I'm Done with the Elite Marriage - Chapter 3

At first, the waiter couldn’t believe that this seemingly ordinary violin could be worth tens of thousands. His neighbor’s daughter also played the violin, and beginner violins only cost a little over a hundred, hardly worth anything.

Soon, the surrounding crowd began to murmur:

“Honestly, that’s a fine violin. Saying it’s worth ten thousand is an understatement.”

“A waiter throwing someone’s violin? Is he out of his mind?”

“Make him pay through the nose.”

“Snobbish fool.”

Realizing the gravity of the situation, the waiter glanced around, his mind in turmoil.

Zhou Youling’s patience was wearing thin. She urged the waiter, “Credit card or cash?”

With a thud, the waiter dropped to his knees in front of Zhou Youling, pleading, “Please, have mercy. I didn’t know the violin was so valuable. I only earn a little over three thousand a month; I can’t afford to pay for it…”

He looked as if he were about to cry, his pitiful demeanor a stark contrast to his earlier aggression.

Zhou Youling had no patience for such theatrics. She nudged the youth toward the waiter, saying, “Beg him, not me. It’s his violin.”

With that, she slipped away.

Zhou Youling was genuinely hungry.

After a nearly full day of spa treatments and shopping, she suddenly felt an emptiness in her stomach.

Having said her piece, Zhou Youling didn’t bother to see if the youth would join her for a meal. She found a seat and began ordering.

Xu Jiaze, looking at the waiter kneeling before him, helped him up and continued explaining why he wasn’t trying to dine and dash: “I really wasn’t trying to skip out on the bill. I had two hundred in my pocket when I entered. I don’t know why it was gone when I went to pay…”

The commotion outside the restaurant drew the attention of the restaurant manager. After understanding the situation, the manager apologized to Xu Jiaze and quickly pulled up the surveillance footage, which showed someone reaching into Xu Jiaze’s pocket and taking the money.

The manager kept apologizing to Xu Jiaze: “I’m sorry for the oversight. We’ll refund your meal. As for the violin, the waiter will have to take full responsibility.”

Hearing this, the waiter’s world seemed to collapse, and he nearly fainted.

Xu Jiaze, not wanting to make things difficult, noted that his violin wasn’t severely damaged and told the waiter, “You don’t have to pay, but I hope you’ll respect others more in the future.”

“Thank you, thank you!” The waiter, feeling as if he’d been granted a reprieve, almost knelt before Xu Jiaze again.

…

Zhou Youling watched from afar, shaking her head. She thought to herself that the young man was too naive, too kind-hearted. If it had been her at seventeen or eighteen, she wouldn’t have let the waiter off so easily.

With the drama over and the onlookers dispersing, Zhou Youling enjoyed her meal.

Xu Jiaze slowly approached Zhou Youling.

Though Zhou Youling wasn’t interested in boys his age, she couldn’t help but admire how good-looking he was.

The youth introduced himself, “Hi, I’m Xu Jiaze.”

Zhou Youling glanced at him, a gentle smile playing on her lips like a caring elder sister. She invited him, “Have a seat.”

Xu Jiaze hesitated for a moment before sitting across from Zhou Youling.

He seemed a bit uneasy, unsure of what to say.

“Thank you,” Xu Jiaze said, “Thank you for believing in me.”

Zhou Youling shook her head, “You’re welcome.”

Initially, Zhou Youling wasn’t sure if the youth was trying to dine and dash. But deep down, people tend to sympathize with the underdog. The youth’s pure and refreshing aura inexplicably stirred her protective instincts. When the waiter tossed out that violin, Zhou Youling couldn’t stand it anymore. Coincidentally, she had learned violin as a child and recognized that it was crafted by a master.

“Do you want to order anything else?” Zhou Youling asked Xu Jiaze.

Xu Jiaze shook his head, offering the money the manager had returned to him with both hands, “Thank you.”

Polite and well-mannered kids always leave a good impression, and Zhou Youling found herself liking Xu Jiaze. She accepted the money and asked, “Are you in some kind of trouble?”

Xu Jiaze’s fair face turned red instantly, and he lowered his head, shaking it.

Noticing how much Xu Jiaze cared for the violin, Zhou Youling shifted the topic, “I learned violin when I was young, but I only studied for a year before I had to stop.”

Xu Jiaze showed some interest, “You didn’t like it?”

Zhou Youling shook her head, “Something happened at home, and I couldn’t continue.”

“Oh…” Xu Jiaze looked regretful.

Just then, the waiter brought over the last dish: Candied Sweet Potato.

Seeing the unremarkable dish, Zhou Youling suddenly thought of her husband, Fu Xunzhou.

