Chapter 78
Jin Chao set a small goal for Jiang Mu, and the destination wasn’t far. After she clumsily made it there, he glanced at his watch and told her to record the mileage for her first day of driving, to see if her speed improved after a week. So, Jiang Mu obediently pulled out her phone and recorded the number.
Anyone who just learns to drive usually develops a bit of an itch for it, and during that time, whenever she had a free evening, Jiang Mu would drag Jin Chao out after dinner to practice. Lightning sat in the backseat, and without even realizing it, they ended up crisscrossing the entire city of Nanjing.
By now, Lightning was already an old dog. He had suffered a serious injury when he was a puppy. Although he survived, his body had never been the same. It was only thanks to Jin Chao’s years of unwavering care that he managed as well as he did. Still, he couldn’t escape the ravages of time. In recent years, Lightning’s health had declined, with hospital stays almost twice every year, and he had little energy to move around. He couldn’t go far anymore, but Jiang Mu driving him around every day seemed to perk him up a bit.
Jin Chao continued setting goals for Jiang Mu, sometimes long, sometimes short. She completed them with increasing ease.
Driving really was one of those skills: awkward the first time, smooth the second, and after enough practice, it came naturally. This applies whether it was on the road or in bed.
In their first month of living together, Jiang Mu was still terribly shy about those sorts of things. She would even turn her back on Jin Chao when changing clothes.
Wintertime was always hard on Jin Chao’s body. In the cold, damp weather, the places where his bones had once fractured would ache faintly, often keeping him awake at night.
Although Jin Chao never acted in any overly unusual way to worry Jiang Mu, living together day and night while holding him close in her heart, she could still sense when something was off. Because of that, she took even greater care in tending to his daily life, never letting him touch cold water, reminding him to add layers when the weather turned chilly, and accompanying him to regular acupuncture and therapy sessions.
Every night before bed, she would prepare a cup of warm herbal tea in a thermos and set it on the nightstand for him. If he woke in the middle of the night and leaned on his crutch to go to the bathroom, Jiang Mu would stir awake even from deep sleep, waiting until he returned safely before settling back down herself. And if Jin Chao took too long, she would always get out of bed to check on him.
Many times, when Jin Chao opened the bathroom door, he would find Jiang Mu standing there anxiously, wearing only a thin pajama without even a coat, waiting by the door. Every time, his heart ached as he urged her to hurry back to bed.
Once, while Jin Chao was showering, Jiang Mu suddenly heard a loud thud. Alarmed, she paced nervously at the bathroom door and called out, “What fell?”
After a pause, his voice came from inside: “Might need you to come in and give me a hand.”
Jiang Mu pushed the bathroom door open lightly. Steam swirled around, blurring her vision. Jin Chao was sitting there, his body still lean and defined, while the mist had flushed her own cheeks red.
Jin Chao glanced at the electric shaver that had slipped far across the floor and said helplessly, “My hand slipped.”
Jiang Mu quickly picked up the shaver and walked into the shower stall to hand it to him. The moment Jin Chao reached out to take it, he also caught her wrist, pulling her straight inside.
At first, Jiang Mu didn’t dare look directly at him, embarrassed. But Jin Chao flicked on the shaver and said, “Didn’t you say you wanted to take care of me? Here’s your chance to shine.”
Jiang Mu burned with embarrassment all over. She had never bathed anyone before, let alone a man. At first, she was at a loss, but once she lathered his hair full of bubbles, her playful side surfaced. She sculpted the foam into different shapes and even teased him to hold still so she could fetch her phone and take pictures.
Before she could slip away, Jin Chao grabbed her, his gaze suddenly darkening as he murmured, “Looking for trouble, aren’t you? Trying to take indecent photos of me?”
Only then did Jiang Mu remember that he wasn’t wearing any clothes, which probably wasn’t the best condition to be photographed in.
Later, when she helped him rinse, the water splashed all over her, soaking her clothes until they clung to her body with a restrained kind of sexiness. The sight made Jin Chao’s desire surge. He pulled her onto his lap, and they made love right there.
Up until then, they had almost always kept the lights off, or at most left a faint lamp on. Jin Chao seemed unused to her staring directly at his scars, as it made him feel a little self-conscious.
This time, though, it was the first time they looked at each other clearly in full light. It was also the first time Jiang Mu took the lead. After that intense experience, she became less shy and more confident in front of him, like a daisy just unfurling after being awakened. Every gesture, every glance carried the charm of a young woman stepping into maturity, making Jin Chao all the more captivated.
On New Year’s Eve, Jin Chao was working out of town, but he specially asked Xiao Wen to pick Jiang Mu up and bring her over. Jiang Mu actually wanted to drive her little white car herself, seeing it as a chance to practice, especially since she hadn’t driven outside Nanjing yet. But Jin Chao wasn’t comfortable with that idea, so in the end, Xiao Wen drove Jiang Mu’s car and brought her over, even bringing Lightning along.
