But she was worried too, just like the secretary, afraid that Zhou Yuqian might have been kidnapped. Oh, being kidnapped wasn’t too bad; as long as the kidnappers didn’t harm him, his wife would definitely pay the ransom. Lai Hui flipped through her book, her mind wandering, a smile playing on her lips. She couldn’t be blamed for being too cheerful; after all, Zhou Yuqian had been living in Nanling for two months, exhausting her, and these past few days were her hard-earned vacation. How could she not be happy? Moreover, she had a gut feeling that nothing bad had happened to Zhou Yuqian; at most, he was just feeling bored with his life and whimsically wanted to act like a child. Perhaps, he was thinking about who would worry about him at this moment. The door creaked open, and Zhou Yuqian, who had been missing for two days, silently entered the bedroom. “Ah!” Lai Hui screamed, her finger trembling as she pointed at him. “Weren’t you missing?” Zhou Yuqian’s expression was as indifferent as ever; without a word, he sat on the bed and took the book from Lai Hui’s hands, flipping through it. “Where have you been these past two days? Secretary Zhang has called several times!” Lai Hui asked, kneeling beside him. Initially, she didn’t want to ask, but out of politeness, she felt the need to show some concern. “Fourth floor!” he replied succinctly. Lai Hui had guessed correctly. That day, Zhou Yuqian had returned here, soaking wet, and suddenly didn’t want to face anyone, so he went straight to the empty fourth floor, where only the bodyguard who brought him food knew his whereabouts. Seven years of marriage was a heavy burden for him; he was tired of carrying it, yet he couldn’t let it go. Now, having escaped it, he was left with a sense of exhaustion. Reflecting on eight years of love and marriage, he felt like a child hiding an egg in his bed, hoping the warmth would hatch it into a chick. Day after day, the egg remained an egg, completely ignoring his wishes, until one day it was crushed, revealing only a foul smell and black juice. That egg could never hatch into a cute chick again, even if the broken shell was glued back together. Just like their marriage, it was utterly over. He stubbornly thought that no one could understand his feelings; he felt wronged, a laughable kind of wronged! Like that child, he hid away, whimsically deciding to be willful for once! “Change your clothes and come out with me!” Zhou Yuqian, ignoring Lai Hui’s astonishment, threw the book on the bed and ordered.
Chapter 20
The speedboat cut through the dark sea, its engine roaring, the wind slapping against their cheeks. Lai Hui’s curly hair, tied up, had loose strands falling over her forehead, occasionally poking into her eyes. She hugged her chest, letting herself rise and fall with the vast sea. In contrast, Zhou Yuqian, hands on the steering wheel, calmly maneuvered the boat, his dark eyes fixed on the destination ahead — the only private island between two cities. Surrounded by the sea, the island was exclusive to club members. Lai Hui was there for the first time, expecting the scent of flowers and birds, but instead, she only heard the rustle of pine needles and insect chirps. Besides the villas and cleared paths, the island remained untouched. After checking in at the villa and changing into beachwear, Zhou Yuqian and Lai Hui walked along the beach path, the moonlight casting sparse shadows through the branches, the sound of waves like drumbeats in the silent night. “I thought you had some business to attend to,” Lai Hui said, turning to Zhou Yuqian, who still hadn’t changed into beachwear. “I haven’t been here for a long time; thought I’d take a walk today,” he replied, his tone slightly melancholic. “Did something happen these past few days? Trouble at work?” Zhou Yuqian didn’t respond. At the end of the path, rocks were piled like small hills, and the island’s owner had carved out steps and hollows in them. Holding onto the iron railings, they climbed to the top. Zhou Yuqian, one hand gripping the red-painted railing, the other pulling Lai Hui, laboriously ascended. The large rock surface was unexpectedly flat, with white waves rolling below, the cool sea breeze hitting their faces, puffing up the back of their clothes into a half-circle. Lai Hui looked with delight at the distant horizon where sea met sky, the night so quiet only the sound of the waves remained, washing away the worldly dust, leaving only pure tranquility. “Lai Hui, I’m divorced!” Zhou Yuqian’s voice, filled with sorrow, contrasted sharply with Lai Hui’s joy. He walked to the edge of the rock, his tall figure slowly squatting down, sitting on the ground with his hand supporting him. Lai Hui’s smile froze on her lips. Was this why he hid for two days? Was it because of… “Is it because of me?” Her inner tranquility was replaced by guilt. She walked to the edge, one more step would mean death by drowning. Suddenly, a sharp pain twisted in her stomach; she had forgotten her own identity, her own ugliness, and even indulged in the beauty like an ignorant fool. How was she any different from the widow who destroyed her family? Equally detestable, she had also destroyed another family. Not seeing her own pallor, she rubbed her arms, feeling a deep chill and shame that seeped into her bones, her smooth skin erupting in countless goosebumps… In that instant, a thought flashed through her mind: if she fell into the sea, would it be liberation? She could escape from her mother, Zhou Yuqian’s marriage, and her feelings for Xie Jiayi, floating away gently from this world, waiting for the next cycle of rebirth. Suddenly, a force from behind made her fall backward onto the rough rock, scraping off a layer of skin. Before she could react, Zhou Yuqian’s enlarged face was in front of her. She raised her hand, only to realize her palms were sweaty. She remembered; just now, she had indeed thought about stepping off the edge. If Zhou Yuqian hadn’t pulled her back… A cramp seized her stomach; she leaned over the edge of the rock, retching dryly, her nose running like a silver thread, tears streaming down. She searched her stomach but found nothing to vomit, her throat feeling like it had been sandpapered, the pain registering in her brain, her head feeling like it had been stepped on, her temples throbbing. At that moment, death or fainting seemed like a kind of bliss. Oblivious to her own distress, she didn’t notice Zhou Yuqian’s large hand gently stroking her back. It wasn’t until she was numb from the retching that Zhou Yuqian pulled her into his arms, looking at her face, pale as paper. As he cleaned up the mess of tears and mucus on her face with a tissue, he said, “It has nothing to do with you. My marriage was already in shambles before I met you. We were too young when we got married, didn’t know how to live, which is why we ended up like this!” Lai Huai slowly regained her senses, slightly lifting her eyelids to look at him, and spoke with a mournful tone, “You loved her very much?” Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been so devastated as to hide away. Zhou Yuqian gave a sarcastic smile. “I loved her very much before we got married. The mistake was in thinking that love alone could lead to marriage and happiness.” He touched her sweat-dampened hair, gazing at the sea. “I fell in love with her at first sight. The first time I saw her was because a friend was planning to shoot a film, and we had dinner at a hotel. I must admit, I was immediately captivated by her beauty. She was already quite famous then, with countless suitors. To win her over, I did quite a few foolish things!”
“Foolish things?” Lai Huai asked curiously, unable to imagine what kind of foolishness Zhou Yuqian might have committed.
