That night.

Although there was nothing overly romantic about it, Pang Jun still lay in bed clutching his phone, tossing and turning until four or five in the morning.

Accompanying him were countless silly smiles.

It made him feel like his springtime had arrived—or rather, that he had finally found that heart-racing feeling.

Even if their conversations on WeChat were just ordinary and mundane.

Pang, a straightforward man, felt something inexplicable—something magical.

It was that she understood him, she really got him!

If he could live with a woman like this, wouldn't marriage be filled with happiness?

Yes.

For men like him, daydreaming and fantasizing come naturally.

Just a few hours of chatting on WeChat, and Pang Jun was already envisioning a beautiful married life.

By 4:30 AM, after they finished talking, he even scrolled through her WeChat Moments.

That scroll lasted almost an hour.

Inspirational posts about life, values that aligned with his, and selfies so captivating he couldn't look away.

Pang Jun was utterly mesmerized.

Not long after he fell asleep, he dreamed of her—dressed in casual sportswear, ponytail swinging, her face bright and lively. They walked hand in hand along the Pearl River, eventually stepping into the wedding hall.

While Pang Jun was indulging in his romantic fantasies, Chen Yinuo, over at Shanshuijian, had a sleepless night.

Even though Ye Chen had given her all the reassurance she needed, she couldn't help but worry about the storms they were bound to face.

Throughout the night, she drifted in and out of sleep, totaling no more than two or three hours.

By the next day, she had to apply heavier makeup to cover her dark circles before heading to work.

Ye Chen had planned to accompany her, but she declined after careful thought.

His absence might make things slightly harder for her, but if Ye Chen came along, the media frenzy could escalate even further.

By 9 AM, a Porsche Cayenne arrived punctually at the parking lot in front of Yiren Ruxue Company.

As soon as Chen Yinuo stepped out and walked toward the entrance—

Suddenly.

Reporters from gossip outlets and self-media, hungry for a headline, sprang from their cars and swarmed toward her.

Even though she had anticipated this scenario, the suddenness of it startled her.

"Ms. Chen, online reports say your husband used to be a heavy-drinking, gambling, and abusive man. How do you respond to such claims?"

"Ms. Chen, some of the stories were reportedly shared by your mother, Liu Xueqin. This seems undeniable. How can you stay with someone like him?"

"Ms. Chen, as the saying goes, a leopard can't change its spots. Do you truly believe your husband has reformed and won't relapse?"

"Ms. Chen, rumors suggest you were planning to divorce him, but his sudden wealth changed your mind. Is that true?"

"Ms. Chen, why isn't your husband here today? Is he afraid to face the public?"

"Ms. Chen—"

They encircled her tightly.

The barrage of pointed questions left Chen Yinuo's mind blank, her vision darkening.

She had always lived a quiet life as an ordinary citizen—she'd never faced anything like this.

Her face turned pale as she stood there, overwhelmed.

But when she noticed the cameras trained on her, she forced herself to calm down.

After several deep breaths, she steadied herself.

"Everyone has a past, some more regrettable than others. Not just Ye Chen—any one of you here. Can you confidently say you have no skeletons in your closet? That if they were unearthed, they wouldn't cause you trouble or embarrassment?

The same goes for mistakes. Ye Chen has made his, but none of you know what he was like before those stories. We've been together since college, and after four years of dating, we married. If he hadn't given me hope or warmth, do you think I would have stayed with him for all these years?

Ye Chen was once ambitious. We shared dreams of a bright future, but life has its rough patches. His entrepreneurial efforts ended in failure, a blow that could break anyone. He fell into a slump afterward.

I'm not here to defend him—he made mistakes, and he admits that. But as his wife, I share part of the blame for not pulling him out of his darkest days. That's on me.

But that's all in the past. Thankfully, he has emerged from that darkness, regained his confidence, and rekindled his ambition. For me, as his wife, the past doesn't matter anymore. It's the present and the future that I care about, and I believe he won't let me down again.

As for claims that I stayed because he got rich—if wealth defined our relationship, it wouldn't have lasted through years in a cramped rental in the city's outskirts. There's no need to address that further.

I'm just an ordinary woman, and my desires are simple. As long as he puts me and our child first, I'll stand by him, till death do us part."

Her words were candid, yet indirect.

To the media, hoping for explosive headlines, she'd said everything and nothing at all.

This wasn't the scoop they were hoping for.

"Ms. Chen—"

Just as they pressed further, Pang Jun arrived, jumping out of his car before even parking.

"Security! Security!

What are you all standing around for? Can't you see Ms. Chen is being harassed?"

At his outburst, the security guards snapped into action, rushing over to clear a path for Chen Yinuo.

"Ms. Chen, don't waste your time with these people. Let's go!" Pang Jun urged.

"Alright," she smiled softly, quickening her pace.

Pang Jun, undeterred by the glares of the frustrated reporters, followed closely behind her.

While waiting for the elevator, Pang Jun opened his mouth as if to speak but hesitated several times.

Noticing his unease, Chen Yinuo finally broke the silence.

"Pang, what do you think of Ye Chen?"