I'm Done with the Elite Marriage - Chapter 22
Zhou Youling didn’t want any unexpected twists to complicate the divorce, so she went straight to the Civil Affairs Bureau after lunch and waited outside.
She sent Fu Xunzhou a short message, asking him not to waste any more of their time.
It wasn’t yet time for the bureau to open, so Zhou Youling reclined in her car for a quick nap. She hadn’t slept well the previous night, but now that everything seemed to be moving forward, she felt a rare sense of relief. Closing her eyes, she drifted off almost immediately.
Meanwhile, Fu Ruxuan, acting as Zhou Youling’s unofficial informant, kept sending her updates:
[Sister-in-law, Elder Brother is still at the hospital with Grandfather.]
[Sister-in-law, Elder Brother is whispering to Grandfather. I heard them mention your name!]
[Sister-in-law, are you really going to divorce my Elder Brother?]
[Sister-in-law, I really like you. Can’t you stay my sister-in-law forever?]
…
When Zhou Youling woke up, she saw the string of messages from Fu Ruxuan and replied to each one. At the end, she wrote: [If I’m not your sister-in-law, can’t I just be your elder sister instead?]
Fu Ruxuan thought about it for a moment and replied: [Elder sister sounds nice! I’ve always wanted an elder sister! This is great! From now on, you’re my elder sister!]
Zhou Youling chuckled as she read Fu Ruxuan’s enthusiastic response.
In truth, everything in life has its ups and downs. Though her years with the Fu Family hadn’t been particularly pleasant, seeing Fu Ruxuan always managed to lift her spirits.
Not long after, another message from Fu Ruxuan popped up: [Elder Sister, Elder Brother just left the hospital!!!]
The moment Fu Ruxuan sent the message, her phone was snatched away.
“Hey! Brother!”
Fu Hexu, taking full advantage of his height, stretched out his long arm and held the phone high above her reach. No matter how much Fu Ruxuan jumped and flailed, she couldn’t grab it back.
Frustrated, she shouted, “You big pighead! Give me back my phone!”
Fu Hexu, glancing at the screen, skimmed through the chat history between Fu Ruxuan and Zhou Youling. He tapped his younger sister lightly on the head. “Excuse me, but isn’t this what they call siding with an outsider?”
Fu Ruxuan snatched her phone back and shot her brother a glare. “It’s not siding with an outsider! I just really like Elder Sister Youling. If anyone dares to bully her, I’ll be her sworn enemy!”
Fu Hexu raised an eyebrow. “What do you like about her?”
“There’s so much to like! Sister-in-law-no, Elder Sister-is beautiful and has such a great personality. The first time I met her, she killed a cockroach with her bare hands right in front of me!”
Fu Hexu, who had been sipping water, nearly spat it out. “And yet when I kill cockroaches for you, you don’t seem to like me as much.”
“That’s totally different.” Fu Ruxuan gave her brother an exasperated look. “Can you imagine a glamorous woman with crystal nails smashing a cockroach with her bare hands right in front of you?”
Fu Hexu thought about it for a moment. The image was… unsettling, to say the least.
“And there’s something else amazing about Elder Sister,” Fu Ruxuan continued. “Her cooking is incredible!”
“What’s so incredible about it?” Fu Hexu was intrigued. He’d heard more than once that Zhou Youling’s cooking was exceptional, but he’d never had the chance to try it himself.
Fu Ruxuan stuck out her tongue at him. “Elder Sister isn’t a servant. Why should she have to cook for everyone all the time?”
Although Fu Ruxuan said all that, she still felt a twinge of regret deep down. Oh, how she missed the beef meatballs her elder sister used to make.
As the thought crossed her mind, Fu Ruxuan suddenly grabbed Fu Hexu’s arm and exclaimed loudly, “Elder Brother, Elder Brother! Why don’t you go and bring Elder Sister back? That way, she can be my Sister-in-law again! And then I can see her every day at home!”
