In the end, she still obeyed him obediently and went to bed right after she hung up on the call.

As she lay down on the bed in the empty bedroom, she stared at the ceiling. She could feel a part of herself missing as she reached her hand out to the spot beside her. The usual figure was not there for her to touch and she could not feel his warmth.

This feeling...

It was difficult for her to get used to. The quality of her sleep was terrible during this period of time. She slept lightly, and even though she slept quite long, she would wake up many times in the middle of the night.

She was too used to being around him. With him here, she was not worried at all. He always prepared her outfit in the morning or even help her to change into it, and she found it difficult now that he left. Her old independent self was gone.

She sighed. How could she have become like this?

...

It was getting late when she left the restaurant after dinner. Ji Zitong swiftly walked down the staircase, but she suddenly remembered the letter and halted mid-step. Swiftly, she turned around and glared at Su Chen with her steely eyes. "You can hand me back the letter now, Officer Su! I'm very busy and don't have much time for you. Don't forget about tonight. You said that you owe me one!"

Su Chen put his hands into his pockets as he raised his eyebrows and looked at the woman staring at him. "Doesn't treating you to a meal tonight cancel that out? Moreover, do you think a careful person like me would just carry the letter everywhere with me? Come to my place next weekend to take it. I'm going abroad tomorrow and won't be in City Z for the next few days."

Ji Zitong's expression darkened instantly. Her patience ran out as she clenched her fists and stared at Su Chen furiously. "Su Chen! You're just messing with me. Are you really this pitiful to stoop down to bully a woman? Aren't you embarrassed?"

"Bully a woman? Embarrassed? Why didn't you think of yourself as a woman when you assaulted me? I'm very satisfied with the outcome today, so I'll give you back the letter. Tell me when you're available and we'll meet."

Su Chen glanced over at her before walking down the stairs. He waved his hand at the valet. The little guy quickly drove his car over for him.

His car arrived moments later, and he walked past Ji Zitong.

"You really didn't change much from back then. No man would like you like this. No wonder back then..."

"Shut up! It's none of your business! Don't always act like you know everything!" Ji Zitong's expression worsened. There was no doubt that Su Chen had stepped on her old wound.

Su Chen shrugged without giving her a second look and went straight into his car. As he was about to leave, the door to the front passenger seat opened suddenly as Ji Zitong entered and slammed the door.

"Send me back to get my car," Ji Zitong said unhappily. There no way would she take a cab back!

He took her there, so he had to send her back!

Su Chen squinted at her, but he did not decline as he swiftly started his car.

"Why didn't you apply to be a military officer afterward? I remember that you were qualified, and I even heard that you have the full rights to pass instantly. You've gathered a lot of achievements, haven't you?"

He felt the surrounding air suffocating him as they were on the way back, so he tried to start a conversation.

Su Chen found out from Ah Mo that she was working as Xi Xiaye's bodyguard.

Ji Zitong seemed to be lost in her thoughts after she heard Su Chen's question. Her eyes darkened as she turned her head and looked outside the window. She stayed quiet for a long while as lights flashed past her face.

Su Chen did not say anything else and just sped up as she remained silent.

After some time, Ji Zitong finally spoke up, "I was worried that he'd be waiting for too long. I wanted to save the relationship. That's why I gave up."

Su Chen did not expect to hear her answer. He thought she was not going to answer him at all.

He shook his head and sighed. "Now, do you know why this occupation doesn't earn the understanding of others? How could a man who needs you to compromise be a good man? Just take it as a lesson."

"Yes, all men are trash! Their mouths are full of lies."

Ji Zitong laughed coldly and sucked a deep breath in. "But I can only blame myself for being foolish. I was too naive to believe in him so easily."

Su Chen smiled. "That's some good insight for you, but that man looks like trash anyway. I don't understand how your eyes work. What attracts you to that man? His looks? Power? Money? And what do you mean by all men are trash? Isn't Instructor Mu a good man? Most of the men around me are great. You just haven't met them, so be more impartial."

