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“Jin Chengyan.” Xi Yisheng stood before Jin Chengyan, calling his name without a hint of emotion.
In the past, when he thought about Jono, he imagined that if he ever met Jin Chengyan, he would beat him up for what he had done to Jono. How could that man turn a girl like Jono into someone like this?
But now that he was actually facing him, Xi Yisheng felt surprisingly calm. All the entanglements of the past had vanished along with Jono's transformation.
Now there was only Faye, and not a single Jono who liked Jin Chengyan.
“Please stay away from Faye.” It wasn’t fear of this person disrupting Jono’s thoughts; it was simply that someone like him didn’t deserve to be around her.
Jin Chengyan snorted coldly, looking indifferently at the man before him. He had to admit that Xi Yisheng exuded a powerful aura. Most importantly, Jin Chengyan could see the concern in his eyes for Jono.
But what right did such a man have to say these things in front of her legitimate husband?
“Stay out of my business with Jono! I don’t care what happened between you and Jono over the past four years, but as long as she is my wife, you will not lay a finger on her.” Jin Chengyan stepped closer to Xi Yisheng, declaring like a king.
“You?” Xi Yisheng scoffed, “Do you really think you deserve to be Faye’s husband? Just because you have a marriage certificate doesn’t mean you own her. Don’t forget, you’ve been separated for over two years. The only reason you haven’t gone through legal channels is to save face. But if you really want to go down that path, we can play that game.”
This man kept mentioning Faye; she was clearly Jono. Just because they had been together for four years, did he think he could act so recklessly?
“Xi Yisheng, you need to take responsibility for what you say!”
“Jin Chengyan! You have no idea how Faye has survived these past four years! She suffers from depression; she tried to take her own life! It took her a year of medication to recover! Your betrayal completely erased Jono from this world! So you have no right to dictate her future. If you truly love her, let her go! Being with you was the darkest time in her life.”
The darkest time…
Jin Chengyan suddenly choked on his words.
Was the time spent with Jono so painful?
Even after leaving, she continued to live in a world devoid of light.
Depression, suicide, medication!
How terrifying those words sound, yet they were all too real for Jono.
Could it be that her ability to stand here alive was a gift from heaven?
Jono led Qiao Lovely out of the bathroom and was met with a tense scene outside.
She seemed oblivious to it, merely offering a faint smile to Xi Yisheng.
“Daddy!” Qiao Lovely called out to one of the two men across from her, opening her arms and running toward them.
Both men crouched down, but before Jin Chengyan could open his arms, Qiao Lovely had already leaped into Xi Yisheng's embrace.
Daddy… Xi Yisheng.
Xi Yisheng… Daddy.
Xi Yisheng lifted Qiao Lovely into his arms and waited for Jono to approach. The three of them prepared to leave together, leaving Jin Chengyan alone in his crouched position.
Jin Mengxi waited for a long time but saw no sign of Jin Chengyan coming over. Meanwhile, Jono and the others had already left. Anxious, she finally tossed aside her napkin and ran toward the bathroom.
In the closed restroom, outside was a "Temporarily Out of Service" sign placed by the waiter, and he was inside.
But she didn’t dare to disturb him until Jin Chengyan came out on his own.
He still looked so tall and handsome, but upon closer inspection, one could see a hint of red veins in his eyes.
“I’m leaving first. You can drive back by yourself,” Jin Chengyan said lightly before leaving the restaurant, tightly clutching a strand of hair in his hand.
Jin Mengxi wanted to chase after him, but her phone rang at that moment. She glanced at the caller ID and quickly pushed Jin Chengyan out of her mind, sweetly answering the call.
“What made you think of calling me? I thought you’d forget about me as soon as you turned around!” Jin Mengxi smiled at her reflection in the glass, her cheeks flushed, wearing the expression of a young girl in love.
Whatever the other person said made Jin Mengxi’s smile even brighter. She immediately nodded and said, “Sure! I happen to be nearby, come pick me up… Okay!”
After hanging up, Jin Mengxi smiled at her reflection in the glass but suddenly turned serious: “Is this too forward of me?”
Half an hour later, Jin Mengxi arrived downstairs. A black sedan stopped in front of her, and the driver rolled down the window, gesturing for her to get in.
Jin Mengxi brushed her hair back before opening the car door.
