Wen Yi relaxed a bit, resting her chin on her hand as she watched him tidy up. “Qin Nanshan, I’ve discovered you’re quite the talker.”  

To her, he was like a mountain: solid, steady, and always standing tall. Occasionally, rare and delightful birds would flit out, surprising her.  

“‘Plucking chrysanthemums by the eastern fence, I catch sight of the southern mountain.’ Did your parents foresee this when they named you Nanshan?”  

Qin Nanshan gave her an amused glance. “Not as eloquent as you.”  

After finishing the cleanup, he took the trash to the door. On his way back inside, the smell of skewers seemed even stronger. He frowned slightly and opened the kitchen window as well.  

By the time they got into bed, it was already past midnight. Wen Yi murmured, “I’ll try a bit harder.”  

Not knowing what she meant but not pressing, Qin Nanshan simply encouraged, “Alright, give it your best.”  

“If I lose my job, will you support me?”  

She always liked to ask these odd questions before bed. Qin Nanshan replied helplessly, “If I don’t, who will?”  

Wen Yi rubbed her stomach, sighing. “I owe it all to the baby.”  

“I’d still support you even without the baby.”  

The lights went out, leaving only the silvery moonlight casting mountain-like shadows across his face.  

…  

Wen Yi hadn’t been sleeping well lately and nearly overslept in the morning. Qin Nanshan took charge of driving her to work, giving her time to eat breakfast and do her makeup during the 20-minute commute.  

At 6 p.m., Qin Nanshan arrived at her company to pick her up. He sent her a message, and her reply came back: **I’m at the café downstairs. Give me a moment.**  

The weather had been poor, with rain starting after noon and still drizzling steadily outside. Thinking for a moment, Qin Nanshan grabbed the umbrella from the backseat and got out of the car. Wen Yi had left in a hurry that morning and hadn’t taken one.  

There was only one café at the base of the Nuon Tower. Assuming she might be in a work meeting, he waited outside.  

After a few minutes, the rain intensified, and he had no choice but to go inside.  

The café was quite crowded. Qin Nanshan glanced around and quickly spotted a man and a woman sitting by the window. Wen Yi faced the entrance, her head lowered as she stirred her coffee absentmindedly, looking visibly upset. The man sitting across from her had his back to the door, dressed sharply in a suit.  

Initially intending to look elsewhere, Qin Nanshan’s gaze hadn’t shifted when Wen Yi noticed him. Their eyes met across the room. The man turned around, and Qin Nanshan recognized him—it was her boss, the one they had run into at the hot pot restaurant before.  

Realizing it would be awkward to leave, Qin Nanshan walked over to their table. Standing beside them, he nodded politely to the man before addressing Wen Yi in a gentle tone, “It’s raining, so I brought you an umbrella. You two can continue talking; I’ll wait nearby.”  

“No need. We’re done,” Wei Yuan said as he stood, adjusting his suit. With a stern expression, he added, “Wen Yi, think it over carefully.”  

He left without another word, and Wen Yi’s gaze followed him until his figure disappeared through the café door.  

“Did I interrupt you?” Qin Nanshan asked.  

“No,” Wen Yi replied, still stirring her now-cold coffee without purpose. She turned her head to look at the heavy rain pouring outside. “Sit for a bit. The rain is too heavy.”  

Qin Nanshan sat across from her. Wen Yi managed a faint smile and asked, “Want something to drink?” Then, as if remembering something, she quickly added, “Oh right, you don’t drink coffee. Why not? Are you allergic?”  

He shook his head. “No, my body metabolizes caffeine poorly. Even a little keeps me awake all night. Plus, I don’t like the taste.”  

“I didn’t like it either at first. It’s an acquired taste,” Wen Yi explained. “Don’t get the wrong idea. I didn’t order this—Wei Yuan did.”  

She looked up at him. “Wei Yuan—you’ve met him. My ex-boyfriend.”  

Qin Nanshan felt a flicker of surprise. So, this was the ex she had mentioned before, the one whose contact she couldn’t delete because of work. His hand, resting on the table, clenched slightly into a fist.  

Wen Yi seemed in the mood to talk and, with him sitting across, didn’t bother choosing someone else. She continued, “Successful people always seem to start their mornings with a black Americano. Back when I first started, I couldn’t understand why anyone would drink something so bitter. I still don’t. But eventually, I went along with it. It felt like you weren’t a real office worker in the city if you didn’t have a cup of Americano in hand during your commute.”  

“Wei Yuan loved it. And he was very particular—everything had to be just right, from the grind of the beans to the brand of water. Back then, I was young and eager to please. I worked hard to perfect my coffee-making skills, drinking it like water to keep up.”  

Qin Nanshan lowered his hands beneath the table, his gentle expression softening further. “Did you love him a lot?”  

Wen Yi laughed quietly at his question. “I don’t know. But now, looking back, all that effort feels like a joke.”  

Wei Yuan had come to her today to persuade her to take the initiative to stay in her job. He’d told her that, given her current situation, things would be much easier for her under his management, and once her life was more stable, he might give her another chance.  

Wen Yi wasn’t angry anymore, only mildly nostalgic. Once upon a time, they’d shared good moments, but when faced with real interests and gains, emotions meant nothing. And love from years ago was worth even less—practically garbage.  

She thought vaguely that human nature was inherently pragmatic, not something to overanalyze. But if their roles were reversed, Wen Yi doubted she could ever be as cold-blooded as him. Maybe it was the pregnancy, she mused, that brought out this soft maternal glow, making her indecisive.  

Outside, the rain had eased to a light drizzle, though the sky remained gloomy.  

Qin Nanshan looked at her and asked softly, “How did you two get together?”  

“It doesn’t matter anymore.” Wen Yi adjusted her mood and smiled. “Let’s go. The rain might get heavier again.”  

Qin Nanshan closed his eyes briefly, then picked up the umbrella and followed her out.  

Neither of them spoke on the drive back. The sounds of the car’s air conditioning and the rhythmic swish of the windshield wipers filled the silence. Outside the windows, the world was soaked and glistening.  

When they arrived at her apartment complex, Qin Nanshan parked but remained seated, his brows slightly furrowed in thought.  

“We’re here,” Wen Yi reminded him, turning her head.  

He snapped out of it, turned off the engine, and got out. Opening the umbrella, he walked around to her side to let her out.