After Wang Lin’s cremation, Ji Qikun offered Wei Zhi a month of leave, but she declined.
The day after the burial, she returned to the gallery as usual, acting as if she couldn't see the strange looks directed her way. In the finance office, everyone spoke with hushed caution, carefully avoiding any outbursts of laughter or anger. Even Xiao Cai, whom Wei Zhi had recently provoked over the phone, showed no intention of settling scores, maintaining the previous facade of peace.
Wei Zhi threw herself into her work, trying to numb the pain of losing her mother. It wasn't until the courier station near her home called to urge her that she remembered the high-end replica bag she had purchased a month ago. She hadn't had the chance to pick it up.
Mindful of the previous incident, she knocked on the director’s office door and stepped inside.
"A package? What did you buy?"
"Sanitary pads from a big sale," Wei Zhi replied with her prepared answer. "They aren't worth much, but it’s not good to leave them sitting there forever."
"Then wait until I’m off work. I’ll drive you to get them," Ji Qikun said, signing a purchase contract without looking up.
"No need. I actually want to get some fresh air. I’ll head out early, pick up the package, and have dinner ready for you at home. How does that sound?"
"You really don't need a ride?"
"Your work is more important."
Leaving the director’s office, Wei Zhi returned to the finance room to grab her purse and walked out without a word. No one stopped her; she had long since made such behavior a habit for everyone else to witness, even if it wasn't her original intention.
She took a bus to the courier station. Aside from saving money, she simply didn't want to reach that familiar street too quickly.
Since it was during working hours, the bus was sparsely populated. Wei Zhi chose a window seat and pushed open the glass, letting the late summer breeze blow freely against her face.
She hated summer. Summer had twice taken away the people most important to her.
After a long forty-minute ride, she finally reached her stop. The sun had shifted, and the setting rays blanketed the sidewalk. She stepped off the bus alone and walked forward slowly.
A nearby primary school had just let out, and a large crowd of students poured out. Some quickly found the elders waiting at the gate, clinging to their arms with beaming smiles; others rushed straight to the snack stalls, picking out spicy strips and fried skewers.
The street, which had been cold and lonely a second ago, was filled with life in an instant.
Children walked hand-in-hand past her, their laughter echoing in the air, light and bright. Those being picked up by family skipped beside the adults, occasionally letting out bell-like cheers, every movement brimming with innocent joy. Silver-haired grandparents held their grandchildren’s hands, listening patiently to their naive chatter, their hair reflecting a warm glow in the twilight.
Wei Zhi’s pace stood in stark contrast to this flowing tide of people.
She walked slower than a seventy-year-old; anyone could leave her behind.
The enticing aroma of food wafted from a small roadside restaurant, and the chatter of customers drifted through half-open windows. A young couple pushed a stroller toward her, the infant peering around curiously and babbling. But these heartwarming scenes did not touch Wei Zhi’s heartstrings. She was like a ghost drifting outside the world, floating along in silence.
When she saw the courier station, the entrance to the alley leading to the Wei family home also came into view. She forced herself to look away and buried her head as she walked into the station.
"Hey, miss, could you help me check R-43321? I can't find it."
"Oh, here, take this back. This isn't my package."
Wei Zhi bypassed the people crowding the counter and walked into the back warehouse, searching for her package using her pickup code.
Soon, she found the small, long-forgotten box. After scanning the code to confirm the pickup, she left the station with the box in hand.
While buying groceries at a nearby stall, she saw a fisherman selling freshly caught sea shrimp and fish. The shrimp were large and fresh, so she bought some. After finishing her grocery shopping, Wei Zhi entered a supermarket and bought twenty packs of sanitary pads.
"Could I borrow a knife and some clear tape?"
Wei Zhi borrowed a utility knife from the supermarket owner. She sliced open the courier box, took out the replica bag, and stuffed the newly purchased sanitary pads inside. Once packed, she resealed the box with the tape.
Only after completing all this did she hail a taxi home.
Upon entering the house, Wei Zhi first checked the shoe rack in the entryway. Confirming that Ji Qikun wasn't home yet, she set the box on the floor and took the replica bag into the walk-in closet, placing it with the others. Just as she closed the glass cabinet door, the sound of Ji Qikun entering the house echoed from the front door.
"Qikun, you're back," she greeted him.
"You just got back too?" Ji Qikun glanced at the box on the floor. "Got your package?"
"Yes. I'm about to start dinner now."
Wei Zhi had cooked for the Wei family for over twenty years; her speed and skill were beyond question. She efficiently prepared four dishes and a soup, then called Ji Qikun out from the study to eat.
The soft light of the dining room fell over the table, making the exquisite dishes look even more appetizing. The plate of poached shrimp sat in the center, their shells a bright, translucent red from the hot oil and water, each shrimp curled tightly. A small dish held a clear, dark dipping sauce, emitting a faint aroma of soy sauce and vinegar.
Wei Zhi and Ji Qikun both kept their heads down, occasionally lifting a morsel to their mouths. The sound of chewing was exceptionally clear in the quiet air.
Ji Qikun suddenly asked, "Why is there no wasabi?"
He had just put a poached shrimp dipped in sauce into his mouth.
"The wasabi in the kitchen ran out. I haven't had time to buy more."
"You didn't buy any at the supermarket?"
Wei Zhi froze for a moment.
