By Zephyria 
In a residential building half a kilometer north of Lincheng University.
The half-open wardrobe door, worn smooth by the passage of time, cast a deep, slanted shadow under the heavy moonlight.
Inside the rented apartment, there were only two people at the moment.
Yet it felt unnervingly quiet.
Jing Mian noticed his husband crouching down.
Startled, he immediately lowered his head, hiding the tears that had gathered at his chin.
Somehow, the words slipped out before he could stop them. Though the past was long gone, even Mr. Ren himself had likely forgotten, perhaps this was the regret that had haunted him for over a decade.
It felt as though he had stepped out of the shadows, yet at the same time, he had never truly left them.
As a child, he had often hidden in the wardrobe, only for his brother to open the door and carry him back into the sunlight. This scene before him now seemed to transport him back to those days.
The man who had suddenly appeared in the night slowly overlapped with that cold, beautiful figure from his memories.
So much so that, for a fleeting moment, he mistook the person before him for his “brother.”
By the time he regained his senses, the man had already grasped his wrist, the one he had used to shield his face.
Along with the damp sleeve and his chilled skin.
Jing Mian flinched and tried to pull back, but Mr. Ren followed. The grip on his wrist didn’t loosen; instead, it tightened.
Then, Jing Mian’s lashes trembled.
Enveloped in the man’s broad shadow, he felt the other’s warmth, slightly hotter than his own, envelop him, brushing against his tear-streaked face.
Mr. Ren was kissing away his tears.
“I’m sorry.”
Jing Mian’s eyes widened.
The man’s voice was deep and hoarse as he repeated, “…I’m sorry.”
Jing Mian froze.
Then, he slowly pressed his lips together, feeling the sting in his nose and the tightness in his throat.
This was the first time he had ever heard the word “sorry” from this man.
Whether after their long separation or since their marriage, the Mr. Ren in his memory had always been cold and reticent. Though not exactly inarticulate, he rarely expressed apologies so directly to anyone.
Perhaps no one had ever been worthy of hearing those words from him.
Jing Mian felt his heart tremble silently.
So Mr. Ren still remembered those days.
He wasn’t the only one who held their past so vividly in his mind.
A surge of emotion overwhelmed him, an indescribable feeling rushing in.
For so long, he had subconsciously separated his husband from his brother in his mind. But in this moment, the young man suddenly realized—the beautiful older brother who had lingered in his memories, the one he could never let go of, seemed to be standing right before him.
Jing Mian’s throat moved.
So much so that when Mr. Ren lifted him into his arms, he was still dazed.
Meanwhile, Jing Guozhen had returned home.
Standing by the floor-to-ceiling window, he smoked a cigarette, the butt crushed in the ashtray, its embers still faintly glowing.
Father Jing frowned, his face lined with worry.
Beside him, Li Qiao sighed. “Guozhen, don’t overthink it. Smoking so much will ruin your health. Even if this deal falls through tonight, there are still other opportunities—”
Father Jing turned to her, his usual courtesy gone, his tone sharp. “What other opportunities? President Wei is the biggest investor in this project. Whether it’s raising funds or trade connections, it all hinges on his word.”
“After offending him tonight, we’re completely finished!”
Li Qiao broke out in a cold sweat.
She knew all too well that four years ago, when the Jing family was on the brink of bankruptcy, she had considered countless solutions before ultimately offering Jing Mian as a gift to the Ren family.
At that time, Ren Xingwan was nothing more than a completely useless cripple, a discarded pawn silently abandoned by the all-powerful Ren family.
But he still bore the surname Ren.
Marrying Jing Mian off to such a figure ensured the boy wouldn’t live comfortably while simultaneously solving the Jing family’s urgent crisis. This business alliance saved them from ruin, sparing them the fate of ending up on the streets.
Now, adorned with expensive jewelry and dressed in gowns and heels that ordinary people could never afford in their lifetime, it was all thanks to the Ren family’s prestige that high society and the elite regarded her with respect.
Killing two birds with one stone, it couldn’t have been more perfect.
Back then, Li Qiao couldn’t help but laugh to herself every time she thought about the marriage she had orchestrated.
But now, a family’s rise and fall couldn’t rely entirely on others. Over the years, due to incompetence and poor judgment, the Jing family had continued its downward spiral. Many of their business deals and projects only succeeded because the other party’s executives knew their in-laws carried the surname “Ren.”
Jing Guozhen understood that despite the Ren family’s repeated support, their current situation remained precarious.
They were still teetering on the edge of bankruptcy.
