Qiu Yingying is reborn and bound to a learning system.

Meng Yanchen humbly coaxed Qiu Yingying for a full half month.

In the past two weeks, he has almost completely abandoned his pride, turning all the arrogance and restraint he used to have into being extremely careful around Qiu Yingying.

He no longer rushed to explain the sudden argument at the police station, but simply stayed quietly by her side, putting all his care into the details of their daily lives.

Before she even woke up in the early morning, hot porridge and soy milk were already warmed up in the kitchen; when she was live streaming until late at night, he would sit quietly on the sofa in the living room, without turning on the lights or disturbing her, just waiting for her to finish and handing her a glass of warm water; on rainy days, he would always park his car downstairs at the company and wait at the door with an umbrella; he would even take a detour to buy the snacks she casually mentioned wanting to eat.

He was afraid that if he pushed her too hard, she would become even more resentful. He was also afraid that if he slowed down even a little, the person who had finally come to his side and given him stability and light would really turn around and leave.

Qiu Yingying wasn't heartless; the two-week cold war had gradually softened the rough edges in her heart.

Looking at the undisguised anxiety and cherishment in Meng Yanchen's eyes, and at his clumsy yet sincere efforts, she slowly began to doubt whether her judgment at the police station that day was too arbitrary, and whether she had misunderstood the bitterness hidden in his silence.

She even secretly prepared the words of reconciliation in her heart, just waiting for the right opportunity to gently put aside all the barriers.

That evening, Qiu Yingying finished her product selection work early and took a detour to buy Meng Yanchen's favorite pastries. Carrying the paper bag, her heart softened even before she stepped into the residential area. She looked up at the familiar flower bed downstairs and immediately saw Meng Yanchen waiting under the tree.

He had a slender figure, gentle eyes, and an unprecedented sense of ease and tranquility about him—a quality he only possessed after she had gradually helped him emerge from the shadows of his past.

But the next second, a sudden figure abruptly shattered this tender moment.

Xu Qin appeared out of nowhere, wearing old and loose clothes, her face sallow from years of living in Song Yan's cramped rented room, and her eyes burning with an almost twisted fire of jealousy.

She knew all too well what Meng Yanchen's life was like now: respectable, stable, cared for, and with a promising future. It was the kind of life she had once tried to reach for when she was young, but ultimately pushed away with her own hands.

She was never the ideal woman who was devoted to love in other people's eyes.

Her decision to give up Song Yan back then wasn't a spur-of-the-moment decision, nor was it entirely due to the high-pressure coercion and social class pressure from her adoptive parents in the Meng family. More than anything, it was because she was afraid of hardship, afraid of poverty, and afraid of giving up the comfortable life she had been accustomed to since childhood to gamble on an uncertain future. Although she complained about the constraints of the Meng family every day, she coveted the stable job, spacious housing, and refined and respectable life that the Meng family had given her more than anyone else.

She had a youthful crush on Song Yan, but never truly resisted him in the slightest. In the end, she broke up with him with the most hurtful and resolute words, blaming all the mistakes on her youthful ignorance, and calmly accepting everything arranged by the Meng family.

Now that she's actually living with Song Yan in a cramped, dark rented room, eating simple, rough meals, and living a life of constant frugality, her true nature has been completely revealed: she can't endure hardship and can't stand poverty.

What she couldn't bear was that Meng Yanchen, who used to revolve around her, was able to live such a stable and happy life after leaving her. Why should she have to struggle in the mud while Meng Yanchen could have a clean and bright life?

Why should others cherish what she threw away with her own hands? She will never let Meng Yanchen have the peace and happiness that she cannot have.

Xu Qin stared intently at Meng Yanchen, her gaze precisely sweeping over Qiu Yingying as she approached. Seizing the opportunity, she suddenly rushed forward, burying her face in Meng Yanchen's chest, her arms tightly wrapped around his waist. She deliberately made her voice soft and confused, her acting so convincing that it seemed she had truly mistaken him for someone else: "Song Yan… I was wrong, please don't be angry…"

She knew better than anyone that the person in her arms was Meng Yanchen, not Song Yan.

