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

Anning slid to the ground, her whole body trembling as she cried.

Seeing that something was wrong with her, Xu Zhijun quickly found the new medicine he had brought and made her swallow it.

"Ningning! Stop thinking about it!"

Anning was almost overwhelmed by the memories and burst into tears, then was held tightly in someone's arms.

"Ningning, calm down!"

Xu Zhijun tightly stopped her from pinching his hand, and tried to calmly coax her, "Ningning, it's okay... it's all over, don't think about it."

An Ning already had a fever and little strength, and crying like this exhausted all her energy. She soon quieted down, leaving only heavy and rapid breathing.

Xu Zhijun quickly carried her to the sofa and poured her a glass of hot water.

Perhaps it was because she had vented her emotions, or perhaps it was because the medication was working, but An Ning gradually calmed down as she held the hot water.

"sorry......"

She glanced hesitantly at the handsome man beside her, whose brows were furrowed with worry.

"I just lost control..." She gripped the water glass tightly in her hand. "Didn't you get scared, Dr. Xu?"

Her face was pale, devoid of any color, and her forehead was covered in a fine layer of cold sweat.

Xu Zhijun shook his head. "Ningning, you must have had a tough time back in Jinghai, right?"

He reached out to wipe her sweat, but she subtly turned away, creating some distance between them.

"It's alright," she said softly.

Xu Zhijun understood, lowered his hand, and asked gently, "You said you spilled half of the medicine I prescribed for you before, you were lying to me, weren't you?"

An Ning suddenly looked at him, her eyes darting away. Realizing she couldn't fool him anymore, she lowered her eyes and apologized, "I'm sorry, I couldn't control my condition."

Xu Zhijun sighed softly, "Ningning, do you lose control of your condition every time you meet with Xuanxuan's father?"

An Ning's throat tightened. She took a sip of water and nodded. "Just seeing him makes me feel so sad, so incredibly sad..."

Whenever she sees Lu Xiyan, she can't escape those memories.

The sweetness that can't be turned back, the future that can't continue—she's in so much pain.

"Does he not know that you've actually loved him for so many years and even had a child with him?"

Upon asking that question, Xu Zhijun understood immediately from the dim look in her eyes.

"Ningning, as your attending physician, I suggest you tell him about your condition," Xu Zhijun said earnestly. "Your illness started because of him. Only by telling him and having him face it with you can you get through this—"

"Need not."

Before he could finish speaking, An Ning abruptly interrupted him.

She shook her head. "He doesn't need to know."

Seeing her so firmly reject the suggestion, Xu Zhijun paused for a moment, then said, "There is another way to make you better."

Anning looked at him, waiting for him to continue.

"Confront the past and those people, and make peace with yourself. Let the past be the past, say goodbye to the past, move on from bad memories, and start a new life."

Hearing his words, Anning murmured, "Let the past...be past?"

Xu Zhijun nodded, "Say goodbye to the people and things of the past, don't let yourself get stuck in those days you can't go back to, and change your lifestyle."

Upon hearing the word "farewell," An Ning's fingertips trembled. "Does that include... Lu Xiyan?"

"That's right." Xu Zhijun gave her a firm look. "If you think you and he can't get back together, then he's just a part of your past."

An Ning felt a sharp pain in her heart; just thinking about that sentence made her feel breathless.

"Look ahead, Ningning," Xu Zhijun said gently. "Look ahead, and you and Xianxian will have a brand new life."

......

The room, surrounded by darkness and silence, was completely dark except for a single, flickering, crimson flame that burned continuously.

The moment the firelight flared up, the outline of the man's straight nose bridge was vaguely revealed.

He leaned back on the sofa, smoking one cigarette after another.

Lu Xiyan will never forget the day she left four years ago.

It rained heavily that night, as if it were a grand farewell to their relationship.

"Ningning?"

After a week of training, Lu Xiyan returned home, only to find no peace in the large house.

In the past, she would always be the first to run to the door to greet him at this time.

"Wife?"

Lu Xiyan entered the house and searched every room, but did not find An Ning.

I was just about to call her when I heard the sound of a password being entered at the door.

Lu Xiyan smiled, put away his phone, and quickly walked to the door.

The door opened, and he froze.

The person at the door was soaking wet, with water dripping down their face.

He frowned, pulled her into the house, and asked, "What happened? Didn't you bring an umbrella? Why didn't you let me pick you up?"

As he asked, he quickly brought her a clean towel to wipe the rain off her head.

"I was in such a hurry to come back that I forgot my umbrella."

An Ning answered softly, like a rag doll soaked in the rain, obediently letting him wipe her.

"Wipe yourself off first, then take a shower, otherwise you'll catch a cold." Lu Xiyan lowered his eyes, meeting her wet gaze, and affectionately pinched her nose. "You'll feel bad if you get sick and have a fever."

He smiled, and his words were so gentle they could melt your heart.

I was just about to go to the bathroom to run a hot bath for her when she suddenly grabbed my arm.

He turned around and saw her smiling as she said, "Let's shower together."

Lu Xiyan was stunned. After a long while, he noticed that her eyes were curved in a smile, and she didn't seem to be joking.

"Seriously?"

He turned around, a sly glint in his eyes. "Aren't you afraid I'll do something bad?"

Normally, if she were to say those words, her face would turn bright red.

The two had done many intimate things, but all of them were in the bedroom, mostly on the bed, and they didn't explore many different positions.

An Ning was too shy to say those things in bed. At most, when she couldn't take it anymore, she would whisper and beg for mercy, saying, "Be gentle... please..."

The sound was as faint as a mosquito's buzz.

Lu Xiyan never expected that she would suggest taking a bath together today.

Seeing that she remained silent, Lu Xiyan stopped teasing her and gently ruffled her still-wet hair. "Sweetie, go take a bath first, I'll go get something to eat."

"I'm serious."

An Ning held his hand tightly, her fair and clean hand grasping his well-defined fingers. "Let's wash together. I'm a little tired today and don't want to move."

Her voice was soft and sweet, a rare display of coquettishness.

It was as if a jar of honey had been poured into Lu Xiyan's heart. Without saying a word, he picked her up and carried her to the bathroom.

His voice was seductive and alluring, with a rising tone at the end, "Then I'll be charging interest."

An Ning knew perfectly well what the price of showering together was.

His kiss landed as soon as the wet clothes were half-unwrapped.

Passionate, sincere, and imbued with the utmost tenderness and affection.

That night, they unlocked new locations and new positions. He was like a greedy lion, galloping freely over his prey.

Lu Xiyan felt like he was going crazy. He went from the bathroom to the bedroom, then from the bedroom to the living room, and finally back to the bedroom.

Outside the window, a fierce wind and torrential rain raged; inside, the sounds of panting and soft sobbing mingled.

As the night drew to a close, she was drenched in sweat and nestled limply in his arms.

Pinkish marks were left on her fair skin.

"Ningning, I love you."

Lu Xiyan lay on top of her, gently biting the small red mole on her earlobe, his voice deep and seductive.

An Ning smiled faintly, her eyes red-rimmed, looking both pitiful and adorable, which made him love her even more.

She held his burning body tightly, leaned close to his ear, and whispered, "I want it one more time..."