84. General Manager Cheng raised his fist.

In a hazy blur, Cheng Boyan's fingertips gently brushed against the shoulder straps of Rao Wanyi's pink lace bra, the delicate touch making his eyes darken.

"Bo Yan..." Rao Wanyi's voice was just the right amount of softness as her fingers rested on his shirt collar.

He lowered his head and kissed Rao Wanyi's lips. The kiss carried the aftertaste of red wine.

Rao Wanyi trembled slightly in his arms, not from fear, but from an uncontrollable flutter of excitement. His kiss moved away from her lips, instead kissing her cheeks and neck, each touch seeming to declare possession.

"Bo Yan..." Rao Wanyi murmured softly, wrapping her arms around his neck.

Just then, Wen Xueyan suddenly woke up from her dream.

She gasped for breath, her heart pounding. She opened her eyes, turned on the light, and realized that the heartbreaking scene she had just witnessed was all a dream.

The lingerie that Rao Wanyi wore in my dream was indeed the pink one she mentioned on the phone earlier.

Unable to fall asleep again, she got up and turned on her tablet. She randomly selected an American TV series, but couldn't concentrate at all. The characters' dialogue seemed to be filtered through frosted glass, blurry and indistinct. Her thoughts drifted uncontrollably to Cheng Boyan. What was he doing right now? Was he really with Rao Wanyi, as her dream suggested?

Anxiety crept up on her like vines, and she turned on her phone. The background photo was of her baby's adorable sleeping face, which slightly calmed the turmoil in her heart.

Then she checked her phone and found that her ex-husband, Song Tiancheng, had sent her several more messages:

"Xueyan, today we passed by our favorite coffee shop. I remember you always ordered a caramel macchiato, and you looked so cute with milk foam on your lips."

"I enrolled in an emotional management course, and only then did I realize how much harm I caused you back then. I don't ask for forgiveness, I just want you to know that I'm changing."...

Wen Xueyan seemed to be out of control and replied with "thank you," but less than three minutes later, she snapped back to reality and tried to take it back, but it was too late.

Later, Wen Xueyan dozed off again in a daze.

At six o'clock in the morning, before the sky was fully light, Xi Mingyuan felt a soft, warm body slip into his bed while he was still asleep. He groggily reached out and touched a head of soft, long hair, which immediately woke him up.

"Xueyan?" He sat up abruptly, rubbing his eyes, his voice still sleepy. "What are you doing here? I may not have anything to do with you... but don't test me, okay? What if I can't withstand the test?" He subconsciously moved to the side, maintaining a proper distance.

Wen Xueyan curled up in the blanket, her eyes red and her voice choked with sobs: "I'm so lonely. Hug me. I had a dream. I dreamt that Cheng Boyan and Rao Wanyi were together..."

Xi Mingyuan reached out and switched on the bedside lamp. In the warm light, he could clearly see the tear tracks on her face. "Just for a dream? If your CEO Cheng knew you were in my bed right now, he'd kill me."

"This dream felt so real, and..." Wen Xueyan's voice was soft, "Last night, I called him, but Rao Wanyi answered and said he was taking a shower..."

"It's just a dream, don't overthink it. Last night I even dreamt that I turned into a penguin and was dancing the tango with seals in Antarctica," Xi Mingyuan tried to comfort her.

Just then, Xi Mingyuan's phone rang. The three words "Cheng Boyan" on the screen made both of them pause in surprise.

Xi Mingyuan didn't dare answer the phone immediately. He gestured for Wen Xueyan to be quiet, took his phone, and quickly went into the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

Xi Mingyuan leaned against the sink, and after understanding his intention, replied, "Don't worry, I'll ask for you."

After hanging up the phone, he walked out of the bathroom and found Wen Xueyan sitting with her knees drawn up in a daze.

Xi Mingyuan didn't get back into bed. He knelt down in front of her, looking up at her: "He said there's a misunderstanding between you two. Would you like to answer his call?"

Wen Xueyan responded: "I don't want to..."

Xi Mingyuan sensed something was off about her eyes, a hint of melancholy in them. So he went to her room to get some clothes, then draped them over her shoulders, saying, "Let's go, I'll take you to try Aunt Zhang's special osmanthus-flavored sweet rice balls. I guarantee they'll be so sweet you'll forget all your troubles."

At the breakfast table, Xi Mingyuan served Wen Xueyan glutinous rice balls while continuing to try to cheer her up: "You know what? Yesterday during my meeting, the CFO's wig got blown askew by the air conditioner, and nobody dared to point it out. You see, there's joy everywhere in life."

Wen Xueyan ate her glutinous rice balls in small bites, her mood improving slightly. Seeing this, Xi Mingyuan's tone softened: "But seriously, I'll have the driver take you to the hospital. Postpartum depression is actually a very common problem; my mother had it too. Think of it as a mental spa treatment, how about it?"

"I'm fine..."

"You should go even if there's nothing wrong." Xi Mingyuan blinked, trying to cheer her up. "Actually, you can think of me as an older brother. If President Cheng finds out I haven't taken good care of you, he'll definitely drink all my treasured red wine."

