After five years of a cold marriage, I can no longer hide the child I secretly gave birth to.

The man's pleasant, clean scent wafted over her, and she looked up in alarm, recognizing his handsome, well-defined face.

Breaths mingled, and she was so nervous she could hear her own heartbeat; her body shrank uncomfortably.

Just as she was about to thank him, the man suddenly pulled her up and quickly withdrew his hand as if to avoid suspicion.

Zhou Yanci stared at her, "Be more careful when you get out of the car next time."

Xu Daikui knew that he had rejected her again, but she hadn't expected this to happen.

"sorry."

She whispered an apology to the man, just as the delivery guy rushed over to her, "Miss, are you alright?"

Xu Daikui shook her head, "It's nothing."

Looking at her fair and innocent face, the delivery guy couldn't help but take out his phone. "Miss, how about we add each other on WeChat? In case you need compensation for your injuries later, you can contact me directly."

Seeing his lingering gaze on her, Xu Daikui shook her head uncomfortably, "No need, I'm really fine."

"It's okay, miss, you don't need to be so polite with me, it's just adding each other on WeChat."

The delivery guy wouldn't let it go, staring at the phone in Xu Daikui's hand, determined to get her contact information.

"Get out, or I'll report you for sexual harassment."

Zhou Yanci, who had already walked far away, suddenly turned back and rang out with a cold voice.

The delivery guy thought they didn't know each other and that he had just rescued them by chance, since the two were dressed very differently.

But now that he saw this man dressed in luxurious clothes seemed to be intentionally protecting her, he abandoned his malicious intentions and turned away dejectedly.

"Thank you."

Xu Daikui never expected that he would come back again and see her in such a disheveled state.

Zhou Yanci looked down at her with a detached expression. "When did you move out?"

Xu Daikui was stunned for a moment before realizing that he was referring to their wedding room.

"I moved out a week after you left."

There were surveillance cameras in Yushui Bay, so Xu Daikui didn't deliberately hide it.

"I'm sorry to have troubled you."

As soon as the mocking voice fell, the man turned and left.

Xu Daikui didn't understand what he was saying. Was he apologizing to her?

He felt that his departure without saying goodbye for five years had indeed made him feel wronged.

Or perhaps, he regretted it?

Although the chances were slim, Hsu Dai-kui quickly stepped forward and called out to him. She was about to ask about the divorce agreement, but suddenly changed her mind and asked something else.

Are you and your sister happy living abroad?

She desperately wanted to know if being with her sister was what he truly desired.

When the two of them were deeply in love, did he ever think of her even a little bit?

If he really had no feelings for her at all, why did he approach her in the first place?

Was it unintentional that he led her into the abyss to offer her salvation?

The answer has been clearly written in these five years since she left without saying goodbye; only she foolishly clings to a sliver of hope.

"Xu Daikui, mind your own business."

Zhou Yanci stared at her for a while, then coldly uttered a sentence and turned to leave.

As the car disappeared from sight, Xu Daikui felt a tightness in her chest.

It turns out she didn't even have the right to ask him anything; she had been deluding herself once again.

Braving the biting cold wind, she strolled around the tree-lined path in the neighborhood to calm herself down before going to the market to buy some groceries for dinner.

When I got home, I saw Xie Jia drawing with Xu Meng.

Seeing her return, Xie Jia quickly asked, "How did it go? Did you finish up the important tasks?"

She originally wanted to ask if the divorce had gone through, but she tactfully avoided the question because of the child.

Xu Daikui shook her head and carried the groceries into the kitchen.

Xie Jia immediately followed her in and closed the kitchen door. "What exactly happened? Didn't Fang Qing say you met with Zhou Yanci? Didn't he mention it?"

This heartless man ran away for five years, and now he's back in the country with his beauty. Isn't the first thing he should do to get a divorce and let his beloved take his place?

Xu Daikui lowered her head and picked vegetables. "He didn't mention it, but it'll be soon. He's already asked me for my bank account number so he can transfer the divorce settlement first."

"What? He's that generous? He's probably worried you'll cling to him and ruin his fun with that slut, isn't he?"

That's probably it.

Xu Daikui's eyes glazed over.

Zhou Yanci was overthinking things. If she really wanted to ruin their relationship, she would have gone hysterically and recklessly stirred up a storm in the media the moment he left the country.

Since she didn't do that back then, she won't be clinging to him like a madwoman now.

He was always the one in control among them.

He wanted a divorce, and she had no complaints.

Now I just want to part ways with him amicably.

"Oh, by the way, could you send the card number to Fang Qing for me later?"

Xu Daikui picked out the vegetables and gave Xie Jia another piece of advice.

She didn't have Zhou Yanci's contact information, so she couldn't leave him her bank card number. Luckily, her best friend was Fang Qing's girlfriend, so having her pass on the card would save her a lot of trouble.

At the dinner table, Xu Daikui looked at her obedient daughter eating with a face full of heartache.

She picked up a chicken leg for her and said, "Mengmeng, eat more."

Xu Meng nodded, picked up a chicken leg with her chopsticks, and started eating.

