After the text message was sent, the screen remained lit, like a half-open door.

Wait for her to come out, or simply close the door forever.

Jing Min leaned back in his seat, closed his eyes briefly, and when he opened them again, his pupils remained icy cold.

He had considered rushing in, but he was afraid that once he crossed that line, he would lose everything.

A while later, my phone vibrated; it was a reply from Chu Wuyang.

What's up?

It was just a simple sentence, seemingly calm and even, as if she had already guessed he would come, or even been waiting for him all along.

He quickly replied:

"Yeah, nothing's wrong. I just couldn't sleep tonight and wanted to see you."

I've thought of a few names for the child; if you have time, could you help me choose one?

He tried to make his tone sound relaxed.

Just like any other day, I asked her if she wanted to eat roasted chestnuts or go see the sea together.

The phone screen remained silent for more than ten seconds, like a game of strategy.

Finally, her voice call came through.

Jingmin quickly answered, trying to keep his voice gentle.

"Yangyang".

There was a pause on the other end, followed by her low, husky voice.

What name did you choose?

He curled the corners of his mouth into a smile.

"Hmm... Jing An, An as in quiet, another one is Jing Zhao, Zhao as in clear and bright, and another one is Jing Yu. I think if it were a girl, she might be like you, her eyes blink and she'd be completely distracted."

Chu Wuyang remained silent, neither laughing nor responding.

Which one do you think is... better?

He asked slowly, as if trying to gauge her emotions.

"...Jing Min".

She suddenly interrupted.

"What exactly are you trying to say?"

Her tone was weary, as if she had climbed over the riverbank in the night, stood before the truth, and decided to end it all.

"If you absolutely need an answer, I'm not going to choose any name,"

"Child...didn't you already abandon him a long time ago?"

The words had barely left his mouth when, on the other end of the phone,

It sounded like someone was deliberately lowering their voice, but a soft chuckle could still be faintly heard.

There was also the sound of the bathroom door being pushed open with a "click".

The air suddenly exploded.

Jing Min felt a rush of blood to his head and his throat tighten.

He stared intently at his phone, but his voice could no longer contain the madness within it.

"—Chu Wuyang, you get down here right now!!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a bolt of lightning struck down like a sword outside the window.

Then the raindrops began to fall, pouring down from the sky.

The torrential rain seemed to be covering his shame, or perhaps shedding tears for him.

He pushed open the car door, letting the cold rain soak him through, and stared up at the top of the tall building, his fists clenching tighter and tighter.

The rain fell even more heavily, like countless cold snakes descending from the sky, winding and crawling on the tips of his hair.

Jingmin stood by the car, clutching his phone tightly in his hand, the sound of breathing from the other end of the line clearly hitting his eardrums.

"Jingmin, it's raining, let's go back."

Chu Wuyang's voice drifted over softly.

Jingmin's Adam's apple bobbed, and his eyelashes were wet with rain, making it hard to tell whether it was tears or water.

He tried his best to make his voice sound softer, not like he had been shouting before.

"Yangyang, you don't want me to go up there, right?"

"Come on... come down, let's go home, okay?"

He didn't pressure him; in fact, there was a barely perceptible hint of vulnerability in his tone.

However, the person on the other end of the phone seemed to have made up their mind.

"Jingmin, you should already know, right?"

"I leaked Boyifang's confidential documents. And that report... about your family's hereditary disease, I sent it out as well."

It felt as if someone had suddenly stabbed him in the heart, and he couldn't breathe.

But he didn't lose control, even though his mind was beginning to crumble.

"Shut up, it wasn't you."

His tone was so harsh, it was as if he was forcing himself to deny this reality.

He paused, then added in a low voice

"Yangyang, I'm sorry, I didn't yell at you."

He tilted his head back, letting the raindrops pelt his face, suppressing the turmoil in his heart, and said in a hoarse voice,

"...Even if it really is you, I don't care."

“Yangyang, I don’t care about fame, I don’t care about money, and I don’t even… care about Boyifang.”

"None of those things matter to me, I only care about you."

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone.

He couldn't tell whether it was hesitation or a soft heart.

But the next sentence struck like a dagger.

"Jingmin, do you know what I'm doing at the hotel right now?"

He stood in the wind and rain, clutching his phone tightly until his knuckles turned white, his tone still carrying a sliver of lasting hope and self-comfort.

"Yan Zhou said something happened to the Chu family. You came to the hotel to... meet a client and seek help."

She chuckled softly, so softly that it made his eardrums ache.

"Yes, you have to show some sincerity when you ask someone for a favor."

"But I have nothing left... so I can only give myself away."

He shuddered; rainwater slid down his neck and into his collar.

That cold felt like it was freezing your bones inch by inch.

"Shut up."

He gritted his teeth and muttered a low growl, then burst into a shout, completely losing control of his emotions.

"Chu Wuyang, shut up!"

He had never lost control like this in front of her, not even when he was at his angrier.

But now, it's as if he's lost the last shred of his sanity.

In fact, he already knew who was upstairs on his way to the hotel.

Li Yan's investigation was very thorough; it was Yang Jinchu.

If it were anyone else, he would have rushed up and torn that person to pieces.

But Yang Jinchu was different.

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