Chapter 20

After taking the photos, Jin Yizhu stood at the observation deck, looking at Mount Fuji.

Amid the swirling clouds and mist, only the peak of Mount Fuji was visible, its eternal snow capping the endless steel forest of Tokyo’s urban sprawl stretching out below.

After gazing for a few seconds, Jin Yizhu started to find it boring. She turned to Wei Shuyu. “Want to go get some parfaits?”

Wei Shuyu was still looking at Mount Fuji. She had to admit, though she had no expectations on the way there—even a bit reluctant—now that she truly stood under the clear sky, gazing at Mount Fuji in the distance, she felt an indescribable awe.

That hazy beauty, as if it might vanish in the next second, was heart-stirring no matter the angle.

“Now?” Hearing Jin Yizhu’s words, she finally snapped back to reality. “Sure, let’s head downstairs then.”

Jin Yizhu nodded and sidled up to her, linking arms.

The motion was natural, without the slightest hesitation.

Before leaving, Wei Shuyu took one last glance at Mount Fuji and followed Jin Yizhu toward the elevators.

“You really like it, huh?” Jin Yizhu noticed her reluctance to leave. “Next time, let’s go right under Mount Fuji. We can find a hot spring hotel and vacation for a few days.”

“It’s pretty nice,” Wei Shuyu replied. “Sure, next time you’re here, we’ll go to Mount Fuji.”

“Yeah, next time Mount Fuji.”

Jin Yizhu said it offhandedly, but she felt Wei Shuyu’s response was a bit odd—hard to pin down, like it was perfunctory? Or hiding something, not sharing her real feelings.

She wanted to press further but didn’t know where to start, so she settled for asking, “What flavor parfait do you want?”

“I want matcha,” Wei Shuyu said, standing in front of the advertisement board and pointing at the product image. “How about adding one of the recommended ones? This one’s shaped like Tokyo Tower.”

“Sure,” Jin Yizhu said. “You like matcha?”

“Not particularly? But sometimes I really crave it,” Wei Shuyu noticed her subtle displeasure and softened her voice a bit. “Usually I eat more chocolate ones.”

Jin Yizhu seemed especially interested in her today.

The sudden thought made Wei Shuyu secretly delighted for a second, though she quickly dismissed it as unlikely.

“What flavor do you like?” she asked. “Don’t you like sweets much? It seems like I’m always the one ordering them.”

Jin Yizhu tilted her head slightly. Come to think of it, that was true.

“I haven’t paid much attention, but you’re right,” Jin Yizhu said, her mood lifting a little. “I don’t eat sweets much usually, except more during strawberry season.”

“You’re so observant,” Jin Yizhu laughed. “You even noticed that.”

Wei Shuyu was stunned. This wasn’t anything worth special attention. For an Eldest Miss like Jin Yizhu, shouldn’t there be a bunch of people figuring out her tastes and catering to her every whim?

The parfaits were ready. The server handed her the tray, and Wei Shuyu carried it to a window seat, sitting down with Jin Yizhu.

Jin Yizhu picked up the Tokyo Tower-shaped parfait, snapped a photo against the cityscape beyond the floor-to-ceiling glass, then pushed it toward Wei Shuyu. “Try it.”

“Huh?” Wei Shuyu was eating her matcha one. Seeing that Jin Yizhu hadn’t taken a single bite before shoving the cup over, she couldn’t help asking, “You’re not eating it?”

“I’ll just have a taste.”

Jin Yizhu scooped a spoonful of ice cream—cherry blossom flavor. It was very light, not too sweet, not too milky, just a strange yet refreshing floral scent.

She set the spoon down. “Cherry blossom flavor stuff really isn’t that good.”

“Yeah,” Wei Shuyu agreed after trying a bite. “Want to try mine?”

The cherry blossom Tokyo Tower parfait was clearly just for show, good only for photos, but her matcha parfait tasted great, no worse than the ones at outside dessert shops.

“Nah, I’m good,” Jin Yizhu shook her head. “The portions are too big for sweets.”

She had eaten half a pancake that morning, and the strawberries and cream on top weren’t low-calorie. Eating a parfait now wouldn’t help with keeping her figure.

Jin Yizhu propped her chin on her hand, gazing at the view beyond the glass and at Wei Shuyu beside her. She couldn’t help sighing. “It’s great how you can eat anything and not gain weight.”

“You’re not fat either…” Wei Shuyu looked at her. “You’re already so slim and pretty. Why diet?”

“I don’t like the gym,” Jin Yizhu replied, pulling her hand over and pressing it to her arm. “See, this deltoid area? It bulges as soon as I eat. Little dresses don’t look good, and I don’t want people laughing.”

Wei Shuyu fell silent for a moment. “No one would… You’re clearly so slim…”

The shoulder under her fingertips was slender and delicate. She could feel the bones beneath the smooth skin through it—nowhere near fat.

Out playing today, Jin Yizhu wasn’t in her usual silk blouse but an off-shoulder long dress that accentuated her graceful curves. Her collarbone was a delicate line, sharply defined. Wei Shuyu glanced once and looked away.

