Тhe salon wаs hеld at a univеrsity, prеsidеd оvеr bу thе dean оf the research institute. Wеi Qingуue рresеntеd а rеseаrсh rероrt anаlyzing the threе kеy trеnds in the autonоmous driving field аnd shared insights оn vеhiсlе-rоаd сollabоrаtion рrоduсts on-sitе.
Hаving bеen at Lingdоng fоr less thаn three yеars, he had risеn stеаdily thrоugh the ranks. His аbilitiеs hаd alwауs mаtсhеd his аmbitions, mаking him а tyрicаl young tаlent. It wаs inеvitаble thаt sоmе wоuld take an intеrest in his personal lifе. Wei Qingyue hаd gone thrоugh the mоtiоns of insinсere blind dates, meeting all kinds of girls. They were all lovely, and he found everyone lovely—regardless of gender—like a polite person in a social setting.
But he knew he belonged to Jiang Du. Only in Jiang Du’s hands would he truly return to where he belonged.
Thus, when the dean politely asked to speak with him privately, Wei Qingyue finally didn’t have to pretend. He said he had a girlfriend and would be getting married soon.
The dean, having seen it all, wasn’t the least bit embarrassed. He chuckled and said, “Well, this is the first time I’ve tried to play matchmaker, and I’ve already struck out.”
Wei Qingyue smiled faintly.
Zhang Xiaoqiang was there representing the automotive company. After barely discussing business, she steered the conversation toward neurology. Wei Qingyue suppressed his irritation. Over the years, this old classmate of his had become almost obsessive. He wanted to say, “I think you should get your head checked,” but he held back. Despite having a boyfriend, Zhang Xiaoqiang still cared about him so much—even though he didn’t need it—and he couldn’t be so ungrateful.
“I won’t beat around the bush,” Zhang Xiaoqiang said with a cheerful smile, her temper exceptionally good. She wore a pair of pearl earrings and had recently been working out and losing weight, radiating energy. “You know the doctor—Jiang Du’s deskmate. Do you remember? Zhu Yulong from the humanities class, who later transferred to the science class. Oh, I almost forgot, she transferred to our class after you went abroad. Your sleep issues are an old problem—why not get it checked properly? Let an old classmate take a good look at you. I’m telling you, Zhu Yulong is amazing. She works at the best hospital and earned some professional title at a young age—what was it again?”
Wei Qingyue’s expression remained indifferent. “Nice earrings,” he said, pretending to take an interest in her appearance. “They suit your darker skin tone.”
Zhang Xiaoqiang looked at him helplessly. “You’re always like this.”
Her skirt had wrinkled slightly from sitting. Wei Qingyue pointed at it and said, “You should iron your clothes when you get home.”
Zhang Xiaoqiang almost wanted to smack him. She smoothed her skirt, pouting angrily. “I must be out of my mind.”
“Zhu Yulong?” Wei Qingyue seemed to snap out of a daze, suddenly picking up the thread of the conversation. He remembered this girl and, surprisingly, nodded. “It wouldn’t hurt to see her.”
His abrupt agreement caught her off guard.
It had to be Zhu Yulong—those three words must have worked some kind of magic!
Zhang Xiaoqiang concealed her elation, afraid that if she showed even a hint of inappropriate emotion, Wei Qingyue might change his mind. In truth, there was nothing inappropriate about her reaction—it was just that Wei Qingyue was so unpredictable, especially around those he knew well, often resorting to sarcasm and provocation.
Just moments ago, she had seen him speaking with the dean of the research institute, his face as warm as a spring breeze. On stage delivering his research report, he was so polished and proficient. Online, his videos were always flooded with comments, with countless young girls declaring themselves his “wives”—he had a whole fanbase of so-called “wife fans.” Wei Qingyue was utterly captivating, or at least he appeared to be.
“When would be a good time for you?” Zhang Xiaoqiang asked, feigning nonchalance.Wei Qingyue replied calmly and earnestly, "Just go ahead with your arrangements."
Zhang Xiaoqiang didn’t tell him that Zhu Yulong actually ran her own psychology practice, charging a very high hourly rate. That girl who once seemed so indifferent was now thriving.
Large clouds drifted across the sky, like roses in full bloom.
Wei Qingyue sat in the back seat while Old Luo drove. Nowadays, he enjoyed looking at the sky, watching the clouds, and observing birds that flitted past—it gave him a comfortable, numbing sensation.
He remembered that many, many years ago, he had felt something similar, though that feeling had been interrupted for a long time.
Back then, he had just started elementary school and was living in the dormitory, unable to go home at night. None of the boarding students were from the city. The noisy children, smelly shoes, and strict dormitory supervisors—Wei Qingyue detested the place. It was too chaotic, too loud. Everyone liked to push and shove, knocking over lunchboxes and stepping on toothbrushes. His money was stolen, and the dormitory supervisor couldn’t retrieve it, shouting angrily while complaining that he caused too much trouble… He wanted to go home, but home was in disarray, with neither his father nor his mother there.
