The next day, Ning Yue went for a medical checkup and arrived late to work.
Pan Jie hurried over, about to speak, but paused when she saw Ning Yue’s haggard appearance and carefully asked, “Um, is your child seriously ill?”
It seemed Pan Jie assumed she had taken sick leave because her child was unwell. Ning Yue smiled self-mockingly and said, “He’s fine. I’m the one who’s feeling a bit under the weather.”
Zhong Tianming, who happened to be passing by, teased Pan Jie: “See? Once you become a mother, you don’t even have the chance to take care of your health! Yet here you are, constantly talking about chasing after someone. You don’t appreciate your current happiness!”
Pan Jie angrily kicked Zhong Tianming away, but realizing her words did carry that meaning, she smiled awkwardly at Ning Yue and asked, “Are you okay?”
In terms of position, Pan Jie outranked Ning Yue. In terms of age, Ning Yue was older than Pan Jie. Well-mannered Pan Jie never pulled rank and had always been courteous to Ning Yue from the start. Or rather, she was like this with everyone—except Zhong Tianming.
Ning Yue shook her head. “It’s nothing, some medicine will fix it. I’ve already sent you the questionnaire analysis for the logistics procurement section. Did you receive it?”
Pan Jie nodded and said, “Yes, I got it. Thank you for your hard work! I’ve already incorporated it into the master sheet. We still need your help analyzing the channel sales section. Also, the internal investigation is mostly complete, but I have several departments whose contents need to be cross-checked against the archives for timeline verification. I’ve organized everything; it just needs to be checked against the records. However, there’s an urgent matter in HR that Director Qin asked me to handle. So about this…”
“That’s fine! But I might…”
“No, no! Just try to complete it during office hours. I think three days should be enough.”
Seeing that Pan Jie had thought everything through, Ning Yue didn’t say anything more and accepted the materials from her hands.
The phone rang—it was He Kuan. Upon hearing that Ning Yue was sick, He Kuan’s concern carried a hint of anxiety. Only after Ning Yue repeatedly emphasized that it was just a minor physical issue, nothing serious, and wouldn’t affect her work, did He Kuan’s worry subside.
Ning Yue’s assessment matched Qin Can’s, but during this period, she also had to review contracts again. Like all lawyers, Ning Yue had a particular fear of typos. This stemmed partly from her professional attention to detail, but also because her mentor had instilled this pickiness through punishment, embedding it deep within her. When she first started working, the extreme punishment of deducting 100 yuan for each typo once made her dream about owing her boss millions!
On top of the pile of documents Pan Jie brought over, there was now another stack of contracts for He Kuan’s project, printed on recycled paper. No matter how advanced electronic screens became, nothing was as reassuring as checking against physical copies.
Ning Yue concentrated on her work, and the morning passed without notice. After arranging lunch for her colleagues, she took her water cup to the break room. Zhong Tianming happened to be going there too, and as they walked together, he repeatedly emphasized that next time he would find a way to get rice noodles, specifically from that shop downstairs that looked like Director Qin’s place. The two entered the break room laughing, where Lawyer Qian was leisurely drinking tea. Seeing people come in, he smiled warmly and invited everyone to sit down, bringing out a small tea box: “Here, try this. I brought it back from my business trip. It’s especially fragrant.”
Zhong Tianming turned to look at the door, and Lawyer Qian understood immediately, “Director Qin won’t come. Court documents aren’t that easy to copy.”
Ning Yue was usually quiet and rarely inquired about business in the legal department. However, people would chat about certain public information. What Lawyer Qian mentioned was a case from six months ago—also the trigger for this internal investigation—where a business manager from the procurement department had been reported for corruption and was now under court trial.
It originally had nothing to do with Qin Can, as the corporate legal department had its liaison. Moreover, when such things happened, companies tended to distance themselves; even with losses of hundreds of millions, they would limit themselves to “cooperating with the investigation” as long as they could absorb the loss. This wasn’t out of corporate kindness, but because such cases often involved numerous internal personnel, pulling out one turnip would bring up a lot of soil, potentially causing a major personnel earthquake that could affect even the executives’ futures.
However, during Monday’s regular meeting, Qin Can’s frosty mockery that Luo Yating only knew how to lead the legal department in stamping documents provoked Luo. That light comment resulted in Qin Can being assigned the civil compensation case against the former procurement manager, in addition to the internal investigation tasks. According to the principle that criminal proceedings take precedence over civil ones, Qin Can would be tied up with the same case for a long time, which inevitably frustrated lawyers who were used to calculating income over time. Yet, Qin Can swallow this bitter pill without changing expression, and in response to colleagues’ intentional or unintentional provocations, merely said calmly, “We’re corporate lawyers on fixed salaries, we don’t have that many billboards!” Then she started spinning like a top!
This was also what moved Ning Yue. Everyone was working themselves to death, and the boss was equally busy. That atmosphere of focusing on work rather than personal conflicts suited Ning Yue’s taste perfectly! Every time she saw everyone so invested in their work, Ning Yue couldn’t help wanting to join in!
However, she was no longer her former self. Her life had developed a branch, one that was soft and fragile, requiring more of her nurturing. Work only fulfilled and added value to her own life, but that “branch” needed far more than her brilliant work performance and creation of tremendous value. Ning Yue understood that if work and life were divided into two parts after that “branch” appeared, the “life” portion had significantly increased in proportion. Given her limited energy, work had been inevitably compressed—perhaps things would change after that “branch” became stronger?
Although she clearly understood her situation and never regretted her choice, Ning Yue still couldn’t help envying Qin Can and her team. That kind of toughness and unwillingness to admit defeat seemed to transport Ning Yue through time: she saw that half-dead person who was so seasick on the boat that she vomited until blood appeared in the yellow bile. She saw that would be written on a stormy night at sea. She saw that stubborn girl who cut her arm with a knife in front of five or six large men, just to scare them into returning a fifty-thousand-yuan debt. She saw that unknown lawyer who had to hold up banners to attract media attention to gain visiting rights when blocked by police outside the detention center…
The leisurely atmosphere in the break room softened Ning Yue’s expression. She bent slightly, half-leaning against the table, gently lifting her cup and rolling it slowly against her cheek.
“Speaking of which!” Zhong Tianming suddenly lowered his voice, “Director Yang’s resignation was very timely!”
