Chapter 1 – It’s Time for Her to Wake Up

Fu Yanci was hospitalized after a car accident.

When Ruan Liuzheng found out, a full week had already passed since the incident.

She hung up the assistant’s call and frantically scrolled through her contact list, trying to see if she had missed any message.

But no—Fu Yanci hadn’t called her once in the past month.

Even when it came to work, he had only asked his assistant to relay messages. He himself had completely disappeared.

He had become so stingy that he couldn’t even spare a single phone call for her.

Ruan Liuzheng let out a bitter laugh and silently turned off her phone.

A dull ache gripped her heart.

She never thought that as a wife, she would be the last to know her husband was injured.

How ridiculous.

Still, once she collected herself, she decided to take a cab to the hospital.

No matter how much Fu Yanci ignored or treated her coldly, she couldn’t help but worry about him—as if caring for him had become a part of who she was.

Even Ruan Liuzheng had to admit sometimes that she was being pathetic.

But she loved Fu Yanci.

Loved him to the point of losing her dignity.

By the time she arrived at the hospital, the last trace of sunset had just disappeared behind the horizon.

Winter nights always came too early.

She asked the nurse for directions and arrived at the top floor VIP ward.

Finding the confirmed room number, she looked up—and froze.

Her hand clenched involuntarily on the doorknob.

Inside the room…

A gentle, elegant woman was sitting by Fu Yanci’s bedside, carefully peeling an apple with a fruit knife.

And Fu Yanci, lying in bed, was watching her with a soft smile and tender eyes—full of affection.

It was Bai Wanqing.

Fu Yanci’s childhood sweetheart. The “white moonlight” he could never forget.

No wonder he had hidden the news—he didn’t want her disturbing their little world.

The worry in Ruan Liuzheng’s eyes faded. She took a deep breath and stood quietly outside the room.

Suddenly, Bai Wanqing accidentally cut her finger—just a small nick, barely any blood—and Fu Yanci immediately cupped her hand in alarm.

The way he carefully held her fingers—Ruan Liuzheng had never seen that expression before, never experienced it herself.

Not only that, but Fu Yanci anxiously pressed the call button for the nurse and shouted for help.

Bitterness spread in Ruan Liuzheng’s mouth. She closed her eyes, not wanting to see any more.

In the nine years they’d been together, from dating to marriage, she had never seen Fu Yanci this flustered—not even during their most loving days as students.

Their story was simple:
She was the “fall-from-the-sky” lover, while Bai Wanqing was the childhood sweetheart.
In the end, the sweetheart won.

They had once been the envy of everyone—an affectionate married couple.

In the early years, Fu Yanci had even rearranged his schedule for her, skipping evening social events to spend time with her.

But people always crave what they can’t have.

Once the freshness faded, Fu Yanci began to reminisce.

Especially after someone told him Bai Wanqing left the country because Ruan Liuzheng had forced her to.

After that, he started blaming her, even hating her.

Though she explained over and over, he refused to believe her, calling her a liar.

Ironically, her explanations only seemed to confirm his bias.

Still, Ruan Liuzheng didn’t want a divorce. She loved him.

As the saying goes: “A man’s obsession can be explained, but a woman’s cannot.”

Fu Yanci had started it, but she ended up falling the hardest.

That’s the difference between men and women.

Ruan Liuzheng opened her eyes and smiled bitterly.

Taking a deep breath, she twisted the doorknob and entered the room—just as Fu Yanci was about to get out of bed and look for a nurse.

The moment he saw her, his body froze. Then, in a flash, he protectively pulled Bai Wanqing into his arms and snapped, “What are you doing here?”

His lips tightened, eyes tense, as if she were some kind of monster.

Ruan Liuzheng paused. Her expression was calm, but her heart was bleeding.

She forced a smile and said quietly, “Don’t worry. I’m not here to hurt her. I just came to check on you.”

Fu Yanci’s face turned cold, still holding onto Bai Wanqing tightly. He said icily, “I don’t need you to check on me. Get out. You’re not welcome here.”

His disgust was plain and sharp—like a blade.

Ruan Liuzheng clenched her fists. The color drained from her face, and pain stabbed at her chest.

But she didn’t leave. She still had something to say.

Her son was still waiting for news.

She couldn’t leave in humiliation—not yet.

Her eyes reddened slightly as she spoke hoarsely, “Fu Yanci, could you at least call your son tonight and say—”

“No!” he snapped. “Ruan Liuzheng, I don’t have time to deal with children.”

