I'm Done with the Elite Marriage - Chapter 88
“Open your eyes and look at me,” Fu Xunzhou said hoarsely.
Zhou Youling didn’t dare open her eyes at all.
When the kiss ended, Zhou Youling felt as if her legs had lost all feeling. She didn’t know when her hands had climbed onto Fu Xunzhou’s shoulders, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck.
Just like that night on their wedding night.
“Zhou Youling, you do have me in your heart, don’t you?” Fu Xunzhou asked.
Zhou Youling opened her eyes and carefully looked at the man in front of her.
Seeing him up close like this, after nearly three years together, he suddenly felt so unfamiliar to her.
She didn’t dare admit the truth. Using all her strength, she pushed Fu Xunzhou away, then gritted her teeth against the pain in her ankle and ran desperately toward home.
Fu Xunzhou didn’t chase after her. He listened to her footsteps fading away, quietly savoring the kiss just now.
He knew better than anyone what it felt like to have his heart pounding like thunder.
The first time he kissed Zhou Youling, Fu Xunzhou’s back was covered in a layer of sweat–he was more nervous than anyone.
Zhou Youling’s foot injury wasn’t serious. After a night’s sleep, it was basically fine.
When she woke up and recalled what happened last night, Zhou Youling’s heart couldn’t stop pounding.
But on second thought, Zhou Youling calmed down and remembered every word Fu Xunzhou said last night, and she was furious. This damn man was so good with words, he made it seem like the divorce was all her fault in the end?
Zhou Youling really regretted not slapping him!
Taking a deep breath, Zhou Youling got up to look for her son, Zhou Ran.
At this time, Zhou Ran had just woken up too, and the aunt was making formula for him.
In a little while, Zhou Ran would be able to start eating solid food, which Zhou Youling was a little excited about.
Watching Zhou Ran grow day by day was one of the things Zhou Youling looked forward to most every day.
“Mumu, your eyes seem even brighter than yesterday!” Zhou Youling said as she held Zhou Ran.
Zhou Ran must have slept well and felt refreshed, even giving Zhou Youling a smile.
That smile was almost enough to make Zhou Youling forget all her worries.
Zhou Youling carried Zhou Ran around for a while and heard the aunt say that Zhou Ran was getting his vaccination today.
“I want to go with him too,” Zhou Youling said.
The aunt said, “Sure, just don’t feel as bad as last time when you see it.”
Speaking of which, since Zhou Ran was born, he’d already had several vaccinations. The first one was not long after he was born, and a family member took him, so Zhou Youling didn’t see it. Later, she heard Rong Huiying nag a bit, saying it was heartbreaking to see such a tiny baby get jabbed with a needle. At the time, Zhou Youling even comforted Rong Huiying, saying vaccinations were a normal thing.
It wasn’t until Zhou Youling saw Zhou Ran get jabbed with a needle herself that she realized how much it hurt her heart.
Her precious baby, who knew nothing about the world, didn’t even resist when he was jabbed. Zhou Youling just felt so, so distressed.
This time, Zhou Youling went along for the vaccination, but ran into Fu Xunzhou at the entrance of the immunization clinic.
Seeing Fu Xunzhou reminded Zhou Youling of everything from last night, so she simply treated him as invisible.
At this moment, the aunt suddenly said, “I want to go wash my hands.”
Zhou Youling said, “Aunt, go ahead. I know what to do.”
The aunt said, “Alright, I’ll be right back.”
Fu Xunzhou walked over and said to Zhou Youling, “Let me do it.”
Zhou Youling didn’t want to hand him the vaccination record and insisted, “It’s fine, I can handle it myself.”
But Fu Xunzhou ignored her and took the vaccination record from her hand, going to line up on his own.
Zhou Youling sighed softly. If she wasn’t holding Mumu, she would never have given in.
After a while, Fu Xunzhou turned back and said to Zhou Youling, “It’s our turn. Give me the baby.”
Of course Zhou Youling refused and carried Mumu in herself for the vaccination.
It was summer, and Mumu was wearing a little vest. The medical staff prepared to give him the shot in his right arm.
“Hold the baby’s chin and grip his right arm tightly,” the medical staff reminded Zhou Youling.
Zhou Youling hurried to follow the instructions, but the medical staff wasn’t satisfied and pointed to Fu Xunzhou, who was standing to the side, saying, “Let your husband do it instead.”
Zhou Youling was about to protest, but Fu Xunzhou had already stepped forward to take the baby.
“I can do it,” Zhou Youling said.
The medical staff said nothing more and picked up the needle to give the baby the vaccine.
Zhou Youling had never been afraid of anything since she was a child, except for injections. When she saw the needle, she immediately changed her mind and let Fu Xunzhou hold Mumu.
