Chapter 2 Lu Yingxiao Frowned in Worry, the Evening Divorce Talk…

Chapter 2: Lu Yingxiao frowned with worry, thinking about the divorce talk planned for that evening...

Lu Yingxiao knew the room next door belonged to Gao Yan.

The next day, when she woke up, she opened her door and glanced toward the neighboring room.

The door was tightly shut, as if he hadn’t gotten up yet.

She checked the time; it was just past five in the morning.

This was indeed very early.

Lu Yingxiao returned to her room.

However, she left her door slightly ajar.

If Gao Yan got up and went downstairs, he would inevitably pass by her door, so she could greet him right away and then smoothly apologize.

The night before, he had initiated conversation, and she had deliberately ignored him.

Now she needed to discuss the divorce with him. Although her analysis the night before suggested Gao Yan had no reason to refuse, based on her personal experience, men with absolute power could—without provocation—use their advantage to be difficult or condescending, let alone after her admittedly rude behavior toward him the night before.

She kept waiting. From five to six, then from six to seven and eight. She waited until Butler Zhan had the housekeeper bring her breakfast, but there was still no sign of Gao Yan leaving his room.

Lu Yingxiao decided to wait no longer.

After quickly finishing breakfast, she went downstairs to find Butler Zhan and ask about the situation.

Butler Zhan wasn’t downstairs.

When she asked, she was told he was in the garden.

It wasn’t strictly a garden but rather a combined area of vegetable plots, an orchard, and flowerbeds.

Fortunately, the area was spacious, covering a full one and a half acres, so having so many plants together wasn’t crowded.

Last night’s thunderstorm had damaged many plants, and Butler Zhan was leading a team in repairs.

Seeing Lu Yingxiao leave the villa and head straight for him from a distance, Butler Zhan gave a few instructions to the gardener next to him and went to greet her.

“Was there something you needed from me, Madam?”

Lu Yingxiao didn’t beat around the bush and asked directly, “Mr. Gao hasn’t come out of his room at all? Did he go out again last night, or is he still resting in his room?”

From her words, Butler Zhan understood that she had been monitoring Gao Yan’s movements since morning.

Although her purpose was unclear, it was better than avoidance.

Hoping for Gao Yan to have a happy marriage, Butler Zhan replied warmly, “Sir did not go out last night. He left for the company at six this morning.”

Lu Yingxiao frowned.

That wasn’t right.

She had been awake since five.

From five to eight, she hadn’t seen Gao Yan come out of his room, unless he hadn’t returned to the room next door last night.

Butler Zhan noticed Lu Yingxiao’s confusion and seized the chance to improve Gao Yan’s image in her eyes. “After you went upstairs last night, Madam, Sir instructed me to prepare a guest room on the first floor. He’ll be staying there for now. Once you become accustomed to his presence, he will move back upstairs.”

The latter part was Butler Zhan’s own addition, but he believed it reflected Gao Yan’s intention.

“Sir is probably in his morning meeting now. If you urgently need to reach him, Madam, you could send him a message or call his assistant. Sir will call back after the meeting.”

However, calling Gao Yan specifically to apologize for last night’s discourtesy might make him appear petty.

Lu Yingxiao just smiled and said, “It’s nothing urgent. Last night, I wasn’t feeling well and hurried upstairs. I didn’t properly greet Mr. Gao when he returned.”

Butler Zhan: “Sir was also very concerned about your health. Before leaving this morning, he specifically instructed me to pay close attention to your condition and call a doctor immediately if anything seemed amiss.”

Lu Yingxiao: “Mr. Gao is very thoughtful. I’m fine now.”

Hearing Lu Yingxiao repeatedly use the distant “Mr. Gao,” Butler Zhan felt secretly anxious for Gao Yan. “Sir has always been this considerate and attentive toward others. It’s just that his appearance and demeanor can easily lead to misunderstandings. Once you spend more time with him, Madam, you’ll realize Sir is actually quite easygoing.”

Lu Yingxiao smiled without comment.

From Butler Zhan’s perspective, Gao Yan might indeed be as he described.

Considerate, attentive, and easygoing.

But people are multifaceted.

Some individuals may appear honest, reliable, and capable of using their imposing stature to provide shelter for family, friends, and even strangers in the presence of parents, friends, or unfamiliar outsiders.

Yet, before their own wives and daughters, that same imposing stature can become a convenient tool for abuse.

Easily beating their wives and daughters until they are covered in bruises.

