A moment later, Zhou Yanjing emerged from the bathroom. He crossed to the other side of the bed, the mattress dipping under his weight as he lifted a corner of the covers. Lin Yuxi caught a faint, cool scent—a crisp, penetrating aroma that felt almost invasive, sinking deep into her bones. Woody notes mingled with his body heat, finishing with a subtle hint of tobacco. The scent was his signature. The dim light from the floor lamp didn't reach the bed. The night was utterly still, so quiet she could hear the gentle rhythm of his breathing. They lay on opposite sides of the vast bed, an icy chasm separating them. After lying in silence for a while, Lin Yuxi looked over at Zhou Yanjing. Perhaps it was the darkness, but his profile looked chiseled and cold. "Are you asleep?" Silence answered from the darkness. Then, Zhou Yanjing's voice, cold and weary, cut through it with a sharp edge of impatience. "Quiet." Lin Yuxi touched the good luck pendant at her throat and rolled over, turning her back to him. ... When Lin Yuxi woke the next morning, the space beside her was empty. She got up and washed, and when she entered the living room, she found Zhou Yanjing already fully dressed and seated at the dining table, scrolling through real-time US stock market data on his iPad. He glanced up as she approached. "Where's Mrs. Chen?" Lin Yuxi opened the refrigerator. "I let her go." Zhou Yanjing's brow furrowed, but he said nothing more. Lin Yuxi quickly fried two eggs. On second thought, she added sliced ham, lettuce, and cheese, making two sandwiches, which she brought to the table. Zhou Yanjing shot them a look. "You actually eat this stuff?" What was wrong with it? This was already a significant upgrade from her usual breakfast, which on most rushed mornings consisted of two slices of toast on her way to work. *Take it or leave it,* she thought. A soft meow sounded from behind the sofa. Lin Yuxi turned to see a small calico cat timidly peeking its head out. During a heavy rainstorm a short while ago, she had found a litter of strays at the hospital. The newborn kittens were soaked and shivering, their mother nothing but skin and bones. Her heart went out to them, so she brought them home, planning to foster them for a month before finding them new homes. She hadn't expected Zhou Yanjing to return to the country so suddenly. He didn't allow her to keep cats. During the year he was in the States, she had rescued another stray and wanted to keep it. When she called to ask his opinion, his reply was a blunt two words: "No." Lin Yuxi was sure she had shut the cat in the spare room. She had no idea it was clever enough to open the door and sneak out. As expected, Zhou Yanjing’s brow tightened in a deep frown. "Where did this stray come from?" His voice dripped with disgust. The tone pricked at Lin Yuxi. She walked over, scooped the cat into her arms, and mumbled, "I gave birth to it." Zhou Yanjing scoffed. "Then you should apply for a Nobel Prize." Lin Yuxi returned the cat to the room. When she came out, he was already putting on his jacket. The sandwich she had made for him sat untouched on the table. Adjusting his tie in the mirror, Zhou Yanjing pronounced the cat's death sentence without turning around. "Get rid of it before I get back." Lin Yuxi didn't respond. The villa was enormous; it wasn't as if there was no room for a few kittens. Why did he have to be so cruel to tiny creatures already struggling to survive? For a man with so much, he had a heart of stone. Zhou Yanjing caught her expression in the mirror. "What are you cursing me for in your head now?" "..." "As if anyone would dare," Lin Yuxi said. "I'll keep them locked up so they won't get out again. I'll disinfect the house every day. As soon as I find them homes, they'll be gone." She was running late for work. She packed her sandwich in a plastic bag to eat on the way. "If you can't stand it, you can always stay somewhere else. It's not like you don't have other places. You've got homes all over." Zhou Yanjing let out a short, mocking laugh. "Haven't seen you in six months and your temper has certainly grown. Trying to kick me out the moment I'm back?" Lin Yuxi said nothing, looking down as she changed her shoes. Her work attire prioritized comfort: a loose-fitting sweater over skinny jeans that hugged her long, shapely legs. As she bent down, the curve from her waist to her hips was alluring. Fastening the buttons of his suit jacket, Zhou Yanjing’s eyes swept over her lazily. "What did you want to say last night?" Now it was Lin Yuxi’s turn to be dismissive. "I'm late for work. We can talk when I get back." After finishing her rounds, Lin Yuxi spent the entire morning in the ophthalmology clinic. It was a busy day, and she didn't finish seeing