Chapter 8

The pop star was stunned for a few seconds before realizing she had been rejected in front of everyone. 

Lin Yuxi noticed the slight expression of embarrassment that flashed across her face. It seemed like the pop star did feel a bit awkward. 

Lin Yuxi tugged the corners of her lips in a light smirk. 

Because she remembered a time when she, too, had experienced that same humiliation. 

Back then, Zhou Yanjing hadn’t come home for several days. Lin Yuxi went to find him at a dinner gathering and saw him sitting there, casually and indifferently smiling in front of everyone, saying: 

“If I can’t marry the one I want, can’t I just settle for someone else?” 

Zhou Yanjing was like that capable of making you feel cherished and loved, only to nonchalantly stab you in the heart. 

Feeling a dull ache in her chest, Lin Yuxi picked up her wine glass and said to Yu Jiaxiao, “Pour me another drink.” 

Yu Jiaxiao immediately refilled her glass. “How is it? Isn’t it great?” 

The wine had a rich flavor, with an endless aftertaste. Lin Yuxi nodded, “Definitely worth the price.” 

Yu Jiaxiao poured her another glass, placing an arm around her shoulder, “Drink up, one drink to solve all worries!” 

Lin Yuxi laughed, “Are you so happy because you love drinking?” 

“Of course not,” Yu Jiaxiao flipped her hair dramatically. “It’s obviously because I’m so carefree.” 

Lin Yuxi burst into laughter, “You really know yourself well.” 

What Lin Yuxi didn’t expect was how strong the wine’s aftereffect would be. 

She didn’t even know when or where she passed out. She only vaguely remembered drinking a few more glasses with Yu Jiaxiao, and after that, her memory went blank. 

When she opened her eyes again, it was 7 a.m., and her alarm was ringing. 

Her body was fatigued and sluggish from the hangover. Barely able to keep her eyes open, she reached out to silence the alarm. 

An arm stretched out beside her and turned it off first. 

Lin Yuxi suddenly realized she was in the warm embrace of a man, and in her half-awake state, she saw the sharp jawline of a familiar man. 

Zhou Yanjing. 

Was she dreaming again? 

In her groggy state, she instinctively snuggled closer to the man, burrowing her head into his chest. 

The warmth and firmness of his chest, the tight muscles of the man everything felt too real. As the sensations gradually sunk in, Lin Yuxi’s drowsiness faded away. 

She opened her eyes. 

For a few seconds, she stared at his chiseled throat in disbelief before lifting her head and meeting Zhou Yanjing’s deep gaze. 

His expression was unreadable as he looked at her. “Comfortable?” he asked. 

Lin Yuxi snapped out of it, realizing she had been clinging to him like an octopus. Maybe because she was drunk, her brain had shut down, and her body had acted on instinct. 

The cozy, content feeling faded like the tide, and Lin Yuxi quickly released her grip on his waist and withdrew from his embrace, apologizing. 

“Sorry.” 

She was oddly formal. 

“Now you’re feeling shy? Who was it last night clinging to me, and no matter how hard I tried, you wouldn’t let go?” 

Zhou Yanjing shot her a sidelong glance. “With your poor drinking skills, how dare you even try? Do you know how you got home?” 

Lin Yuxi could almost picture the look of annoyance on his face at the time. She burrowed her fingers under the blanket. “I drank too much. I didn’t mean to cling to you. If you were that bothered, you could’ve just left me with Yu Jiaxiao.” 

“Your friend was even more wasted than you. Or did you want me to leave you at the bar for someone to pick up?” 

Zhou Yanjing let out a light snort and got out of bed to head into the bathroom. 

Lin Yuxi reached for her phone and realized the alarm had already gone off several times. She was almost late for work. In a rush, she quickly got dressed and dashed out of the house, not even having time for breakfast. 

She barely made it to the hospital in time, hastily beginning the handover with the doctor on duty. 

It was mid-morning by the time she finished. Standing in front of the vending machine to get a coffee, she suddenly remembered something. 

Once again, she had forgotten to talk to Zhou Yanjing about the divorce. 

Finally seeing him in person the previous night, she had gotten drunk, and in the morning, she had been in a hurry, completely forgetting about it. 

Annoyed, she gave her head a little knock, and then, during a short break, she called Yu Jiaxiao. 

