*

The sky was a dull gray, pressing down heavily, making it hard to breathe.

On the swaying bus, the girl sat expressionlessly by the window.

Withered plane tree leaves drifted down along the streets, and the cityscape, not much different from what she remembered, flowed past like water reflected in her pupils.

Her phone kept vibrating.

Sui Sui Ping An: 【Did you go to see Cheng Jiali?】

Sui Sui Ping An: 【Don’t do anything foolish.】

Sui Sui Ping An: 【Are you at Century Jinming? I’ll come find you.】

Ji Fanling leaned against the bus window, her eyes lowered as she replied with a few messages:

【Something foolish? I’m not you.】

【Don’t come. I’ve already left.】

She exited the chat window and saw a message from Fu Yingcheng sent half an hour ago.

c: 【Let me know what time you’ll be back. I’m locking the door tonight.】

Ji Fanling: 【In about half an hour.】

c: 【Alright.】

When Ji Fanling arrived at the entrance of the community, there was still some time left. An inexplicable frustration welled up inside her, chaotic and overwhelming. She felt an urge to grab someone by the hair and get into a fight.

She didn’t feel like going upstairs just yet.

After noticing a 24-hour convenience store nearby, she went in and bought the cheapest pack of cigarettes and a lighter.

She wasn’t addicted to smoking, and most of the time, she didn’t have the money to buy cigarettes. However, she often found half-smoked packs left behind by Ji Guoliang’s drunk gambling buddies—tucked into the sofa cushions, near trash piles, or in the bathroom.

Influenced by her surroundings, she couldn’t help but want a puff when she felt overwhelmed.

Ji Fanling paid for the cigarettes and walked into the community. The place where Fu Yingcheng lived was too upscale—even the stairwells had smoke detectors. So, she had no choice but to squat outside the entrance and light a cigarette.

Just as it lit, a gust of wind blew it out.

She lit it again, and again the wind extinguished it.

She tried once more, but now the lighter refused to spark.

The biting wind hit her face as if mocking her.

Ji Fanling cursed under her breath, stuffed the cigarette into her pocket and headed upstairs.

When Ji Fanling entered the apartment, Fu Yingcheng was sitting on the sofa, his long legs bent, with a laptop resting on his knees. Hearing the door, he looked up and glanced at her. “What did you eat? Why did it take so long?”

“…Fried rice,” Ji Fanling replied casually as she changed her shoes.

Fu Yingcheng, noticing the tone of her voice, looked up at her again, frowning slightly. “Was it that bad? You sound like you’ve been poisoned.”

Ji Fanling muttered, “…It was okay.”

As Ji Fanling walked further into the apartment, Fu Yingcheng called out to her again and stood up. “Didn’t you say you were going to buy bowls and slippers today?”

Ji Fanling stopped in her tracks.

Oh, right. That.

It was her responsibility.

After all—she had broken the bowl.

“Can it wait until tomorrow?” she murmured after a brief pause, her voice low. “I… ate too much.”

If Fu Yingcheng insisted, she would go.

But truthfully, 

she just didn’t want to go anywhere.

Fu Yingcheng studied her expression carefully for a moment, then said calmly, “Alright.”

After a brief pause, as if thinking about something, he lowered his gaze and added softly, “…It’s not urgent, anyway.”

*

In the evening, Ji Fanling went to bed early, covering her head as she lay down, hoping to fall asleep quickly.

She couldn’t sleep.

No matter how much time passed, she still couldn’t sleep.

The longer she lay there, the more it felt like her whole body was covered in thorns, with no way to get comfortable.

Frustrated, shel threw off the blanket, jumped out of bed, and fished out a cigarette from the pocket of her jacket.

She quietly closed the bedroom door, climbed onto the bay window, pushed the window open just a crack, lit the cigarette, and brought it to her lips for a puff.

White smoke drifted out, like a soft sigh.

The frustration that had stifled her all night finally found an outlet, flowing away with the breeze.

She lifted her gaze and looked outside the window.

The night was dim, with only a few scattered lights. In this familiar city lived countless strangers.

Some were working, some were getting married, and some were having children.

