I'm Done with the Elite Marriage - Chapter 28
Fu Xunzhou glanced down at the words on the packaging: Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) Digital Test Pen.
To be precise, the box didn’t explicitly say “pregnancy test.”
But that didn’t matter to Fu Xunzhou. He grabbed Zhou Youling’s wrist, his voice tense as he asked, “Why did you buy a pregnancy test?”
Everyone knows what a pregnancy test is for-to check if someone is pregnant.
And if Zhou Youling bought one, there could only be one reason.
She might be pregnant.
Fu Xunzhou’s grip on her wrist was tight, almost painful. Zhou Youling instinctively struggled, her brows furrowing as she said, “This has nothing to do with you anymore, Mr. Fu.”
“Can you stop being so stubborn right now?” Fu Xunzhou’s tone carried a hint of helplessness.
So, in his eyes, she was just being stubborn?
“Stubborn?” Zhou Youling let out a bitter laugh. “Please don’t impose your subjective judgments on me. Why would I be stubborn? Do we even have any relationship left? Also, you’re hurting my wrist.”
Realizing he had been too forceful, Fu Xunzhou immediately let go. But the moment he did, regret washed over him.
Zhou Youling stepped back several paces, putting as much distance between them as possible. Her demeanor was cold, as if she wanted nothing more to do with him. “I don’t know why you suddenly showed up here, but if you touch me again, I’ll consider calling the police and reporting you for harassment.”
The cashier, who had been standing nearby, finally snapped out of their daze and quickly asked, “Miss, do you need me to call the police for you now?”
Zhou Youling replied, “Not for now.”
The cashier nodded. “Alright, but just so you know, we have surveillance cameras here. You’re safe.”
Zhou Youling smiled faintly. “Thank you. I trust he wouldn’t go completely out of line.”
“Zhou Youling!” Fu Xunzhou took a deep breath, closing his eyes briefly before speaking with restrained patience. “If you’re pregnant, I’ll take responsibility.”
“You’ll take responsibility?” Zhou Youling chuckled. “And what gives you the right to do that?”
“I’m your husband.”
“You seem to have forgotten-we finalized our divorce this afternoon.”
Her words left Fu Xunzhou speechless.
Yes, they were divorced. Not even twelve hours had passed since the papers were signed.
Zhou Youling had no intention of continuing this back-and-forth with Fu Xunzhou. She strode toward the exit, only to have her wrist grabbed again just as she reached the door.
“Let go of me!”
“I regret it.”
Both spoke at the same time.
Zhou Youling froze in place, staring at Fu Xunzhou. “What did you say?”
Fu Xunzhou released her wrist, his gaze steady as he enunciated each word clearly: “I regret it. I regret divorcing you.”
Hearing this, Zhou Youling’s face remained expressionless.
Logically, she should have felt some sort of emotional ripple, but she didn’t.
In fact, seeing Fu Xunzhou’s humbled and pleading demeanor, she felt no pity at all.
“Regret?” Zhou Youling sighed softly. “What exactly do you regret?”
She laughed, her tone sharp. “Am I supposed to believe I’m hearing a joke? You say you regret divorcing me? What is there for you to regret? Did you ever love me? Did you ever care about me? Did you ever truly value me? Oh, I see-you regret divorcing me because you’ve lost your personal cook, haven’t you? If that’s the case, I’d be happy to recommend a five-star chef for you. Their cooking skills would undoubtedly surpass mine a hundredfold.”
Fu Xunzhou was witnessing a side of Zhou Youling he’d never seen before. Her words were sharp, precise, and carried undeniable weight.
This was nothing like the reserved, gentle Zhou Youling he remembered-the one who rarely showed her teeth when she smiled, always composed and understated.
She left him speechless, unable to defend himself.
Yet, somewhere in the back of his mind, he recalled the spirited girl she used to be when they were young. Fearless and full of life, she once climbed a tree to catch a bug as thick as a finger. She had excitedly told him it was a bamboo worm and insisted that fried bamboo worms were the tastiest treat.
Had she changed?
Or had he never truly known her at all?
Not far away, Bai Lingxue and Congshi were sitting in a car, watching the scene unfold outside the pharmacy.
Bai Lingxue anxiously gripped the car door and stomped her foot. “Should I go down there? What are they doing? What are they talking about?”
