His physiological preference

Yang Zhiyan did not know her.

When Yang Zhiyan saw Grandma Qin's expression, something in her heart was gently touched.

Grandma Qin was smiling, but the smile was awkward and unnatural.

"Ah Zheng is back." Grandma Qin stood up. "Zhiyan is here too, come in quickly, come in quickly."

Qin Yuzheng stood at the entrance of the main room, not taking a step immediately. His gaze fell on the woman opposite the cup of tea, lingered for about a second, and then moved away.

His expression remained unchanged from beginning to end, but he let go of Yang Zhiyan's hand.

He released her hand, turned his head, and said in a low voice, "Grandma is calling you."

Then he stepped inside.

Yang Zhiyan stood at the door, her hands empty. The hand he had just held was still slightly curled. She pulled her hand back, clenched it briefly, and then let go.

Grandma Qin had already come over and took her hand; the dryness and warmth of her palm traveled up from the back of her hand.

"Zhiyan, you've finally arrived?" Grandma Qin's voice was still the same, warm and friendly.

But Grandma Qin's eyes were darting away.

Yang Zhiyan followed Grandma Qin's gaze and glanced at the woman in the pale yellow dress.

The woman was looking at her too. Mo Yunyun smiled.

Her gaze swept over Yang Zhiyan, a look that made Yang Zhiyan feel a little uncomfortable.

Qin Yuzheng stood beside the coffee table, neither sitting down nor looking at Mo Yunyun.

He looked at Yang Zhiyan, his lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but no sound came out.

Grandma Qin pulled Yang Zhiyan to sit down on the sofa, then sat next to her, still holding her hand tightly.

"Zhiyan, this is the daughter of the Mo family, who has come to visit this old woman."

Grandma Qin spoke in a very soft and indifferent tone. She was right; the Mo and Qin families did indeed have dealings. Mo Yunyun's father and Qin Yuzheng's father had been colleagues, and the two families had lived in the same compound for many years.

Saying "it's my friend's daughter" isn't considered a lie.

Mo Yunyun smiled politely as she placed the teacup on the coffee table.

Qin Yuzheng spoke up, asking how Grandma Qin was feeling lately.

Grandma Qin said, "She's fine." Qin Yuzheng nodded, didn't look at Mo Yunyun, and sat down next to Yang Zhiyan.

He sat down closer than usual, his shoulder almost touching hers, his arm resting on the sofa armrest, his fingers dangling down, just touching the back of Yang Zhiyan's hand resting on her knee.

His fingertips gently brushed against the back of her hand, as if he wanted to take her hand.

Yang Zhiyan's hand did not move, nor did she dodge or respond.

They just left it there; he touched his things, and she sat on hers. Her gaze fell on the woman opposite the teacup, wearing a pale yellow dress, red lipstick, and a delicate watch with a diamond-encrusted strap on her wrist.

Beautiful, exquisite, every detail perfectly arranged. Mo Yunyun looked at her too. The two women's gazes met above the coffee table, then looked away.

Grandma Qin stood up, said she was going to check on the dishes in the kitchen, and walked out of the main room.

There was a moment of silence in the main room. The shadow of the osmanthus tree was cast through the window, falling on the ground, flickering once, then flickering again.

Mo Yunyun spoke first. She stood up and walked towards Yang Zhiyan, her steps neither fast nor slow, her high heels clicking on the blue brick floor. She reached Yang Zhiyan and extended her hand.

"Hello, my name is Mo Yunyun. It's a pleasure to meet you." Her voice carried a hint of smug arrogance.

Yang Zhiyan stood up and took her hand. Mo Yunyun's hands were soft and well-maintained, with light pink nail polish and long, slender knuckles.

When their hands clasped together, Mo Yunyun tilted her head slightly and leaned close to Yang Zhiyan's ear.

Her lips were almost touching Yang Zhiyan's earlobe, and her voice was so low that only the two of them could hear it.

"I am Qin Yuzheng's ex-wife." These words, spoken lightly, struck Yang Zhiyan's heart.

Yang Zhiyan's fingers froze in Mo Yunyun's palm.

Yang Zhiyan tried her best to maintain a proper expression, with the corners of her mouth still curved politely and her eyes still shining gently.

But her fingers froze. Her mind was buzzing.

Qin Yuzheng had never told her that he had been married. Five months had passed, and he had never mentioned the word "ex-wife." Not a single word.

He said he lives alone, he said he is all alone, and he said he felt lonely when he went to the hospital alone.

When he said those things, she thought he was just single for a long time, and that he just hadn't met the right person yet.

She never imagined that he might have been married, divorced, or had a past she didn't know about.

Mo Yunyun released her hand and took a step back, a standard smile on her face.

Yang Zhiyan looked into Mo Yunyun's eyes. The unwavering conviction in those eyes left Yang Zhiyan unsure how to respond.

Yang Zhiyan's fingers slowly clenched at her sides. Her nails dug into the flesh of her palms, the slight stinging pain keeping her awake.

She took half a step forward, getting closer to Mo Yunyun, turned her head, and pressed her lips close to Mo Yunyun's ear.

"I am Qin Yuzheng's current girlfriend."

She was angry, but she wouldn't back down. She was furious, but...

Yang Zhiyan's hands were trembling; her hands, clenched at her sides, with nails digging into her palms, were shaking slightly.

Mo Yunyun smiled, seemingly mocking Yang Zhiyan's smugness.

Then she turned to look at Qin Yuzheng.

Qin Yuzheng sat on the sofa, his hand still resting on the armrest, his fingertips dangling. His eyes held a coldness that seemed to ask, "What are you doing here?"

Mo Yunyun didn't wait for him to speak. She picked up her bag from the coffee table, glanced in the direction Grandma Qin had left, and without going to find her, walked straight towards the door of the main room.

The high heels clicked and clacked on the blue brick floor.

As she passed Qin Yuzheng, she paused for a moment, then continued walking.

Mo Yunyun walked out of the main room and across the courtyard. A shower of delicate petals fell from the osmanthus tree, landing on her hair and shoulders, which she didn't brush off. The courtyard gate opened and then closed again.

Only two people remained in the main room. The shadow of the osmanthus tree was cast through the window, falling on the blue brick floor, flickering once, then flickering again.

The two cups of tea on the coffee table were still steaming. Mo Yunyun had only taken a small sip of her cup, and there was a faint lipstick mark on the inside.

"Yan Yan," Qin Yuzheng called to Yang Zhiyan.

Yang Zhiyan looked up at Qin Yuzheng. Qin Yuzheng's expression was calm.

She didn't know where to begin. Should she say, "Why did you lie to me?" Or, "Why did you never tell me you were married?"

Every word was too heavy, too heavy to utter, like stones piled up in my throat, blocking my way, impossible to spit out or swallow.

She raised her hand from her side and placed it on her bag, her fingers gripping the edge of the strap, slowly tightening her grip again and again.

Yang Zhiyan shifted her gaze from him to the door of the main room. The osmanthus tree in the courtyard swayed gently in the wind, and golden petals drifted down from the branches, covering the bluestone ground with a thin layer.