8
Agree to Divorce Earlier
The restaurant was right across from the company.
Lin Yuxi naturally pulled out a chair and sat down opposite Qin Ruoshi.
Staring at Qin Ruoshi’s face would ruin her appetite, but staring at Fu Tingchuan’s would be even worse.
Between two evils, choose the lesser.
Besides, she hadn’t failed to notice the wedding ring on Fu Tingchuan’s ring finger—it seemed to match the one on Qin Ruoshi’s hand.
The server quickly took their orders, and the dishes arrived half an hour later.
It seemed Qin Ruoshi was genuinely focused on her work, as she took the opportunity during the meal to ask questions about algorithms.
Lin Yuxi answered each one.
To her, these were the most basic concepts.
Even without Director Chen’s input, she could guess that Qin Ruoshi’s doctoral research direction was likely still in computer hardware.
Midway through the meal, Qin Ruoshi excused herself to use the restroom.
Fu Tingchuan took out a car key and slid it to the center of the table.
Lin Yuxi suddenly understood.
No wonder he had insisted on having her join them for the meal—it was to return the car key.
And he had chosen this moment, probably afraid that Qin Ruoshi would be upset if she saw it.
Lin Yuxi took the key. “Thank you.”
Fu Tingchuan thought for a moment, then pulled a bank card from his wallet and pushed it to the center of the table as well. “Lin Yuxi, we are married. There’s no need for you to borrow money from others.”
His words seemed disjointed.
Fu Tingchuan must have mistakenly assumed there was another man in her life and was reminding her not to tarnish his reputation.
Lin Yuxi pushed the bank card back. “I haven’t borrowed money from anyone.”
Just as Fu Tingchuan was about to say more, Qin Ruoshi returned from the restroom.
“Sorry to keep you waiting, Yuxi. Thank you for your time. If I have work-related questions in the future, may I consult you again?”
Looking at Qin Ruoshi’s smiling face, Lin Yuxi felt an inexplicable irritation.
“Mm.”
Qin Ruoshi took out her phone. “Two thousand per hour, right? I’ll transfer it to you now.”
Fu Tingchuan’s gaze from across the table felt somewhat cold.
Lin Yuxi pretended not to notice.
By resolving everything over this meal, she could finally have some peace.
As Qin Ruoshi made the transfer, the diamond ring on her finger glittered dazzlingly.
The rest of the meal went relatively smoothly.
When they left, Qin Ruoshi got into Fu Tingchuan’s car and gave the driver the address of a luxury apartment in the western suburbs.
Fu Tingchuan’s gaze fell on her hand. “Where did that diamond ring come from?”
Qin Ruoshi froze for a moment but quickly composed herself. “A friend of mine recently opened a jewelry store. I went to support her and saw this ring. It looked nice, so I bought it.”
Fu Tingchuan remained silent for a long while before taking out a folder and handing it to her. “The apartment in the western suburbs has been transferred to your name.”
A flicker of surprise crossed Qin Ruoshi’s face, followed by a smile. “Thank you.”
It seemed she had overthought things.
Fu Tingchuan had invited Lin Yuxi to join them, probably to send a message and hasten her agreement to the divorce.
No woman would cling to a marriage after seeing her husband wearing another woman’s ring.
Lin Yuxi drove her beloved little white car back to Maple Grove Community.
As soon as she entered, she saw Haohao sitting on the sofa, holding a science magazine.
“Mommy, this is the first time you’ve ever come home late. Who’s so important?”
Seeing her son’s face, Lin Yuxi’s gloomy mood instantly lifted.
She opened her phone and said proudly, “It’s not a ‘who,’ but a ‘what.’ Your mommy earned two thousand dollars effortlessly today—enough to cover half a month’s rent.”
Lin Chenghao set down the magazine and stepped forward to help her take off her coat. “It seems our family is about to turn our luck around—financial luck, to be precise.”
Lin Yuxi nodded in agreement.
If Qin Ruoshi enjoyed irritating her, then let her stew in her own annoyance.
Opportunities like this were too good to pass up.
Ensuring she and her son lived well was what mattered most.
Her phone buzzed with a message from Haohao’s child model agent, Bai Shuang.
“Yuxi, the brand just notified me that the shoot originally scheduled for this weekend has been postponed to next week. Will Haohao be available?”
Reading this, Lin Yuxi suddenly remembered something she hadn’t mentioned yet.
“Oh, by the way, Haohao, your godmother asked a few days ago if you’d be interested in shooting for her children’s clothing brand. It’s paid.”
Lin Chenghao, who was hanging up the coat, turned around and asked, “When?”
Lin Yuxi replied, “Next weekend. But Aunt Bai Shuang just informed me that this weekend’s shoot has also been postponed to next week.”
In other words, the schedules clashed.
Lin Yuxi patiently waited for her son’s decision.
“Of course, godmother comes first,” Lin Chenghao answered without hesitation.
Lin Yuxi wasn’t surprised in the least.
Ever since Haohao was born, Shen Xiaoxiao had supplied all his children’s clothes. Haohao had always been partial to his godmother.
“Alright, I’ll reply to her then.”
After sending the message, Lin Yuxi set her phone aside and went to freshen up.
When she returned, she found another message from Bai Shuang, stating that the brand couldn’t adjust the schedule and would have to hire another child model for the shoot. The penalty fee would be transferred to her as soon as possible.
Lin Yuxi went next door to tell Haohao about it.
At that moment, Lin Chenghao had just finished his bath and emerged from the bathroom wearing cartoon-themed pajamas, his face fair, clean, and delicate.
It was hard to say whom he took after, as both parents had flawless skin, but Lin Yuxi certainly hadn’t held him back in that regard.
Lin Yuxi sat on the edge of the bed and beckoned, “Come here, let Mommy apply a face mask for you.”
Lin Chenghao fetched a jar of face mask from the cabinet and handed it to Lin Yuxi, content to enjoy his mother’s pampering.
Perhaps it was the occupational hazard of a six-year-old child model, but Lin Chenghao had developed an interest in skincare from a very young age.
After all, his face was his livelihood.
However, most facial masks on the market were developed for adults, with none suitable for children.
So, Lin Yuxi put her science background to good use, rented a lab, and spent half a month there, eventually creating a custom skincare mask tailored for children.
In a way, Lin Chenghao was also his mother’s little admirer.
Research was Mommy’s forte, while managing the household was his.
A perfect complementary partnership.
“Our family really is turning its financial luck around,” Lin Yuxi remarked as her fingertips gently smoothed the mask over his cheeks.
“How so?” she asked.
Lin Chenghao tilted his face up, standing by the bed, and murmured, “The brand for this weekend’s shoot was the Fu Corporation. They’re loaded—the penalty fee is three times the shooting payment.”
Lin Yuxi was speechless.
Haohao had always been independent, so she entrusted many tasks to him, including managing his shooting schedules.
She hadn’t bothered to learn much about the brands he worked with.
Lin Chenghao added with a serious expression, “So, it’s actually a good thing we canceled.”
“Mm,” Lin Yuxi agreed without objection.
Since she had chosen to let go, she should keep the name “Fu” from appearing too often in her life.
Tonight’s dinner had once again reminded her that her marriage to Fu Tingchuan was nothing more than a business arrangement.
No wedding ceremony, no wedding rings.
She should never have indulged in wishful thinking, hoping to salvage their marriage.