I'm Done with the Elite Marriage - Chapter 71
Life seems to be a dramatic thing. Clearly, you care a lot, yet you dare not care; you miss someone dearly, yet you dare not think of them. If everything is destined, then it will piece together into one perfect tapestry after another. This fate allows a once humble life to shine with its former glory.
When Fu Xunzhou heard footsteps, he instinctively looked up, and in that moment, he froze.
At the same time, Zhou Youling, outside the elevator, also stopped in her tracks.
They looked at each other, but neither spoke.
Just as the elevator doors were about to close, Fu Xunzhou hurriedly pressed the open button.
Rong Huiying quickly stepped in front of Zhou Youling to protect her daughter, staring at Fu Xunzhou in disbelief, “You, why are you here?”
Rong Huiying’s voice trembled as she spoke, unable to fathom how Fu Xunzhou had found his way here.
Fearing her daughter might get hurt again, Rong Huiying instructed Zhou Youling to go inside and find Rong Duanjing, while she stayed to deal with Fu Xunzhou.
“Fu Xunzhou, I’m telling you, you have nothing to do with our Lingling anymore, don’t come looking for her!” Rong Huiying warned.
Fu Xunzhou looked at Zhou Youling standing beside Rong Huiying, saying nothing.
Rong Huiying, anxious, stepped forward and pushed Fu Xunzhou, “Please leave! Stop bothering Lingling.”
Fu Xunzhou was tall, towering over Rong Huiying by at least a head. Despite her being much shorter, out of respect, he did not resist.
“Did you hear me!” Rong Huiying shouted.
Throughout, Fu Xunzhou kept his gaze fixed on Zhou Youling.
He could clearly see her rounded belly. Although Fu Xunzhou was usually slow to catch on, he understood what this meant.
Something seemed to flash through his mind, leaving Fu Xunzhou momentarily stunned, yet he quickly grasped the situation.
Fu Xunzhou suddenly found himself forgetting to breathe for a moment, a myriad of indescribable emotions swirling in his mind, leaving a trace of bitterness in his heart.
He had countless words stuck in his throat, unable to voice them.
Finally, Zhou Youling tugged at Rong Huiying’s hand and said, “Mom, let me talk to him for a bit.”
Rong Huiying glanced at Zhou Youling’s expression, frowned, and said, “Alright, but don’t go far.”
Zhou Youling nodded, “Okay.”
Rong Huiying reluctantly left, turning back every few steps, heading to Rong Duanjing’s home. Still anxious, she encountered Rong Duanjing at the door and quickly said, “That Fu Xunzhou, he actually came! How did he find his way here?”
Rong Duanjing’s heart skipped a beat, asking, “Where’s Lingling?”
Rong Huiying replied, “She went to talk to Fu Xunzhou.”
Rong Duanjing sighed, “Fu Xunzhou came to see me earlier. I was just about to call you to give you a heads-up to avoid running into him, and in less than a minute, this happened.”
“Sigh!”
At the elevator entrance, Zhou Youling took a deep breath and looked up at Fu Xunzhou.
After days apart, Zhou Youling could immediately see the changes in Fu Xunzhou. He seemed to have lost some weight, appearing even colder than before.
Fu Xunzhou’s Adam’s apple moved slightly as he struggled to speak, “You…”
“Yes.” With the truth laid bare, Zhou Youling couldn’t deny it. She said, “As you can see, I’m pregnant.”
She wasn’t wearing much today, and with her belly already showing, she couldn’t hide it any longer.
Fu Xunzhou’s heart suddenly raced, his eyes slightly stinging.
Zhou Youling said, “Let’s talk over there.”
Fu Xunzhou, like a wound-up robot, followed Zhou Youling.
Walking behind her, he saw everything clearly. Zhou Youling’s silhouette was as usual; if he hadn’t seen her rounded belly, he wouldn’t have believed she was pregnant.
Fu Xunzhou seemed to have an epiphany, realizing that her apparent weight gain after leaving him was due to her pregnancy.
At the stairwell, Zhou Youling stopped.
It was quiet and airy, a suitable place for a conversation.
Zhou Youling turned around and spoke first, “We’ve already divorced, and this child is mine.”
Zhou Youling had practiced this speech countless times.
She had anticipated this situation, knowing that secrets can’t be kept forever, especially not one involving a living person.
Zhou Youling had considered denying it, but no one is a fool; a little calculation would reveal everything.
Rather than argue, it was better to be straightforward.
Seeing Fu Xunzhou remain silent, Zhou Youling continued, “I’m sorry, but I won’t give you this child. If you insist on taking legal action, I’ll fight back.”
Fu Xunzhou still didn’t respond but suddenly stepped closer to Zhou Youling.
Startled, Zhou Youling took a step back. Unfortunately, there was a wall behind her, leaving her with no retreat.
“You, don’t come any closer.” Zhou Youling turned her head. She was afraid, afraid that she would surrender under Fu Xunzhou’s proximity.
Standing before Zhou Youling, Fu Xunzhou looked down at her rounded belly, then back at her flushed cheeks.
After a long while, he finally spoke slowly, “Why are you crying?”
Zhou Youling was taken aback, looking up at Fu Xunzhou in confusion.
Fu Xunzhou said, “Last night, you cried.”
Zhou Youling lowered her head a bit awkwardly and replied, “It’s none of your business.”
