Jincheng was a bit damp and cold after winter set in. At 7:00 AM, Zhuang Ningyu was leisurely making soy milk in the kitchen when the phone on the counter “dinged,” showing a new message. After opening it, it was a voice message of Yi Ke’s chaotic “werwerwer” barking: “Wifey, why have you lost exactly three jin and six liang (1.8kg)?”
Zhuang Ningyu paused with the puppy mug in his hand, quickly ran through the cause and effect of the whole thing in his mind, and remembered that he had just done a routine physical examination the day before yesterday. So he called back, frowning as he lectured: “Do you know that hacking into the management center’s database is illegal?”
Yi Ke on the other end was baffled: “When did I hack into the management center’s database?”
Zhuang Ningyu didn’t believe him: “Then how do you know my exact weight?”
Yi Ke answered: “Because my phone is connected to the smart scale at home.”
Zhuang Ningyu: “…” Careless.
Recently, Yi Ke was on a business trip for training at the capital base, and Zhuang Ningyu frequently worked overtime. The box lunches ordered in the office could only pad his stomach, and he had entered a period of relationship burnout with the Good Sister Chicken Giblets Restaurant. Too lazy to eat, he often just gnawed on an apple to deal with dinner. Losing weight was normal, but obviously, this couldn’t be known by Yi Ke. So he admitted his mistake with a very good attitude: “Tomorrow I’ll go back to Mom and Dad’s to eat.”
Zhuang Yan and his wife were on a scientific expedition in South America, so “Mom and Dad” here was a single-choice question. The next day happened to be Friday. After a month of collective overtime in the department, they finally had a two-day weekend this week. Therefore, the entire floor was filled with a joyful atmosphere. Just before getting off work, Qinggang knocked on the door and stuck his head into the office: “Captain Zhuang, going skiing tomorrow? My treat.”
“No time.” Zhuang Ningyu pointed him to a clear path. “You can ask Xiao Zhong and Xiao Fang. I heard them discussing the newly opened ski resort in the north last week.”
“Asked.” Qinggang spread his hands. “Sister Zhong wants to accompany her family to the hospital for a check-up. As for Xiao Fang, she’s busy developing a second hobby recently, learning to knit sweaters with someone. She’s also going to the night market near Jin’an Park tonight to exchange brilliant techniques, so she has no time either.”
“Then I can’t help you.” Zhuang Ningyu packed up his things. “Leaving now.”
The Yi family’s driver was already waiting in the parking lot and, following Deng Zongyun’s instructions, had prepared a cup of hot cinnamon apple water for him to resist the fierce cold current from Siberia. The Friday evening rush hour was jammed tight. Taxis were hard to get, and due to a line operation failure, people waiting for the subway queued all the way outside the station. The cold wind blew chilly on a group of miserable workers getting off work. Zhuang Ningyu had the driver stop by the roadside, lowered the window, and called out: “Xiao Fang!”
Xiao Fang, who was struggling in the subway queue holding three big bags, was thus called into the car by her direct leader. She was a new intern in the department and usually got nervous even talking to Qinggang, let alone Zhuang Ningyu. So it wasn’t until the car drove two kilometers that she reacted and said hurriedly: “Captain Zhuang, I’m going to the West Gate, it’s not on your way.”
“I know. Qinggang said you’re going to Jin’an Park. I’m also going near there, so I can drop you off on the way.” Zhuang Ningyu handed her the apple water in his hand. “There’s still some time on the road. You’ve worked hard recently, rest a bit in the car.”
Xiao Fang responded, took the hot drink, and took a sip. Seeing from the corner of her eye that the leader had no intention of talking to her anymore, she breathed a slight sigh of relief, carefully placed the bags in her arms at her feet, and took out her phone to start studying the evening’s interest group activities. Zhuang Ningyu leaned back in the seat and slept for a little while. The car was stuck on the road for a full forty minutes before breaking free from the evening rush. By the time he finally got home, it was completely dark. Deng Zongyun asked: “Working overtime again?”
“No, traffic jam.” Zhuang Ningyu changed slippers in the entryway. “Mom, Dad, next time you guys eat first, don’t wait for me.”
