As the car left Jiuxi Bay, the villa in the rearview mirror grew smaller and smaller, until it disappeared around the corner.
Yu Sheng let out a soft breath and leaned back against the seat, feeling the tension that had gripped her for so long finally ease.
It wasn't the wild relief of liberation, but a quiet calm after a long journey—like finally being able to rest.
Back at Jingshui Bay, Yu Sheng felt a sense of release. Sunlight streamed through the clean glass windows of the apartment, casting warm patches of light across the floor.
Sophia was sitting cross-legged on the living room carpet, happily fiddling with the various little gadgets she had brought from abroad. Hearing the door open, she sprang up like a cheerful bird.
"Sheng! You're back!" Her Chinese carried its unique accent, full of energy.
"Mm, I'm back. I'll probably be staying here for a while."
Yu Sheng smiled, exchanged a few words with her, and began organizing the things she had brought back.
Hearing that she wouldn't be leaving, Sophia happily helped her unpack. The two chatted and laughed, but when Sophia's gaze fell on the brand-new small booklet Yu Sheng had casually placed on the entryway cabinet, her voice suddenly stopped.
Curious, she picked it up and flipped it open. When she saw the words "Divorce Certificate," her eyes widened instantly.
"Th-this is?" Sophia looked between the certificate and Yu Sheng, disbelief written all over her face. "You and that… always fierce Shen… separated?"
Yu Sheng bent down to change her shoes, her tone as casual as discussing the weather: "Mm, it's all settled."
Sophia froze for a moment, then concern filled her blue eyes. She set the certificate down and asked carefully, "Sheng, are you… okay? Aren't you sad?"
Seeing her nervous expression, Yu Sheng instead smiled.
She walked over and gently ruffled Sophia's soft blonde hair. "Don't worry, I'm fine. For me, it's more like… a new beginning."
"A new beginning?" Sophia repeated softly, trying to understand.
"Yes." Yu Sheng nodded, looking out the window as a slow smile formed. "It's time to relax properly. Sophia, how about I play host and take you around, let you try some good food?"
Sophia was instantly distracted, lighting up. "Really? That's great! But…" she wrinkled her nose, recalling a previous bad experience, "not the spicy stuff, and nothing with strange flavors, okay?"
"You mean hot pot?" Yu Sheng laughed. "Alright, I'll take you to something sweet and fragrant. You'll like it."
"Yay!" Sophia was thrilled.
After chatting excitedly about places to visit and setting an itinerary, Yu Sheng called Su Qingyu to explain that she wouldn't be returning to the company for the next few days, and to contact her directly if anything urgent came up.
Su Qingyu naturally had no objections and simply continued her work as usual.
But another person clearly couldn't remain calm.
Afternoon sunlight slanted into the president's office of Shen Group, casting long shadows across the polished floor.
Su Qingyu stood in front of Shen Yunmian's desk, holding a document as she gave her report.
After only a few days apart, Shen Yunmian seemed as though her spirit had been drained. Though she still sat upright in a well-tailored suit, the dark circles under her eyes and her pale complexion were impossible to hide.
She listened, her fingers unconsciously tapping lightly on the desk, her attention scattered.
"President Shen, that's the progress of the East City project this week," Su Qingyu said, closing the folder.
"Assistant Su," Shen Yunmian suddenly called, her voice carrying a faint hoarseness and hesitation. "How is Yu Corporation lately? Sheng Sheng… is she doing well?"
Su Qingyu's heart tightened slightly, though her expression remained neutral. "President Yu is doing well. The project is progressing smoothly."
Shen Yunmian was silent for a few seconds, as if choosing her words, but ultimately couldn't hold back. "I feel like… I haven't seen her speak in the project group chat for a few days?"
Su Qingyu inwardly sighed, but could only answer honestly, "Yes. President Yu seems to be on leave recently. Her schedule is uncertain—she appears to be accompanying her foreign friend around."
The moment the words fell, she clearly saw Shen Yunmian's hand on the armrest tighten, her knuckles turning white.
The air in the office seemed to freeze for a few seconds, with only the faint hum of the air conditioner.