Without hesitation, he cut her off.

“Just get out. Didn’t I tell you not to come unless it’s something urgent? Don’t you know how annoyed I get just seeing you?”

Ruan Liuzheng stood there, stunned.

She looked at him steadily. Her eyes burned, but no tears came.

Her heart had gone numb.

Today was their son Fu Jingcheng’s fifth birthday. She had called Fu Yanci’s assistant hoping to ask him to come home—just for once.

To let their son have a birthday with both his parents.

Since birth, Fu Yanci had never been there for a single birthday. Every year, the boy’s one wish was for his father to come home and give him a proper celebration like other kids.

All Ruan Liuzheng asked for was a phone call—a simple “Happy Birthday.”

That was her only remaining hope.

But…

She let out a bitter laugh, said nothing more, and turned to leave.

She knew Fu Yanci wouldn’t give in. Staying would be pointless.

Why force something that was clearly over? Just like this marriage she had been dragging on alone.

She was exhausted—in every sense.

Before she walked out the door, she heard Fu Yanci apologizing to Bai Wanqing.

“I’m sorry, Wanqing. I didn’t know she would come. Don’t worry, I’ll…”

“It’s okay, Yanci-ge,” Bai Wanqing said gently. “I’m not that petty. As long as your heart is with me, I’m already happy.”

Ruan Liuzheng quickened her pace, her eyes empty.

By the time she left the hospital, night had fully fallen.

The cold wind carried the season’s first snow—white flakes drifting silently through the air.

How fitting.

She lifted a hand and caught one. It was icy and fleeting—like clarity and finality.

She and Fu Yanci had fallen in love under the first snowfall in Yuncheng.

Now… that love was gone. Just like melting snowflakes, or a man’s fickle heart.

Maybe it was time to let go.

She brushed the snow off her coat and hailed a taxi. Her voice calm: “To Beishan Villa, please.”

---

When Ruan Liuzheng returned home, her son Fu Jingcheng ran up happily.

“Mom, you’re back…”

But as he spoke, his eyes looked past her expectantly—searching for the tall figure of his father.

Until the butler closed the villa door, cutting off the outside world, he didn’t see anyone.

Dad… hadn’t come.

Disappointment settled in his little heart, but he still held on to a sliver of hope.

He looked up with tear-bright eyes, ones so similar to Fu Yanci’s.

“Mom… is Daddy never coming back?”

His little fists trembled.

Ruan Liuzheng felt a stab in her chest. She crouched and gently stroked his face.

She opened her mouth to make the usual excuse—but felt too tired to lie again.

Why bother? Fu Yanci didn’t care about the image he left in his son’s heart anyway.

So she said nothing.

Fu Jingcheng blinked, then relaxed his hands.

Daddy really wasn’t coming back. Daddy really didn’t like him.

His eyes turned red.

After a long silence, he wiped his nose and made up his mind.

He stepped forward and touched the corner of Ruan Liuzheng’s eye. His small voice trembled but was steady:

“Mom, you should divorce Daddy. I don’t need him. It’s enough if I have you on my birthday.”

The Fu family’s children matured early. He was only five, but he understood more than most.

If his dad didn’t want him, then why cling on?

More importantly, his mom was always hurting.

He didn’t want her to be sad anymore.

His gaze grew more determined.

Ruan Liuzheng was stunned. She reached out and hugged him tightly.

In all her years, she had never seen someone—especially a child—so wise and brave.

How ridiculous, how tragic.

Her eyes shimmered with tears, but her voice was firm and clear:

“Alright, Mommy agrees.”

Letting go is hard—but it’s the first step to a new beginning.

---

Ruan Liuzheng was a woman of action.

Once she made up her mind, she didn’t look back.

After soothing her son, she went upstairs and began packing.

Five years of marriage, and she had so little of her own. One 26-inch suitcase—half of it filled with her son’s clothes.

It wasn’t that she couldn’t afford more. Fu Yanci had given her his supplementary bank card the day they married.

But she had always been focused on him and their son—never herself.

The master bedroom closet was mostly filled with Fu Yanci’s clothes, even though he barely came home.

Maybe deep down, she had always known—she didn’t belong here.

She sighed, closed the suitcase, and put the bank card and divorce papers in a folder.

Then she handed it to the maid with instructions to send it to the hospital.

Without another glance back, she left with her son.