After returning home with the child, her ex-husband knelt down and gently coaxed her.

Hurried footsteps echoed through the grass as Sun Liangying walked forward, her face pale.

As she approached the park entrance, a black car suddenly stopped in front of her.

Jiang Yao got out of the car, followed by two men in black.

He smiled politely, "Where are you headed, Manager Sun?"

"oh......"

Sun Liangying feigned composure, saying, "I still have some work to do, so I'll head back to the company first."

Jiang Yao glanced at her and smiled, saying, "Miss An came with Manager Sun. She's an employee of Haowei and also Manager Sun's subordinate. She just woke up from drowning; shouldn't Manager Sun go check on her?"

Sun Liangying's face paled, and she gave an awkward laugh. "An Ning is lucky to have been rescued by President Lu, so she should be alright now. I have urgent business to attend to at the company, but I'll let her know."

Jiang Yao smiled and said, "Manager Sun, don't be in such a hurry to leave. Our CEO, Mr. Lu, would like to have a chat with you."

After saying that, the man in black who was waiting by the car opened the car door.

Jiang Yao gestured "please," and said, "Manager Sun, please get in the car."

Sun Liangying's expression changed instantly. "Assistant Jiang, what does President Lu want to see me about? How about we do it another day? I have to go back to the company to report to President Dong right now, I'm afraid—"

"President Dong will explain the situation to President Lu." Jiang Yao's tone left no room for refusal. "Please."

......

The RV was completely silent, except for the soft rustling of a zipper being pulled down and the sound of fabric rubbing against fabric.

An Ning, wrapped in a plush blanket, sat on the soft sofa in the car, listening to the sounds of her changing clothes coming from behind her.

The wet clothes were thrown on the ground, followed by the sound of a clean shirt being unfolded.

The sounds of zipping up zippers and buckling belts are particularly clear.

Anning was so familiar with his way of dressing that she could guess the steps he took to change clothes just by listening to the sound without turning around.

For some reason, An Ning felt a heat rising in her body, including the tips of her ears and her face.

In the spacious room, she could smell his pleasant fragrance in the air, and even the blanket she was wearing smelled of him.

"Lu Xiyan..."

She spoke softly, "You haven't answered my question yet."

She wanted to hear him say it himself, whether he still loved her or not.

As long as he says he loves her, she will rush to him without hesitation, unafraid of any difficulties or obstacles, and even less afraid of Grandpa Lu's刁难 (difficulties/challenges).

As long as he says he loves her, she will muster up the courage to be brave this time.

I've already died once, so what's there to be afraid of?

The sound of buttons being fastened behind her suddenly stopped. The other person seemed to pause for a moment before a clear, cold voice rang out, "Miss An, have you lost your mind?"

Did he insult her?

Anning's hand, wrapped in the blanket, trembled. She instinctively turned around, "I—"

Just as he was about to speak, a look of surprise crossed his eyes, and he quickly turned his head away.

The man's clothes were not yet buttoned up; the clean white shirt had only the bottom two buttons fastened, and his pale skin revealed the clear and smooth lines of his chest and abdomen.

Even the black mole on his waist and abdomen was clearly visible.

Very sexy.

Just as sexy as she was four years ago.

An Ning's cheeks flushed even hotter, and her voice lowered, "I just wanted to know—"

"I saved you only because I didn't want anyone to die."

Lu Xiyan interrupted her, saying coldly, "It has nothing to do with whether you love me or not."

An Ning lowered her eyes, still stubbornly wanting to ask for an answer, "Then... do you still love me?"

As soon as she finished speaking, the man's clean and cold voice sounded behind her.

"I won't dare to do it again."

Then he threw a set of clean clothes next to her, "Change your clothes and leave, don't bother me again."

The car door opened, and the man simply got out.

An Ning turned her head and saw only his broad and straight back, dressed in white shirt and black pants, with broad shoulders and long legs, walking with a dashing air.

I won't dare to do it again. Don't mess with me anymore.

Those words pierced my heart, leaving it both painful and numb.

Anning looked at the clothes thrown next to the sofa—a brand new, clean women's outfit, in her size.

She was all alone in the carriage; it was so quiet she could hear herself breathing.

Her breathing became heavy, her eyes felt hot, and her nose felt sore.

She tilted her head back and struggled to calm herself for a long time before she could hold back the tears welling up in her eyes.

Outside the car, there was a "click".

The sound of a lighter lighting a cigarette.

An Ning paused slightly, holding the clothes in her hand. She walked to the car window, parted the curtains of the RV, and saw that tall figure standing beside the vehicle.

His tall figure leaned against the car, having just lit a cigarette, the smoke spreading from his fingertips.

Her gaze fell on his near-perfect bone structure, and An Ning muttered softly, "I don't dare anymore... So, is it love or not...?"

......

Outside the car, Lu Xiyan took a deep drag on his cigarette, his deep, unwavering eyes gazing into the distance, as he slowly exhaled smoke from his lips.

It seemed that only thick smoke could suppress the emotions churning in his chest.

"Lu Xiyan, do you still love me?"

He didn't know how she could ask that question so calmly, nor did he know what the answer meant to her.

It took him four years to get over the relationship that almost killed him.

In those days and nights when she was always there when he opened his eyes or closed them, he almost wanted to tear his longing to shreds and send it to her, to let her see who was responsible for the heartbreak she had caused.

He really wanted to ask her face to face what he had done wrong.

But during those long and difficult days, she disappeared completely without a trace.

On countless nights when he couldn't go on, he dialed that familiar but always unreachable number countless times and sent many text messages that went unanswered.

He told her, "Ningning, look back at me, I really can't take it anymore."

He begged her, "Please come back and see me, I'm not doing well."

He said, "If you're going to play this game, why can't you play it for a lifetime? Why can't you lie to me for a lifetime?"

Later, looking at the countless text messages he had sent, he finally sent one—

Anning, I killed my dad... I don't have a father anymore, and my mom won't wake up either. I guess... I don't miss you that much anymore.

He was like a rag doll that she had played with and then discarded, hiding in a forgotten corner, licking his broken wounds alone.

For four years, he didn't hear a single word about her. She vanished from his world without a trace, without the slightest guilt or regret.

Four years had passed, and he thought he had let go. He never expected her to come back.

He never expected that their reunion at the hospital, with her simply standing there, would stir up a thousand waves in his heart.

His reason told him that he should hate her.

Get revenge on her severely, and make her experience what it's like to suffer.

But seeing that she was not doing well, he felt no satisfaction at all.

He knew that An Ning had him completely under her control!

He foolishly thought that even if she had remarried and had another man's child, they could still be entangled together.

However, when that man appeared in the home they had spent every day together, Lu Xiyan realized that he had been a joke from beginning to end.

He thought that for the past four years, he had been waiting for her to turn around and say she regretted it.

When she admits that she truly likes him and truly loves him.

But at that moment he suddenly realized that he was actually waiting for the day when he stopped loving her and let go completely.

He took a drag of smoke into his lungs, raised his eyes, and his eyes were dark red and moist.

He had to admit that he really couldn't let her go.

But he no longer wanted to get entangled with her.

Let her go, and let him go too.

As long as she's alive and well, that's enough.

What kind of life he leads, what kind of lifestyle he has, is no longer relevant to him.

He exhaled a thick cloud of smoke and smiled slightly.

It's not that I don't love you anymore, it's that I'm afraid to.

Let's leave it at that, Anning.