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

There was a reason why Liang Xu was so angry.

The scene from four years ago is still vividly etched in his mind.

Four years ago, after Lu Xiyan was dumped by An Ning, he made harsh remarks while frantically trying to find out her whereabouts and news, but to no avail.

After that day, Lu Xiyan locked himself in his room for seven days straight, refusing to go out or see anyone.

When Liang Xu entered the password and pushed open the door, the huge room was completely dark, with no light at all. The air was thick with the smell of tobacco and alcohol, as well as a pungent smell of dust, making it seem like a wine cellar that had been abandoned for half a year.

He turned on the lights in the room, and the white light immediately illuminated every corner of the room. Dust swirled in the air under the light, and the surrounding environment was clearly visible.

Dozens of large and small bottles of liquor lay scattered on the ground, all of them the strongest liquor from the Lu family's wine cellar.

Cigarette butts were scattered all over the floor, and cigarette ash was everywhere on the carpet and sofa; it was practically a garbage dump.

Despite it being daytime, the room felt unusually gloomy. After only a few minutes, he felt a significant lack of oxygen. If it weren't for the person slumped on the sofa looking like they were about to die, he would have wanted to run out of there immediately.

Liang Xu walked over and looked at the man in front of him. He had a scraggly beard and messy hair, and he exuded a decadent aura. The strong smell of alcohol made Liang Xu frown.

He hadn't originally planned to come, thinking that Lu Xiyan just needed time, and that such a carefree person would definitely be able to get through it on his own in a few days.

Unexpectedly, he locked himself up for seven whole days without any intention of coming out. If it weren't for the password to his house, he really felt that if he had come any later, he would have been collecting his corpse.

Liang Xu sighed in exasperation, having never seen anyone torment the unruly and unrestrained Second Young Master Lu to this extent.

With nowhere to step on the ground, Liang Xu stepped over the pile of wine bottles, walked to the window, and pulled back the curtains with a "whoosh." "I've found a cleaning lady to come and clean up for you."

Sunlight streamed in through the glass in large swaths, stinging Lu Xiyan's eyes.

He squinted, raised his hand to block his view, and spoke, his voice low and hoarse, "She's gone..."

As if he hadn't heard him, Liang Xu continued, "If you don't want to live here, move back to the Lu residence, or go to the villa in Daguan. I'll arrange a butler for you in advance."

"She's gone..." Lu Xiyan said, tears welling up in his eyes. "She signed the divorce papers and left..."

Liang Xu chuckled and asked, "And then?"

"She's not coming back..." Lu Xiyan looked up at him, his eyes were dark and bloodshot.

"So what?" Liang Xu retorted, "If the earth stops spinning, does that mean you, Lu Xiyan, will stop living?"

"Here..." Lu Xiyan raised a finger and poked his heart, choking back tears, "She emptied this place out... there's nothing left here."

Seeing his self-degrading state, Liang Xu finally lost his temper and pointed at him, saying sharply, "Lu Xiyan! Don't forget you're the second young master of the Lu Group! You've ruined yourself like this because of a woman, disgracing your Lu family. Aren't you afraid of being laughed at by outsiders?"

Lu Xiyan had a splitting headache, but he chuckled lightly, his face completely indifferent. "Let them watch if they want to. What does it have to do with me?"

"Do you know how many people are waiting for your Lu family to fall? It's one thing for outsiders to covet it, but even your Lu family is rife with internal strife!"

Liang Xu pointed at his nose and said loudly, "The heir to the Lu family has never been decided. Your eldest brother and your uncle, which one of them doesn't want to hold this immense power in their own hands!"

"Your father, Uncle Lu, has gone to great lengths to mediate between Old Master Lu and others, and what are you doing? What are you doing, Lu Xiyan? You've given up on yourself and wallowed in self-pity. How can you possibly secure your position as the Lu family's heir in this state?!"

Hearing this, Lu Xiyan chuckled lightly, "Are power and status really that important? Why do you all want them?"

He couldn't understand why so many people went to such lengths to possess these ephemeral material things. Even the woman who once said she liked him not because of his status or position ruthlessly told him during their divorce that he couldn't give her what she wanted.

"Yes, it's very important!" Liang Xu squatted down, met his dejected gaze, and said calmly, "Only by possessing these can you do anything you want to do, and refuse to do anything you don't want to do."

"All choices supersede rights." He patted Lu Xiyan on the shoulder. "You understand this better than I do, Xiyan."

He stood up and walked out. "I'll give you three days. After three days, I hope to see a completely new Lu Xiyan in the Lu Group, a Lu Xiyan who has the ability and courage to take charge of the Lu Group."

Three days later, Lu Xiyan indeed appeared at the Lu Group as he had said.

He was dressed in a sharp dark suit, his eyes were indifferent as frost, and he exuded an aura of nobility, arrogance, and unapproachability.

No one in the Lu family knew why the once frank, free-spirited, and unrestrained Second Young Master Lu seemed to have completely changed.

Only Liang Xu knew the truth.

It's all because of a woman.

A woman named Anning.

......

Three o'clock in the afternoon, at a coffee shop on Golden Ring Street.

Anning ordered a glass of water and sat by the window in the store to wait.

During that time, she received a phone call. She subconsciously thought it was from Lu Xiyan, but when she answered, it was from the company where she had submitted her resume.

In the few days since returning to Jinghai, she has been looking for work.

Li Chunfang needs medical treatment, and she and An Xian need to make a living.

Zhao Li is right. Staying in a hotel isn't a long-term solution. She still needs to find a place to live, and then Xuanxuan will have to go to school...

Both require money.

She had to find a job and earn money non-stop.

The HR person on the phone told her they were very satisfied with her resume and asked her to come for a second interview the next morning.

This job is good, and the salary and benefits are high.

If I can get the job, that would be the best outcome.

With that thought in mind, An Ning steadied herself and glanced at the time.

It was already four o'clock in the afternoon, and the person she was waiting for had not yet arrived.

An Ning lowered her dim eyes and stared at the water in the clear glass on the table.

A motorcycle roared past the window, and she instinctively looked over.

A figure riding a black motorcycle sped past, getting farther and farther away.

Suddenly, a carefree and unrestrained smiling face appeared in her mind. He took off his helmet, casually tossed his short black hair, and his usually cool and handsome face turned sweet when he smiled, his lips curving into parentheses. He smiled at her and said, "Anning, only you can sit on the back of my motorcycle."

"I'm driving fast, hold on tight."

"Ningning, hold me tighter, even tighter."

"Ningning, I love you so much..."

Anning's heart skipped a beat, snapping her out of her daze. She picked up her water glass and gulped down two mouthfuls.