Chapter 2

After a while, Zhou Yanjing came out of the bathroom, his footsteps heading to the other side of the bed. The mattress sank slightly, and a corner of the quilt was lifted. 

Lin Yuxi caught a faint cold fragrance—a sharp and deep scent that carried an invasive quality, merging woody notes with body warmth, followed by a subtle tobacco undertone. 

It was the smell imprinted with Zhou Yanjing’s personal mark. 

The dim floor lamp didn’t cast light onto the bed, and the night was especially quiet—quiet enough to hear the soft sound of breathing. 

The two occupied their respective halves of the large bed, separated by an invisible, cold boundary. 

After lying there for a while, Lin Yuxi glanced at Zhou Yanjing. Perhaps due to the darkness, his features appeared deep and aloof. 

“Are you asleep?” she asked. 

Silence filled the darkness, followed by Zhou Yanjing’s cold and slightly impatient voice: “Be quiet.” 

Lin Yuxi touched the safety pendant around her neck and turned over. 

The next morning, when Lin Yuxi woke up, Zhou Yanjing was already gone. 

She got up, freshened up, and upon reaching the living room, saw that Zhou Yanjing was already dressed, sitting at the dining table, browsing real-time U.S. stock prices on his pad. 

Hearing her enter, he glanced up. “Where’s Aunt Chen?” 

Lin Yuxi opened the fridge. “I fired her.” 

Zhou Yanjing frowned but didn’t say anything. 

Lin Yuxi quickly fried two eggs. After some thought, she added ham slices, lettuce, and cheese, making two sandwiches, which she brought to the dining room. 

Zhou Yanjing glanced at them. “Is this what you usually eat?” 

What’s wrong with this? This was already much better than what Lin Yuxi normally ate. In the mornings, when rushing to work, her breakfast was often just two slices of toast. 

She thought to herself: Eat it if you want, or leave it. 

Suddenly, a meow came from behind the sofa. Lin Yuxi turned to see a timid little head poke out—a calico mother cat. 

During the recent heavy rain, she had found a litter of stray kittens at the hospital, shivering from the cold, with the mother cat also emaciated. 

Feeling sorry for them, she brought them home, intending to find adopters once they were old enough. But unexpectedly, Zhou Yanjing had returned to the country. 

He didn’t allow her to keep cats. When he was in the U.S. for a year, Lin Yuxi had tried rescuing a stray cat, too. She called him to ask for his opinion, and he only replied with two words: “No way.” 

Lin Yuxi had locked the cat in an empty room, but she didn’t expect the cat to be smart enough to open the door and come out on its own. 

Sure enough, Zhou Yanjing frowned. “Where did that stray cat come from?” 

His tone was full of disdain, which made Lin Yuxi uncomfortable. She walked over, picked up the cat, and muttered, “I gave birth to it.” 

Zhou Yanjing let out a light scoff. “Then you should apply for the Nobel Prize.” 

Lin Yuxi put the cat back in the room. When she came out, Zhou Yanjing was already wearing his coat, and the sandwiches she made were still untouched on the table. 

While adjusting his tie in front of the mirror, he announced coldly, “Get rid of it before I come back.” 

Lin Yuxi didn’t respond. 

In such a large villa, it wasn’t like they couldn’t accommodate a few kittens. Why be so heartless to creatures that were already struggling to survive? 

For someone so wealthy, his heart was cruel. 

From the reflection in the mirror, Zhou Yanjing noticed her expression. “What are you cursing me for now?” 

“Who would dare curse you?” Lin Yuxi said. “I’ll keep them locked up properly so they won’t come out again. I’ll disinfect the house every day and send them to adopters as soon as I find them.” 

In a rush to get to work, she packed the sandwiches in a plastic bag, intending to eat them on the way. 

“If you can’t stand it, you can stay somewhere else. After all, you’ve got plenty of places to stay.” 

Zhou Yanjing chuckled. “Six months apart, and your temper’s grown. I’ve just returned, and you’re already trying to kick me out.” 

Lin Yuxi didn’t respond, lowering her head to change her shoes. 

Her work attire prioritized comfort—a loose sweater with tight jeans hugging her long, shapely legs. 

As she bent to put on her shoes, the curve from her waist to her hips was quite alluring. 

Zhou Yanjing, fastening the buttons on his suit jacket, raised his eyes slightly, his gaze lazily passing over her. “What did you want to say last night?” 

This time, it was Lin Yuxi who didn’t have time to talk. “I’m in a rush for work. We’ll talk when I get back.” 

