After the Most Hated Persona Faked Their Death, the Ex-Husband Lost His Mind - Chapter 15

On the evening before the first day of school, Wang Xiaochun and the others finally returned from abroad.

The couple seemed to be in high spirits. Zhou Baiyu, however, was yawning incessantly. As soon as he arrived home, he bolted to his room to sleep, but he had been lying down for less than half an hour before the butler woke him, saying, “Mr. Zhou would like you to come down for dinner.”

“I am not hungry.” Having been woken up just as he fell asleep, Zhou Baiyu’s resentment was palpable. He threw a tantrum, smashing things with such a ruckus that even Li Zhi, who lived upstairs, could hear it. “Get out!”

“Young Master, please do not make this difficult for me,” the butler replied in a steady voice.

The boy feared his father after all. Zhou Baiyu was begrudgingly “invited” downstairs. Soon after, Li Zhi’s door was knocked upon. “Little Master, dinner is ready.”

Zhou Guoxiong was well aware of the friction between his second wife and his eldest son. Rather than letting them clash, he preferred to keep them separate for the sake of peace.

Even during this vacation with his wife and son, the two sides had played separately. Zhou Baiyu had only shown his face on the first day; after that, no one knew where he had disappeared to.

Therefore, the fact that Zhou Guoxiong was so formally gathering the entire family meant there had to be an important reason.

Consequently, Li Zhi was distracted throughout the meal. He barely touched his food, instead biting the tip of his chopsticks and stealing glances around the table. Wang Xiaochun noticed his behavior and set her spoon aside. “Why are you not eating?”

“Um, I had a late lunch. I am not very hungry yet.”

For some reason, today’s dishes were mostly sweet and sour. Li Zhi was not used to them; his palate usually leaned toward salty and spicy.

Wang Xiaochun was well aware of this.

Yet, for some reason, she said nothing. She silently took a sip of soup. Zhou Guoxiong placed a piece of beef in her bowl and gently patted the back of her hand, his tone unimaginably tender. “I know you have no appetite right now, but you cannot just have clear broth, or your body will not be able to take it.”

Zhou Guoxiong had always doted on her, basically indulging her every whim, but now, it seemed even more intense than before.

Seeing this, Zhou Baiyu scowled in disgust. He dropped his chopsticks and moved to stand up, but before his seat left the chair, Zhou Guoxiong barked at him, “Stop. Who gave you permission to leave?”

“Sit back down! An adult has not finished speaking, and you decide to leave the table on your own? Where are your manners?!”

“Guoxiong,” Wang Xiaochun said, taking his hand. Zhou Guoxiong turned to her, giving her a reassuring squeeze. He cleared his throat and let his gaze sweep over both of his sons. “Listen up, both of you.”

“You are about to have a younger brother or sister. During this time, I want you both to behave yourselves. I will not allow any out of line behavior!”

The chair scraped harshly against the smooth marble floor, a piercing sound that set one’s teeth on edge. Zhou Baiyu stood up, his face pale. He clenched his fists, the veins bulging on the back of his hands.

His gaze moved from the spread of dishes to Wang Xiaochun, who sat across from him. Wang Xiaochun had a hand resting on her lower abdomen. She wore no makeup today, but she was still strikingly beautiful. “Baiyu, would you like a little brother or a little sister?”

Zhou Baiyu’s teeth chattered with rage. He grabbed a porcelain bowl and smashed it onto the floor. Shards flew everywhere as he turned and ran away. Wang Xiaochun let out a startled cry, and Zhou Guoxiong immediately pulled her into his arms. The butler standing nearby clapped his hands and sternly called for people to clean up the mess.

It was chaotic, absurd, and sudden. Surprise was normal; fear was normal. But Li Zhi just sat there. Amidst Zhou Guoxiong’s continuous strings of comfort, Li Zhi silently picked up a piece of fish and ate it.

“No wonder it is sweet and sour,” Li Zhi thought.

“Mom,” Li Zhi asked her. “How long has it been?”

Wang Xiaochun sat up straight and moved her hand away from her belly. Only then did Li Zhi notice she was wearing a silk dress with a loose waist. Looking closely, there seemed to be a very slight bulge.

