Chapter 30: Confirmation

After work, Jiang Nai drove herself home. In the garage, she happened to bump into Li Qingji, who had just arrived as well. He seemed to have been at Siningte all day, only returning now. Naturally, Jiang Nai went up with him, and as they walked in, she noticed a ski bag set off to the side.

Jiang Nai said, “Lu Feng helped bring back the snowboard and other things you used yesterday. I didn’t know where to put them, so I asked Auntie to just leave them there—no need to tidy up.”

Li Qingji: “Where did you put yours?”

Jiang Nai: “In the storage locker.”

“Okay, I’ll put mine there too.” Li Qingji bent down to pick up the snowboard bag. “Interested?”

“In what?”

“I mean, after this time skiing.”

Jiang Nai: “Yeah, it was pretty fun.”

Li Qingji: “Next time, we could go to Xinjiang. The snow there is nice too.”

Jiang Nai paused, then nodded. Li Qingji carried his snowboard bag to the storage room. Meanwhile, the housekeeper had started cooking, and after Jiang Nai freshened up, he came out to eat.

After dinner, Li Qingji, still struggling with jet lag, went back to his room to rest—he went to the guest bedroom.

Jiang Nai didn’t think much of it. Even though they had shared a bed in the U.S., here, they’d always slept in separate rooms, so him choosing the guest room was natural. With nothing particular on his mind, Jiang Nai sat on the couch, and, just as he’d done the past few days, he turned on the TV to unwind with a movie, since there was no work to occupy him.

But today, he felt a bit distracted.

Around halfway through the movie, Li Qingji came out of the bedroom. It was almost ten by then. Jiang Nai glanced at him but said nothing. Li Qingji walked past him to get a glass of water, then returned. The couch beside Jiang Nai dipped slightly, and he unconsciously straightened up a bit.

“What are you watching?” he asked.

Out of the corner of his eye, she noticed him looking ahead, his long fingers gripping the glass, with faint veins showing on the back of his hand.

“Green Book. I missed it when it came out.” Jiang Nai asked, “Why are you awake at this hour? It’ll be hard to fall back asleep.”

Li Qingji put down his glass and leaned back, pressing his brow, seeming a bit irritable from sleep disruption. “I’ll sleep later and adjust slowly.”

Jiang Nai nodded, speaking casually, “You could have a little red wine; it might help you sleep better later.”

Li Qingji seemed to agree, and got up to grab a bottle of red wine, then poured himself a glass. He asked her, “Want some?”

Before, Jiang Nai would have gladly had a small glass.

But now, seeing the wine reminded her of the hotel at the ski resort where they’d both had a bit too much to drink. She shook her head. “I can fall asleep fine, so I won’t.”

Li Qingji didn’t press further and simply watched the movie with her, sipping his drink. Jiang Nai, already a bit unfocused, found it even harder to concentrate with Li Qingji beside her. But she kept her composure, keeping her eyes on the screen and forcing herself to empathize with the characters rather than let her mind wander.

The person beside her was equally quiet, not disturbing her viewing, only the faint sound of pouring wine now and then.

An hour later, the movie reached its end. The two protagonists overcame racial and class biases, becoming friends. As the credits rolled and gentle music played, Jiang Nai set down the pillow she’d been holding on her lap.

“I’m a bit sleepy—heading to bed.” She turned to look at Li Qingji. “What about you?”

“A little later.” Li Qingji had been drinking, but nowhere near enough to feel tipsy.

Jiang Nai said, “Well… I’m heading to my room.”

She got up and slipped into her slippers, but just as she took her first step, her hand was suddenly held back.

Jiang Nai’s heart skipped a beat, as though the calm of the night had finally been shattered. She had sensed this moment coming; perhaps, deep down, she’d known that the whole time they sat together, they were only waiting for it.

Without turning back, she was pulled backward and fell onto the couch beside him.

Li Qingji, sitting with his legs casually open, drew her easily into his embrace. Familiar warmth surrounded her, and Jiang Nai shivered slightly, involuntarily.

