After marriage, Yu Xiao Ying rarely witnessed any arrogance or willfulness from him. What she saw most was this expression—numb, gentle, and even silently enduring.
Yu Xiao Ying felt aggrieved: “Are you so unwilling to stay in the same room with me? You work overtime every other day, and when you come back, you’re alone in the study.”
Zhao Ping Jin poured her water: “I’m busy with work. I’ll try to come home earlier in the future.”
Yu Xiao Ying decided to speak plainly: “I understand you’re busy with work. Have I ever complained? Ask yourself honestly, since we got married, how many days have you spent more than three hours in this home?”
Zhao Ping Jin’s expression remained calm as he spoke to her kindly: “I come straight home after work every day. Sometimes it’s too late, and I don’t want to disturb your rest.”
Every response was so high-sounding and righteous that Yu Xiao Ying felt she was going crazy inside. She stood up and glared at him: “Going out in the middle of the night, time after time—don’t think I don’t know where you’re going!”
Zhao Ping Jin said: “I haven’t gone anywhere.”
“You know perfectly well whether you went somewhere or not!” Yu Xiao Ying screamed as she ran into the bedroom. Zhao Ping Jin remained standing in the living room.
Inside, it was quiet for a long time. When he didn’t come in, a glass was furiously smashed on the floor.
Then came the sound of items from the dressing table being thrown around in chaos.
Zhao Ping Jin stood silently in the living room for a while, then returned to his study and sat for a long time.
At 1:15 in the morning, the spacious apartment fell completely silent.
Zhao Ping Jin grabbed his car keys and left. His car drove out of the garage, and he rolled down the window, letting the late autumn wind blow in.
It came in waves, all carrying a chill.
The car drove through the heart of the capital in the early morning hours.
Passing Tiananmen East, he turned at an intersection. Behind him stretched the brightly lit Chang’an Avenue. Along Jianguomenwai Street, looking up, he could see a towering skyscraper in the distance, with a faint red light at the top.
Clouds covered the sky, without a trace of moonlight.
His heart had become a desolate, empty ruin, snow-white and bleak, with howling winds sweeping across and swirling back.
Zhao Ping Jin approached the south exit two of the Park Hyatt parking lot. On so many nights, he would drive into the garage, go upstairs, and sit in her room for a while, or work for a bit. Sometimes, without realizing it, he would stay until the late hours of the night.
Tonight he didn’t park, driving past the south gate and passing the west entrance of the Park Hyatt Hotel, where he had once waited for her downstairs.
He remembered how she looked stepping out of the taxi, wearing a dark patterned qipao, her figure graceful and beautiful, yet her facial expression extremely cold.
Back then, she belonged to him. She had traveled halfway across Beijing from the suburbs after finishing her filming, just to have dinner with him.
Zhao Ping Jin’s heart trembled. Suddenly, he stepped on the gas pedal like a madman. The night streets were nearly empty of pedestrians. The blaring horns of a few cars around him became a jarring mess, but he paid no attention. His heart raced wildly with the acceleration, escaping a spasmodic sense of suffocation. Speeding along, he slammed on the brakes before a red light ahead.
Cold sweat soaked through his shirt.
At the traffic light, he silently turned the car around and drove back toward Jianguomen.
Yu Xiao Ying was awake, sitting on the bed in the bedroom with reddened eyes. Seeing him enter, she became momentarily flustered.
Perhaps she hadn’t expected him to return.
He often left home in the middle of the night, and it seemed she had always known.
Zhao Ping Jin walked through the mess on the floor, stood by the bed, and reached out to embrace her.
Yu Xiao Ying sobbed.
Zhao Ping Jin drew her into his arms, tilting his head back, holding back the hidden pain in his heart. With a hoarse voice, he said: “Ying Zi, I’m sorry. Let’s live well together.”
Thursday morning at work, Secretary He came in and knocked: “Director Zhao, Director Yu is looking for you.”
Zhao Ping Jin heard this and froze for a second.
He went to Yu Wei Min’s office, taking the elevator up to the director’s office on the floor above. Yu Wei Min’s secretary opened the door for him.
Zhao Ping Jin politely asked: “Director Yu, you wanted to see me?”
Zhao Ping Jin’s demeanor was respectful and businesslike. The entire company knew about their father-in-law and son-in-law relationship, but in public, both men always kept their professional and personal lives separate. Yu Wei Min rarely summoned him privately.
Yu Wei Min capped his pen and motioned for him to sit.
This time, his father-in-law wanted to discuss personal matters: “Ying Zi went home yesterday, looking depressed. Her mother questioned her for a long time, but she wouldn’t say anything. Her mother is concerned about you two and asked me to find out—are you two having problems?”
Zhao Ping Jin’s expression didn’t change at all, as if he had anticipated this question sooner or later. He paused briefly, lowering his posture and voice: “I don’t think so. Maybe I’ve been a bit busy lately and have neglected her.”