It wasn’t until they were off the highway that Xiao Wen let Jiang Mu take the wheel. Since Jin Chao was still busy working, Xiao Wen took Jiang Mu straight to the place where he was staying. Jiang Mu had thought Jin Chao would be living in a hotel, but once Xiao Wen dropped her off downstairs, she realized he actually had an apartment here.
Xiao Wen didn’t go upstairs. Jiang Mu took the keycard to enter Jin Chao’s apartment. The apartment wasn’t big, but it was neat and tidy. She poured food and water for Lightning, took a shower, then sat by the bay window scrolling through her phone while waiting for Jin Chao. The window seat was spacious, with a blanket laid out and soft cushions, and before long, Jiang Mu dozed off.
This business trip of Jin Chao’s had been relatively long, spanning the New Year’s holiday and the year-end period. He had no choice but to finish off a stack of pending tasks. Three days had passed, and for them, being apart that long already felt unbearable.
When Jin Chao finally came back, he opened the door to find Jiang Mu curled up on the bay window. He walked in quietly, covering her with a blanket. After he’d showered and returned to the room, she was still in the same posture. Jin Chao pulled the blanket away, tossed it back on the bed, and pressed her against the window seat, kissing her deeply.
Jiang Mu woke to his kiss, her body soft and pliant as her arms wound around his neck. Breathing in the clean scent of his just-showered skin, she whispered in a gentle, lilting voice, “You’re back?”
Jin Chao, worried she might be uncomfortable arching her back, grabbed a nearby pillow and placed it under her waist.
Jiang Mu’s misty eyes fluttered as she let out a soft “mm,” but the sound carried more like a silent invitation. Jin Chao couldn’t resist the sight of her like this. His hand slipped beneath, pushing her smooth fabric upward. Only then did Jiang Mu regain a bit of clarity, hastily bringing her hands to cover her chest as she murmured, “You never told me you had a place here.”
Jin Chao had no choice but to lay it all out, “This apartment is basically a staff perk I got in early, during my first development project here. They had a few slots available, and since it was cheap, I took one. It was handy to have a place to stay. The property prices here haven’t changed much over the years, so it wouldn’t be worth much if I sold it now. I didn’t think it was worth mentioning.”
Jiang Mu, however, pouted. “What do you mean not worth mentioning? You come here several times a month. How was I supposed to know you hadn’t set up another home here, or hidden some woman in this apartment?”
Jin Chao’s expression immediately relaxed. He had thought she was upset about him concealing his financial situation, but her concern was entirely different. Indeed, a woman’s train of thought could be truly unpredictable.
After laughing, Jin Chao’s eyebrows drew together slightly, and his gaze intensified, carrying an aggressive edge. “It seems you’re asking for trouble.”
He didn’t carry her to bed. He made love to her right there on the bay window seat.
The unfamiliar environment made Jiang Mu somewhat uncomfortable. Her soft moans were trapped helplessly in her throat. He nibbled on her earlobe and whispered, “The soundproofing here is pretty good. You don’t have to hold back.”
Jiang Mu still bit her lip hard, shaking her head frantically. “Does anyone live next door?”
“Not exactly respectable people.”
Jin Chao would suddenly intensify his movements, as if teasing her, leaving Jiang Mu completely defenseless. She could only cry out and beg for mercy.
Whenever those overwhelming sensations peaked, she would start babbling incoherently, calling out Chao Chao or Brother. The more she called out, the more it made Jin Chao lose control.
By the end, she was drenched and utterly devoid of strength, even to speak, only remembering how a few days ago Jin Chao had told her, “New Year’s Eve should leave a lasting impression.”
So, they had made love from last year into this one. How long they had been lost in that madness, even Jiang Mu herself couldn’t tell. It wasn’t until Xiao Wen called her that she realized her voice was hoarse, rasping like a broken bellows.
Jin Chao had been called away by a phone call that morning without her even noticing. She took Lightning downstairs, got into the car, and drove to the address Xiao Wen had sent her.
This was actually Jiang Mu’s first time visiting the research park where Jin Chao worked. The Automotive Engineering Institute stood tall and imposing, with neatly planned greenery all around.
She parked the car in front of the main building of the institute. Xiao Wen was already there waiting, and came over to greet her, “Something came up last minute, even during the holiday. Engineer Jin was worried about you, so he asked you to come over first. It should be over soon.”
He swiped his card to let her in. The building was deserted during the holiday, with most people having already gone home. At the front desk, the young man on duty glanced at Jiang Mu, clearly not recognizing her, and asked her to fill in the visitor log. Then he added that pets weren’t allowed inside.
Xiao Wen simply said to him, “She’s Engineer Jin’s guest.”
The young man looked startled, raising his head to take a longer look at Jiang Mu. Then, setting down his pen, his tone warmed at once: “Engineer Jin is in the small conference room on the third floor. You can leave the dog here, I’ll keep an eye on it for you.”
Jiang Mu said, “Thank you.”
