Chapter 30

Lin Yuxi went back to pull apart Yu Jiaxiao and Tan Xingchen, who were in the middle of a heated fight. 

“What grade are you two in?”  

Yu Jiaxiao huffed and flicked her hair. “If I hadn’t gone easy on her because of her disability and only used 30% of my strength, I would have slapped her halfway across town by now.” 

Tan Xingchen snorted. “Such big talk! Wait till my leg heals, and I’ll show you the strength of the top fighter from No. 7 High School!” 

“You know,” Yu Jiaxiao glanced at Lin Yuxi’s skinny arms, “even though she’s got a bad leg, she could still take on three of you.” 

“Gentlemen argue with words, not fists,” Lin Yuxi retorted. “I just don’t like being so uncivilized. It’s not that I can’t beat you.” 

Before Yu Jiaxiao could respond, Tan Xingchen let out a mocking laugh. 

“You? Fight her? One sit from her would crush you flat.” 

Lin Yuxi:  

Yu Jiaxiao:  

Both felt insulted at the same time. 

Lin Yuxi patted Yu Jiaxiao. “Let’s go.” 

“You’re leaving already?” Tan Xingchen pouted, pretending to be pitiful. “Boohoo, if you go, who’s going to keep a cripple like me company?” 

Lin Yuxi picked up her coat and said over her shoulder, “You should head back to the hospital. Send me a photo from your ward. If I don’t get it by 10 o’clock, I’ll have a chat with your attending nurse.” 

Tan Xingchen:  

Yu Jiaxiao had no sense of caution, showing up in her car and still daring to drink. 

She waved her hand dismissively. “It’s fine. I only had a tiny bit of miUmiU.” 

She then tried to climb into her G-Class, but Lin Yuxi grabbed her by the collar and dragged her to the Bentley parked at the entrance. 

Zhou Yanjing sat in the backseat with his legs crossed, looking bored and lost in thought. 

Lin Yuxi said, “Let’s drop off Jiaxiao first.” 

Zhou Yanjing cast her a sidelong glance. “With Mrs. Zhou in such a bad mood, would I dare say no?” 

His tone was dripping with sarcasm. 

Lin Yuxi couldn’t be bothered to deal with him and gave Old Liu, the driver, Yu Jiaxiao’s address. 

Yu Jiaxiao started fiddling with the dashboard from the front passenger seat. “Hey, buddy, how does it feel driving a Bentley?” 

“Huh?” Old Liu, surprised that someone as quiet as his boss’s wife had such an outgoing friend, responded, “It’s a pretty nice experience.” 

Yu Jiaxiao was intrigued. “When can I try it?” 

Old Liu glanced at Zhou Yanjing’s expression in the rearview mirror, feeling incredibly awkward. “Uh, Miss Yu, this is Second Young Master’s car.” 

Yu Jiaxiao: “Come on, sneak it to me next time he’s on a business trip.” 

Old Liu:  

Even Lin Yuxi was speechless. 

At least don’t say that in front of Zhou Yanjing! 

Zhou Yanjing finally spoke up in a cold tone. “I’m not deaf. Should I give you a megaphone so you can plot even louder?” 

Yu Jiaxiao had always been intimidated by Zhou Yanjing. Though he seemed like a carefree rich playboy, his aura of nobility made him feel distant. His presence exuded the kind of power and wealth that placed him on a different level. Even sitting casually, he made it hard for people to approach him, let alone speak to him. 

But lately, her pent-up frustrations had made her bolder, so she shot back, “You may not be deaf, but you’re blind!” 

Lin Yuxi reminded her, “Jiaxiao, don’t cause trouble.” 

Zhou Yanjing’s cold gaze swept over her. “Yu Jiaxiao, if you weren’t Yuxi’s friend, you’d have died a hundred times over by now with that brainless mouth of yours.” 

He spoke slowly, as usual, but Yu Jiaxiao still felt a chill crawl up her spine, instinctively backing down. 

Lin Yuxi, protective of her friend, turned to glare at Zhou Yanjing. “Why are you insulting her?” 

Zhou Yanjing raised his eyebrows. “Wasn’t she the one who insulted me first?” 

“She didn’t insult you.” 

Zhou Yanjing laughed in disbelief. “Lin Yuxi, could you be any more obvious about taking sides?” 

“Exactly!” Yu Jiaxiao gloated, “She’s on my side, and it’s driving you nuts!” 

Zhou Yanjing, either out of respect for Lin Yuxi or simply not wanting to argue with someone like Yu Jiaxiao, let it go. 

After dropping her off at home, Zhou Yanjing finally turned to Lin Yuxi. “You’re the only one who’d stick up for her.” 

Outside, Yu Jiaxiao blew a kiss to Lin Yuxi, even though she knew Lin Yuxi couldn’t see it. Lin Yuxi raised her hand and waved back. 

“I stick up for her because she’s the only one who sticks up for me.” 