“I told Yangyang the same thing, let him eat first, but everyone unanimously wanted to wait for you to come back.” Deng Zongyun smiled and patted him, turned to greet the chef to serve the dishes, and asked the auntie to go to the second floor to call the others down for dinner.
Yangyang was Song Yang, the gold-medal fair-weather friend who drove a yacht around the high seas looking for Fu Han back then. He had a good relationship with the Yi siblings, and recently had some business dealings with Yi Shen, so he would come over to bum a meal every now and then. After bumming a meal, he would bum a ride when leaving—his home wasn’t far from Guanxing Building.
Following the old route, the driver first dropped Song Yang home, then took Zhuang Ningyu back to Guanxing Building. When he got out of the car, the driver specifically reminded him: “Mr. Zhuang, that little girl from before seems to have left something in the car.”
“Hmm?” Zhuang Ningyu took a look and indeed found a black shoulder bag under the seat. He unlocked his phone to ask Xiao Fang, but found she had already sent a message saying she was in too much of a hurry when getting off and forgot a bag.
Zhuang Ningyu replied: Need it urgently?
Xiao Fang replied instantly: Not urgent, not urgent, just some yarn balls. If it’s convenient, you can bring it to me on Monday.
“Send it to her?”
“No need, I’ll bring it to her when I go to work.” Zhuang Ningyu picked up the bag. “You go back and rest early.”
Hitching a ride with a colleague and leaving something behind was normal. He didn’t take it to heart. After returning home, he casually placed the bag on the entryway cabinet, went to shower as usual, and then collapsed onto the bedroom bed, not wanting to move a muscle. Feeling lazy all over, he familiarly dialed a number…
…
“Really, you must believe me!” Song Yang stood by the window, his tone emphatic. “Brother Zhuang is really knitting a scarf for you!”
Yi Ke didn’t hesitate for a second: “Impossible.”
“I understand that when facing huge expected happiness, it’s inevitable to have some avoidant mentality.” Song Yang blew a non-existent smoke ring. “Human nature, human nature.”
“Sick.”
“I’m not sick!” Song Yang felt greatly wronged and couldn’t care less about being deep anymore. He started raising his hand to swear wildly, “Really, I touched it. That bag by Brother Zhuang’s feet really contained yarn and knitting needles!”
Yi Ke: “Is it possible that it wasn’t his bag at all?”
Song Yang: “That bag even had your unit’s name on it. Obviously, it’s Brother Zhuang’s stuff. Can’t you have a little confidence in your love?”
What responded to him was a busy tone. Yi Ke couldn’t be bothered to pay attention to this lunatic anymore. He hurried to tidy himself up like cloud-like hair facing the window and yellow flower applique facing the mirror (referencing Mulan, meaning grooming meticulously), and then started a video call with his precious wifey for their nightly chat. Are you full tonight? Let hubby kiss your tummy, mwah mwah mwah!
Zhuang Ningyu scolded him with a smile. Wearing soft pajamas, lying in a pile of equally soft pillows and quilts, he listened to his rambling in his ear on and off.
A very ordinary and warm day ended just like this in the lover’s bedtime story.
On Monday at work, Zhuang Ningyu returned the bag to Xiao Fang. This matter could have ended here originally, until the next Friday, when Zhuang Ningyu put a yellow shopping bag in the car when going home for dinner.
“I just bought it.” Seeing Song Yang staring at it after getting in the car, Zhuang Ningyu explained proactively, “Cashmere scarf.”
Cashmere scarf? Hearing these words, Song Yang turned his head with a “swish”: “Is it for Brother Yi?”
“Mhm.” Zhuang Ningyu fastened his seatbelt. “When calling yesterday, he said his neck was cold.”
Of course, the cloakroom at home didn’t lack scarves, but a gift was also a form of ritual. So Zhuang Ningyu still personally went to the store after work and carefully selected one. Very big, very soft. In the vast majority of cases, it could be called a very good gift, but… Song Yang deliberated slightly and quickly organized a story in his mind about “because Brother Zhuang’s knitting skills were too unfamiliar, he finally decided to buy a scarf.” So he decided to continue fighting for his fair-weather friend, cleared his throat and said: “But I think maybe Brother Yi would want the one you knitted yourself more.”
