Forced to come out

At dinner time, the restaurant is filled with the warm aroma of home-cooked meals.

Wen Lingyi looked at Zhou Jianxing, who was silently eating white rice opposite her and obviously had no energy, and picked up a piece of brightly colored scrambled eggs with tomatoes and put it in her bowl with chopsticks.

"Just quit working there," Wen Lingyi glanced at Zhou Jianxing's bitter face, "It's just a job. If you're not happy with it, just change it. What's so tangled about it?"

Zhou Jianxing has been looking depressed since he came back from get off work today.

It was the first time that Wen Lingyi saw Zhou Jianxing showing such obvious depression about work.

Alas. Zhou Jianxing sighed.

To be fair, as a boss, Huang Haifu was actually a pretty good person, at least he took good care of her.

Schindler Repair is the largest repair company in City C with the best benefits.

If Zhou Jianxing really quits his job impulsively, it would be difficult for him to find a job with similar conditions in a short time.

Moreover, there is no way Zhou Jianxing would leave City C.

Her parents, friends, and... Wen Lingyi, all took root here.

"I thought..." Zhou Jianxing lowered his head, unconsciously poking the rice in the bowl with his chopsticks, his voice muffled, "You said you would support me if I stopped working."

She thought back to the previous five million yuan blunder and unconsciously recalled the classic scenes in the movie.

"Oh," Wen Lingyi raised the corner of her lips when she heard that. "Supporting you? It's not impossible. But..." She paused, leaned forward slightly, and looked Zhou Jianxing in the eye. "I prefer to see you working hard. You're focused and reliable, and you're especially charming."

Wow. That's a high rating.

Zhou Jianxing started laughing foolishly again.

Wen Lingyi finished speaking, as if she suddenly remembered something, and added in a very normal tone: "By the way, I ordered a car for you a few days ago, and the paperwork is almost done. I'll take you to pick it up in a couple of days when I'm free."

After I came back, I had so much to do that I almost forgot about it.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Jianxing immediately put down his chopsticks, raised his head, and frowned slightly: "I don't want to. City C is now extremely congested every day due to the license plate restrictions. Driving is not convenient at all. It's faster than riding an electric bike."

She didn't want to spend Wen Lingyi's money, especially such a large expense.

·

Just then, the doorbell suddenly rang, and the sound seemed a little harsh.

Wen Lingyi was a little surprised. It was rare for someone to come uninvited at this time.

She picked up her phone and took a look at the surveillance footage at the door, and her brows immediately furrowed.

The person shown on the screen was her father, Wen Shuli.

She stood up to open the door, and Zhou Jianxing subconsciously stood up as well, looking at the door somewhat helplessly.

Wen Shuli walked into the restaurant with a serious expression. His eyes swept across the dining table and immediately met Zhou Jianxing's gaze who was standing beside the table.

His eyes were sharp and scrutinizing, carrying a kind of intimidating pressure without even being angry.

"Who is she?" Wen Shuli skipped the pleasantries and turned directly to look at his daughter. His voice was low and deep, "Do you know why I came here at this time?"

"Hello, uncle." Zhou Jianxing was a little flustered by that look and quickly bowed to greet him. His voice unconsciously tightened, "I am..."

She was stuck, not knowing how to introduce her relationship with Wen Lingyi. She subconsciously turned her head to look at Wen Lingyi, her eyes a little helpless.

"Dad," Wen Lingyi took a step forward, subtly blocking Zhou Jianxing behind her, and spoke in a calm tone. "What brings you here? Have you eaten yet? If not, sit down and have something to eat with us?"

She knew very well that her father's sudden visit was definitely not a good intention.

"Eat?" Wen Shuli sneered, but still sat down at the head of the table, staring at Wen Lingyi with a sharp gaze. "Your ex-girlfriend even came to my company today and made a scene."

"So I came here specially to see if what she said was true or not."

"Wen Lingyi, shouldn't you explain to me what's going on?"