It turned out that she was such an insignificant presence—whether she existed or not, the world would continue to run as usual.

What was the meaning of her existence anyway? Perhaps it would be better if she were dead.

At this point, Ji Fanling just felt a sudden tinge of regret.

She regretted that day on the basketball court—how she had fallen asleep and missed the chance to stay awake and watch Cheng Jiali properly finish that game.

…

Fu Yingcheng ended his online meeting, pushed open the study door, and tiredly pressed his temples.

Today was the last day of the MEDICA trade fair. With a seven-hour time difference between Düsseldorf and Beiwan, he had returned to the country early due to personal matters. He didn’t want his subordinates to have to accommodate his schedule, and besides, staying up late had long become routine for him.

The door to the guest bedroom was ajar.

As Fu Yingcheng passed by with a glass of water, he glanced inside from the corner of his eye.

—She usually left her door wide open at night, but today she actually remembered to close it.

Fu Yingcheng reached out, intending to close the door fully. However, as his fingertips touched the crack, a cold draft brushed past, as if the temperature in her room was noticeably lower.

Amid the cold breeze was a faint, nearly imperceptible smell of smoke.

Fu Yingcheng’s gaze darkened slightly as he gently pushed the door open a bit more—and froze.

Outside the window lay the dim night, with moonlight behind the clouds, pale and thin like paper.

Her slender fingertips held a cigarette, the ember burning quietly, while pure white smoke swirled upward and slipped out through the narrow crack in the window.

In front of the large window, the girl stood, wearing loose sleepwear that made her appear especially fragile.

She seemed like a faint, delicate presence—barely there at all.

It felt as if, the moment he reached out to grab her, she would turn into the wind and vanish along with the drifting smoke.

Only one thing about her remained vivid, real, and painfully piercing.

Beneath her lowered eyelashes, her eyes were red and rimmed with moisture, and a mist slowly spreading within them.

After a long while.

A single transparent tear suddenly slipped from the corner of her eye.

Leaving behind a faint, slender trail of wetness.

*

The next morning.

Ji Fanling woke up groggy, her mind still foggy as she sat up. When she saw Fu Yingcheng, she rubbed her eyes and asked, “You’re not going to the office today?”

The man’s gaze lingered on her face for a moment before he paused and said, “…It’s Sunday.”

“Oh.” Ji Fanling had lost track of the days.

Fu Yingcheng said, “Wash up and get dressed. I’ll take you out in a bit.”

Ji Fanling thought he was going to the supermarket to buy bowls, so she followed him out as he said.

It wasn’t until the car had been driving for twenty minutes that she realized something was off. She turned to look at the driver’s seat, and asked, “Where are you planning to go?”

“Get some food first,” Fu Yingcheng replied with a calm expression.

Although she hadn’t eaten anything since last night, Ji Fanling didn’t have much of an appetite. Upon hearing his words, she merely nodded, not particularly interested in what they would eat.

Their destination was the most bustling shopping district in the eastern part of the city—Yuetong Plaza.

Ten years ago, this area wasn’t nearly as lively. Now, several new five-story commercial buildings had been developed, seamlessly connected to the old shopping complex through pedestrian streets and an atrium.

Ji Fanling followed behind Fu Yingcheng as they made their way to the fifth floor, which primarily housed restaurants.

Amid the dazzling variety of seafood buffets, hotpot, Korean cuisine, Japanese food, and barbecue options, Fu Yingcheng headed straight into a noodle shop without hesitation.

Having noodles, that works too.

Ji Fanling walked into the shop expressionlessly, immediately greeted by a familiar aroma.

She glanced around at the decor, the aprons on the servers, and the noodle bowls on the diners’ tables. Something felt off.

After taking two steps back, she exited the shop and leaned out to take a closer look at the signboard.

“Jiang Family Noodles”

Hmm.

…

Wait a second.

Ji Fanling’s eyes suddenly widened in realization.

Jiang Family Noodles!!!

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Author’s Note:

Mr. Fu racked his brain all night trying to figure out how to make her happy.

Benefit: Wife is happy.

Drawback: The second male lead is brought into the picture.

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