"Mr. Zhou, your application for euthanasia has been approved. I must ask you one final time: are you certain you wish to relinquish your life?"
Zhou Du cast a glance at the medical report confirming his terminal cancer. His expression remained completely undisturbed, like a stagnant pool of water without a single ripple.
"I am."
"Very well. Please select your preferred method and time. We currently offer three options: cyanide injection, oral sleeping pills, or a coagulant injection."
Zhou Du had researched these details long ago. Without a moment's hesitation, he gave his answer.
"The coagulant injection. In half a month, I will travel to Switzerland."
There, he would die legally. There would be no more Zhou Du in this world.
At that very same moment, on the most expensive strip of Hang City, a massive screen was broadcasting news of the Yaodu company's successful IPO in Silicon Valley.
This company was co-founded by Chu Luyao and Zhou Du.
However, at their wedding five years ago, Chu Luyao had publicly announced that she was transferring all her shares and every asset under her name to him.
The name "Yaodu" was chosen to symbolize their wish to remain together until their hair turned white with age—a promise of eternity.
Today was their fifth wedding anniversary. Chu Luyao had specifically chosen this date for the IPO to announce to the whole world that she, Chu Luyao, loved Zhou Du regardless of the cost.
Furthermore, on every anniversary, Chu Luyao would select one hundred lucky couples who were married on the same day to enjoy free experiences at the company's luxury hotels, restaurants, and amusement parks.
Because of her grand gestures, their love story had exploded across all online platforms, maintaining a feverish level of popularity.
The entire internet was discussing their "fairy-tale romance." There were even some clout-chasing streamers who tried to "expose" them, infiltrating the company to interview employees to find out if Zhou Du and Chu Luyao were truly in love.
Employees who were originally rushing to get off work stopped in their tracks, eager to gossip:
"Of course it's real! I heard that back in the day, the Boss Lady cut ties with her family just to be with President Zhou. When Yaodu was just founded, she scrimped and saved, living in a leaky basement just so she could buy President Zhou expensive suits. She wanted him to have 'face' when he went out to negotiate business."
"Later, when Yaodu took off, the Boss Lady stepped back and handed the entire company over to President Zhou. She opened her own law firm just so she could provide legal aid to him at any time... If it weren't for the fact that President Zhou is truly worth it, we'd all be calling the Boss Lady a total 'love brain'!"
This was clearly not the scoop the anti-fan streamer wanted. He asked several more people in succession, eventually not even sparing the cleaning lady by the roadside.
The cleaning lady slammed her mop onto the ground and spoke in a thick, distinct dialect.
"How are the Boss Lady and President Zhou not true love? Just a few days ago, I saw them hugging and locking lips right here! That intensity... it made an old woman like me blush..."
As she spoke, a shy smile appeared on the cleaning lady's face, but she quickly looked at the streamer with disdain. "Looking at you, you must be a 'single dog.' That's why you spend all day questioning this and that. Come sweep the streets with me for two days; that'll straighten you out!"
The streamer rubbed his nose, looking thoroughly embarrassed.
The netizens in the livestream chat mocked him relentlessly.
[Straight for the heart! The streamer can't hide his identity as a single dog anymore!]
[Auntie's roasting skills are trendy! But honestly, coming here to expose Zhou Du and Chu Luyao is like kicking an iron plate. The sky might fall, but those two will never break up. Guaranteed true love!]
Zhou Du, who was also watching the livestream, saw the barrage of comments. His eyes, however, were deep and cold.
Because his father's philandering had caused his mother's depression and early death, Zhou Du had never been close to his father. He possessed an almost obsessive emotional cleanliness.
From a young age, he had resolved never to be a rotten man like his father. In this life, he would love only one person. If there was betrayal, he would never forgive it.
So, during university, even when faced with the pursuit of the campus beauty, Chu Luyao, Zhou Du remained unmoved.
Girls with that kind of beauty and family background usually just played around with feelings. Even if they got together, they would surely break up upon graduation.
But Chu Luyao was unexpectedly persistent.
Starting from their sophomore year, she pestered him relentlessly. No matter how many times he rejected her, her skin was thicker than a city wall. Every day, rain or shine, she would block him downstairs at his dormitory just to treat him to a meal.
No matter how malicious or harsh his words were, her eyes would still look at him with sparkling laughter. Once, just because he deliberately made things difficult by saying he wanted a pair of out-of-print sneakers, she lowered her dignity to work as a maid for a month for a seller who already had designs on her, nearly getting taken advantage of.
In that moment, his heart finally softened.
After they got together, Chu Luyao remained the same—waiting downstairs at his dorm every day, reserving seats in the library in advance... She prioritized him in everything. The only difference was that she became bolder, pouncing on him whenever she found the chance, her hands wandering, her eyes looking at him with distinctly impure thoughts.
But undeniably, as a man, he was truly happy in his heart.
They broke the curse of "graduation means breaking up," but Chu Luyao's parents didn't like him. They thought he was rebellious; his mother was dead, he didn't get along with his father, and getting married meant he couldn't offer any help to Chu Luyao or the Chu family.
At that moment, he almost thought the relationship had reached its end.
But Chu Luyao's petite body stood in front of him like a shield. She was willing to sever ties with her parents just to be with him.
So, when they got married, Zhou Du made a lifelong vow in front of all the guests.
"Yaoyao, in the past, you were always the one walking toward me. In the future, you only need to stay by my side. I promise you, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, I, Zhou Du, will stay by your side. One couple for one lifetime."
"There is only one condition: I absolutely cannot tolerate deception and betrayal. If that happens, I will completely vanish from your world."
Everything from the past felt like yesterday, yet now it had all turned into bubbles waiting to burst.
Because one month ago, when Zhou Du received his diagnosis for late-stage stomach cancer, he discovered that Chu Luyao was cheating.
It was also then that he learned Chu Luyao had a childhood sweetheart—her first love.
And the object of her affair was named Song Yuhuan.
He was a male university student she had been sponsoring. He had just graduated last year and was arranged by Chu Luyao to work as Zhou Du's assistant.
And this Song Yuhuan was the younger brother of Chu Luyao's first love, wearing a face that looked exactly like him.
Zhou Du stood by the window looking out, his tall figure appearing somewhat desolate against the city lights.
After a long time, he finally turned around. He picked up the divorce agreement the lawyer had printed out and signed it, his expression hard and cold.
If Chu Luyao had fallen in love with someone else, she could have just told him.
But she chose betrayal.
And just as he had said at their wedding, he would completely vanish from Chu Luyao's world!
After signing the agreement, Zhou Du placed the divorce papers, along with the wedding ring Chu Luyao had personally designed, into a box. He called for a courier to send it to Chu Luyao's law firm.
Soon, Chu Luyao called him via video chat, her expression looking pleasantly surprised.
"Ah Du, the receptionist said you sent me a package. Is it an anniversary gift? It's a pity I'm out right now, otherwise, I'd want to open it immediately!"
As she moved, Zhou Du saw an ambiguous red mark faintly visible on the collar of Chu Luyao's shirt—a hickey. The emotions he had just suppressed surged up again, violent and suffocating.
He closed his eyes briefly. "Mn."
After a pause, he added, "Open it in half a month."
Chu Luyao's expression became even more expectant. She couldn't wait and asked the receptionist to take a photo of the package, which she then posted to her WeChat Moments.
[An anniversary gift from my darling hubby. He specifically told me to wait half a month to open it. Expecting...]
Zhou Du stared at her post for a long time, his eyes obscure and dim.
I hope that when the time comes, you will still be as happy as you are now.