After Eight Years Of Marriage, You're Asking Me For A Divorce - Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Eleven hours after Lu Jingyao was detained, his younger sister, Lu Lingyi, came to see him.

The older brother finally breathed a sigh of relief: “Where is the lawyer? Why are you here alone?”

Lu Lingyi looked at him as if he were a child: “Look at the time. The lawyers haven’t started work yet.”

He was arrested at 6 pm, and it was now barely 5:30 am. Lu Lingyi also looked like she hadn’t slept, with only a light layer of makeup that failed to completely conceal her dark circles. Her hair was messy, which was rare for her.

Lu Jingyao felt guilty: “Lingyi, I was reckless this time. Hurry and find someone to get me out. Do not let Dad know. Is Dad alright? Where’s Mom? How is everything at home?”

“What means do I have?” Lu Lingyi’s eyes turned red. “I only told Mom, and I absolutely dare not go near Dad. Mom is frantic because of you. I’m afraid something might happen to her, and I’m worried about you here. The house is a mess; the police searched it. How can we keep it secret? Even if I don’t say anything, Dad will probably find out soon.”

Lu Jingyao broke out in a cold sweat: “Then what do we do! What do we do… Dad will definitely be angry if he finds out.”

“Brother, I have to say this,” Lu Lingyi scolded him impatiently: “That man surnamed Lin hasn’t even resigned yet. Even if he did, do you know how much influence he has in the public security, procuratorial, and judicial systems? Dad is in the nursing home right now, Mom doesn’t understand anything, and who do I know? The whole family is relying on you, and you go and provoke him.”

“You were the one who told me he was definitely afraid of me, so I sent the photo.”

“I told you he was afraid of you, but I didn’t tell you to send the photo! And I certainly didn’t tell you to show off in front of him!”

Lu Jingyao’s face was also pale, and he wanted to lose his temper: “What could I do? The money is all fucking gone!”

Mentioning the money made Lu Lingyi even angrier. She was the company’s CFO, and no one knew Zhonglian’s accounts better than her. She wanted nothing more than to splash cold water on her fever-brained brother to wake him up. But this was not the time for internal conflict. She calmed down, her thick, dark eyeliner pressing down fiercely on Lu Jingyao’s heart.

“Brother, as soon as the day starts, I will arrange a meeting with a few Vice Presidents and the legal team to figure something out. That’s all I can do. I haven’t been at the company as long as you, and they don’t listen to me. I can’t guarantee I can get you out before Dad finds out. Get ready; it will definitely cost money to get out. Do you have any cash left?”

Lu Jingyao was furious at the mention of money: “Where would I get any money?”

Lu Lingyi was exasperated: “Is your life more important, or is money more important? Snap out of it at this crucial moment!”

Lu Jingyao clenched his teeth, eventually giving her an account number and password. This was his private overseas slush fund, which he was unwilling to use unless absolutely necessary. He genuinely hadn’t expected Lin Sinian to dare to call the police.

Lu Lingyi secured the account details: “Don’t worry, Brother. I have some savings left, too. I will definitely find a way to bail you out. If worst comes to worst, I’ll go kneel before Lin Sinian and beg him to forgive you.”

“Don’t you dare provoke him! Isn’t one of me enough?” Lu Jingyao couldn’t bear it: “Take good care of Mom. There’s no man at home now. You’re a girl; be careful in everything you do. When I get out, I swear I won’t let that man surnamed Lin off the hook.”

Lu Lingyi lowered her voice: “Brother, be honest with me, how did you handle those photos?”

Lu Jingyao hesitated: “They’re still on the computer…”

Lu Lingyi sighed heavily: “Didn’t I tell you to destroy them? Why didn’t you listen? Don’t you know the police searched all your belongings? Once they find the photos on your computer, the crime of extortion is confirmed. At that point, the case will be handed over to the Procuratorate for public prosecution according to the law. Do you think you’ll walk out alive if it gets to the Procuratorate?”

Although the case was merely an extortion charge stemming from a small photo, the interests involved were huge—an energy giant on one side and a Deputy Chief Prosecutor on the other, also involving environmental issues and government projects. The police certainly wouldn’t want to hold onto such a hot potato for long. The best course of action was to quickly gather evidence, establish the charge, and transfer it to the Procuratorate.

Once it was sent to the Procuratorate, it was Lin Sinian’s own backyard. The Deputy Chief Prosecutor’s reputation was well-known for a reason.

The more Lu Jingyao thought about it, the more he sweated, regretting his impulsiveness. Visiting hours were limited, and Lu Lingyi couldn’t stay for long. She only had time for a quick hug with her brother before the police ushered her out.