Maintaining her composure, Li Qiao played along with Jing Guozhen’s anger and couldn’t help but say, “It’s the boy’s fault, and mine too. I was too gentle with him. I thought Jing Mian would grow more mature and sensible after marriage, but who knew he’d cause such a scene tonight, offending President Wei and ruining the deal.”
“I didn’t believe it before,” Li Qiao feigned helplessness, sighing softly. “But he really is a jinx.”
“A jinx?”
Father Jing looked at her and suddenly cursed, “You’re the real jinx.”
Li Qiao’s pupils trembled.
As if she hadn’t processed his words: “…What?”
Jing Guozhen seemed to have been brooding over this for a long time.
He stubbed out his cigarette, his voice low and icy. “When Jing Mian was here, my career was always on the rise. Before marrying you, everything was flourishing. But in all these years since our marriage, the company has suffered heavy losses. And now, after Jing Mian left, we’re on the verge of bankruptcy.”
Li Qiao’s eyes shook.
She could hardly believe it.
Jing Guozhen had never spoken to her like this before, he had always been gentle and refined. But ever since that assistant of Ren Xingwan’s came to the Jing family with that recording, his attitude toward her had completely changed.
The woman clenched her fists unconsciously, her nails nearly digging into her palms. She could only assume he was taking his anger out on her. With tears in her eyes and a trembling voice, she said, “Luoluo’s father, how could you think of me like this? All these years, I’ve been devoted to you, bore you a son, found such a powerful marriage alliance for Jing Mian, and for this family, I—”
But the man who would have softened in the past now couldn’t even be bothered to let her finish.
Without a word, he turned and walked upstairs.
Before leaving, Li Qiao clearly heard Father Jing mutter under his breath as he passed her:
“Stop pretending.”
,,
Business banquet.
Held in the grand ballroom of the most upscale club in Lincheng.
Only the most prominent figures in the business world were invited, allowed to bring family members, even their pet dogs.
But if one’s status wasn’t high enough, they wouldn’t even have the right to step through the door.
Jing Guozhen was not on the guest list for this banquet.
So when the security guards stopped him, his expression turned a myriad of colors.
This was the first time he had been denied entry since the marriage alliance with the Ren family, and the man’s pride was visibly wounded.
“I am Jing Guozhen, President Ren’s in-law,” Jing Guozhen declared, standing beside Li Qiao, who was also dressed to the nines. The couple was stopped at the entrance of the banquet hall, their faces a picture of awkwardness as they struggled to maintain their dignity. “We’ve attended such banquets more than once. Please let us in.”
The staff member was unimpressed. “Entry to the banquet hall requires an invitation. Even President Ren’s in-laws are no exception.”
“Besides, if you really were President Ren’s in-laws, why wouldn’t you have an invitation?”
The words made the couple’s faces alternate between pale and flushed.
Li Qiao whispered, “Guozhen, is it absolutely necessary for us to be here?”
Jing Guozhen’s expression darkened. “What do you know? Not only is President Wei attending today, but his direct superior is also present. If we can get a word in with the real power behind the scenes, this project might just have a chance to turn around.”
Li Qiao grew anxious. “Then what do we do? They won’t let us in now.”
Jing Guozhen was equally unsettled, racking his brain for a solution when suddenly, through the open wooden doors, he spotted a familiar figure passing by. Seizing the opportunity, he called out in haste, “President Wei!”
The man inside paused at the sound of his name.
His attention turned toward Jing Guozhen.
President Wei approached, looking surprised. “President Jing, what’s the matter…?”
Jing Guozhen, embarrassed, explained, “We, uh, misplaced our invitation, and this security guard won’t let us in. When I saw you just now, I thought I’d greet you as family.”
President Wei blinked, his expression turning odd. “I see.”
“Well, come on in, both of you.”
Hearing this, the security guard stepped aside.
Finally, they were in.
Li Qiao exhaled quietly in relief.
Once Jing Guozhen had exchanged pleasantries with the big shot, she planned to mingle with the socialites and wives of the elite to expand her own circle. Only by strengthening her own standing would Jing Guozhen look at her with the same respect as before.
Lost in these thoughts, she suddenly heard Jing Guozhen’s voice, tinged with deference, asking:
“President Wei, you mentioned before that your superior from headquarters is attending tonight. Last time, we were in too much of a hurry for an introduction.”
President Wei glanced at him, his expression unreadable.
“I just saw him.”
“He’s at the corner near the terrace, seems to be on the phone with his partner.”
Jing Guozhen felt a flicker of confusion but smiled nonetheless. “Not only is his career flourishing, but his personal life seems just as harmonious.”