She had no family, and she and Yu Jiaxiao had been practically inseparable all these years. 

There were so few people in the world who loved her, but Yu Jiaxiao loved her unconditionally, always putting her first, sharing in her joys and sorrows. 

Zhou Yanjing didn’t like hearing that. “I don’t stick up for you?”  

“Stick up?” 

He was the one who had hurt her the most. 

Lin Yuxi couldn’t help but recall the moment when Jiang Nan had hidden behind him. 

“You might as well protect your Jiang Nan,” she said. 

Zhou Yanjing’s expression darkened, his brows knitting together. “If you want a divorce, you don’t need to bring her into it.” 

Why did it sound like she was the one making a fuss? 

Was she so eager to get a divorce that she couldn’t stand seeing him interact with his ex-girlfriend? 

Forget it. Whatever. Lin Yuxi had even lost the desire to argue with him. 

“If this helps you feel more at ease, then let’s say that’s the case.” 

Her attitude only frustrated Zhou Yanjing more. It felt like hitting a punching bag; he was irritated and wanted to explode but didn’t know where to vent. 

Zhou Yanjing tugged at his tie and scoffed, “Your weight hasn’t gone up, but your ability to infuriate me has increased.” 

Lin Yuxi thought to herself that it was because she had loved him in the past that she had tolerated everything, allowing him to think she was really submissive and easy to bully. 

The car was quiet for a moment. As the Bentley passed over the agricultural road bridge, Zhou Yanjing suddenly asked without any preamble: 

“Do you remember Fuming Mountain?” 

Today, Wei Bin’s words had unexpectedly stirred up his memories. 

He had genuinely planned to take Lin Yuxi to see the meteor shower that day. 

It was cold on the mountain, and he wrapped her in his coat as she sat in his arms, behaving so well, her body inexplicably soft against his warmth and scent. 

To be honest, at that time, he was young and full of vigor; if he had been able to hold back, he wouldn’t have been a man. 

Thinking of those times made a ripple of emotions stir within Zhou Yanjing. 

A wave of impulsiveness surged within him; perhaps they really could make it work. 

It wasn’t impossible to continue living together. 

Lin Yuxi leaned against the car window and replied, “I don’t remember.” 

So, Zhou Yanjing’s ripple of emotions settled back down like the sea after a storm. 

After a few seconds, he chuckled softly. 

He shifted his gaze from Lin Yuxi, and only endless indifference remained on his face. 

“What exactly am I expecting from you?” 

The air pressure in the car dropped rapidly, making the warmth feel even more frigid. 

In the spacious backseat of the Bentley, it felt as if a galaxy separated them, each occupying their side like sworn enemies, opposing each other sharply. 

For the rest of the ride, neither of them spoke another word. 

Old Liu, feeling like he was sitting on pins and needles in the front, found it hard to endure the silence after Yu Jiaxiao had been so chatty.  

Once they returned to Songyun Bay, Lin Yuxi got out of the car and walked directly toward her house. 

The door slammed shut behind her. Zhou Yanjing didn’t follow; he stood by the car, flicked his lighter, and lit the cigarette dangling from his lips. 

He took a deep drag, and as the nicotine rushed into his lungs, he called out to her. 

“Lin Yuxi.” 

Lin Yuxi paused on the steps. 

Zhou Yanjing stood in the night, tall and handsome, his dark coat accentuating his sharp features, creating an air of distance. 

“Do you have any demands?” he asked. 

Lin Yuxi looked a bit dazed. 

The flickering red flame between his fingers was half-hidden in the swirling smoke, making his brown eyes difficult to read. 

“Spend three years with me; I know I’ve put you through a lot.” 

Lin Yuxi had initially thought he was being sarcastic, but his voice sounded so steady and calm, as if they were sitting at a negotiation table for a multinational acquisition. 

“You can make any requests. I’ll give you everything I can.” 

Lin Yuxi was stunned, realizing he was genuinely talking business. 

“What is this?” She stood on the steps, gazing steadily at Zhou Yanjing. “Is this compensation for playing with my feelings?” 

The familiar sense of inexplicable frustration bubbled up again. Zhou Yanjing pinched the bridge of his nose, a bit impatient. “Understand it however you like.” 

“While I still have the patience to talk to you, hurry up and say what you want.” 

They had signed an agreement before their marriage. Aside from the stipulated amount of money, he didn’t actually have to give Lin Yuxi any of his assets. 

Perhaps it was out of sentiment for those six months of warmth; after all, he had toyed with her feelings. He was the Second Young Master of the Zhou family, not someone who would be stingy with women. 

Giving her a small token of compensation was just a drop in the bucket for him. 

Lin Yuxi stood silently under the eaves. 

Though her demeanor appeared soft, she was actually as stubborn as a mule; she had never backed down to him or shown weakness. 

Just as Zhou Yanjing thought she was going to refuse again, Lin Yuxi spoke up and made a request.