Su Chen could not help but defend his brethren.

Ji Zitong was stunned for a moment when he mentioned Mu Yuchen. She was reminded of how caring he was towards Xi Xiaye and had to admit that Chairman Mu was indeed a good man and a good husband. She always thought he was an aloof man during her days in camp and she could not understand why a man like him would join the army! However, a person of his calibre was very charismatic with his quiet personality, especially when he wore his uniform.

Nonetheless, Ji Zitong still thought Mu Yuchen's current identity suited him better. Perhaps she thought being in the business world could further utilize his wisdom and charisma.

"I'm afraid there aren't many men like Chairman Mu in the world. He's a special sample with extraordinary genes," Ji Zitong replied.

"That's some harsh bias there. I'm representing the whole male population to protest against you. Ji Zitong, your mindset is very dangerous!" Su Chen frowned.

Ji Zitong raised her eyebrows, shooting daggers at Su Chen sullenly as he questioned her opinion.

Work gradually fell in place in the next few days.

Xi Xiaye went out early and came back home late at night as usual. She had a very busy schedule, and Ji Zitong stayed by her side at all times.

In Xi Xiaye's office.

Xi Xiaye was reading through the report submitted by the Finance Department on her table. One of the assistant managers was standing in front of her.

"How are things going with the New Era Plaza? Are the events and festive seasons doing well?" Xi Xiaye scrawled her signature at the bottom swiftly as she asked without even raising her head to look at the assistant manager.

"From the data, the effect looks great. Ms. Caitlyn even appeared at the event personally. The crowd was hyped up. In addition to the effort of the Administrative and PR Department, the event was a huge success." The manager sounded pleased.

Being able to work in Glory World was a fortunate turn of events for him. As long as one put the effort in, there would be opportunities to soar higher and get recognized, and the vast number of industries Glory World is involved in was something his competitors would be jealous of!

Of course, he would be delighted that his company's business was doing well.

Xi Xiaye nodded with a smile. She handed the document back to him as she raised her head. "You guys have done well. The collaboration between each department is superb. I'll be sure to ask Chairman Mu for a reward when he gets back."

"Thank you, Director Xi!" The man took the document from her gratefully.

Xi Xiaye nodded. She pointed at the door elegantly, signaling that he could leave now. The manager left with a smile on his face.

However, he bumped into Xiao Mei at the door as she was about to come in.

"Director!" Xiao Mei rushed into the room in a panic.

"What's wrong?" Xi Xiaye frowned slightly when she saw Xiao Mei's expression full of anxiety.

"We just received a call from XX rehabilitation center. They... they say that your grandmother, Madam Deng, can't hold on any longer. She regained consciousness and said she wants to see you." Xiao Mei's voice was trembling slightly. She took a deep breath and managed to finish her sentence.

Thud!

Xi Xiaye's pen slipped out of her hand as she was stunned for a moment.

Deng Wenwen?

Her condition did not look well after the operation last time, and she could not have really lasted long anyway, but...

Xi Xiaye was feeling sentimental. It was not exactly sadness she was feeling, but she did not feel great. After staying quiet for a little while, she stood up and grabbed her coat as Xiao Mei quickly called Ji Zitong.

When Xi Xiaye arrived downstairs, Ji Zitong and two other bodyguards in black suits were already waiting for her. Xi Xiaye did not say anything and went straight into the car.

Ji Zitong turned around from the front passenger seat and asked Xi Xiaye, "Director Xi, where are we going?"

"XX Rehabilitation Center."

Xi Xiaye put a hand onto her forehead in exhaustion. She massaged the space between her eyebrows and looked outside the window, wanting some silence.

It was around noon when they arrived at the rehabilitation center and the sun was still up, but the cold wind kept on blowing. Xi Xiaye wrapped herself up with her coat to withstand the wind around her as she walked through the corridor quietly with Ji Zitong and the two bodyguards behind her.

When she arrived at Deng Wenwen's room, she noticed someone else outside. It was a familiar figure.

