Chapter 64 Pitiful

Luo Mingzhu left.

Luo Yujiang offered a wry smile, shaking his head repeatedly.

"Sigh... The girl has a good eye."

"It's just a pity..."

Without finishing his thought, he walked downstairs.

Madam Luo had already instructed the staff to prepare dinner.

Yet, this meal remained exceptionally oppressive.

Of course, this was entirely intentional, orchestrated both by myself and Luo Yujiang.

Once dinner concluded, I took my leave.

Luo Mingzhu offered to see me out, but I declined.

"There's no need."

"It's not like I lack legs."

"Have your people reorganize the project data and brief again later."

"In just a few days, this project will be ours."

"Don't let anything delay the main objective."

With these parting instructions, I drove away.

That punk Ning Yuanzhou was already fish on the chopping board.

How I chose to slice him depended entirely on my mood.

If he proved uncooperative, I would knock him unconscious, skin him, debone him, and toss him straight into a boiling wok.

If he was obedient, I would simply steam him, sparing him a portion of the agony.

Upon returning home, Luo Mingzhu remained uncertain of what to say to her parents.

What frustrated her most was her perception that I was not particularly fond of her father.

Even more vexing was the realization that her father did not seem particularly fond of me either.

Therefore...

Things had become rather tricky.

It was much like two magnets.

If they possessed mutual attraction, they would snap together effortlessly.

If they repelled one another, applying sheer force would only cause them to spring apart!

Watching Luo Mingzhu retreat upstairs with a heavy heart, Luo Yujiang let out a sigh.

"What are you worrying about now?"

Madam Luo smiled softly, stepping closer to gently massage his shoulders.

"What do you think?"

Madam Luo motioned for him to sit on the sofa, her hands working the tension from his muscles.

"I observed that young man, Gu Yichen."

"Well-mannered, neither servile nor overbearing, and given his past achievements, he is exceptionally capable."

"As for his feelings... I don't know him well enough to say."

"You spoke with him at length; did you glean anything?"

Luo Yujiang offered a faint smile. "He is an exceptionally shrewd man. He understood my concerns and stated his stance directly."

"To be completely honest with you, our conversation was remarkably compatible."

"Had he not been previously married, I would have pulled out all the stops to make him my son-in-law!"

"I am thoroughly fond of him!"

"Yet, as fate would have it... sigh..."

Madam Luo looked somewhat surprised. For all these years, she had never heard her husband bestow such high praise on anyone.

At the same time, she caught the crux of the matter.

"Judging by your tone, our daughter holds a deep affection for this young man?"

Luo Yujiang let out an exasperated huff.

"Didn't you see our daughter's attitude? A grown girl truly pays no heed to her mother's counsel!"

"Still, her taste is commendable; Gu Yichen is indeed an exceptional choice."

"Speaking of romance at this stage might be premature."

"Yet his personal magnetism is undeniable. Have you ever seen our daughter pay this much attention to any man over the years?"

"I simply fear... she might end up hurting herself."

Understanding dawned on Madam Luo, and she offered a reassuring smile.

"Such matters belong to the youth."

"You need only act as the gatekeeper."

"If Gu Yichen can genuinely bring happiness to our daughter, I give my approval."

"Even if he is a divorcee!"

Surprised, Luo Yujiang glanced at his wife and gave a slow nod.

"There is sense in what you say."

"The person himself matters far more..."

...

Naturally, I remained oblivious to the internal musings of the Luo family.

My focus stayed entirely locked onto the project.

Ning Yuanzhou had grown uncharacteristically quiet.

Yet I knew he was undoubtedly plotting something behind the scenes.

Meanwhile... Liu Zhuyin had begun treating me with increasing warmth.

This was most prominently displayed through her culinary efforts.

"This is a soup I simmered myself."

"You made a fool of me last time I cooked, but I've genuinely put effort into learning this time!"

"Would you like to try some?"

She placed the insulated container onto my desk, having brought it directly to my office.

Fearing I might refuse, she had even brought along young Liu Hanyue to accompany her.

