Chapter 3

The servant brewed the tea. 

 Ling Yaqiong was particularly fond of pre-Qingming Longjing tea, and the clear fragrance wafted through the air. She took a sip and asked, “Did you talk to Yanjing about what I mentioned last time?” 

Lin Yuxi hesitated. “Not yet.” 

She had tried to reach Zhou Yanjing. At the time, he was still in Manhattan. 

 Lin Yuxi had called him, saying she wanted to talk, but he was busy and impatient, only saying, “Whatever it is, we’ll talk when I get back.” 

Afterward, Lin Yuxi called him a few more times, but he didn’t answer, so she eventually stopped trying. 

“You don’t take anything I say to heart.” Ling Yaqiong’s brows furrowed deeply. “I told you to talk to him, and it’s been so long. What exactly have you discussed?” 

“Now that Yanjing is back, the two of you should find time to get the paperwork done. The sooner it’s over, the better.” 

“Living like this, making a spectacle of yourselves for others to laugh at. You two might not care, but I do.” 

For years, Ling Yaqiong’s greatest source of frustration had been Zhou Yanjing and Lin Yuxi’s marriage. If she had known, she would never have agreed to let them marry. 

“Divorce will be a relief for both of you. I’m doing this for your own good.” 

The teacup was a bit hot. Lin Yuxi curled her fingers from the heat, looking down at the floating tea leaves in the pale yellow liquid. 

If she didn’t love Zhou Yanjing, it truly would be a relief. 

“I’ll talk to him.” 

“The master and the second young master are back,” the servant said. 

Lin Yuxi turned around. 

Zhou Yanjing had returned with Zhou Qizhen. 

In private, Zhou Yanjing tended to be more casual. He carried his suit jacket loosely in one hand, walking in with a relaxed smile while chatting with Zhou Qizhen. 

However, that faint smile faded subtly when his gaze landed on her. 

Ling Yaqiong hadn’t seen her son in a long time and stood up with a bright smile to greet him. “Why did you decide to come back so suddenly? You didn’t even discuss it with me.” 

Zhou Yanjing said, “Don’t you like surprises?” 

“What surprises do I need? It’s enough that you didn’t drive me mad. Coming and going as you please.” 

Although Ling Yaqiong scolded him, she was happier than anyone to see her son after so long. “You’ve lost weight again. Have you not been eating properly over there?” 

Zhou Yanjing stood lazily, letting her scrutinize him, and smiled mischievously. “You say that every time we meet. How about you just plant me in the bamboo grove out back?” 

Ling Yaqiong slapped him lightly. “You can never be serious.” 

Zhou Yanjing had always been sharp-tongued, able to charm people when he wanted and win any argument when he didn’t. 

Though he’d become more mature with age, at heart, he was still that rascal, and Lin Yuxi had never been able to win an argument with him. 

During dinner, Lin Yuxi sat beside Zhou Yanjing. 

Zhou Qizhen, who had held a high position for many years, carried an air of authority that made Lin Yuxi nervous around him. 

At the table, Zhou Qizhen asked her a few polite questions about her work, and she answered them dutifully, feeling as if she were being questioned by a school principal. 

When Zhou Qizhen turned his attention to Zhou Yanjing, Lin Yuxi quietly breathed a sigh of relief. 

Afterward, the father and son talked about work. Zhou Yanjing’s accomplishments on Wall Street in recent years were well known, and Zhou Qizhen nodded occasionally, with subtle pride in his words. 

Lin Yuxi, preoccupied with her thoughts, had little appetite. But fearing that putting down her chopsticks might invite more questions from Zhou Qizhen, she pretended to eat, slowly counting the grains of rice on her plate. 

She must have been counting too seriously because Zhou Qizhen noticed. “Is the food not to your liking?” 

Just as Lin Yuxi was about to say no, Zhou Yanjing lazily glanced at her. “She’s eating cat food.” 

Zhou Qizhen: ? 

Before Lin Yuxi could explain, Zhou Yanjing seemed dissatisfied with the level of shock on his parents’ faces and leaned back in his chair, drawling, “Not sure what she’s been eating lately, but now she’s even giving birth to cats.” 

