“Tangyin, Tangyin?”

“Su Tangyin? Su Tangyin? Su Tangyin!”

A sharp voice pierced her eardrums, and her shoulder was slapped hard, jolting her brain back to life.

The person in the mask was very close, their eyes behind the protective goggles staring at her intently, brows furrowed with an unfriendly gaze.

“This is the third time this week. The experiment absolutely cannot afford any mistakes. Don’t let your personal issues delay the progress of the entire team. I hope you can adjust quickly.”

He turned and left after saying this.

Su Tangyin blinked her sore eyes, propping herself up on the lab bench with a weak effort.

A woman beside her leaned in, patted her back, and whispered, “What’s wrong, Tangyin? You don’t seem to be in good shape lately.”

“It’s nothing, I just didn’t get enough rest.”

Su Tangyin shook her head, her voice hoarse as if she hadn’t spoken for a hundred years.

She turned around and said apologetically, “Sister Lin, I’m really sorry. I’ll try to adjust as soon as possible.”

Lin Yunjiao looked at her suspiciously.

The large white protective suit enveloped her slender figure, the protective cap gathered her long hair like a waterfall, and the mask and goggles covered her face tightly, leaving only a pair of slightly weary eyes visible through the transparent lenses.

Lin Yunjiao remembered that Su Tangyin wasn’t like this six months ago.

Back then, her eyes were bright, and even though she didn’t like the job, she was always meticulous about her work.

But she changed six months ago, from occasional daydreaming to constant fatigue, and her experiments were far from what they used to be. Dr. Chen had caught her numerous times.

Six months ago…

Lin Yunjiao asked cautiously, “Tangyin, are you having some problems in your marriage? Did Dr. Jing do something to upset you?”

Six months ago, Su Tangyin married her boyfriend of one year.

If you count carefully, it seemed that Su Tangyin started changing about half a month after their wedding.

At the mention of Jing Bo, Su Tangyin’s hand curled involuntarily, and her heart felt as if it was being squeezed. The familiar tension, practiced like a routine, took hold of her.

Her eyes glazed over, lashes fluttering, and this reaction only confirmed Lin Yunjiao’s suspicions.

She sighed and gently patted Su Tangyin’s back, “My husband and I often have disagreements too. After marriage, it’s all about daily life, quite different from the romance of dating. If you have any issues, talk them out. The worst thing for a couple is to hold grudges.”

Su Tangyin didn’t respond, her gaze unfocused, seemingly lost in thought.

Lin Yunjiao continued, “Dr. Jing is much better than my husband. He’s handsome, successful, and has a great temper. He pursued you so hard; he wouldn’t want to have conflicts with you. Talk to him.”

Lin Yunjiao had met Su Tangyin’s husband, the man who pursued her for two years. No one in the lab didn’t know about Dr. Jing.

He was devoted and gentle, his eyes always filled with affection when he looked at Su Tangyin.

Perhaps it was just the adjustment period of a new marriage.

Su Tangyin responded with a hoarse voice, “Yeah, thank you, Sister Lin.”

Lin Yunjiao went back to her experiment.

Su Tangyin closed her eyes for a moment, rubbing her temples to try to clear her mind.

She approached the freezer, opened it, and retrieved the experimental specimen that had been soaking overnight. After disinfecting it, she skillfully used bone forceps to cut the bones.

At six o’clock, she finished work on time.

Su Tangyin changed her clothes and stepped out, her phone buzzing in her pocket. She paused.

She didn’t need to look to know who it was.

The C City Research Institute had a very fixed schedule, and she would always spend fifteen minutes disinfecting, five minutes changing clothes, and five minutes retrieving her phone. She would be out of the lab by 6:25 PM, and Jing Bo always knew this.

Lin Yunjiao heard her phone vibrate and smiled knowingly, “Your husband is calling. You say you have issues, but he calls you every day at the same time and picks you up without fail. How many husbands can do that?”

“Tangyin, don’t argue anymore.”

Lin Yunjiao left.

Su Tangyin smiled bitterly.

Everyone thought Jing Bo was the perfect husband, and even Su Tangyin once believed that.

The phone in her pocket buzzed for a long time before being automatically disconnected by the system.

Before Su Tangyin could sigh in relief, her phone buzzed again.

She should have known his nature; he wouldn’t stop until she answered.

Su Tangyin hesitated for a moment, then took out her phone and answered.

“Baby.”

The clear, crisp voice came through the phone, pleasant and melodious like a harp, the soft tone reminiscent of a lover’s whisper.

“…Yeah, I’m here.”

“Are you done with work? I’m outside.”

Su Tangyin looked out the window and indeed saw a white SUV.

The window was rolled down, and she could vaguely see a young man sitting in the driver’s seat.

Her hand tightened around the phone.

“Baby, come out,” Jing Bo called.

His voice was gentle, without a hint of urgency. He always spoke to her this way, as if everything she said was right, except in those moments.

Su Tangyin’s steps were stiff. As soon as she stepped out of the building, she saw Jing Bo get out of the car.

He wore a loose, long coat that didn’t make him look shorter; instead, it emphasized his tall, straight stature.

His dark hair fell slightly, covering some of his long eyebrows. His features were soft and handsome, with light-colored eyes and a sharp but slightly upturned mouth. The way he looked at Su Tangyin was like the water of a lake in early spring.

Jing Bo.

Her husband, a renowned psychologist in the city, a highly educated talent from a central university, and a returnee from overseas studies. After receiving offers from top psychological institutions, no one expected him to choose C City, a less developed city.

“Baby, are you tired?” A crisp, pine-like scent filled her nostrils as he leaned in and kissed her lips.

The kiss brought Su Tangyin back to reality. She lifted her gaze and met his eyes.

It felt like falling into a black hole, an invisible and powerful force pulling her, determined to drag her into endless darkness, enveloping her in the shadows.

Su Tangyin instinctively took a step back, but a hand pushed against her lower back, gently but firmly pulling her back.

Jing Bo was tall, and even in her mid-heel shoes, she barely reached his shoulders.

He bent down and rubbed her hair, as if not noticing her discomfort, and said, “Good job, baby. Let’s go home. I’ve made some soup.”

The car door opened, and the hand on her waist slid up to her shoulder, one hand supporting her head to prevent her from hitting the frame, the other guiding her into the car.

The door closed, and he walked around to the other side and got in.

Jing Bo was always considerate. The car was already warm, and knowing that Su Tangyin was prone to motion sickness and didn’t like the smell inside the car, he had placed a light citrus-scented air freshener.

He was still the same person.

Su Tangyin turned to look at him. His hand on the steering wheel was long and slender, a wedding ring on his ring finger.

Looking up, his profile was sharp and focused.

He was still the same person.

Clearly, it was Jing Bo.

“Baby, why are you looking at me?”

Jing Bo asked suddenly.

Su Tangyin stammered, “Nothing, just zoned out.”

She turned her head away, facing the back of her head to him. In the unseen place, Jing Bo’s lips curved slightly.

The car was dimly lit, and something seemed to be wriggling on the backseat. Dark, heavy fog enveloped the woman who was pretending to sleep, and within the fog, thick, indistinct shapes shifted between the real and the surreal, trembling as they tried to touch the woman but recoiling in frustration under the man’s cold gaze.

Jing Bo’s Adam’s apple moved slightly, and he almost reluctantly withdrew his hand.