“How can you say we can’t go on anymore.”
Zhuang Qiting was helpless, tapping his wife’s feverish cheek with his fingertip. “You’re so happy your hair’s about to fly off, you clearly enjoy it.”
Li Yaru didn’t dodge, only looked at him coolly out of the corner of her eye. With tricks like his, who wouldn’t enjoy it? If it were some handsome guy with big pecs, she probably wouldn’t dislike it either.
“No wild thoughts about anyone else,” Zhuang Qiting pinched her cheek. Her subtle, drifting expression told him right away she was up to no good in her head.
Li Yaru kept still, just gazing at him calmly.
One second, two seconds… ten seconds…
Usually, it’s always Zhuang Qiting intimidating others, but now, being stared at like this, he grew a little uneasy and laughed, as if admitting defeat. “Alright, then what do you want?”
Li Yaru took a steady breath and was just about to speak when he said, “Except for divorce, separate beds, keeping a young boyfriend, abstinence—anything else, I’ll agree to.”
“…………”
Li Yaru glared at him fiercely. “First, you’re not allowed to have people watch me anymore.”
“Alright.”
“Don’t interfere with my plans or my friends’ plans at will.”
“Darling, that time was special. I’m not the kind to kill the mood.”
Zhuang Qiting refilled Li Yaru’s small glass, just enough to cover the bottom, then pushed the bottle stopper back in, not letting her pour more. Li Yaru hadn’t liked drinking when she was young, wasn’t attentive in wine-tasting classes, but really started enjoying wine at thirty-five, and now had a bit of a craving.
Her private doctor had warned her about a hereditary tendency for mild high blood pressure, so drinking had to be moderate. Zhuang Qiting was very strict with her about this.
“Stop always managing me, especially with my normal social life. You’re not my Lao Dou.” Li Yaru was unhappy—she’d emphasized this for years, but every few months, he’d start up again.
“Your Yue Fu, watching from above, is probably comforted that I’m taking such meticulous care of his precious daughter.”
“That’s nonsense.”
“No cursing, Ah Rou. How many years have I tried to teach you? Why can’t you break that habit?”
“This is cursing? Someone as high-up as you, you’ve never even heard real cursing,” Li Yaru sneered.
Li Yaru was no pampered heiress raised in an ivory tower. As a child, she lived in the bustling, lively Shu Jing Jie area—hawkers, wandering fortune-tellers, gangsters, street girls. She’d seen every kind of spectacle.
Li Fu, thanks to his inherited skills, ran a seafood restaurant with his brother.
From a young age, Li Yaru helped out at the family restaurant, doing cashier work and serving dishes.
The whole street knew the Li family’s daughter was beautiful and radiant, even nicknaming her the “Jiu Lou Xi Shi”. Many customers came just to see her.
If she couldn’t even curse a little, she’d be left at Jin Yu Lao’s mercy!
Fortunately, Li Fu was ambitious. Business flourished, and they opened branches in Zhong Huan’s most expensive area.
The Li family became prosperous, and Li Yaru transformed into a middle-class lady carrying Bai Fen Di, spraying NO.5 Hao Xiang Shui, and wearing a Long Qin Xiao Jin Biao.
Of course, she bought all those brand names with her own savings. A beauty like her deserved the best.
She finished the last bit of red wine, swirling her tongue in her mouth.
She was quite satisfied with tonight’s negotiation, but she wasn’t foolish—she wouldn’t believe it all.
Zhuang Qiting wasn’t a good guy, his chauvinism ran deep.
He was only being nice now to calm things down, retreating to advance.
After decades as husband and wife, did she not know him?
“In short, if I catch you watching me or controlling me again, I will absolutely get a divorce.”
“No room for negotiation.”
She’d give him one more chance, for their son’s sake.
Zhuang Qiting smiled, clearly entertained, savoring the rich taste of wine on his tongue.