Lin Yuxi: ” 

She wanted to dig a hole and disappear. 

Ling Yaqiong shot Zhou Yanjing a glare. “You and your nonsense.” 

Zhou Qizhen, with his serious face, remained silent. At his age, he didn’t understand the younger generation’s humor. After attempting to interpret it, he figured that “giving birth to cats” either implied a gynecological issue or a mental health one—neither of which he, as an elder, felt comfortable asking about directly. 

“Xixi (Lin Yuxi)… are you feeling unwell?” 

Lin Yuxi’s face flushed with embarrassment, and she hurriedly said, “No, he’s just talking nonsense.” 

After dinner, Zhou Yanjing and his father went to the study for a while, and Ling Yaqiong brought them soup but didn’t come out for a long time. 

Lin Yuxi originally sat in the living room waiting, but after a sleepless night and a full day of work, she soon dozed off on the sofa. 

Aunt Zhao, one of the housemaids, gently woke her. “Yuxi.” 

Lin Yuxi rubbed her eyes. “Are they leaving?” 

“The second young master and the master are still discussing business. It’ll be a while.” 

Aunt Zhao had taken care of Lin Yuxi since she was little and treated her like her own daughter. “I’ve tidied up your old room. Why don’t you go upstairs and rest for a bit?” 

Lin Yuxi rarely came to this house anymore, only visiting for holidays or when Ling Yaqiong summoned her.  

There were still some of her childhood belongings upstairs, though not many. 

She asked Aunt Zhao for a box and packed up her things. As she was coming downstairs with the box, Zhou Yanjing happened to walk out of the study. 

His gaze fell on the box in her arms. “What’s that?” 

“Some old things from when I was a kid. I forgot to take them with me.” 

He tugged at the corners of his mouth, a look that wasn’t quite a smile. 

As they descended the stairs, Lin Yuxi said from behind him, “Don’t say such nonsense in front of your parents again.” 

“Me, saying nonsense?” Zhou Yanjing paused, loosening his tie a bit. He glanced back at her. “Didn’t you say it yourself?” 

“I was joking,” Lin Yuxi replied. “You embarrassed me by saying it in front of your parents.” 

Zhou Yanjing slid his hands into his suit pockets, his eyes holding a lazy, mocking look. “Fine. From now on, I’ll make a list of everything you say—mark which ones can be shared and which can’t. I’ll stick to it strictly, so I don’t accidentally spill your secrets and end up taking the blame.” 

This time, Lin Yuxi understood—it was sarcasm. 

“I’m not taking it out on you.” 

Zhou Yanjing didn’t care for her explanation and turned to head downstairs. 

Lin Yuxi followed behind him. He was tall, his figure stretched out in the dim light of the stairwell, his back straight and imposing. 

Though his steps were slow and lazy, Lin Yuxi couldn’t keep up and soon fell behind. 

When they reached the courtyard, the black Bentley was already parked at the entrance. Zhou Yanjing stood by the car, lighting a cigarette. The faint red glow in his hand flickered in the night breeze, adding a hint of elegance to his casual air. 

Seeing her come out, he stubbed out the cigarette. “Are those long legs for show? Why so slow?” 

Lin Yuxi wanted to say, Can’t you see I’m carrying a box? But she didn’t bother arguing with him. 

At some point, they had lost the desire to truly communicate with each other. 

Forget it. These words had appeared countless times in her mind, silencing everything she wanted to say. 

Zhou Yanjing opened the car door, tossed his jacket inside, and rested his hand on the edge of the door, his voice cold and detached.  

“Anything else you forgot? If so, take it all at once today.” 

“Nothing else.” Lin Yuxi’s temper flared. “The rest belongs to your Zhou family. Keep it for yourself.” 

She bent down and got into the car, hearing Zhou Yanjing’s faint, cold laugh before he shut the door and walked around to the other side. 

Zhou Yanjing’s gentlemanly demeanor was ingrained, but it was a product of later upbringing. His sharp tongue and coldness were inborn. 

Lin Yuxi used to think he was charming yet fickle, but after marrying him, she realized just how heartless he could be.