“How could anyone marry such a scumbag!”

“It’s written there.” Qiao Anchen pointed to a line in the report, “The people around him deliberately hid his past, and the woman’s family lived far away, so they hadn’t heard about what happened before.”

“This is so horrible… so horrible…” Chu Yi couldn’t help but worry about the woman’s safety. She asked anxiously, “Isn’t there anything that can be done? How can he be out so soon, getting married again? Isn’t intentional murder supposed to carry the death penalty?!”

“The final charge in the case was for abuse, and he was sentenced to seven years in prison. Since he behaved well, his sentence was reduced by two years,” Qiao Anchen calmly analyzed and explained to Chu Yi.

“Domestic violence leading to death and intentional murder are different. The husband’s abuse caused his ex-wife’s severe injury, which later resulted in her death, but it wasn’t immediate, so it didn’t count as intentional murder. That’s why the final verdict was abuse.”

“How can that be…” Chu Yi, realizing her ignorance of the law, felt her worldview shatter. She deeply sensed the legal disadvantages women faced.

“So there’s nothing that can be done? Did she die for nothing?” she asked sadly.

Qiao Anchen also looked grim. After a moment, he slowly and firmly answered, “There may be unfairness in society, but some people are working hard behind the scenes. Hopefully, in the not-too-distant future, our laws will be improved, and such tragedies won’t happen again.”

Chu Yi had to admit she felt both sad and moved at that moment. Sad for the case itself and moved by Qiao Anchen’s words.

“I hope that day isn’t too far off.”

She spoke softly. Qiao Anchen, seeing her downcast expression, reached over and gently ruffled her hair.

“It will come.”

That night, with the lights off, Chu Yi was still thinking about the case as she lay under the covers. Unable to stop herself, she asked the person next to her in the dark.

“Qiao Anchen, have you seen many cases like this?”

“Yeah,” he replied in a low voice.

“Does it make you sad?”

“At first, yes, but now I’m used to it,” he said, then added, “Instead of dwelling on unnecessary emotions, it’s better to think about how to prevent such tragedies from happening again.”

After hearing this, Chu Yi turned over, her hand resting under her face as she faced him.

“Are you always this calm?”

Qiao Anchen seemed to tilt his head slightly, his breathing sounding very close.

“Not really.”

“Hmm?” Chu Yi was curious and widened her eyes to look at him, waiting for him to continue.

After a moment, Qiao Anchen turned his face away.

“Go to sleep.”

“…Alright.” Chu Yi pouted in disappointment, turned over to lie flat on the bed, and closed her eyes.

She didn’t realize that it took a long time for the person next to her to finally fall asleep.

Despite agreeing to wake up naturally, Qiao Anchen’s biological clock had him up at eight in the morning. Chu Yi, who had been sleeping with him for some time now at his request, had also adjusted her internal clock accordingly.

She hugged the blanket, her face pressed into the pillow, half-opened her eyes, and watched as Qiao Anchen came out of the bathroom after washing up.

He didn’t seem to notice that she was awake. He opened the wardrobe, took out the clothes he was going to wear, and started unbuttoning his pajamas to change.

Although Qiao Anchen had his back to her, Chu Yi couldn’t help but watch the whole process. She wasn’t sure why, but even though her mind told her she shouldn’t be looking, her eyes were fixed and wouldn’t move away.

When Qiao Anchen finished changing and turned around, buttoning the first button of his shirt, he suddenly met Chu Yi’s gaze.

Still in a daze, she was caught off guard, and seeing the slight surprise on Qiao Anchen’s face, her cheeks turned red.

“I didn’t see anything!” She pulled the blanket over her head, too embarrassed to face him.

By the time Chu Yi had finished getting ready and came out, Qiao Anchen had already prepared breakfast. He seemed as usual, showing no change, but Chu Yi couldn’t help but recall the wide back, narrow waist, long legs, and…

I’m going to die of embarrassment.

Chu Yi took a deep breath, awkwardly trying to find something to say.

“Is it getting warmer today?”

“Why?” Qiao Anchen poured her a glass of milk and casually asked.

Chu Yi laughed dryly, fanning herself with her hand.

“Haha, I feel like it’s getting a bit hot.”

Qiao Anchen glanced outside at the trees swaying in the chilly autumn wind and then considered the indoor temperature. Finally, he cautiously concluded.

“You might be…”

“Hmm?”

“Overheating.”

“……”

They went to the largest mall nearby, which had a wide range of brands spread over six floors. Almost any brand you could think of was there, making it the largest commercial center in Lan City.

Chu Yi usually came here with her friends, and when girls go shopping, they can walk all day from morning till night without getting tired.

After parking the car, Qiao Anchen went up with Chu Yi.

While waiting for the elevator, she could barely contain her excitement.

“Ah, it’s been so long since I last went shopping.”

“This familiar feeling.”

“So excited!”

They arrived on the second floor, which was full of women’s clothing stores. The outfits on the mannequins were dazzling, the crystal lights overhead were bright, and the floors were so clean they reflected like mirrors.

Chu Yi held onto Qiao Anchen’s arm, raised her face, and took a deep, satisfied breath.

“It’s still the same smell, still the same familiar joy.”

Qiao Anchen couldn’t help but remind her.

“You’ve already passed by five stores.”

“No worries.” Chu Yi turned back and gave him a radiant smile.

“We have a whole day to take our time and browse.”