He didn’t take her threat seriously. Divorce? Dream on. But he replied sweetly, “Alright, darling.”
“But I’m glad you’re only fighting with me over this,” Zhuang Qiting placed his palm on Li Yaru’s leg. “I thought—”
“What?”
“Nothing. It’s late, let’s rest,” Zhuang Qiting didn’t want to say anything to spoil the mood.
He’d thought Li Yaru was really bewitched, falling for one of those useless pretty boys with nothing but cheap bodies and empty talk.
No money, no power, no brains—good looks from injections, muscles from supplements, and a mouth just good at sweet-talking women. Just looking at them disgusted him.
When she asked for a divorce, she actually said: I like young, obedient, gentle boys now!
It nearly killed him with anger.
Li Yaru guessed it wasn’t anything nice, so she didn’t argue further and got up to go to the bathroom. Zhuang Qiting followed closely behind.
The bathroom was spacious, designed with two zones so they could use it at the same time.
Li Yaru soaked her feet, applied a face mask, massaged her scalp, and tended to her long hair and nails.
Zhuang Qiting, meanwhile, slowly shaved off the fresh stubble, occasionally glancing at his wife to see what she was up to. He sprayed aftershave, used men’s moisturizer, and looked very refreshed.
After washing up, he took his daily supplements—three or four kinds—then used the eye drops prescribed by his doctor, one drop in each eye.
The soft light from the floor lamp made everything gentle. Once his eyes felt comfortable, he picked up an unfinished book by the bed and read while he waited.
Near midnight, Li Yaru finally came out, moving slowly and carrying a light fragrance.
“Let’s sleep,” Zhuang Qiting closed his book. He had to get up early tomorrow. After turning thirty-five, he’d started following health routines and kept a strict schedule.
He switched off the floor lamp. The quiet bedroom was left with only moonlight.
Li Yaru lay in bed, unable to sleep. She turned her back to Zhuang Qiting, pulled out her phone, and scrolled through social media. At that moment, her cousin Lu Junqiu sent several messages.
She opened them, her pupils contracting in shock, and quickly covered her phone.
Qiu Mei: [Sis, these are all good picks I selected. Take a look?]
Qiu Mei: [Brother-in-law isn’t around, right? If he is, don’t look! I don’t want to be called in for a chat.]
Qiu Mei: [Shh, delete after you see. If you like anyone, tell me their number.]
Qiu Mei: [We can just enjoy something nice together in private, don’t fight with brother-in-law on the surface. Men are easy to coax. Don’t act rashly. Divorce is a big deal!]
She received seven or eight photos of handsome guys—black and white filters, high-end minimalist style, all in white shirts and jeans, collars open to reveal their V-lines.
All of them were sunny, cheerful young men!
Late at night, with some wine in her, Li Yaru’s eyes were filled with wheat-colored pecs and abs. She felt a bit restless!
After looking through a few, she suddenly found it funny. [Are you turning into a madam, pimping right to me? So bold!]
Qiu Mei: [Just giving my sister a little treat, some eye candy.]
Li Yaru snuggled into the covers, happily flipping through her bedtime reading.
The warm breath from her nose bounced back onto her face.
Suddenly, an arm reached over from behind, precisely grabbing her phone, thumb pressing the lock button and extinguishing the faint glow.
Li Yaru’s heart skipped a beat. Damn.
“What are you doing…” she tried to steady her racing heart.
“Sleep, Ah Rou. Looking at your phone in the dark is bad for your eyes.” Zhuang Qiting, eyes closed, took her phone and put it in his nightstand drawer.
Just like a strict homeroom teacher confiscating a phone.
“…Give it back.”
“I’ll give it to you in the morning. Sleep now.”
Zhuang Qiting hugged Li Yaru from behind, his burning body heat enveloping her. Li Yaru squirmed restlessly.
Zhuang Qiting thought she still wanted to play with her phone and gave a slap to her soft, springy spot. “Be good. Or else, deal with the consequences.”