Congshi, equally puzzled, relied on her instincts honed from years of hanging out in bars. “One thing’s for sure-Fu Xunzhou won’t resort to violence. As long as there’s no physical altercation, we’re good.”
Bai Lingxue shot her a glare. “What kind of thoughts are running through your head?”
Congshi looked innocent. “Isn’t that the most important thing?”
Faced with the situation, Bai Lingxue hesitated. As Zhou Youling’s close friend, she didn’t want her to have any more interactions with Fu Xunzhou. But when it came to matters of the heart, she was just an onlooker, powerless to intervene.
Before Bai Lingxue could make up her mind, Zhou Youling was already striding toward the car.
She brought with her a palpable chill that filled the air inside the vehicle.
For a moment, no one dared to speak.
Congshi, despite her carefree, tomboyish demeanor, instinctively glanced at Bai Lingxue for guidance. Bai Lingxue, equally at a loss, gestured back at Congshi with her lips.
As children, Bai Lingxue and Congshi had been Zhou Youling’s sidekicks. Whenever mischief was afoot, Zhou Youling was always the ringleader. She was loyal, took responsibility, and never shied away from trouble.
But after marrying into the Fu Family, Zhou Youling had become someone who avoided conflict at all costs.
Some traits, however, are ingrained and unchangeable.
Her upbringing had shaped her character. Even if she tried to suppress her personality, there was still an undeniable aura about her.
After a long silence, Bai Lingxue couldn’t help but ask, “Are you okay?”
Zhou Youling stared out the window at the retreating scenery and replied calmly, “I’m fine.”
…
On the first night after her divorce, Zhou Youling went to a bar at Bai Lingxue and Congshi’s suggestion.
They called it a celebration of her return to single life.
Zhou Youling initially wanted to decline, but faced with her friends’ enthusiastic invitation, she couldn’t bring herself to refuse.
The “Qingxin” bar had already set up a single-life party for Zhou Youling. The place was as lively as ever.
The attendees were mostly old friends of Zhou Youling, people she hadn’t seen much of since her marriage.
As soon as they saw her, they greeted her with cheers.
“Welcome back to singlehood, girl!”
“These days, only fools let marriage tie them down.”
“Exactly! There are plenty of fish in the sea, no need to stick to just one.”
“Totally! Aren’t the young pups and sweet boys more fun anyway? Haha!”
Zhou Youling couldn’t help but laugh. “It’s been a while.”
“Yeah, you know how hard it is to get you to hang out? It’s like mission impossible!”
Zhou Youling smiled apologetically. “Sorry, sorry.”
Congshi said, “Oh, by the way, I really need to thank Lingling for bringing me such a treasure.”
She was referring to Xu Jiaze, who was currently performing under the spotlight.
In just a few days at the bar, Xu Jiaze had managed to skyrocket its popularity. The reason was simple: Xu Jiaze was handsome. As if that weren’t enough, he could sing exceptionally well, play multiple instruments, and seemed to have mastered every artistic skill imaginable.
With Xu Jiaze as a living, breathing advertisement, the bar no longer had to worry about attracting customers-especially female ones.
Word spread quickly, and before long, Xu Jiaze had become the golden ticket of Qingxin Bar.
When Congshi initially hired Xu Jiaze, she never anticipated this outcome.
“I’ve been so swamped lately, even struggling to interview waiters,” Congshi said.
Zhou Youling chuckled. “Well, don’t forget to pay him a good salary. Otherwise, someone might poach him.”
Congshi sighed. “Funny you should say that. Just yesterday, a talent scout came looking for Xu Jiaze. I have a feeling this star is bound to shine sooner or later.”
Zhou Youling glanced toward the stage, just in time to meet Xu Jiaze’s gaze.
Xu Jiaze raised a hand to wave at her, and Zhou Youling playfully wiggled her fingers in return.
Bai Lingxue walked over with a glass of lemonade for Zhou Youling and asked, “So, are you going to take the pregnancy test now?”
Zhou Youling shook her head. “I’ll do it tomorrow morning.”
After all, testing now wouldn’t yield accurate results, and she didn’t want to scare herself unnecessarily.
Besides, deep down, she didn’t believe she could be pregnant.
Bai Lingxue nodded. “Fair enough. For tonight, there’s only one mission: have fun!”