“Have you had too much to drink?” she asked, her voice tinged with nervousness.

Li Qingji, remembering that night in the hotel, responded, “Do I have to be drunk for this?”

Jiang Nai hesitated, “…No.”

So close, Li Qingji could feel her warmth—soft, delicate, and almost feverish against him. The memory of that night lingered in his mind, and now, being back in a space meant just for them, he couldn’t hold back. Lowering his gaze to her lips, he cast aside the restraints he’d shown at work, leaning down to kiss her.

Jiang Nai’s eyes widened in surprise. In that moment of clarity, she became acutely aware of every sensation in the kiss: his lips, cool yet soft, carrying a subtle taste of wine that tingled as it met her tongue, then spread to every part of her.

It was familiar…a fierce, passionate heat.

Li Qingji held her wrist firmly in his grasp; her breathing grew unsteady, and her heart raced wildly.

For a fleeting moment, she wanted to pull away, to ask angrily if all his tenderness toward her in public—the gentleness he showed her on the ski slopes—was just for appearances, just to create the illusion that they were a perfect, harmonious couple.

Did he always have an ulterior motive?

Yet, as this thought surfaced, Jiang Nai felt a shock run through her.

Why did she feel angry? Why did she feel the need to question him?

After all, she had always accepted that Li Qingji could use her for the sake of his career. Their marriage was, at its core, an arrangement based on mutual benefit.

“Mm…” 

Her tongue felt numb, and Jiang Nai tipped her head back slightly, breaking the kiss as she gasped for breath.

Li Qingji’s gaze had darkened with intensity. He moved his lips to her jawline, his hand cradling the back of her neck, then dipped to her throat, where his mouth found her skin in a slow, gentle bite—more of a taste than anything else.

Jiang Nai shuddered, “Don’t…”

But Li Qingji seemed not to hear, tightening his grip around her back and pressing her against the couch.

Trapped between him and the cushions, the heat between them surged, as if it could burst forth at any moment. A tingling current of desire coursed through her uncontrollably, an undercurrent of passion stirring deeply between them.

She kept telling herself it was just mutual benefit, after all. And in their relationship, intimacy was only to be expected. There was no reason for her to refuse. Yet, at one point, she broke free from his grasp, covering his lips with her hand, leaving him looking at her, his eyes hungry, like a wolf eyeing its prey.

Jiang Nai suddenly felt a pang of sadness. “Today… it’s not a good time.”

Li Qingji’s breathing was heavy, his voice husky: “What?”

Jiang Nai lowered her gaze. “It’s… my period.”

He stared at her, silent, steadying his breath. After a long pause, he finally let her go. Jiang Nai quickly sat up, and just as swiftly, she stood to leave for her room. She took a few steps before stopping. She didn’t quite know why, but a part of her still felt unwilling—like she needed confirmation.

“Li Qingji.” She turned back. “Did you ask me to go to the ski resort as your assistant because of Joseph?”

Li Qingji looked up at her.

Jiang Nai gave a small, bitter smile. “I heard Joseph is the kind of man who’s devoted to his wife. So, if I’m by your side, would it make your partnership easier?”

Li Qingji paused but didn’t deny it. “Yes.”

Her heart tightened, yet there was also a strange sense of relief in finally having this truth confirmed. “You could have just told me from the start; I could’ve played along better. Otherwise, you’re left acting out this whole ‘I’m-so-good-to-you’ scene alone, and it’s bound to show cracks.”

Li Qingji’s gaze softened slightly. “Cracks? You think my kindness to you is an act?”

The calm she had tried to maintain began to fracture. “What else could it be? If it wasn’t just for Joseph’s sake, why bother? You said yourself that bringing me to the ski resort was to help secure this partnership.”

Li Qingji looked at her steadily. “Being good to you and working toward a successful partnership aren’t mutually exclusive.”

“But they aren’t the same thing either! How am I supposed to know when you’re acting and when you’re genuine? I just… I can’t tell.”

“Why does it matter?”

She froze.

Yes, why did it matter so much? Why was she obsessing over this? She couldn’t even understand herself.