Fu Xunzhou gladly took Mumu into his arms and, without saying anything, followed the instructions to hold Mumu securely.
Chubby Mumu already weighed more than many children his age at this point. When the needle pierced his skin, he seemed not to feel a thing; only after it was withdrawn did he cry out a few times.
Fu Xunzhou quickly comforted Mumu, murmuring, “Don’t cry, baby. Daddy and mom are right here with you.”
Zhou Youling frowned as she took Mumu from Fu Xunzhou’s arms, whispering, “Who do you think is your daddy?”
Fu Xunzhou: “…”
In the afternoon, Huo Lianghan called Zhou Youling to tell her that he had arranged for Mu Yexin to meet with them.
But before Mu Yexin met her family, Zhou Youling said she wanted to meet Mu Yexin’s family first.
Zhou Youling knew well that Mu Yexin was very resistant to reconnecting with her family, largely because she resented her parents for abandoning her.
The agreed meeting place was Zhou Youling’s Food and Color restaurant, which Zhou Youling had no objections to, as long as the other party agreed.
Soon, Zhou Youling learned some details about Mu Yexin’s biological mother from Huo Lianghan.
Mu Yexin’s biological mother was named Wang Shaomei, thirty-six years old this year.
When Zhou Youling met Wang Shaomei, she was a bit surprised. Wang Shaomei was much younger than Zhou Youling had imagined, and looked quite affluent.
Wang Shaomei wore sunglasses, had exquisite makeup, and her long hair draped over her shoulders.
“Hello.” Wang Shaomei sat in the restaurant, stood up and took off her sunglasses, greeting Zhou Youling.
After exchanging greetings, Zhou Youling shared some of her thoughts.
Wang Shaomei said, “I know you have some concerns, but please believe me, she is my biological daughter. I will love her dearly and make up for all the years of lost affection.”
Zhou Youling said, “Sorry, but I still want to know, why did you abandon little Yexin back then?”
Wang Shaomei sighed lightly and said, “I wasn’t the one who abandoned the child–it was my mother-in-law. Oh, I should say ex-mother-in-law now.”
Nowadays, Wang Shaomei had long since divorced her ex-husband and was supporting herself and her two daughters. By chance, she had invested successfully, and now her life was fairly comfortable.
According to Wang Shaomei, she had no choice back then; her mother-in-law took the child and dumped her in a trash heap.
Mu Yexin’s paternal grandmother had a very strong preference for boys over girls. At that time, Wang Shaomei had already given birth to two daughters, and all her mother-in-law’s hopes rested on this last child. But unexpectedly, it was another girl. Wang Shaomei’s mother-in-law secretly took the child away and abandoned her, without telling Wang Shaomei or considering her feelings at all.
As the story reached this point, Zhou Youling couldn’t help but sigh deeply.
In the past, Zhou Youling didn’t understand that such gender bias could exist in the world; her perspective was too narrow. She thought, since she was the little princess cherished by her parents, all little girls should be like that. It wasn’t until she went to school and met all kinds of people that she realized everyone’s living environment was different.
Wang Shaomei said to Zhou Youling, “The moment I saw Yexin online, I knew she was my daughter. She looks almost identical to my second daughter, and with the timing, I was basically certain I had to find her.”
Over the years, Wang Shaomei had searched everywhere for her daughter, but it was like looking for a needle in a haystack–she could never find her.
Wang Shaomei also wondered if, in that bitterly cold winter, the newborn child had already frozen to death, which was why she couldn’t find her.
Just when Wang Shaomei was about to give up, she unexpectedly saw a video online.
“I’m really grateful to you all. Thank you for helping me find my daughter.” Wang Shaomei said as she walked up to Zhou Youling and bowed deeply.
Zhou Youling quickly supported Wang Shaomei, saying, “It was just a coincidence. You don’t need to thank me.”
“Can we go see her now?” Wang Shaomei asked, eyes red.
Zhou Youling nodded, “Of course.”
But what Zhou Youling never expected was that when she arrived at Mu Yexin’s home, Mu Yexin was holding a broom, ready to chase her out: “I don’t want to go! I don’t want to go!”
The old grandmother hurried out, snatched the broom from Mu Yexin’s hands, and made her kneel before Zhou Youling: “Are you completely out of control now?”
Mu Yexin hugged the old grandmother’s legs, crying, “Grandma, I don’t want to see them, I don’t want to leave you. Please, don’t make me go, okay?”
The old grandmother cried and said to Mu Yexin, “Silly child. That’s your mom. I’m nothing; I’ve got one foot in the grave already.”
Wang Shaomei stood outside the door, not showing her face, but her eyes were red.