All of this was nothing more than a farce deliberately staged for Qiu Yingying's benefit.

Meng Yanchen froze instantly, a wave of physical disgust washing over him. He immediately reached out and pushed Xu Qin away forcefully, his voice as cold as ice: "Let go of me, I'm not Song Yan."

Xu Qin hugged him even tighter, even deliberately rubbing against his chest, her eyes fixed on Qiu Yingying standing stiffly not far away, a triumphant smile playing on her lips.

She wanted Qiu Yingying to witness this scene firsthand, and she wanted to use this ambiguous entanglement to completely shatter and tear apart Meng Yanchen's happiness.

Qiu Yingying stood still, her fingers loosened, and the bag of pastries in her hand gently slipped to the ground.

The easing of tension and softening of the heart over the past two weeks, the forgiveness that was about to slip out, and the last bit of hope for the future in my heart shattered into nothingness at this moment.

She finally saw through Xu Qin's underhanded tricks. Back then, she herself chose material things and stability, and gave up Song Yan with her own hands.

These days, when they suffer injustices in life, they turn around and pretend to be affectionate, pitiful, and deliberately disrupt other people's lives. They verbally proclaim their high-mindedness and disdain for material things, but in their hearts, they care more about money, dignity, and comfort than anyone else.

As for Meng Yanchen, Qiu Yingying slowly closed her eyes. The exhaustion accumulated over the past few days overwhelmed her completely like a tidal wave. In her heart, she actually believed him. She believed that he hadn't fallen for her, that he hadn't lingered, and that his feelings for her were genuine.

But what hurt her was never the issue of love or not, but his inability to maintain boundaries, his repeated entanglement with Xu Qin without being able to make the most decisive break, and his giving her room to entangle him even though he could have pushed her away completely.

She didn't want to argue about who was right and who was wrong anymore, didn't want to hear any weak explanations, and didn't want to get involved in this messy, tangled mess again and again.

She didn't cry, didn't make a scene, didn't confront them, and didn't even utter a sound.

She stood quietly for a few seconds, then slowly turned around and walked out of the residential area step by step, quietly but resolutely.

The setting sun cast a long, long shadow around her, thin and forlorn. She shouldn't have gotten involved in relationships, really…

Almost the instant Qiu Yingying turned around, Meng Yanchen shoved Xu Qin aside like a madman, not even bothering to glance at her, and desperately chased after her in the direction she had left.

Xu Qin stumbled and fell to the ground after being pushed by him. Looking at his reckless back, her face was completely distorted, but she dared not take another step forward.

Meng Yanchen ran very fast, his heart felt like it was going to jump out of his chest. He had never been so panicked before, even more so than when he lost Xu Qin when he was young. It was a fear of almost losing the only light in his life.

"Yingying! Wait a minute! Let me explain!"

He caught up with Qiu Yingying in a few steps and reached out to grab her wrist, but Qiu Yingying dodged away as if she had been burned. She didn't stop walking, and her voice was hoarse, but it carried a chilling coldness.

"Don't touch me."

Meng Yanchen's heart sank. He could only stay by her side, his voice frantic: "It's not what you saw, I didn't, I really didn't..."

"I know."

Qiu Yingying suddenly stopped and turned to look at him. Her eyes were already red, but she held back her tears. Her voice was soft and trembling. "I believe you, Meng Yanchen. I have always believed that you have no ulterior motives towards me, and I also believe that you have no feelings for her anymore."

Meng Yanchen was stunned. Just as he was about to breathe a sigh of relief, he heard her next words, which pierced his heart like a knife.

"But what I want is not your innocence, but a sense of boundaries."

