Chapter 51

Wei Shuyu certainly had no intention of not seeing her.

She was not the type to hesitate and dwell too long on a single matter.

If she could figure it out, she would simply follow through as planned. If she could not, she would stop thinking about it altogether. Getting mired in it repeatedly might or might not lead to progress, but her mood would definitely sour.

Jin Yizhu’s words had left her no room for choice.

They were definitely going on vacation to Karuizawa, so she might as well relax and enjoy it.

Others might have thought Jin Yizhu spoke too absolutely, leaving no space for refusal…

But for her, it was just right.

It was precisely this uncompromising attitude that made Wei Shuyu feel at ease.

Time flew by, and on the day Jin Yizhu arrived, Wei Shuyu headed out early to wait for her at Narita Airport.

The new driver was already in place. Her name was auspicious—He Ping’an. Like Ah Jin, she had come from Hong Kong and could speak very standard Cantonese and English, though her Mandarin was just so-so.

“Miss Wei, shall we head out now?”

He Ping’an wore her hair in a high ponytail. Her smile was clean and refreshing, unlike Uncle He’s meticulously buttoned shirt and tie. She sported a loose black T-shirt.

Wei Shuyu had no requirements for her attire. They were not at the office, after all. What was wrong with being comfortable?

“Let’s go,” Wei Shuyu nodded. “She should be arriving soon.”

He Ping’an drove steadily, with good habits too.

After they got in, she first opened the windows to air out the car. Once they had driven a short distance, she closed them and turned on the air conditioning.

She knew Wei Shuyu usually liked musicals, so the car always had playlists from various shows ready. Unlike Uncle He, who occasionally played segments heavy with metaphors, He Ping’an picked songs purely for their pleasant sound.

The car played “Say It Somehow,” a melody with a captivating tune about the arrival of true love.

“Say it somehow, somehow you can show me.”

“I don’t need words.”

These words were almost blatantly straightforward…

They matched her mood perfectly.

Wei Shuyu gazed out the window in a daze. The highway, which she checked every so often, seemed tinged with new colors.

The weather was excellent. The sky was an impossibly vivid blue, dotted with wispy white clouds, like a scene from an animated film. Even the trees looked a bit greener than usual.

Right now, Jin Yizhu was probably up in the air, basking in the same sunlight.

Just thinking about that made a bit of sweetness bubble up uncontrollably in Wei Shuyu’s heart, like soda laced with sugar.

However, the road that usually felt so short—where she could enjoy the view or take a nap and arrive before she knew it—seemed extraordinarily long today.

Was it because she wanted to see Jin Yizhu that badly?

Wei Shuyu leaned back in the rear seat and closed her eyes, trying to rest as she usually did on the drive. But her heart raced too fast, betraying her excitement.

…She felt just like a primary school student before a field trip.

Before long, Narita Airport came into view.

Jin Yizhu’s flight landed a few minutes ahead of schedule on the runway. Unfortunately, airport scheduling delayed things, and it took a while before she reached the gate.

She had no checked luggage, so she skipped the carousel entirely. Her steps felt even lighter.

The last time she came, she had only a small bag too. When Wei Shuyu saw her, she had asked why she had no luggage.

‘I have a home in Tokyo. What luggage do I need?’

She had said it so matter-of-factly back then. Thinking back now, it carried a subtle sweetness.

From childhood to adulthood, Jin Yizhu had lived in many places—be it the bustling flowers of Hong Kong, the misty cold rains of Europe, or the blazing sun of America. She had never felt a sense of belonging anywhere.

She did not belong to any place, and no one waited for her.

That feeling was a bone-deep loneliness she did not know how to dispel.

But things were different now.

There was someone who would wait for her. Even Tokyo’s cold steel jungle took on gentle hues.

As soon as Jin Yizhu emerged, she spotted Wei Shuyu waiting for her.

The weather had cooled, so Wei Shuyu wore a thin gauzy jacket over her dress. It draped ethereally over her, making her seem even more like clear jade, cool and refined.

She was looking at her phone, her expression focused. Wei Shuyu must have been waiting for her message.

As per habit, Jin Yizhu always sent a message before clearing customs, letting Wei Shuyu know she was almost out and not to worry.

But today, she deliberately did not.

Jin Yizhu crept up quietly, her steps light as she took a detour to stay out of sight.

The closer she got to Wei Shuyu, the clearer her expression became. On that exquisite, refined face, her eyelashes fluttered like dancing butterfly wings, half-veiling her pupils. But it was obvious she was nervous.

So she cared about me this much…

Jin Yizhu felt inexplicably happy. Wei Shuyu’s focus was so intense, as if figuring out when she would emerge was the most important thing in the world. Even her usually still-as-a-pool eyes rippled.

In the final few steps, Jin Yizhu moved even lighter. She slipped behind and suddenly hugged her.

Wei Shuyu jolted all over. Her phone nearly slipped from her grasp, saved only by the anti-loss lanyard on her wrist. Otherwise, it would have hit the floor.

“Scared you?” Jin Yizhu chuckled lowly. “Why so jumpy? Like a cat.”

“Anyone would be startled if hugged from behind out of nowhere!”

Wei Shuyu retorted, her face heating up. She knew without looking that it must be flushed red.

