Just after a brief rain, the air was damp and cool.

In the Meizhu Mountain villa area in the city, on the second floor of a certain building, the balcony door was gently opened.

Jin Yaotiao stepped outside barefoot, her delicate nightgown fluttering in the biting autumn wind, which surged around her.

She tightly held her gown together, letting her body shiver as her gaze slowly swept over the red maples covering Meizhu Mountain. Her back stood straight like a spear.

At this moment, she was certain that she had encountered something beyond her plans.

If this were a dream, her last memory was probably a glass of Burgundy red wine she had before bed.

When she was younger, she didn’t drink—neither red, white, nor beer—mainly because she worried that Shen Qiming wouldn’t like it.

After all, when a girl drank, she didn’t seem refined enough, not gentle enough, not like the perfect wife and mother. So, she avoided not only alcohol but also anything out of the ordinary.

As she got older, she realized that wine wasn’t inherently bad.

It’s true that one shouldn’t get addicted, but a moderate amount could provide a bit of relief when exhaustion set in.

It was the Double Ninth Festival, and she had just won another medal, one of great significance that her father had long dreamed of.

After the celebration, she took the gold medal back to her hometown to visit her parents’ graves.

But upon arriving, she found that her colleagues in Jiangzhou had been waiting for her, and soon after finishing the grave visit, she was swept into a cocktail party.

There were toasts, socializing, and occasional probing questions about her private life.

After a long, exhausting flight, she was too tired to entertain the young men who approached her. She managed to sneak away when she found a chance.

Even in her slight intoxication, she didn’t forget to take out her parents’ photos from her suitcase and place them alongside her shining medal on the bedside table.

She didn’t remember when she fell asleep.

When she woke up again, she found herself lying in a room that felt both familiar and strange.

She was sure this wasn’t a prank.

The house in the Meizhu Mountain villa area had been a gift from the Shen family when she and Shen Qiming got engaged.

She had lived there from the moment she wore the engagement ring until the day she took off her wedding ring.

Countless years passed between those moments.

She had lived there daily and knew every corner of the house, even the view outside every window.

Even if many years had passed, she couldn’t possibly mistake the view of the unique red leaves of Meizhu Mountain.

Moreover, everything related to Shen Qiming had once been an untouchable area in her heart.

Although over time she had grown stronger and could speak of him without feeling any emotion, those around her began to avoid topics that might offend her.

It was impossible for anyone to be bored enough to use this house as a stage to mock her.

Besides, at a recent cocktail party, she had overheard some wealthy lady mention that Shen Qiming hadn’t moved out of this house after she left.

Although she didn’t know why he hadn’t moved, given Shen Qiming’s meticulous nature, it was impossible for him to cooperate with such a prank.

If he could, the earth might be on the brink of destruction.

Jin Yaotiao took out her phone, an old model that had long been outdated.

The screen lit up, displaying a profile picture of Shen Qiming’s side profile along with the current year and time.

She stared at the numbers, switching the screen on and off a few times before finally, following her heart, dialing a number she hadn’t called in many years.

After three beeps, a playful voice came through the phone: “You little brat, you remember to call your mom now!”

For a moment, the world felt like it had collapsed, as if the air had been sucked out of her lungs. Jin Yao took a long time to find her breath: “Mom?”

“Yao Yao?” Her mother was startled by her hoarse voice and became flustered. “What’s wrong? Are you crying? Did you read something in the newspaper and start overthinking? Listen to Mom, I have a good eye for people. Shen Qiming is definitely not the kind of man who would mess around. Men get rumors when they focus on their career. You’re about to marry him, so don’t overthink things…”

Indeed, only a mother could speak like this.

For the first time, Jin Yao found her mother’s nagging sweet, listening silently for a long time before finally interrupting: “Mom, enough about him. How is Dad? How are you two doing? How’s your health?”

“?” Her mother sounded confused. “What’s gotten into you? We saw each other just a few days ago. Your dad and I are doing well!”

Only a biological mother could speak like that.

Jin Yaotiao smiled and lowered her head for a moment before gently saying, “Mom, I miss you. I really miss you both.”

Her mother was caught off guard by this sudden sweetness, and after a long pause, her voice softened with emotion: “I miss you too. I think about you every day.”

Jin Yaotiao looked at the sea of red leaves on the mountain and wiped her eyes. “Can I come home tonight?”

“Of course you can!” Her mother immediately brightened. “You can come home anytime. Do you want to come for dinner? I’ll tell Auntie to buy some ingredients!”

