But now, this very healthy cooperative and friendly relationship had somehow transformed into a romantic one, which was somewhat hard for her to accept. Truthfully, she had never thought of seeking a lover younger than herself; that would just seem ridiculous. Besides, had she ever even considered finding a lover? All she wanted was to be with her Candy, to raise Candy to adulthood, and then for the two of them—she and Candy—to live happily together. Therefore, Zi Yunsui’s talk about needing a man to provide for them was wholly unnecessary. She was strong enough; she was now the company’s chairman, with ample money and resources to protect herself and her child.

"Zi Yunsui, stop talking about this. My mind is made up. I hope you can understand my thoughts and also respect yourself," Hua Xiaomo said. No longer wanting to continue the conversation, she turned and went upstairs.

At that moment, she felt her steps were incredibly heavy. But how could she pretend that what happened hadn’t happened? Still, she truly didn’t want to lose this great partner. If only Zi Yunsui could act as if nothing had occurred, that would be for the best.

Zi Yunsui watched Hua Xiaomo’s retreating figure ascending the stairs. He truly wanted to go up and support her by the shoulders, but he restrained himself. He watched her go upstairs from a distance, his heart aching profoundly.

Was last night just a mistake? If it started as such a mistaken beginning, why couldn’t this mistake be rectified? She didn’t love him, but he could make her fall in love with him in the future. Why wouldn’t she give him such a chance? Hua Xiaomo, are you being cruel to yourself, or to him, or perhaps even to Candy? Do you know how much Candy wants him to be his dad? If you knew, what would you think then?

In the end, Zi Yunsui left her villa, feeling utterly helpless. Perhaps he needed time to consider their relationship. Even if they couldn’t be a couple, he wondered if they could even continue their partnership.

Zi Yunsui had left. Hua Xiaomo entered the bathroom alone. She undid her robe and looked at the kiss marks all over her body. At that moment, a wave of shame washed over her. The remaining traces and the lingering pain reminded her that she had been with a second man besides Qi Longbing.

And this man was Zi Yunsui, her partner of five years, a boy three years younger than her. Yes, Zi Yunsui was still just a boy. He looked far too young. So, how could he possibly speak of marriage so lightly? In her view, this was immature. At his age, he should be exploring more relationships, not tying himself down to one person.

Hua Xiaomo took a towel and quietly wiped her body, scrubbing away those marks. But she knew some things that had happened couldn’t be undone, couldn’t be pretended away.

Yet her thoughts wandered to Qi Longbing. Her hands uncontrollably pressed against her chest, and for some reason, tears began to flow, wetting her cheeks and lips, the bitter pain seeping into her heart.

After crying for a while, Hua Xiaomo’s emotions settled somewhat. She slowly wrapped a bath towel around herself and stepped out of the bathroom. Looking at her reflection in the mirror, she managed to calm herself down a little, then got dressed, curled up under the blanket on the bed, and fell asleep again.

She didn’t know how much time had passed, but when she woke up again, Ye Xiangxue was already at her bedside.

"Xiao Mo, what’s wrong? Are you still running a fever? You shouldn’t be taking a bath then; you could catch a cold, you know," Ye Xiangxue said, taking down the IV drip that was hanging for her.

Hua Xiaomo was startled. When had she even been put on an IV drip?

Ye Xiangxue looked at her with a smile and said, "Don’t be surprised. It was Zi Yunsui who asked me to come take care of you. He said you were sick, so he asked me to put you on an IV drip."

"Oh, that Zi Yunsui, he’s really strange," Ye Xiangxue rattled on. "Yesterday, I hadn’t even said anything, and he told me to give up, saying he’d never like someone like me. Who would even like him, anyway? So arrogant, thinking he’s all that! I doubt any girl would like him."

As Ye Xiangxue spoke in a rush, Hua Xiaomo listened with listless, half-closed eyes, her mind only registering a few key implications.

So, it was Zi Yunsui who had asked Ye Xiangxue to come and take care of her, and to set up the IV drip.

"Where is Zi Yunsui?" Hua Xiaomo asked slowly, a flicker of indiscernible emotion in her eyes.

"He’s at the company. He said he’d be working overtime there for the next few days, so he couldn’t come take care of you himself. That’s why he asked me to do it," Ye Xiangxue replied, looking at Hua Xiaomo.

Hua Xiaomo thought for a moment, then looked at Ye Xiangxue. "Ye Xiangxue, do you really think Zi Yunsui doesn’t like you?"

Ye Xiangxue was taken aback. Looking at Hua Xiaomo, she then shook her head vigorously.

"He definitely doesn’t like me, and besides, I don’t have those kinds of feelings for him either. Xiao Mo, stop worrying about us. I have my own plans, and I believe there are still good men in this world. It’s just a matter of finding them slowly," Ye Xiangxue said with a smile, her cheeks flushed a becoming rosy red.

Seeing her so calm and confident, Hua Xiaomo felt relieved.

"Alright then," Hua Xiaomo said with a smile, looking at Ye Xiangxue. "I wish you a speedy discovery of your Prince Charming, and may you quickly walk down the aisle!" This girl really is a good person, she thought. She truly hoped Ye Xiangxue could find her own happiness. Unlike herself, who was still adrift and alone, not knowing where she belonged, and whose life was a complete mess. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

Ye Xiangxue looked at Hua Xiaomo and also smiled faintly.

"You too, Xiao Mo," Ye Xiangxue said, smiling at Hua Xiaomo, her arm around her. "You need to get well quickly, and then your Prince Charming will come to you!" At that moment, Ye Xiangxue truly felt that Hua Xiaomo was her benefactor.

Yes, ever since she left City A and came to City B, she felt much more energetic. She no longer had to dwell on messy, complicated things, and she really enjoyed her job in game development. Moreover, she felt their game had great potential. Sometimes, when she played it, she would lose track of time; it was really addictive. Therefore, she believed their game definitely had a great future, and she would certainly do a good job with its promotion and sales.