Even without Jin Yizhu saying it, she could guess who these “people” were—the ones at social events.

Business partners, rivals, fake friends, elder relatives—anyone, really. They scrutinized women’s looks and figures as if that was the only measure of worth.

More ridiculous was that even with all Jin Yizhu’s money, she couldn’t escape the stares.

“Sigh, it’s just annoying anyway,” Jin Yizhu said. “Sometimes I think it’d be great if I were a guy.”

She didn’t know what Wei Shuyu was thinking, but she felt like Wei Shuyu got it. Her comfort sounded hollow, yet Jin Yizhu wanted to say more to her.

“If I were a guy, my inheritance would be secure,” Jin Yizhu’s voice dropped, a shadow passing through her eyes. “Now I have to play mansion fights with all these cousins…”

Wei Shuyu gripped her spoon, hesitating over what to say.

Was she really supposed to hear this? If they kept going, would it spill into chaebol secrets? Jin Yizhu hadn’t explicitly named her family, but Wei Shuyu had stayed at her hotel and had her supplemental card. Investigating would be effortless if she wanted.

Was Jin Yizhu sharing because she saw her as one of her own, or because she was insignificant enough that it didn’t matter?

“Legally, you’re the rightful one, right? Isn’t your family just you kids?”

Wei Shuyu chose her words carefully, not wanting to seem cold or overly eager.

Getting nosy about others’ family drama—especially at this level—was never good. Even petty household squabbles could drag in the whole clan. For a family actually fighting over the throne, it was better not to listen or understand.

“But I don’t know much about it, haha. In novels, don’t they always say the Eldest Miss works at the company a few years and inherits everything…”

“It’s not that simple,” Jin Yizhu’s shoulders tensed. “It’s just super annoying, right? Hey, am I boring you with this?”

She laughed again, though she didn’t know what for. Normally, Jin Yizhu rarely shared this with others, not even openly admitting her ambitions for the group.

Two cousins, three second cousins—distant relations, but their ambitions were obvious. The sisters were different, avoiding her like the plague.

All these tangled messes choked her every day in Hong Kong. Finally out for fun, was dumping this on Wei Shuyu just trash-talking?

“No, if you want to talk, tell me. I can listen like it’s a story,” Wei Shuyu gently squeezed her shoulder. “It’s fine. Where do you want to go next?”

“Really?” Jin Yizhu relaxed inside, meeting Wei Shuyu’s gaze.

Wei Shuyu’s eyes truly held nothing.

No displeasure, no judgment, no evasion—but no curiosity either.

They were empty, simply accepting and tolerant.

For no reason, Jin Yizhu recalled the first time she saw Wei Shuyu, at the Center Theater entrance. She sat on the steps, watching the drizzling rain, a flickering spark between her fingers, as if it might turn to mist any second.

Her heart tightened again, and she couldn’t help asking, “Wei Shuyu, you’re my person, right?”

“Hm?” Wei Shuyu set down her parfait spoon, startled by the sudden declaration. “Uh, if you put it that way, yeah?”

“Then you have to always stand by me, support me no matter what, got it?”

Jin Yizhu toyed with her spoon, an indescribable feeling welling up. She didn’t know what it was, only that she wanted Wei Shuyu by her side, eyes only on her.

“What I tell you, what I do, you can’t tell anyone else—not even Uncle He.”

“You belong only to me, listen only to me, stay only with me. Okay?”

Wei Shuyu took a deep breath, set her spoon down, and asked seriously, “Is this a loyalty oath?”

She wasn’t naive enough to think it was a confession—especially after that chaebol drama. This was like a palace intrigue emperor, on the eve of battle, grasping the prime minister’s hand and promising merit for loyal service.

She couldn’t be Jin Yizhu’s empress, sharing the glory. Why wade into her family succession saga?

Jin Yizhu said nothing, just waited for her answer.

After a while, Wei Shuyu sighed. “Jin Yizhu, I can promise you: on your family matters, I’ll always stand by you. I won’t tell anyone what you say to me or what we do.”

“I’ll never betray you.”

If this was the security Jin Yizhu wanted, she could give it.

She had no ties to the elite world, couldn’t affect anything real—just offer some emotional comfort.

Jin Yizhu visibly relaxed and reached out to hug her. “Then how about Omotesando later? Do you prefer Chanel or LV? Hermès works too. I haven’t hit my allocation this year. Get whatever you like.”

“Hm?” Wei Shuyu asked. “Get what?”

“Stuff for the house,” Jin Yizhu said matter-of-factly. “I had Uncle He check some places, all in Minato Ward. In a few days, go look and pick one you like.”

Wei Shuyu’s eyes widened. Wait, how had it fast-forwarded to this?

“I picked tower apartments, safe and secure. A girl alone should choose somewhere safe,” Jin Yizhu said, looking at her phone. “I’ll send you the files. Check them out first.”

Wei Shuyu: “…”

Refusing now was too late.

Clearly, Jin Yizhu wasn’t giving her a choice.

From agreeing to be her canary, everything had been under Jin Yizhu’s control.

Worse, she was only surprised—not resisting.