Lawyer Qian smiled with downcast eyes, “If he hadn’t left, General Manager Chen wouldn’t have felt at ease!”
Something flickered through Ning Yue’s memory, but before she could grasp it, she heard Zhong Tianming sigh: “Everyone hates corruption, but unfortunately, they always swat flies instead of tigers.”
“Swatting flies is already not bad. However, we’re all swatting flies around a manure pit, counting them one by one as they die. Don’t have too high hopes!” Lawyer Qian rarely made such comments, then smiled self-mockingly, “That’s why this is a golden age for us lawyers. Little Zhong, hurry up and work hard, go practice outside, don’t stay mixed up in the company.”
Zhong Tianming said, “I’d better stay with the company, my family won’t allow it.”
Ning Yue asked curiously, “Why? Being a lawyer is great, how could your family not allow it? Besides, you studied law, shouldn’t that mean your family approved?”
Lawyer Qian looked at Zhong Tianming with an awkward expression. Ning Yue read the room and realized she had asked the wrong question. Just as she was about to backtrack, Zhong Tianming spoke up: “It’s fine. Everyone knows about this anyway. I studied law because our whole family studied it, and I didn’t have much talent, so studying this was easier. As for not becoming a lawyer… that’s also because of my father. He was arrested when I was in university, and after he got out, he lost his lawyer’s license. Since then, my mother hasn’t allowed me to work at law firms.”
Ning Yue’s father had also been imprisoned, and charged with corruption. Zhong Tianming’s father was imprisoned as a lawyer, and though the charge wasn’t mentioned, it was likely related to evidence. Whether stigmatized or not, this line of work was off-limits now.
Zhong Tianming waved his hand: “Let’s not talk about this! I’m doing fine now, working my way up slowly, becoming a senior legal counsel. When we go outside, which law firm wouldn’t treat us with respect? We’re the client! Besides, didn’t Alibaba’s founder start as Jack Ma’s legal counsel before becoming a founder? There are many more opportunities to make money than being a lawyer!”
Everyone laughed.
Ning Yue looked at Zhong Tianming, this usually playful and seemingly frivolous character who turned out to be from an established family, with such a twist in his family history—appearances really could be deceiving!
“What about you, Ning Yue?” Zhong Tianming showed that gossipy expression again, “I heard that you were that debt collection lawyer in the Du Lin Company debt dispute case back then. I never would have guessed!”
Lawyer Qian was startled; clearly, he didn’t know much about Ning Yue, but he remembered this case. Unavoidably so, as it was too extraordinary.
Lawyer Qian looked at Ning Yue and hesitantly asked, “Was that the one where you were almost taken hostage, but ended up scaring them off by cutting yourself with a knife?”
Ning Yue blushed: “It sounds bad when you put it that way. But I had no choice then!”
Back then, she had received information from the bank that Du Lin Company’s chairman had just transferred fifty thousand yuan from another account and withdrawn it in cash, though the purpose was unknown. So she intercepted him in front of his factory, initially hoping to recover twenty or thirty thousand. Unexpectedly, he made one phone call, and five bald thugs ran out from the factory to force her inside, clearly taking advantage of her being a woman!
Ning Yue didn’t dare enter the factory but couldn’t break through their encirclement. Having no choice, she took out an intimidating switchblade from her bag. She told the chairman to make a bet with her—if he won, she would submit to whatever he wanted; if he lost, he would repay the money in full! The bet involved stabbing oneself. She would count each stab as ten thousand yuan, and if he or any of his men stabbed themselves at that moment, her stabs would be nullified, and they would start over. The chairman, who dealt with both legitimate and underground circles, had naturally seen his share of the world. He had seen fearless women before, but never someone as desperate as Ning Yue.
He didn’t believe her and readily agreed to the bet. The five men beside him didn’t believe it either, watching with amused smiles as if it were a monkey show.
So when Ning Yue’s first knife solidly pierced her arm, they were shocked. When she asked who would come forward to match her, no one spoke. Ning Yue shouted “Ten thousand!” as she pulled the bloody knife out. She tore off her thin jacket to stop the bleeding, then stabbed herself in the leg! At this point, the chairman shouted, “Enough, I’ll give you all fifty thousand! Quick, get to the hospital!”
The thugs didn’t say a word as they carried Ning Yue into a car and rushed her to a nearby hospital for bandaging. Afterward, the chairman specifically invited Ning Yue to dinner to make peace. He frankly admitted that he wasn’t afraid of her dying, but just didn’t want to risk a life over fifty thousand yuan. The implication was somewhat reproachful, suggesting Ning Yue had cheapened her life. Ning Yue didn’t say much, but she knew what she was doing. In her youth, due to family circumstances, she had contemplated suicide and specifically researched how to stab herself painlessly. Then she became increasingly interested, studying not just how to fatally stab herself but also how to stab without dying—it almost became a medical thesis. By coincidence, this knowledge came in handy at that crucial moment.
Naturally, Ning Yue wouldn’t explain the details, but she did tell Zhong Tianming that she hadn’t acted recklessly, having researched the stabbing points before attempting such a move. Zhong Tianming became more interested and specifically asked for instruction. Ning Yue had no choice but to have him extend his arm and demonstrate. As they were talking, a blue shadow flashed in the doorway. Zhong Tianming suddenly pushed Ning Yue away, his body springing back as if fitted with springs.
Ning Yue was bewildered, looked up to see it was Pan Jie, and couldn’t help but look back and forth between them.
Pan Jie smiled and came closer, saying, “What are you hiding from? I saw everything! Don’t even think about it, Lawyer Ning is already taken!” She hooked her arm around Zhong Tianming’s neck and said, “Your mother wants you to get married, not become a homewrecker! Go on proper blind dates, or I’ll let your mother kill you! Come on! Let’s get back to work.”
And just like that, the one-meter-eighty-something tall Zhong Tianming was dragged away by the one-meter-sixty-three Pan Jie, her arm around his neck.
Ning Yue looked at Lawyer Qian, who smiled and said, “Those two are childhood friends, a bickering pair.”
Ning Yue suddenly understood—so there was this connection! It seemed this office held more than just colleague relationships!