After settling Lightning, Xiao Wen explained to her, “Even though Engineer Jin doesn’t officially work here full-time, everyone at the institute knows him. Four years ago, he came for a few months to work on development and contributed to the design of the 05-series engine. That engine achieved breakthroughs in both technology and emissions, and it went into production last year. If all goes well, the new batch of cars launching this spring will be equipped with it. Since there’s still a gap between our country and some of the major automobile manufacturing nations in engine development, talent in this field is in high demand. So, Engineer Jin still carries considerable weight here.”
When the elevator doors opened, the corridor walls were lined with introductions of various R&D teams. As Jiang Mu’s gaze swept along, sure enough, she spotted Jin Chao. The board listed some of his better-known project experiences, and what caught her attention most was his title: “Product Development Consultant and Thermal Power Engineer.”
Jiang Mu paused there, and a quiet sense of pride welled up in her heart.
Afterward, she reached the third-floor small conference hall. Through the glass wall, she saw Jin Chao standing at the head of the table, speaking with effortless composure. His calm, measured gestures made him appear both wise and steady. Watching him work in his own domain of expertise, Jiang Mu felt his charm was simply boundless.
She watched him quietly from the back door for a while, the light in her eyes growing softer and more affectionate.
When the meeting ended, Jin Chao was the first to step out. The moment he saw Jiang Mu waiting at the door, his eyes curved into a smile. Leaning closer, he murmured, “Looks like last night’s lesson worked. You’re all smiling again today.”
Jiang Mu’s cheeks burned at his teasing. Just moments ago, he’d looked so professional, yet the instant he stepped out, he was back to his mischievous self. A few colleagues walked out behind him and asked, “Engineer Jin, are you heading straight back to Nanjing?”
Jin Chao instantly switched into a more formal demeanor and replied, “I’ve got a lunch appointment with a few friends. I’ll head back later.”
Jiang Mu had no idea how he managed to switch so effortlessly between the way he acted with her and how he presented himself to others. If his colleagues knew what a roguish side he showed in private, they’d probably have their jaws on the floor. Then again, before they started living together, she had thought of Jin Chao as a very proper man. Even when they were together as teenagers, he had never crossed any lines. As it turned out, he had hidden himself far too well.
Once they left the building, Jiang Mu asked, “Who are you meeting for lunch? Are you taking me with you?”
“Of course. The reservation is already made. You’ll see when we get there.”
So, Jiang Mu got behind the wheel. Though she had her license now and could legally drive, Jin Chao was still uneasy about her skills. Only when he was in the passenger seat did he feel comfortable letting her drive.
They pulled up in front of a restaurant. Holiday business was booming, and the entrance was lined with parked cars. A waiter came out to greet them and directed Jiang Mu to a corner spot, asking her to back the car into place.
Even though Jiang Mu had her license and could manage regular driving now, she still carried shadows from her parking lessons. Whenever they went out, she always picked a parallel parking spot, avoiding garages whenever possible, let alone this near-impossible tight space.
Jin Chao made a phone call and said, “We’re here. Come down and get us.”
Then he turned to Jiang Mu and added, “Take Lightning up first.”
So, Jiang Mu left the car, took Lightning on the leash, and walked toward the restaurant entrance. She hadn’t even stepped onto the stairs when a man with a small ponytail swaggered out of the restaurant. The moment they saw each other, both froze. Jiang Mu’s brows curved in surprise as she exclaimed, “Brother San Lai?”
San Lai blinked, his gaze sweeping her from head to toe before blurting, “Oh my god! What a total transformation!”
Jiang Mu broke into a bright smile and bounded up the steps. San Lai opened his arms wide to her. “Welcome back to the team.”
Leashing Lightning with one hand, Jiang Mu hugged him and asked, “What team?”
San Lai glanced down at Lightning, who was wagging his head and tail, and replied, “The Paw Patrol.”
“…”
Compared to before, San Lai didn’t seem to have changed much, except his hair was longer, with a few slightly wavy bangs falling over his forehead. While Jin Chao now looked far more mature, San Lai still had that delicate, boyish face. Tall and lanky, even when dressed in a slouchy, careless way, he carried an effortless, lazy sort of charm. Maybe it was that unrestrained aura of his, no matter how ragged his clothes, he never looked pitiful.
San Lai led Jiang Mu into the restaurant and asked, “Where’s Youjiu?”
Jiang Mu replied, “He’s parking the car.”
San Lai’s smile faltered for a moment. “What?”
Jiang Mu explained, “I just got my license, and I’m still clumsy with reverse parking. The space was way too narrow to get into.”
San Lai frowned slightly. “He’s willing to touch the steering wheel again?”
As they walked upstairs, Jiang Mu learned for the first time that the accident had not only left Jin Chao with permanent physical damage but had also caused him to develop PTSD, a type of mental condition. So, even though national regulations allowed those with disabilities in their lower left limb but otherwise sound in body to drive small cars, he had never again touched a steering wheel.
