But before the medicine could be put away, Xu Tian ran into the early-rising Wang Mei.
"Young Madam, are you feeling unwell?" Wang Mei asked with concern, glancing at the medicine box.
Cheng Zhiwei quickly hid the medicine and put down the cup, "I might be catching a cold, I'm going to sleep now. Don't call me for breakfast."
"Alright, Young Madam."
Wang Mei harbored doubts and quickly reported the incident of Cheng Zhiwei taking medicine to Lin Yu after she got up.
Lin Yu was startled, "What was the name of the medicine, did you see it clearly?"
Wang Mei thought for a moment, "It seemed to be called 'left something something,' I didn't see the full name clearly.
"I see." Lin Yu understood that the medicine Cheng Zhiwei had taken was very likely birth control, which also proved that Cheng Zhiwei was resolute in wanting a divorce.
Cheng Zhiwei slept until noon before coming down to eat. After finishing her meal, she went to see Xu Tian to get the divorce agreement.
She couldn't wait to get divorced.
Seeing her in a bad mood, Xu Tian took her shopping. After making the rounds and buying many things, they went to Xu Tian's apartment.
Cheng Zhiwei didn't want to go back. She didn't know how to communicate with Lin Yu, and the slander from Zhou Lin, who couldn't even grasp the truth, left her feeling both chilled and irritated. She was decidedly reluctant to see Zhou Lin at the moment.
Xu Tian felt sorry for Cheng Zhiwei and, upon hearing about the mix-up from the day before, was even more upset. She suggested that Cheng Zhiwei stay with her for a few days to avoid any further boldness from a certain someone.
Cheng Zhiwei then called Lin Yu, who happily agreed and transferred some money to Cheng Zhiwei for her to relax and unwind.
The money was Lin Yu's compensatory gesture of his guilt towards Cheng Zhiwei.
Some things, they both knew very well.
When Zhou Lin returned, Lin Yu angrily threw a medicine box in front of him, "What is this all about?"
Zhou Lin glanced at it, "What's this?"
Lin Yu, struggling to contain his anger, "This is birth control, what Zhiwei has been taking."
When Cheng Zhiwei said she wouldn't come home, Lin Yu went into the master bedroom and found this medicine box on the bedside table. The name on the box was indeed what he had thought.
It was a box of birth control pills.
Zhou Lin's gaze fixated on the box again. Cheng Zhiwei was indeed obedient, but did she have to be so calculating in everything she did?
She obediently took the medicine but then deliberately let his mother find the box, so his mother could confront him about it, hmm.
"It seems she doesn't want to have children," Zhou Lin pushed the responsibility onto Cheng Zhiwei without any guilt.
He was truly annoyed by Cheng Zhiwei's tactics of enticing and then evading capture.
Lin Yu, holding the birth control pill box, did not take out his frustration on Cheng Zhiwei due to Zhou Lin pushing the blame onto her, but instead, he scolded Zhou Lin, "This is all because of you fooling around with other women outside; why would she agree to have children for you?"
Zhou Lin looked indifferent and was sincerely trying to persuade Lin Yu, after all, she was his mother, not Cheng Zhiwei's. Why should she always take Cheng Zhiwei's side in everything?
"Mom, you know very well what kind of person Cheng Zhiwei is. You genuinely consider her family, yet she's only scheming behind your back," Zhou Lin pointed at the medicine box in Lin Yu's hands. "Take this medicine, for example. She took it but deliberately let you see it, isn't it to make you think that all of this is my fault, purposely driving a wedge between us?"
Lin Yu looked at Zhou Lin in shock, "Are you saying that Zhiwei deliberately let me see this?"
"If it wasn't deliberate, how come it's such a coincidence that you found the medicine box?" Zhou Lin scoffed, having long been acquainted with Cheng Zhiwei's tactics.
"Shut your mouth," Lin Yu snapped angrily, her eyes glaring at Zhou Lin as if she were looking at a fool.
She finally understood why the young couple's relationship had always been bad: in her worthless son's heart, all of this was Cheng Zhiwei's conspiracy.
Zhou Lin furrowed his brows in confusion, "Mom?"
Lin Yu wished she could slap him twice to make him see sense. "Early this morning, just after five, Wang Mei encountered Zhiwei taking medicine in the kitchen. Wang Mei thought Zhiwei was unwell, so she told me. This medicine box was found in your master bedroom, hidden in the very back of the drawer."
It wasn't Cheng Zhiwei who had intentionally let Lin Yu find out, but Lin Yu who had discovered it herself.
Zhou Lin's forehead twitched, and for some reason, out of the long speech Lin Yu had delivered, he only caught one specific time.
Just after five.
Meaning, half an hour after he had left, Cheng Zhiwei had bought and taken the medicine.
She... didn't want the child at all.
Realizing this, discomfort began to stir in Zhou Lin's heart. It was as if he had always disliked Cheng Zhiwei, but now he found that she also disliked him.
Or, it might be that he thought of what he had said that morning, loudly claiming that Cheng Zhiwei wanted to have his child, only to realize it was just his own wishful thinking.
Embarrassment gave rise to anger.
What right did Cheng Zhiwei have to look down on him, to despise him?
Lin Yu fumed as she looked at Zhou Lin. "You... I don't even know what to say to you. Zhiwei has always been wholeheartedly devoted to you, yet you think of her this way. Do you even have a conscience?"
Zhou Lin pinched the bridge of his nose, "Mom, please don't meddle in my affairs with Cheng Zhiwei. Go home and spend more time with dad. If you want to travel somewhere or buy something, I'll have Secretary Zhang arrange it."
In short, don't stay here and take Cheng Zhiwei's side.
Lin Yu rolled her eyes. She had no intention of leaving. She wanted to stay right here and support Cheng Zhiwei, so she declared in a very determined tone, "I'm not going back."
After speaking, Lin Yu paused, then added with difficulty, "I didn't realize Zhiwei was so disappointed in you, so such an incident won't happen again. But this time, it has nothing to do with Zhiwei. I acted on my own; you go and bring Zhiwei back."
To add something to her son's milk was something Lin Yu dared to do and take responsibility for; however, she seemed to lack confidence when admitting it.
But the pressing matter was to bring Cheng Zhiwei back. Of course, what she didn't know was that Cheng Zhiwei's reluctance to return wasn't because of her meddling, but rather because of Zhou Lin's excessive words.
"She's perfectly capable and in good health. I don't have the time," said Zhou Lin irritably. He wasn't Cheng Zhiwei's nanny, responsible for her whereabouts.
Lin Yu said coldly, "Zhou Lin, I'm not asking you, I'm ordering you."
"I'm very busy."
"You can tell your father and ask to be made less busy," Lin Yu warned.
Zhou Lin's dark eyes instantly clouded over, "Cheng Zhiwei is using you. She's not as harmless as she appears."
He decided to speak plainly.
"Spiking the milk..."
"I did that, it has nothing to do with Zhiwei. You two have been married for three years now, and both your father and I want to hold a grandchild," Lin Yu said sternly, her well-maintained visage displaying a hint of helplessness.
Zhou Lin didn't believe her at all. His mother was biased towards Cheng Zhiwei and naturally would defend her regardless.
Yet, his face did not reveal his thoughts, and he replied noncommittally, "I understand."