“Over two months,” Wang Xiaochun said. “There were signs of a potential miscarriage before, and I was afraid of a false alarm, so I did not say anything. Fortunately, I was able to stabilize the pregnancy while we were in Switzerland.”

She lowered her head slightly as she spoke, her hair falling softly. Perhaps it was the pure white silk dress, but she looked gentle and maternal. Li Zhi knew she loved this child; he could see it.

Wang Xiaochun looked forward to the arrival of this baby.

And why would she not? What a perfect time. They were having a child while Zhou Guoxiong loved her most.

Her career was flourishing, and her path to wealth was wide open. Wang Xiaochun was no longer the young girl from ten years ago who had nothing but ambition and a pretty face. She was Mrs. Zhou, the future entrepreneur Adeline.

Ten years ago, she was displaced while pregnant with Li Zhi. Ten years later, she had another child, and this time, she lived in luxury.

“Oh, over two months,” Li Zhi nodded.

If only it had been a little earlier or a little later.

Why was it such a coincidence? Over two months ago, that was Li Zhi’s darkest hour. Had his fate already been arranged in the shadows even then?

Wang Xiaochun and Zhou Guoxiong were discussing names for the child. A servant stepped forward to clear their plates, while the two of them leaned their heads together like a truly loving couple.

Wang Xiaochun suggested a few names, and Zhou Guoxiong affectionately tapped her nose. “We need to deliberate on the characters. I will invite a master from Hong Kong to do a reading for this child.”

“Mom, why am I named this?”

“You were born in July. It was hot, and there were cicadas buzzing outside the hospital constantly. It annoyed me to death. I thought you were a cicada reincarnated, so I named you Li Zhi.”

It turned out that people really were different.

Li Zhi had been having nightmares lately, and there was hardly a day when he slept well. He was exhausted and sleepy, so much so that he did not even have the energy for jealousy. He put down his chopsticks and called out softly, “Mom.”

Wang Xiaochun paused and turned her head. “What is it?”

Li Zhi just called her name and then remained silent. His silence made Wang Xiaochun impatient. Just as she was about to turn away, Li Zhi spoke again. “A sister, then.”

Li Zhi lowered his head and smiled slightly, a fleeting expression. “I do not know if Brother wants a brother or a sister, but for me.”

“A sister. I would like a sister.”

“I am full. I would like to go up now.” Li Zhi even remembered what Zhou Guoxiong had said to Zhou Baiyu. He looked at Zhou Guoxiong. “Dad, may I?”

Zhou Guoxiong had not expected Li Zhi to address him. He simply nodded casually and glanced at Li Zhi. “Find some time to get a haircut. Look at yourself.”

Li Zhi gave an affirmative response and turned to leave. But as he neared the corner, Wang Xiaochun suddenly called out, “Xiao Zhi!”

He turned around and saw Wang Xiaochun standing up. The distance was a bit far, and Li Zhi was not wearing his glasses today, so her face was a bit blurry. He could only hear her voice, which sounded like it was coming from far away. “How have things been at school lately?”

“Quite good,” Li Zhi said. He rubbed his fingers and smiled again. “I suppose.”

The elevator ride only took a few seconds, but for Li Zhi, it felt like a lifetime. A thought had been sitting in his heart for a long time, but only now was he willing to face it.

Wang Xiaochun no longer needed him.

She no longer needed to use Li Zhi to fight for anything. She was remarkable; she had already won. Affection, status, she had it all. And this was just the beginning; she would have even more in the future.

How long had it been since they arrived at the Zhou house? That vulgar Wang Xiaochun was completely gone, yet Li Zhi had not changed a bit.

He still had nothing.

Li Zhi cried. It was only when the tears fell on his arm, creating a stinging sensation, that he realized he was crying. A small pink stream flowed down his wrist. Wealth was arsenic wrapped in beautiful gold foil.

He wiped the blade clean. After stopping the bleeding, he sprayed iodine on the inside of his arm. The soiled tissues were flushed down the bathroom drain. The process was seamless; not a single step went wrong.

Li Zhi had done these things countless times.

He stood before the mirror and scrutinized himself harshly. He looked dull and grey.

No wonder no one loved him.

The school held a banquet at the start of every semester. Li Zhi had not attended the one in the first semester.

That day, he had stayed in his dormitory, sleeping for hours on end.

