After waving goodbye to Cheng Li, Chu Yi still had a smile on her face. She felt that today had been the happiest day she’d had in a long time.

When she opened the door to her home, only a small light by the entrance was on. Chu Yi changed her shoes and carefully walked to the bedroom door.

Hearing the noise, Qiao Anchen looked up. 

“You’re back?”

“Yeah! I did some shopping too.” Chu Yi placed her things on the table, smiling brightly.

“What did you eat today?”

“Stir-fried eggplant, kelp soup, and ribs.” Qiao Anchen raised an eyebrow slightly, apparently not used to seeing her so happy.

“Was the hot pot good?”

Chu Yi nodded eagerly, almost turning herself into a bobblehead. “Super, super delicious! Hot pot is something I can never give up in my life!”

Qiao Anchen was amused by her, his mouth curving into a smile.

“Then go have it more often next time.”

Chu Yi blinked, waiting for him to say more, but he didn’t. She gave up.

“Uh… I’ll go take a shower.”

After Cheng Li returned, the cold winter of Chu Yi’s life finally saw a touch of spring. The two of them frequently met up to enjoy life.

If they weren’t going for beauty treatments or massages, they were out eating, drinking, and having fun. Of course, the most enjoyable activity was shopping.

Thanks to Cheng Li, Chu Yi gradually shifted her focus away from Qiao Anchen. Sometimes, it wasn’t that she couldn’t see Qiao Anchen, but rather that Qiao Anchen often came home to find she wasn’t there.

At first, he thought it was great that Chu Yi had a friend to do things she liked with. But over time, every time he returned to a dark house, he couldn’t help but feel a bit off.

However, he had no grounds to ask Chu Yi to stay home.

So, Qiao Anchen started working overtime more often. At least in the prosecutor’s office, he had work to keep him company.

One morning, Chu Yi was hanging laundry on the balcony and collecting clean clothes. As she sorted and folded them, she suddenly noticed that a button was missing from Qiao Anchen’s suit jacket.

She rummaged through the pockets and, sure enough, found the button inside. Chu Yi sighed; it had been days, and Qiao Anchen hadn’t even mentioned it.

Chu Yi suddenly had a thought and spaced out for a moment. Come to think of it, they hadn’t really talked in days…

Recently, Cheng Li had discovered a particularly good restaurant that only served a special menu during dinner. Chu Yi had been going with her every day, always returning late.

Sometimes, Qiao Anchen was already asleep.

Chu Yi found the sewing kit, sewed the button back on, and then ironed the suit before hanging it in the closet.

That day, it was Qiao Anchen who came home late. Chu Yi was nearly asleep by the time he arrived. They exchanged just a few words before he rushed off to take a shower. Chu Yi was already in dreamland by the time he came out.

In the early morning, Chu Yi groggily got up to use the bathroom. As she came out, she bumped into Qiao Anchen, who was about to leave for work. He paused and spoke seriously.

“Did you sew the button on my suit?”

Chu Yi nodded groggily.

“Thank you,” Qiao Anchen said politely. Chu Yi mumbled, “You’re welcome,” and then flopped back onto the bed.

When she fully woke up later, Chu Yi remembered the morning’s interaction and felt a strange sense of unease.

It seemed like she and Qiao Anchen had become overly polite, so much so that they no longer felt like a married couple.

As Christmas Eve approached, Cheng Li’s boyfriend finally returned from a business trip. He had been sent to the overseas branch for a two-month training program.

The long-distance couple was finally reunited, and Cheng Li unhesitatingly abandoned Chu Yi to be with her boyfriend.

Qiao Anchen could clearly sense that Chu Yi was spending more time at home, and she seemed a bit down.

When he came home one evening, he casually asked, “What’s wrong? Haven’t been going out lately?”

“Cheng Li’s boyfriend came back…” Chu Yi replied weakly. Qiao Anchen thought for a moment, then nodded in understanding.

“So you’re on your own now.”

“…” Chu Yi gave him a resentful look but said nothing.

Exactly.

Other people have their boyfriends who are too busy to care about their friends.

But she, despite having a husband, can only hang out with her friends.

And her husband doesn’t think there’s anything wrong with that.

Chu Yi sighed, lying there, her expression growing more and more despondent.

This year’s Christmas Eve fell on a Tuesday, a regular workday, so Qiao Anchen naturally didn’t have the day off. While browsing the web, Chu Yi absentmindedly started scrolling through reviews of well-rated restaurants nearby.

After a few pages, she suddenly snapped back to reality and closed the app.

—What’s the point in looking? It’s not like it’ll change anything.

Gradually, the festive atmosphere began to build, along with the first snowfall in Lan City. The first Christmas tree appeared on a street corner.

Santa Clauses in red suits and white beards were stuck on shop windows. Chu Yi went to the supermarket and bought a pound of apples—the most expensive kind.

She didn’t have anyone to spend Christmas Eve with, but it was okay. At least the apples would keep her company.

As the end of the workday approached, Chu Yi suddenly received a message from Qiao Anchen. She stared at that short line of text, wondering if she was seeing things.

“Where do you want to eat tonight? It’s Christmas Eve.”

For some reason, she suddenly felt a strange maternal instinct, like the bittersweet emotion of a mother whose child had finally grown up.