Later, the Zhou family prospered, and he finally felt a sense of control. He thought he could manage the family well, but running a business truly required talent. When he encountered difficulties, he still had to consult her, which made him uncomfortable, and he desperately wanted to escape Shi Yun's shadow.
Based on his understanding of Hong Lingxiang, he knew that if she said it, there was an eight or nine-tenths certainty. He also knew that with his nod, Shi Yun would take the two children and leave. He had originally thought he would be ecstatic when that moment arrived, but now, before they had even left, he felt a pang of sadness. What was going on?
Looking at the hopeful eyes of the woman he loved, unable to bear disappointing her, he gritted his teeth, nodded firmly, and constantly convinced himself, repeating silently: I won't regret it, I won't regret it…
This time, it was Hong Lingxiang who took the initiative to embrace him. Thinking that her wish was about to be granted, she was overjoyed.
As they were intimately entwined, the room door was kicked open. Upon seeing who was at the door, they instinctively began to dodge, then quickly realized it didn't matter, as she already knew. Since they had decided to be together, they might as well hold hands openly.
Wu Caiwei was still immersed in the thrill of kicking the door, musing why everyone from the Zhou family enjoyed kicking down doors; it felt so exhilarating.
Seeing the two holding hands and gazing at each other affectionately, she found it a bit hard on the eyes. With a "tsk tsk tsk" sound, she circled them twice.
“It seems you’ve made up your minds. Do you feel like true lovers finally getting together? Then I wish you a hundred years of happiness and a harmonious life together.” Wu Caiwei hadn't come to witness their affections; behind her stood the butler and a contingent of the estate's elderly women and maids.
The butler wished he could disappear. At this point, he knew he had been used by his wife. He recalled how she had anxiously found him earlier, saying a maid saw someone sneaking into the guest room where his sister was staying. Fearing something had happened, she asked him to bring all the idle maids and women from each courtyard to prevent anyone from escaping.
When he heard this, he thought it was a grave matter and there must not be any incidents. Without a second thought, he quickly gathered everyone and followed his wife to catch the supposed thief.
Now, he wished he could slap himself. He knew his wife didn't get along with the Zhou family, so why had he believed her without hesitation?
It was too late now. Everyone had witnessed the illicit relationship between the master and her. They had been hidden in the darkness, so the people inside hadn't noticed.
“Oh, I suddenly remembered something. The maids mentioned someone suspicious sneaking in here. I was afraid something might happen, so I gathered many people to catch the thief. They are all outside the door right now.” Wu Caiwei, as if remembering something, pointed towards the door with a malevolent grin.
Their tightly clasped hands suddenly felt as if scalded by boiling water, and they immediately let go.
Zhou Tianpeng walked out with heavy steps and indeed saw dozens of people in a dark mass. In his mind, only one word echoed: Ruined.
Everyone knew they had discovered a scandalous secret and quickly lowered their heads, remaining silent, afraid of being discovered by the master.
“What are you standing here for? Get lost!” Zhou Tianpeng roared, unable to control his anger. If it were one or two people, it would be manageable, but so many people—he couldn't deal with them all.
Upon hearing this, the crowd felt as if they had received a great pardon and quickly dispersed.
Listening to the chaotic footsteps, Hong Lingxiang, who hadn’t left, guessed there were quite a few people. She looked at Wu Caiwei with a pained expression, “You did this on purpose, didn't you? Don't you know rumors can kill? How important is a woman's reputation? As a woman yourself, how could you not know? Yet you still did it. Why?”
Wu Caiwei seemed to hear a joke, looking at her with contempt, “You're allowed to scheme behind my back, but I'm not allowed to retaliate? If you do something, you must be prepared for gossip. If you hadn't overstepped, what would they have seen?”
“You’re from a maid’s background, and you don't deserve me at all. Lingxiang and I are the rightful pair. This is just putting things back in order. Tomorrow morning, you’ll take the two children and get out. Stay far away, and don't let me see you again.” Zhou Tianpeng clenched his fists, veins bulging, and roared with all his might.
“That can be arranged, but I need Mr. Hong’s personal letter and your renunciation letter. From now on, the two children will have no relation to the Zhou family.”
As soon as Wu Caiwei finished speaking, Zhou Tianpeng agreed without a second thought. All he wanted now was to get them out quickly, lest he lose control and hit someone.
Wu Caiwei, having achieved her goal, left contentedly, happily instructing the two children to pack their things, perhaps they could leave tomorrow.
The next morning, Hong Lingxiang returned to the Hong mansion and explained the situation to her father. Master Hong immediately began writing the document. He saw no value in Shi Yun after she left the Zhou family. Trading a favor for the position of Mrs. Zhou was a very profitable deal.
Wu Caiwei, emerging from the yamen, looked at the two children's names added to her household registration, nodding with satisfaction.
“If you ever can’t manage, you can still come find me. After all, we were married for so many years. I can buy a small courtyard outside and support you.” Seeing the two children tightly following her, it was hard not to feel distressed. He didn’t believe Shi Yun could manage well without him, especially since the Zhou family was now quite wealthy.
“To treat the original wife as a mistress—how dare you say such a thing! A man like you, who doesn't know gratitude, can be with whoever wants him; I certainly don't. Besides, those who don't know would think you built the Zhou family up single-handedly. Only you and I know the truth; in business matters, I am superior. If you encounter difficulties in the future, don't come begging me; figure it out yourself.” Wu Caiwei said with a gloating expression.
“As a dignified man, why would I need to beg you? You talk as if I can't do without you. Do you think money will just flow into the estate by you merely opening your mouth?” Zhou Tianpeng scoffed, believing she had too simple a view of the business world.
“Then we shall see.” Wu Caiwei, holding the children's hands, turned and left.
Zhou Tianpeng watched their retreating figures and reached out as if to stop them, but his hand halted halfway, and he slowly withdrew it. At this moment, he had no standing to ask them to stay.
Hong Lingxiang, standing not far away, saw his reluctant gaze and felt an intense jealousy. She walked up to him and shyly said, “We can finally be together. When are you planning to propose?”
Zhou Tianpeng looked at the exceptionally beautiful woman before him and suddenly felt a sense of emptiness. Perhaps what he couldn't have was always the best.
After a moment of silence, he found the best excuse, “A little later. Proposing so soon after becoming a widow wouldn't be good for your reputation.”