“Cough, cough, cough…” This time, Fu Hexu was genuinely choked by her words.
–
Zhou Youling received a text message notifying her that two million yuan had just been deducted from her account.
For Zhou Youling, two million yuan was no more than the value of a set of jewelry in her collection. But for others, it could be a life-saving fortune.
Though the Zhou Family was no longer what it had been in its heyday, Zhou Zhishan had spent years keeping a low profile and steadily accumulating wealth. By now, the family’s fortune was sufficient to ensure they wouldn’t have to worry about food or shelter for generations.
The Zhou Family had experienced investment failures in the past, so Zhou Youling had been cautious when making this investment. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust her friend, but she believed that if she was going to do something, she should do it properly. In addition to evaluating the credibility of the restaurant’s owner, she also considered its future potential.
Almost immediately, Bai Lingxue called her. “How could you transfer the money so quickly? Aren’t you afraid I might scam you?”
Zhou Youling chuckled. “Not at all. My love life’s already a mess. If I were to get scammed by my own friend on top of that, maybe I’d hit rock bottom and bounce back stronger.”
“You’re surprisingly optimistic,” Bai Lingxue sighed. “But don’t worry, I won’t let you down. This restaurant is a solid investment, but are you sure you don’t need someone to help you manage it?”
“No need,” Zhou Youling replied. “I’ll manage it myself. Starting tomorrow, I’ll officially clock in and work nine to five every day.”
Bai Lingxue couldn’t help but remind her, “Miss Zhou, the restaurant business doesn’t operate on a nine-to-five schedule. It’s more like round-the-clock chaos.”
“Oh, right,” Zhou Youling said thoughtfully. “Looks like I’ll need to do some serious learning.”
“There’s plenty for you to learn,” Bai Lingxue remarked.
–
By the time the Fu Group’s morning trading session closed, its stock had plummeted by 10.85%.
Shareholders were in a state of panic, bombarding Fu Xunzhou with demands to convene an emergency meeting to discuss countermeasures.
All morning, Fu Xunzhou’s phone had been incessantly buzzing with notifications. Finally, he turned it off altogether. Left with no other choice, his assistant, Xiao Youyang, approached him directly, insisting that the afternoon meeting was unavoidable.
Calls to impeach Fu Xunzhou were already circulating, with some eager to seize this opportunity to make a big move.
The stock market was set to reopen at 1:00 PM, while the Civil Affairs Bureau resumed operations at 1:30 PM.
At noon, Fu Xunzhou received a text message from Zhou Youling. She kindly reminded him to arrive on time in the afternoon to finalize their divorce, hoping there wouldn’t be any further delays that wasted either of their time.
Fu Xunzhou felt an overwhelming sense of frustration and lit cigarette after cigarette.
For a fleeting moment, he entertained the thought of vanishing from this world, of leaving everything behind like Fu Hexu had.
But deep down, he knew he couldn’t.
At 1:30 PM, the Civil Affairs Bureau officially reopened.
Fu Xunzhou slowly finished his last cigarette.
Zhou Youling had already stepped out of the car. Standing at the entrance of the Civil Affairs Bureau, she waited until 1:40 PM when Fu Xunzhou’s car finally pulled up. Her heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled. She had been genuinely worried that Fu Xunzhou might back out at the last minute.
Today, Fu Xunzhou was wearing his usual white shirt, just like the day three years ago when they had come here to register their marriage. The difference was that today, Zhou Youling was dressed in a black dress. Her naturally fair skin was accentuated by the black fabric, making her complexion appear even more flawless.
The two of them walked into the Civil Affairs Bureau one after the other, neither saying a word.
Fu Xunzhou followed behind Zhou Youling, his gaze falling on her long, seaweed-like hair cascading down her back. For some reason, he suddenly felt an urge to reach out and touch it. But before he could act on this fleeting impulse, Zhou Youling turned her head and said, “It’s our turn. Let’s go in.”