But in the end, Shen Yunmian only gave a soft "Mm," as if it took all her strength to suppress the emotions surging within her. She waved her hand, her voice heavy with fatigue. "…Got it. You can go."
Su Qingyu let out a breath of relief, quickly leaving and gently closing the door.
The moment it shut, she seemed to hear a faint, suppressed breath from inside.
In the office, Shen Yunmian leaned back in her chair, closing her eyes, forcing the bitterness deep into her heart.
Shen Yunmian, you no longer have the right to be jealous. Doing so will only make people dislike you.
—
Meanwhile, Yu Sheng took Sophia to a famous garden in the suburbs.
Pavilions, bridges, flowing water—each step revealed a new scene, leaving Sophia in awe.
"Sheng, this place is so beautiful!" she exclaimed, snapping photos nonstop, her golden hair glowing in the sunlight. "It's like stepping into an ancient Eastern fairy tale!"
Watching her lively excitement, Yu Sheng's lips held a relaxed smile.
In the days since the divorce, she truly felt a long-lost sense of ease, as if a heavy burden had been lifted. Even her breathing felt lighter, and the familiar scenery seemed fresh again.
At noon, they went to a well-known local restaurant nearby.
In the elegant private room, bamboo swayed outside the window.
"Try this," Yu Sheng said, pushing a plate of osmanthus lotus root toward Sophia. "The sticky rice is soft, the lotus root is fragrant, and the syrup is sweet but not cloying. You'll like it."
Sophia carefully picked up a piece and took a bite. Her eyes immediately curved with delight. "Mm! Delicious! Sweet, with a floral fragrance—I love it!"
Seeing her satisfied smile, Yu Sheng's own smile deepened as she picked up a piece to taste.
This kind of simple, pure happiness—without any burden—was something she hadn't allowed herself to feel in a long time.
A stark contrast.
Back at Jiuxi Bay, the room remained unlit, faintly filled with the smell of alcohol.
Shen Yunmian sat alone on the sofa, her figure lonely in the darkness, several empty bottles scattered at her feet.
The dim glow of her phone illuminated her haggard face.
On the screen was a photo Yu Sheng had shared earlier—a picture from the garden. In it, Yu Sheng tilted her head slightly, listening attentively to Sophia, a gentle curve on her lips that Shen Yunmian hadn't seen in a long time.
That smile, directed at someone else, felt like knives in her heart, making it hard to breathe.
They looked so happy. So… free.
She tilted her head back and drank the last of the amber liquid in her glass. The burning sensation traveled from her throat to her empty stomach, causing a sharp spasm. The physical pain barely managed to suppress the constant ache gnawing at her heart.
She staggered to her feet, took out the sleeping pills prescribed by the doctor from the bedside drawer, and without even reading the instructions, poured out a few and swallowed them with water.
Under the combined effects of alcohol and medication, she finally collapsed onto the bed, slipping into a heavy sleep.
But it was far from peaceful.
In her dreams, everything was chaotic—one moment Yu Sheng's resolute back as she left, the next the suffocating cold of her death in the previous life.
"Sheng Sheng—!"
She jolted awake again from a nightmare, drenched in cold sweat, her heart pounding wildly as if it would break free from her chest.
In the darkness, she seemed to see Yu Sheng standing beside the bed, looking at her with unfamiliar distance in her eyes.
"Sheng Sheng, I'm sorry…"
She apologized instinctively, reaching out, wanting to touch her—yet all she grasped was a patch of cold, empty air.
The hallucinations from her previous life seemed to be starting again.
Shen Yunmian curled up wearily, burying her face in her knees, feeling cold from her heart to her limbs.
This can't go on… she knew.
A few days later, Shen Yunmian sat in the consultation room of the psychologist Chen Jing.
Unlike her usual effort to maintain composure and restraint, this time the taut string inside her seemed to have finally reached its limit.
"…I can't control myself from thinking about her." Her voice was hoarse, filled with deep exhaustion and pain that nearly overflowed. "I know I'm not qualified, I know I should let go and let her be happy… she does look much more relaxed… but Dr. Chen, here…" She pressed hard against her chest, her voice trembling. "It feels like there's a huge hole here, letting wind rush through it… it hurts so much I can barely breathe."