As soon as she got in, the man in the driver's seat leaned over, his nose brushing against her cheek. The strong scent of hormones enveloped her, causing her to blush involuntarily.
Is he going to kiss me?
Should I close my eyes now?
With a soft click, it turned out to be just the seatbelt.
The man reached out and playfully tapped her nose. "What are you thinking about all day in that little head of yours?"
Teased by him, the girl's face flushed even more. "What do you mean..."
However, in the next moment, he truly leaned in and kissed her. It was just a light peck, but it was enough to leave Jin Mengxi flustered.
But after all, she was a young lady from the Jin Family. Once she gathered her thoughts, she slowly said, "Is it really okay for me to be with you like this? You are Jono's brother-in-law."
Qiao Chen's hand on the steering wheel paused for a moment. After a while, he replied calmly, "Does that have any bearing on us being together?" He seemed to be angry, his voice tinged with irritation.
She didn't want to provoke him.
"That's not what I meant."
"That's good. I don't want my sister's situation to affect us." The youthful innocence had long vanished from Qiao Chen's face, leaving only a somber and cold demeanor.
...
After returning home with Qiao Lovely and giving her a bath, she obediently went to bed.
Jono went to the study, opened his computer, and sat at his desk. After much contemplation, he finally placed his hands on the keyboard and began typing.
"Grandpa, Qixin is well. I'm currently in Africa and won't be able to rush back to celebrate the New Year with you. The signal here is very poor, and it took me a while to find a place with internet access to write you this email. Please don't rush me back; I feel that the people here need me more. I want to create a paradise for them where there is no pain or harm, so they can live happily and joyfully..."
"Plop..." Tears fell onto the keyboard, and Jono could no longer type, nor could she organize her thoughts.
Her quiet sobs turned into uncontrollable weeping, a flood that wouldn't cease.
Every time she saw Jin Chengyan, she couldn't help but think of those things—the pain he brought was not just inflicted on her alone.
Did he know how she had spent these four years? She could vividly recall the sensation of every needle piercing her arm, the cold pain as the liquid flowed into her body, one drop after another. Each day, she counted the drops of fluid in a repetitive cycle.
The scar on her chest had transformed into a phoenix reborn. When it was being stitched, there was no anesthetic; she bit down hard on a towel to stifle her cries.
But the pain in her heart was a thousand times worse than the pain of her wounds.
"Beiting..." Jono whispered Yan Beiting's name, tears cascading down like pearls from a broken string.
Hearing the sounds from the study, Xi Yisheng entered from outside. He saw Jono in the darkness, illuminated by the glow of the computer screen, her pale face marred by tears that tugged at his heartstrings.
It was past midnight; today marked Yan Beiting's memorial day.
Xi Yisheng felt annoyed at his own carelessness. It was all Jin Chengyan's fault—his presence had disrupted his plans. He had intended to take Jono out for some fresh air to help her forget about that incident.
Yet here they were, and she still remembered.
He walked over, took the blanket from the sofa, draped it over Jono's shoulders, and gently pulled her into his embrace.
"Faye, it's all in the past now. Don't think about it anymore, okay?" Xi Yisheng glanced at the email interface on the computer screen—the annual message sent to Old Master Yan, fulfilling Yan Beiting's last wishes.
For Jono, this was a tremendous blow. Pretending to be Yan Beiting, making everyone believe he was still alive.
"If he hadn't tried to help me leave, or even if he hadn't known me... it wouldn't have been like this... Yisheng... he shouldn't have done this..." Jono tightly grasped Xi Yisheng's arm, holding onto something so she wouldn't feel lost in endless darkness.
"Faye, everyone has their own choices. He said he had no regrets about saving you. He wanted you to be happy, to be healthy and well. If he could see you now, he would regret saving you! Don't let these things trouble you anymore, okay?" Xi Yisheng gently stroked Jono's back. "From now on, let me handle these emails, alright?"
Jono nodded, then shook her head. She was exhausted and collapsed into Xi Yisheng's embrace. "I can write them... it's the last thing I can do for Beiting..."
Xi Yisheng nodded. This was the one thing he couldn't stop Jono from doing; he could only watch as she grieved and punished herself. Perhaps it was through this nearly self-destructive way that she could continue to live.
So, Jin Chengyan would never deserve Jono!