Zhuang Ningyu didn’t understand: “What one I knitted myself?”
Song Yang didn’t give him a chance to avoid the topic, his tone emphatic: “The one left in the car last week!”
Zhuang Ningyu recalled for a long time before finally remembering and explained: “That wasn’t mine, it belonged to an intern in the department. I already returned it to her on Monday. How could it be knitted by me?”
Song Yang’s expression petrified for a moment: “Really?”
“Really.” Zhuang Ningyu leaned back in the chair, not intending to continue this topic. As a result, he heard a faint sentence drifting from the side: “But I already ran my mouth and told Brother Yi.”
Zhuang Ningyu: “?”
The inside of the car fell eerily silent, with only light music flowing weakly. After a moment, Zhuang Ningyu found his voice: “It’s okay, he won’t believe it.”
Song Yang held a different opinion on this: “Then why would he say his neck is cold?”
The reason his neck was cold was actually that the cold high pressure from the Arctic had menacingly wrapped around the capital, and Yi Ke refused to wear turtlenecks. Being cold was normal, and whining and acting spoiled to his wife when cold was even more normal. Usually, Zhuang Ningyu could easily sort out the logical connection here, but right now, perhaps because Comrade Xiao Song’s gaze was too revolutionary and sincere, he actually had that tiny bit of wavering and doubt.
He wouldn’t really believe I’m knitting him a scarf, right?
That night, the two had a video call before bed as usual. Yi Ke looked at the person on the screen, first sighing about how good-looking my wifey is, then asked casually: “Why are you still wearing a sweater at home?”
Zhuang Ningyu couldn’t stand hearing the word “wool/sweater” right now. No matter how he heard it, he felt the other party was implying something. This misunderstanding was really a bit ridiculous. Just as he was preparing to lay it out clearly, he saw Yi Ke on the other side lying on the bed looking at him. His freshly washed hair wasn’t completely dry, a bit messy, eyes carrying a sparkling smile, voice soft and raspy: “What’s wrong, sweetheart?”
Zhuang Ningyu propped his forehead with one hand: “Nothing.”
Although children couldn’t be spoiled, reasonable demands could be considered at discretion. Zhuang Ningyu, blinded by love, inexplicably searched for how to knit a scarf after ending the video call. Then he was dazzled by various wondrous knitting techniques until dizzy. No wonder Xiao Fang had to brave a forty-minute traffic jam to go to Jin’an Park for an on-site exchange meeting, because this kind of thing is really hard to learn without being on site.
So the next night, during the bedtime video call, Zhuang Ningyu asked relatively implicitly: “Is your neck still cold?”
“Cold, wifey, cold!” Yi Ke climbed up the pole immediately and started complaining, “And I haven’t been able to buy a scarf!”
This business trip was a fully closed training. All daily necessities could only be purchased from the small supermarket at the base. The stock was limited. Yi Ke arrived a step later than others, the shelves were empty, so he could only continue to wander around with a bare neck.
Zhuang Ningyu didn’t understand the complex supply and demand story within this, only waved weakly, indicating he knew, you may withdraw.
The scarf knitting plan was thus put on the agenda. Zhuang Ningyu had really never thought before that his life would be connected with this skill. After watching instructional videos for three consecutive nights, he found that this matter seemed not as simple as he thought. So during the lunch break on the fourth day, he specially strolled over to Xiao Fang with a tea cup and asked super inadvertently: “If a beginner wants to knit a scarf, from introduction to completion, how long does it usually take?”
“Depends on the style of the scarf.” Xiao Fang answered. “If it’s the simplest style, with thicker yarn, and no particularly high requirements for the finished product quality, probably… um, about a month.”
She didn’t understand why the leader suddenly asked this, but she saw the leader’s vigorous thirst for knowledge. So she proactively took out tools from her bag and performed on the spot what “simple style, low quality, entry-level” meant. After watching, Zhuang Ningyu once again deeply realized the significance of the Industrial Revolution to all mankind. The Spinning Jenny was indeed a monumental great invention.
Xiao Fang asked curiously: “Leader, is there a recent case related to knitting scarves?”
Zhuang Ningyu didn’t change his expression, speaking vaguely: “Oh, not in our area, I was just asking casually. You go back to being busy.”
