Chapter 24

When she arrived at the venue, the host was already reciting the eulogy. 

Everyone at the memorial was dressed in black—men in black suits, women in black dresses. The entire scene was a sea of somber black. A heavy, mournful atmosphere permeated the venue. 

Ling Qiong spotted Lin Yuxi and cast a disapproving and dissatisfied glance her way, her frown evident. Others, following her gaze, also turned to look. 

Not wanting to cause a disturbance and disrupt the solemn mourning for the deceased, Lin Yuxi hurriedly walked, crouched low, towards an empty seat near a tall man beside Ling Qiong. She sat down quickly. 

However, as soon as she sat, she sensed a subtle pause in the man’s body beside her. 

Ling Qiong’s gaze not only didn’t withdraw, but her eyes widened even more. 

More people started to glance in her direction. 

Feeling somewhat bewildered by the stares, Lin Yuxi instinctively looked at the man sitting beside her and then froze. 

It wasn’t Zhou Yanjing beside her, but his older brother, Zhou Shenan. 

The two brothers looked quite similar in both appearance and build, making their backs easily confused from behind. 

However, Zhou Shenan, as the eldest son, exuded a dignified and steady aura, whereas Zhou Yanjing was more laid-back and nonchalant, with a handsomer face. Zhou Yanjing had a flair for charm and elegance that had caught attention since childhood, unlike his brother, who was raised to be the heir of the Zhou family. 

Lin Yuxi suddenly felt like she was sitting on pins and needles. 

In such a serious and formal setting, she had just rushed over and mistakenly sat next to her husband’s older brother in front of everyone, which was. 

No wonder Ling Qiong had been glaring at her like that. 

Perhaps noticing her discomfort, Zhou Shenan spoke in a low voice, “We’re all family. No need to be nervous.” 

With an apologetic expression, Lin Yuxi said, “I’m sorry, brother. I thought you were Zhou Yanjing.” 

Both Zhou brothers had custom-made watches gifted by their elders, one-of-a-kind, with only their initials differentiating them. Zhou Yanjing’s had “YJ,” while Zhou Shenan’s had “SA.” 

Zhou Shenan had been away on a business trip recently and had only just returned. In her rush, coupled with Ling Qiong’s intense glare, Lin Yuxi had seen the similar figure and watch and instinctively assumed it was Zhou Yanjing. 

She couldn’t help but think how embarrassing this was, especially for an ophthalmologist like her, to make such a mistake with her eyesight. 

“Brother, when did you get back?” 

“I arrived at six this morning.” 

“Oh,” Lin Yuxi responded, assuming he had made a special trip back for the memorial. 

Zhou Shenan added, “Yanjing is sitting behind us.” 

Lin Yuxi turned around and unexpectedly met Zhou Yanjing’s gaze. 

He was sitting just one row behind them, dressed in a sharp black suit, with his tie impeccably knotted. His posture was upright and his handsome face was cold, devoid of any expression. 

Even his gaze was icy. 

Lin Yuxi was momentarily stunned when she saw the woman sitting next to him. 

Jiang Nan was wearing an elegant black dress, with a scarf around her neck that added a touch of color, making her look both graceful and refined. 

Jiang Nan smiled at her. “Long time no see, Yuxi.” 

“Yes, it’s been a while,” Lin Yuxi replied with a polite but forced smile, quickly averting her gaze. 

The eulogy was beautifully written, full of emotion, but Lin Yuxi didn’t take in a single word.  

She had only met the deceased once or twice at Zhou family gatherings, where her interactions were limited to polite greetings as a junior. This man had no real connection to her, though she had heard that he was particularly close to Zhou Yanjing, having watched him grow up. 

But Lin Yuxi herself had never received any special affection or care from him.  

By the time the memorial concluded and others were weeping, Lin Yuxi couldn’t force out a single tear.  

She was never one for theatrics. 

As soon as it ended, Lin Yuxi was called over by Ling Qiong, who promptly scolded her for being late and for embarrassing herself in public, as expected. 

