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

Hearing his mocking tone, An Ning forced a smile and tried to hold back her tears, but they still fell like beads from a broken string.

Under the silvery moonlight, her face was glistening.

She said nothing, pursed her lips tightly, and turned to leave.

The figure, smug with alcohol, stumbled forward, its steps unsteady yet incredibly stubborn.

Lu Xiyan stared at her back for two seconds, then looked at the packaging box on the ground, and a feeling of nausea arose spontaneously.

He laughed sarcastically. The day she left, he ate both boxes of chicken porridge by himself until his stomach felt like it was going to explode, then ran to the bathroom and vomited it all up.

From then on, he never touched such things again.

Now, all he feels for this kind of thing is disgust.

Even the smell is nauseating.

"Throw it away."

He gave Li Quan a look, then went upstairs without looking back.

As they entered the hall, Li Quan followed behind him, calling out softly, "Young Master..."

Lu Xiyan stopped in his tracks and turned to look at him.

"Miss An looks like she's had quite a bit to drink. It's probably not safe for a young woman to go home alone so late," Li Quan reminded her worriedly. "Should we have the driver take her?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Xiyan pursed his thin lips, his eyes darkened, and without saying anything, he stepped upstairs.

......

An Ning clutched her bag tightly in both hands and walked a long way, her breathing so rapid it seemed she was about to suffocate.

She stopped by the roadside, her already fair skin now deathly pale, her trembling fingers frantically rummaging through her bag.

He then pulled out a bottle of sertraline, poured out two pills, tilted his head back, and popped them into his mouth.

I don't know if it was because I was too drunk, or because Lu Xiyan's words were too hurtful today.

She felt so heartbroken she could hardly breathe, her heart filled with intense resentment.

Stubbornly wiping away her tears, she murmured, "Lu Xiyan, you've gone too far!"

As soon as she finished speaking, a white light suddenly shone from behind her, illuminating the path ahead.

She turned her head to look, the white headlights were blinding, accompanied by the sound of a car slowly approaching.

The next moment, a black car stopped at her feet.

An Ning's surprised eyes held a hint of joy; it was Lu Xiyan's car!

The car lights were too bright for her to see the person in the driver's seat. She heard the car door open and the man get out of the driver's seat.

"Lu Xi—"

An Ning's unfinished words froze on her lips, the smile on her face slightly awkward.

"Hello, Ms. An, I am Mr. Lu's driver. Mr. Lu asked me to take you home."

The stranger walked around to the other side of the car, opened the door, and said, "Please get in."

An Ning asked softly, "Did Lu Xiyan ask you to deliver this to me?"

The man nodded. "Yes."

The grievances in her chest dissipated a little. An Ning rubbed her chest, which had been able to catch her breath, and gently curved her lips into a smile.

Lu Xiyan still cared about her.

Once in the car, Anning opened the window, and the wind outside rushed in, ruffling the stray hairs at her temples.

The vehicle drove out of the park and onto the wide road.

On both sides of the road are towering buildings that reach into the clouds, and the lights of thousands of homes twinkle like stars in the dark night.

"Ningning, look, even after the sun sets, the lights are still on at night."

"Ningning, this world isn't actually that bad. Even if you encounter insurmountable obstacles, you still have me."

The magnetic voice seemed to be whispering in her ear, and An Ning's fingertips trembled as she turned her head sharply.

She was alone in the back seat.

She leaned against the car window, her eyes moist, a tearing pain shooting through her heart.

She wanted to try starting her life anew, as Dr. Xu suggested, but she couldn't truly do it.

She considered giving up on Lu Xiyan completely, yet she couldn't help wanting to cling to him. She wanted to cut off all contact with him, but she was also afraid of having nothing to do with him anymore.

She had considered leaving his life, but she was also afraid of really losing him.

Her palms clenched tightly, and tears slid down her high nose bridge.

"Miss An, we've arrived."

She didn't know when the car had stopped downstairs at Pangu Mansion. The man in the driver's seat got out and opened the car door for her.

An Ning realized what was happening upon hearing the sound and quickly wiped away her tears. "Oh, thank you."

"Miss An."

Anning had just gotten out of the car when the man suddenly called out to her.

She turned around and saw the QR code for receiving payments lit up on her phone.

"Could you please pay for the fare?" the man said politely. "This car is a custom-made Maybach this year. According to market price, your fare is 682 yuan."

"What?!!"

An Ning suddenly raised her voice, thinking she had drunk too much. She shook her slightly dizzy head uncertainly, "What did you say?"

The man patiently repeated what he had just said, and Anning almost choked on her breath.

"Lu Xiyan asked you to bring me back, and now he wants money?"

"Yes," the driver said. "Mr. Lu meant that if a drunkard got into trouble near the Yuhe Mansion, it would get him into trouble, so he asked me to take you home, and..."

He glanced at An Ning's incredulous gaze and said definitively, "President Lu said there will be a charge."

An Ning gritted her teeth, only to feel her head throbbing even more.

Scanning the QR code to pay caused Anning not only headaches, but also heartache and physical pain.

Six hundred and eighty-two, Anning reluctantly paid seven hundred.

"Thank you for your kindness, Mr. Lu, for letting you bring me back." She smiled through gritted teeth, staggering back a step. "Consider the extra money a tip for Mr. Lu, no need to thank me."

She put away her phone and stumbled through the gate.

......

"Oh dear, Miss An, why are you drinking so much?"

As soon as she entered, Zhao Li was startled by the smell of alcohol on An Ning. Seeing her staggering figure, she quickly helped her sit down on the sofa.

Xiao Anxian had just finished showering when she heard her mother return. She rushed out and, smelling the alcohol on Anning, quickly covered her nose. "Mom, you've been drinking!"

"A little bit."

An Ning smiled, looking at Xiao Anxian's soft and sweet face, and her heart softened a lot.

"This is no small amount. I'll go make you some hangover soup," Zhao Li said as she went into the kitchen.

"Xianxian." Anning pulled little Anxian into her arms and murmured, "Do you want to see your father?"

"Daddy?" Little Anxian's clear eyes suddenly lit up. "Is Daddy coming back?"

Her face was flushed with alcohol, her eyes somewhat blurry. Meeting An Xian's expectant gaze, she smiled and asked, "How about Mom helps you win Dad back?"

"Catch him back?" Xiao Anxian tilted her head and asked, "Did Daddy run very far?"

"Mmm." Anning nodded slowly. "They ran very, very far. Mom almost couldn't catch up with them."

"Mommy can definitely win Daddy back!" Anxian's eyes were full of determination. "Xianxian's mom is the best!"

An Ning looked at his exquisite features and smiled gently.

"Xianxian, go get some water for Mom."

The little guy ran off barefoot, skillfully poured a glass of water on the tea table, and carefully carried the glass over.

As soon as I got to the sofa, I realized that my mother had fallen asleep sometime earlier, but was muttering something to herself.

"Mother?"

Xiao Anxian put down his water glass, pressed his cheek against hers and hugged her, and heard a soft voice escape from her lips.

"west Yan..."

"Lu Xiyan..."

"Lu Xiyan?" Xiao Anxian frowned in confusion. "Who exactly is Lu Xiyan, Mom? Is he Dad?"