"...Forget it, I'll make do this time. Remember to prepare it next time," Ji Qikun said, offering her a comforting smile.
After dinner, Ji Qikun returned to the study to work overtime, while Wei Zhi stayed outside to clear the table.
The offhand comment Ji Qikun made at the table suddenly reignited her previous suspicions. That time she had left work early, Ji Qikun had received the news immediately. At first, she thought someone in the finance office had tipped him off.
But what if it wasn't that?
After putting the dishes in the dishwasher, she glanced at the closed study door. She pulled out her phone, opened her settings, and clicked on location services. A list of all apps currently using location permissions appeared on the screen.
Aside from the apps she recognized, she saw an unfamiliar name as she scrolled down.
"Family Guardian." The location permission was set to "Always."
Wei Zhi immediately returned to the home screen and searched carefully for the unfamiliar icon. Finally, in a folder filled with pre-installed system apps she never used, she found the hidden "Family Guardian."
When she opened it, she discovered it was a tracking app. It could not only monitor her location in real-time but also show exactly how long she had stayed in a particular place.
And her only "friend" on the app was named "Master."
...
Ji Qikun closed the page on his computer and stood up to walk to the door.
He opened the door and saw Wei Zhi standing outside.
"...Didn't I say not to disturb me while I'm working?" He frowned slightly.
Wei Zhi looked up at him and raised the phone in her hand.
"What is this?"
The interface of "Family Guardian" was displayed on the screen. Ji Qikun took only one look, and the surprise in his eyes lasted only a fleeting second.
"Why are you monitoring me?" Wei Zhi asked.
In that brief silence, countless excuses flashed through Ji Qikun’s mind. But every one of them felt too forced, beneath his dignity. So, he smiled and said, "This isn't monitoring."
He stepped out of the study, not forgetting to pull the door shut behind him.
"Your mother just passed away. I was afraid you might do something rash. With this app, I can feel a bit more at ease when I'm not around."
"Monitoring is what police do to criminals," he said. "What I do for you is protection. This app won't cause you any inconvenience."
"How am I any different from a prisoner then?"
"Fine, let me ask you this. A prisoner’s movements are restricted—are yours?
"A prisoner is forced to work a set number of hours every day—have I forced you to work?
"A prisoner even has set times for eating and sleeping—have I ever dictated yours?"
Ji Qikun pressed forward, giving Wei Zhi no chance to speak.
"I am simply worried about your personal safety, yet you compare yourself to a convict. Is this how you treat someone who is thinking entirely of your well-being? When you say things like that, do you not consider how much it hurts me?"
"I am indeed freer than a prisoner, but you check my location at any time. How is that different from surveillance?" Wei Zhi asked.
"Then let me ask you again: has this app caused you any actual inconvenience?"
A silent, invisible tracking app on a phone—if it caused any "inconvenience," it would only be in doing things Ji Qikun didn't want her to do.
The essence of the matter was the violation of personal space. But if she protested on the grounds of personal space, she could imagine that Ji Qikun would surely use "love" to justify his actions.
To answer his question, no matter the angle, was to fall into his trap.
However, simply realizing it was a trap had already cost her a second. In Ji Qikun’s eyes, her hesitation was no different from being speechless.
"Furthermore, the reason I installed a tracking app on your phone is because you lied to me first," Ji Qikun said. "If you want me to trust you again, you have to prove your sincerity. Or is there somewhere you're going that you can't tell me about?"
"...Of course not."
"Then this app won't cause you any inconvenience. On the contrary, it will maintain the stability of our relationship and repair the trust between us." Ji Qikun pulled her into his arms, looking down at her. "Isn't that right?"
"..."
"I love you, Xiao Zhi." Ji Qikun pressed soft, lingering kisses to her forehead, his voice a low murmur. "Because I love you too much, I’m always afraid of losing you. I don't like this side of myself either. When I was young, I was always alone at my uncle’s house; there was only me and the servants. That feeling of being abandoned makes it hard for me to trust people easily... even you, Xiao Zhi. But the tracking app on the phone is my way of trying to trust you... Don't abandon me because of this, okay?"
He spoke softly into her ear, his voice carrying a hint of vulnerability and plea.
"...What does your ID mean?" Wei Zhi asked.
"I am the master of this heart." His slender hand rested over Wei Zhi’s heart, and he flashed a sly smile. "Am I not?"
*A slave owner would say the same thing when beautifying himself,* Wei Zhi thought. She felt no romance whatsoever.
Wei Zhi saw that Ji Qikun would never give up monitoring her, so she acted as if she had been persuaded.
"Then will you be the master of this heart forever?"
Ji Qikun smiled confidently.
"Certainly."
"I want to be your master too," Wei Zhi said.
Ji Qikun replied, "You have long been the master of my heart."
"No—not yet."
Wei Zhi leaned submissively into his embrace, speaking silently in her mind.
*But that day is drawing closer and closer.*
***
Glossary:
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
---|---|---
家庭守卫者 | Family Guardian | The name of the tracking app Ji Qikun installed on Wei Zhi's phone.
主人 | Master | Ji Qikun's ID on the tracking app; also used in their dialogue regarding control.
辣条 | Spicy strips | A popular Chinese snack made of wheat gluten.
炸串 | Fried skewers | A common street food.
高仿包 | Replica bag / High-end imitation bag | A counterfeit luxury item.