After hanging up, Jin Yaotiao’s mother happily paced around the room and called down to her husband: “Old Jin, Yao Yao said she’s coming home to stay tonight!”

Jin’s father, with his hands behind his back, said with a full voice, “So what if she’s coming home? It’s not like it’s been a long time since we’ve seen her. Why are you so happy about it?”

Jin’s mother rolled her eyes at him. “What do you mean, ‘it’s not been long’? Since Yao Yao got engaged, she’s been coming home less and less. What’s wrong with me being happy for once?”

Jin’s father scoffed. “She’s getting married soon, and after marriage, she should focus on her own family. It’s not right for her to keep coming back to her parents’ home.”

Jin’s mother ignored him and, after telling Auntie to buy vegetables, began rummaging through the fridge. “Yao Yao loves buttered corn, I need to get that ready…”

When she stood up, she realized her husband was already standing behind her. Annoyed, she asked, “What’s wrong?”

Jin’s father sat down with a serious expression and rolled up his sleeves. “You think your buttered corn is edible? Don’t make our daughter sick. This is my signature dish, move aside.”

Jin Yaotiao held her phone in the cold wind. The engagement ring on her finger was pressing painfully into her middle finger.

She raised her hand and looked down, finally believing she had returned to her twenty-four-year-old self.

At twenty-four, her parents were still alive, and she had not yet married Shen Qiming—what a wonderful age.

If this were a dream, then she never wanted to wake up.

Before feeling like she was about to catch a cold, Jin Yaotiao, who had been slightly dizzy since waking up, turned and returned to her room, supporting her forehead.

This was a somewhat magical world, where everything she saw was pink—pink lace-trimmed princess bed surrounded by tulle, a pink cashmere carpet by the bed, a pink-white feather chandelier on the ceiling, and pink curtains on the walls…

She pushed open a sliding door and stepped into the pink closet, where she saw herself in a pink Rococo-style dressing mirror.

Young, beautiful, and without a wrinkle—her face, full of collagen, was so smooth that even a set of ultrasonic beauty devices costing tens of thousands couldn’t turn back time.

She wore a pink princess-style bathrobe and had her hair in the yellowish curls typical of female leads in idol dramas from years ago.

As for the color, that’s another matter—after a night’s sleep, her curls had become dry and coarse, sticking up everywhere, looking extremely fluffy, making her appear like a hapless alpaca trapped inside a ridiculously feminine pink enclosure.

But somehow, this extravagant combination was able to be pulled off with some beauty, thanks to her slender figure and skin so pale it was nearly transparent.

Jin Yaotiao took a few steps closer and locked eyes with herself.

The young girl in the mirror looked as fresh as a white peach with a hint of red, but her black-and-white eyes shimmered with a sharpness that didn’t match her age.

She shifted her gaze to the right, where a corner of a sticky note with floral edges was stuck on the mirror’s frame. On it, in neat handwriting, were the words:

“Breakfast: half an apple, lunch: vegetable salad, dinner: don’t eat anything! Target weight: 40 kg, just 1 kg left, keep going!”

Jin Yaotiao: “…”

She glanced at herself in the mirror, standing at 169 cm.

Damn it.

No wonder she had felt dizzy and blacked out when she woke up.

She thought she was sick, but it turned out she was just hungry.

Recalling the stomach problems she had developed over the years, Jin Yaotiao felt a rush of anger.

When she realized that she had done such a stupid thing to herself, her anger dissipated.

But soon, she shrugged it off, since she had done many silly things before.

She had tried to lose weight because she thought she was too tall and didn’t appear delicate enough.

She had tried to soften her naturally hoarse voice to make it sweeter and cuter.

She had always dressed to look like a proper lady, regardless of whether the clothes suited her or not.

After graduating for so many years, she had never thought of being independent; her mind was always occupied with how to take care of Shen Qiming’s every need, wishing she could stamp the words “good wife, loving mother” on her face.

Looking back, she sighed. Love really was a strange thing—it could make someone step on their own dignity.

Jin Yaotiao really didn’t want to look at herself like this anymore.

She grabbed a simple lace hairband to tie up her hair, then rummaged through the entire closet before finding a loose white sweater.

What was more absurd was that she realized she didn’t even have a pair of pants.

She thought back and remembered she used to wear skirts all year round when she was younger.

She reluctantly chose the thickest knitted dress, then gathered her valuables—credit cards, driver’s license, ID, and some precious jewelry—and stuffed them into a mini backpack. As soon as she opened the door, the scent of food from downstairs hit her.

