Chapter 235: Chapter 235: By then, she will take both the divorce certificate and the child.

Zhou Lin tossed the folder to Secretary Zhang, in front of Cheng Zhiwei, asking him to add the clause he had just mentioned.

"If you agree, sign it. After you get the divorce certificate, I’ll show it to you. But if you breach the agreement after receiving the divorce certificate, I have ways to make the divorce invalid," Zhou Lin said, his jaw clenched tightly, his expression utterly cold and ruthless.

Cheng Zhiwei watched him, thinking that this must truly be his real face, cold and ruthless to the extreme.

She bit her lip and composed herself, "I can agree, but I do not want to live here."

Since they were going to part ways, it was better to do it now.

Zhou Lin pushed back his chair and stood up. His gaze softened slightly when it fell on Cheng Zhiwei’s pale and gaunt face, but remembering how she was adamant about using the child to blackmail him into divorce, that softness vanished.

He just said coldly, "My child, even not yet born, needs to be raised with utmost care. Also, I will give you the divorce certificate only after ten months, so please fulfill your duties as the Young Madam Zhou during these ten months."

Having said this, he strode away without a backward glance.

Secretary Zhang touched his nose and asked dutifully, "Young Madam, do you see...?"

Cheng Zhiwei’s fingernails were almost digging into the edge of the table, her heart filled with extreme hatred, but she no longer had any more leverage to negotiate with Zhou Lin.

In fact, if it weren’t for the child in her belly, she wouldn’t even have the leverage to discuss divorce with Zhou Lin.

Feeling drained, she leaned on the table and slumped back into her chair.

"Young Madam?" Secretary Zhang called out again.

"Draft it again, please," Cheng Zhiwei conceded with a hoarse and sour voice, her eyes stinging as she stared at the egg.

Secretary Zhang nodded and left.

Cheng Zhiwei sat there, dazed, until she couldn’t hold back her tears any longer; they fell in big drops, her cries unable to be suppressed, spreading through the air.

In the living room, Zhou Lin heard the faint crying, his tense body wanting to rise, but he paused and then sat back down.

She wanted the divorce enough to give up on her child, so why was she crying now?

Wang Mei glanced at the living room, unable to spot Zhou Lin, so she took a bowl of soup and quickly went to Cheng Zhiwei, patting her back and comforting, "Please stop crying, Young Madam."

Cheng Zhiwei didn’t want to cry, but she felt so wronged. It was all his fault, so why did he still act so high and mighty?

Wang Mei sat in the chair beside her, leaning forward slightly, "There are still ten months, we can figure something out."

Cheng Zhiwei’s crying paused, subsiding slightly, "Aunt Wang."

Wang Mei caressed her hair affectionately, her voice audible only to Cheng Zhiwei, "I know you didn’t truly want to use the child. On the contrary, you love him. You just felt compelled. Ten months is a long time; we can surely think of something."

This was also the reason she had subtly advised Zhou Lin to divorce that morning; the urgency was the divorce, while the child would remain with Cheng Zhiwei for ten more months.

And ten months was indeed a long time.

Cheng Zhiwei’s cries quietened down, her emotions gradually stabilizing, "Thank you, Aunt Wang."

It was her oversight not to have considered this.

Wang Mei whispered gently, "Don’t give up easily."

This encouragement felt like a warm current flowing into Cheng Zhiwei’s heart; with tears, she nodded and said, "Okay." Her fingers trembled as she reached for the spoon, trying several times before finally gripping it firmly, spoon by spoon, she finished the soup that Wang Mei had brought.

She knew what she had to do.

Once the divorce agreement was re-signed, Zhou Lin left.

In the afternoon, Secretary Zhang specially brought the divorce certificate to show to Cheng Zhiwei. Cheng Zhiwei scrutinized it closely, took photos with her phone, and then reluctantly handed it back to Secretary Zhang.

It’s okay, she comforted herself. She would eventually get this certificate, and when the time came, she would take both the child and the divorce certificate with her.

Seeing the divorce certificate visibly improved Cheng Zhiwei’s mood.

"Young Madam Zhou started learning how to arrange flowers on the computer after waking up from her nap," Secretary Zhang reported the latest updates to Zhou Lin in detail. "She had a small bowl of rice for dinner and tried a bit of every dish. She was in a good mood all day."

Zhou Lin looked at the photo of Cheng Zhiwei on his phone, which was sneakily taken by a servant. At the moment, Cheng Zhiwei was sitting in a soft chair, with a table in front of her adorned with pink roses, baby’s breath, a few sunflowers, and a handful of daisies.

She wore a white sweater, her long hair casually tied into a bun, revealing a stretch of fair, slender neck, gentle and tranquil.

The phrase "times of peace and prosperity" might just describe this scene.

Zhou Lin couldn’t help but wonder, was this marriage really that difficult for her?

It’s okay. There were still ten months left. He would definitely manage to keep her.

...

Time flew by, and half a month had passed.

During this half-month, Zhou Lin was away on a business trip for a week. During the remaining week, Cheng Zhiwei silently accepted everything Zhou Lin arranged. However, their relationship was distant, with hardly any unnecessary words or communication.

In a way, it was a rare kind of harmony.

Wang Mei kept coming up with new recipes to make delicious food for Cheng Zweiwei, though her morning sickness was quite severe and she didn’t eat much.

But the fact that she made an effort to eat was already a good sign.

That evening during dinner, Cheng Zhiwei brought up the idea of going back to her parents’ house. She looked calmly at Zhou Lin, "I should have gone back for the New Year’s visit, but I missed it because of my pregnancy. Now my mother’s birthday is coming up, and I would like to visit."

Zhou Lin placed some peeled shrimp into her bowl, "Hmm, when would you like to leave?"

"Tomorrow," Cheng Zhiwei said as she ate a shrimp.

"Hmm."

The next morning, as Cheng Zhiwei came downstairs, the driver had already loaded the car with her things. Zhou Lin, concerned about her safety, arranged for two bodyguards and had Wang Mei accompany her as well.

Zhou Lin took her to the airport, adjusted the hood of her down jacket, and instructed, "I’ll come to see you in a couple of days after I finish my work."

"No need," Cheng Zhiwei rejected the offer without a second thought.

Although Zhou Lin had been gentle and considerate during this period, there was still an underlying issue between them. Cheng Zhiwei accepted his kindness only within reasonable bounds to ease the tension, but she didn’t want to have much contact with him otherwise.

Zhou Lin’s expression darkened, and his gaze at Cheng Zhiwei grew colder.

Realizing she had rejected him too bluntly and fearing that Zhou Lin might get angry, Cheng Zhiwei paused and then softened her tone, "You’re so busy, I’m afraid it would disrupt your work."

This statement was akin to backing down.

She remembered what Wang Mei had said, knowing she couldn’t afford to fall out with him, especially if she planned to take their child and leave in the future. She needed Zhou Lin to let his guard down.

Zhou Lin’s mood suddenly improved, and without saying much, he stroked her hair, "Be careful, and call me if you need anything."

"Okay."

As she boarded the plane, Cheng Zhiwei turned her head to look at the scenery outside the window, feeling suddenly a sense of relief as if breaking out of a cage.

Finally, she could enjoy some peace and quiet for a while.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read