Chapter 44

Out of courtesy, Lin Yuxi eventually let him in, but she decided against making tea her politeness only went so far. 

As Zhou Yanjing entered, he leisurely surveyed the room.  

The house, built over 20 years ago, had a more classical design and style. 

 After retrieving the house from her aunt, Lin Yuxi had thoroughly cleaned and renovated it. She changed the locks and got rid of the old furniture, much of which had belonged to her parents but had been used by her aunt’s family for nearly two decades.  

Due to her slight OCD, she cleared everything out. After cleaning, she replaced the toilet, appliances, and anything else that could be changed, and chose new furniture that matched the previous style. Her parents’ photos were also re-hung on the walls. 

Zhou Yanjing commented, “You probably spent most of your savings on all this, right?” 

In recent years, being with him meant Lin Yuxi didn’t have to spend much money on anything herself. Everything, from food to clothes, was taken care of, allowing her to save most of her salary and bonuses. However, a doctor’s salary isn’t that high, and this renovation cost her more than half of her savings. 

“None of your business,” Lin Yuxi replied. “What do you actually want to talk about?” 

“You were the one who said yesterday that you wanted to talk,” Zhou Yanjing retorted. “What did you want to say?” 

“There’s nothing left to talk about between us,” Lin Yuxi wrapped her knitted cardigan tighter around her. “I’m free over the next few days. Pick a time, and we can finalize the divorce.” 

Zhou Yanjing felt his breath hitch, and instinctively, he reached up to loosen his tie, only to realize there was nothing around his neck. It turned out the tightness in his chest had nothing to do with his tie. 

“There’s no rush,” he said. “I’ll have my lawyer draft an agreement first.” 

“That’s not necessary,” Lin Yuxi replied, thinking it would only complicate things. “We don’t have kids, and there’s no shared property, so there’s no need to make it so formal.” 

“How is it unnecessary?” Zhou Yanjing raised an eyebrow. “You leave a perfectly good villa in Songyun Bay to come live in this run-down place. If word gets out, people will think I’m stingy, like I mistreated my wife.” 

“Ex-wife,” Lin Yuxi corrected him with a frown. “And how is this place ‘run-down’?” 

“Any house over 20 years old is considered run-down,” Zhou Yanjing responded. “Aren’t you afraid of the dark? Living in this old place, aren’t you worried about ghosts?” 

Ghosts may not be real, but it’s the mind that plays tricks at night.  

Lin Yuxi hadn’t felt afraid before, but now that he mentioned it, she could already imagine her mind conjuring ghostly scenes once the lights were off. 

Suddenly, she remembered that her bedroom didn’t have any nightlights. When she had fallen asleep that morning, it was already getting light outside, and she’d been too exhausted to care. But tonight. 

“Shut up!” Lin Yuxi was so angry she wanted to hit him. “This is my parents’ house!” 

Zhou Yanjing looked at her lazily. “I’m talking about your parents. They’ve been gone for almost 20 years. In the ghost world, that makes them quite senior. They might be so happy to see you moving back that they’ll bring some friends and relatives to visit. Imagine them all standing around your bed, smiling at you while you sleep.” 

Though Lin Yuxi dearly missed her parents, the thought of seeing them unexpectedly at night was still quite terrifying. 

She was fuming and kicked Zhou Yanjing’s leg hard. “You’re so annoying!” 

She didn’t hold back, and Zhou Yanjing hissed in pain. But strangely, the suffocating feeling in his chest eased a bit.  

He realized he had missed her occasional outbursts. In the past, when she got mad, she would always kick him. Her personality was stubborn like a little mule, and he had spoiled her enough that when she got angry, she would sulk and show him attitude, never backing down. He was always the one to apologize first. 

Her slipper flew off her foot, and she quickly pressed her toes down on the other shoe, steadying herself by grabbing the nearby table. 

Zhou Yanjing bent down, picked up the slipper, and knelt on one knee to help her put it back on. 

Lin Yuxi pulled her foot back, lips pursed. “I can do it myself.” 

Zhou Yanjing held onto her ankle, pulling her leg back again. Lin Yuxi resisted, and they tugged back and forth a few times. 

Zhou Yanjing lazily raised his eyes. “Keep moving, and you’ll flash everyone.” 

Lin Yuxi immediately froze, pulling her cardigan tightly around her to cover the nightdress underneath. 

After helping her put the slipper on, Zhou Yanjing let go, and Lin Yuxi quickly planted her foot on the ground, stepping back. 

