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

Xu Qingcheng glanced at him. "I don't need you to take me. Just drive out and drop me off anywhere."

Fu Jingting simply ignored her and said, "I'll take you back to Xinghe Bay."

The mere mention of Xinghe Bay sent a jolt through Xu Qingcheng's mind. The taboo and immoral affair between the two of them had occurred there, and Xinghe Bay was like a place she desperately tried to conceal, a place she couldn't even bring up.

Especially after Wen Fei came to visit, Xu Qingcheng was even less likely to go there.

It would be best to sell it, but now that Fu Jingting has interfered, the issue of her having to return the money and the contract hasn't been resolved yet. Anyway, he's not in a hurry to resolve it, and she's too lazy to push him. In short, there's no way to sell it now, so she might as well change the locks and lock it up, determined never to go there again.

"I'm not going there." Xu Qingcheng was extremely reluctant. Seeing that he was driving straight ahead without slowing down, she knew that there was no way she could get out of the car, so she said, "I'm going to Jinliu Bay."

Her parents' home.

Fu Jingting didn't say anything more and drove very fast.

Xu Qingcheng kept looking out the car window and didn't speak to him. The air in the car seemed to freeze.

Her profile was beautiful, and when he placed his hand over her, it almost covered most of her face. However, because she had lost some weight, her jawline appeared even sharper, her expression was cold, and her whole body was tense.

Her faint shadow was reflected in the car window. She sat beside him, and even though she didn't say a word and didn't give him a kind look, he didn't seem to find it particularly unacceptable.

It's good that she's here.

The man's jawline tightened slightly. Fu Jingting stared straight ahead, feeling a sense of helplessness he had never experienced before.

But the resentment and entanglement in his heart had accumulated into a disaster during the days and nights when he couldn't see her, so much so that he was extremely resistant when he saw her.

She pried open the hard shell of her heart, feeling a mix of pain and faint anticipation.

When she smiled at him, she never concealed her intentions; her smile was direct and passionate, making her both irresistible and utterly repulsive to him.

He had considered letting go and moving his life away from Xu Qingcheng.

But he couldn't resist a photo of her being intimate with another man, the bracelet on her slender wrist, and the smile in her eyes—those were thorns stuck in his heart, making him care about nothing else.

"What do you see in Xie Yin?" Fu Jingting suddenly asked.

In the quiet space, he suddenly uttered such a chilling sentence, which was quite unsettling.

Xu Qingcheng suddenly turned her face to look at him, and said through gritted teeth, "I've got my eye on everything."

Fu Jingting's face was darkened by the interplay of light and shadow, his jaw clenched, the lines of his face sharply defined by the light and shadow. Waves of anger surged in his chest, and he couldn't help but sneer, "Look at how low men's standards are getting, you don't even pick and choose. Xie Yin has a seven-year-old son, are you just hoping to become someone's stepmother?"

"So what? Being a stepmother is better than being a mistress. At least he won't force me against my will, and at least I won't be gossiped about behind my back. I can rightfully say I'm his wife wherever I go." It would have been better if they hadn't talked about this topic. Just thinking about it made Xu Qingcheng furious. He could never understand the despair she felt when Wen Fei stood at the door questioning her, her hands and feet turning cold and she could barely stand.

The more she loved, the more disappointed she became.

He said her love was worthless, just because he didn't care about it. So, he could treat her so disgustingly without any restraint?

"Fu Jingting, I was so ignorant back then that I went to you. If I wasn't out of my mind, I wouldn't have jumped into this fire pit. Fortunately, these past two years have filled the void, and I've seen through things. Xie Yin is so much better than you, and Mingchen is sensible and obedient. I don't think there's anything wrong with being a stepmother. I just beg you to be a decent human being. Dr. Wen and you are a perfect match, a match made in heaven. I won't bother you, and you shouldn't bother us either."

Xu Qingcheng finished speaking in one breath, as if she wanted to give him back all the pent-up frustration in her heart.

Fu Jingting was so angry with her that his head was about to explode. He slammed on the brakes, and the speeding car tires screeched on the road. Xu Qingcheng was thrown forward, but was pulled back by the seat belt. She was so frightened that her heart almost jumped out of her chest. She looked at him with a frightened expression.

Suddenly, she was terrified. His face in the darkness was like a ghost chasing her, his eyes blazing with fire, as if he could grab her by the neck at any moment. She shouldn't have argued with him while he was driving, nor should she have argued with him when it was the only time of the night. If something uncontrollable happened, Xu Yuan would have no mother.

Countless absurd thoughts raced through my mind.

Fu Jingting stared at her intently, his fingers gripping the steering wheel tightly, and coldly uttered two words, "Get out of the car."

Without hesitation, Xu Qingcheng unbuckled her seatbelt and quickly got out of the car. Only when the door closed did she realize that they had arrived at Jinliu Bay.

The car was parked neatly on the side of the road, except that the wheels were on the curb.

It seems that reason still prevails.

Xu Qingcheng didn't think much of it; she was only concerned about Xu Yuan and wanted to go back as soon as possible.