patients until almost two. By the time she got to the cafeteria, there was hardly anything left, so she grabbed a plate of whatever she could find. As she was eating, she received a call from Ling Yaqiong, summoning her to the family home that day. Lin Yuxi agreed. After hanging up, she stared down at her plate, poking at the white rice, and suddenly lost her appetite. After work, the driver, Old Liu, came to pick her up. The Zhou family residence was a classical Chinese courtyard in the Suzhou style, with nearly a century of history. Lin Yuxi knew this place well; she had grown up here. After her parents were killed, she had spent a few years in an orphanage before being taken in by the Zhou family. They called it an adoption, but it was really just sponsorship. If you pictured the social hierarchy of Linshi City as a pyramid, the Zhous were at its very peak, a class utterly untouchable for ordinary people. For an orphan like her, being taken in by them was like hitting the jackpot. She never had the right to be on the Zhou family register. Of course, no one expected her to hit the jackpot twice. She later married the family's second son, and her name was added to the register after all. Lin Yuxi waited in the living room for a short while before Ling Yaqiong descended the stairs, dressed in an elegant qipao. "I heard you sent little Chen away?" Lin Yuxi wasn't surprised she knew. "Did she come crying to you?" After Lin Yuxi and Zhou Yanjing were married, the Zhou family had sent over a housekeeper. Mrs. Chen was efficient and meticulous. With Zhou Yanjing away most of the year, it was just Lin Yuxi and Mrs. Chen in the house together. Lin Yuxi had treated her like family, letting her take home any expensive foods and supplements they couldn't finish and giving her red envelopes during the holidays. Mrs. Chen’s job was actually quite easy. Lin Yuxi was busy with work and rarely home, so she turned a blind eye to many small things. Once, the hospital needed some information urgently, and Lin Yuxi couldn't find one of her certificates anywhere. Mrs. Chen wasn't home and wasn't answering her phone. Lin Yuxi finally tracked her down at a mahjong parlor. One of her mahjong partners had said, "It's getting so late, aren't you going back? Aren't you afraid your mistress will scold you?" Mrs. Chen was on a losing streak and deep in the game, unwilling to leave the table. "She's busy at work, she won't be back at this hour. Besides, my salary comes from the Zhou family, not her. Even if she finds out, what can she do to me?" "But she's still the second young mistress of the Zhou family. A little pillow talk, and she could have you fired just like that." "Get real," Mrs. Chen said dismissively. "Our Second Young Master is barely home once a year. What pillow talk is she going to whisper?" The middle-aged women were gossips. "Oh? So their marriage isn't going well?" "Not at all. Our Second Young Master left for the US right after they got married. I heard he went to chase after his childhood sweetheart. He was forced by his family to marry this one. He can't even stand the sight of her." "See, that's why I say a woman needs to have some tricks up her sleeve. Otherwise, being pretty is useless. You still can't hold on to a man's heart." It's human nature to treat people according to their station, but Lin Yuxi never imagined she would hear such words that cut to the quick from the mouth of a housekeeper she had treated so kindly. Mrs. Chen was enjoying her gossip when she turned and saw Lin Yuxi standing right behind her. She was so terrified she nearly threw her tiles, stammering out apologies. Lin Yuxi didn't say much at the time, only telling her to go home and find the misplaced certificate. That same evening, she let her go. Ling Yaqiong sat down. "Little Chen was just indulging in some idle gossip behind your back. It's unseemly, but harmless. You are Yanjing's wife, the second mistress of the Zhou household. If you can't even handle a single maid, how can you expect not to be looked down upon?" Lin Yuxi's lips twitched. She had no idea what embellishments Mrs. Chen had added when telling her story to Ling Yaqiong. It didn't matter. No matter the issue, whether it was her fault or not, Ling Yaqiong was never satisfied with her. It had been that way since she was a child. Lin Yuxi had long since learned not to explain herself. Ling Yaqiong would never take her side; it would only be humiliating herself. "It's one thing when you're on your own, but Yanjing is back now. You can't cook, you can't manage the household. Are you just going to wait for him to come home and serve you?" *It's not like he hasn't 'served' me before,* Lin Yuxi thought. But that was something she would never dare say to Ling Yaqiong's face.