Chapter 160: Chapter 160: For the first time, he genuinely lowered his stance in front of her

Zhou Chenyuan gripped Lin Yu’s hand tightly, his voice cold and detached, "Uncle, don’t force me to speak harshly. I’ve ordered that those old matters are not to be mentioned again, and if you insist on bringing them up, don’t blame me for turning my face."

Zhou Jinzhong’s expression darkened, but catching Zhou Chenyuan’s gaze, he could see the anger beginning to brew within him and felt a bit intimidated, thinking it better not to rush things.

"That’s true, there’s no need to rush this matter. Focus on getting better," Zhou Jinzhong left those words behind and then left, with Cheng Zhiwei, as a younger relative, naturally following to see him out.

At the elevator, Zhou Jinzhong’s murky eyes landed on Cheng Zhiwei, and he said almost commandingly, "Cheng Zhiwei, since you have married into the Zhou family, you are now one of the Zhou’s. You must fulfill your duties as a wife and persuade Ah Lin to temper his temper and interact more with his siblings."

The elevator dinged open.

Cheng Zhiwei looked up, her smile polite as she said, "You should say this to Ah Lin yourself, as I never know about the things he does."

Zhou Jinzhong was immediately dissatisfied, his murky gaze sharpening, "I know your relationship isn’t good. If you help me, I can promise to put you in a position higher than his."

Cheng Zhiwei met Zhou Jinzhong’s gaze unflinchingly, her tone indifferent, "The elevator is here, it’s time for you to leave."

Zhou Jinzhong did not expect Cheng Zhiwei to reject him outright without even considering, and walked away with a huff of annoyance.

Cheng Zhiwei stood still for a while, then turned back toward the hospital room door, from which Lin Yu’s crying and Zhou Chenyuan’s gentle consolation could be heard.

Clearly, it was not a good time to enter and disturb them.

She took a step back, then turned to leave.

However, as she turned, she bumped straight into Zhou Lin, who had unexpectedly come over.

Her nose started to hurt dully.

She covered it, stepping back awkwardly, her voice buzzing unnaturally, "What are you doing here?"

Zhou Lin looked down at her soft hair, his voice slightly hoarse, "Thank you for today."

Cheng Zhiwei moved to the window, looking down at the countless cars and people. Although Zhou’s people had left, they had left many to watch over. A single glance was suffocating.

Her gaze fell faintly, her tone slightly cold, "I did it for Auntie, not for you."

In front of Zhou Lin, she had already started referring to Lin Yu as Auntie, clearly setting boundaries.

"Cheng Zhiwei, the divorce might need to be delayed for a while," Zhou Lin’s deep, slow voice filled the quiet space, "You’ve seen Zhou’s people, each of them can’t wait for my father to die immediately and to divide all his assets."

Cheng Zhiwei looked downstairs, her tone indifferent, "Our divorce won’t have much impact on you."

After all, her family was average and couldn’t offer Zhou Lin any support, posing no threat to those people.

So, whether they divorced or not, it actually made no difference.

She still wanted to end this relationship as soon as possible.

"You’re wrong, once we’re divorced, they will use this matter against me."

"Zhou Lin, what makes you think I would agree to you?" Cheng Zhiwei’s heart felt heavy, the news of Zhou Chenyuan’s cancer was also upsetting, but that didn’t mean she wanted to continue this wrong marriage.

"I’ve already fired those people," Zhou Lin’s gaze was cold and detached, emotionless, "I’m very sorry about the child."

He truly humbled himself in front of her for the first time.

Cheng Zhiwei’s chest hurt, suppressing the rising emotions. She slightly tilted her head, her voice cold, "You don’t need to apologize. After all, our marriage turned out this way, he was not expected."

Her calmness suddenly ignited anger in Zhou Lin, who argued, "You really don’t want to have him?"

It was clearly an accident, yet Zhou Lin made it sound as if she had done it on purpose.

Cheng Zhiwei’s face turned a mix of red and white, and she looked up sarcastically at the man beside her, "Because of Seo Zhenzhen, you hold a grudge against me. You would also consider the child as a tool to bind me in marriage. So, why pretend now as if you care about him."

He merely didn’t want to bear a sense of guilt, so he pushed all the blame onto her.

Zhou Lin thought about his previous presumptions and was instantly speechless.

Cheng Zhiwei ran her fingers through her hair, her expression cool, "Let them take the trouble to come here. We can handle the divorce certificate here, and I can agree not to publicize it for now."

But the divorce must happen now.

Zhou Lin’s cool voice slowly rose, carrying a sneer, "Fine, as you wish."

Just then, Lin Yu walked out with reddened eyes, "Zhiwei, go inside. He has something to tell you."

Cheng Zhiwei glanced at Zhou Lin and went inside.

Zhou Chenyuan’s face wore a kind smile, his tone gentle, "You’ve been married to Zhou Lin for three years, and it has been tough on you. Zhiwei, we haven’t taken good care of you."

Cheng Zhiwei’s eyes immediately welled up. She shook her head and said in a low voice, "Don’t say that."

It was her and Zhou Lin’s own issue, unrelated to the elders.

A touch of emotion flickered in Zhou Chenyuan’s eyes, eventually sighing out, "But Zhiwei, there is still something I want to ask of you."

Cheng Zhiwei spoke respectfully, "Please say it."

"I know you and Ah Lin are planning to divorce, but I hope you can delay it, at least for three months. Is that possible?"

Cheng Zhiwei’s breath caught. Zhou Lin had mentioned the same thing earlier, and she had outright refused without thinking. But facing Zhou Chenyuan, the words of refusal stuck in her throat, and she simply couldn’t voice them.

Three years ago, when her and Zhou Lin’s affair became tumultuous, Zhou Chenyuan not only quashed the rumors but even pressured Zhou Lin to apologize and straightforwardly brought up marriage.

Even Cheng Shang thought it was Cheng Zhiwei’s fault, but Zhou Chenyuan did not. He gave Cheng Zhiwei enough respect.

Zhou Chenyuan sighed, "I know this is very difficult for you, but Zhiwei, I don’t want to hide from you that our family is facing a huge crisis now. Zhou Lin has a collaboration project in his hands, and the partner places great importance on family atmosphere. If you divorce Zhou Lin now, it will undo this potential collaboration. Others will use this as an excuse to try to replace him."

The vast assets of the Zhou Group, from the time Chenyuan’s grandfather took over, were merely a small company that could barely support a family. Through two generations’ efforts, it has reached its current scale, naturally, it can’t be handed over to anyone other than Zhou Lin.

"Zhiwei, this is making things difficult for you," Zhou Chenyuan admitted, showing a trace of fatigue.

Lin Yu, who had been silent, burst into tears, clutching his hand, "It’s all my fault. When Dad died, he mentioned splitting up the family as soon as possible, but you didn’t do it because of me."

As the Zhou Family grew over three generations, more people came, each relying on the old patriarch’s instructions to leech off Chenyuan’s household, their appetites growing bigger, wanting to keep all the wealth in their own hands.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read