“Don’t believe me? Next time, I’ll let you hug me and see.”

When Jin Yizhu first hugged her, Wei Shuyu had been intently checking her phone, wondering why there was no message now that the flight had landed. Then she was suddenly embraced from behind, and her mind went blank, unsure what had happened.

But the next second, Jin Yizhu’s scent enveloped her.

A faint fragrance, like a forest after rain, like a hazy mist that wrapped her entirely.

Heaven knew how much she had missed this scent…

Her heartbeat quickened even more. Jin Yizhu pressed close from behind, holding her tightly.

Her arms encircled Wei Shuyu’s waist. When she lowered her head, she could see the delicate joints on those slender wrists, long fingers resting on her waist, bringing a strange sensation.

And her body was excessively soft.

The skin on her back was sensitive to begin with…

Wei Shuyu steadied her breathing and placed her hand on Jin Yizhu’s wrist, gently nudging it.

“Done hugging?” Wei Shuyu asked her. “There are a lot of people here.”

“You just said you’d hug me next time,” Jin Yizhu doubled down, burying her face in Wei Shuyu’s neck and taking a deep breath. “I missed you so much, missed you so much, missed you so much. I’ve been worked to death this time.”

Two utterly unrelated sentences.

Yet Wei Shuyu understood.

Because she had been worked to death, she missed you even more.

In the gaps between those late-night work sessions, it was the easy joy of being with her that let Jin Yizhu persevere, believing that once the busy period passed, she could return to her side and reclaim those relaxed, happy days.

Wei Shuyu sighed softly and coaxed her. “Can we hug more on the way to the car?”

Her emotions were truly complicated.

At first, when she interacted with Jin Yizhu, they were just chance friends, so easy joy was natural.

Later, when she realized she liked Jin Yizhu, she restrained herself instead, finding ways to make their time together even more pleasant.

This was not the self-cultivation of a Canary. Rather, it was…

A subtle pursuit.

Turning happiness and joy into a habit, luring her heart.

Making her want to stay by her side, no matter the form.

It seemed to have worked, but human desires were endless. A crush was like wild grass, growing wildly with the slightest dew.

Wei Shuyu could not be sure if she could keep this up forever.

Or if she would unwittingly reveal her true feelings, making Jin Yizhu feel pressured?

She started to feel like she was walking on thin ice, fearing a fall from the single-log bridge.

But Jin Yizhu seemed completely oblivious to her feelings.

“Then once we’re in the car, you can’t push me away.”

Jin Yizhu released her, allowing her to breathe, then linked arms with her as they headed to the parking lot.

“It’s at least two hours from here to Karuizawa, right? I want to lie in your lap and sleep.”

…Here we go again.

What a straight girl with no sense of boundaries.

Wei Shuyu steeled herself and agreed. “Alright.”

This had to be a joke, right?

Lying in her lap to sleep—that was way beyond reasonable physical contact for friends, was it not?

From the exit to the parking lot, just a few hundred meters, and Wei Shuyu’s thoughts were in chaos. Her heart pounded wildly.

Maybe she should just take the front passenger seat and let Jin Yizhu have the back to sleep however she wanted.

Unfortunately, Jin Yizhu never gave her a choice.

She opened the car door and made a “please” gesture, indicating Wei Shuyu should get in first.

Wei Shuyu followed behind, grumbling inwardly. Why act so gallant now? She never did before.

Wei Shuyu sat in the back seat. Jin Yizhu got in after her, closed the door, and said to He Ping’an, “We can head out.”

Then she turned to her. “Ping’an should be alright, yeah? Among the batch Mary interviewed, she was the best—steady temperament, good driving skills. So I had her come over.”

“Very good,” Wei Shuyu replied. “We get along great.”

Jin Yizhu nodded. “Good to hear. I was worried you wouldn’t be used to her.”

The SUV pulled smoothly out of the parking lot and onto the highway, heading toward Karuizawa.

Wei Shuyu’s mind was a mess. She stared out the window, pretending to admire the scenery.

Hadn’t Jin Yizhu said she wanted to lie in her lap and sleep?

When would she do it? Not now?

Jin Yizhu propped her chin on her hand and watched the scenery for a bit before asking her with interest, “Wei Shuyu, is the scenery really that nice?”

She could tell Wei Shuyu was nervous.

Her back was ramrod straight. She seemed to lean against the seatback but actually did not touch it at all. She sat rigidly beside her. Be it her slightly curled fingers or her overly rhythmic breathing, it all betrayed her state.

In a way, Wei Shuyu was truly easy to read.

Her face showed little expression, but her body’s reactions did not lie.

“…Yeah… it’s pretty nice.”

Wei Shuyu’s voice was flat, but she felt her throat tighten, carrying an air of overcompensation.

Anything to muddle through would do, but she could not think of a thing.

“Don’t you think this scenery feels special? The sky so blue, the air so fresh…”

Halfway through, Wei Shuyu pressed her forehead.

What nonsense. Even she could not stand it.

Jin Yizhu burst out laughing.

She leaned toward Wei Shuyu and lay down on her lap, her eyes sparkling as she looked up at her. “Wei Shuyu, what exactly are you so nervous about?”