She followed the smell downstairs and soon heard voices.

The two housemaids were chatting. One of them seemed to notice the noise and looked up at her, then scolded her, “Yaotiao, you slept so late today. If you keep this up, Shen Qiming will be home soon.”

The speaker was Aunt Wang, a long-time housekeeper who had raised Shen Qiming and was very experienced. She spoke to Jin Yaotiao in a tone that suggested familiarity and authority.

Jin Yaotiao had always thought that Aunt Wang treated Shen Qiming like her own son, which was why she had never treated her as an outsider.

But now, it seemed that Aunt Wang was gentle and considerate when speaking to Shen Qiming, with much more tact.

But thinking about it, after chasing Shen Qiming for over ten years, she had never treated herself with any care. How could she expect others to treat her any differently?

The living room clock showed it was 4 p.m. According to her usual routine, she would have finished her afternoon nap by 3 and started preparing dinner for Shen Qiming. Aunt Wang was dissatisfied because of this.

Jin Yaotiao, now extremely hungry, glanced at Aunt Wang, who seemed ready to lecture her, and ignored her, heading straight for the kitchen.

Aunt Wang, caught off guard by the cold glance, was momentarily stunned. She exchanged looks with the other maid, unsure of what was going on but sensing her authority had been undermined.

“What’s wrong with her?” Aunt Wang wondered anxiously. “Did I speak too harshly?”

“I don’t think so,” the other maid hesitated before adding, “Maybe she’s angry because of the news about President Shen today.”

In the kitchen, the meat, eggs, and vegetables were already neatly washed and arranged on the counter, waiting for Jin Yaotiao to cook.

It wasn’t because Aunt Wang and the others were lazy, but their cooking skills were far inferior to Jin Yaotiao’s, and Shen Qiming had developed a very refined palate after being fed by them for so many years.

Ordinary dishes wouldn’t meet his standards.

For this, Jin Yaotiao felt grateful.

Although her family ran a catering business, her father was old-fashioned and had never intended for her to take over the business, despite being an only child.

Her culinary skills were almost entirely honed for Shen Qiming.

It was a pity that when she was younger, she had such narrow views. Even though she possessed great talent, all she ever wanted was to be a good wife and mother.

She found the source of the aroma, lifted the lid of a pot, and discovered it was a seafood porridge simmering away.

The rice was thick and soft, and small bubbles were popping up gently, indicating it had been simmering for at least three or four hours. She guessed it was something she had started cooking before her nap.

She grabbed a long spoon and stirred the bottom of the porridge, recognizing sea cucumbers, scallops, and salted duck egg yolks inside.

It was almost ready.

Jin Yaotiao heated a small pot and tossed in a few shrimp heads to make oil. Just then, Aunt Wang, who had been intimidated earlier, cautiously peeked into the kitchen.

Seeing her still cooking as usual, Aunt Wang finally felt at ease and stepped in to lend a hand, though her attitude was noticeably more cautious than before. She tried to make small talk and complimented Jin Yaotiao, “This porridge is really good today.”

Jin Yaotiao, cutting the scallions, casually responded with a neutral “Mm.”

Aunt Wang glanced at her, swallowed nervously for no reason, quickly took over the task, and forced a smile before speaking again.
“Ah, Yao Tiao, don’t keep reading those baseless speculations from the reporters. Outsiders don’t know the truth, but we do, right? Ning Meng is just Qi Ming’s assistant. Attending that charity banquet with her was purely business—it’s totally normal.

Besides, I’ve watched Qi Ming grow up; do you think I can’t tell? Qi Ming doesn’t have feelings for Ning Meng, not in the slightest. He doesn’t even pay attention to other women outside. You are his rightful fiancée, and you’re about to get married. Why waste your energy on pointless jealousy?”

Jin Yaotiao listened to the familiar comfort, momentarily stunned, and then took out her phone to search. That’s when she discovered today’s most popular local news in Linjiang.

The news celebrated the successful hosting of Linjiang’s charity gala, but the accompanying photo was of Shen Qiming.

He always had a magnetic presence in front of the camera.

Even on a crowded red carpet, he effortlessly drew all attention in a single glance.

The candid shot captured his strikingly handsome features that seemed to drain color from everything around him—including the female companion closely following him.

That female companion wasn’t Jin Yaotiao; it was his capable assistant, Ning Meng.

Shen Qi Ming, a rising star in finance in recent years, not only had an enviable career but also a face that seemed heaven-sent.

Though he was a businessman, his popularity often surpassed that of many celebrities.

