Chapter 23: Is He Your Ex-Husband?

When everything was finished, it was already dark. They checked into two adjoining rooms at a nearby hotel and then coordinated an online meeting with the rest of the team stationed at the apartment. By the time they finished working, it was nearly midnight.

After a night of rest, they visited the factory again the next morning. Just as they were finishing lunch and preparing to head home, Wen Jianan received another message from Liang Yuxiu. He was waiting for them.

Wen Jianan had been occupied with work since arriving yesterday and hadn't had a moment to think about anything else; she had no idea that Liang Yuxiu still hadn't left. She made a prompt decision and turned him down. She had no desire to travel back with him.

After sending the reply, she checked out of the hotel and began looking for a ride-hailing service, when Chen Ling nudged her arm. "Jianan, look."

Wen Jianan looked up, puzzled, only to see Liang Yuxiu’s business car parked right in front of the hotel. As they emerged, the car door slid open automatically, and Liang Yuxiu, sitting in the back, spoke up: "Get in."

Wen Jianan: "..."

He truly did not understand the word "no." She began to question herself—how had she ever managed to put up with him in the past? However, she said nothing, as it was clear she wouldn't be able to leave otherwise; Liang Yuxiu’s demeanor made it plain that he intended for them to get in the car.

Not wanting to cause a scene in front of her colleagues or reveal things that should remain hidden, she canceled her ride-hailing request, as no driver had yet accepted it anyway. This time, Wen Jianan sat in the back with Chen Ling, pretending to be busy with work from time to time. Aside from a brief word of thanks upon entering, she did not say another word to Liang Yuxiu. She also failed to notice that he was watching her periodically through the rearview mirror.

They reached the city by three o'clock. As they passed the Yazhiyuan Apartments where they were staying, Wen Jianan finally spoke up and asked Liang Yuxiu to drop them off.

Hardly had she stepped into the apartment when Cheng He sent a message, as if he had a premonition. Wen Jianan agreed to his invitation to meet. Since Xiao Jiang and the others had headed to the Quanteng branch office, Wen Jianan left the apartment and went to the café where she had arranged to meet him.

He was already there. Barely two sentences into their conversation, Wen Jianan took a gift box from her bag and gently pushed it toward him. Cheng He looked confused. Wen Jianan smiled. "Open it and see."

After a moment of hesitation, Cheng He opened the box to find a black diamond-encrusted brooch in the shape of a crane with its wings spread, ready to take flight.

Cheng He was even more bewildered. "A return gift," Wen Jianan explained with a smile. From their very first meeting, she had noticed that he loved wearing brooches, even during daily work. The most important part of giving a gift is to cater to the recipient's preferences. Wen Jianan had hit the mark perfectly, which made Cheng He feel uniquely respected.

He froze for a long moment; when he looked at her again, his eyes held a touch of admiration and... regret. She was a sincere woman, and he felt truly sorry for his previous concealment—or rather, deception.

"I am truly sorry. Regarding the matter with Xiaofeng, while there is no excuse, I hope you will allow me to explain. It was not intentional."

A day had been enough for Wen Jianan to process everything. Since Cheng He hadn't harmed her interests, she was willing to show understanding, even going so far as to ask with curiosity, "You said you were never divorced, then whose child is he?"

In truth, she had already decided not to continue pretending to date Cheng He, but she felt she at least needed to get to the bottom of the matter. She disliked unclear beginnings, and she disliked unclear endings even more.

Her composure made Cheng He feel fortunate, but this was immediately followed by a sense of shame and helplessness. The more composed she was, the more it proved she didn't care about the situation, and if she didn't care, it meant she had never truly considered a future with him. Realizing this, Cheng He offered a bitter smile.

He explained that the child was with his first love. They had the child right after graduating from university, but they never married and eventually parted ways. Over the years, the child had remained in his care.

Wen Jianan nodded in realization. "That’s understandable." Student romances were often intense; when she loved Liang Yuxiu, she had been the same, even dreaming of having a child with him at the height of her infatuation.

"When my family arranged blind dates, it wasn't that I hadn't told the women involved, but no one could accept Xiaofeng. Eventually, my family stopped mentioning it. At first, I thought we would never see each other again, so I didn't see the need to bring it up." But he never expected that they would continue to be in contact.

Wen Jianan thought for a moment. As she went to speak, some hair fell over her face, and she subconsciously tucked it behind her ear. At that moment, Cheng He caught sight of the earring she was wearing. His brow furrowed as if he remembered something, and his expression shifted. He immediately asked, "Jianan, did you know Ah Xiu before?"

Wen Jianan's heart skipped a beat, but she quickly regained her composure and nodded.

"I’ve seen those earrings on him," Cheng He said, explaining why he had asked. Wen Jianan immediately realized that when she was in Miancheng and had gone to the hotel to retrieve her earrings from Liang Yuxiu, Cheng He must have been in his room and seen them then.

"Is he your ex-husband?" Even though it seemed incredible, Cheng He asked the question. In his mind, Liang Yuxiu and Wen Jianan were from two completely different worlds. The idea that they were ex-spouses was shocking enough to make anyone's jaw drop.

Wen Jianan pursed her lips, an admission of silence.

"Then I understand," Cheng He said suddenly, looking disheartened and disappointed.

"Why do you say that?" Wen Jianan didn't understand, subconsciously wondering if there had been some conflict between the two men because of her.

Cheng He did not hide it; he told Wen Jianan that Cheng Zifeng had been brought to the company by an assistant at Liang Yuxiu's behest, likely to sow discord between him and her. Wen Jianan found it absurd. But thinking back to Liang Yuxiu's attitude and his words in the car the day before, she realized Cheng He's theory wasn't impossible.

However, she and Liang Yuxiu had been divorced for so many years—what could he possibly gain from doing this?

Wen Jianan left the café before finishing her coffee. She needed to calm down and think. Cheng He’s concealment of his child was wrong, but that was a matter between her and him. What business was it of Liang Yuxiu’s? Why did he feel the need to interfere?

After stepping out of the café, Wen Jianan stood by the roadside for a while. Just as she gathered her thoughts and reached out to hail a taxi, Xiao Jiang called.

"Sister Nan, are you still out?"

Upon receiving her confirmation, Xiao Jiang asked for her location. Learning she was not far from Quanteng, she asked Wen Jianan to swing by and pick up a document to bring back to the apartment, as they had forgotten it earlier.

Wen Jianan agreed. After catching a taxi to Quanteng, she picked up the document from Lin Li. It was already past office hours, and Wen Jianan waited through several elevator cycles. When one finally arrived, she looked up, only to find someone else inside whom she did not want to see.