Should I dare utter a single word of rejection, Liu Hanyue's small hand would undoubtedly wrap around my neck.

Yielding to her tyranny, I had no choice but to bite the bullet and drink.

"Yueyue, I need to discuss a private matter with your sister."

"Could you... step outside for a moment?"

Liu Hanyue curled her lips in disdain. "Hmph, as if I cared to listen!"

Even so, she turned on her heel and strode out of the office.

The moment she was gone, my expression hardened.

"Liu Zhuyin, what are you trying to pull?"

My voice rose in anger, causing Liu Zhuyin's expression to falter.

"What's wrong? Did I... did I make you angry again?"

Her cautious, pitiful demeanor simultaneously stirred my anger and exasperation.

And, truth be told, a lingering trace of heartache.

In reality, I knew I should not treat her this way.

Even with divorce as the ultimate goal, my methods were hardly fair.

Yet, to sever these emotional ties completely, I had no choice but to transform into a cold-blooded executioner.

"You knew perfectly well that Yueyue's health is delicate."

"You knew I wished to avoid upsetting her."

"You also knew that with her backing me into a corner, I would reluctantly accept your goodwill."

"Don't you realize this is the equivalent of forcing an unwilling horse to drink?"

"This gamesmanship is meaningless!"

This was precisely what infuriated me the most.

Every move reeked of calculated manipulation!

"Yichen, how... how can you think of me that way?"

"Fine, what you said is true, but I... I am genuinely changing for your sake."

Tears welled up in Liu Zhuyin's eyes, threatening to spill over.

The once-overbearing female corporate titan now resembled a wronged, grieving wife.

I felt a sense of helpless futility.

Nor could I comprehend when she had acquired such mastery over emotional manipulation.

"Liu Zhuyin, we are truly getting a divorce."

"And I am truly never going to be with you again."

"How many times must I repeat myself?"

I had no choice but to deliver the merciless death sentence to our relationship.

"Yichen, I know you are still angry with me."

"But I simply want a single chance."

"Must you be like this? Even the most heinous criminals are granted a path to redemption in Buddhism."

"Let alone the fact that we were husband and wife for five full years. Can you find it in your heart to spare a shred of old affection?"

Her tears fell, feeling like droplets of molten lead landing straight upon my heart.

I felt anger. I felt rage.

Yet I had no outlet for them.

I was never a man of stone.

Especially not when faced with the woman I had once loved deeply.

If someone in this world had to shed tears, I would wish for everyone else on earth to weep before letting a single tear fall from her eyes.

"Liu Zhuyin, you..."

"Never mind, I don't wish to say any more."

"I have work to attend to, you should head back."

I lacked the cruelty to utter truly merciless words, for my heart was not carved from granite.

In truth... lately, I had been turning a single question over in my mind.

Had my health not truly been failing, would I have eventually forgiven her?

Just as Yueyue had argued, perhaps Liu Zhuyin had committed no unforgivable moral transgressions.

Was her obsession with Ning Yuanzhou driven entirely by past affection and a profound sense of life-saving debt?

I could not find the answer, nor did I dare to pursue it.

I was terrified it would shatter my carefully constructed resolve.

"Very well, I will listen to you."

Without another word, she turned and left the office.

Her retreating figure radiated loneliness and desolation.

For a split second, I felt an overwhelming impulse to pull her into my arms.

And tell her the absolute truth.

Yet the impulse lasted only a fraction of a second.

A sharp, stabbing pain erupted in my chest.

Suppressing the urge to cough, I waited until Liu Zhuyin and Liu Hanyue had completely departed before the fit finally broke through.

I coughed until it felt as though my lungs would tear free from my throat.

At that exact moment, a familiar metallic, coppery taste flooded the back of my throat.

I forced the blood down, swallowing it back.

"Has the deterioration accelerated this drastically?"

I could not afford to collapse just yet—not until the project reached its conclusion.

With no other choice, I drove to the hospital.

Yet, much to my surprise, I ran into Liu Zhuyin once more.

She had gone there to visit Ning Yuanzhou!