Back at her desk, Ning Yue suddenly recalled Lawyer Qian’s words and remembered that Hu Cheng had also asked about the “General Manager Chen” from procurement. She wondered if they were talking about the same person. She casually checked the internal directory—there were several people surnamed Chen in the procurement department, but only one who could be called “General,” the deputy general manager of the subsidiary responsible for office logistics procurement, Chen Shihuan.
Ning Yue stood up and carried the materials Pan Jie had given her to the archives room. The dusty archives were a treasure trove; many secrets were buried within—it just depended on whether you had the heart to look! Ning Yue didn’t know exactly what she should be looking for, or about whom, she just focused on Chen Shihuan, wanting to see who he was and what he did, hoping perhaps to sketch out basic relationship patterns from the archives. She was investigating simply because Hu Cheng had specifically mentioned this person.
While looking through the archives, Ning Yue’s phone rang. It was Hu Cheng: “I hear you’re making quite a name for yourself at the company?” Even though others might hear it as teasing praise, as someone who knew Hu Cheng, Ning Yue slightly furrowed her brow and asked flatly, “You mean about taking sick leave?”
Hu Cheng paused, and forced a laugh, “Don’t worry, no one will dare fire you for taking leave anymore. No, I mean as long as we don’t resign, others can’t touch you.”
Ning Yue’s eyes flickered, her tone becoming somewhat lighter: “You did this! Who did you find? Such great influence!”
“You don’t need to know about that. Besides, at your level, you wouldn’t encounter him anyway.” Hu Cheng said lightly as if completely forgetting last night’s door-slamming exit. “Just take care of Ziyuan, work is just work. Don’t try too hard.” He paused, “I heard you became a legal consultant?”
Ning Yue wasn’t afraid of Hu Cheng slamming doors, but she was wary of this smiling Hu Cheng after the door-slamming incident. They weren’t sworn enemies as husband and wife, but they were genuinely estranged in heart and mind. Hu Cheng had never trusted her from the start, maintaining strict financial control over her. Meanwhile, after her revelation, she had been secretly looking for various breakthrough opportunities. They weren’t enemies, but their way of getting along was more like a shadow war.
Ning Yue pushed aside these thoughts and said quietly, “Ah! The department was overwhelmed, so they asked me to help temporarily. As long as it doesn’t affect my leaving work on time, I’m just lending a hand.”
Hu Cheng pondered briefly before saying, “Your help is having quite an impact; you should keep a lower profile at the company in the future. Don’t be as forceful as you were in the past.”
Ning Yue nodded in agreement, hung up the phone, and continued focusing on her work. She didn’t believe Hu Cheng had given up on the idea of making her resign. She now understood: that in a marriage without trust, the party who doesn’t create real money is just a slave! Hu Cheng wouldn’t let go of a free slave; he was just temporarily placating her after one failed attempt!
Hu Cheng put down the phone and leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes.
He certainly knew about Ning Yue’s past and had even been attracted to that past back then. But as time passed, the little details of life slowly covered those memories like layers of dust, turning them into something known but unfelt.
That morning, an old friend had called him in surprise, asking why he hadn’t mentioned having such a capable wife before, and whether they should give Ning Yue a more suitable position. Hu Cheng’s first reaction was that his other connection in this company might be exposed! After reassuring his old friend, he attributed this embarrassment to Ning Yue’s “disobedience.” Hu Cheng hadn’t asked exactly what Ning Yue had done, just automatically equating “work Ning Yue” with “past Ning Yue.” He assumed she must have been “stealing others’ business” again! However, Ning Yue’s reactions had been unexpected from the start; what he thought was important wasn’t what she focused on at all. But thinking carefully, Ning Yue’s focus aligned well with her current identity.
After the phone call, Hu Cheng felt that this “work Ning Yue” was still the shadow-bearing Ning Yue at home, while the “past Ning Yue” had truly disappeared, hadn’t she?
Hu Cheng felt he should be relieved, and his tone softened as he ended the call with Ning Yue. However, after hanging up, an unusual feeling welling up from the bottom of his heart prevented him from relaxing. He reviewed everything related to Ning Yue, determined it shouldn’t be because of her, and turned his thoughts to a project he was currently busy with. Speaking of which, this project was related to Ning Yue’s company. But he didn’t want Ning Yue to know. He had never told Ning Yue his new company’s name, address, or what industry and projects they were in! Perhaps Hu Cheng had never done it intentionally, but he had always followed his mother’s pre-marriage teachings: “A wife, after divorce, becomes someone else’s woman, only a son is truly your own. In the future, no matter how much money you make, or how big your company becomes, without a son to inherit it, you’re just making a wedding dress for others. Now that you’re married, don’t be foolish like other men, giving your wife control of the money. Before you know it, it’ll end up in someone else’s pocket!”
The old lady’s words always applied to others but not herself. She kept a death grip on the old man’s money but told her son not to give his wife a penny! However, this family had always lived this way, and no one thought there was anything wrong with it!
When Ning Yue left the archives room, Hu Cheng’s phone call reminded her of something.
She opened her computer browser, found the website she used to frequently search, entered her username and password, and surprisingly could still log in! Back then, to save trouble, she had set up automatic renewal, and after resigning, she had forgotten to cancel it—now it came in handy.
She entered Hu Cheng’s name and ID number, and a spreadsheet appeared on the screen. After thinking for a moment, she tried another keyword, and four spreadsheets suddenly appeared. This was a website for searching company, shareholder, and legal representative information. Because it was paid, the information was more detailed than the official Industrial and Commercial Bureau website, showing things like listed company structures and changes, and main revenue streams.
Ning Yue gasped at the screen—there were four companies! One of them was even an investment company!
Hu Cheng had always claimed his investments were losing money, even mortgaging their house and car, but looking at these companies—Hu Cheng was quite wealthy!
Speculation was one thing, confirming facts was another. They say spouses can be the closest or most distant of relations, and looking at the companies Hu Cheng had opened, his mistress was listed as the legal representative of one. He could trust his mistress but had kept everything hidden from his wife from the very beginning—what did he take his bedmate for?
Although Ning Yue had long given up hope for this marriage, now she didn’t even have good thoughts about human nature!