Qinggang observed from not far away, whispering sideways: “Have you noticed that Captain Zhuang is slightly in a trance these past few days?”
Zhong Mu nodded: “I noticed, but there doesn’t seem to be any major events in the unit recently. Could it be that he misses Xiao Yi?”
Qinggang turned around and told Yi Ke this intelligence, selling out his leader without any psychological pressure.
So on Friday night, Zhuang Ningyu, who had just come out of the bathroom, was embraced by a shadow coming towards him. Yi Ke, wrapped in the outdoor chill that hadn’t dissipated yet, pressed him directly onto the bedroom bed, his voice intermittent and slurred in the kiss: “Wifey.”
Zhuang Ningyu recovered from the shock after a long time: “Why did you run back now?”
“Missed you.”
“…”
Couldn’t say it was a very reasonable reason, but it was indeed something Yi Ke would do. Zhuang Ningyu didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He reached out to push him, wanting to signal the other party to let him sit up first, but was silenced by a scorching kiss. Yi Ke kneed his legs apart, big hands dragging that slender waist and pressing heavily towards himself, making their bodies fit closely. The kiss became more lingering and fervent. Only when the person beneath him started to gasp did he loosen his hand slightly, scraping the flushed cheek with his calloused fingertips, asking in a low voice: “Missed me or not?”
Zhuang Ningyu held his thumb: “Mhm.”
Yi Ke laughed out loud, leaning down to rub nose tips with him intimately: “Mhm.”
Zhuang Ningyu asked: “When are you going back?”
“Sunday night.” Yi Ke sat up, pulling the quilt from the side to cover him properly. “I’ll go take a shower first.”
Water flowed in the bathroom. Zhuang Ningyu leaned against the headboard, canceled the originally scheduled weekend activities, remembered that the body wash had just run out, so he got up to open a new bottle, standing at the bathroom door knocking: “Need body wash?”
Yi Ke opened the door, accepted the body wash, and conveniently accepted the wife who delivered the body wash.
The time they were separated this time was as long as two months. For Yi Ke, who considered not seeing his wife for eight hours a long-distance relationship, lasting until now to fly back was already quite mature, steady, and considerate of the big picture. So Zhuang Ningyu only symbolically slapped him once, then tacitly allowed all his subsequent excessive behaviors.
The water sprayed from the showerhead was like a scalding and continuous rain.
The next morning, Zhuang Ningyu woke up to a rustling sound. His exhausted body could only scrape together enough strength to barely open his eyelids. He frowned and asked hoarsely: “What are you doing?”
“Looking for some thick clothes.” Yi Ke ran out of the cloakroom, pressing onto him through the quilt, bringing familiar weight, familiar scent, familiar embrace, familiar good morning kiss, and a trace of unfamiliar soft touch falling on his face. So Zhuang Ningyu opened his eyes a bit wider, then instantly sobered up. He looked at Yi Ke’s superb fashion outfit of silk pajamas paired with a cashmere scarf, and couldn’t squeeze out a word for a long time.
“Saw it when packing clothes.” Yi Ke was delighted. “Bought for me?”
Zhuang Ningyu squeezed out a “Mhm”.
“I knew it.” Yi Ke happily hugged him tighter. “My wifey wouldn’t let me freeze alone at the base.”
Zhuang Ningyu reached out and patted his back, terrified that the other party would drag the topic back to the new century hand-knitting industry.
But Yi Ke didn’t. He seemed to genuinely like this cashmere scarf, filled with the joy of a successful man loved by his wife.
Zhuang Ningyu was kissed by him until breathing was difficult. Just as he was preparing to resist, his cheek was softly rubbed by the scarf, instantly losing the strategic high ground psychologically, allowing the other party to knead him into any shape.
Yi Ke pinched his cheek: “Why are you so cooperative today?”
Zhuang Ningyu answered calmly: “As long as you never mention scarves again in the future, I can be even more cooperative.”
Yi Ke didn’t understand the logic in this: “Why?”
Zhuang Ningyu grabbed the two ends of the scarf and pulled crosswise.
Yi Ke: “Don’t murder your husband!”