Before this, Jiang Mu had never once heard Jin Chao mention it. The parking spot in the apartment garage had a big Jeep beside it. If it was parked too close, she couldn’t reverse in at all. The first time she drove to work and tried to park when she came back, she had spent nearly twenty minutes going back and forth without success. Anxious, she had called Jin Chao. He tried giving her instructions, but seeing her helpless and flustered, he hesitated for a moment, then told her to get out of the car. In one smooth motion, he backed the car right in.
Afterward, Jin Chao had fallen uncharacteristically silent, but Jiang Mu hadn’t thought much of it. Since then, every time she couldn’t get into a spot, she simply called Jin Chao downstairs to help her.
She had never imagined he had suffered from PTSD. A racer who once dominated the tracks now found touching the steering wheel an act of agony. A tight, aching sensation spread through Jiang Mu’s chest.
San Lai realized he had said too much and quickly added, “Don’t take it to heart. It’s been so many years now. It’s time for him to move on, and this is a good thing. You should encourage him to get behind the wheel more. I mean it.”
Jiang Mu forced a stiff smile. San Lai opened the door to the private room, and inside were surprisingly familiar old faces. Jin Fengzi, Zhang Guangyu, and his wife, and their son, a child already over two years old.
Jin Chao hadn’t told them in advance. When they saw San Lai bring Jiang Mu in, everyone was stunned for a long moment before rising to their feet. Jin Fengzi had the most exaggerated reaction, exclaiming, “Oh my god, I didn’t even recognize you! Little Sister, you’ve really blossomed, more and more beautiful. You were just a little girl back then, but now I probably wouldn’t recognize you if we passed on the street.”
In the middle of their greetings, Jin Chao walked in. San Lai immediately cursed at him, “You really know how to keep things hidden, huh? When did you two reconnect? You didn’t even bother to tell us.”
Jin Zhao suppressed a smile, placed a hand on Jiang Mu’s shoulder, and guided her to a seat as he replied, “It’s been a while now.”
The moment everyone saw the two of them like this, they all understood what was going on.
San Lai sat down, clicking his tongue nonstop, shaking his head at the pair. Jin Fengzi, on the other hand, got caught up in the excitement and insisted on drinking a few cups with Jiang Mu. Jin Chao quickly cut in, saying she was driving, shielding her firmly, and refusing to let them mess around.
San Lai grew indignant and protested loudly, “You were overprotective when she was eighteen, fine. But now she’s almost twenty-eight, and you’re still guarding her? Are you even human?”
Jin Chao leaned back lazily, one arm draped over the back of Jiang Mu’s chair. He let them scold as they pleased, still wearing that easy smile.
Jiang Mu smoothed things over, “My driving skills are way too lousy, and I still have to drive us back later. Next time you come to Nanjing, we’ll host at our place. I’ll cook for you, and then we can drink properly.”
San Lai raised his brows. “Oh? Why wait? How about tomorrow? By the way, what’s wrong with your voice?”
Jiang Mu immediately sat up straighter and cleared her throat. A guilty blush climbed her cheeks, but she pretended calm as she said, “Caught a chill last night.”
The moment the words left her mouth, she realized she’d definitely been spoiled by Jin Chao. She’d started lying through her teeth without blinking.
Jin Chao lowered his lashes, smiling without a word. His fingers traced lightly across her back, making Jiang Mu unbearably ticklish. She didn’t dare move, just shot him a silent glare out of the corner of her eye, which only made the curve of Jin Chao’s smile even more wicked.
Later in their conversation, Jiang Mu finally learned that back when Jin Chao was hospitalized, Jin Fengzi had left Wan Ji and even moved out of his own home to take care of Jin Chao’s daily needs, partly out of guilt over the incident with Tie Gongji. After Jin Chao was discharged, he even lived with him for a while. Back then, Jin Chao was struggling with many inconveniences, but fortunately, Jin Fengzi was strong enough to manage looking after him.
Of course, two grown men staring at each other all day would eventually get bored. Later, when Jin Chao decided to prepare for self-study exams, he grew irritated with Jin Fengzi playing video games noisily by his side and simply dragged him along to study.
The problem was, Jin Fengzi had never studied properly a single day in his life. After graduating from a technical secondary school, he’d loafed around for years. Now, when he looked back on that period, Jin Fengzi still felt Jin Chao must have been out of his mind, forcing himself to study was one thing, but dragging Jin Fengzi along for the ride was another.
Yet under Jin Chao’s relentless “torture,” Jin Fengzi really did manage to earn a bachelor’s degree. Later, when he followed Jin Chao from Changchun to Anhui, Jin Chao even wanted to pull him into graduate school. Jin Fengzi had to threaten him with his life before Jin Chao finally gave up the idea of tormenting him further.
These days, he had a steady job as a technician under Zhang Guangyu at the factory, and his life was stable, except he still hadn’t found a partner, so he asked Jiang Mu to help keep an eye out for him.
