After Zheng Tianming returned downstairs, he tried the fingerprint lock several times but failed. Then he remembered that the lock was newly replaced before the New Year, and he was not at home at the time, so he stored Xu Mengyu's fingerprint.

Without a second thought, he entered their birthdays. The door opened, revealing a black fabric sofa with Xu Mengyu's pajamas still lying on it. Zheng Tianming walked over...

When will they meet again? Will she still angrily stomp on his foot, then look at him expectantly and beg him to help her open the bottle cap?

He thought, "Probably not."

Zheng Tianming opened the refrigerator and took out canned beer. From the afternoon until eight o'clock in the evening, there were bottles and cans of beer all over the floor, but he just couldn't get drunk. On the coffee table was the peach-flavored cocktail that Xu Mengyu had finished drinking earlier.

He opened it and took a sip. He didn't know if it was because he had drunk too much alcohol or what, but the stabbing pain in his heart became more and more obvious.

Zheng Tianming lay on the sofa, his mouth full of the taste of peach cocktail. He thought he should be drunk this time. He put his legs on the sofa armrest and turned around. Something scratched the back of his hand.

He reached into the sofa cushions and felt around; it was Xu Mengyu's hair clip that had fallen out. It was pink and had gold letters printed on it. Only after losing it did Zheng Tianming realize that her shadow was everywhere in his life.

Zheng Tianming always thought Xu Mengyu didn't love him, otherwise why would she have broken up with him in the first place? It wasn't until he saw Xu Lu that he understood...

Xu Mengyu once said that she would never have a child unless she loved a man to the core. She was afraid of the pain and worried about losing her figure.

“...”

Early in the morning, Zheng Tianming took a shower and changed into a suit. He stood in front of the mirror, straightening his tie. He realized that a person cannot live without a heart.

He stood in line in front of the breakfast shop, his suit and tie and his 1.9-meter height making him stand out in the crowd.

When the doorbell rang, Xu Sichen was still lying in bed.

Li Mirui reached out and pinched his thigh: "Go open the door."

"You pinched me..." Xu Sichen's voice was a little hoarse, his peach blossom eyes drooping, revealing a deep sense of grievance.

He was incredibly handsome when he was young, and even now that he's older, he's still quite good-looking.

Li Mirui couldn't do anything with him; he was so old yet still acted like a spoiled child.

Zheng Tianming stood in front of the door, carrying a bag of shrimp dumplings he had brought back. When the door opened, he greeted her in a hoarse voice, "Good morning, Auntie."

Li Mirui frowned. The last person she wanted to see right now was Zheng Tianming, the child she had watched grow up. She didn't know how to face him.

Xu Mengyu had to undergo a C-section during childbirth, which was extremely painful and almost killed her. To silence the rumors, she went back to filming on the third day after her incision healed, and she didn't even finish her postpartum confinement period in order to dispel public opinion.

She knows her daughter is wrong too, but as a mother, her scales can never be balanced. Anyone who can be balanced is a saint, and she certainly can't.

Xu Sichen came out of the bedroom wearing a bathrobe and saw Zheng Tianming: "Why are you back? Where's Mengyu?"

"Mengyu..." Zheng Tianming looked at Li Mirui with apologetic eyes, then changed the subject, saying, "Uncle, Aunt, I brought some shrimp dumplings, please try them."

Xu Sichen had a rough idea; the two had probably argued again, otherwise Zheng Tianming wouldn't have come to find them so early in the morning.

They've been arguing since they were little, and he's used to it.

Li Mirui's gaze darkened: "I don't have the mouth to eat shrimp dumplings, you eat them yourself."

Xu Sichen walked to Li Mirui's side and put his arm around her. Zheng Tianming was indeed wrong to do that on the deserted island, but the matter was over, and he couldn't keep taking his anger out on the younger generation.

Of course, if it happens again, he'll break his leg and then put it back on.

The three sat in the restaurant. Zheng Tianming went to get the bowls and chopsticks. He was very familiar with this place; it felt just like home.

“Uncle, Aunt, I’ve always treated Xu Mengyu like my own sister. I felt really guilty for not being able to take good care of her on that deserted island. Now that her foot injury has healed, she’s afraid of being a burden to me, so she secretly left. As her older brother, I’m worried about her safety and want to protect her.”

