I'm Done with the Elite Marriage - Chapter 30

Zhou Youling slept in until the sun was high in the sky.

It was ten in the morning when she finally opened her eyes, her gaze landing on the soft pink hues of her bedroom. The familiar sight felt strangely distant, as if she had woken up in another lifetime. Stretching lazily, she got out of bed and walked straight to the door. Swinging it open, she called out loudly, “Mom!”

From downstairs, Rong Huiying’s voice quickly responded, “Oh, you’re finally awake!”

Zhou Youling stepped out onto the hallway and looked down toward the source of the voice. There, in the living room, stood Rong Huiying.

The Zhou residence was designed with a modern flair. The second floor opened into a corridor that provided a clear view of the living room below.

Rong Huiying tilted her head up to look at her daughter and asked, “What do you feel like eating this morning? I’ll have the servant prepare it for you right away.”

Zhou Youling wasn’t particularly hungry, but she was surprised to see Zhou Zhishan at home. “Dad, you didn’t go fishing today?”

Zhou Zhishan let out a soft sigh. “You’d better get ready. We’re heading to the hospital.”

Before he could finish his sentence, Rong Huiying’s temper flared. “Hospital? For what? Why should we bother with them? The Zhou Family has nothing to do with the Fu Family anymore! Lingling, don’t listen to your father. He’s always meddling in things without knowing the full story.”

Zhou Zhishan shook his head, clearly resigned. It was obvious that Rong Huiying had him completely under her thumb, leaving him with no room to argue.

Zhou Youling, however, was left utterly confused by her parents’ exchange. “What’s going on? Why are we going to the hospital? Did someone get sick?”

Hands on her hips, Rong Huiying fumed, “It’s that little sister-in-law from the Fu Family again. Always stirring up trouble! Fu Zhiqing claims you hit her daughter, and now Jiang Sha’s in the emergency room? What a joke! You’re just one girl-how badly could you have hurt her? Why didn’t she just go straight to the morgue while she was at it?”

Zhou Youling couldn’t help but laugh. “Mom, I did hit her.”

Rong Huiying froze for a moment.

Zhou Zhishan gently reminded her, “Your daughter has a Taekwondo black belt.”

Rong Huiying shot him a glare. “Did I ask for your input?”

Zhou Zhishan shrugged helplessly. “I was just worried you might’ve forgotten.”

Standing upstairs, Zhou Youling watched her parents’ antics with amusement.

Before she got married, she had always admired the love between her parents. They bickered constantly, but nine times out of ten, it was her father who gave in.

Zhou Zhishan’s favorite phrase was, “It’s not worth arguing with women,” though in truth, it was just his way of showing affection for Rong Huiying.

What Zhou Youling hadn’t expected was that even after her divorce, she still found herself envying her parents’ relationship.

As the two downstairs continued their playful squabble, Zhou Youling, leaning against the railing, suddenly felt a wave of nausea and began to retch.

Rong Huiying immediately looked up, alarmed. “Lingling, what’s wrong?”

It was only then that Zhou Youling remembered the pregnancy test she had bought the night before. She had planned to take it first thing in the morning but had completely forgotten.

She was about to dismiss her mother’s concern when another wave of nausea hit her.

Rong Huiying couldn’t sit still any longer. She rushed upstairs in a few hurried steps, gently supporting her daughter. “Lingling, could it be… are you pregnant?”

Zhou Zhishan, now equally concerned, chimed in, “Don’t jump to conclusions. It might just be a stomach bug.”

Zhou Youling shook her head. “I don’t know.”

“Have you checked?” Rong Huiying pressed.

Zhou Youling shook her head again, explaining that she had bought a pregnancy test but hadn’t used it yet.

Without another word, Rong Huiying insisted on taking her to the hospital for a thorough examination.

At the same hospital, Old Master Fu remained in the Inpatient Department, Jiang Sha was in the Emergency Room, and Zhou Youling headed to Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Inpatient Department

Fu Xunzhou had spent the night in the hospital room, keeping Old Master Fu company.

Old Master Fu was mostly out of danger now, but the two had ended up chatting for nearly half the night. Having lost his father at a young age, Fu Xunzhou had always been under Old Master Fu’s special care.

Regarding Fu Xunzhou and Zhou Youling’s divorce, Old Master Fu expressed his regret. He could see the melancholy etched on Fu Xunzhou’s face and advised him, “If you feel any regret, do your best to make amends. Whether or not the other party accepts it, you must ensure that your conscience is clear.”

Emergency Room

The medical staff informed Fu Zhiqing, “The patient is fine, nothing serious.”

Fu Zhiqing wasn’t satisfied. “Doctor, you should check again! What if there’s some internal injury?”

The emergency doctor chuckled lightly. “If you don’t trust my medical expertise, you’re welcome to transfer to another hospital.”

Fu Zhiqing’s face alternated between red and green. She and Jiang Sha had been waiting there all night, yet the Zhou Family hadn’t shown up to apologize. The frustration made her want to lash out.

But the doctor’s meaning was clear, leaving her no choice but to take Jiang Sha and leave.

Outside the Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic

Zhou Youling held her number slip, waiting in line. There were still more than ten patients ahead of her, so it didn’t seem like her turn would come anytime soon.

Rong Huiying looked visibly anxious, even considering whether she could pull some strings to skip the line.

Zhou Youling chuckled, “We’re not in a rush. Let’s just wait patiently.”

Rong Huiying shot her a glance and said, “You might not be in a rush, but I am. Tell me, if you really are pregnant, what do you plan to do?”

Zhou Youling thought for a moment. “I can’t just terminate it, can I?”

Rong Huiying shook her head. “That would be too hard on your body.”