As for San Lai, his story was even wilder. The year Jin Chao left Tonggang, Xishi passed away. Grief-stricken, San Lai shut down his pet shop, then rented the storefront of Flying Speed, knocked through the walls, and opened a fast-food restaurant. Surprisingly, business was quite good.
When Jiang Mu heard this, she was stunned. “That fast-food place was yours?”
San Lai let out an “ah.”, “You’ve been there?”
“I didn’t go in, but when I came back home my freshman year, I made a special trip to Flying Speed. I saw it then.”
Jin Chao turned his gaze toward her, and Jiang Mu looked back at him, full of grievance. He clasped her hand, saying everything without words.
But later, San Lai’s entrepreneurial path turned a little magical. After Jin Chao and Jin Fengzi both left Changchun, he saw his brothers heading south to build their futures and rushed to follow, hurriedly opening a branch across from their factory. At first, business was poor.
Zhang Guangyu had come up from the workshop and knew a lot of people. Jin Fengzi loved to drink and had a huge circle of rowdy friends. Add in Jin Chao’s influence, and in the beginning, the fast-food place survived on their brothers’ support.
The key, though, was that the food tasted better than the factory canteen, and though the prices were a bit higher, the portions were generous. No one minded paying a little extra, and gradually, more workers abandoned the canteen in favor of San Lai’s place. Later, Sanlai even managed to get his hands on Jin Fengzi’s “wife-saving fund” to expand the business. The scale grew so much that it started rivaling the factory canteen itself, causing a noticeable dip in the canteen’s revenue. The management wasn’t happy.
The following year, when the factory put the canteen operation out for tender, planning to change contractors, San Lai eagerly submitted a bid. Many of the managers involved in the tender process had been customers at his place. With his silver tongue and proven track record, he successfully won the contract to operate the factory canteen.
He had become a true cafeteria manager, complete with official business cards.
Jiang Mu couldn’t help but think back to that year when she went with San Lai to find Jin Chao, only to be stopped at the foot of the mountain by Boss Wan’s men. Back then, San Lai had boasted in front of Boss Wan that if he ever opened a restaurant, his skills would make it a success. At the time, Jiang Mu never could have imagined he’d end up managing an entire canteen. Life, indeed, was full of unexpected turns.
Jiang Mu sighed, “So, it seems you’ve all really put down roots here now.”
San Lai chimed in, “Exactly. First thing I did when I got here was grab a place right next door to Youjiu, so we’re neighbors again. Hahahahaha…”
But Jiang Mu’s face darkened bit by bit. She silently turned her head toward Jin Chao. She clearly remembered asking him last night whether anyone lived next door, and his answer had been, ‘not exactly respectable people.’
Now, hearing San Lai’s unrestrained laughter, she suddenly felt that… maybe that answer wasn’t entirely wrong after all.
Of course, Jin Chao knew exactly what Jiang Mu was thinking. His eyes held an unspoken amusement as he glanced at San Lai.
Ever since leaving Tonggang, almost no one Jin Chao met afterward knew anything about his past. In the eyes of his current colleagues, he was steady and reliable, technically skilled in his field. He had re-entered this circle with a clean slate, burying his former self completely. No one knew about the tumultuous chapters of his life. Only when he was with these old friends could he still be Youjiu.
…
At noon, though everyone kept stirring up a ruckus, not a single person actually drank. Once the meal was nearly over, San Lai called for Jin Chao to come with him to the balcony for a smoke.
Out on the balcony, after sliding the glass door shut, San Lai lit a cigarette and immediately cursed, “You bastard, couldn’t wait till the kid was already running around on the floor before telling your brothers?”
Jin Chao leaned lazily against the railing, smiling. “It hasn’t been that long. She’s only been with me a little over two months.”
San Lai exaggerated, “Two months? And you even have the nerve to say it out loud? In those two months, how many times have we eaten together? You got a password lock on your mouth?”
Jin Chao gave him a sidelong glance. “You sound like some nagging old nanny. What, I’m supposed to call you up and report every little thing?”
The mention of phone calls suddenly jogged San Lai’s memory. He had once heard a woman’s voice in the background during a call months ago. That was ages back. When he saw Jin Chao afterward and teased him about finding a woman, the man had flat-out denied it.
San Lai swore under his breath. “So that woman I heard back then, that was Mu Mu, wasn’t it? You two were already together at that time?”
“No, not then.”
San Lai kept grumbling, “No wonder you’ve been rushing around like you’re running between appointments lately. Every time you show up, you leave in a hurry. You wouldn’t even stay for meals. Were you just rushing back to be with Mumu?”
Jin Chao rubbed his nose and gave a dry cough. “It’s called being in love.”
San Lai nearly exploded. “Love, my *ss! You two have been heating up for decades already.”
“Get lost.”
San Lai pressed further, “So, how far have things progressed now?”
Jin Chao glanced at him, his gaze unreadable, and only said three words, “Thinking about marriage.”