Coming out of the visiting room, she made a call and chuckled: “I got the money. I’m going to the hospital to see Dad now. After that, my part is basically done… Yes, I know. It’s just for show. I’m not that foolish.” She wiped away the slight tears that had gathered in her eyes: “He brought this trouble upon himself. Why should I get involved in this mess? If Lin Sinian found out and charged me as an accomplice, would I be tired of living? Let Dad worry about him. I can’t be bothered.”

She hung up and had the driver take her directly to the nursing home.

…

Lin Sinian couldn’t find Cheng Siyu anywhere. Cheng Siyu was the one who asked him out to play sports and clear his head, but then he disappeared. Lin Sinian heard suggestive noises coming from the innermost shower stall in the locker room, with Cheng Siyu’s gym bag and cotton underwear thrown outside. Half an hour later, he finally appeared on the court, accompanied by a tall, handsome tennis coach. The widower wiggled his hips with every step, his neck covered in bite marks. Lin Sinian didn’t expose him and sent the coach to fetch water.

“Isn’t he handsome?” Cheng Siyu licked his lips, still craving more. “I just met him last week. Great physique; he can lift me with one hand.”

He would tell lewd jokes in front of Lin Sinian, who was married, but often he would tell vulgar jokes in front of children regardless of the occasion. A wife unfamiliar with him once brought her young daughter to his house to play cards. When a small toy hidden under the sofa cushion was discovered, he explained it in front of the girl, making the sixteen-year-old blush and angrily call him shameless.

This incident later circulated as a joke. Cheng Siyu wasn’t afraid of what people said, stating frankly: “She asked me what it was, so I told her it was a vibrator. You should have heard the curses she used, talking about having a rotten assh0le. Why bother pretending to be pure? I’ve seen all sorts of people in this circle. They all pretend to be fairies, but they’re filthy in private.”

Lin Sinian asked: “How much is one lesson?”

Cheng Siyu made a gesture: “Fifteen hundred. He’s a national second-level athlete, a professional.”

More like a professional stud. Lin Sinian chuckled: “You should take it easy. You’re not twenty anymore, playing so intensely. Aren’t you afraid of throwing out your back?” He had no opinion on Cheng Siyu’s private life; he was only worried that the foolish widower would be swindled again.

The six-foot-two coach brought two glasses of lemonade. He shook hands with Lin Sinian, respectfully addressing him as Mr. Lin. He had a clean, innocent student-like face when he smiled, unlike the overly slick coaches at the fitness club. Lin Sinian’s mind changed again. He thought, I hope this kid isn’t ruined by Cheng Siyu.

Cheng Siyu simply thought he was envious: “Are you and Xiao Yanxiu doing okay?”

Lin Sinian shook his head helplessly. He swung his racket and hit a ball. The round ball hit the wall and bounced back. He chased the ball, repeating the hit five times. The sixth time, the ball bounced too high, sailing over his head. He put down the racket, panting uselessly. The ball fell behind him. Behind them were masses of bright green, hedgehog-like balls.

“We’re doing alright,” Cheng Siyu smiled.

Lin Sinian hadn’t exercised this intensely in a long time. He could handle golf, but tennis consumed energy too quickly, giving him the false impression that he was still quite young. Wiping his sweat with a towel and drinking water, he said: “I only told him about Shi Mei switching my medicine. He thinks I’m the victim. I handled that matter hastily back then, so it’s not entirely the fault of the man surnamed Lu.”

Cheng Siyu gritted his teeth: “If you ask me, you should have called the police sooner.”

Lin Sinian put down his water glass, his expression darkening: “Zhao Xiaotong hasn’t figured out where Lu Jingyao got the photo from. The young master definitely wouldn’t search for it himself, so there’s someone else behind him. I also think it’s strange. Even if Lu Jiancai is sick and unaware of the details, don’t the many people in the company know about Zhonglian’s current financial situation? Where’s the Corporate Secretary? The Vice Presidents? The CFO?” If just one responsible person around Lu Jingyao knew what he was doing, the situation wouldn’t have escalated to this point.

Lu Jingyao was still young and hadn’t been with the company for long. The group was full of old officials personally trained by his father. Would they truly all listen to the young master? With such a massive financial loophole in the company, did everyone just stand by and watch the young master mess up? Lin Sinian didn’t believe it. He had handled economic cases for over a decade, dealing with hundreds of companies, and was no stranger to various operational and management models. He instinctively felt that Lu Jingyao’s influence at Zhonglian Petrochemical was far from being able to make arbitrary decisions.

There was only one possibility: someone around him was deliberately enabling him, deliberately allowing him to collapse the company’s capital chain and ruin the hard-won power generation project, ultimately forcing him to lash out at Lin Sinian.

The young master probably doesn’t even realize how he ended up in the detention center.