Qin Can stand outside Ning Yue’s workstation, the words he wanted to say stuck in his throat. Looking around, he saw no one was paying attention. Seeing Ning Yue’s eyelids trembling, Qin Can suddenly turned and walked away quickly. He didn’t know why he felt so guilty, but he was truly afraid to see such an expression. He remembered more than ten years ago, the day he left, carrying his luggage out of the bedroom, his mother sitting on the only sofa in the house, eyes closed just like this. Her eyelids constantly trembling. He thought he would see tears, and his own eyes were stinging. However, when she heard his footsteps, she opened her eyes and smiled: “All packed? Go on then!”
Just like when she used to send him to school, she walked beside him, helping him carry his luggage, seeing him off downstairs—where his father’s Mercedes was parked. He got in the car, and his mother smiled while telling him to be good. Then, she waved goodbye.
In the rearview mirror, he saw her still waving but didn’t see any tears.
Chronologically speaking, she committed suicide a year and a half later. And he only found out eight years after that…
Throughout the day, Hu Cheng’s work was in a daze, somehow constantly remembering what Ning Yue was like when they used to work together. Was she not like that at work now?
How did Ning Yue go to work now?
When it was time to leave work, Tian Qiuzi invited him to dinner that evening. Hu Cheng didn’t immediately agree. Just as he hesitated, Tian Qiuzi’s laughter came through the phone, “I forgot to mention, I’ve invited President Le from Lifeng Investment Company to join us. If you’re interested, that would be even better!”
The biggest difference between new companies now and in the past was that after establishment, past companies would focus on how to sell their products, with bosses mainly dealing with various major buyers. But now, startup companies focus on how to get financing; even if their products are still at the conceptual stage and impossible to implement, as long as investors are interested, they might instantly find themselves on the road to success. So, bosses now deal with various investors. Some joke: “We used to sell products, now we’re selling ourselves.”
Hu Cheng was no exception. His confidence came from his products having already opened up the market and established a stable profit model. In a sense, he preferred to wait for the right price and wasn’t in a hurry to sell. In this aspect, Hu Cheng was quite conservative; compared to those eager to make money, Hu Cheng, who started his business after leaving a big company in his thirties, had plans for the future that weren’t limited to money anymore—he also hoped to find a career worth pursuing for the rest of his life.
President Le had to be met, but there wasn’t much urgency. Hu Cheng arrived ten minutes late, and although Tian Qiuzi was slightly displeased, President Le didn’t mind much. During the dinner, amid the exchange of drinks, the atmosphere was quite good. As Hu Cheng expected, President Le was very interested in his company. Hu Cheng had only one principle: welcome the money, but don’t talk about control.
After seeing President Le off, Tian Qiuzi had Hu Cheng’s driver leave first, while she drove Hu Cheng to her place. This had been Hu Cheng’s frequent residence lately.
Tian Qiuzi still remembered what Ning Yue had said. She suspected that even after having her, Hu Cheng still had others. These questions gnawed at Tian Qiuzi’s heart like ants. In the afternoon, she finally couldn’t resist finding an excuse to invite Hu Cheng out. From Hu Cheng’s initial reluctance to his later negligence, Tian Qiuzi saw it all, and an inexplicable anxiety turned into a blazing fire among those doubts, burning her with restlessness. She wanted to know the answer! No, she didn’t want to know the answer, she just needed Hu Cheng’s assurance, to hear it from his mouth!
“I hear Ning Yue is doing well at her new company?” Tian Qiuzi thought of the gossip she had just received.
Hu Cheng snorted, “Just a lucky accident.”
Tian Qiuzi looked at the faintly yellow road under the bright streetlights and smiled, “Oh? Maybe there’s a misunderstanding?”
“Misunderstanding? What misunderstanding?”
“I just heard that in her department, there’s a young man who seems to treat her quite well.”
Hu Cheng frowned. Tian Qiuzi quickly added, “If you think it’s necessary, I can say something to General Manager Chen, to have her stay home or transfer to another department.”
At a red light, Tian Qiuzi took advantage of the stop to turn and hold Hu Cheng’s hand, saying softly, “I don’t want you to be troubled, you’re already working so hard!”
Hu Cheng didn’t respond immediately. After a while, he looked up at Tian Qiuzi and said with emotion, “If that’s the case, then I’ll have to trouble you! But you know, I care about face. If she gets fired for making mistakes, I won’t allow it.”
Tian Qiuzi nodded with a smile. After a moment, she hesitantly asked, “You… weren’t you not coming back last night? Why did you suddenly return? Did something happen?”
Hu Cheng’s eyebrows twitched as he glanced at Tian Qiuzi with an ambiguous smile: “What, you’re not happy I came back? Or do you think I should be somewhere else?”
Tian Qiuzi’s heart skipped a beat, and her voice trembled when she spoke: “Somewhere else? You have somewhere else to go?”
Hu Cheng glanced at Tian Qiuzi, knowing what she was thinking, and his face darkened with displeasure. He didn’t like women questioning his whereabouts, and he disliked even more when the women around him inquired about each other. In comparison, Ning Yue had handled this the best. A thought flashed through Hu Cheng’s mind: his mother was right, women needed to be kept in line, wasn’t Ning Yue shaped this way too? However, now wasn’t the time to discipline Tian Qiuzi.
Tian Qiuzi wasn’t just his mistress, but also his business partner. Eighty percent of the money in his company came from her. No, only forty percent. But if you counted the interest, it would be more than eighty percent!
Thinking about this, Hu Cheng felt like he had a mouthful of dog hair. For small and medium enterprises like his, getting loans was as difficult as reaching the sky. If Tian Qiuzi hadn’t brought in a large sum of money at slightly below high interest rates, Hu Cheng didn’t know how long his company could have lasted! Despite this, Hu Cheng still didn’t want to repay the money. Fortunately, Tian Qiuzi had never pressed him for it, and everyone pretended it wasn’t a loan but an investment—without dividends!
Hu Cheng smiled slightly, glanced at Tian Qiuzi, then closed his eyes and leaned back in his seat, saying nothing more. He didn’t want to truly anger Tian Qiuzi, but he needed to make her understand her place.
Tian Qiuzi wasn’t stupid; she sensed Hu Cheng’s displeasure and warning. She laughed awkwardly and concentrated on driving.
Hu Cheng pretended to doze, the engine’s low rumble seeming to come from another universe. He remembered from long ago when Ning Yue had questioned him. Actually—Hu Cheng thought silently—I seem to have never disciplined Ning Yue about this matter.