She has always been very obedient. She can't speak and doesn't have a father. She's afraid that if she's naughty, one day even her mother, who loves her the most, will abandon her.

Seeing that her mouth was stuffed full, Xu Daikui quickly handed her water, saying, "Eat slowly, be careful not to choke."

Xu Meng obediently drank the water.

Looking at her obedient manner, Xu Daikui was reminded of herself when she was a child.

Her biological mother met Xu Guodong while on a business trip, and he became pregnant with her after a drunken one-night stand.

After giving birth to her, her mother disappeared without a trace.

Xu Guodong had always cultivated a reputation as a good husband, and he held a high-ranking position, so he regarded the accident that happened with her mother as a disgrace, which made her live a life of darkness as well.

When she was little, her stepmother was furious because she broke a bowl, which led to Xu Guodong punishing her by not allowing her to eat dinner. After that, she always learned to be very careful at the dinner table.

Xu Meng's timid expression now is very similar to her appearance back then.

For the past four years, she has been raising her with all her heart and soul, providing her with the best she can, both emotionally and materially.

But she was still very shy.

She was even considering finding a psychologist for Xu Meng.

After Xie Jia finished eating, she went on a date with Fang Qing. Xu Daikui cleaned up the dishes, put Xu Meng to sleep, and then turned on the computer.

Two emails from Sunflower Star.

She opened the box and found two certificates, each with a prize of 10,000 yuan.

Xu Meng has loved drawing since she was two years old. Perhaps because she couldn't speak, she was always extremely focused when she drew, and the things she drew were incredibly skillful.

Xu Daikui tried submitting her artwork to an online calligraphy and painting competition, and it indeed received a lot of views.

At first, it was just a small amount of money, a few hundred or tens of dollars, until a calligraphy and painting exhibition called Kuiyao Star appeared, and they directly bought the copyright of Xu Meng's paintings.

They accept Xu Meng's manuscripts every time she publishes one, and the prize money is always in the thousands, with the largest amount being 100,000.

The child really did bring his own food.

Giving birth to Xu Meng was the only thing that brought comfort to Xu Daikui's terrible life.

Although Mengmeng may not like being born into a family like hers, she is still very grateful to God.

...

The next morning, after dropping Mengmeng off at kindergarten, Xu Daikui went to work at the pet hospital.

At the morning meeting, Dean Zhao looked at everyone and said, "Around 10 o'clock later, the largest investor in our hospital will come to inspect our work. Everyone, please be on your toes and make sure we take good care of our benefactor."

This hospital is relatively new; Xu Daikui came here for her university internship six years ago.

After operating for a little over a month, the hospital was embroiled in a lawsuit due to a false complaint filed by the property owner, and was on the verge of bankruptcy.

She was on the verge of losing the job she liked, and was depressed for several days. But then an investor took a liking to the hospital and injected a considerable amount of money into it. In the end, she also hired the best lawyers and won the case.

And so, she worked here for six years, starting as a nurse who cared for small animals and gradually working her way up to her current position as a rehabilitation therapist.

She was quite grateful to that mysterious investor.

"Dr. Xu, you're one of the senior staff members in the hospital, and you have excellent eyesight. When the investors arrive later, you'll come with me to help entertain them."

Xu Daikui smiled brightly, "Okay, no problem, Dean."

She rarely experiences smooth sailing in her life; only her job and Xu Meng are the reasons she perseveres and stays alive.

Around 10 a.m., she followed the dean and his entourage to the entrance to receive the mysterious investors.

A Maybach slowly drove into view, and Xu Daikui's breath caught in her throat as she looked at the familiar license plate.

His hands, hanging by his sides, clenched tightly. The car stopped in his line of sight, and the bodyguard opened the door, allowing a man in a dark gray overcoat to step out.

His features were cool and handsome, his demeanor refined, and he wore the familiar Rolex on his wrist that he hadn't taken off in six years…

Who else could that man be but Zhou Yanci?

That watch was a birthday gift from Xu Jiaojiao to him six years ago.

I remember she also prepared a gift that day, a jar of stars she folded herself, with each piece of paper inside containing her blessings and love for him.

But when she saw that Xu Jiaojiao was going to give him an expensive Rolex, she ultimately couldn't bring herself to give him her cheap star-shaped gift.

Luckily, I didn't send it.

Zhou Yanci usually changes his clothes and shoes frequently, but he still cherishes his watch, even though the paint on the edge is worn off.

He was truly devoted to Xu Jiaojiao.

"Mr. Zhou, I am so sorry for not greeting you properly. It is truly an honor for me to have you personally visit our hospital..."

The dean felt like he was dreaming when he saw a big shot like Zhou Yanci, whom he usually only saw on TV news.

While Xu Daikui was still in a daze, Dean Zhao had already warmly gone over to shake Zhou Yanci's hand and welcomed him inside.

It turns out that the bigwig who invested in the pet hospital was Zhou Yanci.

But Zhou's Group has never been involved in the digital economy.

Why invest in a little-known pet hospital?

Could it be because of me?

After this thought flashed through her mind, Xu Daikui's heart couldn't help but become chaotic and active.