Yu Wei Min didn’t like to interfere in his children’s private affairs, but when it came to the marriage of his precious only daughter, he couldn’t help but pay attention. Zhao Ping Jin’s workability and family background were beyond question—his family was one of the most prominent in Beijing. Both he and his wife had been very satisfied with forging this connection with the Zhao family. However, Zhao Ping Jin’s arrogance and willfulness were also well-known. One would expect marriage to settle him down, but his wife worried that their daughter couldn’t handle him. Yu Wei Min had to step in and give some gentle warnings. He put on a kind, elderly face, his tone becoming more gentle: “Zhou Er, for young newlyweds, some bumps along the road are inevitable. You kids have known each other since childhood, and we elders are also familiar with each other. As time passes and feelings deepen, things will naturally improve.”
Zhao Ping Jin obediently replied: “I’m sorry to have worried you and Mother. I was planning to pick her up after work today and spend some quality time with her.”
Yu Wei Min was finally satisfied, nodding with a smile: “Good, go back to your work now.”
Zhao Ping Jin rose to leave, returning to his own office. Shen Min was waiting outside his office door, checking her watch. Today he had a full schedule, with two engineering projects to inspect.
As his secretary helped him put on his suit jacket, Zhao Ping Jin walked out while telling Shen Min: “Cancel tonight’s engagements. I need to be back by six.”
Shen Min followed behind him, clearly disagreeing: “Six is too rushed. The travel time alone is over two hours. We’d have to move up the afternoon inspection, and you’d have no time to rest at noon…”
Zhao Ping Jin turned around, his face cold with a hint of anger: “Xiao Min, this is an order.”
Shen Min immediately fell silent.
At 6:20 PM, Yu Xiao Ying left the office building and saw a familiar black car parked in the courtyard of her workplace.
Zhao Ping Jin saw her coming out and got out of the car, calling: “Ying Zi.”
Yu Xiao Ying saw him and replied with slight surprise: “Oh, why are you here?”
Zhao Ping Jin stood beside her, politely nodding to her colleagues: “Picking you up from work.”
Her husband was tall and slender, wearing a dark gray suit jacket, white shirt, and a dark red jacquard tie. His handsome face looked slightly pale, but he was dignified and elegant, full of grace.
The women colleagues around giggled and teased them, with curious glances mixed with envy.
Yu Xiao Ying extended her arm, tightly holding onto his arm, and waved goodbye to her colleagues with high spirits.
Halfway through dinner with Yu Xiao Ying, Fang Lang Ge called him.
Zhao Ping Jin answered the phone and then asked Yu Xiao Ying: “Ruifu Lou has a new menu. Lang Ge wants us to try the new dishes together this weekend. Do you want to join?”
Yu Xiao Ying thought for a moment, then replied with a smile: “What a coincidence, my colleagues are having a gathering.”
Zhao Ping Jin didn’t insist, just nodded.
Yu Xiao Ying was several years younger than Zhao Ping Jin, and they hadn’t grown up in the same compound or attended the same schools. She had her circle of girlfriends and wasn’t very familiar with his childhood friends.
The main reason Yu Xiao Ying didn’t like going out with him was because of Zhao Ping Jin himself. When Zhao Ping Jin went out, he never took care of women. Whenever he brought a female companion to any event, he would abandon her as soon as they arrived, going off to drink and play cards with the men.
When Yu Xiao Ying went out, she was used to men being unable to resist her charm, competing to please her—that was what made outings fun. But Zhao Ping Jin ignored her, and since she was married, she couldn’t be too flirtatious with other men. She got along fine with Mrs. Gao Ji Yi, but most of the time, she didn’t like associating with the glamorous women that Gao Ji Yi brought along. She had her sense of dignity. She didn’t like dealing with such women, feeling constrained. After going a few times, she no longer wanted to join.
What Zhao Ping Jin did outside after they were married, she had her ways of knowing.
Knowing the situation, she just let him be.
Saturday evening, Zhao Ping Jin finished work a bit late. He arrived at the restaurant after nine, with Shen Min following behind. The private room was already occupied.
Gao Ji Yi sat on the sofa with his legs crossed. Seeing him enter, he said: “Zhou Zi, you’re becoming harder and harder to get ahold of.”
Zhao Ping Jin tossed his car keys onto the tea table, and with a playful smile, pushed Gao Ji Yi aside and sat down: “How could that be? I rushed here as fast as I could, didn’t I?”
He looked further inside. Lang Ge was sitting there, and there was another man sitting deep in the sofa who nervously raised his head. When they made eye contact, it was Lu Xiao Jiang.
As soon as Zhao Ping Jin saw him, his face turned cold, his smile instantly disappeared, and he turned to leave with a scowl.
Gao Ji Yi shouted: “Zhou Zi, hey, don’t be like that!”
Zhao Ping Jin ignored him.
Fang Lang Ge called out to stop him: “Zhou Zhou!”
Zhao Ping Jin paused. After all, this was Fang Lang Ge’s gathering, and he didn’t want to make things too awkward.
He turned his head and replied: “Second Brother, I have something to attend to and must leave first. I’ll treat you to a meal another day to make up for it.”
Fang Lang Ge stood up: “Can’t you two talk things out clearly? How long are you going to go on with this attitude?”
Gao Ji Yi pushed Lu Xiao Jiang: “Go on, apologize to your Brother Zhou Zhou.”
Lu Xiao Jiang stepped forward, trembling as he called out: “Zhou Zi…”
Before Lu Xiao Jiang could finish speaking, Zhao Ping Jin’s fist smashed into his face.