On the other side, in the rental apartment, Zhou Junyu was calling Ding Yun. After Ding Yun hung up, blocked him, and he made several more calls, finding he couldn't get through, he simply gave up.
He then happily took out his phone and ordered takeout.
He immediately opened his computer and started playing games.
After all, she had answered before and only hung up herself. He figured there was nothing serious, she was probably just throwing a tantrum. Since she wasn't home, his ears were blessedly free from nagging. If he didn't seize this rare quiet time to play some games, wouldn't that be a waste of a good opportunity?
That's what he thought.
And that's what he did.
After playing games for nearly half an hour, his takeout arrived, and he started eating it while watching a comedy show. After finishing, just like usual, he tied up the plastic bag, put it aside, and went back to playing games.
He hadn't thought about Ding Yun at all.
The most outrageous thing was that because he didn't have to work the next day and Ding Yun wasn't home to nag him, he actually played games all night, until well past six in the morning.
Only then did his body give in to fatigue, and he went to sleep.
Originally, Ding Yun and her mother both thought that after Zhou Junyu's calls were blocked by his wife, even if he didn't call his in-laws that day to inquire about the situation, he would at least call the next day to ask what was going on.
But they waited and waited.
From morning until afternoon, there was no call.
This was because he was still sleeping in. He went to bed around six in the morning and didn't wake up until past four in the afternoon. After waking up, he ordered takeout again and continued playing games.
Since their company only had one day off per week, and he had to work the next day, he didn't pull an all-nighter this time.
He played until a little past midnight, close to one o'clock, and then went to sleep.
The next morning, he woke up precisely around eight o'clock. As soon as he woke up, he quickly took a shower, tidied himself up a bit, and didn't skip any of the usual routines like brushing his teeth, washing his face, or shaving. Before leaving, he even sprayed some cologne and breath freshener.
That's right, even though he was so slovenly at home, with piles of garbage not thrown out, unwashed dishes, and stacks of takeout containers, making his living space look like a trash heap, he still managed to appear presentable when he went out.
He looked like a model of a social elite.
It just goes to show that sometimes, judging people solely by their appearance can be truly misleading.
While Zhou Junyu acted as if nothing had happened, going to work, playing games, and carrying on normally, Huang Pinjuan on the other side was becoming anxious. She had prepared a whole list of things to say to her son-in-law, but he simply didn't call her. This left her with a lot of unexpressed words. Furthermore, the longer the delay, the more uncertain she felt, and the more worried and anxious she became.
They had initially thought they would be in control of the situation. But now, the other party wasn't engaging at all and wasn't following their plan. The first step couldn't even be initiated, let alone the subsequent plans.
After three days with no news, Huang Pinjuan couldn't hold back any longer. As soon as Ding Yun returned from work that day, she quickly pulled her daughter to sit on the sofa.
"Xiaoyu, aren't you worried at all? It's been how many days now? You've been back for over three days, almost four. Since Zhou Junyu can't reach you by phone, why hasn't he called me? Or called your father? How can he be so patient? Isn't he worried about his wife's safety out there?"
"Mom, didn't you say before that he might not have any love for me? Besides, in the past, when I came back, he didn't come looking for me either. It's just that he contacted me by phone back then. This time, I just blocked him directly. Mom, don't worry, and don't panic. At worst, just consider that I'm already preparing to divorce him. If you don't dwell on it or think about it, you won't feel so flustered. Or, you can look at it positively. If I really divorce him and the child stays with me, it would be good for the child to take my surname, right? That way, Grandma won't always say our family line is dying out!"
Lately, Ding Yun's thoughts and free time had been consumed by buying all sorts of ordinary fruits and putting them into a low-level wood creation furnace to cultivate and enjoy delicious food. She hadn't really paid much attention to Zhou Junyu's situation.
So, at this moment, she was indifferent. If he didn't contact her, then it would be even more beneficial for her side when they went through the divorce proceedings and fought for child custody.
Therefore, not only was she not panicking herself, but she also started comforting her mother.
"Oh, don't always talk about divorce. Divorce isn't as simple and easy as you think. Gossip can be quite nasty, and it's hard to find another partner after a divorce, especially with a child. Besides, a single-parent family isn't good for a child! Sigh, why is this Xiao Zhou like this! It's because you didn't take the initiative back then. You didn't ask for any betrothal gifts when you got married, nor did you ask them to buy a house. While it might sound unpleasant to say, sometimes reality is like this. You think you're being considerate of their family, but they might think you were practically throwing yourself at them, desperate to marry into their family. Sigh, it's truly a headache..."
Although Huang Pinjuan knew that the die was cast and regretting it now was useless, she couldn't help but voice her thoughts, and there was a hint of blame towards her daughter. If her daughter hadn't been disobedient and ignored the elders' advice, how could things have gotten to this point?
Because the situation was still unresolved, Ding Yun knew that no matter how much she tried to persuade her, the effect would be limited. Therefore, she decided to stop trying. She casually picked up some freshly cultivated and washed grapes from the side and stuffed them into her mother's mouth, effectively silencing her.
"Mmm, what are you doing..."
"Oh my goodness, how is this so delicious?"
"Where did you buy these grapes? Why do I feel they taste so much better than any grapes I've eaten before? My heavens, these are even better than the grapes I ate when I was a child!"
After a few grapes, Huang Pinjuan immediately put her worries aside for the moment and started competing with her daughter for grapes. While eating, she didn't forget to ask where the grapes were bought, so she could buy some herself later.
She also planned to take some to her mother to taste in the afternoon. Her mother, Ding Yun's maternal grandmother, had undergone surgery yesterday. Since it wasn't a surgery related to her stomach or intestines, there weren't many dietary restrictions. She could already eat normally. Of course, she had to share such delicious food with her mother.
However, since such delicious grapes couldn't be bought anywhere else, Ding Yun had to make up a story, saying they were sent by a friend. She also mentioned that she had quite a few left at her office and would bring some over when she went to visit her grandmother after work that evening.
Huang Pinjuan was then reassured. Since her daughter had more at the office, there was no need to be economical. She could eat them.