The topic of the scarf was passed over just like that. Although Yi Ke never figured out in the end what couldn’t be mentioned about the scarf, he obtained a wonderful new morning experience. Zhuang Ningyu’s wake-up time was thus postponed to four in the afternoon. And it wasn’t waking up naturally; he was carried to the dining table by Yi Ke.
Zhuang Ningyu looked sleepy: “I’m not hungry.”
Yi Ke leaned in, nose to nose with him: “Why not hungry, is it because you ate—hiss!”
Successfully exchanged for a punch.
Doesn’t matter, wifey’s fist is also fragrant. Yi Ke was beaten into elation, happily wagging his big tail, bringing a bowl of porridge to feed him, sighing with emotion while feeding: “Why do you love me so much?”
Zhuang Ningyu couldn’t be bothered with him.
Yi Ke: “Wifey wifey wifey wifey.”
Zhuang Ningyu was dizzy from the noise, so he swallowed the porridge in his mouth: “There’s something I haven’t said. Actually, since I was young, I hoped my partner would be cool, aloof, having few desires, introverted, and speak little. Do you think this wish of mine can still be realized in my lifetime?”
Yi Ke looked at his lips reddened by the hot porridge. What cool aloof few desires, what are you saying, gibberish, want to kiss.
After eating, Zhuang Ningyu moved himself to the living room sofa to watch TV, watching Comrade Xiao Qian outsmart the unreasonable auntie in the community. Just as the plot reached its climax, Yi Ke suddenly rushed out of the kitchen like a whirlwind wearing dishwashing gloves, with a “Bang”! Hands supporting on both sides of Zhuang Ningyu, his whole body bent down pressing over. Zhuang Ningyu was startled by his menacing appearance, instinctively hugging the cushion and dodging back to put some distance between them, asking warily: “Do you need something?”
Yi Ke: “Isn’t that Fu Han?”
Zhuang Ningyu: “?”
Outside the window, fiery clouds stretched continuously. Yi Ke lay on the window sill, looking at the distant sky with the deep gaze of a mature man.
Zhuang Ningyu: “That’s about enough.”
Yi Ke: “Heh, cool, aloof, few desires, introverted, speaks little.”
Zhuang Ningyu: “…”
Yi Ke stuffed a piece of gum into his mouth, blowing bubbles blue blue at the sunset, looking like a philosophical goldfish.
Zhuang Ningyu stood behind him, regretting not taking advantage of Double Twelve to order a “Cashmere Scarf for Boyfriend DIY Knitting Material Kit Beginner Level”. Otherwise, he could be sitting on the sofa knitting a sweater with flying fingers right now without distractions.
Yi Ke turned 45 degrees, discussing calmly: “Does the so-called cool aloofness and few desires count as the Stoic Apatheia? Indifference to preference, a dynamic rational balance, a spiritual freedom achieved through training?”
Zhuang Ningyu: “I bought a new set of pajamas.”
Yi Ke: “Show me quickly!”
Free will instantly defeated rational balance. Stop acting, can’t have few desires at all.
The theme of this weekend was complete romanticism and existentialism. Zhuang Ningyu finally gave up getting out of bed. He lay in a mess of pillows and quilts, cupping Yi Ke’s sweaty side face with both hands, looking up to actively seek a kiss. The wedding ring on his ring finger glowed with a gentle silver light.
Yi Ke held his hand, the love in his eyes deepening.
When the moon rose and stars faded, the bedroom finally quieted down. Zhuang Ningyu curled up on the bed, eyelashes trembling lightly, not sleeping too soundly. Yi Ke leaned against the headboard, encircling his body with one hand to pat and comfort him lightly. With the other hand, he grabbed his phone to reply to messages in the group: Accompanying wifey, not coming out, no time. Why are you guys so idle one by one, don’t you have pretty wifey at home?
After sending, he didn’t look at the rapid screen scrolling, tossed the phone aside dashingly, and officially went to sleep! Just as Zhuang Ningyu opened his eyes groggily, he was embraced into a solid chest. The scent of roses overflowed at the tip of his nose, the most effective tranquilizer. Within the tight wrapping of the familiar scent, in less than a minute, he transitioned from light sleep to deep sleep.
Yi Ke chuckled lightly, lowering his head to place a kiss in his hair.
“Goodnight wifey.”