San Lai’s hand shook with fury. “Old Jin and I always said that since you were all on your own, if either of us got married first, you’d be left pitifully alone. But now? The two of us are still single, and you’re over here talking about marriage? You’re always calling me inhuman, and fine, I’ll take it. But you, you’re a damn dog.”
Jin Chao just laughed while San Lai ranted on, “Back then, when you changed numbers, fine. But you even pushed me to change mine, just so I couldn’t contact Mu Mu directly. Admit it, weren’t you jealous of my charm and dashing looks, worried that if Mu Mu stayed in touch with me, she’d develop feelings for me instead? Isn’t that it?”
Jin Chao smiled calmly, “Sure. Whatever you say. Now let me ask you something. How’s your drone flying these days?”
The subject change was so abrupt that San Lai just stared at him, stunned, before blurting out, “Why the hell are you asking that? Weren’t you the one who said my skills were trash?”
In the past couple of years, San Lai had become obsessed with drones, starting with the cheap ones that cost a few hundred, then thousands, and now he was flying ones worth tens of thousands. He’d even joined some amateur association, spending every weekend out flying with other drone hobbyists.
But when he saw Jin Chao looking at him with that serious expression, San Lai flicked the hair hanging over his forehead and said, “Trash only in your eyes. Outside, people call me Master Lai and line up to ask me for tips. What the hell do you know?”
Jin Chao clapped him on the shoulder. “After lunch, do me a favor, Master Lai. I’ll give you Gu Tao’s contact. Take your gear and reach out to him once you’re there.”
“……”
Inside the private room, Jiang Mu was holding Zhang Guangyu’s little son while also playing with Lightning. The boy wanted to pet the big dog, but when he saw how large Lightning was, he got scared. Each time his little fingers brushed against the fur, he would shrink back into Jiang Mu’s arms. Everyone burst out laughing.
San Lai laughed along, then suddenly sighed. “After all the detours, it’s come full circle. Do you regret sending her away back then?”
Jin Chao was silent for a few seconds before replying, “I’d call it relief. Relief that she didn’t see me at my worst. Back then, even you guys couldn’t stand me. How could a girl like her have handled it? No matter how deep the feelings, they would’ve been drained dry. Luckily, she came back when I was finally capable of offering stability. Two years earlier, it might not have been possible.”
San Lai let out a sigh of his own. “True enough. Two years earlier, you were even considering selling your house to keep that café alive. Good thing you pulled through.”
Jin Chao’s gaze lingered on Jiang Mu’s smiling face, and the corners of his lips rose along with it.
…
After the meal, San Lai excused himself, saying he had something to do, and drove off first. Jin Chao and Jiang Mu returned to the apartment and stayed there a while longer.
Jin Chao had gotten up early, and coupled with their lack of restraint the night before, Jiang Mu worried he might be tired out. She urged him to rest a bit before heading back.
Jin Chao leaned back in the massage chair in the living room. Jiang Mu draped his fleece jacket over him, then sat on the sofa nearby, scrolling on her phone while quietly keeping him company.
Jin Chao didn’t really fall asleep. He only dozed with his eyes closed for a while. Then he turned his head toward her and called softly, “Mu Mu.”
Jiang Mu put her phone away and looked over. He lifted the fleece jacket and said to her, “Come here, let me hold you.”
She thought he was cold and went over to touch his hand. Luckily, it was warm. Jin Chao pulled her by the waist so that she was half-lying on top of him. Jiang Mu asked carefully, “Am I heavy? Am I pressing on your leg?”
Jin Chao chuckled. “Not heavy. Pretty soft, actually.”
Jiang Mu buried her face in the hollow of his collarbone and pouted, “You’re not allowed to mess with me again. I still have to drive later.”
Jin Chao didn’t answer. When Jiang Mu raised her head to look at him, his eyes were full of lingering tenderness. He asked, “That mileage I told you to keep track of, where is it?”
“In my phone.”
“Take it out and let me see.”
Jiang Mu opened her phone’s memo app. Jin Chao stared at the screen and asked, “What do these numbers look like to you?”
She looked at the string of seemingly random digits for a long time. Jin Chao tapped two of them and said, “What are the first letters of those two destination names?”
Jiang Mu thought for a moment and answered, “E and N.”
Jin Chao followed up on her words. “What kind of marker does it look like?”
Jiang Mu thought for a moment before speaking. “Latitude and longitude?”
He smoothed down her hair. “Add in the numbers.”
“…Don’t tell me it’s coordinates?”
Jin Chao went on, “Try connecting them and see.”
Jiang Mu added the numbers as latitude and longitude, rearranged them, and Jin Chao pulled her up a little higher into his arms, brushing her hair as he asked, “Don’t you want to know where it points to?”
She turned her head to stare at him. “You know?”
Jin Chao shrugged. “Would you like to take me there?”
Jiang Mu immediately pulled out her phone and searched the coordinates. It turned out it was only a little over a hundred kilometers away, not too far. But on the map, it just showed a vast forest park, without much detail.