But this semester, Gong Jie insisted that he attend no matter what. Li Zhi initially refused. “I do not know how to do ballroom dancing, and I know nothing about etiquette. Am I going there just to make a fool of myself?”

Gong Jie dismissed his concerns. “If you cannot dance, just eat. If you do not know etiquette, just stay seated. I will teach you those things next time, but you must go to the opening banquet this semester!”

“Our orchestra is performing! We have been practicing all semester. You have to come and watch!”

Li Zhi had no choice but to give in. “Alright, I will definitely come.”

“Yay!” Gong Jie was so happy she almost lunged at him. “You are the best! I specially reserved a seat for you in the very front row!”

The only instrument Li Zhi had ever learned was the recorder everyone played in music class back in primary school. He had no musical talent and knew nothing about refined arts like classical music.

Such a good seat in the first row should have been reserved for someone who truly loved music, rather than being wasted on him. But even though he thought this, Li Zhi was not so foolish as to say it out loud to Gong Jie and hurt her feelings.

“Thank you,” Li Zhi said. “Really, thank you.”

“Thank you for treating me as a friend,” Li Zhi added.

He spoke very softly. Gong Jie did not hear him clearly, only catching a few syllables. She turned to look at him. “What?”

“Nothing,” Li Zhi shook his head and smiled. “I will listen carefully.”

When they first arrived at the Zhou house, Wang Xiaochun had a handmade suit tailored for Li Zhi, but he never had an opportunity to wear it. The suit had been squeezed in the back of the closet ever since.

For this banquet, Li Zhi found it, ironed it, and put it on. But the suit had been tailored to his previous height. The jacket was fine, but the trousers were significantly too short, making him look a bit ridiculous.

However, the banquet was the next day. Time was tight, and Li Zhi could not find a suitable pair of trousers to match the jacket, so he had to make do.

He had originally thought that for someone like him, even if he did not dress very well, no one would be looking at him anyway. But the next day, Li Zhi realized his assumption was completely wrong.

It was true that no one paid him any attention, but everyone else had dressed themselves impeccably for the occasion. The boys mostly had their hair gelled, wearing perfectly tailored high end suits. Without exception, the girls wore exquisite makeup, and their evening gowns made each of them look like a noble princess.

He was mixed among them, wearing trousers that were clearly too short, looking like a clown.

He was like a crow that had wandered into Swan Lake.

“Li Zhi!” Gong Jie’s voice rang out from behind him. Li Zhi turned around. Gong Jie was also dressed up; her makeup was elegant and beautiful, and she wore a light purple satin off the shoulder gown. The diamond necklace around her neck sparkled brilliantly. “You came!”

“The banquet is about to start, and I have to go on stage to perform. Quick, let me take you to your seat!” As she spoke, she grabbed Li Zhi’s arm and pulled him forward. Li Zhi did not understand how she could run so fast in small heels.

The suit trousers were a bit too tight, and Li Zhi could not run very fast, so he reached down to tug at the hem.

In that brief moment when he was not looking where he was going, an accident occurred. Li Zhi felt a pain in his head; he must have bumped into someone.

“S… sorry!” Li Zhi hurriedly looked up to apologize, but when he saw the person before him clearly, he froze.

The lights in the hall suddenly went out. After a few seconds, one, two, three, the lights suddenly flared to life, beams of light shining from all directions. One of those beams happened to shine directly on both Li Zhi and Chu Mingzhang.

The sudden brightness made it impossible for Li Zhi to see his face clearly; he could only make out a silhouette. Because they were so close, he could still smell that faint scent of cedar.

It was as if a pair of invisible hands had dragged him back into a familiar dream. In this noisy environment filled with various sounds, Li Zhi heard his own heartbeat.

Thud, thud, thud.

Thud, thud.

“Li Zhi!” Gong Jie’s voice snapped him out of it. “What are you dazing off for?”

Li Zhi blinked and realized the person had walked away at some point.

Gong Jie pointed to a chair not far away. “Your seat is over there. I have to go up and perform now, so I cannot walk you over!”

Li Zhi nodded. Once everyone was mostly seated, the lights disappeared again, and the hall returned to darkness. Then, the lights came on one by one, and the banquet truly began.

“Opening piece: Hungarian Dance No. 5.”