“Was it because of me?” Fu Xunzhou asked.
Youling frowned. “You’re being too self-important.”
Fu Xunzhou smiled faintly, the bitterness in his heart already replaced by sweetness. As long as he remembered that the child in her belly was his, he felt everything had turned around.
He reached out, wanting to gently brush away the strands of hair on Zhou Youling’s cheek, but with a crisp “pa,” Youling slapped his hand away.
He didn’t mind, just smiled and asked, “Is it because you were afraid I’d find out, so you moved here to B City?”
Zhou Youling didn’t deny it, but also couldn’t be bothered to explain more.
Fu Xunzhou said, “Besides not wanting me to know, is it that you don’t want anyone in the Fu Family to know either?”
Youling bit her lip, looking at Fu Xunzhou, at the calm, unruffled look on his face, completely unable to guess what he was trying to do.
What did he want?
And why had he suddenly appeared here?
“What are you trying to say?” Zhou Youling seized the initiative.
Fu Xunzhou shook his head. “I don’t know what to say either.”
There was a faint smile at the corners of his lips, washing away the coldness from his face, making him look much warmer.
Zhou Youling watched Fu Xunzhou warily, instinctively shielding her lower abdomen. There, a tiny life was growing, one that had only recently let her escape from the brink of disaster. Now, the only thought in her heart was that she could not let anyone take it away.
Fu Xunzhou’s gaze followed Zhou Youling’s movement, landing on her belly.
In his memory, her belly was always flat, her waist without an ounce of extra flesh, so slender it seemed as if he could snap it with a gentle squeeze. He used to say he hoped she’d gain a bit more weight. Now, Zhou Youling’s face had a touch of softness, just right. Though she was pregnant, aside from the obvious swell of her abdomen, her limbs were still slender.
Fu Xunzhou was happy, truly happy.
But he also understood clearly that she still rejected him, and he couldn’t make her feel any aversion.
Fu Xunzhou sighed lightly and said, “Don’t worry, I won’t do anything. Since you don’t want me to know, I’ll pretend I don’t. If you don’t want the Fu Family to know, I’ll help you keep it a secret for life.”
Zhou Youling looked at Fu Xunzhou in astonishment. “…You, you’re not going to fight with me?”
“Fight for what?” Fu Xunzhou raised his brow slightly. He really wanted to reach out and touch her belly, but he didn’t dare. He simply said, “You’re enduring the hardship of pregnancy; how could I do something like that?”
Zhou Youling bit her lip and said, “It better stay that way.”
But she still didn’t trust him, her eyes full of wariness.
“The child is yours. I won’t fight you for it.” Fu Xunzhou saw the thoughts in Zhou Youling’s eyes and said, “I mean what I say. You don’t need to look at me like that.”
Zhou Youling, for the moment, was willing to believe Fu Xunzhou, but still set some ground rules: “Since you won’t fight me for the child, then please don’t interfere with my life.”
Fu Xunzhou nodded. “I won’t. But I also have to take responsibility.”
“I don’t need you to take responsibility!” Zhou Youling emphasized clearly, “I’m capable on my own.”
“I know you’re capable,” Fu Xunzhou looked at Zhou Youling sincerely, “but I also want to do something.”
Youling shook her head. “I don’t need you to do anything. What you need to do now is leave here and don’t appear in front of me.”
“As long as I don’t appear in front of you, that’s enough, right?” Fu Xunzhou asked.
Zhou Youling nodded. “Yes.”
“Okay,” Fu Xunzhou agreed.
Zhou Youling hadn’t expected Fu Xunzhou to agree so readily, and felt a bit strange inside.
The window in the stairwell was wide open, letting in a cold draft. Fu Xunzhou used his own body to shield Zhou Youling from the wind and said, “Alright, you should go back. I promise I won’t show up in front of you again.”
Zhou Youling frowned slightly, still not fully convinced by Fu Xunzhou’s words.
It was just that his reaction was completely beyond her expectations. Zhou Youling had imagined many scenarios of Fu Xunzhou finding out about her pregnancy, but she hadn’t expected this one, so she was caught totally unprepared.
Fu Xunzhou reached out and opened the stairwell door, gesturing for Zhou Youling to leave.
Zhou Youling had no choice but to mechanically start walking, leaving the stairwell one step ahead of Fu Xunzhou.
Just as before, Zhou Youling led, Fu Xunzhou followed. Step by step, the two walked toward the elevator.
She knew he was right behind her, and it was as if she could feel that burning gaze.
When they reached the elevator, Zhou Youling finally couldn’t resist turning to look at Fu Xunzhou. “Fu Xunzhou, I hope you’ll remember what you said and keep your word. Otherwise, you’ll never see your child again.”
Fu Xunzhou nodded silently.
The elevator doors happened to open. Fu Xunzhou stepped in.
Inside the elevator, he said to Zhou Youling, “Go in, don’t stand in the draft.”
Zhou Youling’s brows were still tightly knit. She ignored Fu Xunzhou’s words, turned around, and walked straight toward Rong Duanjing’s place.
In the elevator, Fu Xunzhou’s phone rang again. He answered, and the voice on the other end said, “Where did you go so early in the morning?”
Fu Xunzhou said, “I went to find my wife.”
On the other side, Fu Hexu asked, “Where did you go to look? Did you find her?”
Fu Xunzhou curled his lips and said, “I did.”
