"Yan'er, Mom will accompany you upstairs." Turning a deaf ear to the curious gaze of the little maid, Gu Xiyan's voice became slightly hoarse.

  "Mommy, you haven't answered Yanyan's question yet." The little girl wouldn't let Gu Xiyan get away with it. Grabbing onto Gu Xiyan's clothes, the little girl looked around and mischievously said in a mysterious tone: "Mommy, if Yanyan tells Mommy a secret between Yanyan and Daddy, will Mommy give Yanyan a little brother or sister?"

  "Yan'er, Mommy is tired. Let's go rest, okay?" Gu Xiyan lowered her eyelids and stood up as soon as she finished speaking.

  "Yan'er, let's go up." Gu Xiyan handed her hand over to Xiao Yatou.

  The little girl was originally very clever. At this critical moment, she naturally wouldn't fail to see that her mother didn't want to bring up this topic. She pouted and still obediently stood up. Since her mother didn't want to talk about it, then she would mention it another day.

  Shang Yi came out of the study just in time to bump into Gu Xiyan and the little guy going up to the second floor. The little girl sweetly called out "Dad" after which she said: "Dad, Mommy is going to sleep with Yan'er now. You should rest too."

  Shang Yi heard the words and walked over to Xiao Yatou's side, stroking the little guy's hair. "Dad knows, go quickly."

  Shang Yi completely ignored Gu Xiyan. Gu Xiyan's eyes felt a little sour, but she forced herself not to show any signs of discomfort.

  After entering the little one's bedroom, the two of them took off their shoes and outer clothes before lying down on the bed. The little one was not sleepy at first, so she asked Gu Xiyan to tell her a story. "Mommy, Yan'er wants to hear a story. Mommy hasn't told Yan'er a story for a long time."

  "Alright, mommy will tell you." In a place where little Ya Tou couldn't see, Gu Xiyan quickly wiped away the tears at the corner of her right eye while speaking.

  "Once upon a time, there was a couple who had been together for many years. They had a daughter and lived happily ever after. One day, the wife's first love appeared, and the husband met another woman. A rift formed between them, and one day the wife wanted to divorce her husband to return to her first love. She loved him dearly, but she also couldn't bear to part with her husband. The wife knew she had to choose between her first love and her husband, and once she chose, there was no turning back. Her first love loved her deeply, even risking his life for her. Her husband treated her well, but not out of love, rather out of habit or responsibility. In the end, the wife decided to divorce her husband because she knew her first love needed her more than anyone else and truly loved her. If she left her husband, he could still find happiness with someone he truly loved. What the wife couldn't bear to part with most was their daughter, who was kind and lovely, the best little princess in the world. The wife feared that if she left, her daughter would be sad, but then thought that since her daughter liked the excellent woman her husband had met, perhaps one day she could accept this new woman as her mother. In the end, the couple's marriage ended, and they each found new partners. Their daughter slowly forgot about her biological mother and accepted the kind woman who cared for her..."

  Jian Gu Xiyan stopped talking. Xiao Yatou furrowed her own little brow. "Mom, are you saying that the daughter also accepted her husband's new wife as her stepmother?"

  Gu Xiyan saw that the little guy hadn't discovered her abnormality, so she quickly blinked a few times to make the tears disappear. "Mm... this is the end of the story."

  Yes, this is what she imagined. The ending of this story can be considered a perfect ending.

  "Mummy, Yanyan doesn't like this story." The little guy suddenly raised his head and said firmly.

  "Yan'er, why don't you like this story?" Gu Xiyan's heart slightly skipped a beat.

  "Mommy, does the daughter in the story love her mommy? If she loves her mommy, then how can she accept another person as her mommy? No matter how good that other person is, it's impossible for them to be better than her own mommy." The little girl rubbed against Gu Xiyan's chest, her tone somewhat sulky.

  "But another woman will be very good to that daughter, and the wife in the story ultimately has to leave her daughter." Gu Xiyan tried to explain to the little guy.

  "Mom, why does the wife have to go back to her first love? She's been with her husband for so many years. Why can't she just stay with him now? If she chooses to stay with her husband, then the three of them can still be happy like before." Little girl is clearly not satisfied with the plot.

  "Yan'er, the wife in the story has her reasons. And she must have had to leave her husband. Yan'er, if you were the daughter in the story, would you agree with the wife and husband getting a divorce?" Gu Xiyan pulled the quilt up a bit and then smoothed out the little girl's hair. The little girl's hair fell down just to her shoulders, that length. Her hair was soft and gentle. It felt good to touch."

