I'm Done with the Elite Marriage - Chapter 29

Looking down at Jiang Sha, who was groaning in pain under her heel, Zhou Youling couldn’t help but feel a sense of satisfaction.

There had been countless days when Jiang Sha’s biting sarcasm had grated on her nerves. Zhou Youling had often fantasized about knocking her to the ground right then and there. But being in the Fu Family household, she had always restrained herself, silently reminding herself not to stoop to Jiang Sha’s level.

As it turns out, solving problems with fists is undeniably more gratifying.

Zhou Youling slowly lifted her foot off Jiang Sha, dusting off her hands as if brushing away imaginary dirt. Her fingers instinctively reached for the ring on her fourth finger, only to grasp at empty air. She froze for a moment, then remembered-the ring had been left behind in the Fu Family home.

It took Jiang Sha a full minute to recover. She stared at Zhou Youling in disbelief, as though terrified she might strike again. Sitting up, she instinctively scooted backward, her movements betraying her unease.

Zhou Youling, however, didn’t press forward. Her face was a mask of disdain as she addressed Jiang Sha. “Let’s get one thing straight. I hope you don’t misunderstand. I didn’t cling shamelessly to marry Fu Xunzhou. Don’t forget-it was your Fu Family that came to propose. Bullying a woman doesn’t make you impressive. Tonight, consider this payback for all those years.”

Jiang Sha glared at Zhou Youling from the ground, her voice rising in anger. “You’re lying! You shamelessly stole my brother from someone else!”

“What?” Zhou Youling stepped forward.

Jiang Sha flinched, instinctively retreating again.

Zhou Youling crouched down, grabbing Jiang Sha by the collar, her teeth clenched. “Let me say this one more time-I did not steal Fu Xunzhou from anyone. Whether or not Fu Xunzhou had a true love, he never made it clear back then. That’s not something I could control. If he loved Xue Yining but chose not to marry her, you should be asking him why.”

With that, Zhou Youling shoved Jiang Sha forcefully. “If I ever hear you spouting baseless accusations like this again, my fists will make sure you regret it.”

Her voice was low, her presence commanding. Though she stood only 165 centimeters tall, her impeccable proportions gave her an almost towering aura, as if she were closer to 170.

No one dared to challenge Zhou Youling, nor did anyone step forward to intervene.

Jiang Sha remained on the ground, wanting to retort but too afraid Zhou Youling might strike her again.

This version of Zhou Youling was completely unfamiliar to her. The Zhou Youling she knew had always been weak, ineffectual, even smiling through insults and enduring humiliation without complaint.

Jiang Sha had always believed Zhou Youling had used underhanded means to steal her brother, Fu Xunzhou, from Xue Yining. Xue Yining was one of Jiang Sha’s closest friends, and Jiang Sha had wholeheartedly supported the idea of Xue Yining and Fu Xunzhou being together, even going out of her way to play matchmaker.

Back then, Jiang Sha had been studying in another city. When she heard that Xue Yining and her brother were officially together, she was overjoyed and full of blessings for them. But one day, Xue Yining came to her in tears, saying that Fu Xunzhou had been taken away by someone else. By the time Jiang Sha returned home, Zhou Youling and Fu Xunzhou were already married, their wedding banquet underway.

Convinced that Zhou Youling was a homewrecker who had ruined someone else’s happiness, Jiang Sha had disliked her from that moment on. Every time she saw Zhou Youling, she couldn’t resist the urge to stir up trouble.

Jiang Sha vividly remembered one particular incident. She had deliberately smashed her grandfather’s vase and then shifted the blame onto Zhou Youling. To her surprise, Zhou Youling didn’t get angry. Instead, she smiled and took the blame without protest. That moment solidified Jiang Sha’s disgust. To her, Zhou Youling was nothing but a hypocrite, someone inherently fake.

Once it happened, it happened again. Zhou Youling’s silent endurance only emboldened Jiang Sha, who continued her antics without restraint.

But now, in this very moment, Jiang Sha believed Zhou Youling had finally revealed her true colors.

And she was right. Zhou Youling had indeed shown her true self. She no longer adhered to Yu Wanrong’s oft-repeated mantra: “Endure, and the storm will pass.”

The brazen, fearless Zhou Youling had returned. She wasn’t afraid of trouble, and if a problem could be solved with fists, she wouldn’t waste time with words.

Bai Lingxue and Congshi rushed over as soon as they heard the commotion. Seeing this familiar yet unfamiliar Zhou Youling left them frozen in place. For a fleeting moment, their eyes brimmed with tears.

Zhou Youling’s figure remained as slender as ever. Her petite frame hadn’t grown much since junior high school. But gone were the blue-and-white school uniforms, replaced by sleek black leather pants and a fitted jacket. Her once simple ponytail had transformed into cascading waves, and her innocent demeanor had evolved into a captivating allure.

Back in the day, the three of them had once passed by a dim alleyway when they heard a little girl whispering, “Help me.” Without hesitation, Zhou Youling dropped her schoolbag and charged forward, landing a punch squarely on the face of the thug harassing the girl.

Zhou Youling had been practicing taekwondo since she was young. She was nothing like the refined, elegant daughters of wealthy families. While others mastered calligraphy and music, Zhou Youling had already earned her black belt in taekwondo.

“Nanzhou City High School’s Zhou Youling! If you’ve got a problem, come at me anytime!” she had declared, a lollipop dangling from her lips. Her fierce demeanor made her opponents grit their teeth in frustration, but they could do nothing about it.

Then she had turned back to Bai Lingxue and Congshi, flashing a bright smile that revealed her perfectly aligned white teeth. “Hey, do I look like a heroine or what?”