That time, Ning Yue hadn’t been as indirect as Tian Qiuzi. She was Hu Cheng’s wife and his legal partner; they had a legal obligation of fidelity to each other. Ning Yue had questioned him as if she were cross-examining a witness in court. However, it wasn’t a courtroom, and Hu Cheng wasn’t a criminal suspect. He steadied himself and flatly denied everything. Afterward, he saw Ning Yue’s face transform from distortion to calmness in just a few seconds. Just when he thought there would be various indirect and direct attacks, Ning Yue took a deep breath and said, “I believe you, Hu Cheng! We’re family, you’re my husband, my—closest person. If I don’t believe you, who can I believe? If you say there isn’t anything, then there isn’t!” Ning Yue quickly tore up the photo and flushed it down the toilet, “That’s the end of it! Over!”
Hu Cheng was very surprised. He had extensive experience dealing with women’s interrogations, but this was different. Of course, he didn’t believe her, but after several months of careful observation and various subtle tests, when he discovered that Ning Yue truly “believed” him, he was both surprised and moved. For several months, he was so moved by this trust that he temporarily lost the urge to pursue other women. Later, the women around him changed again and again, and he carefully kept them screened from the home where Ning Yue was, while Ning Yue seemed to truly not notice.
Days passed, both slowly and hurriedly.
Unconsciously, Hu Cheng had developed a habit in his pursuits: whenever someone made him feel like they might intrude into that home, he would quickly end the relationship. Tian Qiuzi was first abandoned for this reason—Hu Cheng discovered Ning Yue’s phone number in her phone.
Hu Cheng thought: “No, I might have disciplined other women, but not Ning Yue. She disciplined me. I was the one disciplined by Ning Yue.”
Hu Cheng realized for the first time the changes he had made after marriage. He frowned irritably and shifted slightly. Ning Yue was quite formidable; he had fallen for her tactics!
Ning Yue left work ten minutes late, and only realized it was time to leave after Pan Jie reminded her.
When she arrived at the kindergarten, it was already getting dark. Almost all the children in the class had left, with only two teachers remaining Hu Ziyuan. Through the glass window, Ning Yue saw one teacher bending down to put something in the toy basket, while the other sat with Hu Ziyuan in a small chair, heads bent over a book. Hu Ziyuan had his cheeks propped up in his hands, unusually quiet.
Just as Ning Yue was about to go in, she heard Hu Ziyuan turn to ask the teacher:
“Ellen, why hasn’t my mom come yet?”
“Mom’s busy with work!”
“Nancy, do you have a baby?”
“Not yet.”
“I don’t either. I plan to marry Lucy and have a baby. I won’t work, I’ll stay home with the baby all day!”
Ellen hadn’t expected the child to say this, and paused before sitting beside him, ruffling his hair and taking out a picture book: “You need to know how to tell stories to stay with a baby. Come, Ellen will teach you.”
Ning Yue felt like something had hammered her heart, making it hard to breathe.
By now, Ellen had also processed the child’s words and used the picture book to ask Hu Ziyuan: “Doudou, if you don’t work and stay home with the baby, who will earn money?”
“I have New Year’s money. If we eat less and don’t need a big house, it’ll be enough.”
“But life is very long, how long will your New Year’s money last?”
“Yeah!” Hu Ziyuan finally looked troubled, his small hand supporting his chin as he looked at Ellen, “Then maybe Mom should go to work! But I miss her so much!”
Ning Yue couldn’t hold back anymore. She withdrew her step and turned away, wiping her tears. The sound of storytelling came from the classroom as Ning Yue composed herself, put on a smile, and pushed open the door.
Life is one problem after another. Not every problem has an answer, but it’s never too hard to wear a smile when facing them.
On the way home, Hu Ziyuan seemed to have forgotten what he’d said to the teacher and didn’t mention a word. Dinner was vegetable soup and steamed buns. Since Hu Ziyuan had already eaten at kindergarten, Ning Yue only allowed him to drink soup. Her mother-in-law filled a large bowl full of vegetables. Hu Ziyuan sipped the broth from the edge of the bowl until it was gone. Her mother-in-law’s gaze shot toward Ning Yue like daggers, but Ning Yue just smiled at Hu Ziyuan. When he finished, she didn’t force him to eat more and sent him off to play. This happened every day; her mother-in-law would never approve of Ning Yue’s methods, and Ning Yue would never listen to her mother-in-law’s words. Between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, as long as there was no arguing, no fighting, and no falling out, it was already a pretty good relationship.
In the middle of the night, Ning Yue was suddenly awakened by soft moaning. She quickly got up and ran to Hu Ziyuan’s bedside. When she felt his burning forehead, she scrambled around the house. Thermometer, fever medicine, warm water, towel… The commotion also woke her mother-in-law.
“What’s wrong?” Her mother-in-law came over wearing a robe, squinting at the bedroom light, trying to see what was happening.
Ning Yue looked at Hu Ziyuan and answered, “He has a fever. 39.8°C. Just gave him fever medicine. I’m worried the ear thermometer isn’t accurate, using the mercury one to check again—” She pulled out the thermometer and checked it against the hallway light’s reflection, frowning.
“How much?”
“39.5°C.”
Ning Yue turned her head just as Hu Ziyuan’s body shuddered. Frightened, she quickly bent down and asked softly, “Ziyuan, are you uncomfortable?”
“Mm, cold.”
Her mother-in-law walked over worriedly, but saw Ning Yue walking out: “Where are you going?”
“To the hospital.”
“Didn’t you say before that fever just needs fever medicine, no need to go to the hospital at night?” Her mother-in-law frowned, still fresh in her memory of how her daughter-in-law had previously argued with her.
“It’s too high, and the fever medicine doesn’t seem to be working. I’m worried there might be other problems.” Ning Yue didn’t dare say that the mercury thermometer had almost reached forty degrees.
It had only been an hour since taking the fever medicine, but instead of going down, the fever had risen—this had never happened before! Ning Yue was so worried she didn’t even change out of her pajamas, just threw on her padded jacket over them. Although it was midnight, she could still call a taxi with her phone. Looking at the little yellow dot moving on the map, Ning Yue carefully wrapped up Hu Ziyuan.
