Newlyweds are in the throes of passion, but Professor He's little darling wants a separation.

As instructed by Yin Fangfang, the laboratory was located in a building a few hundred meters away.

She wore a light gray knit sweater on top, a navy blue long skirt on the bottom, and a black wool coat on top.

A red scarf was tied around her neck, and a loose fishtail braid hung down to one side. The afterglow of the evening sun shone on her clean-cut face. She was without makeup, yet she was still breathtakingly beautiful.

The laboratory's automatic door slowly opened, and a gust of cold air swept in fallen leaves, causing He Tingchu to instinctively shrink his neck.

In the depths of winter in Beijing, the sun sets even earlier.

Not far from the lab, at the smoking area, a colleague was smoking to relieve fatigue.

"Give me one," He Tingchu said casually.

"Didn't you quit?" The male colleague asked, looking puzzled but still handing over a cigarette and a lighter.

The grinding wheel rolled a few times, and the sparks at the fingertips flickered on and off.

"A beautiful woman is coming." His male colleague nudged his arm.

He Tingchu ignored him. The elegant evening breeze carried the fragrance of white camellias, which did not smell like perfume but rather like a natural body scent, faint and soft, as if it were tangible as it brushed against his cheek. He raised his narrow eyes slightly.

The familiar taste seeped into my lungs without leaving a trace.

The man turned his head, his narrow eyes narrowing slightly. He paused briefly, a cigarette between his fingers.

"He Tingchu, you actually...smoke?" Wen Xi blurted out.

"No, you... you're mistaken." He Tingchu stubbed out the half-smoked cigarette and put it in the ashtray.

The tall, imposing man lowered his eyes, turned his face away, and slightly curved the corners of his lips.

"Do you know him?" the male colleague asked.

"My wife." He Tingchu raised an eyebrow smugly.

"Oh, sister-in-law, hello." The male colleague extended his hand.

"Hello." Wen Xi shook hands politely, then quickly let go.

"You're busy, you have to go." He Tingchu pushed the man in front of her away, her tongue licking her back teeth.

He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her to a nearby bench.

"You...why are you here?" The man's heart pounded powerfully the moment he saw Wen Xi.

He admitted that he missed her, missed her terribly, terribly.

However, he dared not cross the line. He saw Gu Lianyu's message and Xiao Jingping's resume. He pretended that nothing had happened, but he couldn't.

Although Gu Lianyu didn't say anything, the astute He Tingchu was afraid.

He recognized him.

Xiao Jingping is the young man who stood in front of the Wen family's house five years ago.

The man Wen Qiqi likes is back. What can he use to win him back?

-

Rewind five years, when He Tingchu went to Haicheng on business. His grandfather insisted that he visit Wen Shiyuan and discuss cooperation.

That evening, He Tingchu went to the Wen residence. He and Wen Shiyuan chatted in the flower hall, exchanging pleasantries and discussing mundane business matters.

At that moment, a girl in a white dress rushed in from the second floor.

"Oh, I forgot Qiqi was home. Qiqi... this is your brother Tingchu..." Wen Shiyuan shouted.

"Oh, hello." Wen Xi disappeared into the living room without stopping, like a gust of wind, leaving him without a single word.

Five years later, Wen Qiqi didn't remember him.

"This child, so disrespectful, what's the rush?" Wen Shiyuan muttered under his breath.

"That's because your daughter has some girlish thoughts." Xie Chunxi cut the fruit and brought over the fruit plate.

"?..." Wen Shiyuan looked up and questioned.

The couple stood up in front of the living room's floor-to-ceiling window, talking in hushed tones.

"Look..." following the direction Xie Chunxi pointed.

He Tingchu caught sight of a fair-skinned boy in a light blue shirt standing by the fence. Wen Xi almost bumped into him, standing gracefully before him, before abruptly stopping.

"Senior, what brings you here?"

"I've come to see you," the boy replied.

That was the first time He Tingchu saw Wen Xi's face clearly. Five years later, she had lost her baby fat and had grown into such a beautiful woman, like an elf who had fallen to earth, her face clean and without a speck of dust.

Wen Xi stood before the boy with her head down, looking like a shy flower unable to withstand the cool breeze, while the magnolias in the courtyard quietly bloomed.

"Whose kid is this? I'll break his legs." Wen Shiyuan made a move to grab a golf club from the side.

Xie Chunxi hurriedly grabbed him,

"Qiqi chose to study medicine because of him. It's all thanks to Jingping tutoring your daughter. Otherwise, how could your daughter have made such rapid progress? Jingping is the youngest son of our hospital director. He has impeccable family background. He's the son-in-law I've been eyeing. Don't drive him away by scolding him."