Qiu Yingying's tears finally fell, one after another, landing on the ground and also on Meng Yanchen's heart. "She came to you again and again, crossing the line time and time again. You could have refused her more thoroughly, pushed her away more decisively, and made her never dare to come near again, but you didn't. You always left some room for maneuver, you were never ruthless enough, and you always gave her a chance to cling to you."

"It's not that I don't want to live a good life, and I'm ready to make up with you. I even have the pastries I bought for you in my hand..."

She sniffed, trembling with grievance, "But I'm really scared. I'm afraid there will be countless more scenes like this in the future. I'm afraid I'll always live in her shadow and always have to clean up these endless messes for you."

When Meng Yanchen saw her crying, he panicked and was at a loss. All his restraint and self-control collapsed instantly.

He finally stopped hiding it and, his voice trembling, blurted out the truth:

"The fight that day wasn't because of her! It was because of Song Yan, Song Yan insulted you! He said you relied on the Meng family for your live streams, that you were climbing the social ladder, and that you weren't worthy to stand by my side! I couldn't stand it. I can insult anyone, but not you."

"I did it all for you, Yingying, it was all for you."

Qiu Yingying froze, completely stunned.

She never imagined that the truth would be like this.

Her heart ached with bitterness, pain, and resentment; all these emotions swirled together, making her even more devastated.

"Then why didn't you say so sooner...?"

She choked back tears, took a step back, and just wanted to escape from all this suffocating chaos. "I don't want to hear it anymore. Let me go."

She turned to walk towards the roadside, but Meng Yanchen could no longer hold back.

Fear, guilt, heartache, panic—all his emotions erupted at that moment. He stepped forward and, before she could react, bent down and scooped her up in his arms.

Qiu Yingying gasped in surprise, her hands and feet freezing in place.

Meng Yanchen held her very tightly, as if he wanted to meld her into his very bones. He strode toward the car, his jaw clenched and his eyes frighteningly red.

He gently placed her in the passenger seat, then immediately walked around to the driver's seat, locked the door behind him, and did so in one smooth motion, refusing to let her leave.

The carriage was small and enclosed, with only two people breathing rapidly.

Qiu Yingying was still crying and struggling: "Meng Yanchen, open the door... let me down..."

Meng Yanchen didn't say anything, but simply reached out and pulled her tightly into his arms, then lowered his head and kissed her.

The kiss was urgent and chaotic, tinged with sobs and the panic of something lost and then found again. His tears fell onto her cheeks, burning hot.

She really cried.

Meng Yanchen, who was always proud, restrained, and never showed weakness, was now holding her, crying like a helpless child. He kissed her while tears streamed down his face, his lips brushing against the corner of her eye, swallowing her tears as well.

"Don't go..."

His voice was hoarse and broken as he held her and coaxed her again and again, "I was wrong, I was really wrong. I will definitely cut ties with her from now on. I will avoid her every time I see her. I will never let her come near me again. I will engrave the sense of boundaries into my bones..."

"Don't leave me, Yingying, you're all I have left, I can't live without you..."

Qiu Yingying was held so tightly by him that she couldn't move. She felt his trembling body, felt the hot tears falling on his cheeks, and listened to his repeated apologies and confessions. All the grievances, disappointments, and anxieties in her heart burst forth at this moment.

She cried too.

She cried until her body went limp, buried herself in his arms, and burst into tears.

All the misunderstandings, all the cold wars, all the exhaustion, gradually vanished in front of the two people who embraced and wept.

Meng Yanchen continued to hold her, gently kissing her forehead, eyebrows, and tear stains, his movements incredibly tender, repeating the kisses softly over and over again:

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. From now on, I will only protect you and guard you. I will never let you suffer any more grievances."

Qiu Yingying clutched his shirt, sobbing, and finally nodded gently, her voice weak but clear:

"...Don't do that again next time."

Meng Yanchen felt a sense of relief and hugged her even tighter, as if he were embracing the whole world.

Only their breaths and tears remained in the carriage, along with the heavy, tender feeling of something lost and then regained.

This time, they really won't let go of each other again.