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Ruan Liuzheng looked up, silently gazing at them.
For a fleeting moment, she truly had the thought:
Maybe… marrying Xie Qingcen wouldn’t be so bad.
Because the smile on her son’s face was so bright, so full of joy.
He genuinely liked Xie Qingcen.
But that thought lasted only a second.
The pain of love—once is enough.
The three of them headed downstairs together.
This time, Xie Qingcen didn’t make any bold or suggestive moves, nor did he make things awkward for Ruan Liuzheng.
Once they walked out the building, he gently put Fu Jingcheng down and looked deeply at Ruan Liuzheng with his inky black eyes.
He said,
“Something came up at the office, so I won’t be joining you. Miss Ruan, see you tonight.”
His calm, magnetic voice brushed softly against her ears, carrying a faint, lingering tenderness that was hard to define.
Ruan Liuzheng was once again certain—
This man is born trouble.
However…
She pressed her lips together.
His explanation just felt… unnecessary.
She hadn’t planned to invite him to breakfast anyway.
And he didn’t owe her any explanation about his schedule.
But Ruan Liuzheng didn’t overthink it.
People who aren’t important aren’t worth the energy.
After breakfast with her son, she called a car to send him to school.
Then, she headed to Fu Group.
She had left in a hurry yesterday, so her car was still parked in the lot beneath Fu Group’s building.
Not having a car made everything feel inconvenient.
More importantly, she had saved every penny from her salary to buy it.
It had nothing to do with Fu Yanci, and she wasn’t about to just abandon it.
However, her timing today… was not ideal.
As soon as she entered the parking garage, she ran into two people she had no desire to see:
Fu Yanci and Bai Wanqing, walking side by side, both smiling.
She couldn’t hear what they were saying, but each time Bai Wanqing spoke, Fu Yanci would lower his head attentively, listening with gentleness and patience, hanging on her every word.
Yes, Fu Yanci was calculating, capable of sacrificing anything for profit—including Bai Wanqing herself if necessary.
But even so, among all he could sacrifice, Bai Wanqing was always a special exception.
Ruan Liuzheng watched them for a while.
She had no desire to linger and turned back to drive away.
But just as she opened the car door, the pair had already reached her.
Fu Yanci scoffed when he saw her, his eyes filled with disdain.
“Didn’t you say you were quitting? What—regretting it already, Ruan Liuzheng? Where’s all that backbone you showed me yesterday?”
Ruan Liuzheng gave him a cold glance, got into her car, and completely ignored his mocking words.
That action alone completely infuriated Fu Yanci.
His whole life, he had been adored and respected wherever he went.
When had anyone ever treated him with such indifference?
Especially Ruan Liuzheng, the woman who used to follow him with her head bowed, the one he thought was beneath him.
It felt like, since yesterday, things had started to slip from his control.
Things he had once been so sure of… were veering off course.
And at the root of it all—was Ruan Liuzheng.
Suddenly, he yanked away from Bai Wanqing and strode forward, slamming his hand against her car door before she could close it.
His eyes burned with hostility.
He said coldly,
“Didn’t you hear me talking to you? Ruan Liuzheng, you’d better stop pushing your luck. If this gets out of hand, don’t come crying later.”
Ruan Liuzheng lifted her gaze and looked at his dark, stormy face—then suddenly found it all so ironic.
Even now, he still didn’t get it.
He still thought she was “making a scene.”
Who gave him this confidence?
To what extent did he believe she still cared?
A mocking smile tugged at her lips.
Her eyes turned sharp and cold.
She said clearly,
“Let go. Good dogs don’t block the road. Got it?”
“You—!”
Fu Yanci’s expression turned hideous.
He was so enraged, he trembled.
His hand instinctively released the door as he pointed furiously at her, wanting to drag her out and give her a piece of his mind.
But before he could react, Ruan Liuzheng slammed the door shut, hit the gas, and sped away—leaving behind nothing but a trail of exhaust.
Fu Yanci was absolutely livid.
Hands on his hips, he stared after the disappearing car, trying to calm his breathing—his face as dark as thunderclouds.
“Yanci-ge, don’t be mad. I’m sure Liuzheng-jie didn’t mean it…”
Bai Wanqing had seen the whole thing.
Though she inwardly hoped Ruan Liuzheng would never come back, she still put on a gentle, pitiful act to soothe Fu Yanci.
She walked over, gently slipping her hands around his arm.
Her soft, glistening eyes looked up at him with concern.
She said sweetly,
“Don’t blame her, okay? Things got this bad partly because of me. Maybe… maybe I should just go back to M Country. I don’t want to cause trouble for you.”
Fu Yanci froze.
Then he quickly grabbed her hand, his anger replaced by urgency and protectiveness—directed against Ruan Liuzheng.
He reassured her,
“Wanqing, don’t say that. This has nothing to do with you. It’s Ruan Liuzheng—she’s gotten arrogant and forgotten her place. Don’t worry, I won’t let you leave the country again.”
“Yanci-ge…”
Ruan Liuzheng didn’t drive straight home after leaving Fu Group.
Instead, she wandered aimlessly through the streets of Yuncheng, circling without destination.
She couldn’t afford to be unemployed.
Even though her savings would last a while, she couldn’t just sit around doing nothing.
Her son was growing.
Expenses would only increase.
And knowing Fu Yanci, if they really divorced, child support would be a pipe dream.
He would never pay.
She took a deep breath and looked ahead, eyes heavy with thought.
Returning to work in finance was off the table.
Even if she could find a job in the same field, Fu Yanci wouldn’t let it go easily.
Besides…
She didn’t want to force herself anymore.
Suddenly, a video playing on a billboard caught her eye—
a promotional video for art and design.
She was momentarily stunned.
Her car began to slow.
Looking around at the familiar yet unfamiliar surroundings, she realized:
She had unknowingly driven to this place—Yuncheng’s famed cultural and arts street.
Many companies in the art and media industry were based here.
It was a paradise for every art student’s dreams.
Once upon a time, she had been one of them.