Director Jiang, don't let the divorce get out of control.

Wen Ruan practically fled the hospital. The cool evening breeze hit her face, and she leaned against a lamppost, retching violently.

The nausea churning in my stomach grew stronger with each wave, but I couldn't vomit anything. Tears fell onto the cold floor tiles, leaving a dark stain.

Images buried deep in my mind for ten years suddenly surged forth like a flood bursting its banks.

On her fifteenth birthday, she was picked up by the driver and taken back to the Wen family home to stay.

Wen Shaokang and Zhao Xiuyun celebrated her birthday. She was very happy that day, thinking that her parents could finally accept her return.

That night, she had just fallen asleep when she heard a slight turning sound from the door lock.

She woke up with a start, and before she could react, a dark figure had already pressed down on the bed.

The strong smell of tobacco and alcohol, and Wen Shaokang's face twisted with desire, were clearly imprinted in her pupils the instant the lightning flashed.

He pinned her down, his rough hand tightly covering her mouth, while his other hand slipped under her nightgown and touched her thigh.

The fingertips, sticky and nauseatingly warm, traveled upwards.

She struggled with all her might, her fingernails scratching deep bloody marks on his arm, whimpering as she cried out. Finally, under the cover of thunder, she mustered her last bit of strength to kick him away and scrambled out of the bedroom to seek help from Zhao Xiuyun.

When Zhao Xiuyun saw her like this, she felt distressed and asked her what happened. But when she told her the truth, she was not comforted by Zhao Xiuyun, but instead received a hard slap.

She was trembling with rage, and screamed, "That's your adoptive father! How could he... How dare you say such a thing!"

"At such a young age, you...did you learn something shady outside and come back with it?!"

Even now, when Wen Ruan recalls it, she can almost remember the burning pain on her cheeks back then.

She was then sent back to her suburban villa that very night.

Zhao Xiuyun forbade her from going to the Wen family again, and she never went back even once...

Over the years, she wondered again and again why Zhao Xiuyun didn't believe her.

Later, she gradually came to understand that Zhao Xiuyun did not disbelieve.

She just couldn't accept that her marriage was a complete joke.

Her man was a beast in human form.

On the contrary, Zhao Xiuyun's act of sending her to a villa in the suburbs saved her, so she couldn't blame her.

Wen Ruan felt weak all over as she took a taxi home. She couldn't help but recall the look in Wen Shaokang's eyes before she left, and a chill ran down her spine.

The taxi stopped in front of the apartment building, and Wen Ruan was still somewhat dazed.

She pushed open the car door, and the night wind sent shivers down her spine, raising goosebumps.

She lowered her head and walked quickly toward the apartment door. She had only taken a few steps when a whooshing sound suddenly came from behind her.

"Snapped!"

A sticky, foul-smelling liquid splattered on the back of her head, trickling down her hair and neck.

Wen Ruan froze on the spot, a strong, fishy stench filling her nostrils—it was rotten eggs.

She turned around in disbelief and saw several girls of about sixteen or seventeen not far away, one of whom was still clutching a half-empty bag of trash and glaring at her fiercely.

"Who are you? Are you crazy?" Wen Ruan asked, frowning.

"It's her! It's her!" one of the girls pointed at Wen Ruan, her voice shrill. "She's the murderer! She killed Lin Xia!"

"Look at her, putting on such a high and mighty act, but who knows how wicked she is behind your back!"

"Sister Lin Xia was such a good person, and she'd only been at the Graduate Institute of Translation and Interpretation for a short time before she was driven to her death! How dare you still be alive and well!"

The three girls became more and more excited as they talked, and like firecrackers that had been lit, they rushed towards Wen Ruan.

Wen Ruan: "???"

murderer?

"No, you've misunderstood..." Wen Ruan tried to explain, but the three of them wouldn't listen.

One of them reached out and shoved her hard. Wen Ruan was already in a daze and her steps were unsteady. Caught off guard by the shove, she staggered back a few steps and bumped her lower back against a low stone block at the edge of the flower bed.

A dull pain spread from her waist, and she groaned, almost losing her balance.

"Why did you go to see Lin Xia? Why did you bully her?" The girl who pushed her asked in a hoarse voice, her voice filled with violent hatred.

"I heard that you were the last person Lin Xia saw before she died! And you even hid her phone, didn't you? You murderer! Give me back my Lin Xia!"

Forced into a corner, Wen Ruan looked at the three young faces in front of her, filled with anger and prejudice, and gritted her teeth as she said, "Lin Xia's death has nothing to do with me."

"You're lying!" another girl screamed. "If it weren't for you, how could she have died? She was such a cheerful person..."

Wen Ruan said calmly, "The police are already investigating. If I were really a suspect, the police wouldn't have let me stand here."

"You're blocking my way and bullying me here. I could easily choose to call the police."

The three girls were stunned by her words and looked at each other blankly.

The girl who spoke first bit her lip, her anger clearly suppressed by Wen Ruan's calmness.

"You...you stop making excuses!" she retorted, "Anyway...anyway, we're all watching! If you dare to run away, we'll come and ambush you every day!"

After saying that, she seemed to have finally found a way out. She glared at Wen Ruan and then pulled her two companions away.

The three figures quickly disappeared into the night, leaving only scattered rotten vegetable leaves on the ground and the lingering stench in the air.

Wen Ruan was covered in sticky egg yolk and bits of vegetable leaves, looking utterly disheveled.

She glanced down at her reflection and a self-deprecating smile appeared on her lips.

Exhausted, Wen Ruan was about to step into the apartment when a familiar voice suddenly came from behind her.

"Ruan Ruan".

A deep, warm voice rang out.

Wen Ruan subconsciously paused and looked back.

Jiang Yubai, with his suit jacket draped over his arm and a hint of concern in his eyes behind his gold-rimmed glasses, was walking toward her.

"Why are you standing outside? I called you but you didn't answer..." His gaze fell on her, and his voice suddenly stopped.

Wen Ruan was covered in sticky egg yolk and bits of vegetable leaves, her hair clinging wetly to her cheeks and neck...

Jiang Yubai's eyes darkened, and he quickened his pace towards her: "What happened to you? Who did this?"

Wen Ruan opened her mouth, about to speak, but then smelled the strong, fishy stench emanating from her, and her stomach churned.

Before she could think it through, her body had already made its choice, and she rushed into the apartment building without looking back.

"Wen Ruan!" Jiang Yubai's voice was filled with obvious surprise and worry.

Wen Ruan dared not turn around, much less let him smell her nauseating odor.

She rushed back to the apartment, went straight to the bathroom, and turned on the shower.

Peng Peng—!

Soon, there was a knock on the bathroom door, and Jiang Yubai's worried voice came from outside, "Ruan Ruan, open the door, what's going on?"