Volume 1, Chapter 60: Ye Wu, I miss you so much!

At 9:30 PM, Ye Wu saw the Gu family siblings off.

The gray Ghost slowly pulled away. Ye Wu stood there for a moment, preparing to head back, when she heard a low call: "Ye Wu."

Ye Wu was startled.

Then, she and Zhou Jinghuai locked eyes in the night breeze.

He stood beside a black Rolls-Royce, wearing a classic, impeccably tailored three-piece suit.

Yet, Ye Wu could easily tell that Zhou Jinghuai had lost weight and his skin was slightly tanned.

A gust of night breeze swept by, carrying the scent of tuberose and the lingering resonance of the past, which echoed endlessly between them, reluctant to disperse...

Having gone through fractures and two months of separation, it felt as long as a century.

After staring at each other for a long time, Zhou Jinghuai walked towards Ye Wu. Coming to a halt, he looked up toward the direction of the apartment and spoke softly: "I arrived at seven. I saw you and Gu Jiuci setting off sparklers, so I didn't disturb you."

Ye Wu remained silent.

Zhou Jinghuai's tone remained very gentle: "Today is our fifth wedding anniversary. I made a special trip back from Yuncheng, wanting to give you a surprise. I booked the best restaurant with a night view and bought the white roses you like..."

Zhou Jinghuai opened the car door, took out the white roses from the front passenger seat, and then pulled out an exquisite velvet box.

Opening it, inside lay a pink diamond ring, six carats of flawless quality.

With deep eyes, Zhou Jinghuai took Ye Wu's hand, intending to put it on her finger.

He said: "Happy fifth wedding anniversary."

However, Ye Wu gently curled her fingers, not letting him put it on. Her voice was low: "Zhou Jinghuai, I don't want your belated gift. If you truly want me to be happy, sign the divorce papers readily. Secretary Lin probably forgot to tell you, our divorce lawsuit goes to court the day after tomorrow."

Zhou Jinghuai's handsome brows knitted slightly—

"The day after tomorrow?"

"Ye Wu, today is our wedding anniversary, and I hurried back from Yuncheng..."

...

Ye Wu interrupted him: "It wouldn't matter even if you hurried back from Geneva! Zhou Jinghuai, how many times do I need to say it? We were finished long ago. I don't love you, I don't like you anymore. Is that clear enough? Is that plain enough?"

The fierce night breeze whipped up the black ends of Zhou Jinghuai's hair.

He lowered his gaze and asked in a low voice: "Then have you grown to like Gu Jiuci?"

Ye Wu did not answer.

Her relationship with Zhou Jinghuai had fallen apart completely, and she owed him no explanations—

Ye Wu turned and left. As she walked, she thought to herself that her affection had actually been killed by Zhou Jinghuai long ago.

In this world, the person least qualified to question her was Zhou Jinghuai.

Like a ghostly specter of the night, Zhou Jinghuai's slightly hoarse voice came from behind: "Ye Wu, I miss you so much."

He had been extremely busy and exhausted in Yuncheng.

Yet every night before falling asleep, he would look at her photographs, wondering what she was doing, anticipating the day they would meet again in Capital City...

He had imagined a thousand different scenarios, but none of them was like this.

Ye Wu's body paused, and then she walked away even faster.

Returning to her apartment, she leaned against the door panel, tilting her head back with tears gleaming in the corners of her eyes—

On the dining table, the dishes were still uncleaned, and a bottle of champagne was more than half empty.

Today she had acquired an auction house, and the Gu siblings had come over to celebrate, never expecting Zhou Jinghuai to return... In truth, she had long forgotten the date of their wedding.

Little White trotted over excitedly, wagging its tail at her. Ye Wu bent down to pick it up, burying her face in the little creature's soft belly.

The end of a marriage always leaves one exhausted and heartbroken.

...

The Imperial Scenery Estate.

The sudden return of the master of the house surprised and delighted the domestic staff: "Sir is back."

Zhou Jinghuai nodded, undoing his suit buttons as he walked toward the brightly lit foyer.

The villa remained just as it always was, yet he felt it was icy cold—

Probably because Ye Wu was not here.

To please him, the housekeeper casually remarked while taking his suit jacket: "Would Sir like a bowl of plain noodles? I specifically learned how to make soybean paste sauce from Madam."

Zhou Jinghuai paused: "During these past two months, has Madam ever come back?"

The housekeeper shook her head.

A wave of disappointment washed over Zhou Jinghuai, and he asked no more, heading straight to the study on the second floor.

Everything was as it had been.

Except that on the pristine desk, there was now a court summons, with the court date set for the day after tomorrow.

The floor-to-ceiling windows were as clean as a mirror, reflecting the lights and mirroring his decadence.

Yet clearly, he wore a meticulously crafted bespoke suit, and even the hair wax on his hair had been carefully styled. Everything was so perfect, yet his inner world was a desolate wasteland.

Zhou Jinghuai retrieved a cigarette case from the desk, drew out a cigarette, and slowly lit it.

A pale blue mist drifted outward—

His gaze was deeper than ever before.

After about half a cigarette's time, he made a decision, turned sideways to stub out the cigarette, and picked up his phone to dial a long-neglected number: "Guci, let's meet."

...

Half an hour later, Capital City's [Hidden Spring] Restaurant.

With its black crystal Italian interior design and an entire wall of floor-to-ceiling glass windows offering a panoramic view of the city's night skyline, Zhou Jinghuai had rented the place out for 300,000.

When Gu Jiuci arrived, Zhou Jinghuai was standing before the floor-to-ceiling windows, his back appearing somewhat solitary.

Hearing footsteps, Zhou Jinghuai did not turn around: "Guci, do you remember those years we spent on Wall Street? Together we made over four million US dollars. That night we celebrated extravagantly, tasting the power of money for the first time."

Gu Jiuci smiled faintly: "How could I not remember?"

Zhou Jinghuai's voice was deeper than the night: "Guci, from childhood to adulthood, we could be considered inseparable. Whether in business or social connections, we have never had a conflict. You can have whatever you want, but I will not yield Ye Wu to you."

"Guci, I owe you a favor, but I'm afraid I must fail you."

...

Gu Jiuci had never dared to underestimate Zhou Jinghuai.

When it came to schemes and methods among the younger generation in Capital City, Zhou Jinghuai had never met a match. He understood human nature too well and was too adept at leveraging his surroundings.

Look, even when laying his cards openly on the table, he remained gentle and mild, as if reminiscing about old times.

It was truly no surprise that Ye Wu had fallen into his hands.

With just a few simple words, Gu Jiuci guessed Zhou Jinghuai's intention—he was going to target him.

He felt no fear. Instead, he walked up to Zhou Jinghuai and stood beside him, gazing out at the night scenery together.

After a long silence, Gu Jiuci said indifferently: "I saved her, and staying by her side was not to possess her; I merely helped her escape a loveless marriage. Zhou Jinghuai, you are utterly unworthy of possessing her, unworthy of possessing her affections. Do you dare tell her your true secret? Do you dare speak of Bai Ruo'an's existence?"

The night was like a ghostly specter.

The entire city seemed immersed in a realm of demons and monsters.

Zhou Jinghuai was dressed in noble black, the lights casting a glow on his profile, outlining a masterpiece of traditional ink wash painting, as elegant and graceful as a jade tree.

He turned his head to look at Gu Jiuci, his eyes profound: "Yes, I am unworthy! But I still want to possess her."