She walked through the community garden without looking back.

Xu Qingcheng didn't want to go to her parents' place; it was too late, and she didn't want to disturb them. Most importantly, Xu Yuan was still waiting for her. She walked through the entire community from the south gate to the north gate, took a taxi, and left directly. It would take more than an hour to get back to Jinzhou from here.

Xu Qingcheng closed the car door. Fu Jingting gripped the steering wheel so tightly that the veins on his hands bulged out. His breath seemed to be choked, and even as he desperately gasped for air, no air could get in. Veins on his neck bulged out and twisted in pain. Everything in his sight was distorted and deformed. He was fighting an invisible monster, but he was completely defeated. Suddenly, his head fell heavily and slammed onto the steering wheel.

A loud "beep!" of a car horn rang in my ears.

The scene before him suddenly returned to normal. Cold sweat streamed down the man's face as he slammed his head back against the chair, breathing rapidly as if desperately trying to reabsorb all the breath he had lost. His prominent Adam's apple bobbed rapidly, and his throat felt like it was on fire.

Fu Jingting raised his hand, which was still trembling, and pressed his palm against his neck. He then closed his eyes tightly.

When she opened her eyes again and looked out, Xu Qingcheng was no longer there.

He took out his phone and called Lu Jingzhou, "Resume treatment as you said before."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, then Lu Jingzhou asked, "What's the situation now?"

Some people won't give up until they hit a brick wall, and they won't turn back until they've reached the Yellow River. For Fu Jingting to say this to him, there must be a situation beyond his control.

"The thing in front of me was deformed." Fu Jingting paused for a moment, then added, "The key point is, I was driving. The road conditions suddenly changed, and the car hit the curb. I'm fine, the car is fine, I braked in time."

But she was so frightened that her face turned pale.

His heart was pounding. Fu Jingting didn't dare to think about what would have happened if he hadn't braked in time, or if the road hadn't been so wide and deserted...

After hearing the description, Lu Jingzhou frowned and asked, "Is there anyone else with you?"

"Not now."

"Who was in the car just now?"

Lu Jingzhou grasped the key point: if it's not there now, then it was there just now.

Fu Jingting paused.

Lu Jingzhou didn't press the matter. He changed his clothes and walked out, saying, "Send me the address, we'll discuss the details when we meet."

By the time Lu Jingzhou arrived, Fu Jingting had already calmed down and was sitting in the driver's seat, seemingly lost in thought.

Lu Jingzhou was driving, and Fu Jingting was sitting in the passenger seat. The car smelled faintly of perfume and a sweet aroma of alcohol.

"Was the person in your car just now Xu Qingcheng?"

Fu Jingting looked at him, seemingly surprised by his accurate guess.

But he nodded nonetheless.

"What did you all say?" Lu Jingzhou asked casually.

Fu Jingting seemed not to hear. He sat in the passenger seat with his long legs propped up on the seat back, his head resting on the seat back, looking very weak.

Lu Jingzhou had enough patience. If he didn't speak, Lu Jingzhou would never ask any more questions. In fact, the role of a psychologist is often to guide.

The carriage remained silent for a long time before Fu Jingting finally spoke, "She doesn't even care about becoming a stepmother. Xie Yin isn't suitable for her."

"Xie Yin? Her new boyfriend, or her husband?"

Upon hearing the word "husband," Fu Jingting's eyes widened, and his voice turned cold. "Husband?"

He scoffed, "I won't give them the chance to get married. Not even to date."

She can only belong to him.

Lu Jingzhou glanced at him sideways. The man's cold face was illuminated by the streetlight, revealing a desolate outline. Behind those tough edges lay a vulnerability that feared loss.

Lu Jingzhou lightly tapped his finger on the steering wheel, not continuing the topic, but only asking, "Shall I take you back to Jingshan No. 1, or somewhere else?"

"Jingshan No. 1"

As long as the topic no longer involves Xu Qingcheng, he relaxes completely.

The car stopped at Jingshan No. 1, and the two went inside. Lu Jingzhou knew his address because it was listed as such in the registration information, but this was his first time here.

Lu Jingzhou walked around his room but didn't find anything particularly noteworthy. There was nothing unusual about the space or the furnishings.

The only odd thing was the two small dogs on the sofa; for a single man, it was certain they didn't belong to him.

Perhaps someone else put it here.

Lu Jingzhou picked it up to look at it, but Fu Jingting took the puppy from him and put it back on the sofa, asking him, "Want some wine?"

Lu Jingzhou raised an eyebrow and agreed.

He followed Fu Jingting toward the bar, but couldn't help glancing at the two toys. "Who gave them to you?"

The man glanced at him, looking annoyed. "I bought it myself."

Lu Jingzhou, "...I never expected you to have such a womanly side."

Fu Jingting's forehead twitched, and he almost spilled the wine in his hand on his face.

He pushed the wine glass towards Lu Jingzhou, but his gaze shifted to the two plush toys, and a bitter smile suddenly appeared on his lips.

