Five years after my wife's death, she came back!

Sitting in the car, Pei Yanchuan gripped the steering wheel and sighed, "Wait, why do you always drag me into your business?"

Shang Chenyan ignored him and wrote something on the paper, but after writing for a long time, when Pei Yanchuan looked over, it was still blank.

"What are you doing?"

Shang Chenyan watched his own writing disappear before his eyes time and time again, feeling a sense of powerlessness as heavy as mountains and seas, making it almost impossible for him to breathe.

The car stopped outside Shi Ying's residential area. Shang Chenyan couldn't wait and opened the car door, running through puddles as he strode inside. Pei Yanchuan called after him, "Don't rush."

*

When Shi Ying returned, she collapsed onto the sofa, not wanting to move. She hugged a soft pillow, which was soaked with her tears and had become cold.

On the table were photos of her and Shang Chenyan taken at the amusement park last time. As soon as Shi Ying saw them, she couldn't help but feel a lump in her throat.

She threw the photo frame on the ground, rolled over, and curled up.

Having encountered this kind of thing in her first relationship, she will never trust men again.

Shi Ying didn't know how long she had been crying when she heard a knock on the door.

She couldn't be bothered to pay attention.

"Shi Ying? It's me, Pei Yanchuan." A familiar voice came from outside the door, and Shi Ying pulled the blanket over herself.

It's obvious without even thinking that Shang Chenyan sent them as lobbyists; they're all birds of a feather.

Pei Yanchuan called several times but received no response. He glanced at Shang Chenyan and asked, "Are you sure she's home?"

"She's there. I saw the lights were on downstairs just now."

When Shi Ying had just moved out, he often watched her apartment from downstairs at night. He knew exactly which apartment it was; he wouldn't mistake it.

Pei Yanchuan scratched his head: "Then she must be taking her anger out on me because of you."

"Go downstairs first. What if she gets even angrier if she sees you?"

Shang Chenyan didn't want to leave, but Pei Yanchuan forcefully pushed him away: "Hurry up and leave, I'll explain to her."

There was a moment of silence outside the door, but a few minutes later, the knocking started again.

"Shi Xiaoying, I'm all alone outside. Open the door for me now, or your neighbor will sue me for disturbing the peace, and you'll have to come to the police station to pick me up."

Shi Ying sat up irritably, her bare feet touching the ground, and walked over to look through the peephole.

Indeed, it was only Pei Yanchuan.

"Is there something you need?"

A slightly hoarse voice came from inside the house. Pei Yanchuan quickly said, "You've really misunderstood. Ayan definitely didn't mean to use you as a substitute. He's not that kind of person."

Shi Ying sneered: "If he isn't, then who is?"

"Don't you think about it? You're not a clone. How could there be two people in this world who look exactly alike? You really are the same person. I just don't know why you keep disappearing and reappearing..."

Shi Ying could only hear a few words intermittently.

But I didn't hear any compelling explanation.

Pei Yanchuan talked until his mouth was dry, but Shi Ying didn't react at all.

Well, she couldn't hear what he was saying anyway.

He was going crazy. Who was trying to mess with Shang Chenyan like this?

Silence fell both inside and outside the door.

"Mr. Pei." Through a not-so-soundproof door, Shi Ying stared at his toes, his voice tinged with bitterness, "How did his wife leave?"

Pei Yanchuan leaned against the wall: "Five years ago, they were watching the snow at the pavilion in the middle of the lake in Central Park when they suddenly disappeared."

Central Park Lakeside Pavilion...

That's where she first met Shang Chenyan.

It was snowing that day, which is why he had that strange expression when he saw me.

Oh.

Pei Yanchuan didn't expect that his words would not only fail to clarify the situation, but would also add fuel to the fire.

After that, no matter what he said, Shi Ying ignored him.

Helpless, he dejectedly went downstairs.

Shang Chenyan was waiting downstairs. When he saw him come out, he hurriedly went up to him and asked, "How did it go?"

Pei Yanchuan shrugged.

Shang Chenyan raised his hand and pressed his temples, his whole body radiating an overwhelming sense of sorrow and exhaustion.

But suddenly, he remembered something.

Marriage certificate.

Yes, they also have a marriage certificate, which has his and Shi Ying's names and photos on it.

With the same face and the same name, even if Shi Ying doesn't believe herself, she'll definitely have some doubts. What if she sees it and it reminds her of something?

Although Shi Ying had been missing for five years and was legally considered dead, and the marriage certificate was naturally invalid, he had always treasured it, and it is still kept in his study.

Shang Chenyan ran quickly outside, and Pei Yanchuan, unfortunately, chased after him.

*

The footsteps outside the door gradually faded away, and Shi Ying sat on the carpet, hugging her knees.

Outside the window, the sky was dark and the rain was incessant, just like her mood at that moment: depressed and downcast.

She looked at the small living room in front of her. Although Shang Chenyan had only been here a few times, it seemed that traces of his presence were everywhere in the house.

The sofa was where he had slept; in the kitchen, he pressed himself against the counter and kissed himself...

Shi Ying buried her head in her elbows, and tears unknowingly streamed down her face again.

Back in school, she used to tease her friends for getting too engrossed in games, but when it came to her own experience, she realized what it meant to be a hypocrite.

After an unknown amount of time, Shi Ying opened the game panel and clicked exit.

A screen popped up with four large red characters: "Confirm Exit?"

She stared blankly for a long time, and finally slowly reached out and clicked "OK".

*

Hillside villa.

After Shang Chenyan returned, he ran upstairs and went into his study.

He kept the marriage certificate in a locked cabinet. His hands trembled as he entered the password, but because his hands were shaking so badly, it took him a long time to enter it correctly.

The moment Shang Chenyan saw the intact marriage certificate, he felt that his restless heart had finally found its place.

The marriage certificate features a photo of him and Shi Ying. Unlike the slightly blurry photo in the magazine, this ID photo is exceptionally clear.

He carefully put the marriage certificate away before turning to leave.

On a rainy night, a black sedan sped along the road, splashing up puddles of water.

Shang Chenyan knocked on the door for a long time but no one answered. He couldn't stand it any longer, so he took out the key he had secretly made a copy of and opened the door.

The room was empty.

The dim lamp was still on, and the balcony window wasn't closed tightly, letting in a cold draft that swayed the curtains.

Her shoes were still in the entryway, and the coat she wore during the day was still draped over the sofa.

But she disappeared.

"Shiying?"

He stood by the door and called out, but no one answered.

The marriage certificate that Shang Chenyan was clutching tightly fell to the ground.

With a "plop," a tear slid down from the corner of her eye, blurring the names of the two people, but it was insignificant compared to the torrential rain outside the window.

"It's gone..."

"She's disappeared again..."