"What?!"

Shen Xiang's fingernails almost dug into her palms. She stared intently at Zhang Weiguo, then frantically looked at the crowd, trying to find Ye Nian'an.

But there were so many people that I couldn't see them at all.

"Brother Weiguo, you...you must have mistaken her for someone else? How could she be Sister Nian'an? She...she's even prettier than Sister Nian'an!"

Zhang Weiguo was absolutely certain: "It must be her, there's no mistake."

"I heard from Qingqing that Ye Nian'an seems like a completely different person, even more beautiful now. I found that strange; how can a person change so much?"

"But I really didn't expect that what Qingqing said wasn't an exaggeration at all; Ye Nian'an has really changed..."

Shen Xiang's hand unconsciously touched her lower abdomen.

Beneath the coarse cloth shirt, the stretch marks resembling earthworms seemed to be climbing up through the fabric.

It hasn't dissolved after all these years.

It's ugly and disgusting to look at.

She once stood under the lamp in front of a bronze mirror, tracing those ugly lines with her fingertips over and over again, tears dripping onto the scars, chilling her to the bone.

And what about Ye Nian'an?

After years of hardship in the countryside, raising children, she has blossomed into a beautiful woman, with even the fine lines around her eyes glistening with moisture.

On what grounds?

How blind is God? I work so hard and diligently, yet good fortune has never come my way.

Ye Nian'an is now the wife of a high-ranking official, and she's even become more beautiful. How come all the good things happen to her? Just how brilliant and glamorous will her life be in the future?

Just thinking about it makes Shen Xiang so angry she's about to vomit blood!

"Brother Weiguo".

Shen Xiang's voice was barely audible, her nails digging deeply into the calluses on her palms: "She's... doing very well now, isn't she?"

These words were like needles chilled to ice, piercing not only Zhang Weiguo but also his own heart.

She knew perfectly well that the embers of passion in his eyes still burned, yet she insisted on crushing those sparks into the dust.

He deliberately reminded Zhang Weiguo of the vast difference between himself and Ye Nian'an.

Even if Zhang Weiguo still harbored many feelings for Ye Nian'an, it was impossible; he was not worthy of her!

"Yes, the Chu family has been exonerated and will soon be reinstated. The Ye family has also returned. If she's not the one who's basking in glory, who is?"

As Zhang Weiguo spoke these words, his heart was filled with bitterness, as if he were being torn apart by a thousand knives.

Shen Xiang suddenly grabbed his arm, her tone filled with genuine bewilderment: "Brother Weiguo, Sister Nian'an seemed to be in a bad mood when she left the Zhang family a few years ago."

"She has made a triumphant return, with the Chu and Ye families by her side. Her godmother and Qingqing recently went to cause her trouble."

"What if we anger the Chu and Ye families and they plan to retaliate against us?"

Shen Xiang spoke from the bottom of her heart, her voice filled with worry.

I couldn't help but think that Li Dahong and his gang were really good at causing trouble.

The Zhang family had clearly survived such a great catastrophe.

Now they've offended the Chu and Ye families again; they must think they have too many lives to live.

Mentioning these things instantly made Zhang Weiguo feel irritated.

"How would I know... Let's just let things take their course and go back."

Zhang Weiguo lost interest in continuing his shopping.

He really wanted to go to Ye Nian'an and ask her in person how she had been doing all these years.

Thinking about it carefully, I realized that I didn't have the qualifications and would only cause unnecessary trouble.

Ye Nian'an probably won't give me a friendly look when she sees me.

Looking at how much more beautiful and radiant Ye Nian'an has become than before, the answer to whether she is doing well or not is already crystal clear.

"kindness……"

Shen Xianggang responded.

As Zhang Weiguo turned around, he suddenly covered his forehead, his fingers trembling as if blood was seeping through them.

"Brother Weiguo? Do you have a headache again?"

Shen Xiang inquired with concern.

For the past six months, Zhang Weiguo has been experiencing sudden headaches at times.

After a while, Zhang Weiguo's expression relaxed: "It's nothing, it's just a little thing."

Shen Xiang said softly, "Brother Weiguo, I think you should go to the hospital for a check-up."

"It's just a minor ailment, why waste money at the hospital? It's probably because you've been working too long at the factory lately and haven't had enough rest. Let's go."

"……kindness."

Shen Xiang dared not continue speaking.

She knew perfectly well that Zhang Weiguo was trying to save money.

Everything costs money, where will we find enough?

The Zhang family's house was emptied by thieves a few years ago.

If this continues, Shen Xiang will have to pay for Zhang Weiguo's medical treatment.

If Zhang Weiguo is willing to marry her, then she can make some sacrifices.

Since Zhang Weiguo has no feelings for her and is only thinking about Ye Nian'an, Shen Xiang needs to start planning for herself and her child as soon as possible...

Finally, Zhang Weiguo glanced in the direction where Ye Nian'an had just been.

The place was teeming with people and brightly lit by lanterns, but the figure that haunted his dreams was nowhere to be found.

This is the woman I once lost, the woman I loved most in my life.

The red thread that was once thought to be unbreakable has long since been worn down into a broken string over the years.

He and she were ultimately like fireworks in the night sky, dazzling and intertwined when they bloomed, but after they faded, they became parallel lines that would never intersect.

A sharp pain suddenly shot through my chest, as if countless needles were piercing me at the same time.

Suddenly, he felt that all the city's prosperity and joy had become a mockery of his loneliness.

Ye Nian'an suddenly seemed to sense something and looked towards Zhang Weiguo.

There was no one there anymore.

"What's wrong? Niannian, are you feeling a little unwell?"

Chu Yan tensed up instantly.

Ye Nian'an's pregnancy symptoms this time are greater than when she was pregnant with her three children two years ago.

Could it be...?

Is it morning sickness again?

His voice was filled with a honeyed tension, and his fingertips gently caressed his skin through his cotton-padded coat, as if soothing a frightened kitten.

"It's not morning sickness."

Ye Nian'an shook her head: "Just now, I felt like there was a gaze, like a spider web wrapped around me, sticky and uncomfortable."

"My sister-in-law is so beautiful, there must be a lot of men secretly watching her. Not to mention men, even I, a woman, am falling for her beauty."

Although Chu Xin'er was joking, her tone was completely serious.

My beautiful sister-in-law, if she were really a man, she would fight tooth and nail with her own brother to the death!

Unfortunately, he wasn't a man, and his sister-in-law wasn't a lesbian.

Waaaaah!

A figure slowly approached Chu Xin'er from within the crowd...

Ye Nian'an saw it first, opened her mouth as if to say something, but then stopped herself.

"Oh? Really?"

The low chuckle, like a walnut coated in icing sugar, swirled in the night breeze.

His tone carried a hint of jealousy.

Chu Xin'er froze instantly.

As she turned around, she met Song Yan's smiling eyes.

A warm smile played on his lips, but when he looked down at her, his gaze was filled with possessiveness.

"Song...Song Yan-ge, what a coincidence! You're out for a stroll too?"

Chu Xin'er gave a dry laugh and greeted them.

I don't know why I was so nervous, like I had done something wrong.