Mrs. Fu, please be mindful of the appropriate boundaries.

He was perfectly fine, standing there healthy, but she still felt a pang of heartache, an indescribable heartache.

She was the one who was provoked by his words, so why did she feel sorry for him?

Xu Qingcheng held his arms tightly, pressing her face against his back, and could clearly feel his muscles tense as she spoke.

My eyes stung, and I was afraid he would reject me.

So when he wiped his hands and tried to pull her arm away, Xu Qingcheng refused to let go.

Since we can't see each other's faces, we have time to compose ourselves no matter what we say.

"Make up?" Fu Jingting straightened up, his voice seemingly flat and emotionless. "When do you mean 'make up'? Before or after the wedding?"

He was almost asking: Are we doing well?

If things haven't gone well, how can there be any talk of reconciliation?

Xu Qingcheng closed her eyes tightly, her mind racing through their relationship from their first meeting to their marriage and divorce, filled with exploitation and counter-exploitation, all of it pretense. Hers, his, and now, what kind of reconciliation is she talking about?

Her nose felt slightly sore, and the words she blurted out in the heat of the moment couldn't withstand further questioning. All she wanted was to love him and be loved by him.

Suddenly, silence and quiet filled the space between them.

The sound of water dripping from the faucet seemed to turn into a loud bang until the doorbell rang.

Xu Qingcheng suddenly opened her mouth and bit his shoulder blade, biting him very hard. Then, when he turned around to grab her, she darted out of the kitchen in a flash.

As I passed the sofa, I casually grabbed his suit jacket and draped it over my shoulders before opening the door.

He ordered food from the hotel, and the delivery guy, wearing a vest, was waiting outside. He was stunned when he saw the woman who opened the door, looking pitiful with tears streaming down her face.

Then Xu Qingcheng glared at him fiercely, "What are you looking at?"

How fierce!

The delivery guy quickly bent down to hand her the food container, and as soon as she took it, he turned and left.

Xu Qingcheng stood at the door, her back to him, wiping away her tears.

Only then did I carry the lunchbox into the restaurant. When I opened it, the side dishes were exquisite. Each dish was small in portion, but the combination of meat and vegetables looked very nutritious.

Thinking about how she had put in so much effort all day, only to receive such a response, she felt both upset and resentful.

But she didn't want to appear to be at a disadvantage, even if she was heartbroken, she didn't want to be melancholic.

You still need to eat.

She can't let the heartache of not being able to win over a man go unaddressed, and neglect her health as well.

Xu Qingcheng set the table and, ignoring him, consciously only took a bowl of porridge for herself.

Fu Jingting stared at her for a long time. She bit him so hard that it felt like her teeth had driven into his bone. He thought she would just walk away, but she just went to pick up takeout.

He sternly stared at her, his forehead creased. This woman was the real fish, her memory only lasted seven seconds; she forgot what she said the moment she turned her head away.

He stared at her for a long time with a gloomy face.

Xu Qingcheng finally glanced at him, "Are you going to eat too?"

"I had the hotel deliver it, why shouldn't I eat it?" The voice was filled with gritted teeth.

Xu Qingcheng glanced at him very slowly, and said, "Oh."

Then she got up and went into the kitchen to get a bowl, chopsticks and a spoon, served him porridge and placed it in the seat opposite her. Then she sat down, said nothing, and lowered her head to scoop the porridge from her own bowl one spoonful at a time.

He sat down opposite her as a shadow fell over them.

For a moment, no one spoke, only the soft clinking of spoons, chopsticks, and plates.

The routine made her feel dazed. The daily mealtimes were so familiar that she no longer paid attention to them, but now even sitting down to eat with him had become a rare and precious luxury.

As she thought about it, tears welled up in her eyes, and her affected manner made her laugh at herself.

Xu Qingcheng lowered her head even further, and her tears mingled with the porridge in her bowl, disappearing without a trace.

She sniffed, then thrust her chopsticks directly at the plate of sashimi, coating it with wasabi. One bite, and tears and snot streamed down her face.

Now there's no need to pretend anymore.

But it was so pungent it made her question her existence. Xu Qingcheng wanted to bang her head against the table. So spicy! What the hell?! Is this some kind of super-strength wasabi?! Why is it so pungent?!

"water……"

Xu Qingcheng shouted.

Fu Jingting looked up at her, his forehead twitching almost imperceptibly. "..."

Xu Qingcheng choked and burst into tears, her facial expression completely out of control. She picked up the water glass he handed her and gulped it down.

It took a while to recover.

She said bitterly, "Whose five-star chef did this? This wasted horseradish must be expired."

Fu Jingting glanced at her, expressionless, and said, "Judging from your expression just now, the date should be very fresh."

Xu Qingcheng, "..."

She pouted, took a tissue and wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, and never dared to touch that place again.

Fu Jingting's lips curled up slightly, then quickly flattened again, the speed so fast it was almost an illusion.