Li Qingji stood up. “Jiang Nai, you’re my wife. It’s natural for me to be good to you. As for Joseph, it just helps if he sees us in harmony. But in the end, the partnership depends on the value we can bring to each other, not on trivial appearances.”

They weren’t on the same wavelength.

He saw the “act” as irrelevant—their partnership wasn’t contingent on it, so it wasn’t worth getting hung up on.

But for her, the “act” was everything. She needed to know why he brought her along, needed to know if any of his behavior was genuine.

Seeing Li Qingji’s calm, almost perplexed expression, Jiang Nai felt foolish for questioning it all. He brought her to the ski resort both to spend time with her and for business. He was kind to her because she was his wife, but also to project a harmonious image. For him, these things really didn’t conflict. To him, blending emotions with business was simply normal logic.

She’d taken it too seriously.

“Alright, I understand.” Jiang Nai forced a smile, realizing she shouldn’t have asked at all. “I just wanted you to let me know next time, that’s all. Otherwise, I might… Never mind, I’m a little tired. I’ll go rest.”

Not waiting to see his reaction, she turned and went into her room, closing the door behind her. Everything was shut out, leaving her leaning against the door, exhaling deeply.

Yes, it all made sense this way.

Her overly sensitive feelings—that was the real problem.

Outside, Li Qingji looked at the closed door, his brow creasing slightly. After a while, he sat back on the sofa and pulled out his phone to make a call.

“Hello? What’s up—back already?” A mix of loud music and voices came through the other end.

Li Qingji said, “Go somewhere quieter before we talk.”

“What? Oh! Hang on a sec.” 

Half a minute later, the noise died down.

Lu Feng: “What’s going on?”

Li Qingji: “When you were over there, what exactly did you say to Jiang Nai?”

…

On the weekend, Jiang Nai met up with Xue Lin. They arranged to meet at a café, where Jiang Nai gave Xue Lin a gift she’d bought for her earlier. Xue Lin was thrilled with it, and if Jiang Nai hadn’t stopped her, she’d have found a spot right then to try on the new ski jacket.

“So, you guys basically spent the whole trip skiing?”

“Sort of. It wasn’t all skiing; there was work too,” Jiang Nai replied.

Xue Lin grinned. “Nice. Mixing business with pleasure—working while also getting in some quality couple time.”

“Not quite.” Jiang Nai took a sip of her coffee. “Work was the main purpose.”

“Oh, come on! In such a beautiful place, surely you found time to connect outside of work—you two are married, after all.”

Jiang Nai didn’t respond, going quiet for a while.

Seeing her expression, Xue Lin chuckled knowingly. “But you felt something, didn’t you?”

“Xue Lin, do you know about the suspension bridge effect?”

“Suspension bridge effect? Isn’t that when someone’s heart races in a thrilling situation, and they mistake it for attraction?”

“Yes. If there happens to be a decent person nearby, it’s easy to confuse that fast heartbeat for romantic feelings.”

Xue Lin frowned. “So what?”

Jiang Nai explained, “Skiing is intense. A few moments really got my heart racing.”

Xue Lin: “Are you saying you might be feeling something for your husband, but it’s just because of the suspension bridge effect?”

Jiang Nai admitted, “I think… it could be that.”

“That’s absurd.”

“It actually helps. Being back now, I can calm down and think more clearly.”

“But why do you need to be so calm about it? He’s your husband—if you’ve caught feelings for real, what’s wrong with that?”

Jiang Nai didn’t know how to express it, so she briefly shared with Xue Lin about their situation, the marriage, and the ski resort.

As someone from an ordinary family, Xue Lin only half understood. “So what you’re saying is that it was never a marriage based on love, right? And for people like them, interests are above everything.”

“Yes, so honestly, I don’t think he’s wrong. People’s environments shape them differently. I just feel like I was overthinking it, having unrealistic expectations.”

“There’s nothing wrong with what you’re thinking! A husband should prioritize his wife! I don’t get how these men think, but I know that if my husband ever told me that his work or status was more important than me, I’d kick him out!”