Lin Yuxi, like she had for the past decade, did not argue or talk back. She just took the scolding in silence. Fortunately, Ling Qiong was grieving and didn’t berate her for long before waving her off dismissively. 

When Lin Yuxi finally stepped out of the venue, Zhou Yanjing was nowhere to be seen. 

He had likely left with Jiang Nan and hadn’t waited for her. 

She didn’t feel disappointed or sad, but rather resigned, as if she had expected this all along. 

Unfortunately, the location was quite remote. The late Zhou family elder had lived in a house halfway up a mountain due to health reasons. 

While it had been easy to hail a cab on the way up, getting one to take her back down from the mountain was proving difficult. 

Lin Yuxi walked down the winding mountain road for a while, raising the fare on her ride-hailing app, but still no one took the order. 

As she prepared to increase the fare again, Zhou Shenan’s car pulled up beside her. 

“Xiao Xi, I’ll take you back.” 

“No, that’s alright,” Lin Yuxi quickly said. “I’m waiting for Zhou Yanjing.” 

Zhou Shenan looked at her for a few moments in quiet observation, and Lin Yuxi’s face started to flush with embarrassment. 

Her excuse was flimsy and easily seen through Zhou Shenan knew full well that Zhou Yanjing had already left. 

“Get in the car,” Zhou Shenan said, without pressing the matter further. 

Eventually, Lin Yuxi got into the car. 

After some hesitation, she chose to sit in the back seat. 

Having already made a scene earlier, she didn’t want to sit in the front and feel even more awkward. Though it might seem like treating Zhou Shenan like a chauffeur, he was far more gracious and gentlemanly than her husband, so she didn’t worry too much about it. 

Scrolling through her social media, Lin Yuxi came across a post Jiang Nan had shared earlier that morning: “Landed”. 

The post was accompanied by a photo taken at the airport, with Jiang Nan’s long hair and trench coat billowing in the wind as she gazed into the distance, the image carrying an artsy vibe. 

But Lin Yuxi’s attention was drawn to the corner of the plane visible in the background of the picture. 

It was a Gulfstream G650, Zhou Yanjing’s private jet. Every time he flew between New York and home, that was the plane he used. 

He had brought Jiang Nan back with him. 

Just before they reached the city, Lin Yuxi received a call from the hospital. A patient’s condition was proving complicated, and the head of the department wanted her to return to discuss the treatment plan. 

After hanging up, she told Zhou Shenan, “Brother, you can drop me off at the subway station.” 

“Going back to the hospital?” Zhou Shenan had guessed as much from her brief phone conversation. “It’s not far; I’ll drop you there.” 

When they arrived at the hospital, Lin Yuxi got out of the car, leaning on the door to thank him. 

“We’re family, no need to be so formal,” Zhou Shenan replied. 

In her heart, Lin Yuxi thought, We won’t be for much longer. 

It was already quite late by the time Lin Yuxi finished work and made her way home, exhausted both physically and emotionally. When she walked in, she noticed one light on in the living room. 

Someone was home. 

She set down her bag and glanced over to see Zhou Yanjing sitting on the couch. His left arm was draped over the backrest, and he was holding a cigarette that was already halfway finished. The smell of smoke filled the air. 

He had taken off his jacket, leaving him in a finely tailored black shirt that accentuated his cold, aristocratic features. 

When Zhou Yanjing saw her, he glanced at his watch, his expression darkening. 

Lin Yuxi was exhausted not just physically. 

She changed her shoes and began walking upstairs, but before she could make it up, she heard Zhou Yanjing speak. 

“You seemed pretty comfortable sitting next to my brother,” his lazy, unreadable voice drifted over. “What’s the matter? Do you sit there often when I’m not home?” 

Lin Yuxi couldn’t be bothered to engage. “I mistook him for you.” 

Zhou Yanjing let out a mocking laugh, his tone laced with sarcastic bitterness. “Mistook your own husband, huh? What’s next only realizing it’s not me after following him all the way into bed?”