The next day, when Wei Shuyu woke up, there was no one left in the hotel.
Jin Yizhu was gone, and the entire suite was empty and silent. Wei Shuyu stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at the scenery outside, unable to describe her feelings.
If not for Jin Yizhu’s things still being there, she would have suspected it had all been a dream.
An irrepressible sense of loss welled up from her heart. Wei Shuyu took a deep breath and told herself that this was not because Jin Yizhu had disappeared, but merely the loneliness after the excitement had faded.
The CookieAnn still sat on the bay window, smiling sweetly at her.
Wei Shuyu collapsed onto the sofa and grabbed her phone.
Jin Yizhu had sent her a message an hour ago, saying she had a meeting to attend and wouldn’t wake her today. She told her to sleep in if she had nothing to do, and to call Uncle He if she needed anything.
She could never call Uncle He.
Wei Shuyu did not know if Jin Yizhu had told Uncle He about their relationship, but no matter the perspective, she could not bring herself to trouble him.
Having Uncle He run errands for her felt too much like acting spoiled by favor.
Wei Shuyu returned to the bedroom, took out her bag, and tidied up its contents a bit.
She had come in such a rush that day that she had not brought any clothes. Later, Jin Yizhu had accompanied her home to change before they went to Tokyo Tower.
It was probably because she had seen her classic Tokyo apartment that Jin Yizhu had Uncle He go check out the place.
Wei Shuyu smiled silently to herself and prepared to head downstairs to take the train.
She had to go to the gallery that afternoon to cover for Ran Jing, and she had already told Jin Yizhu about it.
Jin Yizhu had said that she happened to have a meeting that day, so Wei Shuyu should go without worry, and they would have dinner together in the evening.
Wei Shuyu really wanted to ask, what if you have nothing to do today? Should I drop my own plans to keep you company, or leave you alone?
The question was a bit too pointed. Wei Shuyu hesitated for a moment and ultimately did not ask.
She took the elevator downstairs, skipped the restaurant entirely, and planned to buy a couple of rice balls at 7-Eleven for breakfast.
“Miss Wei?”
In the hotel lobby, Uncle He stood up from the sofa and came over to greet her.
“Are you heading to school or home?”
“I’m going to the gallery,” Wei Shuyu replied. “Were you waiting for me?”
She stopped in her tracks, feeling a bit awkward. She had deliberately avoided calling Uncle He, yet here he was waiting for her. For some reason, it felt like she had been caught.
“Yes, the Eldest Miss asked me to wait here for you,” Uncle He said. “I’ll drive you to the gallery. Is it in Omotesando?”
Wei Shuyu nodded. “Then I’ll trouble you.”
Uncle He was already there. Refusing now would seem even more pretentious.
Uncle He went to get the car and picked her up at the entrance moments later. He did not ask for the address and drove straight toward Omotesando.
Wei Shuyu said nothing. She had never told Jin Yizhu the gallery’s address, let alone Uncle He, but clearly, it was no secret.
The first time Jin Yizhu had come to Tokyo to see her, she had blocked her right at the gallery entrance.
“Are you working at the gallery, Miss Wei?” Uncle He asked as he drove, glancing at her. “Isn’t it too tiring?”
“I only work two days a week, mostly to help out a friend,” Wei Shuyu answered. “This week, my friend went back to her home country, so I’m covering two extra days for her. It’s just a bit more time overall.”
“So it’s not for the money?” Uncle He looked at her in the rearview mirror.
“Yes,” Wei Shuyu nodded. “It’s mainly because of my interest.”
“That’s good,” Uncle He laughed. “The Eldest Miss doesn’t want you working. If you’re short on money, just tell her.”
Wei Shuyu let out a laugh but said nothing.
Jin Yizhu had already given her the black card. Why say such things? If she wanted, she could go buy a Gulfstream jet today.
“What would you like to listen to?”
Uncle He was perceptive. Things were different now. The girl in the back seat was clearly not like the previous playmates. The Eldest Miss truly cared about her.
“I’ve been liking Les Misérables lately. Are you interested?”
Uncle He turned on the stereo, and tragic music poured out.
The world had always been like this—smiling faces, handshakes and greetings, then discussing the price…
It was a classic segment, full of satire.
“Uncle He, do you know Chicago? Let’s listen to that instead,” Wei Shuyu said, sitting up straight in the back seat as she cracked the window open a bit. “I love the Roxie part the most.”
“The big star one? Sure,” Uncle He’s smile stiffened. “That’s a classic segment.”
Wei Shuyu nodded slightly and said no more.
Omotesando was not far from Minato Ward. After a few songs, the gallery was already in sight.
“Uncle He, should you pick me up first in the evening, or pick up Jin Yizhu first?”
Wei Shuyu grabbed the hem of her skirt and hopped out of the car. Before closing the door, she leaned in and asked,
“Where are we going for dinner tonight?”
“The Eldest Miss booked a Cantonese restaurant. It’s quite famous in Tokyo. If you have other ideas, you can tell me now,” Uncle He said mildly, his tone almost identical to how he spoke to Jin Yizhu. “I’ll pass it on to the Eldest Miss for you.”
“Anything’s fine. I’ll discuss it with Jin Yizhu later,” Wei Shuyu smiled. “Thanks for the trouble.”
She closed the car door and walked straight into the gallery.
By the time Wei Shuyu slung her bag onto the counter and pulled out a chair to sit down, she could still see the car parked outside the door, lingering for a long time without leaving.
The corners of Wei Shuyu’s lips curved up, forming a cold smile.
After she had handled him like that, Uncle He’s attitude had improved a lot. He did not dare to probe her anymore, overtly or covertly.