Her interest piqued, she straightened up and said to Jin Chao, “Shall we go? If we leave now, we can really make it before dark.”
Jin Chao tilted his neck lazily. “Need me to be your navigator?”
Jiang Mu leaned down and gave him a kiss. “What are we waiting for, my navigator?”
The drive itself was leisurely, with Lightning sitting in the back seat, head poking between them and tongue lolling. For the dog, getting the rare chance to travel outside the city seemed like a real adventure.
By evening, they pulled into a scenic area’s parking lot. Undoing his seat belt, Jin Chao said to her, “Get out.”
Jiang Mu locked the car and hesitated. “Should we go in? Isn’t it closed already?”
But Jin Chao was already clipping on Lightning’s leash. “Let’s take a look.”
So, she locked the car fully and followed along.
The park was vast. They rented an electric sightseeing cart and wandered toward the marked coordinates. Lightning was the most excited of them all, curious about everything, happily nuzzling himself against Jiang Mu as if sharing his joy.
When Jiang Mu checked her phone again, she tugged on Jin Chao’s sleeve. “We’re here. Don’t go any further. Turn in from here and see.”
But when he did, the scene that opened before her eyes left Jiang Mu stunned. An enormous hot-air balloon floated in the dusk sky, bursting into her vision without warning. She grabbed Jin Chao’s arm, exclaiming, “Wow! They actually have hot-air balloons here!”
Jin Chao chuckled. “Quite the surprise, isn’t it?”
The coordinates matched perfectly. The sightseeing cart came to a stop, and before them stretched an open meadow, the very launch site of the hot air balloon. Jiang Mu tilted her head back, her eyes sparkling with delight.
Jin Chao turned to her. “We’re already here. Want to give it a try?”
Jiang Mu stared, her eyes bright with disbelief. “How did you find this place?”
“You’re the one who found it. Don’t you remember?”
Jiang Mu glanced sideways at him. His eyes held a captivating gleam as he said, “Let’s go. Let’s mark our first time.”
As he pulled her toward the enormous hot air balloon, she asked, still dazed, “What… what first time?”
Jin Chao glanced back, teasing her with his look. “First time on a hot air balloon. What else did you think I meant?”
Jiang Mu felt that lately her mind had been far from pure. It had to be Jin Chao leading her astray. Whatever he said, she always ended up associating it with something messy and suggestive.
But once they were actually inside the hot air balloon basket, Jiang Mu felt both exhilarated and incredibly nervous. Lightning, excited by their energy, wagged his tail enthusiastically as she pulled out her phone to take photos. Yet as the balloon climbed higher, she put her phone away, too afraid to stand near the edge. Instead, she turned and clung tightly to Jin Chao, patting his arm lightly. He understood at once, wrapping her fully into his arms, giving her the sense of safety she needed.
Tilting her head up, Jiang Mu asked, voice trembling slightly, “Are we going even higher?”
Jin Chao gazed toward the distant valley and replied, “Probably. Otherwise, what will you be able to see like this?”
As he spoke, he gently turned Jiang Mu around and wrapped his arms around her from behind. In that instant, as the balloon rose higher, her pupils caught the dazzling shimmer of gold. The rolling mountains stretched endlessly beneath her gaze, and in the distance, other hot air balloons drifted upward, scattered across the sky like blossoms in full bloom, dreamlike, breathtakingly beautiful.
The world seemed to fall into stillness, as if everything had faded away, leaving only the two of them. Bathed in the glow of light, they leaned into the sun, as though life itself was flowering in its warmth.
Jiang Mu’s eyes grew calm and faraway. Her voice, carried thin by the mountain winds, asked, “Do you ever regret it? If you could live it again, would you still enter that race that day?”
For a long moment, there was only silence behind her. She only felt his arms gradually tighten around her. After a pause, he finally answered, “I could have lived a dim, uneventful life, healthy and ordinary… Or I could risk everything, gamble for a chance to see daylight in the years that followed. In a way, this world is fair. What you gain and what you lose always weigh against each other on an invisible scale. You ask me if I regret it? For a very long time, I kept asking myself that same question.”
His voice broke off. The last blaze of sunset spilled across the valley with all its might. After a long while, he said softly, “Now I can tell you with certainty. I don’t regret it anymore. As long as you’ve come back to me, there’s nothing left to regret…”
Just as his words faded, countless balloons suddenly soared into the sky from the distant valley, dyeing the mountains and fields in brilliant, vibrant colors. The sight was so stunning that Jiang Mu gasped aloud, “Chao Chao, look! Look over there. Someone’s releasing balloons. It’s so beautiful! Where are they coming from?”
She even forgot to take out her phone to snap a picture, simply staring in awe as the massive wave of colorful balloons rose into the sky. The spectacle was so magnificent it felt unreal.
Jin Chao lowered his head, his breath brushing against her cheek, and said, “I still remember that time you saw the movie poster and tugged me, asking all sorts of questions. You said you envied the old man and the boy, being pulled into the sky by balloons. You asked me what it felt like to fly up into the heavens, if balloons could really lift a house, if they’d burst once they got too high. Do you remember how I answered you?”
