The charm of summer nights in the countryside is the most captivating, with cool breezes, the sound of frogs, and the shadows of flowers swaying in the moonlight.

But as Zhong Xintian sat on the rocking chair, gazing at the deep, dark blue sky, all she could see was the crescent moon, looking like a sharp hook piercing the heavens, glowing with a faintly bloody light.

The moonlight was cold, and her heart felt just as icy.

Fortunately, just as she was feeling overwhelmed by this desolation, that little boy who always had a bright smile came bursting into the backyard, his slightly damp hair adorably hanging over his forehead, carrying the fresh scent of a recent bath.

“Mama!” The little boy ran over with his short legs and quickly climbed onto the rocking chair to sit beside her.

“All clean now?” She smiled at him.

“Yep.” Dongdong nodded energetically, his dimples showing mischievously.

“Here, have some watermelon.” Zhong Xintian resisted the urge to pinch the little rascal, picking up a plate of pre-cut watermelon and handing him a slice, taking one for herself as well.

The two of them, one big and one small, sat snuggled together on the rocking chair, nibbling on their watermelon piece by piece. If not for the shadow of that man lingering in her heart, Zhong Xintian would have thought this moment was a small piece of ordinary happiness.

It seemed that Dongdong noticed the gloom on her face, his bright eyes twinkling mischievously. “Mama, why did you send handsome uncle away?”

In Dongdong’s world, “handsome uncle” had become Lu Zongyue’s nickname.

Zhong Xintian stopped eating her watermelon, a bitter smile on her face.

“That rocking chair was fixed by handsome uncle, you know! He knew Mama liked sitting here. He spent the whole day working and even said he’d repaint the chair with shiny paint to make it look brand new. But before he could, you sent him away.” Dongdong finished a slice of watermelon and greedily grabbed another, his little mouth pouting slightly with a trace of complaint.

Zhong Xintian was silent for a moment before slowly speaking. “Do you like that uncle?”

“Yep, I do.” Little Dongdong nodded without hesitation. “Doesn’t Mama like him?”

Zhong Xintian felt a pang in her chest.

Once, she had liked that man very much—so much that she didn’t care about herself anymore. Her entire life revolved around pleasing him. She liked him so much that she wanted to give him everything, nearly losing her soul in the process.

But that kind of love was too heavy, and that moth-to-a-flame passion was too heartbreaking.

She would never love someone like that again…

With a deep sigh, she said, “Dongdong, there’s something I haven’t told you. That uncle… he used to be Mama’s husband. But we got divorced.”

“I know,” Dongdong said confidently.

“You know?” Zhong Xintian was surprised. “Did uncle tell you?”

“No, I figured it out myself.” Dongdong blinked. “Didn’t Mama forget that you have pictures of you and uncle on your phone? I saw them once, and you told me he was the person you were married to before. When uncle came to our house yesterday, I recognized him right away! He looks a little older than in the pictures, but he’s still just as handsome.”

As he spoke, Dongdong nibbled on his watermelon like a little squirrel, his chubby hands covered in watermelon juice. Zhong Xintian shook her head and pulled out a handkerchief from her pocket to wipe his hands. Dongdong obediently raised his hands high, his grape-like eyes fixed on her.

“Mama, uncle said he did some things in the past that hurt you. Is that why you won’t forgive him?”

Zhong Xintian froze. The boy’s question was sharp, hitting the nail on the head. She could brush it off, but for some reason, looking into his innocent eyes, she couldn’t bring herself to lie.

“I can’t forget the past, and he shouldn’t have done what he did. And today, he lied to me again.”

“What did he lie about? I’ll go beat him up for you!” Dongdong waved his little fists, looking ready to rush out as a little justice warrior.

Zhong Xintian couldn’t help but smile, reaching out to ruffle the boy’s hair. “It’s fine, he’s already gone.”

“Don’t you want him to come back?”

“No, I don’t.”

“Liar!” Dongdong exposed her immediately.

Zhong Xintian was stunned, about to defend herself, when the little boy calmly pulled a phone out of his shorts pocket and waved it in front of her. She recognized it as her own.

She snatched it back. “When did you steal Mama’s phone?!”

Dongdong giggled, his dark eyes sparkling, wearing a face that seemed to say, “It’s too late; I’ve already seen everything.” Zhong Xintian felt her cheeks flush. Although Dongdong hadn’t said a word, she knew he must have browsed through her phone’s photo album and confirmed that the pictures of her with Lu Zongyue still existed.

“I’m deleting it right now!” she declared defiantly, her fingers sliding across the screen as she found several cherished photos in the album.

Should she really delete them? No matter what, they were memories that belonged to her and him—happy or sad, they were part of her life.

“Delete it! Why aren’t you deleting it?” The little boy crossed his arms, asking nonchalantly.

With a firm bite of her lip, she steeled herself to select the delete option, but just as she was about to do so, her phone rang. She glanced at the caller ID and her eyes lit up.

“Dongdong, it’s your mom calling!”

She smiled and answered the phone, not realizing that the tightness in her chest had quietly eased.

Back in Taipei, as he returned to work handling various business affairs, Lu Zongyue felt unusually restless.

In the past, he was a workaholic. Whenever he was in a bad mood, burying himself in work allowed him to focus intensely, even to the point of neglecting food and sleep. Even Ding Moli often joked that work came first in his heart, while she, his lover, had to settle for second place.

But now, having walked through the gates of hell, his mindset had changed dramatically. These external possessions came with him when he was alive and wouldn’t be taken away in death. No matter how remarkable his achievements in his career, the world would be no different without him. It would be like a large machine missing a tiny screw, which wouldn’t affect its overall functioning.

At the end of his life, with so little time left, he preferred to spend it caring for the people he valued.

He wanted to stay by Yuan Yuan’s side; he wanted to be with her!

But she didn’t want him.

She hated him and refused to forgive him. While he wished he could stay by her side at all times, she didn’t want to see him at all.

This was retribution. It was what he deserved. Her rejection, anger, and disgust toward him were all deserved. He had no reason to feel wronged; he could only accept it…

After finally finishing the last document on his desk, there was a knock on the door, and Ding Moli walked in, holding a tray.

“You must be tired. I made you some coffee.” She handed him a cup of rich black coffee.

In the past, this slightly bitter black coffee was his favorite. But now…

Lu Zongyue lightly pushed the coffee cup aside. “The doctor said I’m not fully recovered yet and should avoid stimulants for now.”

“Oh, I see.” Ding Moli felt a bit embarrassed; she hadn’t bothered to remember such medical advice. Not only was she his lover, but even if she were just a secretary, her lack of concern for her boss was unacceptable. “Should I go get you another drink? How about juice?”

“No, I’ll just have plain water.” Lu Zongyue picked up his water cup and took a small sip.

Ding Moli felt even more awkward, but she was good at being coy in front of him. She playfully tapped her head, scolding herself a bit. Seeing his calm expression without any displeasure, she walked behind him, pretending to massage his shoulders to relieve his fatigue while casually asking, “Zongyue, you haven’t told me which friend you went to Hualien to see. Do I know them?”

“You don’t know them.” A straightforward four-word response.