  "Mummy, if I were the girl in the story, of course, I wouldn't want my daddy and mummy to get a divorce. But, if Daddy and Mummy don't love each other, then Yanyan won't stop them from pursuing their own happiness either. It's just that Yanyan might not be as happy anymore because Daddy and Mummy are separated, and Yanyan's home is gone."

  The little girl always liked the fragrant scent on Gu Xiyun's body. At this moment, her little head leaned close to Gu Xiyun's fragrant shoulders. The little girl's eyes sparkled brightly, as if they were adorned with many beautiful starlights.

  "Yan'er, go to sleep, you must be tired." Gu Xiyan's heart was filled with worries, but she still smiled and reminded the little one. If Little Ya really wasn't as happy as she said, then she...

  She is not a good mother after all.

  "Mommy, it's just a story, right?" Little girl asked sleepily to Gu Xiyan.

  "Sleep." Gu Xiyan didn't give a direct answer.

  Gu Xiyan woke up around three o'clock. At this time, the little guy was still sleeping soundly in her arms. The corner of her mouth drew a warm arc. Gu Xiyan kissed the little girl's powdered cheek and then got up quietly and left.

  It was quiet outside the bedroom, and Gu Xiyan wasn't sure if Shang Yi was in the villa at this time. With her hands crossed over her shoulders, Gu Xiyan thought for a moment before walking to the door of their bedroom.

  She grasped the doorknob and twisted it open, then slowly stepped inside. At this moment, Shang Xi Qi was lying on the bed resting. Gu Xi Yan tried her best to make her footsteps quieter.

  As she walked to the bedside, Gu Xiyan lowered her head and cast her gaze at Shang Yueqi. He seemed to be sleeping very soundly, his eyes tightly closed, and the thick blanket covered him up to his neck. Upon closer inspection, it was noticeable that his eyebrows were slightly furrowed, and there were faint dark circles under his eyes, probably due to lack of rest. His hair was somewhat disheveled at this moment, but it only added to his aura of wildness and dominance. Undoubtedly, he was very captivating, even in such a state.

  Gu Xiyan looked at him for a while before shifting her gaze away, turning her body to look towards the other corners of the room. For an instant, Gu Xiyan felt as if their relationship hadn't been destroyed after all, and everything was still as warm and beautiful as it had been in the past.

  "Come on." Until a low and familiar voice sounded again. Gu Xiyan finally came back to her senses.

  "Ah." Her pink lips parted slightly. Gu Xiyan was perplexed.

  "We are still husband and wife now, let's just drop it." The merchant's eyes gradually showed a hint of impatience between his brows. When did he become like this? He used to be as steady as a mountain, unperturbed by praise or insult. But now, with just one glance at her, he could no longer control the complex emotions surging inside him.

  It would be great if I could stop thinking about this heartless woman. Shang Qi narrowed his eyes, secretly annoyed that he couldn't bring himself to cut ties with her completely.

  This woman, he loves her dearly. But in just two more days, they will become strangers again. Shang Qi's hand clenched into a fist under the covers.

  Strangers. He had never thought that this word would be used on them before. He thought, as long as he loved her well and spoiled her, she would stay by his side obediently and never leave again. But unexpectedly, he had planned everything well, even the engagement ring was ready, just waiting to surprise her. However, at this time, she gave him a heavy blow.

  After so many years, he finally learned to love a woman. But she alone fell in love with a man whose heart was not with him. And this woman is his wife. How can he calmly exit the stage and leave the stage of love to her and that man?

  He is a top-notch special forces operative, intelligent and decisive, with iron-blooded bravery and self-proclaimed superhuman endurance. He is well-liked by his comrades and highly trusted by his superiors. He can protect his country and family with meticulous planning, able to navigate both the grand halls of power and the humble kitchen. Yet, this outstanding man surprisingly yielded the reins of power to a small woman.

  His weakness, his Achilles' heel, his one and only, his irresistible charm, all belonged to her. Yet she still wanted him to let go, to sign the divorce papers.

  How did she do it, so ruthless and determined to say divorce. Two days later they flew away separately. From then on, he could only become a white shadow that occasionally thought of her in her midnight dreams. And all the warmth and protection that had truly existed between them would drift away with that divorce agreement, never to be recovered again.

  Author's Notes