Lin Sinian thought, feeling pity for him: “This kid is being set up, and I’m just a pawn.”

Cheng Siyu didn’t understand: “Is there a commercial spy in the Lu family trying to sabotage their company?”

“I don’t know. The company’s affairs are none of my business.”

The coach played two more sets with them and then offered to treat them to ice cream. Lin Sinian could tell the young man genuinely liked Cheng Siyu. The way he smiled at Cheng Siyu was completely open, reminding Lin Sinian of when Xiao Yanxiu was pursuing him. Although Xiao Yanxiu didn’t blame him for the explicit photo incident, it was still trouble he had caused, and he intended to compensate his husband properly.

Cheng Siyu suggested a bad idea: taking him to buy women’s lace-trimmed lingerie. Recently, shaping bodysuits with exaggerated, beautiful designs had become popular. Lin Sinian stood in the lingerie store, both amused and annoyed, receiving strange looks from passing young girls. Cheng Siyu, bolder than ever, ran to the fitting room to try one on. Aside from the empty bra cups, it actually looked good. The pink ribbon on the corset trailed down to his buttocks, and the two little tails swayed back and forth on his tailbone as he walked. Lin Sinian, a grown man, felt his inner fire surge, wanting to give that butt two slaps.

But the Chief Prosecutor certainly wouldn’t do such a lewd thing. He cooked a sweet soup and a late-night snack to visit his husband at the office. Secretary Han Chengyang received Mr. Lin’s call, knew the boss’s spouse was coming, and figured he wouldn’t be working overtime much longer tonight. He decided to ask Xiao Yanxiu for leave and go home first, leaving the office to the loving couple.

As the heavy office door closed, only Lin Sinian’s footsteps could be heard.

Xiao Yanxiu had been waiting for him but wasn’t in a hurry. He wanted Lin Sinian to come to him proactively. Lin Sinian said nothing, went over to the tea table, casually picked up a cup, and placed it next to his husband’s hand. He was older and higher in rank than Xiao Yanxiu. Even outside, Xiao Yanxiu would pour tea for him. To do the reverse was against custom. But now, Xiao Yanxiu was the head of the house, and he had married into the Xiao family. Not to mention, he came with the intention of apology and compensation, so he could only bend down to place the tea.

In the past, Xiao Yanxiu would not have dared to accept this treatment. Looking up, he could see Lin Sinian’s lowered collar, a strand of black hair sliding down his shoulder to his collarbone, faintly revealing clean skin beneath the coral-colored shirt. He rarely dressed so delicately. The mature lust emanated the sourness of a half-withered rose, which was the scent of a perfume Xiao Yanxiu had given him.

“I originally wanted to go home early to have dinner with you today, but a few Ph.D. students sent over new data, and I got lost looking at it. I promise I’ll be home on time tomorrow,” he said, sounding more like he was placating Lin Sinian. Xiao Yanxiu followed the teacup and found Lin Sinian’s hand. Lin Sinian watched his husband’s insincere and lustful smile calmly; he knew his husband well.

Lin Sinian said: “I apologize for disturbing you.” Being held like this, his body was practically touching Xiao Yanxiu’s elbow. He had to stand straight, which made his waist ache, leaving him no energy to deal with pleasantries.

He decided to be direct: “The Procuratorate is going to update a batch of equipment and plans a system upgrade soon. The budget estimate is around twenty million, and it’s about to be put up for public bidding. The technical department asked for my opinion. I thought, our technology isn’t inferior to others, and we shouldn’t be afraid of open bidding. The money should stay within the family. That’s my suggestion. What do you think?”

He was practically handing the money directly into his husband’s pocket. In the past, he would have been careful to avoid suspicion, but reflecting on Xiao Yanxiu putting his name on the top of the Xiao Group’s R&D building, attested by the Mount Tai Stone, he felt a little soft-hearted.

Seeing Xiao Yanxiu remain silent, he thought he had hurt his husband’s ego: “I wanted to compensate you, regarding the…”

Before he could finish, Xiao Yanxiu pulled his hand from his wrist, wrapped it around his waist, and abruptly yanked him into his arms.

“We’re not talking about anything else today, only you,” Xiao Yanxiu’s low breath puffed against his ear: “You are so beautiful, Sinian. More and more beautiful.”

Lin Sinian instinctively wanted to push him away. His hand rested on his shoulder, but remembering his purpose, he didn’t push and allowed the arm around his waist to roam up and down his thigh. The material of the suit pants was thin, soft, and cool, yet it made his skin burn where it rubbed.

“The office…” he struggled to say, hoping Xiao Yanxiu wouldn’t lose control here.

Xiao Yanxiu raised an eyebrow: “What about the office?”