He didn't know what Jono had gone through, nor did he need to.
From then on, Jin Chengyan would merely be a stranger in Jono's life.
After crying, Jono's mood gradually calmed down. The email she had started remained unfinished as she wiped away her tears and smiled at Xi Yisheng.
"You can go out first; I'll finish writing soon and then go to sleep." She comforted him, knowing that once he left, she would be alone to lick her wounds.
"Alright, but don't stay up too late." Xi Yisheng ruffled Jono's hair. "Faye, you know I'll always be by your side. So if there's anything sad or troubling you, tell me. I'll help you bear it. You know I love you."
The warmth of Xi Yisheng's palm rested on her cheek. She seemed unable to part with such warmth, pressing her face against his hand and gently closing her eyes.
"I know you'll always be with me, Yisheng, for a lifetime."
In the quiet study, only Jono remained. She stared at the computer screen, once again making up her mind, typing out her thoughts word by word.
"Beiting, your love is too heavy."
"I'm sorry, I can only keep it sealed away."
"Will you remember me for a lifetime?"
...
"Mr. Jin, are you really going to do this?" Alice was astonished to hear that Jin Chengyan intended to buy the front pages of all the newspapers and magazines in the city for three days just to publish his confession to Jono.
Having followed Jin Chengyan for so many years, she had never seen him be so straightforward, even reckless.
He had always disliked being high-profile, yet suddenly he was doing this, leaving Alice utterly surprised.
"Just do as I say." Jin Chengyan didn't even raise an eyebrow, but his tone was somewhat stiff. Was Alice questioning his decision?
"Alright, I'll take care of it right away! Also, the Qiao Family Villa is already under Jin Real Estate. There happen to be two empty villas nearby, and one of them has a Mr. Xi Yisheng who wants to buy..."
"Don't buy! No company under the Jin Family will do business with someone named Xi Yisheng!"
Alice: "..."
"Renovate the villa closest to the Qiao Family. I want to move in as soon as possible!"
"Yes..." With the arrangement made by Boss, Alice had no choice. After all, ever since Jin Chengyan informed her that Jono was still alive, every decision she made was without thinking.
The next day, every newspaper and magazine in Qin Cheng featured Jin Chengyan and Jono on the cover!
It turned out that Jono was alive, and the wife that Jin Shao had been searching for over four years was still here!
To express his feelings, Jin Shao bought out all the front pages just to let his beloved wife know how much he loved her!
The front page only had eight words: "Jono, I love you." Signed, Jin Chengyan.
Such a simple yet direct declaration ignited the hearts of countless young girls!
However, for the person involved, it was quite a headache. From the moment she left home to go to the office, she was surrounded by so many onlookers!
If it weren't for the strong security at the company, reporters would have likely barged in to interview Jono about her feelings regarding all this.
"Sis, honestly, if I were a woman and a man declared his love for me like that, my heart would be overwhelmed too." Despite saying this, Qiao Chen threw all the newspapers into the trash without a moment's hesitation.
Jono frowned slightly. She hadn't rested well due to the incident with Yan Beiting a couple of days ago. She thought that things with Jin Chengyan would settle down after she calmly signed the divorce agreement.
However, now not only had she not signed the divorce agreement, but he was also becoming increasingly bold in declaring his ownership over Jono to everyone.
"Stop being cheeky! Why didn't you come home the night before last? Even though you're an adult now, you're still my brother! Staying out all night? Are you tired of living?" Jono pressed him about that night. After writing an email in her study and passing by Qiao Chen's room, she found it completely empty.
At this point, Qiao Chen paused awkwardly.
"Sister, how old am I? Can't I stay out overnight?"
"It's not about staying out; I'm worried you'll act recklessly!"
"Do you think I'm Dad? I don't even know when he got a daughter..."
"Qiao Chen!" Jono called out to Qiao Chen.
Qiao Chen pouted, pretending she hadn't said anything. "But sister, are you really going to bring that little cutie with you? Do you really think Brother Yisheng won't mind at all?"
Jono pondered Qiao Chen's words deeply.
Would a man truly be okay with his girlfriend bringing along an unidentified child, showering it with love, and still willing to stay by her side after learning how difficult it was for her to have children?
After knowing all her past struggles and pain, would he still fearlessly accept her?