Zhou Youling had always dreamed of being a martial arts hero. While other girls were swooning over romance novels like That Boy is So Cool, she was engrossed in Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils.

Time had flown by, yet it all felt like it had happened just yesterday.

Zhou Youling turned to Bai Lingxue and Congshi again, flashing that same radiant smile. “Hey, do I look like a heroine or what?”

Bai Lingxue and Congshi clung to each other, sobbing uncontrollably.

…

The night was deep and still.

The villa on the hillside was so quiet that even the drop of a pin could be heard.

Fu Xunzhou had never paid attention before, but now he noticed the occasional chirp of insects and birds outside the window, even in the dead of winter. Their clarity was almost eerie.

Without Zhou Youling, the house felt unbearably desolate. Fu Xunzhou couldn’t help but wonder-during the times he wasn’t home, did she feel this same loneliness and fear?

But she had never mentioned feeling lonely or scared. And he had never thought to ask.

He did remember, though, that she was somewhat afraid of the dark. When they had first gotten married, she had once said that the house was too big and frightening, and she wanted to move to a smaller one. He had merely smiled and reassured her, never taking her words seriously.

Now, Fu Xunzhou sat alone at the vanity where Zhou Youling often sat.

She wasn’t someone who wore makeup often, but even without it, her flawless face was hard to criticize. It seemed that beautiful people were truly favored by the heavens.

Fu Xunzhou had always enjoyed watching her put on makeup. Her movements were never particularly skillful, and there was one time, in a rush, she smudged her eyeliner and stomped her feet in frustration. After that, whenever there was an important event to attend, he would simply arrange for a professional makeup artist to come to their home and do it for her.

Before makeup, she was pure and fresh; after makeup, she was alluring and captivating. Every side of Zhou Youling was impossible to look away from.

All of Zhou Youling’s makeup and skincare products had already been packed away, their whereabouts unknown. Yet, on the table, there remained a box containing the jewelry Fu Xunzhou had once gifted her.

Every time Fu Xunzhou returned from a business trip, he would bring back a gift for Zhou Youling. It was a habit of his, and he always personally selected the gifts. However, most of the time, the gifts were handed to her through his assistant.

Fu Xunzhou still remembered the very first gift he had given Zhou Youling-a delicate anklet.

That anklet, too, had been left behind, resting in the box. The diamond at its center caught the light, emitting a faint, soft glow.

Shortly after they got married, Fu Xunzhou had noticed some of Zhou Youling’s little habits. Every night, she liked to stick her small feet out from under the blanket, leaving them exposed at the edge of the bed. On several occasions, Fu Xunzhou had woken up in the middle of the night, shaking his head as he pulled the blanket back over her feet. Sometimes, he would find her feet ice-cold and would cup them in his hands to warm them.

Her feet were small, soft, and pale, and they looked especially delicate in his large hands. It was then that he had the thought: she would look stunning with an anklet around her ankle.

The anklet he chose was a fine piece, made of braided red string and rose gold. It was simple yet elegant, and it looked especially beautiful on Zhou Youling’s ankle.

But because of his busy schedule, Fu Xunzhou hadn’t been able to give her the anklet in person. He missed the chance to see her reaction when she received it and had to rely on his assistant’s description instead: “She loved it.”

“Good, as long as she likes it,” Fu Xunzhou had thought. He wasn’t good at expressing his feelings and believed that giving gifts was the best way to show his care. On occasions when he didn’t have time to pick out a gift, he would simply transfer money into her account and tell her to buy whatever she liked.

Over time, however, receiving gifts became a routine for Zhou Youling. She even began to wonder if the gifts were actually chosen by his assistant.

Three years’ worth of gifts-she hadn’t taken a single one with her.

Fu Xunzhou quietly closed the box, his gaze falling on a small blue velvet jewelry box tucked behind it.

He didn’t need to open it to know what was inside.

Zhou Youling had even left behind her wedding ring.

The three-carat diamond ring had once been something she adored.

Fu Xunzhou ran a hand over his face, recalling the time, six months ago, when Zhou Youling had confronted him about why he wasn’t wearing his wedding ring.

At the time, he had been at a loss for words. He had accidentally left the ring behind during a business trip, taking it off while showering and forgetting to put it back on. Somehow, it had gotten lost. Since it was a custom-made pair of rings, he had to wait until he returned to the country to have it replaced. But with work piling up, the matter had slipped his mind.

Zhou Youling, however, had been quietly upset about it for quite some time.

Now, the newly replaced ring still sat snugly on his finger, but she had already abandoned hers.

He didn’t know how much time had passed when his phone rang. It was Yu Wanrong.

“What’s going on with Youling? Why did she hit Jiang Sha?” her voice demanded.

“What?” Fu Xunzhou was momentarily taken aback.

It was one in the morning. Jiang Sha had ended up in the emergency room over something trivial, and now Fu Zhiqing was making a fuss, insisting on an explanation.

Yu Wanrong explained the events of the evening, her tone carrying a hint of reproach. “I thought she was always so good at swallowing her pride. Why is she acting like this now that she’s divorced? Is she trying to get back at the Fu Family?”

Fu Xunzhou let out a wry laugh. “Mom, have you ever considered looking at things from Youling’s perspective?”

Yu Wanrong paused. “What perspective?”

She had never thought there was anything wrong with her own actions.

“There is something wrong,” Fu Xunzhou said. “And I hope you’ll refrain from saying a single bad word about her in front of me again. Whatever she does is her business. It’s not for anyone to judge, including you.” Picking up his car keys, he added, “And for the record, I think she did the right thing.”