Chapter 4
Huo Youcheng’s rare presence at home was one reason, but another was that after they were intimate, Huo Youcheng would always watch him take contraceptive pills.
In the five years since, there had never been an exception.
Thinking back to past occurrences, Ye Zhi really had no interest in going back to the Ye family to listen to these words he had heard countless times. After hesitating for a moment, he waited until his colleagues had all left before dialing his mother’s communicator.
The call was quickly answered, his mother’s sharp voice coming through, “Where are you? Have you seen today’s news? It’s everywhere! Hurry back, let’s discuss countermeasures together. We must get through this crisis together. We absolutely cannot let Huo Youcheng divorce you!”
After she finished her tirade, Ye Zhi finally spoke, “Mom, I’m not going back today.”
“What? Are you pretending you didn’t see it again? Let me tell you, you still haven’t understood the seriousness of the situation! The video has been exposed, do you know? Although his full face wasn’t captured, anyone familiar with him knows it’s him, right? I suspect it’s real this time, I heard that the female celebrity is. Women are very fertile, if they’re marked by him, he’ll definitely marry them, you know? What will you do then?” His mother became more agitated as she spoke, “How did I give birth to something like you? You’re absolutely useless!”
Ye Zhi tried to speak several times but was blocked by her sharp words each time. Finally, he found a gap and managed to say the excuse he had prepared, “Mom, I’m going to pick someone up today.”
His mother was furious, “At such a critical time, you still have the mood to go pick someone up? Who are you going to pick up?”
Ye Zhi closed his eyes briefly, “I’m going to pick up Ranran.”
At the mention of this name, his mother’s anger visibly dissipated, and her tone became filled with surprise, “Ranran? You mean Huo Young Master’s daughter, Ranran?”
“Yes.”
“Oh, you’re finally being flexible once. You know to maintain a good relationship with their family. Let me tell you, others are fine, but you must get along well with Huo Young Master and his daughter. Originally, I was a bit regretful because I thought Huo Young Master lived too far away, and you didn’t have the opportunity to interact. Now that he’s been transferred to the central city and living in the old Huo family mansion, you finally have a chance to get closer. I heard Huo Young Master isn’t easy to get along with, but if you can go pick up his daughter, does it mean you get along well with the little girl? Let me tell you, you must seize this opportunity. If you can make Huo Youcheng’s niece like you, maybe he’ll change his attitude towards you…”
Ye Zhi felt the increasing sense of powerlessness as he listened to her “advice,” unable to resist interrupting, “It’s almost time, Mom, I have to go.”
His mother finally stopped talking about the topic, hastily saying, “Okay, okay, go quickly. Put other matters aside for now. You must behave more virtuously. As long as you can win Huo Young Master’s favor, Huo Youcheng will definitely not divorce you. Maybe he’ll change his mind…”
“I’m leaving, Mom, goodbye.”
Ending the call, he finally got rid of the noise. Even with Ye Zhi’s patient nature, he couldn’t help but exhale a long breath.
The matter of picking up Ranran was, of course, just an excuse. After Ranran returned, she attended kindergarten, which finished at four in the afternoon. There was a special driver aunt from the Huo family to pick her up, so there was no need for Ye Zhi to rush over.
Slowly packing his backpack, Ye Zhi clocked out from work and then went downstairs to take the circular line.
The central city was the capital of the planet, inhabited by a large number of dignitaries. Anyone walking on the street could likely be a tycoon. Life here was efficient and fast-paced, with most transportation being high-speed. Only the circular line was slow, with many stops and a long journey, so there weren’t many passengers.
Ye Zhi easily found a seat. Leaning back against the chair, his shoulders relaxed, he could feel the coming fatigue, even heavier than usual.
Ye Zhi opened his contact list. He didn’t have many friends, and his colleagues maintained only nodding acquaintances. The most frequent calls in his contact list were from his mother, and it took him a long time to scroll down to find his husband’s call records.
From the time, it was four months ago.
Long enough that Ye Zhi had almost forgotten what the conversation was about.
Actually, he remembered. It was a call he had made himself, because he received a package at home with his husband’s name on it. He didn’t understand why the delivery address would be home and worried it might be something Huo Youcheng urgently needed. So, he mustered up the courage to make the call.
The call lasted only eleven seconds. He explained the reason, and the other party replied with just two words—leave it.
Then he promptly hung up.
Leaving Ye Zhi in a daze, feeling lost and gradually overwhelmed by discomfort and bitterness.