Jiang Mu’s thoughts were pulled back to the past, her breath quickening as she recalled, “You said… You knew there was something called a hot air balloon that could carry people into the sky. I begged you to take me, and you said we’d wait until we were older.”
The higher they rose, the stronger the wind grew. Jiang Mu shivered with cold, and Jin Chao opened his coat to wrap her inside with him. His voice was low as he said, “It’s a pity. When we were kids, we didn’t get to choose the lives we lived.”
The mountains and valleys were filled with balloons, soaring higher into the vast sky. But then, out of all of them, a single pink heart-shaped balloon drifted toward them. Jiang Mu blinked, doubting her own eyes. It was unbelievable. How could a balloon actually fly in their direction?
As the balloon drew nearer, her eyes widened in disbelief. Even when the drone carrying the pink balloon hovered right in front of them, she still couldn’t process what was happening. The next second, however, something even more bizarre burst out from the drone’s speaker, “Youjiu, you dog of a bastard! Calling me over here just to feed me dog food? Doesn’t your conscience hurt?”
Jiang Mu’s body jolted, while Jin Chao, completely unfazed, calmly shot back, “I thought humans didn’t eat dog food. Turns out you really aren’t human.”
Jiang Mu stared in horror at the man and the drone hurling insults at each other, still wondering why the two of them had to pick a fight in midair. Then she suddenly heard San Lai shouting at her, “Mu Mu, hurry up and get that…”
Still dazed, she finally noticed the little bag hanging from the drone…
But before the last word even left his mouth, the drone bolted away at lightning speed, vanishing in a flash.
Jiang Mu turned her head, still wide-eyed with shock. Jin Chao sighed. “I didn’t know his drone had a voice function. That was a miscalculation on my part.”
Jiang Mu lifted the small bag and asked, “And then?”
For once, Jin Chao’s expression betrayed a rare trace of unease. He told her, “I noticed last time that your Yearning Night and Day keychain was worn out. So, I thought I’d get you a new one.”
Jiang Mu pulled a little box out of the bag. Though she had already sensed what it might be, when she opened it and saw the sparkling diamond ring inside, engraved on the inner band with the indelible words Yearning Night and Day engraved on the inner band. Her emotions overflowed, her eyes brimming with tears.
Jin Chao took the ring and said to her, “We couldn’t choose the lives we had as children. We were one family once, torn apart by force. Now… will you choose to build a new family with me?”
A single warm tear spilled, flooding her heart. Jiang Mu’s soul surged. Overwhelmed with emotion, beneath the vast sky and towering mountains, as day gave way to night, on the first day of the new year, Jiang Mu firmly anchored herself in the journey of his entire life.
Though deeply moved, she pretended to be calm and said to him, “I knew there had to be something going on when you tricked me into coming all this way. I just never expected you to propose somewhere so high up.”
Jin Zhao laughed. “Exactly. No way out. If you wanted to refuse, your only option would be to jump. But your courage is too small for that.”
When he saw her still not moving, he tugged at his pant leg and said, “Guess I’ll have to kneel to show my sincerity.”
Jiang Mu couldn’t bear to see him straining himself like that. She quickly reached out, her voice choked with emotion. “I will, I will, I will. Three times, just so it’s clear.”
Jin Chao smiled as he slid the ring onto her finger, locking her in. Jiang Mu lowered her head, staring at the words Yearning Night and Day now set forever on her ring finger, and murmured, “But… isn’t this too fast? We’ve only been together a little over two months, and we’re already getting married?”
Jin Chao turned her around and pulled her back into his arms from behind, murmuring into her ear: “Your math is off. You’ve been mine since you were nineteen. That makes seven years already. If I still don’t marry you, how could I justify it?”
His hand stroked over her flat stomach as his voice softened. “Besides… we didn’t use protection more than once. If something really happens, I can’t let our child come into this world without a proper name or place.”
Jiang Mu placed her hand over his, and a faint anticipation climbed into her heart. Suddenly, she very much wanted to have a child with Jin Chao. She could already imagine how he would love and protect their baby just as he did her. They would build a new family together, a home with children, with Lightning, with love. The thought alone lifted the corners of her lips in a smile she couldn’t suppress.
Jin Chao kissed her hair softly and said to her devoutly, “Next month, during the New Year, I’ll go with you to Australia to pay a visit to Mom.”
Jiang Mu’s heart trembled violently. That rainy night years ago, when he left Suzhou, he could no longer bring himself to call Jiang Yinghan a single word Mom. But now, after so many years, he could finally call her that again, in a new identity.
Around them, the valley gradually sank into darkness. The sun’s last rays faded into the earth, and the moon returned to the sky. Night followed day, day followed night, time flew past like a shuttle’s thread.
On the very first day of the new year, Jiang Mu received a new identity, taking her husband’s surname, Jin Mu.
The End