"Ms. Xiaye!"

Xi Xiaye then realized it was Han Yifeng's assistant, Secretary Wang!

Xi Xiaye nodded and turned around to look inside the room. Secretary Wang then said, "Ms. Xinyi is inside. Elder Madam regained consciousness just now and said she wanted to see you, so the hospital gave you a call. We can't reach Mayor Xi's phone..."

Xi Xinyi?

Xi Xiaye's eyes darkened, but they soon returned to normal.

Father should be sleeping at this moment.

Without pausing, she went in together with Ji Zitong while the two bodyguards in black suits waited outside the door.

There was a suffocating atmosphere inside the room. Accompanied by the sound of the machine beeping and her heavy breathing, she seemed to be struggling.

Xi Xinyi was standing beside the bed. She had almost fully recovered after nearly a month of rest and seemed very well right now. She should be enjoying her life pleasantly as of late with her child's full moon celebration around the corner.

Xi Xinyi turned to the door when she heard footsteps, and she saw Xi Xiaye in an all-black outfit.

She tied her hair into a clean bun while the large coat totally hid her belly. With her usual elegant face and indifferent expression, Xi Xiaye glanced over at her before walking towards the other side of the bed.

Deng Wenwen looked extremely weak. Perhaps because she noticed Xi Xiaye's arrival, she slowly opened her eyes, hardly able to focus, and could only see Xi Xiaye's blur figure. She blinked several times as if she was trying to gain clarity in her sight.

Xi Xiaye watched Deng Wenwen from above with her expression still indifferent. At that moment, she felt she seemed comical and lamentable, but she could see a tint of regret in Deng Wenwen's eyes!

Regret!

She had started to regain a little bit of consciousness since the operation last time, but she never visited again since then. Now, she was truly reaching her end.

Deng Wenwen had worked so hard all her life, used up all kinds of tricks and strategies, and this was what happened to her in the end. Was this not sad and ludicrous itself?

Xi Xiaye's eyes turned dull. She was not sure what she felt right now, but the situation did make her feel oddly uncomfortable. How should she be facing Deng Wenwen right now?

Deng Wenwen struggled hard. Finally, she opened her eyes and looked at her for a long while. Her frail hand then trembled as it reached for Xi Xiaye by her side, and her breathing became a little urgent. She did not even have the energy to say a word as she was still panting heavily.

When Xi Xiaye saw that hand reaching for her, she fell silent for a while before she finally sighed and reached out to gently hold her curved fist. That stubborn air of keeping her at arm's length could be felt through the palms. Xi Xiaye could also still feel her hand gently trembling in her slightly warm palms.

Deng Wenwen breathed in a rush several times as she looked at Xi Xiaye with much effort. There were some water drops on the corner of her mouth as she spoke with much difficulty, "Thank you... Thank you for coming... I'm... I'm... sorry..."

As she stammered this, dull tears started to fall from her misty eyes. She looked quite pitiful and helpless as she was probably enduring extreme pain. Her disoriented gaze teared up. When she saw that, it only made Xi Xiaye feel sorrowful and slightly bad.

She did not know how to answer her right now.

Deng Wenwen was the main reason for everything that happened today!

If it were not for her, Xi Mushan and Shen Wenna would not have been separated. Yue Lingsi and Xi Xinyi would not be there too, and their family would not be broken up. Perhaps their family would still be living harmoniously.

However, because of her selfish desires, everything changed.

Xi Mushan and Shen Wenna, who were clearly so in love with each other, were forced to separate while she was frequently bullied by Xi Xinyi, and now...

An indifferent sneer flashed across Xi Xiaye's lips as her tone was quite nonchalant. "If you saw this day coming, would you have acted differently? Were all those things really that important? What's so bad about happily living some ordinary life? Did you have to be so greedy?"

When she heard this, Deng Wenwen seemed to cry even harder. She stammered and it was hard to hear her, but Xi Xiaye could hear the words of regret while her frail hand trembled harder and harder.