She raised her head, her eyes red, revealing such naked despair in front of another person for the first time:
"I saw her with someone else, smiling so happily. I should be happy for her, right? That's how she should be… but why… why do I still feel so terrible? Like I'm being torn apart alive… I've even… started having frequent hallucinations again. I'm scared… I'm afraid I'll lose control completely like in my past life… I don't want to die anymore, even if it's just watching her from afar…"
Chen Jing listened quietly until her agitated emotions calmed slightly and her breathing was no longer so rapid, then spoke gently, "President Shen, I understand your pain. But you must realize that your current obsession is wrapping around you like poisonous vines, devouring you. It will not only destroy you completely, it may also… scare away once again the person you most want to keep. Have you thought about it? When Miss Yu feels this kind of obsession and pressure, what will she instinctively do?"
Shen Yunmian trembled suddenly, deep fear flashing in her eyes.
She would run, hide, stay far away from her—wishing to have nothing to do with her at all.
"But I can't let go… what should I do?" She looked at Chen Jing as if grasping at her last lifeline, her voice carrying an almost humble plea, stripped of all the composure of a business elite. "I've tried… alcohol, medication… they only numb me temporarily, it's useless…"
Chen Jing looked at the deep pain in her eyes and sighed softly, her tone easing a little. "If you can't let go for now, perhaps… you can try facing this feeling in another way."
"Another way?"
"Yes." Dr. Chen nodded, her voice gentle. "Shift all your attention and energy from 'how to bring her back to my side' to 'how to truly let her live well.' Learn to be good to the person you care about—not to seek returns or bind her to you, but to genuinely hope she is well."
Shen Yunmian stared at her blankly, seeming to fall into some kind of thought.
Chen Jing paused, her voice softer, yet carrying a certain strange strength: "Sometimes, the rules of the universe are peculiar. When we desperately try to grasp something, it slips through our fingers like sand. But when we stop forcing it, and simply work quietly, offering sincere blessings… perhaps miracles will happen when we least expect them. There are many forms of love. Besides possession held tightly in your hands, there is also fulfillment and protection."
Shen Yunmian listened in a daze, as if a faint light pierced through the heavy darkness and obsession in her heart.
Be good to her… see her happy… expect nothing in return… fulfill… protect…
Yes, when she was reborn, in that endless regret and despair, hadn't she only humbly begged the heavens for one more chance—even if it was just to see Sheng Sheng once and know she was safe?
When did her greed begin to grow and spread again, wanting more, wanting to return to the past?
As long as Sheng Sheng is happy, that's enough.
If her closeness only brings pain, then she will step farther away.
She is willing… willing to be the silent dog behind Sheng Sheng, guarding her from the shadows. As long as she can occasionally hear news about her, see that she is doing well, that will be enough.
"…I understand, Dr. Chen," she said softly. Her voice was still hoarse, but calmer than before. "Thank you."
By the time she left the consultation room, it was already evening.
The afterglow of the setting sun cast a warm golden layer over the city's high-rise buildings.
Shen Yunmian narrowed her eyes, took a deep breath of the slightly cool air, and took out her phone to call Su Qingyu.
"Assistant Su," her voice was still hoarse with fatigue, but now carried a bit more clarity and restraint, "about what I mentioned before—under the name of market cooperation, to make an additional strategic investment into Yu Corporation's emerging tech project—please have legal and finance proceed with the process as soon as possible. Make sure the terms are optimal, but there's no need… no need to let President Yu know it was my intention. Just proceed as a normal business collaboration."
After hanging up, she walked alone along the bustling street.
The noise of traffic and the chatter of people around her stood in stark contrast to the silence in her heart.
Her heart still hurt, empty, like a piece was missing.
But this time, she tried to suppress the surging jealousy, unwillingness, and frantic longing, and followed Dr. Chen's advice—imagining Yu Sheng at this very moment, perhaps with that lively girl, sitting in some cozy dessert shop, tasting sweet pastries, a relaxed and happy smile on her face.
As long as that smile is real, as long as she is truly happy… that's enough.
—
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