"That's good. Dean Xiao's family has a strict tradition, and the young man looks quite talented." Upon hearing that he was from the Xiao family, Wen Shiyuan's expression changed, and he praised him repeatedly.

It turns out that he is the man Wen Qiqi likes, and also the future son-in-law of the Wen family.

For some reason, the man's chest seemed slightly heavy.

He Tingchu couldn't help but take a second look.

Unexpectedly, he returned five years later.

-

"I can't come? You're not welcome?" Wen Xi said angrily.

He Tingchu's thoughts were pulled back. Wen Qiqi had arrived. That was wonderful.

Wen Qiqi came to find him.

"Mrs. He, I missed you so much." He Tingchu ran his fingers through her hair and pulled her into his arms without saying a word.

His withered heart seemed to start beating again; thankfully, he was still alive.

Wen Xi hugged his waist back, her earlobe pressed against his chest, and she could clearly hear the irregular heartbeat.

Despite his profession, Wen Xi enjoys listening to heartbeats, especially He Tingchu's heartbeat.

His heart was beating strongly, as if brimming with vitality.

Wen Xi slowly narrowed his eyes, listening intently to his heavy breathing.

"I really miss you." The man repeated, his voice like rough sandpaper, his fingertips gently pinching her chin, forehead to forehead.

Wen Xi felt numb all over his back and scalp. All the distance and indifference he had maintained during this time were crumbling away little by little.

"He Tingchu, have you been eating properly? Why have you lost weight?" Wen Xi stepped out of his arms, cupped his cold face in her hands, and met his gaze.

His eyes were bloodshot, clearly indicating he hadn't had a proper rest all week.

"No staying up late. You're a human being, not a machine." Seeing him like this, Wen Xi's heart softened, and she felt a lump in her throat.

"Okay," He Tingchu said hoarsely, adding a bit more force to his arm.

Wen Xi felt a little overwhelmed by his strength, but also felt very at ease. These past few days, she hadn't been sleeping well, always feeling uneasy. When He Tingchu held her tightly, she was enveloped by a tremendous sense of security, as if a small boat adrift at sea had finally returned to a peaceful harbor.

"If you don't rest, the teacher is getting old... the students will also be very tired. Why are you so disobedient?" Wen Xi muttered in a low voice.

I pinched his cheek; the man's cheek was slightly sunken.

The dark circles and weariness under his eyes couldn't be hidden, and the dark stubble on his chin was slowly emerging, showing his stubbornness.

"Mmm." The man gently rubbed the top of her fluffy hair with his palm, his voice hoarse.

"Oh right, I came to deliver lunch to the teacher. I almost missed my important business." Wen Xi snuggled against He Tingchu's chest and suddenly remembered something important.

"I also ordered takeout for your students." Just then, the phone in her hand rang, and Wen Xi blinked.

He Tingchu gripped her hand tightly, registered her, and led her into the lounge. He then called Zeng Huaiming, and a few minutes later, a tired-looking Zeng Huaiming led in a dozen young students.

"Oh dear, Qiqi, look at my old arms and legs, are they lame now..." Zeng Huaiming knew he was saved as soon as he saw Wen Xi.

"Teacher, you've worked hard. Your wife made you something delicious," Wen Xi replied obediently.

"No, let this kid enjoy it. I want takeout today." Zeng Huaiming's gaze lingered on the long table of delicious food.

Wen Xi learned from Yin Fangfang how hard the students had worked during this period, and thought of rewarding them.

Therefore, she specifically contacted the private restaurant that Wen Shiyuan loved to eat at and asked the owner to help her, as this restaurant never delivers.

Wen Xi begged and pleaded, and the boss only made an exception out of respect for Wen Xi.

"Hurry up and thank your teacher's wife," Zeng Huaiming ordered.

"Thank you, Madam," everyone said in unison, their faces bearing unspoken smiles.

Immediately, everyone began to eat at breakneck speed.

He Tingchu whispered something in Zeng Huaiming's ear, and Zeng Huaiming nodded in understanding.

After settling everyone in, He Tingchu picked up the lunchboxes from the dining table, and without any hesitation, grabbed her hand, their fingers intertwined.

"Wow... Teacher is so lucky!" The crowd cheered.

"Little brat - hurry up and eat." He Tingchu's dark eyes were "intimidating" for a moment.

A blush crept onto Wen Xi's face. Using the man's tall, imposing figure as cover, she quickly pushed open the door behind him and went out.

"Go on with your work, don't see me off." Outside the gate, Wen Xi struggled to break free from his large hand a few times.

Everyone is still waiting for him; she just came to deliver food.

"Come with me." The man tightened his grip.

"Where to?"

"Go to my dorm."