Li Mirui squinted, unable to discern anything unusual from his expression, but she knew better than anyone that he was spouting nonsense with a straight face.

Si Chen turned to look at Zheng Tianming beside him. This kid has grown up and is much more tactful than before.

"You'll have to ask Mengyu about this. We've always respected her choices." Li Milui passed the buck to Xu Mengyu.

Xu Mengyu must have left because she didn't like him.

Zheng Tianming said worriedly, "Mengyu is currently in the eye of the storm, and I'm worried that she might be in danger. I just want to protect her safety. Uncle Xu, Aunt Li, please trust me one more time. This time, I will definitely protect her well."

Li Mirui picked up her chopsticks. If he were the same as before, she could still put on airs as an elder and put him in his place. But since he came over with a smile, she couldn't slap him.

Xu Sichen ate his shrimp dumplings, while Zheng Tianming's father stood behind him. They were old friends who had risked their lives together; he didn't want the younger generation to cause trouble: "Mengyu has a bad temper, you know that. If she goes, she'll definitely suffer..."

The child has already put it this way; if he refuses, he's not just losing face.

"Don't worry, Uncle Xu, I'm used to it," Zheng Tianming replied.

He's quite the potential punching bag, so accustomed to being bullied that it's heartbreaking. Xu Sichen lowered his head and continued eating his breakfast.

Li Mirui slammed her chopsticks on the table: "I'm full."

But the two of them are not compatible in any way. Dating is one thing, but marriage is a matter for both families. Given Zheng Tianming's attitude towards Xu Mengyu, don't expect him to treat Mengyu well in the future.

They couldn't stay with Xu Mengyu forever; they just hoped she could find someone who would treat her well. Xu Sichen, unaware of the truth, insisted on sending Zheng Tianming to his daughter's side, and they couldn't stop him. They could only harbor resentment in silence.

"I'll send you the address on WeChat," Xu Sichen said softly, then got up and followed. Actually, he thought Zheng Tianming was quite good, much better than someone he didn't know anything about.

After cleaning up the dishes, Zheng Tianming left the Xu family's house. He couldn't just talk the talk; he had to walk the walk...

"What!" A roar erupted from inside a courtyard house.

Old Wei slammed his pen on the table with a "bang": "You're going to be an informant, but who's going to lead the team! You're so unpredictable!"

“There are plenty of capable people, like Lao Ma and Lao Xing, they can lead a team without any problem.” Zheng Tianming said, pouring himself a cup of tea. “What’s wrong with an informant? I think they’re quite suitable for me.”

"No way, are you out of your mind?" Old Wei said, slamming his hand on the table. "Putting aside the fact that this is a waste of your talents, how many merits did you earn to deserve this uniform and honor? Now that you're going to be an informant, you'll lose all your benefits. Have you thought about that?"

As Zheng Tianming sipped his tea, his voice unconsciously deepened: "Whether it's being a soldier or wearing this uniform, my original aspiration remains unchanged, and my goal has always been the same."

"Tianming, you'd better think this through. If you're transferred now, you'll lose all your privileges, including all the efforts you've made before." Old Wei said sternly. This was a big deal, and he couldn't just agree to it casually.

Zheng Tianming nodded: "I know what I'm doing."

The young lady did so much for him, and no matter the outcome, he would not regret his choice.

Old Wei, holding the pen, saw Zheng Tianming's determined look and had no choice but to sign the paper: "Get out, get out, don't come for the next two months." As he spoke, he opened the drawer and took out his blood pressure medication.

Zheng Tianming returned shortly after leaving, carrying two boxes of tea: "My status wasn't suitable for giving gifts before, but it's fine now."

"roll--"

Zheng Tianming looked at the piece of paper in his hand. He was definitely reluctant to part with it, after all, it had taken him eight years of hard work to achieve this. But winning back the young lady was more important now.

One must first survive before pursuing dreams.

Xu Mengyu didn't wake up until noon. Her eyes were terribly swollen, and the moment she picked up her phone, she froze...

Zheng Tianming: [Miss, I'm downstairs, but the security guards won't let me in. If you don't come pick me up soon, I'm going to climb over the wall.]

[Due to various reasons, I've been revising the article these past couple of days. Sorry, updates will resume tomorrow.]