Chapter 57 I don't like it, throw it away

I knew it. From the very moment I laid eyes on Zhou Chenyan, I understood Zhou Zhizi’s intention, and Zhou Chenyan’s reaction was entirely within my expectation.

He couldn't see.

Yet I could clearly catch that subtle trace of provocation on the face of Zhou Zhizi, who was hiding in his arms.

I laughed out of sheer anger.

"Zhou Zhizi, why don't you explain to me what's going on with the ring on your finger?"

Zhou Chenyan looked confused. "What ring?"

Seeing his reaction, I knew that the fleeting doubt in my heart just now was true.

He hadn't bought this ring.

Zhou Zhizi bit her lip and whispered, "I had someone make this ring just for fun. I've never shown it to anyone else. Today was just the two of us having dinner together, so I brought it out..."

Zhou Chenyan glanced at the ring on her finger, furrowing his brow slightly, but he didn't utter a word of reprimand.

"You pushed her just because of this?"

"I can't be bothered to explain it to you."

Even if I said I didn't push her, Zhou Chenyan wouldn't believe me. Countless past experiences had taught me that he was always like this.

Between Zhou Zhizi and me, he would choose to believe Zhou Zhizi without a moment's hesitation.

"If Sister Yanyan cares so much about this ring, I can take it off."

With that, Zhou Zhizi slipped the ring off her finger, cast a deeply reluctant glance at it, and made as if to throw it away.

Zhou Chenyan stopped her.

"It's just a ring, no need to throw it away."

I asked coldly, "Do you even know what a ring represents? Or perhaps you know very well, but simply don't care."

Zhou Chenyan's expression darkened.

I pressed on, "Or could it be that you were the one who bought this ring for her?"

Although Zhou Zhizi claimed she was going to throw it away, she undoubtedly still kept the ring firmly gripped in her hand.

I took a look and sneered, "If that's the case, then it all makes sense. After all, the two of you have never been clear or proper with each other."

"Watch your language!"

Zhou Chenyan cast a cautious look to his left and right, terrified of being overheard.

At the same time, he issued a low warning to me.

I scoffed. "You dare to do it, yet you're afraid of what people might say? If you're really that scared of it spreading, you shouldn't have let her commission an identical copy."

He didn't want a divorce from me, yet he still wanted to carry on a secret affair with Zhou Zhizi?

In his dreams!

"You'd better make her throw that ring away. I don't want to see her wearing it ever again, or else I'll tell Mom and Dad, and have a little chat with some reporters while I'm at it."

Reporters would definitely be very interested in this topic.

And Mom and Dad would undoubtedly fly into a rage.

Zhou Zhizi looked at me in disbelief. "Sister Yanyan, how... how did you become like this? You run to tell on people at the drop of a hat. We aren't children anymore."

"I can't help it." I spread my hands in a helpless gesture. "When I run into some bizarre piece of work that I simply can't handle myself, I have no choice but to find their parents."

As for who this bizarre person was, I was certain the two standing before me knew it all too well.

Zhou Chenyan pulled me in front of him. "What exactly do you want?"

"Throw the ring away and stop showing up in front of me to provoke me."

Zhou Chenyan gritted his teeth. "Do you really think my parents will take your side?"

"Why wouldn't they?"

Could it be that they would side with the two of them instead?

I wouldn't dare make promises about other things, but this matter concerned the reputation of the Zhou family. Mr. and Mrs. Zhou would absolute not take Zhou Zhizi's side.

If they were to lay eyes on that ring, they would probably wish they could chop Zhou Zhizi's finger off.

"It's just a ring, it doesn't represent anything," Zhou Chenyan said stubbornly. "As long as I explain it clearly to Mom and Dad, they won't mind."

Looking at his resolute defense of Zhou Zhizi, a sudden wave of exhaustion washed over me.

Whatever.

Why bother arguing with him?

I should have known long ago that these two were hand in glove. The more I said, the more Zhou Chenyan would only feel pity for Zhou Zhizi.

His hand was still gripping my arm, and the point of contact felt utterly unbearable. I forced his hand away.

"Since you like having her wear it so much, then let her wear it."

Zhou Chenyan's expression softened slightly, as if satisfied with my concession.

"As long as you understand. Don't always give Zhizi a hard time."

The very next second, he froze completely.

I slipped the ring off my own finger and threw it directly onto his chest.

Zhou Chenyan didn't move.

The ring slid off him and hit the ground, rolling quite a distance away.

It finally came to a stop right against someone's shoe.

It was Qian Yushuo.

He picked up the ring, looked at us, and asked with a dazed and confused expression, "What... what is going on here?"

"Pick it up and bring it back," Zhou Chenyan commanded me with a terrible expression.

"No."

My refusal was equally decisive.

His expression grew even gloomier, looking like a gathering storm.

An oppressive silence hung heavily in the air. Qian Yushuo stood not far away holding the ring, at a loss, not daring to approach nor leave.

Zhou Zhizi grabbed Zhou Chenyan's arm and pleaded, "Brother, don't be angry, don't blame Sister Yanyan, it's just a ring..."

In front of an outsider, she naturally switched back to calling him brother.

Hesitatingly, Qian Yushuo walked over and handed the ring to me. "Sister Mu, is this yours?"

I didn't take it.

There was no reason to take back something that had already been thrown away.

Zhou Chenyan, who had been maintaining a silent vigil, suddenly reached out, snatched the ring, and forcefully shoved it onto my finger. From the bottom of my heart I was unwilling, but I couldn't overpower his strength.

So I simply stopped moving. The moment he finished putting it on and let go, I took a step back, pulled the ring off once more, and slapped it onto Zhou Zhizi's finger instead.

There. Now it was fixed.

One on each hand, double the love.

Zhou Zhizi clearly hadn't anticipated this move from me. Staring at the ring on her hand, she looked a bit dazed, unsure whether to take it off or keep it on.

She could only look helplessly at Zhou Chenyan.

Zhou Chenyan didn't look at her at all, his gaze locked onto me with deadly intensity. "Do you despise this ring that much?"

I had no idea what bug had suddenly bitten him, but if this entanglement continued, there was no telling when Han Qi might walk over, and our relationship might be exposed.

Therefore, I ignored him entirely and turned instead to Qian Yushuo.

"Since you came to find us, the team leader must be growing impatient. Let's head back."

"But..."

Qian Yushuo glanced at Zhou Chenyan.

He was frightened quite a bit by Zhou Chenyan's ugly, gloomy expression.

As for me, I couldn't care less. "President Zhou is in a bad mood. Let's hurry and leave, no need to be an eyesore here."

"Oh."

Just as we turned around, we heard Zhou Zhizi gasp in shock behind us.

Zhou Chenyan had ripped both rings off her hands.

The one on her right hand was tossed into the trash can, while the one on her left hand—the one that originally belonged to me—returned to my grasp once again.

"Put it on."

He glared at me, giving the distinct impression that he wouldn't stop until I put it on.

I simply couldn't understand him. "What on earth are you doing? Since Zhizi likes wearing it so much, give it to her."

I didn't give a damn about it anyway!

Zhou Chenyan didn't care about any of that, biting out each word distinctly, "I told you to put it on."

Yet I stubbornly refused.

Heaven knows how desperately I had wanted a divorce in my past life.

Yet this ring had been like a chain, a shackle that bound me tightly to this loveless marriage.

I couldn't escape, couldn't break free.

Now that I had finally managed to take it off, there was no way in hell I was putting it back on.

"I won't. Give it to whoever you please, and if there's truly no one to give it to, just throw it away."

I turned to leave, only to find myself face to face with Han Qi.

He...

Had he heard it all?!