"I let you down... I let your mother down! I've done many horrid things in my life... and my life isn't ending well. This is my karma... Can you... Can you forgive me?"

Deng Wenwen was already so weak that she could not say much, and even Xi Xiaye could hear that her voice was very low, but she could still hear her clearly. She did not feel much sympathy. Right now, she was filled with more sorrow than anything else.

What was there to forgive or not?

She had long been disillusioned. After that knife, her heart had turned as cold as metal.

Her lips curved up as she smiled apathetically and sighed softly. When she looked up, she unexpectedly saw Xi Xinyi looking disgusted across the bed. She thought about it and finally shook her head. "I don't know. Even if I say that I forgive you, my heart might not be willing to. The happiness of the first half of life, mine, my father's, my mother's... They've all been ruined by you. If you were me, could you forgive yourself?"

Deng Wenwen trembled even harder now. She panted with much difficulty and could barely catch her breath.

"I... I know... but... but I can only say sorry... This is my karma. I... I... can only wish you all happiness... Please help me say sorry to your parents... I'm sorry..."

Her voice turned softer as it slowly faded. Her eyes lost focus, and they slowly closed. Her trembling body turned limp, yet in that instant, the hand that Xi Xiaye held gently suddenly gripped onto Xi Xiaye's tightly. Xi Xiaye could vaguely feel something being stuffed into her palm.

It felt like a key...

Deng Wenwen finally inhaled her last breath. When Xi Xinyi saw that, her expression changed. Her emotions started to shift and she quickly ran to the door to shout, "Doctor! Doctor!"

Upon hearing the shouts, the doctors rushed in quickly, and Xi Xiaye quietly retreated to the side.

The doctors quickly checked on Deng Wenwen. In the end, they shook their heads and straightened up to announce heavily, "The elder is gone. Our condolences."

When she heard this, Xi Xinyi frowned. Her expression contained a mix of emotions while she could not describe how she felt. After a while, she lay on Deng Wenwen's bedside and started to weep while holding her cold hand.

Xi Xiaye fell silent too. An upset feeling rose in her chest as she felt dazed and suddenly felt weak. Ji Zitong swiftly came up to hold her, her beautiful eyes filled with worry and concern.

"Director Xi, my condolences!" Ji Zitong softly said.

Xi Xiaye sighed, and then slowly shut her eyes. She nodded gently and eased for a bit before opening her eyes as she looked at Deng Wenwen who had just passed. What entered her heart was unexpectedly a faint brush of grief.

Did this mean that all the past grudges were written off now?

Xi Xiaye could not help but laugh at herself pathetically. Gloominess gathered in her chest. In that instant, she hesitated and thought about it, and then looked at the person who had passed and said quietly, "Live more easily in the next life, no matter what, I do hope you will be able to enter paradise."

She then looked away, taking her sunglasses out from her pocket and putting it on before turning to leave.

When she left the room, Xi Xiaye suddenly said softly with an indescribable sorrow in her tone, "Zitong, help me inform Manager Ah Mo to help me make the arrangements for the funeral."

Following her, Ji Zitong silently nodded. "Yes, Director Xi!"

The sun was shining outside. Xi Xiaye stood underneath the sunlight for a while. when she saw the car that came from the front. She was about to get in when Xi Xinyi's voice suddenly came from behind.

"Xi Xiaye! I want to have a chat with you!"

When she heard that voice, Xi Xiaye stopped and turned to look.

Xi Xinyi was standing right behind her with a servant holding an umbrella for her. She did not look at sorry as before. Instead, she looked like a vile character who had gotten what she wanted.

Xi Xiaye examined her indifferently. She was quite surprised that Xi Xinyi had been rather well-behaved recently. Apart from being busy with the newly released film and filming the new show, she would sometimes attend charity banquets in the past few months, maintaining a lower profile than before.

However, she did not think there was anything to discuss with her since they only went back and forth on the same topics. Because she was annoyed with them now, she did not answer her. Instead, she turned and continued to walk ahead as the bodyguards respectfully opened the car door for her.