After exiting the photos, Han Jingnian read the remaining unread text messages one by one. Then, he stared at the phone screen for a while in deep thought. Afterward, he placed the phone back in its original position and left the master bedroom.

…

The next day was Monday, and Han Jingnian had his regular morning meeting. It was just past six in the morning when he got up to go for a jog downstairs.

After returning, he took a shower, got dressed, and checked the master bedroom. Seeing that Xia Wan’an was still sleeping, he quietly closed the door and went to work.

As soon as Han Jingnian got in the car, Assistant Zhang keenly sensed that something was off with their boss, whom they hadn’t seen for two days.

They couldn’t quite put a finger on it; he seemed to be in a bad mood, yet not entirely so. It was as if he had a heavy heart, but it wasn’t quite that either…

In any case, Assistant Zhang discreetly observed Han Jingnian during the entire journey, trying to figure out what was bothering him.

Upon reaching the office, there were still twenty minutes left before the morning meeting. Assistant Zhang prepared a cup of coffee for Han Jingnian and brought it into his office. He was surprised to find Han Jingnian, who would usually get busy as soon as he entered the office, staring at a potted plant, seemingly lost in thought.

Assistant Zhang was ecstatic. It seemed like there was some juicy gossip!

He lingered and watched as Han Jingnian continued to gaze at the potted plant without blinking for a full five minutes.

It seemed like there was something big going on!

Unable to contain his curiosity, he asked, “Mr. Han, have you encountered any trouble? Do you need my assistance?”

Han Jingnian, after shooting his assistant a skeptical look, finally responded, “She cried.”

Assistant Zhang didn’t immediately understand. “What?”

Han Jingnian lowered his head, glanced at his own hand that had wiped away her tears the previous night, and repeated, “Last night, she cried.”

Whether it was due to poor eyesight or not, Assistant Zhang had the feeling that when Han Jingnian said those words just now, he detected a hint of melancholy and frustration between his beautifully defined brows.

Assistant Zhang was momentarily stunned, then he grasped the meaning behind Han Jingnian’s words. “Is it your wife? Why would your wife cry? Did you have a fight?”

Han Jingnian shook his head. “No.”

After a brief silence, he briefly described the events of the previous night from start to finish, leaving out the more intimate moments between him and Xia Wan’an. “…And then she cried.”

Having listened to the explanation, Assistant Zhang, without hesitation, said, “Mr. Han, it seems that your wife was bullied!”

Bullied? Han Jingnian furrowed his brow, not saying anything.

“You see, someone edited her photos with another man for no reason, causing her to be wrongly accused. Then that person threatened her to leave you. This is utterly outrageous! Your wife must be suffering, as wronged as Dou E¹Dou E, also known as Dou E Yuan or “The Injustice to Dou E,” is a famous Chinese classical play written during the Yuan Dynasty by Guan Hanqing. The play tells the tragic story of Dou E, a virtuous young woman who is wrongfully accused of a crime, leading to her unjust execution.
For more info, read this article here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Injustice_to_Dou_E² in the pouring rain! No wonder she cried!” Assistant Zhang enthusiastically analyzed.

Hearing this, Han Jingnian’s gaze suddenly turned cold. “Check whose phone number this is.”

As he said this, Han Jingnian read out eleven numbers.

His assistant, Assistant Zhang, quickly picked up his phone and jotted down the number before proceeding to investigate.

In less than a minute, Assistant Zhang hurried back to report to Han Jingnian, “Mr. Han, I’ve found out. It’s Miss Qin’s phone number.”

Miss Qin?

Han Jingnian furrowed his brow in thought. “Which Miss Qin?”

“The famous actress, Miss Qin Shujian, the one who previously paid Little Yang to stir up rumors with you,” Assistant Zhang clarified.

Seeing that Han Jingnian still seemed perplexed, Assistant Zhang took out his phone, searched for Qin Shujian’s Weibo, and then handed it to Han Jingnian. “Here, it’s this Miss Qin.”

Finally, Han Jingnian had some recognition. He stared at the picture of Qin Shujian on Assistant Zhang’s phone screen for a while before taking the phone and dialing her number.

Seeing this, Assistant Zhang, who was watching nearby, secretly made a victorious “yes” gesture with his hand.

Was this going to be a firsthand witness of the boss cutting off a romantic pursuer and seeking justice for his wife?

Once the call was connected, Han Jingnian glanced at Assistant Zhang, who was standing right there, and suddenly said, “Leave.”

Assistant Zhang opened his mouth, blinked his eyes, looking puzzled.

Seeing Assistant Zhang standing in place without moving, Han Jingnian’s brow furrowed slightly.

Without waiting for Assistant Zhang to react further, he promptly left the room.

Once the office door was closed, the phone call was also connected. From the other end of the line, Qin Shujian’s voice could be heard, “Hello, may I ask who’s calling?”

…

Xia Wan’an was awakened by her alarm clock. She tossed and turned in her bed for a while before finally reaching out to turn off the alarm. Then, she got up to freshen up.

After she finished getting ready, she returned to her bedside to pick up her phone. She was planning to call a car to go to the office when she noticed a bottle of Yakult next to her pillow.

Was this the same Yakult she had forgotten there while watching a movie and eating snacks in bed? Could it have expired by now?

Because it was getting close to her work hours, Xia Wan’an didn’t have time to check the expiration date. She simply treated it as an expired product and threw it into the trash can. Then, she picked up her phone and hurriedly left her home.

Once she was in the car, Xia Wan’an opened her phone to check her messages and WeChat. She saw two more messages from Qin Shujian and couldn’t help but rub her temples.

Only three hours left until noon… Well, she would deal with the situation if it escalated further…

With that thought in mind, Xia Wan’an looked at her other messages.

At work, Xia Wan’an was consumed by her tasks and didn’t have the mental capacity to think about Qin Shujian’s messages. It wasn’t until noon that she managed to take a break. After having lunch, her first action was to rest her head on her desk for a short nap.

However, she hadn’t fallen asleep yet when her phone on the desk started buzzing incessantly.

Glancing at the caller ID, she saw it was a call from Qin Shujian…

Was Qin Shujian trying to assert herself after informing Han Jingnian and stir up trouble?

Xia Wan’an stared at her vibrating phone for a moment before finally answering the call.

Before she could say anything, she heard Qin Shujian’s voice on the other end, “I’m sorry.”

Xia Wan’an blinked in confusion, thinking she had misheard.

“I’m apologizing sincerely, I’m sorry,” Qin Shujian repeated, her tone earnest and serious.

Xia Wan’an raised her head and looked out the window. She saw the sun, not the moon. Finally, she spoke into the phone, “What…”

She only managed to say one word before the rest of her sentence, “What other tricks are you trying to pull?” remained unspoken. From the other end of the call, Qin Shujian suddenly burst into tears.

Xia Wan’an was taken aback. “…”

As Qin Shujian cried, she said, “Do you know, Jingnian called me today for the first time ever? I hadn’t even had a chance to be happy, and he told me, ‘I have a family!'”