{It’s as if their three years together never existed 2}

The man was dressed in a perfectly tailored suit, meticulous from head to toe, holding a bouquet of vibrant roses in his hands.

In front of him stood two children with delicate, doll-like features, dressed just as formally and expensively as him. From the logos on their clothes, it was clear that they came from a well-off family. If not for the unwilling expression on the little girl’s face betraying her feelings, as an observer, Qian Xu wouldn’t have had much to say about this picture.

The well-dressed, respectable father and children were hard not to associate with the person they were clearly waiting for.

Naturally, people around them guessed that the boy and girl’s mother was the one they were waiting for. The father and children had gathered to give their returning mother a “surprise.” Many passing women, also part of families, couldn’t help but feel envious, as they certainly didn’t get such treatment.

A middle-aged woman, with a long scarf draped over her shoulders, said boldly in front of Shen Qi, “This young man is great! His wife is really lucky to have such treatment.”

Next to her, another woman tugged at her husband’s ear and said, “Your pretty wife has been on a business trip in the U.S. for almost half a month. Why haven’t you and Little Bao done anything special like this for my return?”

The woman’s husband, carrying multiple bags, obediently apologized and promised to make it up to her.

Qian Xu nearly laughed out loud.

If she hadn’t experienced it firsthand and didn’t know exactly what kind of person Shen Qi was, she might have really believed that such an ideal man existed in the world.

People only see the surface. They see Shen Qi’s outward charm but don’t realize that everything has another side.

But she had seen his ugliness and disgrace.

At first, like most passersby, Qian Xu had assumed Shen Qi and his children were waiting for Cheng Shuangyi. But if the unmistakable wave from Shen Qi hadn’t been directed at her, Qian Xu would not have had any doubts. The man wasn’t walking toward anyone else—he was heading toward her.

She had intended to be just a spectator but almost became part of the scene.

She didn’t know for whom Shen Qi was creating this illusion of affection, but Qian Xu had no desire to watch any longer.

Only then did Qian Xu snap back to reality, finally understanding why Shen Xiyue looked so reluctant.

But unfortunately, she no longer had any interest in figuring it out.

Her gaze gradually emptied, and the man who once shone like a star in her eyes was now nothing more than a fleeting cloud. She walked past him without lingering for even a second.

As they passed by each other, he could almost feel the intense, oppressive aura she carried.

But she chose to ignore him without hesitation.

Then, from behind her, she heard a low voice call out, “Ah Xu.”

If it hadn’t been for that intimate, flawless call—as if there had never been any rift between them—perhaps Qian Xu could have remained a mere background character today.

But she could clearly feel how that voice had cruelly dragged her back into the abyss.

Why?

Did he think all he had to do was call her name when he wanted to see her?

He could leave without mercy whenever he wished and return whenever it suited him. The only price he had to pay was a bouquet of flowers, given to her like she was a mere “nanny.” He didn’t care whether his actions troubled her; he simply chose to ignore that.

When Shen Qi wanted to intrude into someone’s life, he never seemed to care if he had their permission.

He assumed he held the upper hand in any relationship.

So was she supposed to act like some mindless supporting character, bewitched by his painfully attractive face, losing all her dignity, and accept a life of working menial jobs at the laundromat?

That was impossible.

She thought, anyone with a proper education would never allow such a thing to happen.

So, in that brief moment when they passed each other, no matter what his call was meant for—whether it was a passing impulse or an attempt to use her return to provoke the numb Cheng Shuangyi—it didn’t matter anymore.

She wouldn’t look back.

There’s no turning back after the arrow leaves the bow.

But what she hadn’t expected was that the man, who cared so much about appearances and valued his reputation above all else, would actually reach out and stop her. He left his two young children behind and quickly walked toward her, paying no mind to the strange looks from onlookers. His voice even carried a hint of unbelievable bitterness.

“What? Pretending not to know me?”

Qian Xu knew that Shen Qi had a deeply rooted perception of her—that in front of so many people, under such scrutiny and with such high expectations—

Her refusal wasn’t really allowed.