Zhou Yanjing stood up, his tone softening. “If you don’t want to live in Songyun Bay, I’ll transfer the villa in the northern suburbs to you.” 

Lin Yuxi glanced at him, her reaction much calmer than he had expected. 

“No need. I don’t want it anymore.” 

That villa no longer held any meaning for her. 

That inexplicable irritation crept back into Zhou Yanjing, unsettling him. 

“One minute you want it, the next you don’t. Lin Yuxi, you’re so fickle.” 

“One minute you won’t give it, the next you insist on offering it. Your thoughts are hard to read too,” Lin Yuxi calmly retorted. 

“I already told Yang Kang last time I don’t want the house. Just give me the cash equivalent.” 

“The company’s cash flow is tight right now; I don’t have that much on hand.” 

Lin Yuxi replied, “Then forget it. I don’t want anything.” 

Her tone was calm not as if she was being stubborn, but as if she genuinely didn’t care. 

After all, the compensation in the agreement was already substantial. She had only wanted the house in the northern suburbs because of her sentimental attachment to past memories. But since those memories were false, the house no longer mattered. 

Now that she didn’t want anything, Zhou Yanjing seemed even more displeased, sneering, “A large sum of money, and you just give it up. Dr. Lin really treats money like dirt.” 

“You said you didn’t have any money,” Lin Yuxi remarked, thinking he was impossible to deal with. 

“I don’t have money, but I have the house. I’ll give you the one in Songyun Bay. You can move back in,” Zhou Yanjing insisted, though even he couldn’t explain his own thought process. Perhaps it was the shock from Yu Jiaxiao earlier today, making him feel that he needed her close by to feel at ease. 

He paused for half a second. “I’ll move out.” 

Lin Yuxi didn’t want to argue over such trivial matters anymore. If he insisted on giving her the house, so be it. Worst case, she’d just sell it once she got it. Who wouldn’t want more money? 

“Fine, whatever you say. Let me know when the lawyer drafts the agreement. Your mother has already called me multiple times.” 

“You don’t need to answer her calls anymore. I’ll deal with her.” 

After a few seconds of silence, Zhou Yanjing suddenly changed the topic, seemingly out of nowhere. “Lin Yuxi, your cooking is really bad.” 

Lin Yuxi was annoyed. “I didn’t ask you to eat it!” 

Then she realized did he eat the food she cooked last night? 

It was already cold; how good could it have tasted? 

Meanwhile, Yu Jiaxiao returned from the supermarket downstairs with two large bags of groceries, and Zhou Yanjing had already left. 

Any sleepiness Lin Yuxi had was gone. She washed her face and brushed her teeth, stored the groceries in the fridge, and started preparing lunch. 

“Isn’t it a bit too late for breakfast?” Yu Jiaxiao asked. 

Lin Yuxi, busy looking at a recipe, didn’t even lift her head. “It’s for lunch.” 

“Whoa,” Yu Jiaxiao exclaimed, “But isn’t it too early to start making lunch?” 

Lin Yuxi wasn’t sure if she was simply excited about her new life or if Zhou Yanjing’s earlier comment had stirred her competitive spirit, but she was now determined to conquer the kitchen. 

“Jiaxiao, do you want braised chicken with scallions or lemon chicken?” 

“Can’t I have both?” 

Lin Yuxi thought for a moment. “Let’s go with three-cup chicken then.” 

She followed the recipe strictly, even calculating the exact amount of seasoning to the decimal point, based on the weight of the ingredients. 

By the time the food was ready, Yu Jiaxiao had scoured the entire house, even finding her dead phone in a junk box. 

“You put it up so high no wonder I couldn’t find it!” 

They laid out the dishes: three-cup chicken, cilantro beef, lotus root and pork rib soup, and four steamed crabs that Chu Weidong had bought. It all looked pretty good. 

Yu Jiaxiao’s mouth was watering. “Whoa! Is this what academic excellence can do?” 

Lin Yuxi, full of confidence, said, “I think I might be a natural at this.” 

Yu Jiaxiao immediately grabbed a piece of chicken and popped it into her mouth. 

Lin Yuxi didn’t even have time to scold her for being unsanitary. “Well? How is it?” 

Yu Jiaxiao chewed a few times, then started laughing. “Haha!” 

“What does ‘haha’ mean?” 

Covering her mouth, Yu Jiaxiao bolted to the bathroom. “Ugh.” 

Lin Yuxi: