Lin Yuxi set the feather wand aside and stepped out of the room. Zhou Yanjing stood in the living room. He glanced at his watch, his gaze flicking to her as she appeared. “What have you been taking lately? You’re putting on such airs. Did I really have to come all the way back just to fetch you?” “You didn’t have to,” Lin Yuxi said. Zhou Yanjing seemed to ignore her barb. His brow furrowed at the sight of cat hair on her clothes. He held out a flat box to her. “We have twenty minutes. Go upstairs and change.” Lin Yuxi didn’t take it. She turned on the tap, letting the water run over her hands in a slow, deliberate stream. “I already said I’m not going.” For once, Zhou Yanjing seemed to have the patience to play this game. “Or do you want me to change you?” Lin Yuxi gritted her teeth and spun around to face him. “Given the state of our relationship, is there any point in us attending this together? Who are we putting on a show for?” His gaze turned cold. “Do you really think I’m here to play the doting husband with you?” Wasn’t he? she wanted to ask, but Zhou Yanjing’s lips twisted into a faint, mocking smirk. “You’re overthinking it. I don’t have that kind of time to waste.” “No matter how unwilling you are, your title is still Zhou Yanjing’s wife. Showing up for these social obligations is basic courtesy.” He tossed the dress onto the sofa. “Just play your part.” He was right. She had been a fool to think otherwise. He didn’t have the time or inclination to play the loving husband with her. He was only insisting she go because she was the second Mrs. Zhou, and her absence would be a breach of etiquette, a loss of face for the Zhou family. Lin Yuxi picked up the dress and went upstairs. In the car on the way to the Shi family’s estate, she kept her face turned to the window, not uttering a single word to Zhou Yanjing. During the drive, Zhou Yanjing’s eyes drifted over to her. He had chosen the dress. A pale, watery blue bled into the smooth, fine white silk. The fabric was slick and delicate, elegant without sacrificing its fresh charm. The dress cinched at the waist, its fabric cascading downward in soft pleats, creating a hazy, refreshing beauty that complemented Lin Yuxi's ethereal air. Zhou Yanjing’s gaze traveled slowly over her body. “Is the dress a little loose?” Lin Yuxi’s hands, resting on her lap, curled into fists. It was a little loose. Whose measurements had he confused with hers this time? Lin Yuxi kept the back of her head to him, offering no reply. “Have you spent the last two years just cultivating a temper? Always giving me that look.” Zhou Yanjing said this not with anger, but with a lazy drawl. “Who taught you that?” Lin Yuxi turned to him, retorting, “What look am I giving you?” As if she dared. Besides, she didn’t even see him three hundred and sixty days out of the year. Where was she supposed to find the opportunity to give him any kind of look? Lin Yuxi had never been one to lose her temper. Even when angry, she would just furrow her delicate brows and stare. She might have felt furious, but to anyone watching, it was like being glared at by a kitten—the least intimidating kind. Just like now. Zhou Yanjing chuckled, suddenly in the mood to tease her. “A beautiful one. Happy now?” “…” Lin Yuxi turned her head back to the window, unwilling to speak to him. But arguments were one thing. The moment they stepped out of the car, she instinctively slipped her hand into the crook of Zhou Yanjing’s arm, a practiced smile blooming on her face as naturally as a well-rehearsed actor taking the stage. Old Mr. Shi was in his eighties, but the recent birth of his great-grandson had him beaming, his face ruddy and his spirit high. Zhou Yanjing led Lin Yuxi over to greet him. The old man let out a hearty laugh. “Whenever wine goes missing from my cellar, I know you’re back in town, you brat.” “Don’t you go blaming me,” Zhou Yanjing said. “I don’t get my hands dirty with petty theft.” “You don’t. You make this rascal Shi Tang do it for you.” Shi Tang, standing nearby, protested, “Grandpa, I’m your grandson, you know. Aren’t you embarrassing yourself by saying that?” The old man glared at him. “So you admit you’re an embarrassment!” Shi Tang pouted. “Well, I’m not an idiot.” The old man couldn’t be bothered with him. The two families were close, and he had watched Zhou Yanjing grow up, treating him like another grandson. It had been a while. He clapped Zhou Yanjing on the shoulder. “Finally decided to come back, have you?” Zhou Yanjing grinned, all swagger. “I kept dreaming you missed me, so I had to rush back to ease your suffering.” The old man roared with laughter, raising his cane as if to strike him, but only tapping him on the leg like a gentle nudge. “You little rascal! Daring to make fun of your own grandpa.” Lin Yuxi stood quietly to the side. Other than a polite greeting to Grandpa Shi when she arrived, she hadn’t said a word. The old man’s affection extended to her. He turned to her with a kind smile. “It’s been a while, Yuxi. You get more beautiful every time I see you.” Lin Yuxi offered a demure smile. Perhaps because of the new addition to the family, the old man’s mind was on the subject. “You and Yanjing have been married almost three years, haven't you? When are you going to give us a baby?” Lin Yuxi’s smile froze. Most people in their circle knew their marriage was on the rocks. How was a couple living apart for years supposed to have a child? The atmosphere thickened slightly. Lin Yuxi tried to brush it off vaguely. “We haven’t really thought about it.” The old man was not satisfied. “Well, think about it now! With genes as good as yours, it would be a crime against me not to have a child!” Lin Yuxi was speechless. What did this have to do with him? Shi Tang clicked his tongue. “Hey, even my Aunt Qiong isn’t this anxious. Why are you in such a hurry? It’s none of your business.” “Who says Yaqiong isn’t anxious? You think she’s been cooing over that baby for the last half hour for fun? She looks like she’s ready to snatch him and take him home.” Following the direction of the old man’s cane, the group saw Ling Yaqiong in the distance, holding the Shi family’s newborn great-grandson, her face a mask of maternal bliss. The old man added, “Yuxi, my dear, look how envious you're making your mother-in-law. Hurry up and give her a grandchild to dote on.” Lin Yuxi had no idea how to respond. Her eyes shot to Zhou Yanjing, pleading for help, but he just stood there, detached, with no intention of bailing her out. Lin Yuxi squared her jaw. “Actually, the reason we don’t have children isn’t because of me.” Everyone froze. All eyes swiveled to Zhou Yanjing. An eyebrow on Zhou Yanjing’s face twitched up. Under the complex, concerned gazes of the elders, he slowly took the bait. “Are you implying the problem is with me?” Lin Yuxi replied, “That’s not really for me to say. Why don’t you explain it to Grandpa Shi yourself?” With that, she gathered her skirt and walked away. A loaded, dead silence fell over the group. Everyone was speechless. Old Mr. Shi stood there, at a complete loss for words. Zhou Yanjing stared at Lin Yuxi’s elegant retreat. After a short distance, she glanced back, her eyes met his, and she quickly turned away, her pace quickening. A bitter laugh escaped Zhou Yanjing’s lips. Shi Tang looked as if he’d been struck by lightning. The idea that Zhou Yanjing might have a problem in that department seemed more world-shattering than if he’d had the problem himself. His shocked eyes darted to a certain area on Zhou Yanjing’s body and lingered there in disbelief. “Bro, you… you can’t…?” Zhou Yanjing reached out and pushed Shi Tang’s jaw closed. “Shut up. Don’t make me hit you.”