The phone rang; it was Zhong Wanxiu calling.

"I heard from Duan Heng that FUC's collaboration this time is with the Xu family? Since you and Xu Qingcheng are already divorced, there's no longer any connection between you. Why are you bidding on Shengshi's assets? Many things fade with time. What you can't let go of now, you can laugh about later. I know you're hurting inside, and I don't want to advise you to let go of everything. Nobody is a saint, but at least let everyone be at peace. When will this cycle of revenge end? You really need to think carefully about what our ancestors said."

Zhong Wanxiu couldn't let it go after overhearing Duan Heng mention this matter today. At Jingting's age, even if he experiences life and death, don't expect him to have a complete awakening. It would be a blessing if he didn't become particularly extreme or stubborn.

Zhong Wanxiu felt that if this entanglement continued, there would be no end in sight. Life is only a few decades long, and if one's eyes are blinded by hatred, wouldn't the rest of one's days be wasted on such things? Whether Xu Qingcheng was right or wrong, what's done is done, and no one can turn back time. Zhong Wanxiu was afraid that Fu Jingting would use this opportunity to deal with the Xu family.

That's really a tangled mess, impossible to unravel.

He was sitting across from her at the dining table answering the phone. Zhong Wanxiu's voice came from the phone, and even though Xu Qingcheng couldn't hear everything, a few sensitive words still reached her ears.

To cooperate with the Xu family.

divorce.

There is no connection.

He didn't hear what came after that, probably because he thought she was the one being talked about, so Fu Jingting got up, walked to the other end of the living room, opened the door, and went out.

Xu Qingcheng gently bit her chopsticks, piecing together what Zhong Wanxiu was saying.

We should go our separate ways and not have any further entanglements.

She was an unqualified daughter-in-law who married him with ulterior motives, yet she received favoritism from her parents and grandparents. However, what she gave back to them was the near death of Fu Jingting.

Xu Qingcheng understood perfectly well that, regardless of whether Fu Jingting liked her or not, her parents would not want her to keep bothering him.

She bit her lip until it hurt, then she let go.

Turning my head to look outside, I saw Fu Jingting standing in the yard. Perhaps because he had returned, all the landscape lights in the yard were turned on. He stood there, and the light shone on him, creating a warm glow.

The person is still the same, but they are definitely different now.

He is no longer the roguish and wicked Fu Jingting of the past. When he was angry, he was clearly angry, and his emotions were mostly outward. Unlike now, when many of his emotions are kept under wraps, unless he wants you to know, you can never figure him out no matter how many times you try to guess.

"Mom, you're overthinking it. It's just normal business dealings," Fu Jingting said, brushing it off without elaborating.

"I hope what you're saying is true." Zhong Wanxiu sighed and changed the subject. "Don't forget about the dinner party this weekend. I've already planned the timing. Say goodbye before 11 o'clock and get out of bed. You can come with me in the morning, and the dinner party will be held at the villa. Wen Fei has made very meticulous arrangements, so I'm very relieved. Your father and I won't be going. You young people have a good time."

"Um."

Fu Jingting hung up the phone and turned back.

She cleared away the dishes and was in the kitchen, standing by the sink washing things.

Xu Qingcheng washed the strawberries she bought and cut the cantaloupe into pretty little pieces, arranging them crosswise on a plate. The white porcelain plate and the brightly colored fruit looked especially beautiful when arranged.

There are many ordinary things in life, but if you look closely, you will find that beauty is actually in the everyday, but most of the time we are too busy to notice them.

Xu Qingcheng didn't know what her mindset was. Things she had never paid attention to before were magnified infinitely every time she was with him, down to the smallest detail. She wanted to cram everything into her mind so she wouldn't forget it.

Xu Qingcheng took the fruit platter out. She hadn't actually wanted to wash it for him, but he had said that to her.

But what's done is done.

She slammed the plate down on the table and then subtly moved the fruit plate closer to him.

Fu Jingting stopped eating and looked up at her as she placed two small fruit forks on the table.

"Why are you looking at me?" Xu Qingcheng didn't even look up, and forked a piece of cantaloupe into her mouth.

Do you have any other thoughts on tomorrow's equity agreement?

She suddenly appeared at Jingshan No. 1, cooking and cutting fruit platters, behaving strangely and with a strong sense of purpose.

It's no wonder that Fu Jingting immediately connected it to tomorrow's signing.

Xu Qingcheng paused in her chewing, then slowly chewed again until she swallowed before speaking, "Qingyao is going to FUC tomorrow, so whatever he thinks is something for him to consider."

She picked up another strawberry with her fork and held it out to him. "Do you want some?"

The man narrowed his eyes slightly, staring intently at her.

Xu Qingcheng put the fork away, ate the strawberry herself, and said casually, "Didn't you ask me to think about how to keep you company? Are you satisfied now?"