Aunt Zhang brought over another bowl of porridge. Seeing Wen Xueyan sipping the porridge, Xi Mingyuan laughed, "Your eating manners are more elegant than any socialite I've ever met, except your pace is as slow as a stock market recovery."

When Aunt Zhang served the fried eggs, he exclaimed, "Look! These fried eggs are so round, they're almost as round as the heads of those old fogies on the board of directors!"

Hearing this, Wen Xueyan laughed. Watching Wen Xueyan's brows gradually relax, Xi Mingyuan sighed silently. He knew that what could truly heal her wasn't his humor, but the person who was about to return, or perhaps herself.

But at least, on this morning, he created a temporary patch of clear sky for her in his own way.

In the early morning hospital corridor, Wen Xueyan sat alone on a light blue chair in the waiting area. As Xi Mingyuan's driver dropped her off at the entrance, he considerately said, "Madam, I'll wait for you in the parking lot. No rush. Please feel free to call me if you need any help."

"Ms. Wen Xueyan," the nurse called her name gently.

Inside the consultation room, Dr. Qian was reviewing her medical reports. This doctor, who was over fifty, had gentle features.

"Based on the examination results, you have mild postpartum depression," Dr. Qian's voice was like warm tea on a winter's day. "Many new mothers go through this phase due to hormonal changes after childbirth, especially when the child's father cannot be by their side often."

Wen Xueyan nodded gently, her gaze unconsciously drifting towards the window. While waiting for her appointment, she noticed a sycamore tree in the hospital courtyard. The wind and rain of the previous night had knocked off many leaves, but the new buds on the branches were still shimmering in the sunlight.

He prescribed some medication, closed the medical record, and said in a gentle yet firm voice, "Because your symptoms are relatively mild, I suggest you observe for another three days. Keep these medications on hand; you don't need to take them for now. I also suggest you consider continuing to work. Work can both distract you from excessive thinking and keep you connected to the world."

Looking into the doctor's gentle eyes, Wen Xueyan suddenly felt her tense heartstrings relax a little.

*

Around noon, Cheng Boyan tried calling Wen Xueyan again. This time, her phone wasn't switched off, but no one answered. The long, drawn-out busy tone felt like a slow, agonizing torture.

He opened WeChat, his fingers hovering over the keyboard for a long time. He wanted to explain, to tell her that everything that night was a misunderstanding.

Words are too pale; separated by a screen, he feared that any inappropriate choice of words would push her further away. That's how feelings are sometimes—the more you cherish them, the more careful you become, and the more clumsy you appear.

Cheng Boyan always remembered that Wen Xueyan hated her ex-husband's apology text messages.

He finished lunch with his client, but Wen Xueyan still wouldn't answer her phone. Cheng Boyan could no longer stay in Jingzhou with peace of mind. He called his secretary, Qiao: "Book the earliest flight back."

"But Mr. Cheng, there's a meeting this afternoon..."

"Reschedule. I have something extremely urgent to attend to." His voice left no room for argument.

As the plane landed, a light rain was falling in the familiar city. Sitting in the car, Cheng Boyan wearily rubbed his temples. The driver turned on the car radio, and the clear voice of the female announcer echoed through the cabin:

"Breaking news: A fire broke out at the headquarters of Shiming Group this afternoon. The fire is now under control. More than ten people have been injured, and ambulances are on their way..."

Cheng Boyan's heart clenched suddenly, and he said to the driver, "Go to Shiming Group! Quickly!"

The car sped through the rain, and his heart raced even faster than the car's speed.

Wen Xueyan stood in the open space in front of the building, wearing only a thin silk shirt, shivering in the drizzle.

Just minutes earlier, the piercing fire alarm shattered the afternoon tranquility of the Shiming Group. Wen Xueyan was reviewing technical documents in the conference room. Amidst the ear-piercing ringing, she heard exclamations of "Fire!" coming from the corridor.

Almost instinctively, she followed the crowd toward the fire escape. The elevators had stopped working, and although the thick smoke hadn't yet reached this floor, panic was spreading among the crowd. She didn't have time to grab anything, forgetting even the coat she had placed on the back of her chair, and just ran down the stairs with the crowd.

The high heels rattled haphazardly on the stairwell; some people stumbled, some cried, but the instinct for survival propelled everyone downwards, downwards. Wen Xueyan gripped the cold railing, feeling her heart pounding violently in her chest.

When she finally rushed out of the building and stood panting in the drizzle, she felt the biting cold.

The early spring rain, carrying a chill that seeped into her bones, soaked her thin silk shirt.

She crossed her arms and looked at the chaotic scene before her: the fire trucks' blinding red lights were spinning, and people who had escaped stood in small groups, their faces still showing signs of shock.

Just then, she saw Xi Mingyuan's car speeding towards her, screeching to a stop a short distance away. He opened the car door, his eyes searching eagerly through the crowd, finally settling on her.

"Xueyan!" Xi Mingyuan strode over. "Are you alright?"

