The night was deep.

In a warehouse on the outskirts of Haixia City, agonizing screams echoed through the air.

Three men, bound and suspended from the ceiling, were bruised and bloodied. Beside them stood several expressionless men in suits.

“I confess! I admit it all! Everything I did was under the Young Master’s orders!”

“Second Young Master, please spare us; we won’t dare do it again!”

These bound men were begging the man before them, pitiful in their pleas. Who could have imagined that these ruthless men, who had committed countless unspeakable deeds for Lin Zhixing, former chairman of the Lin Group, would be so desperate now?

“Why must you make me resort to violence before you talk?” Lin Zhiming said, feigning exasperation. He was seated before the trio, legs crossed and his expression a calm mix of indifference and authority.

Though only twenty-eight, Lin Zhiming possessed a maturity beyond his years. His demeanor had shattered the preconceived notions of the three men before him. Until today, they had thought this handsome second son of the Lin family was nothing more than a spineless fool. In fact, many in Haixia City viewed Lin Zhiming as a pushover, someone who wouldn’t strike back if hit or talk back if insulted.

Who would have thought that this "coward" would one day personally send his elder brother, Lin Zhixing, to prison and push the entire Lin Group to the verge of bankruptcy?

"People are stubborn creatures; sometimes, you have to break their bones," commented a middle-aged man beside Lin Zhiming.

“Dong Jian, you’re ruthless! We’re all Young Master’s men!” one of the three bound men shouted.

“Then go ahead and break their bones,” Lin Zhiming said with a faint smile. “I want something more valuable out of them.”

The men in suits resumed their assault on the trio. The ground was already littered with splattered blood.

Lin Zhiming calmly raised his right hand, extending his middle and index fingers. Dong Jian, standing nearby, promptly placed a cigarette between them and lit it.

Taking a drag, Lin Zhiming leaned back in his chair and spoke softly, “The sweetest music in the world is the cries of one’s enemies, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Yes, indeed,” Dong Jian replied, showing no sympathy for the men’s plight. They had committed countless heinous acts, and this was simply karma catching up with them.

As for the so-called Young Master… Dong Jian smirked. The spoiled young master, who had committed numerous crimes, was now waiting for legal judgment in prison. He likely couldn’t imagine that his once weak and feeble brother had grown into a powerful figure right under his nose.

Much later, the three bound men revealed more damning information about Lin Zhixing. Lin Zhiming finished his cigarette and, after snuffing it out, turned to Dong Jian. “That woman is working to get his sentence reduced to probation. With this new evidence, he’ll never leave prison, right?”

“Killing him would be simpler,” Dong Jian suggested.

After a pause, Lin Zhiming replied, “Ending his life is not the worst punishment. I want him alive, watching as everything he once owned is taken by the person he despised the most. Our grudge won’t be settled by something as simple as life or death. I want him to live in agony.”

Lin Zhiming’s tone was chillingly calm, as if he were discussing something as ordinary as dinner, yet his words were bone-chilling.

The three bound men, beaten to a pulp, couldn’t hide their terror. One of them trembled, saying, “Second Young Master, after all, he’s your brother. He didn’t treat you badly. How can you do this to him?”

“Brother? Treated me well?” Lin Zhiming looked at him with a cold smile. “If it weren’t for my father’s protection, if I hadn’t acted like the incompetent Second Young Master of the Lin family, that so-called brother of mine would have sent me to the grave long ago. I endured it all for the family, but I never expected him and that woman to turn on my father! Taking down Lin Zhixing is only the first step. A father’s murder is unforgivable. One day, they will all pay for what happened three years ago. No one will escape!”

As he spoke, a terrifyingly cold light flashed in Lin Zhiming’s eyes, and a powerful aura of menace emanated from him. Both his subordinates and the bound men felt an overwhelming sense of suffocation.

Only now did they realize the second son of the Lin family was no coward; he was a demon in disguise.

