Chapter 3: She Refused to Give Up

"Dongye went to kindergarten for the first time today. I stood at the entrance for a long time, not daring to go in..."

"He cried. The teacher said he kept looking for his mother... I wanted to rush in and hug him so badly."

"If he ever asks where his mother went, please tell him that Mommy didn't leave him because she didn't want him, but... but..."

The handwriting that followed was blurred and smudged by tear stains.

She flipped through the pages again, the paper rustling.

Suddenly, a small photograph slipped from between the pages and drifted gently onto her lap.

It was a Polaroid.

The photo showed her and Chu Mulin standing on the steps outside the Civil Affairs Bureau.

In the background, the plane trees of early spring were just beginning to sprout new buds.

She wore a light pink dress, her hair loose and flowing, her eyes crinkled shut with a bright smile.

Chu Mulin, however, wore a dark gray overcoat, his hands shoved into his trouser pockets, his expression cold and detached.

She remembered that day. The entrance to the Civil Affairs Bureau had been bustling with people. A staff member had smiled at them and said, "Congratulations."

She had held up their marriage certificate, beaming with joy as she posed for the photo.

But Chu Mulin had only said coldly, "The paperwork is done. Let's go home."

Then he had turned and walked away.

She chased after him and took his hand. He didn't shake her off, but he didn't respond either.

That moment had left her feeling lost for a long time.

He never smiled, but he never left her side.

He remained silent, yet he always stood by her.

Past memories flooded her mind.

When she had a fever, he stayed by her bed all night, changing the cool towel on her forehead.

When she wept in despair over her failed business, he silently handed her a glass of warm water.

When she craved sour plums during her pregnancy, he had searched three different districts just to find that old-fashioned shop...

She finally understood. What had truly hurt her wasn't fate's unfairness, but her own surrender.

After a brief silence, she gave herself a sharp pinch.

She was Jiang Zaozao—the one full of energy, the one who feared nothing!

If she let this pain defeat her, wouldn't she be left with nothing but a bad reputation?

Her parents would forever see her as a failure, her friends would say she deserved it, and Chu Mulin, Chu Dongye, and everyone who had truly cared for her would always misunderstand her.

No, I can't give up.

Clutching the old box tightly, she walked back to her room.

Jiang Zaozao sat at her desk and switched on the lamp. A warm, yellow glow spilled across the tabletop.

She picked up a pen, its tip pausing on the paper for a moment before she wrote—

Be a qualified mother, be a good wife! Step one: First, mend the relationship with Chu Mulin!

At the same time.

In an upscale Western restaurant in Jingcheng, Chu Mulin arrived on schedule with Chu Dongye.

The crystal chandelier cast a soft glow.

The waiter respectfully seated them at a table by the window.

Song Yao was wearing a pure white haute couture gown today.

A small, sparkling diamond tiara rested on her head, her hair styled into an elegant bun.

"Aunt Yaoyao!"

The moment Chu Dongye saw her, his eyes lit up.

He ran toward her as fast as his legs could carry him. "Aunt Yaoyao! I'm here!"

The people who had been surrounding Song Yao instantly withdrew their smiles upon seeing Chu Mulin.

In the blink of an eye, Song Yao was left alone with the excited, flushed-faced little boy.

Rumors were spreading all over Jingcheng that the Chu family's president was about to get a divorce, and after which he would marry Song Yao.

This news had been chewed over and re-chewed countless times.

Some said Song Yao was the returning "White Moonlight," who had finally waited for the day she could be officially recognized.

Others said she was deeply calculating, having long since set a trap just for this day.

Yet, no matter the gossip, Song Yao met it all with a smile—neither confirming nor denying the rumors.

Chu Mulin approached, his expression stern. But as his gaze fell upon Song Yao, it softened.

"Happy birthday."

Chu Dongye rushed forward, thrusting the exquisitely wrapped brocade box toward her, his small hand holding it high. A pale gold ribbon was tied around the box, its bow crooked and lopsided. He looked up at her, his eyes shining.

"Aunt Yaoyao, this is my present for you!"

"Thank you." Song Yao smiled as she accepted the box. She reached out to pat his head, her fingers brushing through his soft hair. "You always know exactly what I like, Dongye."

"Quick, open it! See if you like it!" Chu Dongye stared at her expectantly, his small hands clutching the hem of his shirt as he leaned forward. He didn't blink, desperate for a compliment.

"I love anything Dongye gives me," Song Yao said softly. Her fingers slowly untied the crooked bow.

She lifted the lid. A butterfly necklace rested quietly on a bed of black velvet. It was a piece from a top French jewelry brand, one of only three in the world, its price tag enough to make anyone gasp.

Later, she heard that a mysterious buyer had taken it, and rumors swirled for a while about who could be so extravagant.

She never imagined she would see it again, at this moment, in this manner.

So, Chu Mulin had bought it.

But why hadn't he given it to her then? Why make their son present it to her now?

Song Yao's heart gave a slight tremor.

She looked up at Chu Mulin, only to find his gaze fixed on the necklace, his eyes filled with a complex emotion.

"Daddy, you help Aunt Yaoyao put it on!"

Chu Dongye shoved the box into Chu Mulin's hand again, his small hand pushing his arm.

"Come on, you do it!"

But when Chu Mulin saw the necklace in the box clearly, his fingers froze.

He had personally taken that necklace out of a jewelry store in Paris and fastened it around her neck.

She had jumped with joy back then, her eyes glistening with tears as she wrapped her arms around his neck and promised to wear it forever, never to take it off.

He had told her then that this necklace belonged only to her, and no one else could touch it.

Yet, she had just signed the divorce agreement, and now she was giving it to someone else?

"Mulin, what's wrong?"

Song Yao sensed something was off and frowned slightly.

"It's nothing..."

He looked up, forcing a smile. His gaze lingered on her as he said softly, "I just think this necklace suits your outfit perfectly today."

Jiang Zaozao had no idea what had just happened.

She was humming a little tune, skipping down the stairs.

When Aunt Wang called her for dinner, she had just finished tidying her room. She ran downstairs, clutching a large cardboard box.

She dashed straight to the storage room door and tossed it aside. The box landed with a heavy thud in the corner.

Seeing the cheerful look on Jiang Zaozao's face, Aunt Wang felt a sense of dread.

Whenever the young madam smiled like that, it was never a good sign—nine times out of ten, something was about to go wrong.

Aunt Wang couldn't help but sigh and mutter under her breath, "You can still smile, can you..."

Just as she was pondering this, a loud clatter echoed from the dining room.

Jiang Zaozao jumped, her train of thought interrupted. She instinctively turned her head toward the noise.

Having been trapped in this body for so long, Jiang Zaozao was starving, her stomach practically sticking to her back.

Ever since she'd been "trapped," the original owner of this body seemed to have lost all interest in food.

She'd merely thrown together three meals a day, sometimes even eating only once.

But Jiang Zaozao was different. She loved life, and she loved good food even more.