After doing her rounds, Lin Yuxi spent the entire morning at the ophthalmology clinic. There were many patients today, and she didn’t finish until nearly 2 p.m. By then, the hospital cafeteria was almost empty, so she grabbed a quick bite. 

As she was eating, she received a call from Ling Yaqiong, asking her to come home today. 

Lin Yuxi agreed, but after hanging up, she stared at the rice on her plate, suddenly losing her appetite. 

After work, driver Old Liu came to pick her up, and Lin Yuxi got into the car. 

The courtyard they arrived at had a traditional Suzhou garden style and was nearly a hundred years old. Lin Yuxi was very familiar with the place—she had grown up here. 

After her parents were killed, she spent several years in an orphanage before being taken in by the Zhou family. Although it was called an adoption, it was more like financial support. 

If a pyramid represented the social hierarchy of Lin City, the Zhou family would be at the very top—a level that ordinary people could never reach. 

As an orphan, Lin Yuxi was already incredibly fortunate to be adopted by the Zhou family. She had no right to expect her name on the household register. 

No one had predicted that her luck would strike twice—eventually, she married the second son of the Zhou family, and her name did go on the register. 

Lin Yuxi sat in the living room for a while before Ling Yaqiong, elegantly dressed in a cheongsam, descended from upstairs. 

“I heard you dismissed Aunt Chen?” 

Lin Yuxi wasn’t surprised that she knew. “Did she come to complain to you?” 

After Lin Yuxi married Zhou Yanjing, the Zhou family assigned them a housekeeper. Aunt Chen was efficient and attentive in her work. 

Since Zhou Yanjing was often away, it was just Lin Yuxi and Aunt Chen at home most of the time, so Lin Yuxi treated her kindly, allowing her to take home any unused high-end ingredients and supplements, and giving her red envelopes during holidays. 

Aunt Chen’s job was actually quite easy, as Lin Yuxi was busy with work and rarely at home, so she didn’t fuss over small matters. 

One time, the hospital required certain documents, and Lin Yuxi couldn’t find hers anywhere. Aunt Chen wasn’t at home, and her phone couldn’t be reached. Lin Yuxi finally found her at a mahjong table. 

One of Aunt Chen’s friends teased her, “It’s so late, aren’t you afraid your lady boss will scold you?” 

Aunt Chen had lost a lot of money and was on a losing streak, unwilling to leave the table. 

“She’s busy with work and won’t be home at this hour. Besides, my salary is paid by the Zhou family, not by her. What could she do to me?” 

“But she’s still the Zhou family’s second daughter-in-law. If she puts in a word with her husband, couldn’t she just fire you?” 

“Yeah, right,” Aunt Chen scoffed. “Our second young master barely comes home a few times a year. What pillow talk could she possibly use?” 

Middle-aged women love gossip. “Oh, so the couple’s not getting along?” 

“Not at all. He went to America right after they got married, supposedly to chase after his childhood sweetheart. This wife was forced on him by the family; he probably can’t stand the sight of her.” 

“So, women really need some tricks. Being pretty isn’t enough if you can’t hold onto a man’s heart.” 

It’s human nature to treat people differently based on status, but Lin Yuxi hadn’t expected such hurtful words from someone she had treated well. 

Aunt Chen had enjoyed her gossip but froze when she saw Lin Yuxi standing behind her, nearly dropping her tiles in shock, stammering out an apology. 

Lin Yuxi didn’t make a scene; she simply asked Aunt Chen to return home and find the misplaced documents. That evening, she dismissed her. 

Ling Yaqiong sat down. “Aunt Chen was just gossiping behind your back. Although it wasn’t proper, it wasn’t a big deal either. You’re Zhou Yanjing’s wife, the second daughter-in-law of the Zhou family. If you can’t even control a housekeeper, how could people not look down on you?” 

Lin Yuxi’s lips curled slightly. 

Who knows what kind of exaggerations Aunt Chen told Ling Yaqiong. Regardless of the situation, no matter whose fault it was, Ling Yaqiong was never 

satisfied with her. It had been that way since she was a child. 

Lin Yuxi had long since stopped explaining herself—there was no point. Even if she did, Ling Yaqiong would never take her side. It would only be self-humiliation. 

“You can’t cook, and you’re no good at managing the household. Now that Yanjing is back, are you planning to just sit around and wait for him to serve you?” 

Lin Yuxi thought, It’s not like I haven’t done that before. 

But she didn’t dare say that aloud in front of Ling Yaqiong.