With Chen Shao present, representing the Chen family, Fu Wanmei couldn’t say anything further. She nodded and changed her tone, “Thank you for taking the trouble to come.”

“If there’s anything I can help with, please let me know,” Chen Shao replied politely.

But Fu Wanmei and Chen Shao both clearly understood what kind of person the other was. After maintaining appearances, neither wanted to exchange another word.

He lowered his eyes to look at Chen Die, quietly mocking her, “No brains. Still need your brother’s help.”

After helping her deal with those people, Chen Shao didn’t stay long at the hospital. He found it inauspicious and didn’t want to intrude on such matters, so he left quickly.

Chen Die turned to ask Zhu Qicong, “Where is Wen Liang?”

“I don’t know either.”

Chen Die looked up, “What?”

“I just finished handling the shareholders’ meeting. I haven’t seen Mr. Wen much today. His phone is probably out of battery and he hasn’t had time to charge it. When I called him just now, it was turned off.”

Chen Die certainly knew that Wen Liang’s phone wasn’t reachable right now.

She also guessed that being busy all day, he hadn’t had time to worry about whether his phone had power.

The news of Wen Huaiyuan’s death spread quickly.

On this chilly early spring evening, many former friends and business partners gradually arrived to offer condolences. Fu Wanmei received them one by one and had no time to pay attention to Chen Die.

But there was still no sign of Wen Liang.

With him absent, Chen Die had no reason to continue staying at the hospital. She called Wen Liang again, but it was still the power-off notification.

Chen Die got up and opened the stairwell door to go down.

She kept her head low, her emotions sinking, unable to raise her spirits, until a sudden exclamation in the corridor, “Miss Chen!”

Chen Die couldn’t remember how long it had been since she’d seen Housekeeper Zhang. Probably since moving out of the West Suburb Villa, she hadn’t seen her again.

She looked a bit older, with more white hair at her temples. Seeing Chen Die now, her expression was somewhat incredulous. After a moment, she walked quickly over and took Chen Die’s hand, “Are you also here to see the old director?”

Chen Die paused, “I came to see Wen Liang, but he’s not at the hospital now.”

“Oh.” Housekeeper Zhang held Chen Die’s hand, gently patting the back of it as she lowered her eyes, “The young master has had a hard life. After the madam passed when he was 10, I rarely saw the young master smile again. Although he didn’t smile much when he was little, it became even worse after the madam left.”

The stairwell was so quiet that the motion-sensor light turned on and then off again.

“Thankfully, after you came, I saw that the young master wasn’t as gloomy as before,” Housekeeper Zhang shook her head with emotion. “You two must stay together properly.”

Chen Die was momentarily stunned.

She understood that Housekeeper Zhang, seeing her here now, probably thought she and Wen Liang had reconciled. Chen Die didn’t explain much but asked softly, “Why are you here so late?”

Housekeeper Zhang lifted the items in her hand, “The madam asked me to bring these over. I’ll leave after delivering them.”

“Go ahead and take them up first. I’ll leave with you later.”

Housekeeper Zhang agreed and quickly went upstairs to deliver the items before returning.

The two hadn’t seen each other for a long time, and Housekeeper Zhang still seemed somewhat restrained, not continuing the previous unpleasant topics. She looked at Chen Die for a while, then smiled, “I saw you on TV not long ago.”

“That variety show, ‘Three Meals a Day’?”

“Yes,” Housekeeper Zhang nodded. “My daughter enjoys watching it.”

Chen Die smiled, raising her hand to turn on the corridor light, saying softly, “Housekeeper Zhang, could you tell me about Wen Liang from before?”

Wen Liang’s birth mother was named Shen Yunshu.

The “Yunshu” meant “cloudy and clear” from the phrase “watching the sky as clouds gather and disperse.”

Shen Yunshu came from an ordinary family, but one that could be considered scholarly. Her father was a respected professor, and her mother was a high school teacher—both well-respected professions at the time.

Growing up in such a family, Shen Yunshu had always been immersed in sentiments like “world’s passion is but summer’s white porcelain plum wine, ice chips colliding with walls making tinkling sounds” and “world’s passion trap is but winter’s black tiles and bitter herbs, sugary heart falling into bitter words.”

Her heart was filled with dreamlike yearnings, impractical and thoroughly romantic.

In that era, many women met their partners through introductions by parents and relatives. Shen Yunshu’s parents had also introduced her to someone—a young man involved in scientific research.

Shen Yunshu merely glanced at the photo before refusing, her reason simple: no chemistry. She was unwilling to even meet him for a chat.