She shook her head, but her teeth chattered uncontrollably.

Xi Mingyuan's gaze lingered on her shirt for a moment, then he took off his expensive coat and draped it over her shoulders, enveloping her completely.

"Mr. Xi, has the cause of this fire been determined?" A reporter spotted them and immediately rushed over with a microphone.

Other media outlets also arrived, and soon they were surrounded by cameras and microphones. Flashbulbs went off one after another, capturing the image of the president of Shiming Group and his wife.

Facing the camera, Xi Mingyuan naturally put his arm around Wen Xueyan's shoulder, pulling her closer to him. She leaned against his chest, feeling the warmth emanating from him.

"Please rest assured, the fire is under control." Xi Mingyuan addressed the camera with a calm and powerful voice. "We just received a report from security that all employees have been safely evacuated, and the injured have been taken to the hospital."

With the reporter still nearby, Xi Mingyuan looked down at Wen Xueyan in his arms, his gaze perfectly gentle: "When I saw my wife standing here just now, my heart clenched. Thankfully, she's alright."

The reporters were clearly moved by this "heartfelt confession," and kept taking pictures of them.

Wen Xueyan forced a smile and nestled in his arms.

At that moment, in a black sedan that had just arrived across the street, Cheng Boyan was watching this scene through the car window.

His fingers gripped the leather seat tightly. Seeing Xi Mingyuan's hand on Wen Xueyan's shoulder, seeing her trembling in another man's arms, a burning rage almost overwhelmed his reason.

Cheng Boyan wished he could immediately push open the car door, rush across the road, and snatch her back from that man's arms.

He wanted to wrap her in his coat, carry her into the car, and kiss away the raindrops on her face.

But he couldn't.

He could only sit in the car, like an outsider. He thought back to that night in Jingzhou. Was she, like him now, imagining things she shouldn't be imagining on the other end of the phone, then heartbroken alone?

Subsequently, at Mr. Xi's request, the reporters left the scene.

Just as Xi Mingyuan was about to take Wen Xueyan away, a man wearing a faded brown jacket suddenly rushed over from the crowd.

Wen Xueyan's breath hitched; it was Song Tiancheng.

"Xueyan!" Song Tiancheng's voice sounded particularly urgent in the drizzle. "You replied to my message early this morning, does that mean you've forgiven me? You still have feelings for me, right? I rushed over as soon as I saw the news."

"No!" She instinctively shrank into Xi Mingyuan's arms, a move that only made Song Tiancheng more excited.

"You and President Xi had a whirlwind marriage; there's definitely no love between you." Song Tiancheng's voice carried an inexplicable confidence. "I know you still care about our past. I'm your man!"

"You're dreaming! Get out!" Xi Mingyuan shoved him away.

Song Tiancheng staggered backward, but he stubbornly stepped forward again and grabbed Wen Xueyan's wrist. Wen Xueyan's slender wrist ached from his grip, and forgotten memories flooded back like a tide.

That night, Song Tiancheng slapped her repeatedly, causing her mouth to bleed. Not content with that, he shoved Wen Xueyan to the ground, knocking her to the sofa. Her arm ached terribly. Later, as she hid in her bedroom, she could still hear Song Tiancheng pounding on the door…

Just as Xi Mingyuan was about to push him away again, he heard a voice from the side.

"Let her go."

Cheng Boyan's voice was colder than the chill of spring.

Before Song Tiancheng could react, two heavy punches landed on his jaw, the force of which caused him to fall to his knees, blood flowing from his mouth and nose.

"President Cheng, why did you hit me?" Song Tiancheng didn't dare to fight back. He stared at Cheng Boyan in shock, his voice filled with disbelief.

Cheng Boyan did not answer.

Over the years, whenever Cheng Boyan recalled seeing the bruises on Wen Xueyan's body that day, and the diagnosis report of soft tissue contusion, he felt an urge to beat the man to a pulp. He felt that the five days of detention back then were too lenient on him, and at this moment, every punch was filled with years of pent-up anger.

While writing this, I was also thinking about what causes some women to repeatedly forgive domestic violence in real society. The reasons are multifaceted. One factor is the man's exceptionally sincere attitude when apologizing. However, no matter how sincere he is, his inherent nature is likely difficult to change.

Mr. Xi is a pretty good person.

Yes, thank you. The comment section always has a stingy side, but also a sincere side.

Mr. Xi is so nice! He's even kind of cute, hahaha.

It shouldn't be forgiven! Don't say that most apologies afterward aren't heartfelt and are just attempts to win someone back; even if they are sincere, the damage done can never be forgotten. It will leave the woman with psychological trauma!

Yes, he also gave Xueyan a lot of care.

I agree with your point of view, and when I looked at case studies in sociology, I found that no matter how sincere the initial apology was, it usually happened again later.

How long until it ends? I want to see President Cheng and Xueyan together.

Thank you for your comment! The story is expected to be over 300,000 words long. This is my first time seeing your comment; welcome to new readers!

I just think Song is a bit too obsessive, he must be a little crazy!