The divorce process was straightforward. If one didn’t count the time spent traveling or waiting, the entire procedure might take less than ten minutes.
The staff member offered a token attempt to persuade them to reconsider, but seeing the calm expressions on their faces, they could only stamp the documents with the official seal.
Everything went smoothly.
Of course, that is, if Fu Xunzhou hadn’t left behind a cold remark at the Civil Affairs Bureau: “Hurry up and sign. I’m in a rush.”
Zhou Youling believed that the divorce could have concluded on a much more amicable note if not for that.
What Zhou Youling didn’t know was that there was a moment when Fu Xunzhou felt a pang of regret. Afraid that he might change his mind, he had no choice but to urge her to finish quickly.
As they stood at the entrance of the Civil Affairs Bureau, ready to part ways, the words “let’s part on good terms” lingered on Zhou Youling’s lips but never came out. That was because she saw Xue Yining.
Xue Yining was standing alone on the curb not far away, dressed today like a spring flower in full bloom.
When she saw Zhou Youling and Fu Xunzhou, she pretended it was a coincidence and raised her hand in greeting.
Zhou Youling glanced at Fu Xunzhou and couldn’t help but let out a faint smile.
So eager, aren’t they?
But it wasn’t her concern anymore.
Fu Xunzhou caught the sarcasm and disdain in Zhou Youling’s eyes. Instinctively, he said, “I didn’t know she’d be here.”
Zhou Youling didn’t respond. After all, it was no longer her business.
“Mr. Fu, I know you’re busy, so I won’t keep you any longer,” Zhou Youling said with a slight nod before turning to leave.
She walked away with ease, her steps light and brisk. She had already swapped out her uncomfortable high heels for her favorite sneakers, no longer worrying about her heels being rubbed raw.
Almost as soon as Zhou Youling left, Xue Yining approached Fu Xunzhou.
Slightly out of breath, Xue Yining looked at him with a surprised expression and asked, “So the rumors are true? You two really got divorced?”
What had happened yesterday at Old Master Fu’s birthday banquet had already become the talk of Nanzhou City. Gossip-loving individuals were abuzz with the news of Fu Xunzhou and Zhou Youling’s impending divorce. Naturally, the most circulated story was about Zhou Youling being mistreated by the Fu Family.
For a time, the Fu Family became the target of public criticism.
Though there were rumors that Zhou Youling’s marriage into the Fu Family had been less than honorable, the Zhou Family had once been one of the most prestigious families in the country. Life has its ups and downs, and while the Fu Family might have been justified in some ways, they seemed to have gone too far.
Of course, there were also those who said Zhou Youling had brought it upon herself. Rumor had it that she had resorted to unscrupulous means to marry into the Fu Family, driving away Fu Xunzhou’s white moonlight, Xue Yining, and even causing Old Master Fu to fall ill from anger. If she hadn’t insisted on marrying into the Fu Family back then, none of this would have happened.
It was only today that Fu Xunzhou learned about these rumors surrounding Zhou Youling. He couldn’t help but find them absurd. He had even asked Fu Hexu, “Where do people come up with this nonsense?”
Fu Hexu had merely smiled indifferently and replied, “How would I know? What does this have to do with me? Maybe you should think about who might be connected to all this.”
Looking at Xue Yining standing before him, Fu Xunzhou couldn’t help but recall the lipstick she had left in his car not long ago.
If all of this was just a coincidence, it seemed a bit too theatrical.
“What are you doing here?” Fu Xunzhou asked coldly, his gaze fixed on Xue Yining.
“Just happened to be passing by,” Xue Yining replied.
She looked a bit uneasy. After all, she had been too eager. She had only intended to confirm from a distance whether Fu Xunzhou and Zhou Youling had truly divorced but had inadvertently exposed herself.
Fu Xunzhou glanced at the large characters behind him and asked, “Passing by the Civil Affairs Bureau? Are you here to get married or divorced?”