“Let his father go with you?” Her mother-in-law had already agreed to go to the hospital and didn’t say anything more.
Ning Yue shook her head. She couldn’t hear what her mother-in-law was saying, just instinctively picked up Hu Ziyuan and walked into the night.
Her mother-in-law stood at the door, watching the mother and son’s disappearing silhouettes, and said to her husband beside her, “Should we call Hu Cheng?”
The old man said, “I did. A woman answered, heard what I was saying, and hung up. Called again but the phone was turned off.”
Her mother-in-law turned her head in surprise: “A woman?”
The old man sighed but said nothing. Her mother-in-law stared straight out the door, waited for a while, then slowly closed it, muttering as she walked: “Poor Doudou! Stuck with such an inconsiderate mother. A perfectly good family, making Hu Cheng so angry he won’t come home. See, something’s gone wrong now!”
On the way, Hu Ziyuan occasionally moaned in pain in Ning Yue’s arms. His body, already one meter twenty tall, far exceeded his mother’s embrace, but that small head still rested in Ning Yue’s arm, his little face buried deep inside as if only this could fight against his physical discomfort.
The journey was silent. At the hospital entrance, when the kind-hearted driver turned to open the door for Ning Yue, he only saw an open car door and the silhouettes of mother and son rushing through the hospital gates.
This was a private general hospital where the doctors were all chief physicians or expert professors from major hospitals. The environment was good, there weren’t many people, and the service attitude was also good—just expensive. At this moment, compared to the sea of people in the children’s hospital, it was quiet here.
The fluorescent lights cast a soft glow against the pale yellow walls. The floor was made of some unknown material that felt slightly springy underfoot, warm without any chill. In the waiting area, brightly colored tables, chairs, and toys stood quietly, while a faint smell of disinfectant permeated the air.
There was no need to queue at registration. When Ning Yue mentioned her child’s high fever and slight convulsions, a nurse immediately came to lead them to the duty doctor. The doctor was about to see another patient but, upon hearing the situation, first reassured that patient’s family before coming to examine Hu Ziyuan. After instructing the nurse on treatment, he told Ning Yue not to worry—it probably wasn’t convulsions, but still quite dangerous, though currently under control, and they would continue observing. Ning Yue nodded and followed the nurse to a small room with a clean, tidy little bed. Hu Ziyuan was placed on it, his face flushed but sleeping quietly.
The nurse brought water to Ning Yue, telling her to drink some. Ning Yue thanked her gratefully, and the nurse informed her she would be outside, available whenever needed.
In the quiet, Ning Yue held the warm paper cup, watching Hu Ziyuan sleeping on the clean hospital bed, her heart far from peaceful. She could bring her child to the hospital alone not because she was particularly strong, but because this hospital’s service was excellent. If she needed help, the nurse could personally fetch medicine from the pharmacy; if she forgot to pay, she could settle the bill next time with just a phone call. However, she clearly understood that such a service was based on expensive fees.
She remembered visiting a children’s hospital once to get supplements for her child. There, in a dark corner of the stairwell, she had seen a mother crouching on the ground, holding a six or seven-year-old boy. The child lay face up, eyes tightly closed. The mother’s head was bowed, showing only messily tied-up hair. In front of her was an instant noodle cup with only soup remaining.
If not for that bowl of soup, Ning Yue would have offered money! At that time, she had been grateful: thankful that Hu Ziyuan didn’t have to experience this, thankful that she didn’t have to either!
However, if one day she got divorced, would Hu Ziyuan still enjoy such treatment? Would she have to run alone into the children’s emergency department at night, watching her child lie on cold benches, waiting for diagnosis results in pale corridors, then scrambling to pay and get medicine?
No, she didn’t want that! Even if she could handle it herself, she didn’t want Hu Ziyuan to endure it! But the information she discovered that afternoon flashed through her mind again. She knew Hu Cheng could give her plenty of money to spend but would never let her save a penny. If one day their marriage ended, Hu Cheng would strip her bare and throw her onto the street. He had told her this himself before their marriage.
Hu Cheng had said, “I never forgive those who betray me, especially not my wife. If we work together, what’s mine is yours. But if you dare leave me, what’s mine is mine, and what’s yours is mine too!” Back then, Ning Yue had been earning her own money, proud and disdainful of his words.
During her postpartum confinement, Hu Cheng’s affair was exposed. Ning Yue chose to give him a chance, and she lost—lost everything.
Ning Yue believed humans could overcome fate. In her childhood, when her family had nothing, her mother had pulled her along, then pulled her father along, climbing up step by step, eventually enabling her later success. So, even if she had nothing now, couldn’t she gradually stand up again?
The flush on the small figure in the hospital bed seemed to be receding. The nurse came in to check his temperature and said softly, “It’s going down, I’ll check again later.”
In the room of less than ten square meters, an orange sofa and a child-sized bed with guardrails were all there was. The pale green walls created a calming atmosphere, while the soft yellow ceiling soothed anxious parents. The small bed was made with clean white sheets and quilts, gently wrapping around the child’s uncomfortable body, temporarily replacing his exhausted mother.
Here, an anxious mother could sit on the sofa, letting tired muscles slightly relax, allowing stressed nerves to catch their breath. Even the most distressed mother didn’t need to hold her child in a quiet stairwell corner, didn’t need to stand in line holding her child waiting for their number to be called, didn’t need to awkwardly take her crying child’s temperature amidst the crowd… Enough, enough! What divorce! Wasn’t everything she had now what a marriage should provide? Just continue like this! After all, considering the child, Hu Cheng wouldn’t divorce her either. She had good food and drink, the child had a good environment to grow up in, what else mattered?
On this chilly spring night, in the warm hospital room, the last hope for emotional fulfillment in Ning Yue’s heart was cruelly extinguished! Marriage, for her, was left with nothing but cold reality.
Forty minutes after taking the fever medicine, Hu Ziyuan’s temperature finally dropped to 38.6°C. The doctor came in to check and asked, “Has the child had a fever before?”
Ning Yue said, “He just recovered from a cold a week ago, no fever. Just some coughing.”
“How long has he been coughing? What kind of cough?”
“For over a week now. But it wasn’t severe, just coughing during the day, occasionally at night too. I saw he wasn’t waking up from it, so I didn’t worry too much.”