Li Yaru wanted to kill him. This old man was way too controlling!
.
In the past few days, the Zhuang Residence was peaceful again, back to its usual order. The husband and wife weren’t fighting anymore—everyone was delighted!
At five in the morning, the kitchen bustled in the glow of dawn. Li Guanjia personally set the table for the masters, as he did every day.
Today, the table was especially beautiful, with a Jie Chuan Ming Zhuo Bu decorated with small animal patterns, adorable pink hydrangeas, and vibrant Da Hua Hui Lan blooming in a crystal vase filled with water.
Madam was home, so the standards were much higher than when the master dined alone. There had to be fresh flowers, exquisite tableware, and a variety of rich dishes.
When Zhuang Qiting ate breakfast alone, he was easy to please; the kitchen didn’t even have to get up at five.
After a good night’s sleep, Li Yaru finished washing up and came to the dining room, finding three men sitting around the long table.
Only the eldest son, who was on a business trip, was missing—second and third sons were both there, neat and tidy.
Each had their own charm, young and old, making for a pleasing sight.
Li Shengming: “Morning, Mommy.”
The youngest son’s voice was bright and clear.
Li Yaru was in a good mood and waved from afar.
Zhuang Shaozhou: “Morning, Ms. Li.”
The second son’s voice was just like Zhuang Qiting’s—deep and magnetic. He rarely called Li Yaru “Mommy,” preferring “Ms. Li” or “Eleanor.” Only when he wanted something would he call her Mommy.
“You brat, when did you get back?” Li Yaru walked over and tapped her son on the back of the head with her crocodile leather purse. A servant pulled out her chair, and she sat down.
Zhuang Shaozhou took the hit for nothing and had nowhere to complain. “It was late at night.”
Li Yaru exposed him: “You went out drinking.”
Zhuang Shaozhou actually looked fine, spreading his napkin on his lap. “Just drank a little, not much.” (He said in Cantonese: “Yam zo siu siu la, m si hou do.”)
Not much? He was clearly half-drunk. But then again, Li Yaru wasn’t in a position to scold him—she was a bit of a drinker herself.
At that moment, Zhuang Qiting placed a glass of fruit and vegetable juice in front of Li Yaru and greeted her good morning.
Only then did Li Yaru remember to greet her husband. “Morning.” Not very sincerely. She immediately glanced past Zhuang Qiting and said, “Haven’t seen the eldest in a week. I kind of miss him. Hope he’s eating and living well in Hu Cheng.”
Zhuang Qiting used the communal chopsticks to pick up a Guo Shu Xiao Long Bao and placed it on his wife’s bone china plate. “What’s there to miss? It’s not like he’s suffering—staying in a luxury hotel, eating at high-end restaurants, chauffeured everywhere. What more could he want?”
Li Yaru shot him a look, not understanding why he was suddenly picking on the eldest. The eldest was the best of their three sons—gentle, cultured, the model gentleman.
Li Shengming didn’t get it; his attention was all on the xiao long bao, and he finished off the leftover Jia Yu Tang from yesterday. Zhuang Shaozhou just smiled knowingly—he’d heard Ms. Li was talking about divorce lately.
A servant brought sweet soup, one for each person. Breakfast at the Zhuang Residence was always abundant.
The youngest had to go to school and left after eating. The second was supposed to go to work, but for some reason, he lingered, sipping tea.
Zhuang Qiting wanted to use breakfast time to talk to his wife. The rest of his day would be packed, and Li Yaru wasn’t the clingy type to call him.
He glanced at his son, signaling him to hurry up and leave.
Zhuang Shaozhou raised his eyebrows, pretending not to understand.
Zhuang Qiting frowned slightly, then ignored this troublemaker and turned to his wife. “In two days, I’ve invited Director Xiong and his wife over for tennis. Can you make time to join me?”
