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She posts three or four updates on her WeChat Moments every day, all about eating, drinking, and having fun around the world, or photos with her boyfriend Jiang Zhiming, showing off their affection.

The location coordinates sometimes show Tokyo, Japan, sometimes New York, USA, and sometimes Seoul, South Korea.

Cai Wenchuan looked at her with disdain, yet he was also like a man possessed, caring about everything about Lin Tingyue. The smiling girl was truly beautiful, even though she loved taking selfies! He had been obsessed with her since he was sixteen, unable to shake off his love for her, which was as deep as the sea and as high as Mount Tai, even though she didn't love him in the slightest.

The next day, the snow stopped, the sun came out, and the thin layer of snow on the ground melted quickly under the sun's rays. The sky was as blue as a lake in the deep mountains, and some old leaves remained on the maple trees, which looked like fresh blood when the sunlight shone on them.

Cai Wenchuan remembered his promise to Ye Wenyu and left after breakfast. It was the second day of the Lunar New Year, and many people were still celebrating at home. Stepping outside, the wind felt like being doused with ice water. Just as he was leaving, his mother heard him and called out to his retreating figure, "I saw Wenyu at the hospital yesterday! Ye Wenyu! The little girl you took special care of when she was little. She's grown into a beautiful young woman. I have her phone number. Do you want to call her and invite her over for dinner?"

Cai Wenchuan pretended not to hear and fled outside as if he were deaf. It turned out that after he hurriedly escaped from the hospital yesterday, his mother and Ye Wenyu reunited. Now Ye Wenyu knew that they had moved and that the entire Cai family had become servants for the Lin family.

Thinking of this, Cai Wenchuan felt a flush rise to his face, a wave of inferiority washing over him. He had already stepped outside; the cool sunlight shone on him, the melting snow forming streams that flowed down the mountainside with a gurgling sound. He continued walking with his head down, soon reaching the camphor tree. He squinted and looked up. Things had changed; more than a decade had passed in the blink of an eye. The little girl he had longed for had grown up, had a boyfriend, and, it was said, her mother had returned. A good show was about to unfold at the Lin family!

A north wind blew by, and the camphor trees seemed to weep in the wind. Some melting snow fell from the leaves, fluttering down as if a heavy snowfall was taking place. Camphor trees are evergreen, their leaves remaining green even in the depths of winter.

Cai Wenchuan looked into the depths of the tree canopy, where the dense foliage and the cascading white sunlight made him dizzy. He wondered if his family hadn't moved back then, and his father had remained an ordinary worker in the old state-owned factory while he accompanied Ye Wenyu as she grew up. Would his life have been different?

If that's the case, does that mean his heart can only hold Ye Wenyu?

He didn't love that young, beautiful, intelligent, strong, optimistic, kind, pure, positive, and generous girl. Instead, he fell in love with a wicked girl who was bad at studying, had a crooked heart, didn't know how to respect others, and couldn't see any effort she put in. Was he crazy?!

Was this fate's arrangement, or was his willpower too weak? Or was his emotional intelligence too low?

Cai Wenchuan pondered, breathing heavily in pain, feeling as if a sharp knife was stabbing his heart. He thought, if he couldn't let go of Lin Tingyue, his life would have no future or happiness. Being with Ye Wenyu, she could heal and redeem him. There was clearly a right path ahead waiting for him, and he clearly knew how to live his life safely and wisely, but why was he unable to control himself and his emotions?

Cai Wenchuan closed his eyes in pain, his breath coming in gasps. Wen Yu was so outstanding and beautiful, would she wait for him to come to his senses?

Impossible. She was such a proud and self-respecting girl.

She contacted him today, and he already sensed what had happened. He felt he had wronged her, and the fact that she had delayed bringing it up until today was already a great concession to him.

As Cai Wenchuan stood under the camphor tree lost in thought, his father came out, gave him a deep look, and said meaningfully, "What are you doing standing outside in the dead of winter, lost in thought?"

As if waking from a dream, Cai Wenchuan said curtly to his father, "I'm leaving." Then he turned away hastily. If his father hadn't quit his job at the state-owned factory and had instead come to the Lin family as a servant, his life would probably be different.

His father glanced at him and said, "I saw Wenyu at the hospital yesterday. That little girl from the Ye family, you liked her a lot when you were little. I think she's quite nice, very pretty, and very sensible, unlike the second young lady who's so clueless. She's a good match for our family—"

Cai Wenchuan suddenly raised his head and looked at his father. He said coldly, "Is it a good match? Although her parents are divorced, her mother is a retired state-owned factory worker. It's not shameful to talk about a retired worker. How can it be considered a good match?"

Mr. Cai froze, his forehead veins bulging, and he angrily said, "You—" His throat seemed to have suddenly developed a serious throat ailment, becoming extremely hoarse.

Back then, because the state-owned factory was about to go bankrupt, he could only pay half a month's salary each month. His son was about to go to high school and university, and he needed money everywhere. He had no choice but to find another way out, so he found the Lin family to work as their housekeeper.

Master Lin treated him very well, and he was also very generous. He has been loyal to him all these years.

Unexpectedly, after quitting his factory job and coming to the Lin family to work as a servant, his son looked down on him so much. His implication was that his father was a servant of the Lin family, and it was shameful to say such a thing.

Cai Wenchuan's eyes reddened.

Mr. Cai's lips trembled, his blood boiling with pain. He lowered his head. It turned out that in his son's heart, he had always looked down on him for working as a maid for the Lin family. He had grown up and was no longer as obedient and adorable as he was when he was a child. When they first moved to this small house, the child was very obedient. He would study at the construction site every day and, seeing his mother working as a maid in the Lin family's mansion all day, would pat her back and massage her when she came home tired.

Unlike now—

The rift between father and son didn't form overnight; it seems that ever since he worked hard to get into Q University and chose to live on campus under the pretext of studying, they have become estranged.

Cai Wenchuan had already left in a hurry, like a gust of wind.

Mr. Cai looked at the camphor tree, sighed, and hunched over as he went into the house, looking as if he had aged a lot all of a sudden.

Cai Wenchuan arrived at Ye Wenyu's school on time. After a year of postdoctoral studies abroad, returning to Q University, Cai Wenchuan felt a sense of unfamiliarity.