She was twenty-four years old that year.

Her due date is in December, and if all goes well, she will have a child with the same zodiac sign as her.

He was really looking forward to it.

I also long for it.

He felt fulfilled just holding her and their child in his arms; it was the life he longed for, and he was willing to spend the rest of his life, even several lifetimes, to make up for it.

But she never gave him a chance.

As the drinks were winding down, Lu Jingzhou noticed his eyes were reddening. "Who did you buy this for?"

"Keep it at home."

Lu Jingzhou pondered these words, then rubbed his temples. "They weren't divorced when they bought it."

Fu Jingting looked at him with an expression that seemed to suggest that even a quack doctor's brain actually works quite well.

Lu Jingzhou raised his hand to stop him from criticizing himself, and rubbed his temples. "I have a suggestion for you: marry her, and she won't have the chance to marry someone else."

Fu Jingting snorted and looked at him like he was an idiot. Lu Jingzhou really wanted to kick him.

Fu Jingting was too lazy to waste words with Lu Jingzhou. His face darkened as he recalled Xu Qingcheng's words: "Marrying him means you're out of your mind?"

Fuck!

……

On her way home, Xu Qingcheng received a call from Zhong Wanxiu, who asked if she had arrived home safely.

Hearing that she had arrived home, Zhong Wanxiu didn't ask any more questions and hung up the phone.

Seeing her sitting there lost in thought, Fu Pinghui asked, "What's wrong?"

Zhong Wanxiu tried to organize her thoughts, but still couldn't get anything out. Her words were jumbled and she couldn't make sense of them at all.

Finally, he asked, "Do you think Wen Fei is not suitable for Jing Ting? You don't seem to care at all about their affairs."

"I feel that Jingting doesn't have those feelings for her," Fu Pinghui sighed. "Forced relationships don't work out. Let him handle his own affairs."

"That's exactly what I mean. You can't force a relationship. Look at Xu Qingcheng back then. He schemed and tricked people into coming here, and that's how it ended. They didn't like him, but he didn't know how to let go. You tell me..."

"Enough with the talk, let nature take its course."

Zhong Wanxiu was a little annoyed. "Then we can only let nature take its course. What else can we do?"

Xu Yuan had a slight cold and a low fever, and she was feeling listless. When Xu Qingcheng returned home, the nanny was trying to coax her to sleep. Her eyelids were almost closed, but she couldn't fall asleep peacefully.

Upon seeing her, she wanted to hug her. Xu Qingcheng changed her clothes, took Xu Yuan from the nanny, and pressed her eyes to Xu Yuan's forehead; it was still a little hot.

Held in Xu Qingcheng's arms, Xu Yuan quickly fell asleep, broke out in a sweat, and her fever subsided.

She developed a fever again in the middle of the night, so Xu Qingcheng gave her another dose of fever reducer. Children's fevers tend to recur when they are sick, so Xu Qingcheng didn't sleep well all night, getting up frequently to check her temperature and try to lower her temperature physically.

The next morning, I took Xuyuan's temperature, and she still had a slight fever.

Still worried, I had Xuyuan get up and carried her to the hospital for a checkup.

After a blood test, the doctor said it was just a common cold, prescribed some medicine, and told me to take it as directed.

Xu Qingcheng was relieved. She hugged Xu Yuan, and the nanny followed her out carrying things.

Wen Fei worked the night shift. After finishing her shift, she went to visit Wen Liyan for a while. When she came out of the inpatient department, she saw Xu Qingcheng in the outpatient area.

Wen Fei was in a bad mood. She knew that Zhong Wanxiu had hosted a welcome dinner for Teacher Pang last night and had invited Xu Qingcheng but not her.

It's not that she absolutely had to go, but the fact that Xu Qingcheng went made her feel very uncomfortable.

The fact that a divorced ex-wife still maintains such close contact with Zhong Wanxiu makes Wen Fei wonder.

She has been by Fu Jingting's side for two years. As long as there are no other women around Fu Jingting, she would be willing to take care of him as a doctor for another three, five, or even ten or twenty years.

Wen Fei didn't think she cared much about those empty titles, even though Wen Liyan always reminded her not to be too greedy and to be content with what she had.

She is easily satisfied. Unlike those women who are fixated on marrying into wealth, she doesn't care whether Fu Jingting is rich or poor; she cares more about Fu Jingting as a person.

There is no distinction between noble and lowly in matters of the heart, but even her father felt that she was marrying above her station.

However, she doesn't believe there's any question of social climbing, and using kind means because of affection is not a dishonorable thing.

Take the engagement, for example. Because of Wen Liyan, Fu Jingting wouldn't directly embarrass her; that would be her opportunity. It's like how childhood sweethearts are more likely to get together than others—it's the same principle.

Wen Fei originally wanted to leave. She didn't like Xu Qingcheng, and she had already said what she needed to say. Too much contact wasn't a good thing.

But when she saw the little girl next to her, Wen Fei suddenly changed direction and said, "Hello, Miss Xu."