In truth, Zhou Youling had always loved children and had longed for one of her own. During her three years of marriage, she had brought it up to Fu Xunzhou several times, only to be met with rejection.

If fate had truly granted her a pregnancy now, it seemed like her wish was finally being fulfilled.

Zhou Youling even felt a small spark of anticipation.

…

Elsewhere in the hospital

After leaving the Emergency Room, Fu Zhiqing and Jiang Sha headed straight for Old Master Fu’s hospital room.

The previous night, Fu Zhiqing had caused quite a commotion, insisting that Jiang Sha had been severely beaten by Zhou Youling. She had described the situation in vivid detail, demanding that the Zhou Family come forward to explain themselves. Throughout it all, Old Master Fu had remained indifferent, neither responding nor seeing any sign of the Zhou Family.

Now, as Old Master Fu saw Jiang Sha, he asked Fu Zhiqing, “Didn’t you say Jiang Sha was beaten badly by Zhou Youling? I don’t see anything serious here.”

Fu Zhiqing was livid. “Dad, I know you’re biased, but this matter has nothing to do with you today. I’ll handle it myself and demand an explanation from the Zhou Family.”

Old Master Fu scoffed. “If you want to go, go ahead. Just don’t make a racket here. You’re giving me a headache.”

Fu Zhiqing couldn’t swallow her anger, and the frustration left her clutching her chest in pain.

Jiang Sha tried to comfort her mother. “Mom, don’t get upset. Let’s not stoop to their level.”

Old Master Fu overheard and remarked, “Jiang Sha, you’re quite magnanimous, aren’t you?”

Though his words sounded like praise, his tone was dripping with sarcasm.

Jiang Sha wasn’t naive. She turned to Old Master Fu and asked, “Grandfather, I don’t understand. Why do you always target me?”

Old Master Fu shook his head with a sigh. “Even now, you still don’t get it?”

Unwilling to back down, Jiang Sha pressed on. “Grandfather, I might be slow, so please, enlighten me.”

His expression darkened as he replied, “Do you think I don’t know about the little tricks you’ve pulled over the years? Three years ago, you broke my favorite vase and blamed it on Zhou Youling. I gave you a chance back then, but you squandered it.”

Jiang Sha’s face turned pale at his words.

Fu Zhiqing immediately jumped to her daughter’s defense. “Wasn’t it Zhou Youling who broke that vase?”

Old Master Fu let out a cold laugh. “Oh really? Then why don’t you ask your precious daughter?”

Fu Zhiqing turned to Jiang Sha, who had remained silent. “Was it you who broke the vase?”

Jiang Sha’s eyes reddened with panic. But faced with the undeniable truth, she could only nod.

Fu Zhiqing was momentarily at a loss for words. Her body suddenly felt weak-whether from anger or the lack of breakfast, she couldn’t tell.

The incident with the broken vase had caused a huge uproar back then. That blue-and-white porcelain vase was Old Master’s favorite, and everyone in the family had been extremely careful around it. When the vase was found shattered, the entire household was in turmoil.

After some investigation, it was discovered that Zhou Youling was the only person who had been near the vase that day. Naturally, suspicion fell on her.

At first, Zhou Youling denied it, saying she had been there but hadn’t broken the vase. However, Jiang Sha had insisted she saw Zhou Youling break it with her own eyes.

Outnumbered and unable to prove her innocence, Zhou Youling had no choice but to take the blame.

From that moment on, Fu Zhiqing began to distrust Zhou Youling, believing her to be deceitful. Coupled with the various rumors about Zhou Youling circulating outside, Fu Zhiqing’s prejudice against her only deepened.

Now, learning that it was her own daughter who had broken the vase three years ago, Fu Zhiqing’s emotions became a tangled mess.

She turned to Jiang Sha and demanded, “Why did you do it?”

Jiang Sha knew she was in the wrong. At the time, she had accidentally broken the vase and, seeing that Zhou Youling had passed by earlier, decided to pin the blame on her. But the real reason she did it was because she disliked Zhou Youling.

Sniffling, Jiang Sha admitted, “I hated her!”

Old Master Fu asked, “What did she ever do to you? Why do you hate her?”

Jiang Sha replied, “She’s a homewrecker! She made Elder Brother break up with Xue Yining! She schemed her way into marrying into the Fu Family!”

“A homewrecker?” A deep voice came from the doorway.

Fu Xunzhou stood there, his face shadowed by stubble after a sleepless night, giving him a ruggedly handsome appearance.

He stepped into the room slowly and asked, “When did I ever break up with Xue Yining?”

Jiang Sha, flustered, said, “Three years ago, weren’t you dating Xue Yining?”

“Who told you that?” Fu Xunzhou’s face grew colder. “I was never in a relationship with her.”

“You never dated Xue Yining?” Jiang Sha asked again, disbelief written all over her face.

Fu Xunzhou’s answer was firm and resolute. “Never.”

Jiang Sha’s world seemed to crumble. She distinctly remembered Xue Yining calling her three years ago, crying and accusing Zhou Youling of stealing Fu Xunzhou from her.

How could this be?

The room fell into a suffocating silence.

Only Old Master Fu’s weary sigh broke the stillness, echoing as if amplified.

Moments later, Fu Ruxuan burst into the room, her excitement palpable. “Oh my gosh! I just saw Youling! She’s outside the Obstetrics and Gynecology clinic! I think she’s pregnant!”

Her words reignited the room like a spark in dry tinder.

Old Master Fu grabbed the cane by his bedside and swung it at Fu Xunzhou. “What are you waiting for? Go check on her!”

Fu Xunzhou hesitated for a moment before striding out of the room.

Old Master Fu, unable to stay put, said, “Help me up! I’m going too!”