Yu Jiaxiao seemed to have just woken up, her voice weak: “Hello?” 

“Why do you sound so drained?” Lin Yuxi asked. 

“Don’t even mention it. Last night, some jerk dropped me off at my door and left me there. I ended up sleeping on the floor all night!” 

Yu Jiaxiao lived in a one-unit-per-floor building, where you needed a keycard to access the elevator. So while it was safe, sleeping on the floor had left her sore and feeling like she had been beaten. She also suspected she had caught a cold. 

The worst part was that she couldn’t remember who was responsible, since she had blacked out. Fuming, she punched the couch. “Just wait till I find out who that jerk was! Dropping me off at the door is like someone teasing you at the door without going all the way in!” 

Lin Yuxi:  

She didn’t dare mention that the “jerk” was likely Zhou Yanjing. Instead, she cursed along with Yu Jiaxiao a little longer before hanging up the phone. 

Later, Shi Tang came to check out Boyu’s new office and invited Zhou Yanjing to lunch. 

Zhou Yanjing came out of the conference room, followed by a group of suit-clad executives. 

Seeing Shi Tang gaming on the sofa, Zhou Yanjing waved him over, and Shi Tang immediately put away his game and ran over. 

“Did you drop her off last night?” 

“Don’t even talk about it.” The very mention of it got Shi Tang riled up. 

Lin Yuxi and Yu Jiaxiao had downed a few drinks before both collapsed at the table. Zhou Yanjing had taken Lin Yuxi home, leaving him with the task of dropping off Yu Jiaxiao. 

For some reason, the woman had been unusually heavy after drinking. Not only did she throw up in his car, but it had also taken him every ounce of strength to get her upstairs. 

When he asked her to take out her key, she clutched her purse like it was her baby, refusing to let him touch it, all the while yelling, “Robbery! I’m calling the police!” and kicking him as if he were a criminal. 

“Damn it. Look at these bruises.” Shi Tang rolled up his pant leg, showing off a few dark bruises on his shin that hadn’t yet faded. 

The nearby executives chuckled. “Mr. Shi, you’ve never faced this kind of trouble before, have you?” 

“Why does the missus have such a feisty friend?” Shi Tang grumbled. “Look how well-behaved the missus is.” 

Zhou Yanjing, hands in pockets, lazily lifted an eyebrow. “Who said she behaved well?” 

Shi Tang froze. “Did the missus hit you too?” 

The executives all paused, exchanging glances, wondering if this was a conversation they should excuse themselves from. 

In the tense silence, Zhou Yanjing drawled, “No, not that.” 

Everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief, including Shi Tang. “See? I told you the missus is gentle and” 

Zhou Yanjing: “She harassed me.” 

Shi Tang: ” 

Executives:  

Later that day, when Lin Yuxi got off work, she was surprised to see Zhou Yanjing’s Bentley parked outside the hospital. 

At first, she thought Zhou Yanjing had finally made time to see her, but after getting into the car, she realized he wasn’t there. 

“Where is he?” 

“Second Master has a meeting this afternoon, and he hasn’t finished yet. He asked me to come pick you up first,” the driver, Old Liu, explained. 

“Where are we going?” 

“The Shi family is celebrating the one-month milestone of their new great-grandchild. Second Master wants you to accompany him.” 

“The gown has already been ordered. Would you like to go try it on?” 

It had been a long time since Zhou Yanjing had taken Lin Yuxi to private social events. He only needed her for occasions like this, where they played the role of the loving couple in front of others. 

But who didn’t know he hardly even came home? 

It was all just for show. 

Suddenly, Lin Yuxi was tired of this life. 

She had been working all day and was already exhausted. 

“I don’t want to go.” 

She had always been obedient, but today, for some reason, she refused. Old Liu tried to reason with her: “The Zhou family and the Shi family have been close for generations, and Second Master and Young Master Shi grew up together. If you don’t attend…” 

“And what does that have to do with me?” Lin Yuxi replied. “Take me home.” 

Old Liu looked troubled. “If you don’t attend, I won’t be able to explain it to Second Master.” 

Lin Yuxi opened the car door and got out, hailing a cab to take her home instead. 

When she got home, she washed her hands and changed into comfortable clothes. While playing with the cats in their room, Aunt Chen came in to inform her, “Second Master is back. He wants you to come out immediately.”