The boy’s obedient voice still seemed to echo in her ears. Shen Xiaoyue was startled to realize that even now, she could vividly remember the trembling lashes and flushed cheeks of Lu Ping’an when she first kissed him.  

“Xiaoyue, what are you spacing out for? Hurry up and wash the dishes—the supervisor is coming to check soon.”  

A colleague, noticing her staring blankly at the customers, nudged her elbow, afraid she might offend someone.  

Shen Xiaoyue snapped back to reality.  

The next second, her eyes met Lu Ping’an’s in the crowd.  

She didn’t miss the flicker of surprise in the man’s gaze.  

Glancing down at her stained work uniform, her first instinct was to flee. She refused to let anyone laugh at her, especially someone she had once abandoned.  

But within seconds, a pair of handmade leather shoes appeared in her line of sight.  

Beside her ear was Lu Ping’an’s slightly hurried breathing.  

Shen Xiaoyue was terrified. The Lu Ping’an before her now seemed powerful and influential. Getting revenge on her would be effortless—just a few hints to the sycophants around him, and she’d be fired.  

She hadn’t even done anything wrong! She’d just… just taken a spot that was rightfully hers! Even if she hadn’t begged Lu Ping’an for it, it might’ve still gone to her!  

And it wasn’t like he’d suffered any losses! If anything, she was the one who’d been wronged!  

“Why are you running? Where else do you think you can run to?!”  

Lu Ping’an couldn’t fathom how such a heartless woman existed in this world. Did she have any idea how hard he’d worked just to find her?!  

The young master, who had never endured hardship before, had thrown tantrums and begged his parents for days just to travel alone by train to the big city, all to track down this unfaithful woman and demand an explanation.  

When he finally found the address, not only was she gone, but all his money had been stolen too.  

If not for his mother’s foresight—sewing a hidden pocket inside his clothes with some emergency cash—he would’ve had to scavenge through trash bins for food!  

After learning he’d been betrayed, Lu Ping’an survived on sweet potatoes while staking out her school gate, suppressing his bitterness as he ambushed Xie Ning with a sack over his head and beat him up.  

Not to mention how his so-called “brothers” later betrayed him, swindling him out of his first pot of gold, and how much effort it had taken him to climb back to where he was now.  

The moment his eyes met Shen Xiaoyue’s, what surged in Lu Ping’an’s heart wasn’t anger—it was grievance.  

He was exhausted. If not for his stubborn desire to confront her, he would’ve gone home long ago.  

The deceit and schemes of the big city held no appeal for him. All he wanted was for Shen Xiaoyue to hold him and coax him like she used to.  

Even if it was all a lie.  

He had money now. He wasn’t afraid of her lies.  

But her first reaction upon seeing him was still to run.  

His mother was right—the prettier the woman, the crueler her heart.  

A part of him had still clung to the hope that Shen Xiaoyue might have had some unspeakable reason for leaving. He refused to give up until he saw her face-to-face.  

A large hand clamped around Shen Xiaoyue’s wrist.  

Lu Ping’an wanted to rage, to scream, to demand why she had vanished without a trace—even though he already knew the answer.  

But when Shen Xiaoyue lifted her tearful eyes and begged him to let her go, he realized all he wanted was to kiss her.  

That was all.  

At first, Shen Xiaoyue didn’t trust Lu Ping’an’s sudden kindness. She couldn’t understand how someone could hold so little grudges.  

She treaded carefully around him, terrified this was some high-and-mighty revenge scheme—pretend to forgive her, then abandon her, treating her like a plaything.  

That would’ve made sense.  

Until Lu Ping’an proposed to her.

Only then did Shen Xiaoyue truly believe that Lu Ping’an might actually love her.  

During these days, Lu Ping’an had hired tutors for her and sent her to study. The once-suppressed, unrestrained side of her personality began to resurface.  

She started breaking free from the constraints and perspectives she had imposed on herself, re-examining every little moment she had shared with Lu Ping’an.  

At first, she only believed that Lu Ping’an might love her a little. But later, she discovered that the formidable CEO, who commanded respect outside, would only press tender kisses into her palm even if she slapped him in anger at home.  

Back when she was with Xie Ning, the strain of hardship had damaged her health. Later, obsessing over the college entrance exams left her emotionally drained. No matter how hard Lu Ping’an tried to nurse her back, it was no use.  

Winters in Guangcheng were still quite cold, Shen Xiaoyue thought.  

She looked at Lu Ping’an, who was crying like a heartbroken child, and said, “This winter is too cold. Find someone to spend it with you—it’ll be warmer.”  

Seeing how her words twisted Lu Ping’an’s face in anger, she weakly lifted her arm and stroked his soft hair. “I can’t let go of you.”  

Over the years, Lu Ping’an had thrived, meticulously dealing with everyone who had ever wronged her. If there was anything she still couldn’t let go of, it was him.  

The man who had once stubbornly searched for her would now have nowhere to find her. She couldn’t bear the thought.  

But Shen Xiaoyue’s strength was completely spent. Her eyelids grew too heavy to lift, and as she closed her eyes, she sank into endless darkness.  

…  

When she opened her eyes again, Shen Xiaoyue found herself suddenly filled with energy, completely unlike the exhaustion she had felt before.  

Excited, she rushed to the mirror. The fine wrinkles at the corners of her eyes were gone. The girl in the mirror had eyes brimming with emotion, sparkling like water, her jet-black hair making her skin appear even fairer. Her lips were naturally red, and her delicate face looked utterly charming.  

She had actually been reborn.  

Faint murmurs drifted up from downstairs—her parents, Shen Jian’guo and his wife, were whispering to each other.  

Shen Xiaoyue frowned, annoyed. In her past life, she had overheard their discussions and, not wanting to trouble them, volunteered to go to the countryside. Little did she know it had all been an act.  

But she didn’t plan to ruin things now. After all, her Lu Ping’an was still waiting for her in Dahe Village.  

However, she wasn’t about to foolishly charge ahead like last time. These parents would only bleed her dry to support her younger brother. Before leaving, she had to take something from them.  

Shen Xiaoyue rushed downstairs, sobbing and wailing that she didn’t want to go to the countryside.  

Shen Jian’guo was startled, his face darkening instantly.  

This wasn’t what he had planned.  

His daughter had always been obedient. She had agreed before—why was she making a scene now?  

The Xie family was also here. He had promised them that he would definitely send Shen Xiaoyue to the countryside.  

The Xies only had one son, who had to go. But compared to Shen Xing, they much preferred Shen Xiaoyue.  

Shen Jian’guo’s next promotion depended on the Xie family. This wasn’t just for his son—it was for his own career.  

Shen Xiaoyue had to go.  

“Xiaoyue, stop this nonsense. Uncle and Aunt Xie are here,” he chided.  

Shen Xiaoyue bit her lip, her long, fluttering lashes trembling as if she had suffered some great injustice.  

“But Dad, you’ve always spoiled me the most. You know I can’t stand rough clothes… Life in the countryside isn’t like the city! I haven’t prepared anything—food, clothes, daily necessities! I’m not used to any of it!”  

“As an older sister, I don’t want my brother to suffer either. It’s not that I don’t want to go, but you can’t expect me to go like this!”  

Knowing something was one thing, but saying it out loud was another. Everyone in this compound knew about Shen Jian’guo’s “devoted father” persona. If word got out, the damage to his reputation would be significant.