Chapter 32: A New Beginning

Chapter 32: A New Beginning

"Are you satisfied with this place? If not, I'll find you another one." Fu Yining stood behind her and asked.

"Satisfied, I'm extremely satisfied!"

Wu Yuan was beyond thrilled.

In addition, Fu Yining had also arranged a lawyer for her, saying that if the people at her current studio gave her trouble and wouldn't let her resign, she should have the lawyer go talk to them.

Upon hearing this, Wu Yuan was so moved that she almost burst into tears and hugged Fu Yining.

"Woo-hoo, Sister Yining, you're so kind to me! I'm sticking with you from now on!"

"Mhm, keep up the good work." Fu Yining smiled and patted her.

"I will definitely work hard!"

Wu Yuan's eyes shone with determination as she vowed to give her best.

Little did she know that this decision would one day make her a top player in the makeup and styling industry, with people traveling from far and wide to learn from her.

But that was all in the future.

After sorting out the work issue, it was already 5 PM. Wu Yuan and Chen Yujia insisted on treating Fu Yining to dinner to repay her for all her help.

Fu Yining thought it would be a good chance to avoid going back and meeting Yu ZhiLi. Though she said no, her feet betrayed her, and she followed them anyway.

As they left, the receptionist waved them off. Fu Yining gestured for them to wait.

"Let me send a message home saying I won't be back for dinner."

"Alright!" Wu Yuan nodded and then poked Chen Yujia next to her. "What about you, Jia Jia? Do you want to let Big Head know?"

Chen Yujia shook her phone at her and smiled. "I've already told him, and I asked him to feed Nuomii some dog food and take her for a walk."

"Did he agree?"

"Mhm."

"Okay!"

Wu Yuan then turned around and waited for Fu Yining to finish her message.

On the other side, at Chen Yujia's house, Wang Zhihao (Big Head) snorted dissatisfiedly after reading Chen Yujia's message.

Missing lunch was one thing, but skipping dinner too? And now I have to feed the dog?

"Looks like your mom’s not around to take care of you. Only someone as nice as me would bother feeding you."

Wang Zhihao kicked the fluffy white dog lying at his feet. The dog, unprepared, rolled over on the carpet before getting up.

It didn't know what it had done wrong and looked at him fearfully with its tail between its legs.

Wang Zhihao stood up, scooped a spoonful of dog food from the bag next to him, and put it into the dog's bowl, grumbling. "Go ahead, eat up! Hope you don’t burst!"

He was rough, and some of the dog food fell to the ground, rolling near the dog's feet.

The white dog, hungry, lowered its head to use its tongue to scoop up the dog food from the floor before moving to the bowl and devouring the food.

Wang Zhihao's mother came out of the kitchen carrying the prepared dishes. Seeing the little white dog already eating, she looked at it with great disdain.

"It's just a mixed-breed dog, why are you buying dog food for it? What a waste! We have leftover food for it, don't we? Son, come and eat. The food is ready!"

"Okay!"

Seeing that the woman had prepared his bowl and chopsticks, Wang Zhihao walked over to the dining table and sat down.

Looking at the little white dog who was eating happily beside him, he casually said to the woman, "Jia Jia said that there's salt in our food, and it can make dogs lose their fur or something like that. It's bad for their health."

The woman snorted in disdain. "What’s so bad about that? She's just wasting money! Son, think about it. Back in our hometown, which family ever fed their dogs commercial dog food? They just gave them leftover rice mixed with some soup."

"You should keep an eye on Jia Jia and stop her from being so wasteful. Also, once you two get married and have kids, you'll have to get rid of the dog. It’s too dirty and not good for kids."

"Mom, Jia Jia bathes her dog every week. It's not dirty."

"That doesn't matter. I’ve seen online that dogs can carry parasites that are bad for pregnant women and that babies can get sick easily after birth. Just listen to me. I have more experience than you."

"Alright, alright, we'll do as you say!" Wang Zhihao agreed while eating his food.

The little white dog, Nuomi, was focused on its food bowl.

It was a stray dog that Chen Yujia had adopted. It wasn't a pedigree, just a small mixed breed, but Chen Yujia treated it well and gave it a warm home.

At that moment, the sound of chewing mixed with a few idle conversations in the room, but the little white dog couldn't understand human speech. It had no idea that the two people behind it were planning to give it away.

Happily eating its dog food, it longed for its owner, Chen Yujia, to return and pet it with her warm hands before taking it out for a walk.

The owner it missed so much breathed a sigh of relief after receiving a photo from her boyfriend showing the dog eating.

She showed the photo to Fu Yining and Wu Yuan, saying proudly, "Look, this is my dear Nuomi. Isn't it cute?"

Fu Yining and Wu Yuan nodded.

Wu Yuan, full of longing, said, "When I'm settled, I want to have a pet too! They're so cute and cuddly!"

Chen Yujia agreed. "Absolutely!"

Fu Yining thought of the little kitten she had encountered in the morning and sincerely hoped it would find a good home.

In the Shanhai Bay villa area, Song Qingyu, who had accompanied Wu Qinglan out, had also returned. The things she bought had already been delivered home earlier, so she took them out to inspect.

"Is Mother not coming back for dinner?"

"No, young mistress."

Upon learning from Wang Yue that Fu Yining would be dining out, Song Qingyu set aside one particular package.

It was a gift she had picked out for Fu Yining, intending to give it to her as soon as they got home. But since she wasn't back yet, she would have to wait.

Song Qingyu took the other items back to her room to organize.

The chef was already busy in the kitchen, and half an hour later, Yu Zhili also returned home.

Hearing the news that Fu Yining wouldn't be coming home for dinner, he was quite surprised.

"Did Madam say where she was going?"

Based on the information he had gathered, Wang Yue replied, "Madam said she had met two new friends and went out with them."

Yu ZhiLi remained silent for a long while before finally responding.

"I understand."

It was absurd—after rushing through his work and hurrying home for dinner, she wasn’t even there.

How ironic!

Only now did Yu ZhiLi admit to himself that his wife didn’t care about him at all.

But why?

He remembered the way Fu Yining looked at him when they met for the "first time"—her eyes were filled with surprise, but also a strange unfamiliarity, as if she truly didn’t recognize him.

Was she suffering from amnesia?

However, according to the family, she seemed to have a clear understanding of the world and recognized everyone around her—except for him.

Yu ZhiLi felt a bitter ache in his chest.

Anyone who had waited over twenty years, from youth to middle age, only to be greeted by a wife who barely remembered him, would feel heartbroken.

"Sir? Sir? Are you okay?" Wang Yue asked softly.

Yu ZhiLi let out a nearly imperceptible sigh. "I’m fine. I’ll go to the study."

"Okay, I’ll let you know when dinner’s ready."

"Mm-hmm."

Yu ZhiLi took a deep breath, then climbed the stairs with heavy, deliberate steps.