As expected of a driver from a wealthy family—quite scheming.
Unfortunately, she was no soft persimmon.
Wei Shuyu had to admit that Uncle He was indeed shrewd.
When she was still just Jin Yizhu’s “friend,” he had been warmly polite with perfectly measured boundaries—not too friendly to make her uncomfortable, nor too distant to feel cold. It was like taking a cab: you rode, arrived, and parted without further interaction with the driver.
Things were different now.
She was Jin Yizhu’s canary—or playmate, whatever the label. Either way, she had become someone in service to Jin Yizhu.
In Uncle He’s eyes, she was a colleague, so naturally, there would be a rivalry for status in Jin Yizhu’s heart.
How laughable. What was there to compete over with her? Could he make Jin Yizhu happy?
He even wanted to suppress her and set rules…
Wei Shuyu exhaled and fiddled with her fingers.
If Uncle He knew what Jin Yizhu had said to her, he would probably be scared to death. To Jin Yizhu, she was the true partner in destiny, the one who had to stand by her side.
The gallery was always quiet, and the work was not heavy.
When no one came to buy paintings, the main task was to inventory the exhibits on display. If the warehouse pieces had already been counted, she could check for any promising new works and report standout ones to the boss.
Strictly speaking, this was not part of their hourly wage duties.
But Wei Shuyu was not really a student to begin with, and her curating experience was richer than most of the gallery’s full-time staff.
The boss had asked her many times if she wanted to work there full-time with good pay, but she had always refused.
She had quit her job precisely to experience student life. Turning part-time work into a full job would be putting the cart before the horse.
Wei Shuyu stayed at the gallery until a little past four in the afternoon. Just as she was about to pack up and leave, the glass door was suddenly pushed open.
She looked up, about to say welcome, but saw a familiar figure.
Jin Yizhu stood at the door, smiling warmly at her. “Oh? You saw it was me and didn’t say welcome?”
“What, do you want me to be formal with you?”
Wei Shuyu stood up and made a welcoming gesture toward her.
“Miss, do you have any favorite painters? Would you like me to recommend some? Our gallery specializes in postmodern styles, with works from many contemporary artists.”
Her voice was clear and sweet, even softer than usual. It made Jin Yizhu’s ears tingle slightly.
“Is this how you usually talk?” Jin Yizhu pinched her earlobe and looked around the gallery. “So sweet…”
“Is it?” Wei Shuyu replied calmly. “It’s work, after all. Gotta be a bit gentle.”
“Then can you be gentle with me too?” Jin Yizhu propped her elbows on the counter and leaned in toward her. “I’m so sad. You’re always so fierce with me.”
“When have I ever been fierce with you…” Wei Shuyu said with a helpless laugh. “I can’t talk in falsetto every day.”
“You don’t, it’s just… kind of flat,” Jin Yizhu stared at her. “Who knew you were so sweet at work.”
“What kind of weird taste is that,” Wei Shuyu shook her head. “You like falsetto.”
“Yeah, yeah, I love falsetto. Do it for me,” Jin Yizhu laughed even happier. “Cantonese restaurant tonight, okay?”
“Sure, have you already booked it?” Wei Shuyu glanced at the clock. The hands had already reached five. “I can get off work now.”
“Did Uncle He tell you?” Jin Yizhu muttered. “I wanted to surprise you.”
There were plenty of Chinese restaurants in Tokyo, but few with truly good flavors.
The one Jin Yizhu had chosen was in Minato Ward, with top-notch reputation and Michelin stars long under its belt.
“What, do you think I’m homesick?” Wei Shuyu pulled open the drawer and fished out her bag. “Jin Yizhu, thank you.”
“For what… You’re too polite,” Jin Yizhu grew bashful instead. “When I studied abroad before, the thing I craved most was Chinese food. Every weekend, I’d drag my roommate out to eat.”
At the mention of that salaried roommate, Jin Yizhu’s voice paused subtly.
A dark memory flashed by, and Jin Yizhu shook her head slightly. She hated dwelling on unhappy things, especially at a happy moment like this.
For some reason, she felt today’s Wei Shuyu was especially cute.
In their previous meetings, Wei Shuyu had always seemed a bit unnatural—whether tense, afraid, worried, or something else, there was always a hazy fog enveloping her, making it hard for Jin Yizhu to see clearly.
Today was different.
Today’s Wei Shuyu was the one who joked with her, whose eyes were full of her.
“You didn’t have Uncle He tell me?”
Wei Shuyu noticed that instant pause in Jin Yizhu. She really wanted to ask about the roommate but held back.
She came out from behind the counter, linked arms with Jin Yizhu, and said casually,
“He also said that if I had other ideas, I could tell him, and he’d pass it on to you.”
“You don’t need to mind him,” Jin Yizhu frowned. “He meddles too much.”
“He seems a bit dissatisfied with me,” Wei Shuyu said. She had held it in all afternoon but finally spoke up. “I was wondering if I should tell you. He’s probably the kind of driver who’s been with you since childhood, like a half-elder. Maybe he’s afraid I’ll lead you astray.”
No matter how clean her background, how well-behaved and pretty she was, she was still an outsider.
Being friends with Jin Yizhu and keeping her company for a bit was fine, of course.
But if things got too close…
Who knew what they would think.
“Oh, he did watch me grow up. My parents trust him a lot too,” Jin Yizhu said indifferently. “If he doesn’t like you, that’s fine. As long as I like you, it’s good.”
“…”
Wei Shuyu was momentarily speechless.
“Is… that how it is?”
“That’s how it is,” Jin Yizhu said. “Because I’m the one with the final say.”