His mother said, "Do you see? This isn’t a home anymore. There’s no point staying. I need to leave for a while, and it’s better for you to learn to be independent and strong sooner."
Money kept disappearing. He got into fights, acting like a fierce little rooster. The dormitory supervisor called Wei Zhendong and said, "Your son has some issues. At such a young age, he’s not cheerful enough. When he fights, he beats other children as if trying to kill them. It’s normal for boys to be mischievous, but no child is like your son. You should talk to him properly."
Wei Zhendong came to the school once and nearly beat him to death in front of the teacher, kicking him so hard that his head hit the small flowerbed in the schoolyard. The teacher was terrified. A long time ago, Wei Zhendong’s way of communicating with him had been through violence.
Wei Qingyue was beaten until he vomited. He developed a high fever, his consciousness muddled, feeling both pain and cold. Alone in bed, he thought, "I need to grow up fast."
Before he finished elementary school, during summer vacation, Wei Qingyue was sent to a hospital in Shanghai due to emotional disorders. His mother said, "I’ll come visit you. Be good, and if you’re sick, focus on getting better."
When she said this, Wei Qingyue suddenly felt an intense surge of hope. He thought, "Finally, someone is going to care about me."
But his mother never came.
When bored, Wei Qingyue would sit by the window and look at the sky. The clouds changed shape constantly, cicadas chirped in the trees, and the summer felt endless. Reaching out the window felt like reaching into a bottomless black hole, even as the sunlight remained glaringly bright.
The patient in the next room, a few years older and in middle school, had his mother by his side the whole time, meticulously recording his emotions in a thick notebook, more diligently than he ever wrote essays.
He thought, if his mother were willing to love him, he would love her twice as much in return.
Later, his heart grew colder day by day, then harder. Wei Qingyue was on the verge of going crazy in the hospital. He was tired of the endless treatments. Back then, all he wanted was to see his mother. He had hoped purely, then been purely disappointed, and finally felt pure despair.
When summer vacation ended and school started again, he told his mother over the phone that he was better and could return to school normally. It was then that he learned that a certain lady was about to go abroad to study, continuing her education and leaving him behind completely.
He didn’t cry, but the urge to do so was so strong it made him tremble.
The sky seemed unchanged, the clouds still drifting, shifting shapes.When Wei Qingyue called Jiang Du, she was at his place, which took him completely by surprise, and he drove back immediately.
It turned out she had left work early, taken time off, and come to tidy up his apartment.
His place wasn’t exactly messy, but it wasn’t particularly neat either—just the kind of state you’d expect from a man living alone, if anyone had any preconceptions about it.
All his clothes had been pulled out, including his socks.
She was wearing disposable gloves, using tools to measure the dimensions of his cabinets and jotting down notes, much like how the mother of a patient in the next room might keep a mood log, holding a large notebook in her hand.
Seeing him return, Jiang Du immediately asked, “Why are there Tweety Birds thrown everywhere?”
Wei Qingyue was also taken aback. “Are there?”
“Of course there are. Look, in the cabinets, in the drawers—dozens of Tweety Birds.” Jiang Du was both amused and exasperated. “It’s one thing to buy so many Tweety Birds, but why scatter them all over the place?”
In truth, there weren’t many shirts, windbreakers, or socks.
But Wei Qingyue bought his underwear in bulk—thirty pairs of CK boxers at a time, enough to last him a month. He never washed his underwear.
Since underwear had to be washed separately, he found it too much of a hassle and simply treated them as disposable.
Wei Qingyue didn’t hesitate at all to share his habits with her. In her presence, he felt completely secure. Underwear was private, but he was utterly open.
“Why don’t you just buy a washing machine for underwear?” Jiang Du touched her flushed cheeks, thinking to herself, This guy is so wasteful.
Wei Qingyue said, “Too much trouble. I’d still have to take them out to dry.”
Jiang Du looked at him, speechless again. She pretended to ask casually, “Have you always been like this? Even when you were little?”
“How little?” Wei Qingyue brushed it off lightly. “In elementary school, I was a boarder. In first grade, I was too young to even know I had to change my underwear. I didn’t like washing my feet either. As soon as it got dark, I’d try to hide under the covers. Everything was a mess, and it was so noisy. By the end, I smelled awful. Wei Zhendong caught a whiff of me and gave me a good beating. When I got to middle school, I grew up a bit and finally learned about cleanliness.”
As he talked about his childhood, Jiang Du stopped what she was doing and listened quietly. When he finished, she frowned, stepped closer, and gently nudged his arm, saying softly, “Then I’ll buy you a washing machine.”
She actually felt like crying. She had always been particular about cleanliness since she was little, wearing snow-white socks. While her classmates’ red scarves were twisted and grimy like rags, hers were always clean and neat. She wished she had been his classmate back then—she would have reminded him, Wei Qingyue, you smell, it’s time to change your clothes. Is no one washing your clothes? I could take them home and have my Grandma help you.
