Extra Chapter 01

This ship is not for rent; it always stays at this port for her. It’s called Noah’s Ark, but it doesn’t carry passengers, only her small dream of being a painter.

Zhong Yu Bai gave her more than just an art exhibition. So many wonderful things, too many to count or thank him for. But all of this doesn’t compare to him showing up today, which makes her even happier. This is what it means to give yourself as a gift.

Ji Zhen Tang is in a great mood today and is quite drunk.

Holding a wine glass, she lets the long-unfelt pain in her heart be exposed under the moonlight of Liulu Bay. Sitting on the deck, she looks at the stars, not knowing if they are in the sky or in her eyes, counting them one by one with her fingers.

“Zhong Yu Bai, the night here is so beautiful.”

He sits at the dining table, his collar loose, holding a few grains of feed in his hand, feeding the seagulls. The dim red lights outside the cabin, decorated for the night, fall on him, exuding a lazy and noble air.

Seeing that he doesn’t respond, she glances at him, then gets up to look at the birds perched in front of the mast. There are many differences between the ecology of Singapore and China. Specifically, the birds and animals here are not afraid of people. It’s amazing; she can walk with birds on the street and cross the road with roosters.

She can feel the true peaceful communication between living beings.

Ji Zhen Tang is very curious. She reaches out a finger to touch the bird’s feathers.

“Why aren’t these birds afraid of people?”

“Less hunting and breeding are better for ecological health.”

Zhong Yu Bai also raises his hand to smooth her hair messed up by the sea breeze, his voice softening. He asks, “Are you satisfied with this gift?”

Ji Zhen Tang says, “Of course, I’m almost moved to tears. Although I won’t cry now, you should feel the rain pouring in my heart for you.”

Zhong Yu Bai is amused by her metaphor and says, “It’s good that you’re moved. No need for more rain; I just want to keep you warm.”

He looks up, meeting her smile with eight teeth showing.

Yes, this is the warmth he wants.

“You must be the savior of all beings,” she says emotionally.

Zhong Yu Bai, sobering up, says, “I only save you.”

His carefully arranged sense of ceremony is indispensable. The light purple tablecloth with lavender patterns is spread on the small round table, with a delicate cake in the middle.

Adhering to the principle of not wasting, he chose the smallest one.

When lighting the candles, Ji Zhen Tang thinks about what wish she made last year. It seems she wished to be happier, and now it seems to have come true.

Zhong Yu Bai looked at her through the flickering candlelight.

Ji Zhen Tang closed her eyes to make a wish. When she opened her eyes again, he was still looking at her.

“Aren’t you curious about what I wished for and considering helping me achieve it?”

Zhong Yu Bai said, “If it can be easily obtained, how can it be called a wish?”

He didn’t want to know what she wished for, just guessed that it was probably not something he could help with.

“True, I’ve already enjoyed all the blessings I could.” Ji Zhen Tang smiled, “You know me very well.”

He smiled noncommittally and gave her his best wishes: “It will come true.”

Ji Zhen Tang held the photo in her hand, looking at it over and over, reading his words and seeing their frozen moments from last year.

“Did the crabapple flowers bloom this year?” Ji Zhen Tang asked him.

Zhong Yu Bai poured her a glass of red wine: “They’re very beautiful.”

He glanced at her drunken eyes and flushed cheeks, so the glass of red wine he poured was taken back in front of him. Zhong Yu Bai called a waiter to bring her a cup of sobering soup.

Ji Zhen Tang obediently held the cup, drinking it like she was quenching her thirst. He raised his hand and used a napkin to wipe a bit of juice from the corner of her mouth. His actions were very considerate.

Listening to him talk about various matters, Ji Zhen Tang asked in surprise, “Will Zhong Yu still do anything to you?”

Zhong Yu Bai was slightly puzzled: “Do what to me?”

After thinking for a moment, he said, “I won’t let anyone become my opponent.”

Sometimes Ji Zhen Tang saw a kind of restrained arrogance in his eyes. But it didn’t seem like arrogance, because he had the capital to say such things. He wouldn’t even use the word “win”; their competition wasn’t on the same level.

“Just very tired.” Finally, he slowly wiped his fingertips and said.

She got to the point: “Can your family be okay without you? Can your nephew handle things?”

Zhong Yu Bai lightly curled his lips: “Good or bad, it has nothing to do with me.”

“Then what does have to do with you?”

He said, “Everything under my feet.”

Sometimes Ji Zhen Tang felt that Zhong Yu Bai’s temperament had changed a bit over the past year, becoming gentler and more indifferent. However, at this moment, he seemed exactly the same as when they first met. Their first meal was at the top of a tall building, where he looked down and said, “Learn the ways of the world from under your feet.”

His posture now was exactly the same.