Ding… Ling Zhiming’s phone suddenly rang, dispersing the coldness in his eyes.

“Hello, Jingjing,” he said softly.

“It’s late; I’m getting ready for bed,” a woman’s calm voice responded. Her tone was cool, almost indifferent.

“Alright, I’ll be home soon,” he replied as usual.

After hearing his response, the woman on the other end hung up. Lin Zhiming put his phone away.

“Was that the young madam?” Dong Jian asked.

“Yes,” Lin Zhiming nodded.

“You’ve hidden yourself for years. If anyone has suffered, it’s her, caught in the dark without knowing the truth,” Dong Jian said.

“Yes…” Lin Zhiming replied quietly. “Yao Jing is known throughout Haixia City as a strong businesswoman, the most beautiful rose with thorns. When our marriage was arranged four years ago, it was the biggest joke in the city. I thought she’d leave after a year, but she stayed, bearing four years of ridicule.”

“What do you plan to do?” Dong Jian asked.

“I’ve waited three years to strike. That woman and her family won’t let this slide easily. The road ahead will be difficult. She doesn’t need to face that risk. I think it’s time to divorce her,” Lin Zhiming said resolutely.

“Will she agree?” Dong Jian asked, frowning.

“For her, these four years haven’t been easy. Perhaps she’s been waiting for me to bring it up. After all, no one would want to stay with a coward, especially a woman like her.”

The night was deep.

At Haixia City’s Jingyuan Residential Complex, Apartment B1002.

Lin Zhiming opened the door to his home. A cool breeze greeted him, and on the sofa sat a woman, typing on her laptop.

This was Yao Jing, his wife of four years.

Yao Jing was a woman whose beauty could ruin kingdoms. If one had no concept of ancient beauties, seeing Yao Jing would make it clear that such legendary beauties were not a myth.

Yao Jing was tall, about 1.7 meters—just enough to be statuesque without intimidating most men. Her weight had never exceeded 95 pounds, nor dipped below 90, making her proportions perfect.

Her long, silky hair framed a stunning face, with large, beautiful eyes and full, naturally rosy lips. Her slightly low-cut shirt revealed a graceful neck and collarbone, while her loose silk nightgown did little to hide her perfect curves.

Four years ago, when Yao Jing stepped into the business world, she immediately captured countless hearts. They say her admirers could circle Haixia City.

So when Yao Jing married Lin Zhiming four years ago, the hearts of all the city’s men shattered, while the women celebrated. What could be more satisfying than seeing a stunning woman wed to a useless man?

Over these four years, rumors had spread of Yao Jing’s liaisons with other men. After all, no one could believe she would willingly stay with a weak man like Lin Zhiming.

Lin Zhiming walked to the sofa and sat beside her.

“Jingjing, my brother has been arrested,” he said cautiously.

“Oh?” Yao Jing didn’t look away from her laptop.

“I heard the Lin family is now in chaos, facing fines and compensation. Bankruptcy seems inevitable,” he added.

“And?” She stopped typing and looked at him.

“Well… I was thinking… You didn’t marry me out of love but because the Yao family wanted to align with the Lin family. Now that the Lin family is of no use, you… you could leave me. I know these past four years haven’t been happy for you. Don’t worry; I’ll tell everyone it was my decision to divorce, so it won’t affect you.”

“Finished?” Yao Jing asked calmly.

Lin Zhiming nodded.

“Go to bed. I have some things to finish,” she said.

“What about the divorce?” he asked, confused.

“I, Yao Jing, am your wife for one day, and for a lifetime. Even if we grow old together, I won’t divorce you,” she replied, waving him away.

Her words stunned him. He had thought divorce was inevitable, yet here she was, refusing with absolute firmness.

Why? They had no marital intimacy, not even sharing a bed. Why wouldn’t she leave him?

Glancing at her, Lin Zhiming paused in silence before returning to his room.