“Buy me a washing machine?” Wei Qingyue raised his eyebrows high and let out a scoffing laugh. “I thought you were going to say you’d wash my underwear for me from now on.”
Dream on.
Jiang Du hit him with the notebook, then started folding, hanging, and sorting his clothes, even rolling his socks neatly.
Wei Qingyue didn’t offer to help. Instead, he leaned against the doorframe with a glass of water, watching her work.
He was also completely oblivious. Jiang Du kept going in and out, but he never moved or shifted out of the way. She kept saying, “Move aside.”
“Oh.” Wei Qingyue shifted a millimeter.
Jiang Du looked up at him. “Move a bit more.”
Wei Qingyue shifted back again.
So in the way.
“Wei Qingyue.” Jiang Du called him by his full name. “Could you go sit on the sofa first?”"No." He looked at her with a smile.
"You're so childish." Jiang Du sighed.
After over an hour of work, she finally finished and told him where each item was placed.
Wei Qingyue glanced around absentmindedly and said, "As long as you know."
But then, with sudden interest, he asked, "Are you really this capable? I remember you couldn’t even rinse clothes clean—they were always covered in detergent stains."
That was ages ago, of course. And honestly, she still wasn’t great at it. Jiang Du felt a little embarrassed to admit it outright: "I wouldn’t say I’m capable. I can’t even cook well—that’s a flaw. But I do enjoy organizing the house, especially now that our rented place is small. Good storage is essential. I guess it’s a mix of strengths and weaknesses."
After saying this, she grew a bit shy and hesitantly asked, "Would you like to come to my place for dinner? Grandpa made enough for you."
Wei Qingyue, of course, wanted to. He asked her to wait ten minutes while he showered and changed. The mirror was fogged up, making it hard to see his reflection clearly.
Once they left the apartment and reached the garage, they saw a mother scolding her child with a pained expression. The little boy was throwing a tantrum on the ground, and the mother said sternly, "Li Haoran, if you keep this up, you’re not getting in the car. I’ll leave you behind."
With that, she turned and walked away. The child froze for a moment, then, seeing his mother actually walking off, scrambled to his feet, ran after her, and wrapped his arms tightly around her waist from behind. The woman turned around, said something else to scold him, picked him up, and got into the car.
Wei Qingyue watched with a faint, ambiguous smile until both mother and child were settled in the car before finally looking away.
He opened the car door and let Jiang Du get in first.
But he didn’t start the car right away. Instead, he spoke slowly, "If I ever have a child, I’ll never casually say I don’t want them."
A flicker of sadness passed through Jiang Du’s eyes, a pang of heartache—whether for him or for herself, she wasn’t sure. But she tried to comfort him: "Just now, that mother was only trying to scare the child. She didn’t really mean it."
"Then he’s lucky," Wei Qingyue said. "When I was in seventh grade, I ranked first in the midterm exams. Wei Zhendong came to the parent-teacher conference as the parent representative and went on stage to talk about how to raise a top student. A crowd gathered around him, asking for advice and flattering him. That’s how it is in school—good grades are the biggest halo. After it ended, I went home with him. I thought he’d be in a good mood that day and wanted to talk to him about something, but I kept circling around, unsure of what to say. Halfway home, he got a call and said he had to attend a dinner. He told me to get out of the car. The weather was terrible—windy and rainy. I said, 'Dad, could you drive a little further and drop me off at the bus stop?' Just that ordinary sentence angered him. He told me to get out immediately and get lost, cursing that I was just like my mother, always ordering people around from a high horse. In that heavy rain, he wouldn’t even let me take an umbrella. I stood by the roadside, drenched like a dog, watching his car disappear into the pouring rain. At that moment, I understood completely—I could be abandoned at any time, whether by Wei Zhendong or my mother. If I didn’t want to be cast aside, I had to make something of myself, never rely on them, never hold any expectations."
At this point, he turned and looked deeply at Jiang Du. "Would you abandon me? Suddenly tell me to get out of the car and make me leave?"
Jiang Du felt her heart twist violently, the pain so sharp it made her dizzy.She shook her head, only realizing Wei Qingyue’s body was trembling imperceptibly when she held his hand.
“Your kindness toward me is real, right? I mean, you won’t leave, you’ll stay and tidy up my room for me,” he asked, almost painfully and dazedly.
Jiang Du’s eyes brimmed with hot tears as she smiled and said, “Even if you tried to drive me away, I wouldn’t leave.”
Wei Qingyue pulled her head close, embracing her, and kissed her in the car. His sense of control over her filled him with profound pleasure and satisfaction.
The trunk was filled with gifts. When they arrived at the residential complex, Wei Qingyue instinctively glanced at the security guard’s face—it was exactly the same as it had been twelve years ago, sending a sudden chill of sweat down his spine.
He remembered it very clearly: that day, when he stepped out, the security guard had greeted Jiang Du. Following the sound, he had looked over and seen an ordinary, middle-aged man’s face.
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