Ji Zhen Tang asked him again, “So are you planning to stay in Xingzhou?”

Zhong Yu Bai said, “Future changes will depend on the specific situation.”

“Do you mean following my changes?”

“Not really,” there was a rare sense of relief in his eyes, “I’ve just learned not to be rigid, to allow some flexibility in life.”

She smiled, “Why did you suddenly figure it out?”

“I still want to live as wonderfully as possible.”

She excitedly snapped her fingers: “Great! Then we can roam the world together.”

Zhong Yu Bai smiled: “You’re very persistent about roaming the world.”

“Of course, my childhood dream was to be a heroine.”

He said, “Why so many dreams?”

“Yes, because life is ever-changing. If aspirations are too singular, it would be very boring.”

Zhong Yu Bai nodded, thoughtfully saying, “I also need to gain some energy from you.”

On the way back, Ji Zhen Tang slept soundly, leaning on his shoulder. “Indulging me in drinking, aren’t you afraid you won’t be able to handle me?”

He was at ease: “I can handle you no matter what.”

Looking down at her sparkling eyes, Zhong Yu Bai asked, “Has studying been hard while I was away?”

“It’s okay, I can endure hardship,” Ji Zhen Tang said. “My aunt often says, ‘Endure the hardest hardships to become the best.’”

“You don’t have to listen to everything your aunt says. Do those rich young ladies endure hardships?” He calmly and pointedly said, “They are the ones who are truly successful.”

Ji Zhen Tang was stunned for a moment, like a deflated balloon, and said dejectedly, “Don’t tell me such harsh realities; it dampens our idealistic enthusiasm.”

Zhong Yu Bai thought for a moment and then said, “Overcoming each difficulty as it comes is also good—idealistic and uplifting.”

Back in their little universe, Dika pounced into Ji Zhen Tang’s arms.

This silver-shaded cat was sent to her by Zhong Yu Bai some time ago. It was already three months old and sleek. Since Zhong Yu Bai hadn’t seen Dika for a while, their relationship had become distant. When she saw her dad, she hissed at him as if he were an enemy.

Zhong Yu Bai smiled helplessly and pinched the kitten’s ears, calling her an ungrateful creature.

“Dika, how can you be fierce to daddy?” Ji Zhen Tang held her front legs and lifted the cat up to Zhong Yu Bai for him to pet. “You should bond with her.”

He didn’t take Dika but looked at her instead. His fingers gently unbuttoned his collar as he said meaningfully, “After not seeing each other for so long, you want me to bond with a cat?”

As he spoke, his fingers moved to the second button.

Zhong Yu Bai always hid his emotions deeply. Looking at his gentle appearance while saying something slightly threatening gave him an inexplicable air of refined roguishness.

Ji Zhen Tang held the cat nervously and stammered, “I’ll go draw the curtains.”

Zhong Yu Bai pressed a control switch on the wall, and with a swoosh—the curtains closed automatically.

Ji Zhen Tang opened her mouth wide and leaned over to look: “There’s a switch here too? I never noticed.”

His hand remained on the wall as he pressed another switch. With that, the lights in the duplex apartment went out. Only a bit of residual light from the neighboring building illuminated them as they fell into an atmosphere of passionate confusion.

While kissing her and unbuttoning his shirt, Zhong Yu Bai removed it entirely and tossed it aside.

Dika jumped off Ji Zhen Tang’s body; her gray fur fell along with his shirt.

His chest was burning hot.

Zhong Yu Bai cupped her chin. “Kiss me.”

Ji Zhen Tang stood on tiptoe to kiss him.

But he said, “Not here.”

She kissed him all the way to the bathtub. The lighting here was even more dim and ambiguous. The misty heat clung to the glass like climbing insects. Ji Zhen Tang buried herself in his neck; her lips dipped into the water as she closed her eyes and found clues. She awkwardly but earnestly used her strategy, feeling his fingers tighten in her hair.

Zhong Yu Bai remained silent.

Silence was a form of restraint—a prelude to an outburst.

Water splashed out of the bathtub onto the patterned floor tiles like it had rained. As he walked out, he wrapped himself in a bathrobe and tied the belt. Sitting on the sofa, he heard the continuous sound of water from the bathroom.

Zhong Yu Bai sat comfortably with a glass of wine meant to stimulate dopamine production in front of him. He didn’t drink it; instead, he lowered his eyes and saw ripples in the water reflecting an animated movie playing on TV.

The phone on the coffee table was hers.

It vibrated for a while; “Mom” appeared prominently on the screen.

Zhong Yu Bai had no intention of answering the call, his gaze only briefly sweeping over the screen.

His life had many uncertain moments, like now, with the mechanical sound of the phone in sync with the slight tremor in his heart, needing alcohol to suppress it.