Fu Xunzhou wasn’t fond of sweets, but he had a particular liking for Candied Sweet Potato. Once, Zhou Youling had made it by chance and received his praise, so she made it every day for a week. Fu Xunzhou, being polite, ate everything she cooked, even if it was the same dish for a week. It wasn’t until a servant reminded her that she realized she’d been making it for a week straight and quickly replaced it with another dish.

After two years of marriage, Zhou Youling thought she could warm Fu Xunzhou’s cold heart. Now she realized she was only fooling herself. When they married, Fu Xunzhou was reluctant, and now she understood why. Even if she didn’t want to admit it, she had seen Xue Yining get into Fu Xunzhou’s car yesterday, and he hadn’t come home all night.

Xu Jiaze noticed the sudden gloom on Zhou Youling’s face and asked, “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Zhou Youling replied, pulling herself from her thoughts. “Do you want to eat anything else? It’s on me.”

Xu Jiaze blushed again, quickly saying, “I’m not hungry. I already had three bowls of rice.”

Zhou Youling was amused by his tone, “You eat that much?”

It’s normal for someone his age to eat a lot, especially after being hungry all day.

Zhou Youling was curious. What could cause a boy his age to be alone and without money?

Just as she was about to ask, someone called out to her.

“Sister-in-law?”

Zhou Youling looked up to see Jiang Sha.

Jiang Sha was Fu Xunzhou’s younger female cousin, the same age as Zhou Youling. Oddly, despite being her sister-in-law, Jiang Sha had never been fond of Zhou Youling since she joined the Fu Family.

Zhou Youling wasn’t naive; she knew Jiang Sha disliked her, so she kept her distance. After all, Fu Xunzhou and Jiang Sha were only cousins, and they didn’t interact much outside of important family gatherings.

Jiang Sha approached with a teasing smile, “Sister-in-law, why aren’t you at home cooking for my cousin today?”

The words seemed playful but were actually a veiled jab.

In Jiang Sha’s eyes, Zhou Youling was a shameless woman clinging to her cousin, good for nothing but pleasing her husband.

Xu Jiaze turned to look at Jiang Sha upon hearing her sharp voice.

Jiang Sha had short hair, delicate features, and a slender figure-a true beauty. Yet, despite her looks, she lacked distinctiveness, the kind of beauty that impresses at first glance but becomes dull upon closer inspection. Zhou Youling, on the other hand, possessed a mysterious aura that invited deeper exploration.

Zhou Youling didn’t want to engage with Jiang Sha. Her rare good mood soured at the sight of her, like stepping in something unpleasant. She forced a smile, saying, “Xunzhou is on a business trip.”

“Business trip, huh?” Jiang Sha seemed in no hurry to leave and sat beside Zhou Youling.

Zhou Youling watched her impassively, tolerating her only because she was Fu Xunzhou’s cousin.

Jiang Sha picked up a cherry tomato from the plate, playing with it as she spoke, “Does my cousin really have so many business trips? Or does he just not want to stay home?”

The words struck Zhou Youling like a heavy blow.

She had always been considerate of Fu Xunzhou’s busy schedule, understanding the demands of managing the family business at a young age. But Jiang Sha’s words seemed to awaken something in her.

Could “busy” be just an excuse?

Sitting across from Zhou Youling, Xu Jiaze noticed the change in her expression and called out worriedly, “Elder sister…”

Jiang Sha finally noticed Xu Jiaze, giving him a once-over before turning back to Zhou Youling with a smirk, “Sister-in-law, when did you get such a big younger brother?”

“I…”

Xu Jiaze tried to explain, but Jiang Sha didn’t give him a chance.

“Or are you sneaking around behind my cousin’s back?” Jiang Sha teased.

“Jiang Sha!” Zhou Youling couldn’t take it anymore, “Don’t speak nonsense!”

Jiang Sha remained unfazed, laughing, “Just kidding, why so serious?”

Zhou Youling replied, “You should know which jokes are appropriate and which aren’t.”

Jiang Sha shrugged, still nonchalant, “You’re so sensitive. Is there really something going on?”

“Jiang Sha, apologize. I’ll pretend you didn’t say that,” Zhou Youling said sternly. She could tolerate many things, but she despised being slandered. Zhou Youling had a sense of purity in relationships and didn’t want to be tainted.

Jiang Sha stood up, tossing the cherry tomato she’d been playing with onto the table, ready to leave when someone grabbed her wrist.

“Apologize.”

The cold command made Jiang Sha’s breath catch.

She knew that voice all too well. Besides her cold-blooded cousin, who else could it be?

Sure enough, Jiang Sha turned to see Fu Xunzhou, his expression dark and foreboding, staring at her.

Fu Xunzhou looked at Jiang Sha coldly, “Don’t make me repeat myself.”