Chapter 33: Your Girlfriend Is About to Become an Extramarital Affair

This man never knows how to say anything nice; in fact, there isn't a single pleasant word that ever passes his lips. I have long since grown accustomed to it.

"If you don't say anything, no one will ever know about our relationship." Naturally, there would be no question of bringing shame upon the Zhou family.

I met his burning gaze and said quite earnestly, "Or, if you agree to divorce me, I can leave your company this very moment and promise never to appear before you again." I was desperate to sway him, with an urgency I had never felt before. "How about it? Consider it. It would be mutually beneficial, with no downsides for either of us."

"And what benefit is there in it for me?" He seemed tempted.

I hurried to provide examples. "Look, you could be openly with the one you love. If you still need a shield at that point, I suggest you find someone more compliant. Of course, you must be clear with them before the marriage, otherwise, people will accuse you of marriage fraud."

He stared at me. I chose to ignore him. "There is really no need for us to continue this marriage; it serves no purpose. A woman cannot wait for you forever; you owe her an explanation and a status." I was absolutely sincere in my advice.

Yet, after speaking at length, he did not offer a single word in response. I was a bit puzzled, and just as I was about to ask, he suddenly gripped my chin. I was startled.

He leaned in close, his deep eyes locked onto mine, and his low voice was filled with warning. "Do not think about divorce again. I will not agree to it."

The faint spark of hope in my heart was doused by a bucket of cold water. With a hiss, it was extinguished. I brushed his hand away without hesitation; the impact of our palms meeting made a sharp sound. My palm felt a bit numb, and he must have felt the sting too, as his expression darkened.

I opened the car door and stepped out. I scanned my surroundings warily, and once I was certain there were no familiar faces, I looked back at him through the window. "I will say this one more time: from now on, my life and death have nothing to do with you. Do not appear before me again, or who knows—I might accidentally let something slip one day, and then your girlfriend will be reduced to nothing more than an affair."

"What girlfriend?"

Playing dumb! I had no desire to discuss such disgusting topics with him, so I turned and walked away. His car followed me. Annoyed beyond measure, I turned back and said viciously, "Any behavior that involves clinging to someone who has already rejected you, I define as nothing more than—being pathetic."

Zhou Chenyan seemed to want to say something, but my words cut him off. His face turned a faint shade of grey. He then ordered his driver, "Drive."

The car vanished into the traffic. I prepared to walk toward a more convenient spot to hail a taxi, when a cab pulled up in front of me.

"Sister Mu." The young man driving was someone I knew well—Qian Yushu. "Where are you headed? Let me give you a ride."

I had intended to refuse, but in the end, I opened the door and got in. He drove steadily, the car was spotless, and there was a faint, pleasant scent in the air.

"Are you working a side job?"

"Not exactly. My dad is a taxi driver, but he hasn't been feeling well these past few days, so I told him to stay home and rest while I cover for him." Qian Yushu spoke of his father with a natural, candid expression.

"I didn't know you could drive."

"My father insisted I learn. He always said that if I couldn't find a good job after graduation, at least this would be a trade to keep me from starving."

He certainly wouldn't starve; his capabilities were far greater than that. "Your father is really worrying too much."

"Isn't that just how parents are? Always worried that their children will suffer, won't make enough money, won't find work, or won't be able to find a wife." He gave a simple, honest laugh.

To be honest, this demeanor was completely different from the cold, sinister person I had seen before my death. For a fleeting moment, I even had an absurd thought: perhaps he wasn't that Qian Yushu. But the thought vanished as quickly as it came, not even lingering in my mind for more than two seconds. It was too naive. Whether in my past life or this one, he was the same Qian Yushu, always being used by Zhou Zhizi to hound me to my grave.

The car stopped at the gate of the Zhou residence. Before we parted, Qian Yushu said to me, "I'll be driving for my dad for the next couple of days. If you can't get a cab later, feel free to call me; I'll take you for free. Even after my dad starts driving again, you can still reach out to me; I'll tell him."

"Thank you."

As I turned away, the smile on my face faded. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a figure flash past the second floor. I instinctively looked up, but only saw curtains swaying in the breeze. I must have seen wrong. I shook my head and went inside.

...

On Monday, I went to the company, but I didn't take Zhou Chenyan's car because he had driven off early. I stood at the gate for a minute, and once I was certain he wouldn't return, I was so angry I laughed. Just because I said a few things to him the other day—what a petty man.

It didn't matter. I hadn't intended to rely on his car anyway; if it weren't for the lack of a bus stop here, I would have taken public transport long ago. I remembered there was an old, unused bicycle in the garage. So, that morning, I rode the bike slowly to the office. I was ten minutes late, but my supervisor was in a good mood and didn't give me a hard time.

My colleagues in the department were also in high spirits; before I even entered, I could hear their cheering. Cancan gave me a direct hug. "Thank you!"

I was a little flattered. Seeing the smiles in the eyes of my other colleagues, I knew the crisis had passed. Cancan had brought me steamed buns and fried dough sticks, and the colleagues greeted me one after another.

I had a purpose in coming here to work, and I didn't intend to stay forever. At first, I didn't care how they treated me or what they said; I just wanted to find the person conspiring with Zhou Zhizi and save the lives of Mr. and Mrs. Zhou. But when they truly showed me kindness, the feeling was novel. After all, in two lifetimes combined, I had never experienced this kind of workplace atmosphere.

Everything seemed to be getting better. But it was only "seemed."

In the afternoon, the department had a visitor who wasn't exactly a stranger: Zhou Zhizi. She brought gifts and fruit to share with everyone. As they ate, they showered her with praise. Zhou Zhizi seemed very skilled at this kind of social interaction, effortlessly winning people's favor.

"Sister Yanyan, why aren't you eating?" Zhou Zhizi placed a bunch of grapes in front of me. They were large and round, giving off a sweet fragrance.

I hugged my water glass. "Thanks for the gesture, but I don't really like fruit."

"Just have a taste, the grapes are very sweet," Zhou Zhizi said with a giggle. "Brother Yan gave them to me. He knows I love grapes, so he specially imported them from abroad. They're different from the grapes we have here in the country."

I didn't know what the difference was between domestic and foreign grapes, but the point of her words wasn't the grapes. If she wanted to make me jealous, that was absolutely impossible. I kept a straight face and met her gaze. After a while, Zhou Zhizi seemed to find it boring and changed the subject, her smile becoming even brighter.

"Actually, I came here today to announce some good news to you all."

"What good news?" "Are you getting a promotion?"

Everyone was very supportive. Zhou Zhizi shot me a slightly strange look, her voice as sweet as ever. "I've been transferred to Team Two! From now on, we're all colleagues!"