank the rest himself, then placed the cup on the coffee table and picked up the conversation: “Can’t you feel whether I care about you or not?”
“Poorly.”
“I can feel it,” Zhōng Yì turned her face to meet his gaze, “Maybe it’s because you treated me too well before. With the contrast, it’s hard not to feel a loss.”
“It’s only been two months since we first met.” Zhōu Shíyì coaxed her, “You have to give me some time.”
Zhōng Yì asked clearly: “Do I have to put forward all the demands myself?”
“No need.”
Zhōu Shíyì looked at her. “Didn’t I say all that in the wedding speech yesterday?”
Because before that, she wasn’t sure whether the wedding speech was just for the guests’ sake or a confession to her.
Zhōu Shíyì put down the half-unwrapped gift: “Let’s go, let’s eat.”
Zhōng Yì checked the time; it was almost brunch.
The driver had the next two days off, so Zhōu Shíyì drove himself in the black SUV.
On the second day after their wedding, Zhōng Yì switched to a new Canvas Bag and sat in the front passenger seat.
She looked around the car: “New?”
Zhōu Shíyì started the engine: “Yán Tínglín gave it.”
Yán Tínglín couldn’t make it to their wedding, so he sent a car as a wedding gift.
Zhōng Yì’s connection with this senior was unusual. Yán Tínglín had once said that her first love ended with no results.
He had also once said she and Zhōu Shíyì would eventually break up…
His mouth seemed to have a mind of its own.
She asked the driver sideways: “What did Yán Tínglín say to you this time?”
“From now on, no conflicts; grow old together.”
That was good.
She really feared Yán Tínglín would open his mouth again and talk about divorcing someday.
“Our vice chairman once tried to recruit him, but failed.”
The vice chairman was in charge of Jinghe’s chip business and had been longing to cooperate with Yán Tínglín, but the latter wouldn’t come.
Zhōu Shíyì said, “His family isn’t short on money. Unless he wants to, no one can hire him.”
He glanced at her: “Just like you, if it weren’t for Mǐn Tíng personally inviting you, and you having shares in Jinghe, would you have come back?”
Zhōng Yì admitted, “The main reason I didn’t want to come back was you.”
Everyone at home was in the same circle as him, so she would inevitably hear news about him.
Maybe one day, when going out to eat, she’d run into him with someone else.
So her heart resisted coming back.
But people were always contradictory.
Resisting while caring.
Eventually, she still came back.
“Enough of this. You drive.” She stopped herself in time and took out her earphones to put on.
She hadn’t had time to check social media last night; earlier, when she went downstairs, she saw that her mother-in-law had posted a status— a wedding video with the caption:
“My son (sunglasses) (sunglasses)”
Zhōng Yì clicked the video, which recorded the moment Zhōu Shíyì gave his wedding speech.
Yesterday on stage, he spoke about their three years apart and how they hadn’t met again, only to be interrupted by the best man.
The whole hall burst into laughter.
Her mother-in-law laughed right after and recorded the rest.
She turned the volume up when the video started.
Host: “Does the groom want to say anything more to the bride?”
Zhōu Shíyì: “No. What follows is what I want to say to myself.”
‘I know you love her deeply.
But the personality you developed over thirty years has made it hard for you to lower your head.
I also know that, in these three years, whether you admit it or not, you have been thinking of her.
You treat everyone with dignity, except her—you love someone so much, yet failed to treat her with dignity.
I also know, every time you let her make demands, it’s because you want to do those things for her.
Whether she asks or not, you will still do them.
Because after being apart for three years, you’ve thought of more than 1095 things you want to do for her.
From now on, you must love her well.
At any time, don’t say anything hurtful to her.
Rewatching this part of the wedding speech, Zhōng Yì felt completely different from how she had during the ceremony last night.
Maybe the “family heirloom” ring had troubled her then; she was tangled over his words “not suitable,” wondering if he had once planned to give it to a political marriage candidate.
So when hearing the speech, her emotions were affected.
Even after three years apart, they still shared a tacit understanding.
36 roses, the limited-edition silk scarf she liked but hadn’t bought yet.
The 1095 Deeds mentioned in the speech.
Her favorite white roses and blue hydrangeas; she had once thought that if she got married, there had to be such a flower wall.
Snapping out of her thoughts, Zhōng Yì watched the video again.
Zhōu Shíyì only noticed she was wearing earphones when he stopped at a red light.
“Still working overtime today?”
“No. Just watching a video; didn’t want to distract you while driving.”
“Mine or Dad’s part?”
“Yours.”
Zhōng Yì took off the earphones, saved the video to her album, and liked her mother-in-law’s post.
Shí Fànyīn messaged her: 【I checked for you; he’s not just talking nonsense (smirk)】
Zhōng Yì didn’t expect her mother-in-law to be so amusing: 【Thanks, Mom】
To avoid seeming too stiff, she added a sunglasses emoji.
Shí Fànyīn: 【Your mom and I are already at the restaurant~】
【By the way, haven’t you gotten online yet?】
Zhōng Yì: 【No. Just woke up a little while ago. What’s up?】
Shí Fànyīn: 【Today’s 520; your mom made a public confession (LOL)】
Zhōng Yì hurried to check her mother’s social media; there was no new post.
She couldn’t believe it and opened Weibo, wondering if her mom publicly showed off her dad.
No need to open her mom’s profile; it had already gone viral on the trending list.
Opening the topic, she didn’t expect to see a photo of herself in traditional Chinese wedding attire—the features so much like her mother’s.
Zhōng Zhuóhuá chose two photos: one of her daughter’s profile, the other of her holding a wedding fan covering half her face.
Caption: 【There is a daughter in my house, a peach tree flourishing and radiant with beauty.】
Premium Chapter
Login to buy access to this Chapter.