Even if they ultimately die by his hand, the condemnation from others often falls not on him, but on the wife and daughter he abused.

Butler Zhan desperately wanted to showcase all of Gao Yan’s good qualities to Lu Yingxiao but worried that saying too much might backfire.

While speaking, he carefully observed Lu Yingxiao’s facial expressions.

Seeing that although she was listening attentively, she only offered polite smiles throughout without engaging in the topic, Butler Zhan wisely stopped.

“Madam, the sun is quite strong today. Would you like me to fetch an umbrella for you?”

“No need, thank you. I should head back as well.”

Butler Zhan escorted Lu Yingxiao back to the villa.

After watching her go upstairs, he took out his phone, checked the time, and sent a message to Gao Yan, who was in the morning meeting at the company.

The meeting was nearing its end.

Having lasted from 7 a.m. until now, 10 a.m., all the attending executives looked exhausted.

“This section’s project cost estimate is incorrect.” Gao Yan used a laser pointer to circle some data on the LED display, then his gaze swept across the dozen or so executives, precisely locking onto a portly, pale-faced manager. “Did you calculate this data?”

After over three hours of continuous meetings, the executives’ minds were nearly mush.

Suddenly hearing Gao Yan’s cold, sharp questioning, they all jumped in fright. Following the sound to look at Gao Yan, his already intimidating face now exuded an even fiercer aura, terrifyingly reminiscent of a butcher from a horror film, ready at any moment to wield a knife. The executives’ minds instantly became crystal clear.

The portly manager was so frightened by Gao Yan that he broke out in a cold sweat, raising his hand tremblingly. “Y-yes, I calculated it.”

Gao Yan: “Redo it. Don’t make such elementary mistakes again.”

Portly Manager: “Yes, sir.”

Another twenty minutes passed, and the meeting finally ended.

The executives quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

But they didn’t dare to let their guard down immediately. It wasn’t until Gao Yan left the conference room that the executives completely relaxed.

Gao Yan went back to his office without taking a break.

Special Assistant Chen brought a pile of documents for Gao Yan to review and sign.

The office was silent except for the rustling of turning pages and the scratch of pen on paper.

His desk phone suddenly vibrated.

While signing the documents, Gao Yan glanced at his phone.

It was from Butler Zhan, saying that Madam had specifically gone to the garden earlier to ask him about the master’s whereabouts.

Gao Yan paused.

After just a second or two, Gao Yan resumed his work and continued reviewing the documents.

Once he was done, Special Assistant Chen came in to take the documents away.

Using this break, Gao Yan called Butler Zhan. "Did Madam need something from me?"

Butler Zhan: "She said she wasn’t feeling well yesterday and rushed upstairs, so she didn’t get a chance to properly greet you when you returned."

Gao Yan frowned.

His intuition told him that Lu Yingxiao’s greeting was just an excuse.

Or rather, she wanted to use the excuse of greeting him to bring them closer, and then execute her real plan.

After a brief moment of thought, Gao Yan replied, "I’ll try to come back early today."

After hanging up, Butler Zhan dutifully relayed Gao Yan’s words to Lu Yingxiao, emphasizing Gao Yan’s usual work schedule. "Since the master’s parents passed away eight years ago and he returned to China to take over the company, he has become a workaholic, leaving early and returning late every day. The last time he left work early was when the young lady strongly insisted he pick her up from school."

Lu Yingxiao listened with a smile.

It was clear that Butler Zhan was very eager to bring her and Gao Yan together.

Whenever he had the chance, he would seize the opportunity to boost Gao Yan’s image in her eyes.

However, he wasn't annoying about it.

Because Butler Zhan didn’t force a match like other matchmakers, who even used pressure tactics.

He was always mindful of her emotions. As soon as he saw she didn't take the bait, he would immediately change the subject.

Just like now.

Even though she didn’t show any signs of annoyance, but simply didn’t engage with his topic, Butler Zhan had already automatically started talking about other things. "It’s almost noon. What would Madam like to eat? I’ll have Aunt Liu make it."

Lu Yingxiao: "Something light, and a small portion."

Butler Zhan: "Alright, I’ll have lunch sent up later."

As he was about to leave, Lu Yingxiao remembered something and called out to him, "Uncle Zhan, is it convenient to get to the city center from here? About how long does it take, and are there any bus stops nearby?"

Butler Zhan: "People here mostly use private cars to get around. From our place to the city center, if it’s not during rush hour, it takes about forty minutes or so."

