The Temptation of CEO's Pregnant Ex-Wife
Chapter 200 Cautious and Calculating

Chapter 200: Chapter 200 Cautious and Calculating

"Everyone can be your pawn and sacrificial piece, can’t they?" Her eyes brimmed with pale and feeble tears, "Actually, if you had simply asked me to deceive Meng Qiancheng, I would have agreed without hesitation and accomplished it. But why did you purposely let her misunderstand and fall into this trap?"

He held the lives of her family and friends in his hands; with just a casual threat, she had to obediently comply. Whatever Cheng Zhiyin could do she was also capable of doing.

But he chose Cheng Zhiyin, who should not have been involved.

"That was a misunderstanding. At the start, I truly hoped that she would be the one to take care of you."

It was only after Cheng Zhiyin and Meng Qiancheng interacted that he learned Cheng Zhiyin had overheard his conversation with Zhang Yuanheng.

Cheng Zhiwei couldn’t help but laugh sarcastically, "Well, then let me ask you, during the time you refused to divorce me and were treating me well, was it because you were using me as a shield for Seo Zhenzhen?"

Zhou Lin’s face stiffened.

"To avoid having me imprisoned, you were willing to hand over half of your management rights, letting everyone believe you favored me. All the harm was directed at me. Zhou Lin, dare you say that in your heart, I am not Seo Zhenzhen’s shield?"

Of course, Zhou Lin dared not admit it, because that was precisely what he had thought from the start.

He thought, Cheng Zhiwei is in good health; she can run and jump around, and with him by her side, she is much better off than Seo Zhenzhen.

He remained silent.

Cheng Zhiwei continued, "You know very well whether my sister approached Meng Qiancheng because of a misunderstanding. And online, Zhou Lin, watching those people brutally curse me, could you really not handle it? No, you just wanted me to have nothing, to obediently serve as Seo Zhenzhen’s shield and umbrella..."

The more she spoke, the more she regretted her naivete in falling for such a scheming man from the beginning.

She had harmed herself and her sister as well.

"I’ve said it before, give me time," Zhou Lin said solemnly, "I’ll make sure everything is arranged for Cheng Zhiyin. Trust me."

"Please, release my sister. You’ll think of some other way to handle this, won’t you?" Cheng Zhiwei turned away, closing her eyes and curling up into herself.

Trust him?

She had endangered not just herself but everyone around her.

The silence lingered in the air, filled only with Zhou Lin’s oppressive presence.

"Temporarily, it’s not possible," Zhou Lin delivered the answer.

Cheng Zhiwei knew it would be like this and didn’t want to speak anymore.

Zhou Lin stood for a while before speaking indifferently, "You are emotionally unstable right now. Rest well, and when you’re ready, we can talk again."

The sound of footsteps receded and disappeared at the doorway.

Cheng Zhiwei, with her eyes wide open, felt a harsh dryness in her eyes. Despite the suffocating blockage in her heart urging her to cry, she couldn’t shed a single tear, leaving her in discomfort.

Wang Mei handed her a cup of hot water, saying gently and patiently, "Young Madam, we must have faith in the Young Master. He will definitely ensure Miss Zhiyin is safe."

A wisp of steam clouded over Cheng Zhiwei’s eyes, sealing her deep sorrow layer by layer. Her voice was empty and lifeless, "Aunt Wang, I want to go home."

"Home? But your health..."

"I won’t die." Cheng Zhiwei took a sip of hot water, her eyelashes quivering.

Wang Mei didn’t dare to decide on her own and asked Zhou Lin, who responded indifferently, "Let her be."

Cheng Zhiwei wanted to return to Maple Courtyard, the home of Cheng Zhiyin, but Zhou Lin did not allow it, instructing the driver to head back to Sparkling Sky City instead.

Zhou Lin didn’t go back, but he inquired daily about Cheng Zhiwei’s condition from Wang Mei.

Wang Mei’s reports were the same every day; Cheng Zhiwei spent her time in a daze, eating little and not in good spirits.

Until one day, she expressed her concern, "The Young Madam’s reactions seem to have slowed down, often requiring me to repeat myself several times before she responds."

It took a few seconds for the other end of the phone to reply, "I’ll come home tonight."

At eight o’clock in the evening, Zhou Lin arrived home to find that the spacious living room showed no sign of Cheng Zhiwei.

After hanging up his coat, he asked with a frown, "Where is she?"

Wang Mei hurriedly said, "The Young Madam went to sleep around six o’clock."

Zhou Lin’s pupils trembled slightly as he handed his coat to Wang Mei and ascended the stairs, gently and slowly pushing open the door to the master bedroom, which was also devoid of Cheng Zhiwei’s presence.

He turned and walked toward the bathroom.

Upon opening the door, Cheng Zhiwei was revealed, soaking in the bathtub.

She lay motionless, curled up, her pale skin showing patches of red from scrubbing.

This familiar scene caused Zhou Lin’s body to stiffen.

His throat was dry as he moved, not bothering to roll up his sleeves before reaching into the water to test the temperature.

As expected, the water was cold.

He reached out to lift Cheng Zhiwei, his voice exceptionally gentle and cautious, "The water’s cold, come out and get dressed, alright?"

Cheng Zhiwei merely stared at the surface of the water, her long hair soaked, dripping as she remained motionless.

She repeated in desperation, "But there’s so much blood, I’ve washed so many times, and it just won’t come off, it won’t wash away..."

Zhou Lin’s hand went numb in the icy water, and after a long while, he seemed to regain his voice, "The water’s cold."

Cheng Zhiwei feverishly rubbed her skin with a towel, quickly making the red marks even more apparent.

But she kept scrubbing mechanically, as if without feeling.

Unable to bear it any longer, Zhou Lin snatched the towel from her and tossed it aside, and Cheng Zhiwei started to rub with her hands, over and over again.

Zhou Lin’s anger flared, his eyes reddening as he lifted her from the water, wrapped her in a bath towel, and placed her in bed before changing her clothes, "You’re clean now, already very clean."

Cheng Zhiwei beat at Zhou Lin and struggled fiercely, trying to get back to the bathroom; her wet hair tangled and messed, soaking Zhou Lin’s head and face with water.

Zhou Lin bent down and held her tightly in his arms, his gaze tender and calm, and though he knew Cheng Zhiwei couldn’t hear him, he repeated over and over, "It’s okay, Cheng Zhiwei, you’re already very clean."

It’s unclear how much time passed before Cheng Zhiwei, exhausted from struggling, went limp and started to drift off to sleep.

Only then did Zhou Lin gradually loosen his grip on her, allowing her to lie down properly and proceeded to dry her hair.

After settling Cheng Zhiwei, two hours had passed, and he stared blankly at her pale sleeping face, his palm subconsciously touching her cheek, the temperature of his touch unexpectedly cold—his palm slid under the blanket to find Cheng Zhiwei’s hand, which was just as cold.

She was like a lifeless body, without warmth.

He quickly undressed and lay down in the bed, his long arms pulling Cheng Zhiwei into his embrace, positioning her against his heart.

Cheng Zhiwei was awakened by the heat, and with a severe headache, she moved slightly and felt the unusual warmth beside her.

She looked up to see Zhou Lin’s sleeping face, and scrambled out of his embrace, clutching the blanket tightly, biting her lip, her expression suddenly turning distressed.

"I didn’t push Bai Zhuzhu."

No sooner had the words left her mouth than her wrist was grasped; she looked up, unprepared, to meet Zhou Lin’s sleepy eyes shifting focus, she trembled, hugging herself, "I didn’t push Bai Zhuzhu, I was trying to hold onto her."