Volume 1, Chapter 43: Zhou Jinghuai, Keep Your Dog on a Leash!

A year ago, Ye Wu's art gallery officially opened its doors.

The store spanned eight hundred square meters, with a total renovation cost of twenty million. The scent of money was palpable everywhere inside, and upon opening, it immediately became the go-to venue for celebrities to showcase their status.

[Index]: Purchasing art had become the new fashion.

Some emerging artists' works, once exhibited here by Ye Wu, multiplied in value several times over. Fortunately, Ye Wu had secured long-term contracts with them.

Of course, Ye Wu had her own methods for managing people; if anyone grew too greedy, she would simply end the cooperation.

At noon, the store closed for a two-hour break.

After a quick inventory check, a total of thirty-two paintings had been sold, not even counting pending contracts. Ye Wu felt this far exceeded her expectations, so she popped open champagne to celebrate with her twelve employees.

Annie was the happiest of all. Following President Ye to strike out on her own had clearly proven to be the right choice.

President Ye paid her an annual salary of 800,000, which was twenty percent more than before. Annie was thoroughly content.

Ye Wu gently swirled her wine glass, a faint smile playing on her lips: "We've barely scratched the surface. In the future, we will have our own auction house, cultivate top-tier artists, and make the whole world eager to chase after our works and willing to pay the price."

Annie immediately chimed in with a few sweet words.

Ye Wu set down her glass: "There are twelve red envelopes over there, twenty thousand each. Consider it your hazard pay for all the hard work this month."

Instantly, a chorus of voices rang out in unison: "Thank you, President Ye."

Ye Wu laughed: "We run a legitimate business here, unlike certain shady operations. Now, get some proper rest and gather your energy for a productive afternoon."

She was generous with her subordinates and willing to share the profits, which won the wholehearted respect of her staff.

...

A short while later, Ye Wu was resting in her private office.

Annie lugged in a massive stack of boxes, using every ounce of her strength, her tight sheath skirt nearly tearing at the seams.

Ye Wu frowned: "What on earth is this? Heavy enough to look like this?"

Annie carried the boxes onto the desk and brushed off her hands: "They're all congratulatory gifts for you, President Ye. Take your time looking through them."

Ye Wu nodded.

With nothing else to do at the moment, she began opening them to log the items. These social debts would all need to be repaid eventually, so Ye Wu kept a special little notebook just to record them—

[Mrs. Chen: A pair of pure gold lion paperweights.]

[Gu Jiuci: An authentic painting from the Ming or Qing dynasty.]

[Elder Zhou: A statue of the Goddess of Mercy delivering a child.]

...

Ye Wu was left quite speechless...

...

At the same time, she felt a lingering sense of guilt toward the elderly man, because not only was she going to divorce Zhou Jinghuai, but she could no longer bear children either... The old man was bound to be disappointed.

The next gift was from Zhou Jinghuai—the keys to the Dijingyuan villa.

The deep bronze key was solemnly nestled amidst strands of raffia grass. Ye Wu knew the intention behind the key; it was nothing more than a plea for her forgiveness, an invitation to return home and continue playing the role of Mrs. Zhou.

Ye Wu asked herself and knew she could not do it.

In the past, she might have been able to put on a polite facade with him, but after what happened to her grandmother, she felt a profound aversion toward him. She could no longer accept being intimate with him.

Ye Wu closed the box lid, intending to return it to Zhou Jinghuai.

Just then, a commotion broke out outside.

Judging by the sound, it seemed like a woman crying. Ye Wu quickly dropped what she was holding and walked out.

Chaos had erupted outside.

In the dead of winter, Bai Qianqian was wearing only a thin dress, her eyes brimming with tears, looking mentally unstable. She shrieked Zhou Jinghuai's name, and upon seeing Ye Wu emerge, she threw a hysterical tantrum—

"Where is Zhou Jinghuai? Why won't he see me?"

"Ye Wu, did you hide him away?"

"You're the one who forbids him from seeing me, aren't you?"

...

Two female nurses rushed in, grabbing Bai Qianqian by the arms to keep her from thrashing around.

Yet Bai Qianqian still had her voice.

She began to hurl vicious curses at Ye Wu, shouting the most hateful words: "Zhou Jinghuai doesn't love you at all! You're just a tool he uses to vie for power! If he truly loved you, why would he stay in Geneva and refuse to come back? Ye Wu, you have no shame clinging to a man who doesn't love you. You possess zero self-respect."

A female nurse clapped a hand over her mouth.

Yet it was too late; everyone had heard it, including Bai Chunian, his wife, and Zhou Jinghuai, who had just arrived.

A dead silence fell over the scene.

Ye Wu's pride was trampled upon once more...

Zhou Jinghuai's Adam's apple bobbed as he called out: "Ye Wu."

Ye Wu first looked at Bai Qianqian, then shifted her gaze to her husband. She let out a very soft laugh: "Zhou Jinghuai, she didn't lie. You really don't love me, do you? Do you dare to say right now... that you love me?"

Zhou Jinghuai took a step closer: "Let's go back and talk about this."

Ye Wu brushed his hand away, her smile turning glacial—

"Why talk about it back home?"

"Is there something you're afraid to say in front of your damaged goods?"

...

A round of applause rang out.

Annie was clapping so hard her palms were practically raw; President Ye was truly magnificent.

Bai Chunian and his wife turned deathly pale.

Bai Chunian was a public figure who cared deeply about his reputation. Although Zhou Jinghuai and Qianqian were supposedly innocent, how could all those expenses ever be properly explained away?

Before Bai Chunian could speak, Mrs. Bai lunged forward to block Zhou Jinghuai's path, flying into a rage: "Jinghuai, your wife is truly something else, sticking her nose into your spending! If you ask me, we should just tell her—"

"Aunt Bai!"

Zhou Jinghuai's voice was icy, carrying a stern warning.

Mrs. Bai froze. She wanted to continue speaking, but Bai Chunian forcefully held her back.

Zhou Jinghuai spoke in a low, quiet voice: "Whoever dares to utter a single word of nonsense in front of my wife will face the consequences."

Bai Chunian and his wife were startled.

Zhou Jinghuai pushed past Mrs. Bai and walked up to Ye Wu.

A storm of emotions raged within him. Over the years, as he traveled back and forth, the only warmth and happiness he ever received actually came from Ye Wu. No matter how exhausted he was, he always had a home waiting for him in Beijing.

How could he not develop feelings after all this time?

Zhou Jinghuai gently pulled Ye Wu into his embrace, his entire body trembling...

...

In a certain luxury apartment.

After the doctor administered a sedative, Bai Qianqian finally calmed down.

Zhou Jinghuai rarely visited, so he took the opportunity to discuss several matters with Bai Chunian and his wife. They could distinctly sense that Zhou Jinghuai's attitude had grown noticeably colder.

Late at night, they asked Zhou Jinghuai to stay for a late-night snack before leaving. Zhou Jinghuai, feeling utterly exhausted, agreed.

He fell asleep on the couch.

Tall and long-limbed, he stretched out across the entire sofa, a black overcoat draped casually over his body. As the coat slipped down slightly, a yellowed piece of paper quietly fluttered to the floor.

Bai Qianqian woke up. On tiptoes, she crept over and picked up the paper from the floor.

Thinking it might be confidential documents, she instead discovered an unexpectedly wonderful treasure. Bai Qianqian stared at it intently several times over, and then a soft smile crept onto her lips...