She opened her flower shop. When she went to the welfare institute to visit children on weekends, the shop had to close. She didn’t hang a “Temporarily Closed” sign but instead used her elegant handwriting to write “The flower shop is not open today, but the flowers are still blooming” on a sign.

She also made her clothes. She loved qipaos and often made them herself, with side slits that revealed a glimpse of her long legs when she walked.

Shen Yunshu was an unconventional person at the time. Many women of her age whispered about her behind her back—they might have been displeased with her outwardly, but in their hearts, they envied her freedom.

Later, when Shen Yunshu was 22, she met Wen Huaiyuan.

The young Wen Huaiyuan was handsome, with very gentlemanly behavior and manners. At that time, he had already started his own business, secured funding, and formed the embryonic Wenrong Group.

But he wasn’t rigid. He was interesting. He would pull two movie tickets from his pocket to invite Shen Yunshu to see a film and would take his first bucket of gold to bring Shen Yunshu to the most expensive Western restaurant for steak. He also liked buying qipaos for Shen Yunshu and would extravagantly praise her beauty when she put them on.

Shen Yunshu quickly fell completely, hopelessly in love with Wen Huaiyuan.

She felt they were a match made in heaven, destined to be together for life.

Not long after they began dating, Shen Yunshu brought Wen Huaiyuan to meet her parents, but she never expected to face such strong opposition from them.

Her parents, with their years of experience judging people, believed Wen Huaiyuan was not the right person to spend a lifetime with. But they couldn’t explain to Shen Yunshu point by point; they could only say that Wen Huaiyuan’s mind was inconstant, too active.

Shen Yunshu thought her parents were too rigid and, ignoring their opposition, went directly to get a marriage certificate with Wen Huaiyuan.

After marriage, the two were very affectionate, attending various occasions together—a suit paired with a qipao—winning everyone’s admiration.

Later, the Wenrong Group had a financing issue, and at the same time, Shen Yunshu became pregnant with Wen Liang. She sold her flower shop and deposited the money into a bank account for Wen Huaiyuan, while she stayed at home to rest and prepare for childbirth.

Shen Yunshu was a romantic to the bone.

Even though her pregnancy symptoms were severe—she would vomit after eating, couldn’t sleep through the night, and in the later stages, her belly grew very large. With her thin arms and legs, she would be exhausted after standing for just a short while.

But Shen Yunshu never felt uncomfortable. She was especially happy, particularly when watching her belly grow day by day.

She felt she was nurturing the crystallization of her and Wen Huaiyuan’s love and the pregnancy symptoms were just small obstacles in the crystallization process, making it more memorable and meaningful when recalled in the future.

She touched her belly and said, “Huaiyuan, marrying you is the most correct decision of my life.”

Wen Huaiyuan had just returned from a business engagement. He was raising his hand to pull at his tie when he heard this. His hand paused, and he turned to glance at her, gave an “mm” in response, and then walked into the bathroom.

Shen Yunshu, immersed in her little world, didn’t notice Wen Huaiyuan’s gaze.

Later, when Shen Yunshu recalled the past, she wasn’t sure exactly when Wen Huaiyuan had started being unfaithful, but she could confirm that from that early time, Wen Huaiyuan already no longer loved her.

Shen Yunshu’s notion of “one lifetime, one world, one pair” was gone. Those fantasies had all been overturned. For Shen Yunshu, the blow was devastating.

She began endless arguments with Wen Huaiyuan.

As Wenrong developed rapidly, Wen Huaiyuan gradually stopped coming home to avoid her. When Wen Liang was young, he often didn’t see his father.

Shen Yunshu deteriorated completely. She lived for love and was stubborn and persistent, but when Wen Huaiyuan left, she had no more support, not even someone to argue with.

She no longer made dresses for herself as before, had no interest in meeting new people, had long sold her flower shop, and even her parents had fallen ill and passed away in the previous year.

She was like a trapped beast confined in the Wen mansion.

Later, Wen Liang grew day by day.

One evening, Wen Huaiyuan finally returned home, but as soon as he did, Shen Yunshu began arguing with him again. In anger, he slapped her.

The day after that, Wen Liang returned home from school.

Shen Yunshu was rarely busy in the kitchen. When she saw him come home, she smiled and brought out a plate of desserts, ruffling Wen Liang’s hair, “Aliang is back.”

She placed the desserts she had spent the afternoon making in front of Wen Liang’s mouth, smiling and saying, “Try it and see if it tastes good. Mom just learned how to make it.”

The small cake, baked to a golden color, was sprinkled with a layer of powdered sugar, with a rich milky aroma.

Wen Liang opened his mouth, about to take a bite, when Shen Yunshu suddenly threw the cake on the ground. The powdered sugar was scattered everywhere. She then frantically dumped all the remaining desserts from the plate onto the floor, stepping on them, and then hugged Wen Liang, crying uncontrollably.

