After five years of a cold marriage, I can no longer hide the child I secretly gave birth to.

"Ah Ci, Dean Zhao will be here soon. I want to make a good plan for the pet hospital, improve its reputation and name, and try to win the award for the best medical institution in the city."

Zhou Yanci sat down. "Isn't your hospital busy?"

Xu Jiaojiao never liked treating patients; she chose this profession in the first place to replace Xu Daikui's first-place ranking.

Now that Xu Daikui has opened a new pet hospital, she naturally wants to run her pet-loving home well.

She gave a slightly embarrassed laugh. "The hospital is fine, but I also want to improve my side business. After all, it's always good to have more skills."

"I also want to be an independent, strong woman and realize my own value, Aci. Don't you think I'm being too greedy?"

Zhou Yanci replied, "No, is there anything I can help you with?"

Xu Jiaojiao certainly wanted him to help expand the customer base of Pet Home and suppress Connor completely, but she knew the importance of knowing when to stop.

She felt embarrassed to keep asking Zhou Yanci for money.

"No need. I will discuss and manage the pet hospital with Director Zhao. You don't need to worry."

"Mr. Zhou, Ms. Xu, I'm sorry I'm late..."

At this moment, Dean Zhao also rushed over.

...

"Would you like to change to another private room?"

Shen Jun felt inexplicably disgusted by the conversations, so one can only imagine how annoyed Xu Daikui must have felt.

"Okay, let's try another one."

She really didn't want to see that couple jumping around in front of her anymore, ruining her good mood.

So the three of them moved to another private room.

We ordered more than a dozen dishes, ate and chatted, and enjoyed the meal very much.

The little incident just now didn't affect anyone's mood at all.

On the way, Xu Daikui went to the restroom. When she came out, she was blocked by Zhou Yanci's tall and slender figure in the corridor.

He had one hand in his pocket, his face unreadable, scanning her from head to toe.

"Avoiding me?"

"Shouldn't you stay away from trash?"

Xu Daikui didn't have a pleasant expression.

"You've had your fill of beating around the bush, so you start spouting nonsense?"

Zhou Yanci's tall figure approached her, his tone full of sarcasm. Then, as if remembering something, he added, "I've been busy dealing with the group's affairs these past few days. It's not that I didn't come to see you on purpose."

Xu Daikui sneered.

Is he trying to explain himself?

Isn't that completely unnecessary?

He never explained anything to me during the five years he was missing.

Moreover, she had just overheard them saying that they had even bought their wedding rings.

She felt more at ease and peaceful when he didn't come looking for her.

"Don't tell me, I don't want to see you either."

Xu Daikui coldly turned her head away and was about to leave.

But the man grabbed her wrist and forcefully pulled her into his arms.

A deep, oppressive aura emanated from her. They were so close that he could clearly see the fine downy hairs on her skin; they were so cute, he wanted to kiss them.

"Xu Daikui, are you jealous about what happened at the jewelry store just now?"

"in the case of....."

Before he could finish his suppressed and brooding words, he was angrily interrupted by the woman.

"shut up!"

"I'm not that shameless!"

Xu Daikui was furious, her face flushed, and she struggled incessantly. Zhou Yanci tightened his grip on her arm, pinched her chin, and added a hint of anger to his tone, "You have a terrible eye for people, but your temper is getting worse and worse."

"It must have been tough for you to open your pet hospital, right? Xu Daikui, you don't naively think that just because a company is started, it can operate automatically, do you?"

"What do you mean?"

Xu Daikui stopped struggling, a hint of tension appearing in her eyes.

Connor was the culmination of her and Wang Guang's efforts; she invested ten million yuan in it, and Wang Guang practically poured his entire fortune into it.

What is Zhou Yanci up to now?

Seeing her anxiously furrowed brows and shimmering eyes, her rosy face looked even more vibrant and colorful.

Zhou Yanci smiled and gently stroked her face. "The business world isn't as easy as you think, Xu Daikui. If you don't want it to go bankrupt before it even opens, you have to find the secret, you know?"

Xu Daikui didn't understand.

Having money, production areas, and resources isn't enough; what other secrets do you need?

Seeing that his words had successfully piqued the woman's interest, Zhou Yanci slowly loosened his clenched hands, maintaining an elegant smile.

"Get rid of Shen Jun quickly; we need to discuss business matters in detail."

Seeing Shen Jun ignited a fire within him; he had wanted to kill him more than once.

Why should I listen to you?

Xu Daikui didn't want to be controlled by him, but she felt very uneasy.

"Money."

"If you want your ten million to go down the drain, then pretend I said nothing."

Zhou Yanci finished speaking calmly, then turned and left.

As Xu Daikui hesitated, she wondered how the man knew she had invested ten million.

Is he secretly monitoring me again?

The more she thought about it, the more frightened she became. If he secretly had someone spying on her like this, and Mengmeng's identity were exposed, the consequences would be unimaginable...