The doctor frowned. He took out his stethoscope, warming it first in his palm before gently unbuttoning Hu Ziyuan’s clothes.
With the fever slightly down, Hu Ziyuan was more comfortable. But still feverish, his body ached. When the doctor touched him, the little one started to move. Ning Yue quickly held him gently, whispering in his ear, “Baby, don’t move, Mommy’s here. Let the doctor call the little elves to find out what’s wrong with our bodies. Which little bad guys are bullying us?”
As Ning Yue whispered, Hu Ziyuan calmed for a moment before suddenly waking up coughing.
“Mommy!” Hu Ziyuan looked at Ning Yue, “Not feeling well.”
Ning Yue’s eyes stung, but she held back tears and smiled, “Yes! Some bad guys in our body want to bully us, the little elves are busy fighting them, you can’t slow them down!”
Hu Ziyuan nodded understandingly and closed his eyes.
“Your child is well-behaved!”
The doctor put down his stethoscope. Having listened to both front and back, he seemed to have made a diagnosis, “Given your child’s condition, I recommend hospitalization. The wheezing in his chest is quite clear, it’s probably pneumonia. Of course, you could go home and observe first, I’ll prescribe some medicine to take. Come back tomorrow morning for an X-ray, then we’ll decide about hospitalization.”
Without hesitation, Ning Yue said firmly, “No need, we’ll stay now.”
The doctor called in a nurse, who led Ning Yue and the child to the third floor’s inpatient department. All rooms here were private with windows, equipped with a child’s bed with guardrails, a TV, a private bathroom, and a fold-out sofa for the caregiver. As a member of the hospital, Hu Ziyuan was automatically upgraded to a VIP room. The VIP rooms had the same equipment but were slightly larger, with windows overlooking the park.
That night, despite all her worries and fears, being in such a room with gentle nurses helped Ning Yue relax somewhat. The duty nurse brought several papers for her to sign, leaving the remaining procedures for discharge time. Soon, the nurse returned with medicine and equipment, “We need to do a skin test, it might hurt the child.”
Ning Yue gently woke Hu Ziyuan, softly telling him the doctor needed to send weapons to the little elves, this was a battle, and it was okay if it hurt a little. Even the little elves had casualties!
Hu Ziyuan quickly said, “I won’t cry! I want to send lots of weapons to kill the bad bacteria, so fewer little elves die.” He cooperatively extended his arm.
The skin test results were good, and just as Hu Ziyuan was falling asleep, he endured one more prick for an IV line in his wrist. By the time the IV bag was hung, the little one was already asleep.
The nurse handed two small plastic containers to Ning Yue: “Tomorrow morning someone will come to draw blood and collect sputum samples, these are for urine and stool samples, please remember to collect them. You’ve registered for meal service, breakfast will be delivered at eight. The doctor does rounds in the morning, you can discuss anything with him… “
The nurse explained everything in detail, watching Ning Yue take note of each point, then helped her open the fold-out sofa into a single bed the same height as the hospital bed, moved it next to Hu Ziyuan’s bed, and took out bedding from the cabinet before quietly leaving.
Ning Yue pulled up a chair and sat by Hu Ziyuan’s bed for a while before finally letting out a long breath. She reached out to feel his head, habitually reaching for the ear thermometer at the headboard, only then remembering this wasn’t their bed at home. After waiting a bit longer, she called her mother-in-law. The call was answered quickly, clearly the old lady hadn’t slept either. After briefly reporting what had happened, stopping her from coming until morning, and listing what needed to be brought, she hung up.
After hanging up, Ning Yue suddenly felt something was off. After careful consideration, she realized her mother-in-law hadn’t mentioned Hu Cheng at all! This wasn’t like her unless she knew something.
Although Hu Cheng’s parents had their flaws, from their usual behavior, they seemed to have zero tolerance for home-wrecking third parties and strongly condemned husbands who betrayed their wives!
However, looking out at the dark window, Ning Yue wondered if it would be the same when that man was their son. From this phone call, she knew the answer…
After hesitating, Ning Yue dialed Hu Cheng’s number.
The phone rang repeatedly. Looking at the clock, the hands pointed to two-thirty in the morning. Where was Hu Cheng tonight? Was he asleep? Ning Yue couldn’t help wondering. She wasn’t worried about his phone being turned off, as he was such a careful person, he would surely keep it charged and on at night—unless he turned it off himself.
“Hello?” A woman’s voice. Ning Yue instinctively knew it was Tian Qiuzi.
“I’m looking for Hu Cheng.” Ning Yue’s voice was calm as if having a woman answer her husband’s phone in the middle of the night hadn’t happened at all, as if Hu Cheng were just an ordinary person, not her husband.
Silence on the other end, then, “He’s sleeping.”
“Then please tell him his son is sick and hospitalized.” After saying this, Ning Yue hung up. So she was angry after all, otherwise, she would have said what illness and which hospital, Ning Yue concluded self-mockingly.
Ning Yue sent text messages to Qin Can and He Kuan explaining the situation and arranging her work. She specifically told Qin Can that she wouldn’t be able to handle work for the first few days but would resume immediately once her child improved. However, Ning Yue knew that even so, in her boss’s eyes, she was already being very irresponsible!
Her phone remained silent.
At four in the morning, Hu Cheng called: “What’s wrong with Ziyuan? Which hospital is he in? I’m coming right over.”
“Pneumonia, we’ll know more after the X-ray in the morning. Don’t come now, visitors aren’t allowed until after nine.”
“Uh… I was drunk, didn’t hear the phone.”
“We’ll talk later. I’m tired.”
Ning Yue hung up and thought blankly: “If he still wants to deceive me, maybe everything can still be managed? She just wanted a marriage, no longer expecting love.”
She lay down slowly, quietly staring at the ceiling. Before she could take half a breath, the door opened, and the nurse came in to take Hu Ziyuan’s temperature.
Ning Yue propped herself up to ask the temperature; the nurse told her 38.6 degrees. Then she quietly explained that the IV contained fever-reducing medicine, so no additional medication was needed, telling Ning Yue not to worry, she would come back once more before the shift change, and Ning Yue didn’t need to get up.
The nurse closed the door gently. The hallway light filtered through the frosted glass in the door, spreading across the floor. Ning Yue closed her eyes, and just as she was about to take the other half of that breath, she felt as if someone had struck her head with a muffled blow, quickly sinking into darkness!
