Chapter 38

This woman usually acted like a little hedgehog covered in quills, pricking him with every touch, but when she was drunk, she was much more docile. 

Her drinking habits were actually quite good; she was quiet and didn’t cause trouble, which was the complete opposite of Yu Jiaxiao. 

But she loved to cry. 

He didn’t understand where all the tears came from. Every little while, she would burst into tears, soaking his suit and leaving dark watermarks. 

“Are you made of water? How can you cry so much?” 

No matter how angry he was, Zhou Yanjing found his frustration evaporating as she cried, and he took out a handkerchief to wipe her face. 

“Drinking this much alone, you could be abducted and sold off without even knowing it.” 

Lin Yuxi alternated between crying and dozing off, eventually settling into a deep sleep against Zhou Yanjing’s chest, unaware of her surroundings. 

When the car stopped in front of Songyun Bay, she was already deeply asleep, her cheeks flushed, but her brows slightly furrowed, as if she wasn’t happy even in her sleep. 

Her slightly parted lips revealed a hint of white teeth. 

Zhou Yanjing gazed down at her for a moment, then reached out. 

He pinched her lips together and then apart. 

Lin Yuxi, completely oblivious, let him play with her as he pleased. Zhou Yanjing pressed her lips together and pulled them apart like he was playing with a doll. 

Old Liu saw him engrossed in this and wisely chose not to interrupt, getting out of the car to give them some privacy. 

As he toyed with her, Lin Yuxi furrowed her brow in her sleep, blinked awake, and saw Zhou Yanjing smiling down at her, pinching her cheek. He said, “You sleep like a little pig.” 

In those sweet days they had together, Zhou Yanjing used to love playing with her while she was asleep, waking her up with a smile, calling her a little pig. 

In that moment, it felt like he had transported back to that time; Lin Yuxi hadn’t seen this side of Zhou Yanjing in a long time. 

Half-awake and half-dreaming, she couldn’t tell where she was, as if she were in a dream. 

She wrapped her arms around Zhou Yanjing’s neck, leaning against him, her voice filled with a weak sob, “I miss you so much…” 

But Zhou Yanjing’s smile slowly faded. 

He didn’t return her embrace, sitting in silence in the car, letting her hold onto him. 

“Who are you thinking about?” 

Lin Yuxi simply leaned on his shoulder, sniffling quietly. 

Zhou Yanjing said nothing, letting her cry for a while, before picking her up out of the car and carrying her upstairs, placing her on the bed in the bedroom. 

Lin Yuxi fell back into a deep sleep, her brow furrowed, tears still streaming down her face. 

The fabric of his shirt was soaked, drenched in her tears from the car ride. 

Standing by the bedside, Zhou Yanjing thought about lighting a cigarette. He took one out but then put it back. 

The bedside lamp was on. Since she had been kidnapped as a child, Lin Yuxi had developed a fear of the dark and needed a light on to sleep. 

Zhou Yanjing leaned against the cabinet, silently watching her in the dim light for an unknown amount of time. 

When her sobs finally subsided, he straightened up, closed the door behind him, and left. 

Lin Yuxi slept for an exceptionally long time. 

In her lengthy dreams, she shifted between various people and places, almost reliving her more than twenty lonely years. 

Looking back, she saw countless lights behind her, yet ahead lay a dense fog. 

For all these years, she had always been alone. 

No. 

There were still people. 

Though the world had few who loved her, she still had friends, so the number was not zero. 

The next day, when Lin Yuxi finally opened her eyes, it was nearly noon. 

She had never slept in so late before; being this late, she felt no sense of urgency about time. 

At this point, she couldn’t rush for anything. 

Feeling lazy, she lay in bed and called Doctor Yuan to request a day off. Doctor Yuan sounded a bit puzzled. “Your family has already called to request leave for you. Didn’t they tell you?” 

Family? 

Lin Yuxi was momentarily confused. 

It must have been Zhou Yanjing. She thought she had seen him yesterday. 

Doctor Yuan scolded her a bit more, reminding her to submit a formal leave request next time, saying that just not showing up was unacceptable and lacked decorum. 

Lin Yuxi knew she had been in the wrong and obediently accepted the scolding. She got out of bed and headed to the bathroom to wash away the scent lingering on her. 