Ji Zhen Tang hummed a song, in a good mood as she finished drying her hair. She leaned into his arms, her soft hair spreading across his chest. “You like Howl too? Is it because of my influence?”

She looked at the movie playing on the TV and asked with a smile. Zhong Yu Bai didn’t answer, just pointed at her phone. Indicating she had missed something.

Ji Zhen Tang quickly picked it up, looking at her missed calls, wondering whether to call back or avoid her. After glancing at Zhong Yu Bai a few times and hesitating, she put the phone down.

Zhong Yu Bai didn’t point out her hesitation. He asked, “Have you seen your mom?”

She shook her head, “Not yet, I haven’t had time.”

He responded with a faint “hmm,” saying nothing more.

“But we have a dinner date next week. How about… you come with me?”

Zhong Yu Bai asked, “Where?”

“At a—” she thought for a moment and pulled up a restaurant address. “Here, do you know it? It’s an old establishment in Xingzhou.”

He said, “I know it.”

“Will you go?”

Zhong Yu Bai thought for a moment, his tone slightly self-deprecating: “If Auntie can’t handle the shock and does something to me, I really don’t know how to respond.”

She confidently lifted her head, saying, “She won’t. I’ll back you up.”

For the first time, he needed her protection.

Zhong Yu Bai held her waist, his fingers restlessly untying the knot at her waist. The robe’s lapels slipped loosely from her shoulders, and he discreetly explored, making her eyes blur.

He said, “Then you must protect me well.”

Ji Zhen Tang twisted her waist, “You’re so bad, Zhong Yu Bai.”

He smiled and let her go.

Zhong Yu Bai was selected as one of the top ten outstanding business people, and the news made the front page in Xingzhou. While Ji Zhen Tang sat in the sunlight reading the newspaper, he was busy in the kitchen. Her tastes had become quite picky; after being in China for a long time, she craved foreign food, and after being abroad for a while, she wanted Chinese food.

He made a dish of fermented bean curd pork.

This dish was quite special, and Ji Zhen Tang rarely had it. She threw down the newspaper and rushed to the dining table.

Zhong Yu Bai, wearing a white shirt, neatly arranged the dishes. His image was completely at odds with that of a househusband, yet he did the job very well.

Better than perfect.

The last time was at the Zhong family’s Chen Zhang Garden. To let her feel the warmth of everyday life, Zhong Yu Bai had specially learned a few dishes from Aunt Xu. Tasting the fermented bean curd pork now reminded her of those times at Chen Zhang Garden.

“Not as fresh as last time?” Zhong Yu Bai asked, seeing her indifferent expression.

Ji Zhen Tang shook her head, “It’s delicious, but I suddenly thought of your dad. Last time he said… he must have said something to you, right? Made you argue with him, probably because of me?”

He smiled faintly, “Why are you still worried about that?”

Ji Zhen Tang said, “I worry about a lot of things. I even think about when we get married, during the parents’ meeting, whose hand I’ll hold on stage. It’s so awkward.”

Zhong Yu Bai’s smile deepened, making it hard to tell if he was mocking or doting.

“Not just that, I’m also thinking about the design of the wedding rings,” Ji Zhen Tang murmured.

He only asked, “Are you in a hurry?”

She quickly clarified, “No, just preparing for any unforeseen circumstances.”

Zhong Yu Bai helped her with two chopsticks of water celery. “Eating well is more important.”

Seeing her worried, he comforted her, “If I can’t handle these little things, how can I be your husband?”

With a simple sentence, he eased her anxiety.

Hearing him call himself her husband for the first time, Ji Zhen Tang blushed, then lowered her head and slowly smiled. “Yes, you are very capable.”

Zhong Yu Bai didn’t deny it. “I am indeed very capable.”

After lunch, Ji Zhen Tang lay on the sofa and took a nap. The lighting in this sky villa was excellent, making her feel comfortable and relaxed.

She had a long dream.

When she woke up, she rubbed her sleepy eyes and saw Zhong Yu Bai sitting leisurely with his legs crossed, reading a small black book on the other side. Dika was on his lap, and the man gently stroked the cat’s silver-gray fur with his long fingers.

Hot tea steamed in the cup.

The afternoon sunlight encircled him in a small halo, making the scene so beautiful that she couldn’t help but think of the phrase “time stands still.”

Ji Zhen Tang was momentarily dazed, still not fully awake from her dream, not knowing what day it was, as if she had seen many years into the future.

She stretched lazily.

Zhong Yu Bai glanced at her and put down his book.

Ji Zhen Tang said, “You’ve bonded with the kitten so quickly. How did you win her over?”

He looked down at the cat. “Liking is mutual. Just show a little sincerity.”

Ji Zhen Tang noticed the opened cat treat nearby and wanted to laugh. So this was his sincerity.

She looked at Dika sleeping peacefully on his lap and asked, “Do you like small animals?”

