You tricked me into raising your son? You'll divorce me and become my aunt.

After walking along that street for a few minutes, Fu Tingchen's phone rang.

He hurriedly took it out, thinking it was Ruan Ning calling back.

However, the caller ID displayed the name "Xin Yao".

Disappointment flashed through Fu Tingchen's heart. He slowed his pace to answer the phone, "Hello, Xinyao."

"Tingchen, haven't you finished eating yet? Shuoshuo and I are waiting for you at home."

Fu Tingchen pressed his fingertips against his brow, a layer of unyielding restlessness covering his expression.

Normally, Fu Tingchen might have softened his tone and offered a few words of reassurance.

But at this moment, his mind was filled with thoughts of the missing Ruan Ning, and he had little patience.

"Don't wait for me." He spoke quickly, with obvious impatience. "If you're sleepy, go to sleep first."

Bai Xinyao paused slightly, a question flashing through her mind.

She asked, "How much longer will it take you to come back? Shuo Shuo keeps making a fuss about waiting for his dad, and I've tried to coax him for ages without success."

At this moment, Fu Tingchen's mind was entirely focused on Ruan Ning.

He casually replied, "Ruan Ning got into some trouble and went missing. I'm looking for her outside right now. I don't know when I'll be back tonight. You guys should get some rest and don't need to wait for me."

Bai Xinyao's fingers tightened suddenly as she gripped her phone, and the gentle smile in her eyes vanished instantly.

A cold, gloomy aura settled over the woman's face.

She tried to keep her voice steady, pretending to be just expressing ordinary concern, and asked softly, "What happened to Xiao Ning? Does she need help?"

"It's nothing," Fu Tingchen said indifferently, unwilling to say more.

After saying that, he hung up the phone.

Bai Xinyao stared at the ended call screen, her expression gradually turning cold.

She kept replaying Fu Tingchen's tone in her mind during the phone call.

She knows him too well.

Fu Tingchen's tone just now clearly showed that he was worried about Ruan Ning.

He panicked because of Ruan Ning.

Bai Xinyao lowered her eyes, her gaze filled with a dark and resentful intensity.

Fu Tingchen is hers.

It can only be hers.

Ruan Ning was merely occupying the empty title of Mrs. Fu, nothing more than an insignificant appendage to a marriage, an outsider who could be replaced at any time.

How could he care about Ruan Ning? How could he worry about Ruan Ning?

Could it be... that Fu Tingchen has fallen for Ruan Ning?

The moment this thought crossed Bai Xinyao's mind, jealousy flared up instantly.

She endured for years, carefully planning each step, before finally returning to Fu Tingchen's side.

She won his trust and favor by feigning obedience, understanding, gentleness, and thoughtfulness.

She has already lost her position as Mrs. Fu to Ruan Ning, and she absolutely cannot let Ruan Ning steal Fu Tingchen's heart as well.

Absolutely not.

A few minutes later, Bai Xinyao dialed Fu Tingchen's number again.

"Xinyao, what's wrong now?" Fu Tingchen's voice was clearly impatient.

Bai Xinyao: "Tingchen, Shuoshuo has a stomachache and has been having diarrhea. I don't know if it's because he ate something unclean tonight. Please come back and check on him."

Fu Tingchen frowned, his inner turmoil intensifying.

"I can't go back right now. You should take the child to the hospital first. I'll come over later when I'm done with my work."

Bai Xinyao's fingers tightened.

He refuses to come back.

For Ruan Ning, he was even willing to temporarily put aside the safety of his child?

Bai Xinyao's voice was choked with sobs: "Tingchen, Shuoshuo is your own son, aren't you worried at all?"

"In your heart, is Ruan Ning more important than Shuo Shuo? Have you fallen for Ruan Ning?"

Upon hearing this, Fu Tingchen suddenly stopped and stood frozen in place.

Has he fallen for Ruan Ning?

Fu Tingchen instinctively wanted to deny it.

But the image of Ruan Ning running away with her face covered and eyes red flashed uncontrollably through his mind.

He had to admit that he was very worried about her at that moment.

He panicked.