It was indeed Zhu Yang.

Wen Lingyi's heart sank, but then she felt relieved.

Now that my father already knows, there is nothing to hide.

She took a deep breath and reached out to hold Zhou Jianxing's hand, which was tugging at the side of his pants due to nervousness. The palm of her hand was cold and sweaty.

She pulled Zhou Jianxing and sat down opposite Wen Shuli. She raised her head, met her father's gaze, and said calmly, "Dad, let me introduce you."

"This is my girlfriend, Zhou Jianxing."

Wen Shuli's face instantly darkened to the point of looking like water dripping out of it: "Do you want to listen to what you're saying?"

"I made it very clear," Wen Lingyi repeated without flinching, emphasizing each word, "My girlfriend, Zhou Jianxing."

"We've been living together for a while."

"Break up with her." Wen Shuli's order was firm. He didn't even look at Wen Lingyi, but his eyes moved to a plate of red and green pickled radishes in the middle of the dining table.

"Three words," Wen Lingyi's jawline tightened, "Impossible."

"Wen Lingyi," Wen Shuli suddenly raised his head, his face wrinkled from the effort, his features squeezed together. "From childhood to adulthood, I have never been so disappointed in you as I am right now!"

His wife passed away early, and for the sake of his daughter, Wen Shuli never remarried for many years.

Wen Lingyi has always been his pride since she was a child, in her studies, career, and even her later marriage to Su Zhe.

Although he knew that the real situation might not be that simple, at least it looked good on the surface, and he felt relieved.

He had a vague idea that his daughter was a lesbian in his early years, but he was unwilling to think about it too deeply. Even when she told him clearly, he refused to believe it.

Now that it was torn open and bloody in front of him, the first thing he thought of was the reputation of the Wen family, and... wouldn't it mean that there would be no descendants?

"Uncle," Zhou Jianxing felt her heart tighten as she watched the tense atmosphere between the father and daughter. She stammered, trying to say something to ease the situation, "I..."

"Shut up!" Wen Shuli glared at her fiercely, his voice as cold as iron, "You have no right to speak here!"

Zhou Jianxing's face turned pale in an instant. She pursed her lips, swallowed all the words, and clenched her fingers tighter under the table.

"Then what's going on between you and Su Zhe?" Wen Shuli closed his eyes and rubbed his swollen temples vigorously. "Even if...even if you found a normal man, I wouldn't be as angry as I am now!"

"I've never liked men," Wen Lingyi thought it was both ridiculous and pathetic to say this, and the fake smile on her lips could no longer be held. "You should have known this many years ago, right?"

"Wen Lingyi!" Wen Shuli opened his eyes and looked at his daughter's stubborn yet familiar face, but at this moment he felt extremely strange and even disgusted.

"Did I indulge you too much? Did I spoil you too much? That's why you have this reckless and lawless personality!"

His trembling fingers first pointed at the pale Zhou Jianxing: "Her," then pointed at Wen Lingyi, "and the identity of the heir to the Wen family, you can only choose one."

When Wen Lingyi heard this proposition of choosing between two options, she felt relieved.

She shrugged indifferently, her tone even a little sarcastic: "I am your only daughter." She reminded her father of this fact.

"So what?" Wen Shuli frowned even more tightly, his tone resolute, "As long as my company can continue to develop in the long run, it doesn't matter whether you are the heir or not."

"I've told you before that you're too sentimental and emotional. You're not suited to management."

"Listen to me, break up with this woman, return to your family honestly, and continue living with Su Zhe." Wen Shuli still couldn't help it, and slammed the table heavily, making a dull loud noise.

"If you insist on going your own way and choose this evil path, then from now on, you will no longer be my daughter, Wen Shuli!"

"Dad," Wen Lingyi's face had lost all color, but she was still making a final effort, trying to call back Wen Shuli's fatherly love. "It's been so many years, can't you really try to accept the real me? I'm not happy..."

