Volume One, Chapter Six: Zhou Jinghuai’s Desire for Possession
Late autumn night, the car was warm as spring.
Ye Wu caught the fresh scent of tobacco on the man beside her—Gu Jiuci smoked the same brand as Zhou Jinghuai. For a moment, she was confused, mistakenly thinking the man was Zhou Jinghuai…
She closed her eyes gently, grasped his hand, and called softly, “Zhou Jinghuai.”
Half asleep, half awake, it felt as if she had returned to the past.
Her past with Zhou Jinghuai…
Gu Jiuci neither withdrew his hand nor spoke; he simply turned his head to gaze into the dark night ahead. The night was as black as silk on a rainy evening—soft and moist—somewhat mirroring his current mood.
Gu Jiuci had been with women before.
But those relationships were all transactional, consensual, without emotional burdens. He had never experienced the intense feelings that Ye Wu carried. Suddenly, he grew curious about what it felt like to be loved by her…
In the distance, fireworks bloomed one after another.
The night was as bright as day.
The passenger shifted slightly; though the movement was subtle, Gu Jiuci noticed. He turned to look at her, his dark eyes deep and penetrating. “Awake?”
Ye Wu was weak all over, but her reason gradually returned.
She was drunk but vaguely remembered Gu Jiuci had brought her out of the bar, though the details escaped her…
Her voice hoarse, Ye Wu asked, “What time is it now?”
Gu Jiuci replied, “Just past one-thirty in the morning.”
Ye Wu quietly watched the fireworks in the sky, her eyes moist, her demeanor surprisingly calm.
After a long moment, she spoke softly—
“I have seen the most dazzling fireworks in this world. I thought those fireworks would belong to me forever, but I forgot that no matter how beautiful, fireworks are fleeting.”
“Just like Zhou Jinghuai and me. I thought if I gave up everything, I could spend my life with him. Only now do I realize that perhaps Zhou Jinghuai once fantasized about love, but that person was never me, Ye Wu.”
…
Ye Wu gave a bitter smile. “Gu Jiuci, am I a failure?”
“No.”
Gu Jiuci’s expression was indifferent. “As long as you want, you will always be Mrs. Zhou.”
This was not mere consolation.
A man of Zhou Jinghuai’s status would not easily divorce or change his wife. Young girls could be indulged occasionally, but to be the official Mrs. Zhou, one had to be like Ye Wu…
Ye Wu smiled faintly and continued to watch the fireworks quietly for a long while.
…
Around two in the morning, Gu Jiuci drove Ye Wu back to Imperial Residence.
The car stopped. Ye Wu turned her head and softly thanked Gu Jiuci, handing back his suit jacket.
Gu Jiuci said, “Wear it for now. It’s quite chilly outside.”
Ye Wu considered that the jacket had been dry-cleaned and it was more proper to return it, so she didn’t insist further. Holding the jacket, she got out and said goodbye to Gu Jiuci. The man sat in the car, nodding reservedly before pressing the accelerator and driving away from the villa.
Moonlight was cold and clear; the night breeze whispered…
Ye Wu gently touched her temple, feeling waves of pain.
A servant came over.
As they approached, the servant caught the smell of alcohol on Ye Wu.
The servant didn’t mention it directly but asked with concern, “Madam, have you been drinking? The master just called, saying he’ll be back soon to pick up some clothes. Would you like to take them, or shall I bring them upstairs to you?”
Ye Wu had resolved to divorce; Zhou Jinghuai’s matters no longer occupied her mind as much.
She told the servant to bring the clothes upstairs herself, then staggered up with the jacket in hand. Once inside the bedroom, as soon as she touched the big bed, she fell into a haze and quickly drifted to sleep.
A gust of night wind lifted the white curtains; moonlight poured in, casting a delicate glaze over the woman on the bed, making her look tender and alluring.
The man’s black suit jacket lay casually draped at the foot of the bed…
…
Late at night, the sound of a car echoed in the courtyard.
Zhou Jinghuai had returned.
He didn’t get out of the car but opened the door of his black Bentley.
Tonight, he and Ye Wu had a quarrel. Coupled with Bai Qianqian’s poor condition, he took some clothes and was ready to leave.
The servant heard the noise, came running, and handed the bag of clothes to Zhou Jinghuai, adding, “Madam just came back. She seems quite drunk. It was kind of Lawyer Gu to bring her home.”
Zhou Jinghuai frowned: Ye Wu had been drinking?
After some thought, he decided to go upstairs and check.
A moment later, Zhou Jinghuai ascended to the second floor and pushed open the master bedroom door.
The room was dimly lit, with a faint aroma of red wine lingering in the air, making the woman’s breathing seem especially sweet…
Zhou Jinghuai raised his hand and turned on the bedside lamp.
The bedroom instantly brightened like daylight.
Then, he saw his wife lying on the big bed, her long hair tousled over her chest, the silk blouse collar wide open, revealing a patch of fair, delicate skin. Her black dress had ridden up slightly from tossing and turning, outlining her enticing curves…
Ye Wu had always maintained a fine figure.
No one knew this better than Zhou Jinghuai, her husband. She simply held back, habitually cold in bed. Sometimes they even discussed business during intimacy. Over time, the man naturally lost interest.
But the sight in bed still sparked a trace of desire in Zhou Jinghuai. He thought he must have been too long without release, which made him want to embrace the woman. Usually, he was accustomed to a life of pure restraint.
Zhou Jinghuai sat on the edge of the bed, watching his wife.
She slept deeply, but her brows were tightly furrowed, looking very sad.
Ye Wu liked him; Zhou Jinghuai had always known this. But he did not love her. All he could give her was the title of Mrs. Zhou… marital love was never on his agenda.
Zhou Jinghuai reached out and gently touched his wife’s cheek—
His touch was ice cold.
His eyes darkened further as he spoke softly, “Isn’t having the title of Mrs. Zhou enough? Wu, too intense an emotion only leads to endless suffering. I thought you had seen through the splendor and let go of love long ago.”
The only response was Ye Wu’s shallow breathing.
Just as Zhou Jinghuai was about to leave, his gaze casually swept the room and froze.
At the foot of the bed lay a man’s suit jacket.
Zhou Jinghuai reached out and picked it up. It was from a high-end bespoke brand—most of Zhou Jinghuai’s suits were from the same label—but this jacket was definitely not his.
It was left behind by Gu Jiuci.
Suddenly, Zhou Jinghuai felt deeply uncomfortable. Even though he knew Gu Jiuci would not have feelings for Ye Wu, a man’s innate possessiveness made him utterly uneasy—
Ye Wu was his wife!
…
Downstairs in the hall, the lights shone brightly.
The servants had not yet slept, waiting for Zhou Jinghuai to come down. Finally, sounds came from upstairs.
Zhou Jinghuai descended, his face troubled. He handed the jacket to the servant and said in a cold voice, “Take this suit to be dry-cleaned, then have it sent to Gu Jiuci’s law office.”
The servant took the suit without a word.
Zhou Jinghuai opened the door of his black Bentley, preparing to go to the hospital. But before starting the engine, he paused and looked up toward the second floor of the main house.
Ye Wu was sleeping there…
Tonight, they had parted on bad terms. Ye Wu had said she had something important to tell him…