President Wei chuckled but said nothing more, turning instead to chat with another well-dressed tycoon who happened to pass by.
This gave Jing Guozhen the perfect chance to approach the influential figure alone.
Before leaving, Jing Guozhen made sure to ask for the young leader’s surname.
“President Wei, may I ask what his family name is?”
The man glanced sideways, the corner of his mouth quirking almost imperceptibly as he replied:
“Ren.”
As Jing Guozhen and Li Qiao made their way toward the corner at the back of the banquet hall, their hearts swelled with excitement, as if a fire had been lit within them.
What a coincidence!
One family running into another!
That was Jing Mian’s husband, his beloved. Faced with his in-laws’ misfortune, he would surely find a way to help.
As long as Ren Xingwan spoke a single word,
was there any project that couldn’t be negotiated?
Hope surged in Jing Guozhen’s heart as he quickened his pace toward the rooftop not far away.
However, before he could push open the large door, someone suddenly blocked their path.
Father Jing froze.
Behind him, Li Qiao’s lips instantly turned deathly pale.
The man before them was the very one who had come to the Jing family, exposed her to her face, and mercilessly crushed her dignity underfoot.
Chen Ke, now dressed in a sleek suit, seemed to recognize them at that moment.
His expression remained indifferent. “What business do you two have?”
Father Jing flushed with slight embarrassment, their last encounter had been far from pleasant. He spoke politely, “Assistant Chen, we need to speak with Xingwan about something.”
“Xingwan?”
Chen Ke frowned slightly. “That’s an address reserved for Mr. Jing Mian. You may not use it.”
“Address him as President Ren.”
Father Jing grew increasingly flustered, quietly correcting himself, “Apologies… we’re here to see President Ren.”
Li Qiao hid behind Jing Guozhen, not daring to make a sound. She was haunted by this man, let alone the powerful Ren Xingwan he represented.
Chen Ke lowered his gaze, his voice cold. “Weren’t the two of you the ones who severed ties with Mr. Jing?”
“……”
Jing Guozhen’s face instantly turned ashen.
How did he know?
Panicked and at a loss for words, he hurriedly explained, “No, that’s not, it was just angry words between me and the child…”
Chen Ke cut him off without expression. “Once ties are severed, there is naturally no further connection to the Ren family.”
Li Qiao mustered her courage, her voice trembling. “Mr. Chen, the Jing family is going through difficult times. We’re Jing Mian’s parents, please—”
“You seem to have forgotten one fact.”
Chen Ke’s gaze never once landed on Li Qiao.
The blatant disregard and crushing humiliation made her clenched hands tremble.
The man said, “Only when Mr. Jing Mian is present does the Jing family hold any meaning for us.”
“Whether you prosper or struggle, celebrate or mourn… none of it has anything to do with the Ren family.”
A vein throbbed violently at Jing Guozhen’s temple.
He recognized these words, they were what he had said to Jing Mian just days ago.
Who could have imagined that at his most desperate and destitute moment, those very words would be thrown back at him unchanged.
“From now on, you no longer have the right to see President Ren.”
“If you wish to see Mr. Jing Mian…”
Chen Ke paused, the smile on his lips devoid of any warmth as he added:
“Just try to see him again.”
Under the pale moonlight,
the man steadily carried the young man on his back, walking slowly toward home.
“Does Husband have any regrets?”
Jing Mian lowered his eyes.
“All I can think about is how I never got to properly say goodbye to Mom.” The young man lowered his lashes, quietly tightening his arms around the man’s neck as he whispered, “She doesn’t know how I’m doing now, or how much I love her, just as she loved me.”
“Brother…”
“She didn’t even get to see us get married.”
With a hint of suppressed emotion in his voice, Jing Mian finally spoke after a long pause, “…Am I really such an unworthy person?”
The young man pressed his lips together, his voice strained as he asked, “Why does everyone choose… to leave me?”
At that moment, Jing Mian felt the palm supporting the bend of his knees tremble slightly before tightening soundlessly.
As if trying to meld him into flesh and bone.
“I won’t leave you.”
Mr. Ren said: “If others don’t want you, I do.”
The moment the youth froze,
his pupils gradually constricted.
The man’s voice was deep:
“Having just one Jing Mian is enough for me.”
The night breeze rustled through the leaves, the post-rain city unusually quiet in the darkness.
Jing Mian whispered: “Husband.”
“Hmm?”
“Is loving only one person for a lifetime really that difficult?”
Mr. Ren paused in his steps.
After what seemed like an eternity,
the man replied softly: “No.”
…
Loving you is as natural as breathing.
One cannot forget to breathe.
Just as I cannot stop loving you.