Naturally, any woman appearing by his side at public events became fodder for reporters’ wild speculations. Jin Yaotiao found it amusing; so this was what her mother had told her not to overthink about during their phone call.

Her mother wasn’t wrong. When she was younger, she indeed had the tendency to overthink. After all, Ning Meng had never hidden her admiration for Shen Qi Ming, even though she was just his assistant.

But even with Ning Meng’s obvious affection, Shen Qi Ming never seemed to avoid her or keep his distance.

Instead, he frequently brought her along to various public business events. In contrast, Jin Yaotiao—his legitimate fiancée—was barely recognized by the public.

Many people, even industry insiders, didn’t know of their engagement until they were invited to the wedding.

Jin Yaotiao naturally resented this but rarely voiced her feelings.
Back then, she thought it was her way of being understanding, but now, years after their divorce, she realized it was just the cowardice of a poor girl afraid to lose even a semblance of peace.

She was so timid she never even dared to ask Shen Qi Ming if he liked her.

Maybe, deep down, a sliver of unacknowledged clarity told her the answer would destroy her.

Ironically, when they divorced, she assumed Ning Meng would soon become the next Mrs. Shen. But at a cocktail party upon her return to the country, she heard that Ning Meng was still just an assistant. It was as if all her posturing over the years had been nothing but a joke.

It was truly pathetic. Even as the “second-most miserable” woman, Jin Yaotiao couldn’t help but applaud Ning Meng’s persistence with a touch of pity.

So now, what might have once sent her spiraling into doubt merely felt like the sad tale of another woman diving into a firepit.

Jin Yaotiao read the news, sighed, and moved on without much interest.

Aunt Wang, meanwhile, talked incessantly, as though words were her oxygen.
“Yao Tiao, don’t you agree with me? You’re not upset anymore, right?”

Jin Yaotiao calmly poured a rich, golden shrimp oil into the pot and replied, “Not at all.”

The fragrant aroma of shrimp oil blended with the already delightful seafood porridge, silencing Aunt Wang as she moved closer, inhaling deeply.

“This smells amazing! Yao Tiao, when it comes to cooking, you’re the best I’ve ever seen!”

Jin Yaotiao smirked. “I know.”

After all, how else would she have won the gold medal?

Aunt Wang fell silent for a moment before awkwardly laughing.
“This porridge—Qi Ming will surely love it. He’ll probably have two bowls!”

Jin Yaotiao tossed the peeled shrimp, crab roe, and crab meat into the bubbling porridge, stirring it thoughtfully. Her tone was cryptic as she replied, “Oh, he’ll love it, but he might not get the chance to have two bowls.”

“…?” Aunt Wang felt something was off about Jin Yaotiao today. “Um, shouldn’t the shrimp and crab be added later?”

“No, now is perfect,” Jin Yaotiao replied confidently.

Aunt Wang doubted herself but figured Jin Yaotiao’s culinary skills were more reliable than her own. Then she watched in horror as Jin Yaotiao sprinkled chopped scallions into the pot.

“Wait!” Aunt Wang exclaimed. “Aren’t scallions supposed to be added last, just before serving?”

Jin Yaotiao calmly ladled some porridge into a small bowl and tasted it.

“Not at all. It’s just right,” she said.

“…Why are you eating it now?”

“Because I’m hungry.”

“You should wait for Qi Ming to eat together!” Aunt Wang protested.

“No need. I have plans after I eat,” Jin Yaotiao replied.

“Plans? You’re not making dinner?” Aunt Wang panicked. “What will Qi Ming eat when he comes home?”

Jin Yaotiao casually chewed on a perfectly cooked piece of shrimp. “He can eat whatever you make.”

“But Qi Ming doesn’t like our cooking!”

“Then let him go hungry. A couple of missed meals should fix his pickiness.”

Aunt Wang was speechless.

That evening, Shen Qi Ming returned home, his footsteps brisk, with two guests trailing behind him.

He paused upon noticing something unusual and called out, “Aunt Wang, did you cook tonight’s dishes?”

Aunt Wang’s awkward smile said it all.

“Yaotiao didn’t cook?” he asked, frowning.

“She did,” Aunt Wang replied. “She made a pot of porridge.”

“Good,” Shen Qi Ming said, unbothered. “I’ll skip the dishes and just have some porridge. Serve me a bowl.”

Aunt Wang hesitated, then finally said, “Yaotiao finished it.”

“…All of it?”

“She even took the rest with her when she left.”

“…?” Shen Qi Ming stood there, stunned. What am I supposed to eat tonight?