A group of girls gathered together, and in addition to playing games, gossip inevitably filled the air.
“Hey, I saw Xi Yue, the darling of Xi’s Group.”
“Xi Yue? Isn’t she dating that tech mogul Ji Jingshan? Is that true?”
“Who knows if it’s true or not. But seriously, Xi Yue giving up her life as a proper heiress to become an influencer? That’s hilarious.”
“Hilarious? Her millions of followers would probably scare you to death.”
Following the direction of the conversation, Zhou Youling looked over and indeed spotted Xi Yue. However, Zhou Youling didn’t know her well and had barely interacted with her before.
As the clock approached midnight, Zhou Youling yawned and turned to Bai Lingxue. “I’m feeling a bit sleepy.”
“Come on, it’s still early!” Bai Lingxue protested, but after catching Zhou Youling’s icy glare, she relented. “Fine… maybe just take a quick nap?”
Zhou Youling laughed. “Nap? No, I’m heading home to sleep.”
Having grown accustomed to the routine of a housewife, she found it hard to break the habit. As soon as it got late, sleepiness naturally crept in.
Though the single-life party was held in Zhou Youling’s honor, it seemed like everyone was having a great time with or without her.
Mindful of the possibility that Zhou Youling might indeed be pregnant, Bai Lingxue didn’t push her to stay.
Zhou Youling raised her glass of lemonade, stood up, and addressed the group of friends. “If I’ve been a poor host, please forgive me. Tonight’s tab is on me-have fun!”
For someone freshly divorced, the others were understanding. Still, their gazes carried a hint of sympathy.
After saying her goodbyes, Zhou Youling grabbed her bag and prepared to leave the bar. Just as she stepped out the door, she collided head-on with someone.
“Ouch, that hurts!” Jiang Sha rubbed her head.
Seeing Zhou Youling, Jiang Sha looked surprised. “Well, well, it’s Sister-in-law! Oh wait, correction-just a few hours ago, you officially stopped being part of the Fu Family.”
Zhou Youling couldn’t be bothered to respond. She turned sideways, ready to leave, but Jiang Sha blocked her path. “What’s wrong? Can’t even say hello? What are you, a rat scurrying across the street?”
Zhou Youling tilted her head slightly. “What did you just say?”
Jiang Sha smirked. “Didn’t hear me? Oh, so your ears don’t work now? What’s the matter? Got divorced and went deaf too? Hahaha, that’s hilarious. Maybe if I curse you right now, you wouldn’t even hear it!”
The group of girls standing beside Jiang Sha erupted into synchronized laughter.
They were all dolled up, with layers of false eyelashes that could rival a peacock’s feathers-a style Zhou Youling had abandoned ages ago.
Taking a step back, Zhou Youling held her patience and said, “Watch your mouth, or I’ll make you regret it.”
“Make me regret it?” Jiang Sha’s laughter grew even more arrogant. “Go ahead, I dare you!”
“So, if I’m not mistaken, you’re provoking me?” Zhou Youling asked in a low voice.
Jiang Sha grinned smugly, her face full of triumph.
Zhou Youling nodded slightly, as if coming to a realization. Then, she gave Jiang Sha a small bow, her long legs stepping forward deliberately. Before anyone could react, she grabbed Jiang Sha’s arm and hoisted her onto her right shoulder.
Jiang Sha had no idea what Zhou Youling was planning. Then, she heard a calm, almost polite remark: “Pardon me.”
What happened next was as swift and shocking as lightning.
With a loud “thud,” Zhou Youling executed a flawless over-the-shoulder throw. Jiang Sha’s body flipped a full 360 degrees before landing in a twisted heap on the ground, groaning in pain.
It was a textbook over-the-shoulder throw, a move Zhou Youling had mastered back in junior high school when she earned her Taekwondo black belt. Though a bit rusty, she still had the technique down.
Jiang Sha lay on the ground, wailing and trying to get up, but she couldn’t manage it.
Her group of overly adorned friends stood frozen, staring dumbfounded at the stunning Zhou Youling, unable to process what had just happened.
Zhou Youling stepped forward, her high heel pressing firmly against Jiang Sha’s chest. Leaning down, she looked her straight in the eye and said, “Now, do you still think I wouldn’t dare?”