Chapter 1

“Bao, your husband is back in the country?” 

Lin Yuxi had just completed a retinal reattachment surgery. When she came out of the operating room, disinfected, and turned on her phone, she received a call from Yu Jiaxiao. 

“I was wondering why you didn’t reply when I asked you out for dinner today. Your husband’s back, and you didn’t even tell me.” 

Lin Yuxi closed her locker and walked out: “I just finished surgery. I didn’t know he was coming back today.” 

“Huh?” Yu Jiaxiao, always outspoken, said, “That bastard didn’t even notify you he was coming back?” 

Lin Yuxi: “He’s never notified me before.” 

Half a year after their wedding, Zhou Yanjing had moved to New York without consulting Lin Yuxi.  

He came back once or twice a year, and each time she only found out after he had already landed. 

Zhou Yanjing indeed had an extraordinary mind. In just a few short years, the investment bank he founded, Boyu Investment, had created a legendary success for a Chinese company on Wall Street.  

At 27, he was already listed among the 50 most influential figures in global finance and had appeared on the cover of The Banker magazine. Lin Yuxi only learned about these accolades through financial news reports. 

“Wow, your husband’s return made the news. All the young women at my company have been talking about it for half the day, and you’re the last to know.” 

Yu Jiaxiao sent her a screenshot of a headline and commented, “Just look at that. Setting aside his character, your husband really is damn handsome!” 

The Zhou family, one of the top elite families in Lin City, had always been a focus of local financial media, and in recent years, Zhou Yanjing’s every move had been under the spotlight. The media knew more about his whereabouts than Lin Yuxi, his own wife. 

The photo was a candid shot taken at the airport. A Gulfstream G650 private jet was parked on the tarmac, and a tall man was descending the stairs. 

Calling Zhou Yanjing just “handsome” didn’t quite capture it. His facial structure was striking, with deep, defined features. Under the afternoon sun, his appearance was arresting. 

Dressed in a sharp, tailored suit that accentuated his broad shoulders and long legs, his every movement exuded an air of natural nobility. 

An assistant followed a half step behind, reporting something to him, while a secretary trailed behind with the luggage, looking serious. 

Zhou Yanjing appeared relaxed, possibly tired from the long flight. His side profile in the photo exuded a sense of disinterest and weariness. 

Lin Yuxi stared at the photo. 

Zhou Yanjing had returned? 

She found out later than Yu Jiaxiao. 

“So, I guess you’re not coming out for dinner with me tonight,” Yu Jiaxiao grumbled. “I just got my bonus and wanted to treat you.” 

Lin Yuxi said, “Don’t worry, you’ll still get your treat. Let’s reschedule.” 

After hanging up, Lin Yuxi realized it was already dark outside. 

She had been busy all day and hadn’t even had a meal, so she was starving. She quickly hailed a taxi and went back to their marital home in the Songyun Bay villa. 

As a doctor, Lin Yuxi’s work was demanding, and she usually came home late. With a housekeeper at home, she rarely cooked, especially since she wasn’t exactly talented in the kitchen. 

The timing of Zhou Yanjing’s return was unfortunate. She had just recently let the housekeeper go, and if he came home to no dinner, it would be too embarrassing. 

Lin Yuxi started cooking, following recipes online. After nearly two hours of effort, she finally had the meal ready and placed it on the table. But when she checked the time, Zhou Yanjing still hadn’t come home. 

She sat at the dining table for another hour before calling him. No answer. She sent him a message on WeChat, but there was no reply. 

By then, her hunger had subsided. 

When the clock hit ten, Zhou Yanjing still hadn’t come home. 

Lin Yuxi hesitated about whether to clear the now-cold food. While idly scrolling through her WeChat Moments, she saw a post from Shi Tang. 

The caption had just two words: “Welcome back.” 

Lin Yuxi opened the photo. The background looked like a club, filled with the debauchery of wealth and excess. Zhou Yanjing’s friends were all there. 

Zhou Yanjing was also in the picture. 

He had taken off his suit jacket, and the high-end shirt he wore had two buttons undone, revealing a bit of his collar, giving him a casual, laid-back air. 

The photo was taken from the side, showing his long legs crossed and his elegant hand resting on the armrest, casually holding a cigarette. 

A woman in a tight short dress was leaning close to him, gazing at him with affectionate eyes. 

Zhou Yanjing looked utterly relaxed, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips. 

Lin Yuxi closed her WeChat, picked up her chopsticks, and ate the now-cold food. After finishing, she cleaned up the kitchen and went upstairs to take a shower and rest. 