Feeling upset, she went downstairs. Shen Jun had finished eating and led Mengmeng out.

"Let's go check out."

Xu Daikui perked up a bit when she saw them, "Um, don't try to take it from me."

As she spoke, she took out her phone, opened the scan function, and walked towards the cashier.

Just then, Zhou Yanci and his group came to settle their bill. Upon seeing her, Zhou Yanci instructed the waiter.

"Include their table as well."

"Need not…"

Before she could finish speaking, the man had already swiped his black card and left.

Xu Daikui had no choice but to ask the waiter for a receipt and transfer Zhou Yanci's money to him.

After Zhou Yanci took Xu Jiaojiao back to the hospital, he dialed Mu En's number.

Send me Xu Daikui's location.

Mu En has now assigned three or four henchmen to specifically track Xu Daikui's whereabouts every day.

"Okay, Mr. Zhou."

"There's one more thing. The driver of the car that hit Wang Guang and his wife saw us investigating him and immediately packed his bags and fled. He was caught by our people and is now being held in an abandoned basement. Would you like to come over?"

It seems Xu Dai was right; that car accident really was a premeditated murder.

He paused for a moment, then said, "Send me your location."

"OK."

*

At the same time, Xu Jiaojiao also received news that the murderer arranged by Bai Weiwei had been captured by Zhou Yanci's men.

She was terrified and broke out in a cold sweat.

"Weiwei, how could the person you hired be so stupid? Knowing that someone was investigating, why did he run away?"

Isn't this a classic case of protesting too much?

Bai Weiwei hired a hoodlum who was short of money at a nightclub.

She said somewhat flusteredly, "That thug frequents nightclubs, and he's involved in prostitution and soliciting. He was afraid the police would investigate him, so he ran away out of guilt..."

"Jiaojiao, what do we do now? If he betrays me, I'm finished!"

Xu Jiaojiao's mind raced. "Send me the thug's detailed information right now, and I'll figure something out."

After hanging up, she called Mu En again, "Mu En, where is the person you arrested being held? I'm coming over now, and Aci will be here soon too."

Mu En figured that Xu Jiaojiao and Zhou Yanci were inseparable and must have no secrets, so he told them the truth about the place.

"OK."

After hanging up the phone, Xu Jiaojiao immediately rushed to the abandoned basement.

*

"Shen Jun, thank you for your help."

After dropping Mengmeng off at her art class, Shen Jun also took Xu Daikui home.

Xu Daikui thought she would go home to change her clothes, put the bracelet away, and then go to the hospital.

"It's okay, it's just a matter of stepping on the gas."

Shen Jun's gaze was filled with stars as he looked at her, and the affection hidden in his eyes shone with an unfathomable light.

"Then you should go and get busy."

"Okay, bye-bye."

Smiling as she watched Shen Jun's car disappear, Xu Daikui turned to go into the building when a dark shadow flashed behind her, startling her.

When she saw that it was Zhou Yanci, her expression immediately turned displeased.

"Ha, look how happy he is, all that when he sees me?"

Xu Dai sneered, "Of course, what comparison do you have?"

Zhou Yanci's smile faded, and his tone became somewhat resentful, "No, but unfortunately, I am your husband."

She emphasized the word "husband" very much.

Xu Daikui felt deeply insulted by those two words.

She remained silent and didn't discuss the matter further with him. Instead, she said, "I've already transferred the 349 yuan for lunch to you via WeChat. Please remember to acknowledge receipt."

"No need, just cook me a meal, and the money will be offset."

Zhou Yanci looked at her with an inscrutable expression.

Xu Daikui frowned. "Didn't you just finish eating?"

"I don't like hot pot."

He spoke casually, then took the woman's wrist and walked outside.

Xu Daikui was surprised and hadn't reacted when the man's cool hand suddenly slid down and directly grasped her entire palm.

He clasped his hands together and instead held hers, a strange, tingling sensation instantly rising within him.

Xu Daikui felt uncomfortable and immediately tried to pull her hand away.

"Don't..."

Is it illegal to hold your wife's hand?

Zhou Yanci ignored her struggles and forcefully held her hand all the way to the nearby supermarket.

Xu Daikui was extremely depressed.

But she was no match for a man. She decided to just endure it and wait until they were divorced, then he would have no reason to lay a hand on her.

"Zhou Yanci, what do you want to eat? I only know how to make noodles."

Although she knows many different cuisines, she has no intention of cooking for him.

"Then let's have noodles. I'll eat whatever you make."

His handsome face was gentle, his lips were slightly curved, and his whole person became sunny and warm.

Xu Daikui always felt that she had misjudged the situation.

When did Zhou Yanci's expressions become so varied?

Does he really want to have sex with her before the divorce?

It seems like it's a done deal that he wants to sleep with me.

She grew increasingly anxious...