If it were Jono, she probably wouldn't want to accept such a woman.
Xi Yisheng, that perfect man without flaws—would he?
He deserves a better woman, doesn't he?
"Alright, what you should be worrying about now isn't me!" Jono interrupted the previous topic. "We've signed the contract with the Jin Family, and I've finished the design draft. You just need to handle things on that end."
"I understand. Although the Jin Family seems impenetrable, as long as we have determination, what's so difficult about bringing down a castle?" A hint of cruelty flashed in Qiao Chen's eyes, a kind of ruthlessness that seemed intent on destroying someone completely.
Seeing Qiao Chen like this, Jono suddenly wondered if bringing Qiao Chen into this was a mistake.
Back in his office, Jono opened his computer, and the webpage automatically popped up with news about Jin Chengyan spending a fortune to declare his love for his wife, making it known to the entire city that he dotes on her!
Jono rolled his eyes; it was truly ridiculous… People would say anything for money.
Feeling frustrated, Jono decided to shut down the computer and called his lawyer.
As expected, he had not received the divorce agreement from Jin Chengyan.
Jono rubbed his temples. "How about this? I have evidence of Jin Chengyan's infidelity during marriage. I want to sue him—not for his entire fortune, just for half."
On the other end of the line, the lawyer swallowed hard because half of Jin Chengyan's wealth was unimaginable!
"Additionally, I want to sue him for damaging my reputation. If he doesn't quickly remove those absurd advertisements, let him know that his other half's wealth will be used to compensate for my emotional distress!"
With a snap, he hung up the phone. At this point, he didn't even want to speak directly to Jin Chengyan; everything would go through the lawyer.
If Jin Chengyan still didn't back down after this, he would truly be thick-skinned.
After hanging up, Jono found it hard to settle down. He paced back and forth in the office for quite some time and finally calmed down after drinking a cup of coffee. He looked at a draft of a building design on his desk.
The draft was indeed something she had spent nearly a month working on. During that time, she had ensured that her staff understood Qin Cheng's architectural style and put in considerable effort.
It was undoubtedly a modern building designed with all her energy and dedication.
She had returned to architectural design two years ago and had won several awards at international design competitions, gaining a modest reputation. However, she had never used her real name; partly to avoid being discovered, and partly because it wasn't yet time to go public.
Now, the time had come.
“Knock, knock, knock—” The office door was rapped upon, pulling Jono back to reality.
“Come in.”
The assistant opened the door from the outside. “Faye, there’s a Mrs. Jin out here looking for you. I told her you can’t see anyone without an appointment, but she’s just standing there.”
Mrs. Jin?
“She’s a woman in her fifties or sixties with a particularly graceful demeanor.”
Melancholy.
Jono hadn’t expected that the person coming to the company would be Melancholy.
“Let her in.” Sooner or later, she would have to face this. She was here for her son or perhaps for what she thought was her granddaughter.
Before long, Melancholy entered with the assistant's guidance. After pouring Melancholy a cup of warm water, the assistant closed the door and left.
“If I hadn’t seen this morning’s newspaper, I wouldn’t have known you were back,” Melancholy said, her tone carrying a hint of reproach. But soon enough, any discomfort she felt dissipated.
After all, regarding the incident from four years ago, no one involved could claim they were entirely right or entirely wrong.
"Mrs. Jin, is there something you need to discuss with me today?" Mrs. Jin, rather than simply being referred to as 'mom,' made her identity clear to Melancholy.
"I'm not entirely sure about the situation between you and Ayan, but the child is innocent. Ayan's actions today were meant to show you how much he cares and his desire to mend your family. Could you consider giving him a chance for the sake of the child?"
Jono truly wanted to say that Jin Chengyan was fortunate to have such a mother.
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Jin, but I think you've misunderstood. The child is mine, but not Jin Chengyan's." Jono repeated this explanation time and again.
"Jono?"
"I know you don't believe me, so I had a DNA test done for my daughter and Jin Chengyan. You can take a look for yourself." With that, Jono pulled a document from his drawer and handed it to Melancholy.
Having weathered many storms, Melancholy felt a bit unsettled facing this matter.
She slowly opened the envelope and flipped to the last page.
It clearly showed that Qiao Lovely and Jin Chengyan had a matching percentage of zero, indicating there was no possibility of them being father and daughter.
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