"There is a bus stop, but it’s quite far. You’d have to walk for twenty minutes to catch a bus into the city."

After answering, Butler Zhan proactively asked Lu Yingxiao, "Is Madam planning to go out? Lao Wang is at home. Before the young lady gets out of school, you can have Lao Wang drive you anytime."

Lu Yingxiao: "I need to go out at one o’clock this afternoon."

Last night, Lu Yingxiao tallied up all the money she had. Aside from the extra card Gao Yan gave her, her own money was only enough to cover two months’ rent.

After divorcing Gao Yan, she couldn’t very well keep living with the Gaos. She needed to be self-reliant. Before going to bed last night, she shotgunned resumes to various job sites.

All morning, she had been checking the results of her job applications.

It was eerily quiet. Her resume seemed to have been thrown into the vast ocean, with no response at all.

She estimated that she could finalize the divorce with Gao Yan tonight.

In this world, there was no mandatory cooling-off period for divorce, so the divorce certificate could be obtained as early as tomorrow.

That meant, at the latest, she would have to move out of the Gao household the day after tomorrow.

Finding a job was urgent.

Since there was no news from the platforms, she wanted to try her luck offline. Additionally, she could familiarize herself with the city for easier living in the future.

Butler Zhan didn’t ask Lu Yingxiao why she was going out, only saying, "Alright, I’ll go inform Lao Wang now."

Half an hour later, the nanny brought lunch.

After finishing lunch and taking a short nap, Lu Yingxiao freshened up a bit, took her small bag, and went downstairs.

Driver Lao Wang was already waiting downstairs.

Lu Yingxiao walked toward him.

Perhaps the afternoon sun was particularly glaring today. The sunlight streaming into the villa from outside was so bright that Lu Yingxiao could hardly keep her eyes open.

Finally, as the brightness faded and she opened her eyes again, Lu Yingxiao was stunned.

Lao Wang, the villa—everything had disappeared.

The surroundings were completely white, with no people or buildings in sight, as if she had entered a void world.

"System 710, you’re behind this, aren’t you?"

Lu Yingxiao asked firmly, staring into the blank world.

No one answered.

But Lu Yingxiao knew the system was playing dead again.

After last night, Lu Yingxiao had deeply experienced just how masterful the system was at playing dead. Even if she shouted herself hoarse, the system wouldn’t appear. She had to rely on herself to find a way out of this blank world.

She tentatively took a few steps back.

The blank world gradually filled in, and the previously vanished villa and Lao Wang reappeared one by one in Lu Yingxiao’s sight.

She stopped, then took a few steps forward.

The surrounding scenery began to slowly dissolve.

When she had left the villa this morning to look for Butler Zhan in the garden, this hadn't happened. Now, she hadn’t even stepped out of the villa yet—she was merely walking toward Lao Wang, who was going to drive her into the city to look for a job—and this bizarre phenomenon had already appeared. It had to mean the system was pulling the strings behind the scenes, preventing her from leaving the Gao family. Otherwise, she would be trapped in this blank world forever.

Lu Yingxiao laughed in frustration and asked the system in her mind, “Are you guys based in northern Myanmar?”

The system remained silent, playing dead.

Lao Wang waited for a while. Seeing that Lu Yingxiao still hadn’t gotten into the car and was only pacing back and forth inside the villa, finally giving an eerie laugh, he swallowed nervously and called out softly, “Madam?”

Lu Yingxiao stood still and said to Lao Wang, “I’m not going out after all. By the way, Youhe gets out of school at 4:30 this afternoon, right? What time are you planning to drive over to pick her up?”

Lao Wang told her the time.

Lu Yingxiao nodded. “I’ll go with you then.”

She didn’t go back upstairs but waited downstairs instead.

Finally, when it was time for Lao Wang to drive and pick up Gao Youhe, Lu Yingxiao took a deep breath and stepped forward.

Just as she had guessed, the blank world didn’t reappear this time.

The car smoothly drove out of the villa, carrying her toward the city, but Lu Yingxiao frowned worriedly.

Would tonight's divorce negotiations go smoothly?

Author’s Note:

----------------------

Recommended Completed Works:

"A 1970s Roughneck's Guide to Spoiling His Wife"

The post-marriage romance between a rugged country man and a sophisticated city girl.

"Female Educated Youth Brings Husband Back to the City"

A young couple struggles and puts down roots together in the city.