Zhong Xintian pressed her lips together, unable to stand the little boy’s curious gaze on her. She pretended to push him away. “Go on! Mommy still has to prepare dinner!”

“Got it.”

Dongdong dashed back to the backyard, and when Lu Zongyue saw him, he quickly took the ice pack and pressed it against his swollen thumb. The refreshing cold instantly relieved the pain.

“Dongdong, thank you.”

“No need to thank me, thank Mommy.” Dongdong replied with a serious face, though his sparkling eyes betrayed his mischievous thoughts. “This ice pack was given to me by Mommy.”

“So she knew I was hurt?” Lu Zongyue instinctively asked. “What did she say?!”

“She said, ‘Why are you still lingering and not leaving?’”

“Oh.” The man’s expression fell.

Seeing his disappointed face, the little boy burst into laughter. “Uncle, it seems you still have a long way to go if you want to win over my mommy!”

“Yeah.” Lu Zongyue murmured, letting out a helpless sigh.

After applying the ice pack and wrapping his thumb in the handkerchief, he regained his spirits. “Dongdong, let’s continue!”

“Okay.”

The entire afternoon, the restaurant was empty, with only two young girls coming in for afternoon tea. They left in less than an hour.

After seeing the guests off, Zhong Xintian stood at the restaurant door in a daze. The room was silent, with only the summer breeze occasionally blowing in, making the wind chimes hanging from the eaves jingle.

It seemed there were no more excuses to say she was busy and ignore the man in the backyard. She had to confront him and send him away today.

For some reason, the thought of having to play the bad guy drained her of energy. It felt as if something was stuck in her chest, making her uncomfortable.

She patted her face, adjusted her clothes, and urged herself to get into battle mode before slowly walking toward the backyard.

But to her surprise, the backyard was empty; neither the man nor the child was there!

What was going on? Did he leave without saying goodbye?

Zhong Xintian’s heart sank. She walked around the house until she saw the man’s suitcase still sitting under the living room sofa, confirming that he hadn’t left.

He hadn’t gone; he must have just stepped out with Dongdong.

Zhong Xintian couldn’t quite describe the mixed feelings swelling in her heart. It felt a bit relaxed, a bit melancholic, and somewhat frustrating with herself.

Wouldn’t it be better if he had left? Why did she care whether he left without saying a word?

Damn it!

Still dazed, she returned to the backyard and found a stone to sit on. Just as she was lost in thought, she suddenly felt a vibration at the side of her buttocks.

Only then did she realize she had pressed against a phone with her side. She quickly reached out to pick it up. It was a classic BlackBerry, its black exterior shimmering with a mysterious glow.

Whose phone was this? Could it be that man’s? She remembered he insisted on using a BlackBerry, claiming he was accustomed to the feel of a physical keyboard.

The phone vibrated repeatedly, stopped for a few seconds, and then continued to ring silently. The screen displayed Lu Zongyue’s company number. Zhong Xintian initially didn’t want to answer, but when the caller persisted with call after call, she worried there might be an emergency. After hesitating for a moment, she finally answered.

Before she could say anything, a string of coquettish complaints came through her ear.

“Zongyue, what’s going on? I called you several times, why didn’t you answer? Where are you? Aren’t you coming to the office today?”

It was a woman.

Zhong Xintian tried to keep her tone neutral. “I’m sorry, miss, but I’m not the owner of this phone. He’s not here right now. Do you want me to take a message?”

The woman paused for two seconds. “Who are you?” Her tone was sharp and questioning.

“I’m… the owner of the restaurant. Mr. Lu is dining here.”

“Then where is he? Where did Zongyue go? Why are you answering his phone?”

“Um, I think he just stepped out for a moment. He should be back soon.”

“Where are you?”

“Hualien.”

“Hualien?” The woman fell silent for a moment, then took a deep breath, as if trying to calm her emotions. “My last name is Ding. I’m Zongyue’s girlfriend. Can you please pass a message to him?”

It was Ding Moli! Zhong Xintian clenched her teeth.

“Tell him there are many things at the company waiting for him to handle! Please ask him to come back as soon as possible.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“And tell him I… really miss him.” She emphasized each word.

Was it her imagination, or did Ding Moli’s words carry a hint of provocation? It seemed like a warning to her, as if she were being labeled a vixen trying to seduce her boyfriend.

Zhong Xintian stared blankly at the phone, her chest burning with anger.

He said he wouldn’t marry, that he had broken up with Ding Moli, but it turned out he hadn’t at all!

He also claimed he had lost everything and had nothing left, yet he was still the CEO of the company his father handed over to him…

Liar!

Compared to Ding Moli’s implied provocation, Lu Zongyue’s deception hurt Zhong Xintian even more. Frustrated, she hung up the phone just as Lu Zongyue appeared, holding a can of bright paint. In a sudden motion, she threw the phone at him with all her might.

He caught it alertly, his face full of surprise. “Yuan Yuan!”

“Your girlfriend called!” she shot back.

Lu Zongyue’s expression changed, and he looked down at the call history on the phone. The top few calls were indeed from the company number, confirming that it was Moli who had called.

“You said you broke up with her! You said you had nothing, not even a house! You liar! You shameless jerk!”

Lu Zongyue stared blankly at the woman before him, his blazing eyes reflecting her flushed cheeks, giving him an unexpected allure.

No wonder she was so angry. He shouldn’t have lied to gain her sympathy.

But he wasn’t entirely lying; he had indeed entrusted a realtor to find buyers for a few properties under his name, and all the cash would be donated to the orphanage.

“Yuan Yuan, let me explain…”

“You don’t need to explain!” Zhong Xintian interrupted through gritted teeth. “Whatever you have with her is none of my business. I just want you to leave immediately—right now!”

“Yuan Yuan…”

“Go away!”

Lu Zongyue didn’t move.

The two were locked in a standoff, glaring at each other. Zhong Xintian felt a lump in her throat, angry enough to choke. Why did he have to lie to her? Why did he seek her out after four years of divorce? What did he want? After all her efforts to live a peaceful life, couldn’t he just leave her alone?

Lost in her thoughts, her heart ached, her eyes slightly reddening as she bit down hard on her lower lip.

Seeing her nearly bite her lip until it bled, Lu Zongyue panicked, wanting to step forward but hesitating due to her reaction, afraid to get too close.

For some reason, he suddenly recalled that time they argued about divorce. He had lost his temper and smashed things, causing her to hurt her forehead and bleed—did that scar still remain?

“Yuan Yuan, don’t be angry. Please don’t hurt yourself.” His voice was soft, his deep eyes showing a hint of unnoticeable sorrow. “I understand. I’ll leave right away.”

With that, he took one last long look at her before decisively turning to leave.