In the private club box. 

Since the gathering was in honor of Zhou Yanjing’s return, everyone was in high spirits. Shi Tang personally poured him a drink. “Brother, here’s to celebrating your return!” 

It was a bottle of Hennessy Paradis, a top-notch cognac, a rare century-limited edition that wasn’t even available on the market. 

The Shi family old man had treasured it for years, but his dutiful grandson had stolen it to welcome his good friend back. 

“Are you going to leave again after this trip?” 

Zhou Yanjing lazily leaned back on the sofa. “Do you want me to leave?” 

“Of course not. I’ve been waiting for you to come back every day!” 

One of their friends joked, “Shi Tang’s been more obsessed with you than your wife.” 

Shi Tang kicked him. “Shut your mouth!” 

Zhou Yanjing, holding a carved glass, patted Shi Tang’s head. “Why do you miss me? Got an itch?” 

“An itch, my ass. My grandpa’s been beating me up every day.” Shi Tang said, “You don’t know, it’s been boring as hell without you.” 

“By the way, where’s your wife? Isn’t she coming tonight?” one of the others asked. 

Shi Tang casually replied, “Why would we invite her when we’re drinking? That’d just kill the vibe.” 

Everyone knew the truth about Zhou Yanjing and Lin Yuxi’s relationship—they were well aware that he had no feelings for her. Their marriage was as good as nonexistent, and none of them treated Lin Yuxi as Mrs. Zhou. 

The woman sitting next to Zhou Yanjing picked up on the conversation and asked him, “Second Young Master, are you married?” 

Zhou Yanjing raised an eyebrow, lifted his cigarette-holding hand, and took a drag, smiling playfully: “Is my wedding ring not shiny enough?” 

Only then did the woman notice the wedding ring on his ring finger. 

His raised hand caused his collar to open slightly, with the light slipping in, revealing part of his collarbone. The rest was hidden in the shadow of the shirt’s opening. 

The look was both lazy and seductive. 

The woman blushed, her curiosity piqued. What kind of woman was lucky enough to be his wife? 

“What’s your wife like?” she asked. 

Zhou Yanjing leaned back on the sofa in a relaxed manner. “My wife?” 

His brown eyes held a thin smile, giving the illusion of affection. “Not as pretty as you.” 

No woman could remain unmoved when looked at by such eyes, especially when he complimented her beauty. The woman’s heart raced like a deer. 

“Don’t listen to him. There’s not a woman in Lin City more beautiful than his wife,” someone else said, bursting her bubble of fantasy. 

She glanced at Zhou Yanjing. 

He bit his cigarette lazily, lips curving in a casual smile, but he didn’t deny it. 

Her heart dropped, realizing he had just been teasing. 

Zhou Yanjing looked exhausted, too lazy to continue smoking. He extinguished the cigarette in his drink, picked up his jacket, and stood up. 

Shi Tang, in the middle of pouring more wine, was surprised. “Leaving already?” 

Zhou Yanjing’s face showed disinterest: “Tired. You guys keep going.” 

Lin Yuxi had a habit since childhood of leaving a light on when she slept. The noise of someone opening the door woke her. 

In the dim light of the bedroom’s floor lamp, she saw the tall figure of a man standing with his back to her, facing the mirror in the walk-in closet. 

There was a faint smell of alcohol in the air. Lin Yuxi sat up in bed, still groggy. 

It had been more than half a year since they last saw each other, and even his silhouette felt unfamiliar. 

“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming back?” 

Zhou Yanjing glanced at her over his shoulder. 

Lin Yuxi, still sleepy, sat on the bed in a loosely fitted nightgown. The thin straps were about to slip off her shoulders. 

Her skin was naturally pale. Even during military training in school, a week under the scorching sun would only leave her slightly red, and a few days later, she would be back to her fair complexion. 

The misty purple nightgown made her look as delicate as a fragile piece of white jade. Her collarbones were elegantly thin, and her fair neck was adorned with a translucent jade pendant of a peace lock. 

Zhou Yanjing casually unbuttoned his shirt: “What, did you have someone hidden at home?” 

Lin Yuxi had intended to ask why he hadn’t told her he was coming back, but his remark left her speechless. Half-asleep, she couldn’t think of a response. 

Zhou Yanjing didn’t seem interested in her answer. He grabbed his pajamas and headed into the bathroom. 

Lin Yuxi sat in bed for a while, listening to the sound of running water from the bathroom, slowly becoming fully awake.