Chapter 6: Loss and Contradiction.

“Thanks, but no. I have a girlfriend, and I’d rather avoid any misunderstandings.”

Yu Baowei left Lu Zhao’s apartment with a slight sense of disappointment.

It wasn’t the rejection that stung, but the fact that such an impressive man had a girlfriend—and it wasn’t her.

Opening her door, she stepped into her own home as evening approached, the sky dimming.

The unlit room felt gloomy, a stark contrast to the care she’d felt next door, deepening her sour mood.

Flopping onto the sofa, she pulled out her teaching certificate and absentmindedly sniffed it, as if it still carried the scent of his apartment.

“Smells burnt… ugh! Am I a creep?”

Realizing how odd that was, she tossed it onto the coffee table.

Suddenly, her phone rang.

Yu Baowei pulled it out, her face twisting with irritation at the name on the screen.

“Sigh…”

Exhaling, she suppressed her annoyance and answered.

In a high-end apartment in Goose City.

This was a property Yan Ruyue had bought, convenient for her frequent business trips between cities.

It also served as a home for her daughter, though she hadn’t expected her daughter’s boyfriend to be him.

She’d learned about Yan Qingxin’s relationship from a friend at Goose City University.

After pressing her daughter, Yan Qingxin finally opened up and showed her a photo of Lu Zhao.

Yan Ruyue’s reaction was shock and panic—she couldn’t fathom the coincidence.

After that month together ended, she’d wanted to maintain contact with Lu Zhao.

But when she tried messaging him, she found he’d deleted her.

This was unacceptable. She was always the one to reject others—when had anyone dared treat her this way?

Her pride wouldn’t allow her to chase after a fling, so she never asked Zhao Rong about his whereabouts.

Learning he was her daughter’s boyfriend threw her into a genuine panic.

When Yan Qingxin suggested they meet, Yan Ruyue’s instinct was to refuse.

But she eventually agreed.

Part of her, deep down, wanted to see Lu Zhao again.

Before the meeting, she’d planned to act like a proper elder, getting to know him harmoniously.

She figured Lu Zhao wasn’t unreasonable and would play along.

As expected, he was cooperative—so much so that she wondered if their past was just a delusion.

But his calm demeanor sparked her defiance.

Why are you so composed? Acting like nothing happened?

Why am I the only one overthinking? Does my earlier panic make me look like a fool?

What followed spiraled beyond her control, especially when she saw that familiar face pressed against her, his soft murmurs, his body yielding beneath her.

In that moment, Yan Ruyue felt a rush from soul to body, an unprecedented thrill that led her to say those reckless words.

Words that could have shattered her relationship with her daughter.

Thankfully, Lu Zhao’s cold detachment stopped her in time.

Her heart was torn—craving the excitement and satisfaction of being with him, yet tormented by guilt.

She knew this was wrong, risking not only her reputation but also her bond with her daughter.

Yan Ruyue loosely tied up her wet hair, stepping out of the bathroom in a thin silk nightgown.

Her long legs gleamed softly, the loosely tied belt barely containing her striking figure.

Water droplets slid from her neck down into the deep valley of her chest.

She took a bottle of red wine from the rack, pouring the deep crimson liquid into a glass, its swaying mirroring her restless heart.

Holding the glass, she sat by the floor-to-ceiling window in a recliner.

Her left leg crossed over her right, her toes tracing the air, her mind drifting back to the bathroom scene at noon.

“Sigh…” She sipped the wine, its bittersweet tang wrinkling her brow.

The click of the door opening made her glass tremble slightly.

Yan Qingxin, seeing her mother like this, showed concern.

“Mom, what’s wrong? Something upsetting you?”

Yan Ruyue rarely drank or smoked, only indulging in a bit of wine when she was down—a habit Yan Qingxin knew well.

Looking at her daughter crouching beside her, full of worry, Yan Ruyue’s lips parted. “I’m fine, just a bit tired.”

She reached to pat her daughter’s head but paused halfway, withdrawing her hand.

“Qingxin’s grown up. You probably don’t like Mom touching your head anymore, huh?”

Her smile was strained, likely unflattering.

But Yan Qingxin grabbed her retreating hand and placed it on her head.

“No way! You’re my mom. You can touch it whenever you want.”

Her genuine smile pierced Yan Ruyue’s heart like a blade.

Gently stroking her daughter’s soft hair, Yan Ruyue fought to hide her emotions.

“Alright, get up. You’re not a kid anymore.”

“!” Yan Qingxin’s eyes widened at her mother’s sudden shift.

As if to say, “How can you say that?”

“Haha.” Seeing her daughter’s expression, Yan Ruyue’s mood lightened. “Fine, fine, Qingxin’s the best, okay?”

“Hmph.”

Yan Qingxin changed into loungewear and sat across from her mother.

“Why’d you call me back, Mom?”

“What, interrupting your time with Little Lu?”

Yan Qingxin didn’t notice the bitterness in her mother’s eyes, blushing as she lowered her head.

“No… don’t say that. My relationship with—cough—with Lu Zhao is totally pure.”

Yan Ruyue, seasoned as she was, could see through her.

Flushed cheeks, glowing eyes—clearly, she’d been with her man.

But the thought soured her mood. What a mess.

“I called you back for something we need to do together.”

“Hm? What?”

“Tomorrow night, there’s a business gala in Goose City. I’m one of the invited representatives, and as my daughter, you need to attend with me.”

Yan Qingxin didn’t get it. “Why do I have to go?”

Yan Ruyue’s expression darkened. “Because that woman* will be there with her daughter, announcing her heir.”

“Oh…” Yan Qingxin’s cheek twitched. “Auntie Ling?”

“Hmph, yes.”

Yan Qingxin sighed inwardly, but the mention of an heir sparked an idea. “Um, Mom, can we discuss something?”

“Hm?”

“Can I bring Lu Zhao along? The three of us together would totally outshine Auntie Ling, don’t you think?”