He said, “They’re not bad.”

“Then you must like children too.”

Zhong Yu Bai looked up at her. “Why do you think so?”

“Well… people who like small animals are usually very loving and like to pet young ones.” She mimicked petting fur. “So, by the same logic, they would also like children and take care of them.”

He said, “Animals are animals, and people are people. How can they be compared?”

“Humans are animals too, so there must be some similarities.”

Zhong Yu Bai was silent for a moment, then said, “Interacting with people requires effort. Educating a child is not simple, and the way love is conveyed and the way animals are cared for are completely different.”

Defeated by his seriousness, Ji Zhen Tang thought he had a point and raised her hands in surrender. “Alright, I didn’t say anything.”

Seeing her meaningful expression, Zhong Yu Bai softly asked, “Do you want a child?”

Ji Zhen Tang’s face heated up, feeling as if he had seen through her thoughts. She avoided his gaze. “No, I just suddenly thought of it.”

“Suddenly?”

“Well… okay, sometimes I do fantasize about it. I think having a child would be fun, but I’m also afraid of the pain of childbirth and the hassle of raising a child.”

She switched between the fullness of her ideals and the pain of reality, looking troubled. Then she seriously asked him, “Don’t you want one?”

Zhong Yu Bai smiled faintly, looking at her, and replied, “How could I not?”

Ji Zhen Tang smiled, showing a few teeth. “Then that’s good. Just say you like children, so I don’t feel so pressured.”

He smiled helplessly and said to her, “Take it one step at a time. Always trying to arrange everything perfectly for the future is putting pressure on yourself.”

Ji Zhen Tang misunderstood his meaning. “That’s normal. Don’t you ever look forward to the future?”

He said, “I do look forward to it, but I don’t get anxious. For example, thinking about my dad, the wedding, and raising a child—all these things crammed into my head would be mentally exhausting. This is where we’re different. Perhaps in my view of life, freshness and the unknown are very important.”

Because freshness and the unknown are important, Zhong Yu Bai would consider the future but rarely worry about it. He wouldn’t force himself to make a choice and get a result.

There is a difference between anticipation and preemptive worry.

She said, “Marriage is a big deal and needs to be well-prepared. I just think that if something goes wrong, it won’t work.”

“Over-preparation isn’t necessarily a good thing.” He thought of an analogy. “It’s like participating in an interview. If you memorize your lines too well, you might get nervous, and even a simple self-introduction could make your tongue tie.”

She nodded repeatedly. “Yes, I really would be like that.”

Zhong Yu Bai looked at her calmly for a while, as if he wanted to say something but hesitated. Ji Zhen Tang blinked and asked, “What’s wrong?”

He said softly, “Did you forget that I haven’t proposed to you yet?”

When he said this, there was a hint of teasing in his smile.

Her mind buzzed, and she misunderstood his meaning again. She sat up straight, looking at him seriously. “You’re not planning to back out, are you?”

Zhong Yu Bai laughed and patted her messy hair. “I mean, everything should be done step by step. Think about tomorrow today, and think about the day after tomorrow.”

He wanted to tell her that worrying unnecessarily is not a good emotion.

Ji Zhen Tang smiled slowly. “You’re so carefree. Thinking like this must be very relaxing.”

“Not exactly carefree, just understanding that overthinking is useless. Because there are always many variables.” Finally, he concluded, “In short, just remember that your future husband is very capable, so you don’t need to worry.”

He meant that he could solve all her worries.

Ji Zhen Tang stifled a laugh and said, “So what are you thinking about today for tomorrow?”

Zhong Yu Bai thought for a moment, his lowered eyes showing a hint of hidden worry. “Thinking about how to bribe my mother-in-law well. This seems to be the most crucial thing at the moment.”

She patted his chest like petting a small animal. “Alright, don’t be too nervous. Just prepare a small gift. If she likes you, she will like you. If she doesn’t, no amount of sweet talk will help.”

He nodded. “Naturally.”

Zhong Yu Bai glanced at the time; it was exactly three o’clock. He suddenly asked her, “No classes tonight?”

“I do.”

“Who’s picking you up?”

“I’m taking the company’s shuttle.”

“What time?”

“Four o’clock. There’s a dinner party today.”

He thought for a moment. “There’s still time.”

His deep eyes looked at her, as if he was planning something important and needed to seize every moment. Before Ji Zhen Tang could grasp the deeper meaning of his “there’s still time,” she was suddenly lifted by the waist. He easily carried her and walked towards the room.

She exclaimed in surprise, “Are you not done yet?” The previous night’s torment had left her sore until almost noon today.

Zhong Yu Bai smiled faintly. “You’ve given me surprises, now let me give you one. Let’s be fair.”

There was a birthday surprise, and naturally, there should also be a reunion surprise.

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