After saying that, Ye Yao turned and walked out.

Leng Siqing was left standing there, frozen in place, her cheeks flushed red, as if they could bleed.

She subconsciously raised her hand and gently touched the spot where he had just touched her, as if the warmth of his fingertips still lingered there.

Her heart was already in disarray, pounding as if it were about to leap out of her throat.

Ye Yao walked out of the office, feeling inexplicably relaxed and happy.

He walked through the long corridor, preparing to go downstairs, when suddenly a familiar figure appeared in front of him.

The man was visibly startled when he saw him, and stopped in his tracks.

The air seemed to freeze in that instant.

"Ye... Ye Yao?"

The woman spoke tentatively, her voice tinged with uncertainty.

The smile on Ye Yao's face faded, replaced by a polite but distant calm.

He looked at the stylish and well-dressed woman in front of him and nodded.

"Hello, Comrade Zhuang Yun."

The person who came was his fiancée from many years ago—Zhuang Yun.

Back then, the Ye family was wrongly accused and sent to the countryside, their future uncertain. In order to protect themselves, the Zhuang family immediately proposed to annul the engagement.

Without the slightest hesitation, fearing she would be dragged down by this "fallen man," Zhuang Yun decisively severed all ties between them.

When we meet again now, everything has changed.

"You...you're back."

Zhuang Yun's eyes instantly reddened. She took a few steps forward, her gaze greedily tracing Ye Yao's features.

He was thinner than before, but his gentle and refined temperament remained unchanged. On the contrary, the passage of time had added to his mature and steady charm.

"how is your day?"

She asked cautiously, her voice trembling.

"not bad."

Ye Yao's answer was calm and unwavering.

Today, when he faces the woman who almost became his wife again, he no longer feels the resentment and heartache he once did. All that remains is a calm indifference, as if he were looking at a stranger.

What's past is past.

His indifferent reaction was like a needle, piercing Zhuang Yun's heart.

She knew he had completely let go.

She also knew that she no longer had any right to ask for his forgiveness.

Tears finally streamed uncontrollably down my cheeks.

"That's good...that's good..."

Zhuang Yun choked back tears, awkwardly wiping them away with the back of her hand: "As long as you're doing well... I'm relieved."

She took a deep breath, as if using all her strength, and asked the question she most wanted to know, and was most afraid to know.

"You...do you already...have someone you like?"

This question caused another delicate, quiet, yet incredibly resilient face to uncontrollably appear in Ye Yao's mind.

A subtle, almost imperceptible ripple appeared in his usually calm eyes.

He hesitated for a moment, but finally nodded slightly.

"Perhaps... it already exists."

This answer was like a verdict, shattering the last vestige of unrealistic fantasy in Zhuang Yun's heart.

She bit her lip hard, swallowing back the sob that was about to escape her throat.

Her fingernails dug deep into her palms, using sharp pain to maintain her precarious dignity.

When she looked up again, she managed a pale but forced smile.

"Is...really? That's wonderful."

"She must be a very nice girl, right? It's her good fortune to be liked by you."

"Ye Yao..."

Zhuang Yun looked at Ye Yao deeply, as if trying to etch his image into her soul: "You must be happy. Really."

After saying that, she didn't dare to linger for even a second longer, fearing that the strength she had painstakingly maintained would crumble in the next moment.

She straightened her back, used all her strength, turned around, and resolutely walked away with elegant steps.

That figure, both proud and lonely.

Unbeknownst to them, a slender figure was watching the entire scene unfold from the nearby stairwell corner.

Leng Siqing had just come out of the office and was about to go to the restroom.

She spotted Ye Yao standing at the end of the corridor, and the beautiful woman crying her eyes out.

She should have gone back immediately.

But his feet seemed to be nailed to the spot, unable to move at all.

Looking at them, looking at the woman gazing affectionately at Ye Yao, looking at the calm yet focused expression on Ye Yao's face that he had never shown before towards her.

I heard the woman's question, which was trembling with tears.

Then, Ye Yao's reply was, "Perhaps... it already exists."

Leng Siqing's mind went completely blank for a moment.

She saw that even though the woman was heartbroken, she could still force a smile and say words of blessing.

Such an outstanding and proud woman could only turn away with regret...

This made Leng Siqing realize even more deeply how important the person Ye Yaoge "already had" was to him.

A tremendous, indescribable bitterness and inferiority instantly overwhelmed Leng Siqing.

She turned around listlessly, like a lost soul, and silently retreated back to her office.

Ye Yao was unaware of what had happened at the corner of the stairs.

Looking at Zhuang Yun's proud yet lonely figure, he felt a pang of emotion.

But more than anything, it's a sense of relief from completely letting go.

He shook his head, putting this long-forgotten past behind him, and turned to walk towards the archives.

By the time Ye Yao returned to his office carrying a thick stack of documents, it was already completely dark.

He pushed open the door and immediately saw the figure still sitting at the desk.

"Siqing? Why haven't you left yet?"

Ye Yao walked over and placed the documents on the table, but noticed that Leng Siqing looked a little strange.

She just sat there blankly, pen in hand, staring vacantly out the window, lost in thought.

"Siqing?"

Ye Yao's heart skipped a beat. He leaned down and waved his hand in front of her eyes: "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell? You look so pale."

"ah!"

Leng Siqing seemed to be startled awake by the sudden sound, her whole body trembled, and she suddenly came back to her senses.

She saw Ye Yao standing so close, his concerned eyes piercing her heart once more.

She lowered her head in a panic, not daring to look him in the eye, and said incoherently, "No... I'm fine... Brother Ye Yao, I... I'm just a little tired."

As he spoke, he was about to stand up.

"I...I'll go back first."

Lost in a state of confusion, Leng Siqing didn't even notice that her legs had gone numb from sitting for too long.

She stood up so quickly that the chair beneath her slid backward with a crash!

"careful!"