When Ning Yue opened her eyes, she felt disoriented, then almost jumped out of bed. She walked to her child’s bedside. Hu Ziyuan was still sound asleep, the flush on his face had subsided considerably, and when she reached out to touch him, his forehead still felt somewhat warm. But compared to last night’s burning heat, it was much cooler. Only then did Ning Yue breathe a sigh of relief. Remembering how deeply she had slept, she became worried again about what might have happened without her knowing.
Just then, the nurse came in—it was time to check the temperature again. The nurse moved gently, and Hu Ziyuan turned over comfortably. Only then did Ning Yue notice the IV line had been removed from her child’s hand?
The nurse smiled and said, “You looked too tired last night, so I didn’t wake you. After the IV finished, I removed the line, but the catheter inside was soft, so it wouldn’t cause any problems. Just be careful normally. If it’s uncomfortable, let us know, and we can adjust it.”
Ning Yue smiled and said thank you softly. She wanted to borrow something from the nurse but thought better of it and decided to wait for her mother-in-law.
At eight o’clock, breakfast arrived punctually. White porridge, egg, steamed buns shaped like little pigs, plain vegetables boiled with salt—the patient’s meal was very light, but attention to detail was evident.
Hu Ziyuan woke up, still listless, and after much, coaxing managed to drink some porridge. The rest, Ning Yue gulped down herself. At eight-thirty, the duty doctor came for a handover. Several doctors gathered around the bed asking about the situation and listening to his chest. Even before the X-ray, they had unanimously determined it was pneumonia. They just needed lab results to determine the cause.
At nine o’clock, her father-in-law, mother-in-law, and Hu Cheng flooded into the room. The small bed was surrounded by the three adults. Ning Yue moved aside and opened the bag her mother-in-law had brought—it contained everything: the child’s clothes, snacks, toys, and thermometer, including everything Ning Yue had and hadn’t asked for.
“Mom? Where’s my laptop?” Ning Yue searched through everything but couldn’t find her computer.
Her mother-in-law turned with a frown: “It’s so heavy, and you have to take care of the child. That thing’s useless!”
Ning Yue choked back a response, saying nothing. As she picked up Hu Ziyuan’s clothes to put them away, she saw Hu Cheng watching her thoughtfully, but when she met his gaze, he quickly looked away!
She organized the things into the cabinet, sorting them by category. The snacks she put back in the bag for her mother-in-law to take home. Her mother-in-law naturally objected, emphasizing that the child had no appetite and these were for stimulating it. Just then, a nurse who was preparing Hu Ziyuan’s nebulizer treatment interjected, saying that sick children’s digestive systems were already weak, eating less would reduce the burden, and there was no need to stimulate appetite. Those snacks contained too many additives and shouldn’t be eaten even normally. Only then did her mother-in-law fall silent.
Ning Yue stood quietly to the side. After the nurse left and had checked that Hu Ziyuan’s nebulizer mask was properly fitted, she turned to ask her mother-in-law: “Mom, what about the sanitary pads I asked you to bring?”
Her mother-in-law was taken aback, “Did you tell me?”
Ning Yue said, “I did!”
Her mother-in-law said, “Your father packed the things, I just packed the child’s things then went to cook.”
Ning Yue was speechless—was she supposed to ask her father-in-law if he had packed sanitary pads?
The nebulizer was loud, and her father-in-law, sitting by the bed playing with the child, hadn’t heard Ning Yue’s conversation with her mother-in-law. But Hu Cheng had heard and quickly came over saying, “What do you need? I’ll go buy it.”
Ning Yue told him the brand, and Hu Cheng was about to leave. Her mother-in-law grabbed him: “You’ve finally come back, shouldn’t you stay with the child instead of going out?”
Ning Yue had no choice but to go buy them herself. At the elevator, Hu Cheng suddenly ran after her, calling out, “Quick, go back, Ziyuan cried when he couldn’t see you.”
Ning Yue returned. Hu Cheng reached out to grab her, wanting to say something but caught nothing. Ning Yue was like a fish underwater, leaving no ripples on the surface as she changed position, slipping through his grasp.
After the earlier commotion subsided and the nebulizer treatment was done, the nurse came to pat his back. Her mother-in-law worried the patting was too hard, concerned about the child’s ribs. Ning Yue didn’t want to explain, so Hu Cheng quickly consulted the nurse. Though the nurse was patient, she finally told Hu Cheng, “We’re here to help children recover, we won’t harm them.”
Ning Yue’s phone rang—it was Qin Can. After asking about the child’s condition, he told Ning Yue to take good care of him and said that Zhong Tianming would handle her work temporarily.
After hanging up, Hu Cheng asked who called. Ning Yue just said it was her boss, not even bothering to mention Qin Can’s name. All the adults in the room stared at the child as if separated from each other by a wall, no one seeing anyone else!
Hu Ziyuan fell asleep again. Although his fever had come down, it remained above 38.5°, and his physical exhaustion was evident. This constant sleeping was another form of recovery.
Everyone sat in silence until her mother-in-law finally asked, “What about lunch? I can make something and bring it.”
Ning Yue said, “No need, the hospital cafeteria will deliver.”
Her mother-in-law said, “Of course, their food is specially prepared for patients, must be better than what I make.” She was still thinking about the nurse’s rebuke.
Hu Cheng asked, “Are you going back to work?”
“I’ve already taken leave.”
“For how long? Even after discharge, the child needs proper recovery.” Hu Cheng’s words made sense, but Ning Yue hadn’t had time to consider it.
Ning Yue shook her head and sighed, “We’ll discuss it later! Let’s focus on the present.” She looked up, saw Hu Cheng’s square jaw and the deep crease in it, and swallowed the words that had come to her lips along with her saliva.
She wanted to tell him about the child’s convulsions last night, wanted to say how frightened she had been, wanted to say she was barely holding on, wanted to tell Hu Cheng she needed a hug, wanted to hear him ask “Are you okay,” but since no one asked how she was doing, she didn’t want to beg for the question.
As soon as the thought arose, Ning Yue pushed it aside. Was this what her mother used to say: Women become strong when they become mothers?
Strong through motherhood. So strong that you don’t care about yourself, don’t even consider yourself human anymore?