As she went downstairs, Lin Yuxi told Aunt Chen, “Please change the blankets and sheets in my room later; they all smell like alcohol.” 

Aunt Chen brought over the fish soup she had been simmering in the kitchen. “Isn’t it time for our cat to get its vaccinations?” 

“I’ve already made an appointment,” Lin Yuxi replied. “I’ll take them for their shots and a check-up this weekend, and then I can bring them to the neighbors in Building 12.” 

Aunt Chen beamed, saying, “The old gentleman from their house mentioned that he was worried the little kitten would feel lonely, so he’s willing to adopt the mother cat too. That way, the mother and her baby can keep each other company.” 

“That’s great!” 

With the help of her colleagues at the hospital, Yu Jiaxiao’s boss, and Tan Xingchen’s friends, both the big cat and little cat were now taken care of. 

Finally, there was some good news, and a smile appeared on Lin Yuxi’s face. 

She had drunk too much yesterday, so her appetite wasn’t great, but the fish soup smelled delicious. Putting aside everything else, Aunt Chen was indeed an excellent cook. 

After simmering the soup all morning, it would be a shame not to drink it. 

“Please pack it in a thermos for me,” Lin Yuxi said. 

Aunt Chen evidently misunderstood. As she eagerly scooped the remaining soup into the container, she cheerfully remarked, “The second young master loves my fish soup; he’ll definitely be happy!” 

Lin Yuxi didn’t correct her as she put on her coat and scarf, preparing to head out. 

At that moment, Zhou Yanjing returned from outside. 

He was carrying a pale yellow box that seemed to contain some dessert, but Lin Yuxi didn’t pay much attention. 

Zhou Yanjing took off his sheepskin gloves, his gaze sweeping past her. “Are you going out?” 

Lin Yuxi adjusted her knitted hat. “Yes.” 

Since Zhou Yanjing returned to the country, she had always spoken to him with a sharp tongue, but today she was unusually calm. 

Her peaceful demeanor made Zhou Yanjing feel it was off; he looked at her several times. 

He slowly removed his coat while examining her expression. “What happened yesterday? Did something trigger you to go out and drink alone?” 

“Nothing,” Lin Yuxi said, lowering her head to put on her boots. “It’s not important anymore.” 

After crying and feeling so miserable, her emotions seemed to have calmed down. 

The fact that Zhou Yanjing had never loved her felt like a thousand arrows piercing her heart, nearly shattering her completely. 

But after shattering, rebuilding was a form of rebirth. 

The bloody knife deeply embedded in her heart could finally be pulled out. 

It was like a storm that destroyed the entire city while sweeping away the gloom that had hung over it for years. 

As the clouds parted, dawn broke. 

Lin Yuxi felt an unprecedented sense of peace and lightness. 

Since Zhou Yanjing had never loved her, then what she had cherished in the past was not worth holding onto at all. 

It was just three wasted years of time and feelings, but that was fine. 

She could consider it all just feeding the dogs. 

In this world, nothing could harm her anymore; from now on, she would wear armor and have no weak points. 

Lin Yuxi pushed open the door and stepped outside. The snow had stopped, and the temperature had risen a bit over the past few days. 

Standing on the front steps, she closed her eyes, tilted her head back, and took a deep breath of the fresh air, filtering it through her lungs before slowly exhaling. 

The bright morning sun shone on her face. 

Zhou Yanjing watched her stand there, feeling that something was off, though he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. 

Just as he was about to ask her something, Lin Yuxi opened her eyes and stepped down the stairs. 

“Where are you going? Let Old Liu drive you.” 

Lin Yuxi replied, “There’s something I’ve been putting off for a long time, and I’m going to settle it today.” 

Just then, Aunt Chen came down from the upstairs room after finishing her tasks and saw Zhou Yanjing enter. Meanwhile, in the courtyard, Lin Yuxi was getting into the car with the thermos. 

Aunt Chen looked bewildered. “Isn’t Madam going to bring you the fish soup? Why is she taking it somewhere else?” 

Zhou Yanjing halted, turning to look outside. 

The Bentley had already driven out of the courtyard. 

Zhou Yanjing’s expression was quite complicated. 

The soup was clearly not meant for him. 

What was she going to settle?  

Why did that sound so uncomfortable?