A cold wind brushes my face, my lonely shadow stretches long, and my low spirits spread like ink on paper, swirling and spreading in circles.

Lin Yue had never felt so lost and helpless. She stood there dumbfounded, as if every word Amy had said—about Song Yunzheng and Meng Wanning's past—kept echoing in her ears...

It turns out they had been separated for eight years, and he had searched for her for eight years. He had treasured that ring in the study for eight years... No wonder he reacted so strongly when he saw her holding that ring, no wonder he never let her into the study from the beginning. It turns out everything was traceable, and she was just too oblivious.

Now that she's back and the misunderstanding has been cleared up, is the next step to reconcile? Lin Yue felt a sharp pain in her heart, an indescribable sadness.

She slowly walked to Song Yunzheng's side, reached out and touched his fingers. He suddenly turned to look at her, his eyes swirling with complex emotions—pain, confusion, and uncertainty…

"Honey," Lin Yue called softly, "Shall we go home?"

Song Yunzheng forced a smile and said in a low voice, "Okay, let's go home."

Tang Shiting stood behind them the whole time, and only after they had walked away did he come to his senses. Amy's words were like a bomb dropped on a calm lake. He couldn't help but worry about Lin Yue. How did his poor and lovely student fall into the mouth of Song Yunzheng, that big bad wolf?

Lin Yue sat obediently in the passenger seat. Song Yunzheng remained silent the whole way, his expression very serious. She didn't dare to disturb him at the moment. She turned her head to look at his profile. He had his brows furrowed deeply.

"Honey," she called him cautiously, trying to break the oppressive atmosphere, "How about we take a hot bath when we get home later?"

Song Yunzheng seemed not to hear, continuing to stare straight ahead without looking to the side.

"husband?"

"Huh?" Song Yunzheng looked enlightened, a hint of doubt in his eyes. "What did you just say?"

Lin Yue pursed her lips, her voice becoming even softer: "I asked if you wanted to go home and take a bath to relax."

Song Yunzheng shook his head. "No need, I prefer showering." His tone was flat, so flat that no emotion could be detected.

"Oh, okay."

Lin Yue stopped talking, turned her head to the side, and looked out the car window. The scenery outside the window was always so beautiful, but it always flashed by, just like happiness, which was short-lived and fleeting. One second she was immersed in joy, and the next second she might fall into the abyss of sadness.

As soon as he entered the house, Song Yunzheng quickly changed into his pajamas and then went into the kitchen. He knew that the little girl hadn't eaten much at noon, so on the way home, he spent half his time processing Meng Wanning's situation and the other half thinking about what delicious food he should make for the little girl later, since she was too thin.

Lin Yue sat quietly on the living room sofa, her eyes vacant and lifeless, her fingers unconsciously picking at themselves, like a prisoner awaiting final judgment. Her phone lay silently beside her, WeChat notifications constantly ringing, but she showed no reaction, as if everything around her was irrelevant.

Suddenly, the silence was broken by the sound of the kitchen door being gently pushed open. Lin Yue seemed to be startled awake, and she abruptly stood up from the sofa, staring straight in that direction.

Song Yunzheng walked over slowly, carrying a large bowl of steaming noodles steadily in both hands. His expression was calm and natural, as if nothing that had happened that day had ever occurred. He smiled, gently waved to Lin Yue, and said softly, "Come and eat."

Lin Yue walked over impatiently, her eyes fixed on Song Yunzheng, as if afraid he would suddenly disappear. Even while eating noodles, she would take a bite and then glance at him, as if only in this way could she feel at ease.

"What? Do you think I'm good for eating? Eat up." Song Yunzheng noticed her actions and gently pinched her cheek, trying to relax her.

In truth, he knew perfectly well why she was acting this way. The girl was terrified by Meng Wanning's situation, which was why she had become so cautious. Recalling how she had been so docile on the way here, like a frightened kitten, her helpless expression was heartbreaking. Her behavior was a failure on his part as her husband; he hadn't given her enough security, and the slightest disturbance made her anxious and fearful.

After dinner, Song Yunzheng took a white iron box out of the study, and in his hand he was also holding the blue brocade box, which contained the ring he had treasured for eight years.

What? Are you starting to reminisce about the past? Lin Yue quickly turned her face away, her heart aching.

"Sit here." Song Yunzheng patted the seat next to him.

Lin Yue lowered her eyes and walked over silently, her mind already conjuring up a tragic drama.

Song Yunzheng opened the tin box with a crisp "click" in the quiet living room. He rummaged through its contents, which were mostly photos and small items, some of which he didn't even remember. He picked up a photo and looked at it; it was a picture of him and Meng Wanning. Each photo had a line of text written on the back, recording the events of that moment.

Lin Yue's eyes flickered, and she suddenly stood up. "Take your time looking at it. I'm a little tired. I'm going to sleep now."

Song Yunzheng grabbed her hand and pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly around the waist to prevent her from leaving. "Don't go, sit with me for a while. I just want to show you some things. These are all photos of Meng Wanning and me from our university days. I've always kept these in my study; I didn't mean to hide them."

Lin Yue pursed her lips and sat silently in his lap, her heart aching terribly.

“I’m showing this to you now to tell you that I’ve let go of the past. It was a long process, but letting go can happen in an instant. Love happens often, but it can’t wait. Right now, I only remember her. The past is the past. You can do with these things as you like, you can throw them away.” Hearing this, Lin Yue’s tense body slowly relaxed, and she stared at him without blinking.

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