Jiang Nai, who had been feeling tangled, suddenly felt less troubled by Xue Lin’s passionate rant. Maybe that’s what she needed—to share her thoughts with someone who would vent on her behalf, almost like relieving herself.

“Let it go, Nai Nai,” Xue Lin continued. “We don’t need to waste our feelings on men. Even if you can’t change your marriage, just focus on living well for yourself. He’s wealthy, right? Spend his money and make yourself happy! Yes, that’s right—let the jerk take a hike.”

Jiang Nai chuckled. “It’s not that dramatic. Actually, he’s pretty good to me most of the time.”

“Is he good to you because you’re the young lady of the Jiang family, or because you’re Jiang Nai?”

That question hit home, and Jiang Nai couldn’t answer.

Xue Lin shook her head. “Doesn’t matter. If he doesn’t put you first, he deserves my scolding. I’m telling you, don’t ever let me meet him. If I do, he’ll get some serious side-eye from me.”

Xue Lin kept ranting for a while longer before finally moving on to a different topic.

“Oh, by the way, Senior Sister Lin reached out to me a few days ago, saying it’s been ages and we should get together. You remember her, Lin Yuan, the one who was so nice to us in college?”

Jiang Nai: “Yes, of course.”

“I posted a photo of me out on social media recently, and she messaged me. While chatting, she mentioned that many of our old club members are still around in Minghai, so we could all meet up. I said yes. Do you want to come?”

Jiang Nai hesitated.

“Come on, just go,” Xue Lin urged. “It’s been a long time since we saw Senior Sister.”

Jiang Nai: “Alright… okay then.”

After finishing their coffee, they browsed around the mall for a while, then chose a restaurant that Xue Lin had been wanting to try for dinner. It was nearly 8 PM, and just as they were about to finish eating, Jiang Nai’s phone rang.

She was slightly surprised to see it was Li Qingji calling, but she answered.

“Are you at home?”

Jiang Nai: “No, I’m still out with a friend, but we’re nearly done.”

Li Qingji: “Where are you?”

She told him the name of the restaurant. “Anything you need?”

Li Qingji: “I just came from Grandma’s, and she asked me to bring you some snacks she made.”

Jiang Nai felt a little touched—it was, after all, something made by his grandmother’s own hands. “I’ll call her later to thank her.”

“Tomorrow’s fine; she’s probably about to rest.” Li Qingji replied. “Are you finishing up?”

“Yes.”

“Wait there; I’ll come pick you up.”

Jiang Nai paused, about to tell him it wasn’t necessary, but he had already hung up.

Xue Lin leaned over. “Your husband?”

Jiang Nai: “Mm. He said he’ll come by in a bit.”

“To take you home?”

Jiang Nai nodded.

“At least he still knows to pick you up,” Xue Lin said, cracking her knuckles. “But don’t worry, I’ll be giving him a serious glare.”

—

A bit over ten minutes later, her phone rang again. It was Li Qingji, letting her know he was at the entrance and that she could come out. So Jiang Nai and Xue Lin stood up and walked outside together. A few meters to the right of the restaurant entrance, a car was already parked.

Xue Lin knew that Jiang Nai’s family was wealthy and had assumed her husband’s family would be, too. However, since Jiang Nai was always low-key, Xue Lin hadn’t thought much about the money aspect. So when she saw the extended luxury car, she was momentarily speechless.

Damn… this car was ridiculous.

And that license plate number? Equally outrageous!

As they approached, the rear passenger door opened, and a man stepped out. Dressed in a suit, long coat, and with long legs, a tall, sharply postured man exited the car. Xue Lin froze. When he looked over, and she saw his features clearly, she was dumbstruck.

It took her a moment to finally turn to Jiang Nai. “This… is your husband?”

Jiang Nai nodded.

Xue Lin took a deep breath. “Didn’t you say… he was decent-looking?”

Jiang Nai was confused—she’d always thought Li Qingji was quite good-looking.

Xue Lin forced a smile, cursing inwardly. This wasn’t just “decent-looking.” It was very!

Very!!!

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