The pen in my hand fell to the ground with a crisp sound.

Just as the fan was about to bend down to pick it up, Jiang Ning grabbed her arm.

"What did you just say? What did you mean by being abused by your family and developing depression? And when did the fact that the Zhuang family took Gu Qian as their godson happen?"

Jiang Ning's eyes were already red from crying, and now, with her eyes wide open, the blood vessels in them were clearly visible.

The fans were startled by her action, and then, looking at Jiang Ning's hand gripping her arm, they asked in a daze, "Such a big thing, it's trending all over the internet, didn't you know?"

She suddenly remembered something, "I forgot, you can't look at your phones while recording the show."

The fan recounted the recent events that had occurred online to Jiang Ning. Overwhelmed with emotion in front of her idol, and worried that she hadn't explained things clearly enough, she quickly took out her phone and showed Jiang Ning the video of 110 people clarifying Zhuang Yan's situation.

From these people's words, Jiang Ning learned about Zhuang Yan's past. She also knew some things, such as the spirited boy who threw his paper airplane into the distance when he was in junior high school.

He was a boy who amazed many people during his school days. He was righteous, kind, and spoke up for the weak, fighting back against bullying. When faced with the teacher's reprimand, he cleared his throat and said loudly, "Teacher, if fighting back against bullying is also wrong, then I will never repent!"

Zhuang Yan, at 18, was the best of teenagers, but everything changed after he went to university.

He became taciturn, like a walking corpse, and he withdrew all his light, like a hedgehog that had pulled out its quills.

A comment from someone claiming to be Zhuang Yan's university doctor said that Zhuang Yan had fainted several times on campus and was covered in injuries during examinations. At first, they thought he had been injured in a fight outside. In addition, Zhuang Yan often got stomach medicine and painkillers from him... He must have a very serious stomach problem.

An anonymous psychologist also said that Zhuang Yan had seen a psychologist multiple times and suffered from severe depression, stress-induced psychological disorder, and avoidant personality disorder. During his episodes, he would fantasize that someone could love him.

The nanny who worked for the Zhuang family said that Zhuang Yan's mother did not love him at home. She was a madwoman who would only yell and scream at people, curse Zhuang Yan with the sharpest and most vicious words, beat him as a way to vent her anger, and take pleasure in mental torture. Zhuang Yan's appearance was like adding a spice to their lives.

As for Zhuang Yan's father, he only brought his son back 11 years later, not out of love for him. He watched coldly from the sidelines, treating Zhuang Yan as a medicine to treat Tang Jing's mental illness. Once the medicine wore off, he threw him aside like trash.

This is Zhuang Yan's life after returning to the Zhuang family: despair and oppression, gradually turning the once bright-eyed boy into a desolate and barren place, like a silent, lonely grave in the dark night.

The boy who once saved her, no one will save him now.

Jiang Ning thought that Zhuang Zhongming's appearance was to take Zhuang Yan back to live a good life. He was a rich young master with hundreds of millions of assets. People are born different. Some are mediocre, while others are outstanding. It is said that all roads lead to Rome, but some people are born in Rome. Zhuang Yan and she are not from the same world.

He will go back to being a rich second-generation heir, enjoying the best resources and education, without worrying about not finding a good job after graduation, because he will take over the family business and assets after graduation, with a net worth of billions or even tens of billions.

Look at that once-popular supermarket in the county center that went out of business. It's a place that ordinary people couldn't afford in several lifetimes, and even renting a shop there would be a struggle. But how many of these popular supermarkets are there in Chengdu? And that doesn't even include other related industries and investment projects.

This is the life that so many people dream of, so why did Zhuang Yan become like this after he went back?

He became the unlucky guy she imagined, unloved and uncared for, who, despite having money, seemed to have lost everything.

Jiang Ning stared at the plates of red chili peppers in front of her, her eyelashes trembling, and as she closed her eyes, a tear rolled down her cheek.

It turns out that Zhuang Yan really can't eat spicy food anymore. He genuinely has a bad stomach, rather than distancing himself from her or trying to sever ties with her.

On the contrary, she knew nothing and thought he still liked spicy food as before, so she ordered several plates at once. She was even smug, thinking that she was the one who understood Zhuang Yan the most, but in fact she was the one who understood him the least.

Over the years, in order to fulfill the agreements she signed with the company and to win awards, she immersed herself in her own world, believing that time had stopped and things would be the same as before.

She missed Zhuang Yan for five years. In those five years, Zhuang Yan was tormented by his family to the point of being unrecognizable, and even living was difficult for him. What made her think that Zhuang Yan could get back together with her just because he broke off his engagement with Xia Wan?

"Jiang Xiaoning, in this world, no matter how you live your life, there will always be people who gossip. Don't take their words to heart, don't listen to them. Just be yourself, eat what you want to eat every day, see the people you want to see, do what you like to do. As long as you are happy and have a clear conscience, that's enough. I really like your mother. She cooks delicious food, speaks gently, and is self-reliant. I don't believe she is a murderer. If anyone talks nonsense, I will fight back for you."

"Jiang Xiaoning, are you a doormat? No, you're a crybaby."

"Jiang Xiaoning, don't cry. A new fried rice noodle shop has opened near the school. Let's go eat there. I heard it's very spicy. Save your tears for when you're crying from the spiciness."

Tears streamed down her face without her noticing, more and more of them falling. She covered her mouth, sobbing uncontrollably, her body swaying as if she were about to collapse.

Fans rushed to support her, not understanding why Jiang Ning was reacting so strongly.

Jiang Ning handed the phone back to her, her voice hoarse with tears in her eyes: "Thank you for telling me all this, thank you."

The fans looked anxious and asked worriedly, "Ningning, are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Jiang Ning forced a smile, but it looked more like a grimace as she handed the autographed photo to her fan.

The fan left with the autographed photo. "I will cherish it. Ningning, keep going! We are all waiting for you to come back to filming. Your fans will always love you."

Zhuang Yan could have loved her forever, couldn't he?

The only thing she could do to salvage the situation was… thinking this, she glanced at the live stream camera.

...

At this moment, Zhuang Yan was completely unaware of what had happened in the restaurant. After leaving, he strolled around the neighborhood. There were not only restaurants but also various jewelry stores nearby, with cheap prices, suitable for students. Not far away, there was also a shopping mall where you could ice skate, watch movies, and do crafts. In short, it was a great place for a date.

Zhuang Yan was followed by a photographer. Less than twenty minutes after they came out, the photographer received a phone call.

"Zhuang Yan, when are you going back?"

"Let's go back now." Jiang Ning should have finished eating and calmed down by now, having been out for so long.

The photographer said in a conciliatory tone, "Jiang Ning isn't in a good mood. She cried after you left. If you can comfort her when you get back, please do so. We're filming a show here, and we've only filmed halfway through today. Don't mess it up."

"Okay, sure." Zhuang Yan agreed quickly. Working people have it tough, and he would cooperate.