Many of Zhuang Qiting’s social events required Li Yaru’s cooperation. Husband and wife as a team, harmonious family—this mattered in adult social circles. Besides, Li Yaru was a top-notch golfer.
Li Yaru was replying to messages, her friend inviting her to an art exhibition that afternoon. “Oh.”
“I’ll have to trouble you that day.”
Li Yaru typed as she replied, “Oh. Sure.”
“Ah Rou.”
Li Yaru pressed send, then looked up helplessly, meeting his deep eyes. “What?”
With a giant third wheel sitting there watching, Zhuang Qiting could only cover up his real intentions. “I’ll be coming home early every day to keep you company these days.”
Li Yaru: “………”
No need, old man…! She almost wanted to call him “dad”! Her schedule was packed every day!
Zhuang Shaozhou couldn’t hold it anymore and burst out laughing. The old man was so decisive and powerful outside, but when it came to Ms. Li, he turned into this?
Is this how you win a woman’s heart? More like how you annoy her.
Zhuang Qiting shot a cold look at his son. Zhuang Shaozhou held back his laughter, quickly got up, and hurried off to work.
Li Yaru saw Zhuang Qiting still sitting there as steady as a rock. “Aren’t you going to the office today?”
“No, I’m staying with you.”
“?”
“You don’t like it?”
Li Yaru could tell he was picking a fight and found it amusing. She poked his hard chest. “Mr. Zhuang, why are you fussing so early in the morning? You’re over forty—don’t get more childish as you age.”
Zhuang Qiting elegantly wiped his lips with a napkin. Well-maintained, his face had only a few faint lines, and his beard was shaved clean.
He’d considered growing a beard at forty—men with beards looked more resolute and dignified—but after two days, Li Yaru hated it.
It scratched her soft lips, so he immediately gave up and shaved it off.
“What’s wrong with being over forty? My three sons are in their prime, but they still have to be respectful and obedient to me. In the group, young talents are as numerous as the fish in the river, but no one dares defy my orders. Clearly, age doesn’t matter for a man. On the contrary,” Zhuang Qiting’s eyes sparkled, “mature men are more attractive.”
Right, right, you’re the most attractive. Old men really can be charming.
Li Yaru couldn’t help but laugh, blinking her peach blossom eyes and teasing, “Really? Then why do you sound so sensitive about age? Haven’t you heard, the more you explain, the more you cover up. Charm is only real if I say so, why are you boasting?”
Zhuang Qiting didn’t banter further. He patted her knee. “I’m off. Take your time eating.”
Li Yaru: “Hey, don’t forget what you promised yesterday—remove all your people!”
Zhuang Qiting gave her a meaningful look, then ruffled her hair. “Then you have to behave.”
With that, he turned and left. Once he moved, a crowd followed—secretary, assistant, bodyguards, driver, cars all lined up, an impressive scene.
Li Yaru almost wanted to rush over and fight to the death—what an attitude, that old man.
After getting in the car, Zhuang Qiting instructed Shen Mi to withdraw the people following Madam.
Shen Mi was shocked inside. What was going on? Those people were all carefully selected, intelligence-trained agents, highly skilled. The boss paid them generously to protect Madam from the shadows.
More than ten years had passed, day in and day out. The Zhuang Family was rich and powerful, but that didn’t mean absolute safety.
“Sir, withdraw all of them?” the secretary double-checked to be sure.
Zhuang Qiting was about to say yes, but paused, looking idly at the scenery outside.
There were too many temptations in this world—he couldn’t let her run too wild.
Besides, he’d gotten used to seeing her daily activities through addresses and candid photos, like watching a long, never-ending movie. One made just for him.
He admitted he was twisted. He had a possessive obsession with his wife. He had to have complete control over her, or he’d feel restless and empty inside.
“Leave one. Change daily reports to once a week. No need to record overly detailed things. Report emergencies immediately.”
“Yes.”