Chapter 16

On her way home from work, Lin Yuxi couldn’t shake off the cold gaze of Zhou Yanjing that lingered in her mind, replaying over and over. 

She hesitated about whether she should apologize; after all, her words had been somewhat hurtful. 

But then she remembered that Zhou Yanjing had hurt her more deeply without ever apologizing for his words. 

Forget it; she should apologize after all. 

With only a month left, she didn’t want to be left with only the memories of awkwardness and cold wars. 

In relationships, the person who loves more often has to be a little humble. 

In fact, Lin Yuxi’s internal struggle and compromise turned out to be pointless, as by eight o’clock, Zhou Yanjing still hadn’t come back. 

In the past couple of days, Aunt Chen had toned it down, cutting the amount of food by half. Lin Yuxi was living a solitary life with six dishes and a soup, starting to reflect on why she was being stingier than a nanny. 

But today Aunt Chen was particularly enthusiastic; she had seen the sparks between Zhou Yanjing and Lin Yuxi the night before. If Lin Yuxi hadn’t been called away by the hospital halfway through, something might have happened. 

Later, Old Liu called to say that Lin Yuxi had caught a cold and that Zhou Yanjing had gone to the hospital early in the morning to bring her warm clothes. 

Though she couldn’t quite understand the ups and downs of their relationship, she figured it was normal for couples to quarrel and then make up. 

Not knowing that the two had argued at the hospital, she proactively asked, “Should I give the second young master a call and see if he’s coming back for dinner?” 

She volunteered, and Lin Yuxi didn’t stop her: “Go ahead.” 

Aunt Chen happily made the call. But the result was obviously not what she hoped for, and soon her expression turned disappointed. 

“Assistant Yang said that the second young master has something to do tonight and won’t be back.” 

Lin Yuxi was not surprised at all and lowered her head to eat: “If he’s not coming back, then he’s not coming back.” 

The tabby cat, growing ever more skilled at sneaking out, somehow popped out again and jumped onto Lin Yuxi’s lap, purring and acting cute. 

She found it hard to refuse the cat. 

Since Zhou Yanjing wasn’t coming back, and the cat had been cooped up for several days, it was nice to let it stretch its legs. 

She ate while petting the cat, and Aunt Chen had made eggplant and bamboo shoots. She didn’t like half of the six dishes. 

Qinghui Pavilion was a traditional Chinese-style restaurant, designed by a master architect with a Suzhou-style garden. The courtyard had scenery at every step, complete with small bridges and flowing water, creating a charming atmosphere. 

But it was already deep autumn, and the ever-green bamboo forest looked a bit bleak. 

The tea artist, dressed in a cheongsam, knelt gracefully at the tea table, her movements elegant as she poured tea for the guests. 

When Zhou Yanjing pushed the door open, a gust of cold wind followed him inside, causing the tea artist to shiver slightly. 

Another woman in a cheongsam who was standing by the door stepped forward to take Zhou Yanjing’s coat off. He casually sat down in a chair, and the tea artist placed a steaming cup of tea in front of him, holding her left wrist with her right hand. 

“Did you come to see me for something?” Zhou Yanjing asked. 

Zhou Qizhen sipped his tea slowly. “Can’t I come just to have a meal with you?” 

Zhou Yanjing had been in a foul mood all day, and he had little patience even for his father: “Just say what you need. I’m not in a good mood.” 

“If you’re in a bad mood, try to adjust yourself. There are plenty of people in the world who feel the same, and they can’t all revolve around you,” Zhou Qizhen replied. 

Zhou Yanjing clicked his tongue, “You’re really my father.” 

Zhou Qizhen didn’t want to beat around the bush; he got straight to the point: “What do you think about the merger between Boyu and Huazhong?” 

Hengtai Bank was the cornerstone of the Zhou family group, boasting trillions in assets, primarily focusing on traditional banking services such as savings, loans, and payment settlements. 

Its investment bank, Huazhong Securities, not only enjoyed the robust background resources built up over nearly a century by the Zhou family group but also had Hengtai Bank as a backing, effectively possessing an inexhaustible treasury. 

However, despite having a big tree to lean on, Huazhong Securities was not developing nearly as well as Boyu, which Zhou Yanjing had founded independently. 

After Zhou Yanjing returned to the country, Zhou Qizhen began considering merging Boyu with Huazhong Securities. 

