Chapter 61: Divorce! Zhou Jinghuai's Heartbroken Confession

Beijing City Court.

Journalists from all over the city had flocked to the scene.

The entrance of the court was packed to the point of being completely impassable, with countless camera flashes aimed at a black limousine, eagerly anticipating the moment Zhou Jinghuai would step out of the car, an event destined to set the entire internet ablaze.

Inside the black limousine, Secretary Lin turned his head and asked, "Jing Shao, shall we have security intervene? The reporters are live-streaming across the entire internet right now, and I am afraid it might affect your reputation."

Zhou Jinghuai gently smoothed the crisp line of his trousers, his tone indifferent, "No need."

The chauffeur opened the door for him. Zhou Jinghuai buttoned his suit jacket and strode toward the courthouse, while camera flashes illuminated the sky behind him—

[Mr. Zhou, will you agree to a divorce?]

[We heard that you and your wife have been living apart.]

[Will you remarry after the divorce?]

...

Zhou Jinghuai turned a deaf ear, answering none of their questions.

He walked into Courtroom No. 2, which was packed to capacity.

The Zhou family had arrived.

Elder Zhou, along with Zhou Yanli and his wife, and even Zhou Yanyu and her husband were present. Since Zhou Jingyao was facing a prison sentence, Zhou Yanyu and her husband were more than eager to see Ye Wu driven out of the Zhou family gates.

Ye Wu’s family and friends had also come.

Gu Jiuci and his sister, Mrs. Chen, as well as her grandmother from home.

Shortly after, Zhou Jinghuai caught sight of Ye Wu.

Today, Ye Wu wore a little black dress, free of extravagant jewelry, adorned only with a handmade brooch from a British brand. Her expression was resolute and unyielding.

Zhou Jinghuai gazed at her quietly, his eyes filled with a man’s gentleness.

His lawyer, Senior Counsel Shao, whispered to him, "As long as you insist that the relationship has not broken down, the court will not grant the divorce. If Mrs. Zhou still wishes to divorce, she will have to file another lawsuit, and at that time you can appeal to the judge's discretion."

Senior Counsel Shao handed a prepared statement to Zhou Jinghuai, instructing him to read it with deep emotion, confident that they could prevent the divorce.

Everyone present also assumed that Zhou Jinghuai would refuse the divorce, that he would drag Ye Wu down, dragging out this marriage—

Yet Zhou Jinghuai put down the statement.

He stared directly into Ye Wu's eyes and spoke very softly, "I agree to a divorce."

An uproar erupted in the courtroom; everyone was stunned. Zhou Jinghuai had actually agreed to a divorce.

Ye Wu was also momentarily taken aback.

Zhou Jinghuai gazed at her with tender eyes and repeated, "I am willing to divorce."

"If I could do it all over again, I would not take that risk."

"A'Wu, if it brings you closure, I am willing to divorce."

"As for the division of property, aside from ten percent of the shares in Rong'en Group, all real estate under my name shall belong entirely to my wife, Ye Wu. I only need to keep the residence at Dijingyuan and a few changes of shirts."

"A'Wu, those shirts were bought for me by you."

...

Zhou Jinghuai spoke with profound affection.

In the spectator gallery, Elder Zhou leaned over to ask his youngest son, Zhou Yanli, "Since when did he become so cheesy? He didn't even make a confession like this when he got married! Is this a divorce, Yanli? Is this really a divorce?"

Zhou Yanli answered with utmost solemnity, "Father, Jinghuai is indeed getting a divorce."

Elder Zhou stroked his cane with weathered, withered fingers and said expressionlessly, "Then he must have studied acting abroad; he's acting just like the real thing."

Zhou Yanli coughed lightly, finding it difficult to respond.

Madam Zhou was both shocked and delighted. Jinghuai had finally come to his senses.

The trial concluded, and both parties signed the divorce agreement in private.

Perhaps because it came too easily, Ye Wu hesitated for a fraction of a second as she picked up the pen to sign.

Zhou Jinghuai looked at her with deep, tender eyes and asked, "Are you reluctant to let go?"

"You're overthinking it."

With that, Ye Wu lowered her head and signed her name in the blank space. Her fingers trembled inevitably, failing to leave ink on the paper for several attempts.

Zhou Jinghuai stared at her fixedly, as if trying to memorize every contour of her face. He clearly saw the corners of Ye Wu's eyes grow damp, and he blurted out, "You still have feelings for me, don't you?"

A court official standing nearby felt rather awkward.

However, for the CEO of Rong'en to utter such a cringeworthy remark was surprisingly sexy.

If anyone else had said it, one could only shudder at how greasy it would sound.

Ye Wu signed her name, pushed the divorce agreement toward Zhou Jinghuai, and said coldly, "Zhou Jinghuai, like I said, you're overthinking it."

Zhou Jinghuai gave her a long, deep look before taking the agreement and signing his own name at the top.

[Zhou Jinghuai]

[Ye Wu]

After finishing his signature, Zhou Jinghuai stared at it for a long while.

This was the last time their names would be written side by side. From now on, they would no longer be husband and wife; each would walk their own path, their lives entirely independent of one another.

Zhou Jinghuai closed the agreement, looked at Ye Wu, and spoke softly, "A'Wu, you are free now."

Ye Wu's lips trembled slightly, but in the end, she said nothing and simply turned to leave.

Zhou Jinghuai remained standing there, watching Ye Wu's receding figure, his image captured forever by the cameras—

Handsome yet haggard.

By evening, the photograph set the entire internet ablaze, evoking collective heartbreak among the women of the entire city.

[Zhou Jinghuai looks like he's about to shatter.]

[Just give Zhou Jinghuai his Ye Wu; it's not like he's asking for the moon in the sky.]

[Sob, sob, sob. My New Year wish for the future is—for Zhou Jinghuai and Ye Wu to get back together.]

...

At the same time, in a hospital in Geneva.

A slender woman put down her phone, stood on the balcony, and gazed into the distance toward the east.

—It was Bai Ruo'an.

Ever since Bai Qianqian pulled off her foolish stunt, Zhou Jinghuai had rarely called her, and sometimes he wouldn't even answer her calls. Just like today—she had called him three times, and he hadn't had the time to answer.

Was he truly too busy to answer, or did he simply not want to?

Two months had passed, and he hadn't even visited Geneva once.

Had he fallen in love with Ye Wu?

Why did he say those things in court? Why did he wear such a tender expression when looking at Ye Wu?

In the past, that tenderness belonged exclusively to her, Bai Ruo'an.

Zhou Jinghuai, what were the love and passion of our youth supposed to mean?