Chapter 4

After getting into the car, Zhou Yanjing crossed his legs, sitting comfortably in the pure black leather seat. 

 The extended car cabin was spacious enough to maintain a comfortable social distance between them, ensuring they wouldn’t disturb each other. 

The atmosphere was tense. 

Lin Yuxi wasn’t sure if they had discussed the divorce in the study. She sat quietly for a moment before turning her head to ask, “Did your mother say anything to you?” 

Zhou Yanjing glanced at her indifferently. “Say what?” 

It seemed she hadn’t mentioned it. 

Lin Yuxi fiddled with her fingertips, hesitating for a few seconds before speaking again. “There’s only a month left until…” 

Before she could finish, Zhou Yanjing’s phone rang. He slowly withdrew his gaze from her and answered the call. 

It wasn’t clear who was on the other end, but his responses were brief. His eyes wandered out the window, and his expression reflected a distant indifference. 

After hanging up, Zhou Yanjing instructed the driver to pull over. 

When the car came to a stop, Lin Yuxi heard his cold voice say, “Get out. I have other things to attend to. Another car will come to pick you up later.” 

Instinctively, Lin Yuxi asked, “Where are you going so late?” 

At her question, Zhou Yanjing raised his eyelids slightly, his eyes flickering over her face with an unreadable expression. A cold smile tugged at the corner of his lips. 

“You’re meddling too much, Mrs. Zhou.” 

It was like a bucket of icy water poured over her, chilling Lin Yuxi to the bone. 

Her fingers curled reflexively as she silently opened the car door and got out. 

The Bentley drove away before her eyes, leaving her alone on a deserted road under the dim glow of the streetlights. The yellow lights were spaced far apart, leaving much of the area in shadow. It was dark and desolate. 

There was still a long way to the city. No nearby houses, no shops. The wind was strong, rustling through the treetops. 

Lin Yuxi realized she had forgotten her scarf. The cold wind seeped into her neck and through the gaps of her sweater, chilling her to the bone. She ordered a ride through a phone app and left once the car arrived. 

When Lin Yuxi arrived home, Aunt Chen had already returned. She eagerly handed her a pair of slippers, glancing behind her. 

“Madam, didn’t the second young master come back with you?” 

“No,” Lin Yuxi said, changing her shoes. Just as she was about to head upstairs, she remembered something and brought Aunt Chen into the room where the cat was kept, instructing her on how to care for it. 

The room was filled with cat supplies: an automatic feeder, a litter box, and a large cat tree. 

Aunt Chen marveled at the sight, then asked, “You’ve got so many cats now. Won’t the second young master be unhappy?” 

“Just keep the door closed so they don’t get out,” Lin Yuxi replied. “If he’s unhappy, that’s his problem. Adults can’t be happy every second of the day.” 

She had once been easygoing, but now, perhaps because of past grievances, she seemed to hold onto grudges. Aunt Chen awkwardly kept quiet. 

Zhou Yanjing didn’t come home that night. 

Nor did he return in the following days. 

If it weren’t for the frequent news about him in various media outlets, Lin Yuxi might have suspected he’d met with some accident. 

Zhou Yanjing’s return to China caused a significant stir in the financial world, and everyone was speculating about his reasons for coming back. 

“Boyu’s magnificent return shakes up the domestic investment banking market!” 

“Insider report: Zhou Qizhen set to step down as president of Hengtai Bank, with the second young master returning low-key, possibly vying for control of the family business?” 

Even Lin Yuxi’s colleagues in the hospital were gossiping about it during lunch. 

“Wow, the second young master of the Zhou family is so handsome! Handsome and talented—my goodness, I’m in love!” 

Su Cheng chimed in, “Don’t get your hopes up. He’s already married.” 

“Really? That young, and he’s already married?” 

“Of course! I’ve seen him in person. He’s even more handsome than in the photos. When he got married, the wedding was grand. You didn’t know?” 

Su Cheng spoke as if she was well-acquainted with Zhou Yanjing, and Lin Yuxi glanced at her. 

Though they had joined the same hospital and department the same year, Su Cheng had always been at odds with Lin Yuxi. 

Plus, when Lin Yuxi and Zhou Yanjing got married, she was still in graduate school and hadn’t started working at the hospital yet. Without many family connections, the only person representing her side at the wedding had been her friend, Yu Jiaxiao. 

“You guys haven’t seen that iconic photo?” Su Cheng said, excitedly. “From the wedding—the one of them exchanging rings. The bride was wearing this ethereal veil. That side profile, the whole atmosphere—I’m telling you, it was perfect!” 

“Let me pull it up and show you.” 

She found the photo from an old news article, and a group of people crowded around to gush. 

“Even though you can’t see her face clearly, the bone structure screams ‘stunning beauty’!” 

“I’d love to know who she is.” 

“Hey, doesn’t the side profile look a bit like you, Dr. Lin?” 

Lin Yuxi kept a straight face. “You must be mistaken.” 

“Yeah, right.” Su Cheng rolled her eyes. “As if she’d be so lucky to marry into a wealthy family.” 

Lin Yuxi remained calm. “Who says I’m not that lucky?” 

Su Cheng was about to retort when a nurse firmly said, “With Dr. Lin’s looks and skills, marrying into a wealthy family would be a breeze!” 

Su Cheng scoffed. “It’s been two years, though. Has anyone ever seen her husband? If she really married into a wealthy family, don’t you think she’d show him off?” 

“Yeah, Dr. Lin, when will you bring your husband around for us to meet?” 

Lin Yuxi put down her chopsticks, wiped her mouth, and said, “He’s dead. Bringing him around might scare you.” 

With that, she nonchalantly picked up her tray and walked away, leaving behind several stunned faces. 

Later that evening, when Lin Yuxi got home, Aunt Chen had prepared a full dinner spread, a table full of dishes, many of which Lin Yuxi didn’t like, such as eggplant and bamboo shoots. 

Lin Yuxi asked her to make less, but Aunt Chen argued, “You might not like it, but the second young master does!” 

“He can’t eat twelve dishes by himself.” 

Lin Yuxi was a kind person. If someone treated her well, she would repay them tenfold. 

She didn’t like conflict. As long as things didn’t cross the line, she wouldn’t make things difficult. But once she closed her heart to someone, it was hard to open it again. 

“I’m not asking you to be frugal, but let’s not be wasteful.” 

Aunt Chen muttered under her breath, “It’s all the second young master’s money anyway. How’s it wasteful if it’s for him?” 

Lin Yuxi calmly continued eating, “I can hear you perfectly fine. If you want to mutter, do it from a distance.” 

Aunt Chen fell silent. 

As Lin Yuxi was finishing her meal, Zhou Yanjing still hadn’t returned. Aunt Chen glanced at the door several times and finally asked, “Aren’t you going to call the second young master? It’s been days—shouldn’t he be home tonight?” 

Lin Yuxi replied, “If you miss him that much, why don’t you call him yourself?” 

Aunt Chen looked embarrassed. “That’s not what I meant…” 

Just then, they heard the sound of a car pulling into the driveway. Aunt Chen brightened up. “Could it be the second young master?” 

She rushed to open the door, and Lin Yuxi looked over. 

It was only the driver, Old Liu, carrying a cardboard box. From a distance, he called out to Lin Yuxi, “Madam, you left this in the car the other day. The second young master asked me to bring it back to you.” 

“Just leave it there,” she replied. 

Old Liu placed the box at the door and was about to leave when Lin Yuxi asked, “Where has he been staying these past few days?”