Ye Wan didn't know how long she had been sitting in the private room until the waiter knocked on the door, and she reluctantly stood up. Her body swayed twice, and she quickly steadied herself against the table. The waiter, startled, asked if she was alright.
Ye Wan shook her head and, forcing herself, left the restaurant. Outside, she hailed a taxi home. Upon arriving, she collapsed onto the bed and fell asleep. She slept deeply, dreaming of the past again. This time, it wasn't a nightmare, but the more than a year leading up to Mrs. Gu's jump. The dream was filled with how kind the young man had been to her.
When she woke again, she felt completely relaxed. She reached for her phone to check the time and was shocked to see that she had slept for a full day and night.
Fortunately, Gu Yunting didn't force her to return. She figured she had said enough, even going so far as to tarnish her own reputation, so he probably wouldn't want her anymore. After all, what man would want a woman who had slept with someone else?
Her stomach grumbled, and Ye Wan got out of bed to cook herself some noodles. Since she was eating alone, she couldn't be bothered to make anything complicated; a bowl of noodles was perfect.
After eating, she tidied up the house. Looking at the cozy little home, a smile finally appeared on her lips.
...
In the following period, Ye Wan didn't see Gu Yunting again. As for the marriage, she assumed Gu Yunting would proactively handle the divorce proceedings. It wouldn't be difficult for him, considering she hadn't even shown up for the wedding and it still got done.
Mother Jiang was also successfully discharged from the hospital and moved into the apartment that Jiang Yan had rented. After settling her mother, Jiang Yan still had to worry about her father. The once naive girl had quickly matured. Jiang Yan was no longer the carefree girl she used to be.
Ever since that night, Jin Lan hadn't contacted her, but he had kept his promise and resolved all of the Jiang family's troubles. No one came to demand payment from her anymore, which was a relief.
Somehow, someone had posted about the Jiang family's affairs on the school forum. The news of Jiang Yan, who had gone from being a rich second-generation to a pauper needing to rent a place to live, spread throughout the school. People would occasionally point and whisper at Jiang Yan as she walked by.
Jiang Yan pretended not to see anything, but Ye Wan was furious. That evening, she hacked into the forum and deleted the post.
Time flew by, and it was the eve of Christmas Eve. Ye Wan hadn't seen or heard anything related to Gu Yunting for half a month. She studied diligently every day, and on weekends, she would pick up Ye Cheng to spend time together. She would take Ye Cheng to try snacks he had never tasted before, take him to amusement parks, and buy him clothes.
Life was simple and happy, and Ye Wan was content every day. However, she always felt like a part of her was missing. She didn't know why, but she thought it might just be because she wasn't used to it.
Jiang Yan was finally able to see her father. She excitedly shared this good news with Ye Wan. Ye Wan said she would accompany her, but Jiang Yan said it wasn't necessary. Only one person was allowed in, and if she went, she would just have to wait outside, so it was better for her to go alone.
On the day of the visit, the lawyer took Jiang Yan to see her father. Father Jiang had lost a lot of weight and looked much older. Tears immediately welled up in Jiang Yan's eyes. She told her father not to worry and promised to fight for the lightest possible sentence for him.
Father Jiang, however, seemed to have come to terms with it. He said, "This is indeed my responsibility. I caused so many people to lose their loved ones, and I deserve to be punished. You don't need to dwell on it. Take care of your mother. As for your brother and sister... let them figure things out for themselves."