In the past three years, he has never touched Ruan Ning.

He always regarded her only as Mrs. Fu in name only.

They got married simply because the Fu family needed a daughter-in-law of equal social standing.

But why is she all he can think about right now?

Seeing that Fu Tingchen remained silent, Bai Xinyao felt both bitter and resentful.

With a sob in her voice, she urged, "Tingchen, please come back soon."

After a long silence, Fu Tingchen closed his eyes briefly. "I'm going back now."

Fu Tingchen got into the car and instructed the driver, "Turn around and go back to Yunjin Residence."

The driver immediately turned around and headed towards Yunjinju.

Fu Tingchen leaned back in his chair, his eyes slightly closed, his brows furrowed.

On the way back, my phone screen lit up with a message from my uncle, Jin Xiuhan.

Your wife is crying alone on Binhe West Road.

Upon seeing this message, Fu Tingchen's heart skipped a beat, as if something had struck his chest.

All the tension and worry that he had just suppressed began to spread again.

Without any hesitation, he instructed the driver, "Change route, go to Binhe West Road."

The driver was taken aback, but dared not ask any more questions. He turned the car around again and sped off towards Binhe West Road.

The car weaves through the traffic at night.

Fu Tingchen's mind was in complete turmoil.

This marriage was a complete scam from beginning to end.

Xu Jianye was right about one thing.

When Nguyen Ninh's mother was still alive, the Nguyen family business was thriving, and the two families were indeed a perfect match.

After Ruan Ning's mother passed away, the Ruan family began to decline.

However, with the help of the Jin Group, the Fu family's enterprises are thriving.

The gap between the two companies is widening.

He could sense that his mother, Jin Manrong, was becoming increasingly dissatisfied with her daughter-in-law, Ruan Ning.

Ruan Ning suffered greatly in this marriage.

He agreed to Xu Jianye's request today in order to compensate Ruan Ning.

Unexpectedly, Ruan Ning refused in public.

He even got slapped by Xu Jianye.

It seems that Ruan Ning's biological father is not as good to his daughter as he appears.

At this moment, he couldn't tell whether he felt more guilty or more worried.

He just wanted to see Ruan Ning immediately.

A few minutes later, the car stopped beside the riverside walkway on Binhe West Road.

The night was deep, and the river wind was fierce.

The surroundings were empty and silent.

Fu Tingchen got out of the car and quickly glanced around.

The long riverbank of Binhe West Road is dotted with lights.

But as far as the eye could see, there was nothing but emptiness; there was no sign of Ruan Ning.

She's gone.

He took out his phone and dialed Ruan Ning's number again.

But still no one answered the phone.

At that moment, a sense of frustration welled up inside me.

He suddenly felt that he was a terrible husband.

How much injustice has Ruan Ning silently endured over the years?

The phone rang; it was Bai Xinyao calling again.

Fu Tingchen calmed himself down before answering the call.

"Tingchen, when are you coming back? Shuoshuo's stomach hurts and he keeps crying. It breaks my heart to see him like this. As his father, aren't you going to abandon him?"

Fu Tingchen sighed silently, "I'll be right back."

Cheng Xi rented an apartment in an old neighborhood.

Ruan Ning took a taxi to get here.

The walls of the apartment building are mottled, and the corridors are lit with warm, inviting lights.

Cheng Xi lives on the third floor in a small one-bedroom apartment of 50 square meters.

Ruan Ning knocked on the door.

The door was opened in just a few seconds.

Cheng Xi had just finished showering and was wearing loose loungewear.

"Ningning, what brings you here?"

Seeing Ruan Ning's swollen cheek, Cheng Xi's expression changed. "What happened to your face?"

Ruan Ning's eyes reddened, and she stepped forward to hug Cheng Xi tightly.

Cheng Xi reached out and hugged her back, gently patting her back, and asked through gritted teeth, "Was it that bastard Fu Tingchen who hit you?"

Ruan Ning's eyes were red, and her long eyelashes were wet. "No."

"Come in and talk." Cheng Xi led the person into the house.

Ruan Ning sat down on the sofa in the living room and told Cheng Xi about what had happened that day.