Zhou Yanjing lazily picked up his teacup: “That muddy mess of Huazhong can’t even be propped up, yet you want to marry off your wealthy and beautiful daughter to me. You’re dreaming.” 

Zhou Qizhen was a bit speechless at the comparison of a business merger to marriage: “Huazhong is backed by Hengtai. Merging with Boyu wouldn’t disadvantage you, would it?” 

Zhou Yanjing raised an eyebrow: “Do I need that little money from you?” 

He looked incredibly punchable. 

Just as Zhou Qizhen was about to speak, Zhou Yanjing clicked his tongue again lightly: “Forget it; you’ve got plenty of money, old man.” 

Zhou Qizhen:  

The child had grown up; is it illegal to give him a beating? 

Though Huazhong was a mess and not to Zhou Yanjing’s taste, it was still a second-generation rich kid, his own flesh and blood. 

“A merger is fine, but let your useless little playboy marry in,” Zhou Yanjing casually took a sip of tea, “I want the resources from Hengtai; Huazhong still needs to bear the Boyu name.” 

Zhou Qizhen had intended to incorporate Boyu into the Zhou family, but he didn’t expect his son to be greedy and wish to take advantage of him. 

A proper business merger had turned into a freebie, something he had never encountered in his lifelong business dealings, nearly raising his blood pressure. 

“You really have a beautiful plan.” 

Zhou Yanjing smirked slightly: “Didn’t you personally teach me how to calculate back in the day?” 

There was no helping it; what could one do when it was their own flesh and blood? 

Zhou Qizhen irritably waved his hand: “Fine, suit yourself.” 

People outside speculated a lot about their family matters sibling rivalries and power struggles—yet Zhou Qizhen had long had plans in mind. 

His eldest son, Zhou Shengan, had been groomed as the heir since childhood. 

Once business matters were discussed, Zhou Qizhen called for the dishes to be served. The kitchen had already prepared the meals, and they were brought to the table one after another shortly. 

Zhou Qizhen was not a chatty person, and Zhou Yanjing was in no mood to talk either. The two sat in silence for a while until Zhou Qizhen suddenly spoke up. 

“Have you talked about the divorce with Lin Yuxi?” 

Zhou Yanjing picked a piece of fish meat with his chopsticks and critically tasted it: “This fish is undercooked. Too fishy.” 

Zhou Qizhen hadn’t tasted it yet, but hearing him say this, he lifted his hand. 

The people nearby immediately removed the fish and replaced Zhou Yanjing’s chopsticks with a new pair. 

Zhou Yanjing didn’t move the chopsticks again, loosened his tie, picked up his tea, and then said: “I’ve been busy lately and haven’t gotten around to it.” 

His company had just moved back to the country, so he indeed had a lot on his plate. 

Zhou Qizhen replied, “When you’re done with this round of work, find some time to sit down and talk with Lin Yuxi. If she has any conditions, as long as they’re reasonable, just satisfy her.” 

“She has endured quite a bit these past few years. Make up for what needs to be made up; you two should part on good terms.” 

Zhou Yanjing remained silent and slowly finished a cup of tea. 

“What about Grandma?” 

“Didn’t the master say it’s three years? Now that the three-year period has passed, her health has been stable these past two years, so she won’t have any objections. Your grandmother isn’t unreasonable; she can’t tie you both together for a lifetime.” 

“That’s not necessarily true,” Zhou Yanjing pulled at his lips, “That old lady is the best at causing trouble.” 

After leaving the restaurant, Zhou Yanjing got into the car. Old Liu waited for a while and, seeing that he didn’t give any instructions, had no choice but to ask, “Second Young Master, where are we heading today?” 

Zhou Yanjing had already closed his eyes, but at the sound of the question, he opened them again and glanced at him through the rearview mirror. 

“Where do you think?” 

Their thoughts were increasingly difficult to guess, and Old Liu had no idea where he wanted to go. 

Thinking it rare for him to be considerate, having gone to deliver clothes in the morning yet coming out in a bad mood, it seemed they had argued again, so he tentatively suggested: 

“Back to the apartment in Huating?” 

Zhou Yanjing replied, “Wrong guess.” 

Old Liu:  

It’s really hard to guess the mind of a second young master. 

Zhou Yanjing closed his eyes again. “Let’s go home.”