She recalled the time in high school when she first mustered up the courage to confess her sexual orientation to her father.

The priceless tea set was instantly reduced to dust, with fragments splattered everywhere.

Of course, Wen Lingyi is almost thirty years old now, and is no longer the frightened and helpless girl.

On the surface, Wen Shuli's temper seemed to be much milder than before.

But some essential things have never changed.

"I will consider you dead." Wen Shuli turned his face away, unmoved, and the words he threw out pierced Wen Lingyi's heart.

When people are extremely emotional, they are likely to speak without thinking and say some extreme angry words.

At this time, the most sensible thing to do is for both parties to calm down first, give each other some space and time, and then look for opportunities to communicate.

But obviously, at this moment, Wen Shuli and Wen Lingyi were completely overwhelmed by anger and disappointment. No one was willing or able to take a step back.

Zhou Jianxing was terrified watching from the side, and she quietly and gently pulled Wen Lingyi's sleeve.

Now she sat here, feeling like an unnecessary sinner, embarrassed and cramped.

Two people who should have been the closest to each other in the world had such a fierce conflict because of her existence.

This filled her with a sense of guilt.

"If you insist on saying it this far," Wen Lingyi's heart completely sank. She sneered and tightly grasped Zhou Jianxing's cold fingers with her backhand, like a drowning person grasping at the last straw, "Then just treat me as if I'm dead."

She turned her face away and no longer looked into her father's eyes which were filled with anger and determination.

"Good, good, good!" Wen Shuli said three good words in a row, pointing his index finger at Wen Lingyi, his lips trembling with anger.

"From now on, I will immediately freeze all the supplementary bank cards in your name. You will not get a penny from me anymore!"

"You are not allowed to take any of the cars, jewelry, and luxury goods under your name. I have all the spending records!"

"It's up to you." Wen Lingyi was extremely sad, but she showed a numb calmness.

She didn't want to argue anymore, she just felt extremely tired.

"Since you and Su Zhe are not actually husband and wife," Wen Shuli stood up, straightened his suit jacket, and finally gave a cold order, "complete the divorce procedures with him as soon as possible!"

"You are dragging this on like this, living with someone else, what a mess!"

After saying that, he strode away without looking back. The heavy sound of the door closing echoed in the villa, making people tremble.

·

After Wen Shuli left, the restaurant fell into silence.

Wen Lingyi stood there for a while, then turned around and went upstairs without saying a word, returned to the master bedroom, closed the door with her backhand, but did not lock it.

Zhou Jianxing stood there with cold hands and feet.

She silently went to the kitchen to pour a cup of hot water, and walked to the door of the master bedroom, but heard suppressed, subtle sobs coming from inside.

With her hands raised in the air, she didn't knock on the door in the end. She just leaned her back against the cold door and slowly slid down to the ground.

The hot water in her hands gradually cooled down, just like her mood at the moment.

In the bedroom, Wen Lingyi collapsed on the carpet, tears silently falling, leaving a dark mark on the carpet.

She held a ball of tissue in her hand but forgot to wipe her cheek.

These were the harshest and most heartless words her father had ever said to her.

How could she not be sad? That was her only remaining blood relative in this world.

However, beneath this overwhelming sadness, there is strangely mixed a feeling of relief.

Just like an actor who has worked diligently and played the role expected of him for too long, the moment has finally come to take off all the makeup and bid farewell to the stage.

Such acting had already exhausted her.

From then on, she could finally try to live her life as her true self, even if the road ahead was unknown and even full of thorns.

But she won't be alone.

Wen Lingyi calmed down and stood up to go downstairs to drink some water. When she pushed the door, she felt a sense of stagnation, and then the door was opened from the outside.

It was Zhou Jianxing standing at the door holding a glass of water and looking at her.

"Zhou Jianxing," Wen Lingyi rushed into Zhou Jianxing's arms fiercely, "I am finally free."

The water in the cup was splashed out by the impact, soaking the two people's white slippers.