Shen Yunshu asked Housekeeper Zhang, who was cooking at the Wen home at the time, to clean up the cakes on the floor. After that day, no one ever mentioned this incident again.

Not even Wen Liang.

He didn’t even ask Shen Yunshu why she threw away the cakes.

But every time Shen Yunshu looked into Wen Liang’s eyes, she always felt that he understood everything. She dared not look into Wen Liang’s eyes.

These stories were shocking to Chen Die.

She had never imagined that the background story would be so chilling.

“What happened after that?” Chen Die asked.

“After that…” Housekeeper Zhang looked ahead, recalling the past, “A few days later, the madam committed suicide by taking pills.”

“That previous time, was she trying to…” Chen Die’s voice trembled slightly, “trying to take Wen Liang with her…?”

She didn’t finish, but Housekeeper Zhang had already understood, nodding, “Yes, but in the end, she couldn’t bear to do it.”

Later that day, Wen Liang returned home to find it empty, with no sign of Shen Yunshu.

His heart suddenly paused, as if he had a telepathic connection. He dropped his schoolbag and rushed upstairs.

He didn’t know whether to say he was on time or too late.

Shen Yunshu had already taken the pills, but he did get to see her one last time.

The woman who had once been elegant and cultured, who loved to dress up in qipaos, who could attract countless admiring glances when walking down the street, now lay pale on the bed.

In her later years, she no longer liked wearing qipaos. Putting on a qipao reminded her of the times when she was in love with Wen Huaiyuan, so she simply stopped wearing them altogether.

Shen Yunshu was curled up from the drug’s effects, cold sweat continuously pouring from her forehead.

Then she beckoned to Wen Liang. With great effort, she half-raised herself and gently embraced him.

“I’m sorry, Aliang,” she said. “Mom didn’t mean to.”

Wen Liang was held tightly by her, the sweat from her neck touching his face.

She didn’t clarify what exactly she was apologizing for, but Wen Liang seemed to understand. He lowered his head and opened his arms to hug Shen Yunshu back.

“It’s okay,” Wen Liang said.

Shen Yunshu looked at him with red-rimmed eyes, nodded vigorously, and said “sorry” again.

In her final moments, Shen Yunshu could no longer hold him. She fell back onto the bed, speaking to him in a trembling voice.

“Aliang, Mom seems to be sick. In the future, you must take good care of yourself.”

Toward the end, Shen Yunshu’s voice was very faint, and it wasn’t clear whether she was speaking to Wen Liang or herself.

“Mom’s life… was all too idealistic, and that’s where I fell. But given another chance to start over, I would still choose to be idealistic once more.”

“There are some things in life that need to be persisted with.”

After saying this, Shen Yunshu breathed her last and was gone.

Afterward, there was chaos. The servants discovered Shen Yunshu’s suicide by pills and contacted Wen Huaiyuan. Housekeeper Zhang ran up, covered Wen Liang’s eyes, and took him away.

The Yan City business circle was shocked, filled with sighs, and later it became a topic of gossip over tea and meals.

Outside the hospital, traffic was congested.

The parking lot was already full, with a long line of cars stretching all the way to the small road outside, completely packed, taillights forming a sea of red light.

Housekeeper Zhang gently patted Chen Die’s back, sighed, and asked, “Miss Chen, how will you get back?”

Chen Die didn’t answer but asked instead, “Are you going home now?”

“Yes.” Housekeeper Zhang pointed to the bus stop nearby, “I’ll take Bus No. 8, it goes directly there.”

“Mm, then you go ahead.”

Chen Die said goodbye to Housekeeper Zhang.

Bus No. 8 arrived quickly. She watched Housekeeper Zhang board before turning away.

She had nowhere to go.

Going home now felt like something was missing, unsettled.

Chen Die stood at the hospital entrance, feeling the wind. Her phone rang.

The screen lit up with a number without a name—since their previous breakup, Chen Die had deleted his contact and never set it up again.

Her heart skipped a beat, and she immediately answered.

As soon as she picked up, she heard the sound of a lighter on the other end.

In Chen Die’s mind, she automatically visualized Wen Liang smoking: his lazy posture, cigarette between his lips, pressing down the lighter, the crimson flame briefly illuminating his pupils, then his cheeks slightly hollowing as he deeply inhaled the smoke, slowly exhaling, the smoke veiling his brows and eyes, shadowy and indistinct.

“Looking for me?” he asked.

His voice was calm, without any detectable ripples.

“Yes,” Chen Die also became calm. “Where are you now?”

The other end was silent for a moment.

Then Wen Liang said, “Outside your building.”