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

"I was afraid of scaring you. The other person's target was her, and I happened to be right next to them, so I stepped in to block them. I would have done the same for anyone else."

The pent-up frustration in Wen Ruan's heart eased slightly.

"Anything else you want to ask?"

"No," Wen Ruan shook her head.

"I have it," Jiang Yubai said. "Aren't you going to explain that photo to me?"

Wen Ruan composed herself and explained frankly, "I happened to run into Ji Shiyan that day. I didn't know he would be there. Then he suddenly went crazy, which is why I said those things."

"What did you say?" Jiang Yubai narrowed his eyes and stared straight at her.

Wen Ruan looked into his deep eyes, her heart skipped a beat, and said, "What you heard!"

"Did you deliberately try to provoke him?" Jiang Yubai continued to press.

"Yeah, I won't fall into the same trap twice."

Jiang Yubai was taken aback, then raised an eyebrow with pleasure.

It's not that I can't forget my old flame!

His intense gaze made Wen Ruan uncomfortable.

"I'm going to blow-dry my hair."

After saying that, she fled back to her room.

The moment she closed the door, Wen Ruan calmed down.

When Wen Ruan woke up the next morning, she washed up and came to the living room, only to find that Jiang Yubai had already left.

The restaurant left her breakfast, along with a note: "Eat breakfast before going to work."

Wen Ruan looked at the note and unconsciously curled the corners of her lips into a smile.

While having breakfast, she suddenly remembered the trending topic and quickly contacted a public relations friend she knew.

But my friend said, "No, are you sure you didn't see it wrong?"

Wen Ruan was stunned.

Could it be Jiang Yubai?

She couldn't think of anyone else but him!

For a moment, Wen Ruan couldn't quite describe the feeling in her heart.

She wanted to send a message to ask, but ultimately didn't.

……

As soon as she arrived at her workstation, a colleague reminded her, "Wen Ruan, you had a package delivered to you this morning. I put it on your desk for you."

"Thanks."

Wen Ruan put down her backpack and looked at the express delivery bag on the table, feeling puzzled.

It seems she didn't order a package.

Thinking it over, Wen Ruan opened the bag.

As the contents fell out, her face turned deathly pale.

The photo shows her at sixteen years old.

The girl lay on her side on the edge of the bed in the second bedroom of the suburban villa, wearing a loose-fitting cotton nightgown, her cheeks still showing traces of baby fat.

The window wasn't fully closed, and a ray of light slanted down onto her exposed collarbone.

This was the night she most wanted to forget and erase.

As past memories resurfaced, a wave of nausea rushed to Wen Ruan's throat.

She gripped the photo tightly, her nails digging into the back of the paper, leaving white marks. Then, unable to restrain herself any longer, she covered her mouth and rushed to the bathroom, her knee hitting the door frame, the pain making her eyes red.

But this pain is nothing compared to the fear and chill in my heart.

"vomit……"

Wen Ruan vomited violently while lying on the sink.

I threw up everything I ate this morning.

Later on, he vomited only jaundice fluid, and even tears came out.

Cold water gushed down, and she scooped up a handful and splashed it on her face. The icy water dripped down her chin and into her collar, but she still couldn't stop herself from shivering.

The woman in the mirror was as pale as paper, her lips were bloodless, and even foundation couldn't cover it up; the corners of her eyes were tinged with fine red.

It took a full 10 minutes for Wen Ruan to gradually calm down.

She reassured herself in the mirror: Wen Ruan, don't be afraid, it's all over now.

She is no longer the little girl who was at the mercy of others and could only spend sleepless nights with a knife in her hand.

She had already escaped the den of iniquity.

After calming down, Wen Ruan took two tissues to wipe her face clean, carefully checked her collar and cuffs, and only left the bathroom after confirming that there were no water stains.

A colleague noticed her pale face and couldn't help but ask with concern, "Wen Ruan, why are you so pale? Are you feeling unwell? Should you take a day off?"

"It's nothing." Wen Ruan forced a smile. "I just didn't sleep well last night."

"Then you'd better get ready. A foreign delegation is coming to visit in a few days, and we'll be quite busy."

"I understand, thank you."

When Wen Ruan returned to her workstation, she discovered that the package contained not only a photo, but also a light pink silk nightgown.

The style and color are exactly the same as the one her mother bought for her when she was sixteen.

Back then, she cherished that nightgown so much that she never wore it and kept it hanging in the closet.

But then it vanished into thin air.

Now, he has appeared before her again.

Aside from Wen Shaokang, Wen Ruan couldn't think of anyone else who could be so perverted.

She suppressed the fear in her heart and was about to throw them all away when a card fell onto the table.

【Ruan Ruan, you look so good in this color of pajamas, I really want to see you wear it once】

Wen Ruan tried to vomit, but nothing came out.

Without saying a word, she picked up the lighter on the table and set the photos and cards on fire, as if to erase those unbearable memories.

The flames licked at her, the edges of the photograph paper curled and turned black. Wen Ruan stared at the bluish-gray smoke rising, watching her sixteen-year-old self in the photo slowly burn to ashes...

Looking at the pajamas, Wen Ruan didn't dare to throw them away carelessly in the crowded translation institute, fearing it would attract unnecessary gossip. She could only reseal the express delivery bag and stuff it deep inside her tote bag, planning to take it outside to throw it away after get off work.

For the rest of the morning, she sat at her workstation, a draft contract awaiting translation on her computer screen.

She stared at the bilingual (Chinese and English) technical terms, unable to read a single word.

Every minute and every second felt incredibly long.

Having finally made it to lunch break, Wen Ruan immediately closed her laptop, grabbed her bag, and left.

The iron-gray trash can across the street was scorching hot from the sun.

Wen Ruan strode over, unzipped her bag, pulled out the courier bag, and threw it in without hesitation.

After finishing her business, Wen Ruan was planning to go to her usual noodle shop for a bite to eat.

Just as I turned the corner, a gentle female voice sounded from behind me.

"Ruan Ruan?"

Wen Ruan paused, then slowly turned around.

Jiang Wanxing stood a few steps away, smiling gently at her.

"What a coincidence, running into you here." Jiang Wanxing approached, her gaze immediately landing precisely on her pale face. "Isn't it lunchtime? You look terrible."

"It's nothing." Wen Ruanshi reached out and tidied the stray hairs by her ear.

Jiang Wanxing's gaze shifted slightly downwards, landing on her knees. "By the way, has the bruise on your knees healed? Last time at the old house, I noticed your walking posture wasn't quite natural."

"Much better."

The ointment Jiang Yubai bought was very effective. She would apply it every night after taking a shower, and the purplish-blue bruises faded considerably.

"You used the ointment that Yu Bai brought home, right?" Jiang Wanxing's smile deepened. "He's very skilled at treating external injuries. He's been like this since we were little. When I was a child, I was always playing around and would often bump and bruise my knees. He was always the one who would apply the ointment for me."

"He was incredibly patient back then, always giving in to me." Jiang Wanxing sighed lightly, implying something. "But now he's in a high position and too busy with work, he probably doesn't have much time to take good care of your minor injuries and pains, right? If you don't like the ointment, I can recommend a few better ones."

Wen Ruan tightened her grip on the bag, gazed at her, and gently refused.

"No need to trouble you, Ms. Jiang. Thank you for telling me about my husband's childhood, which made me realize just how wonderful he is."