NOVPUBAn Yuanyao was in a good mood.
She stared at her reflection in the mirror, brushing her teeth. Afterward, she picked up a cup of water, took a large gulp, and rinsed her mouth.
Her complexion had been improving noticeably. Since her failed attempt to catch Li Chongming cheating about a week ago, she hadn’t sought him out once.
For some reason, she felt less invested in the matter now than she had before.
After finishing her morning routine, she walked out of the bathroom, humming a tune as if the gloom that had previously clouded her life had been swept away.
She plopped onto the sofa, stretched out her legs, and removed her slippers before lying down to pamper her face with a morning skincare routine.
After applying a variety of products, she placed a cool sheet mask over her face. The relaxation and comfort she felt lying on the sofa seemed to soothe both her body and mind.
The mask’s packaging accidentally slid off the coffee table, landing on one of her discarded pink slippers. A bit of the serum inside spilled onto the shoe.
An Yuanyao, noticing this, immediately stopped smoothing the mask on her face. She picked up the packaging, tossed it into the trash, and grabbed a few tissues to clean the slipper.
It was a pair of pink slippers with two large, hideous embroidered flowers.
By any normal standard of feminine aesthetics, they were outright ugly.
An Yuanyao had good taste and would never have bought such slippers herself.
Yet somehow, they didn’t seem so bad to her now.
Since bringing them home, she had stored away all her other slippers.
Once the slippers were clean, An Yuanyao resumed applying her mask.
Some time passed.
An Yuanyao, now dressed for the day, found herself slightly dissatisfied with her outfit. She was wearing last year’s clothes, which now fit loosely due to the weight she’d lost recently.
After some thought, she ditched the idea of wearing them and opted for a fitted pair of skinny jeans instead, which highlighted her figure, paired with a white T-shirt featuring a printed design. On her wrist, she wore a bracelet that seemed to be made of agate.
The look exuded youthful energy.
As she considered adding lipstick, a memory flashed in her mind.
Someone had once said her lip color made her look like she’d been poisoned.
After a brief hesitation, she put the lipstick down.
A little lip balm would do.
After applying the balm, she chose a pair of white sneakers—heels wouldn’t suit her outfit, and she hadn’t worn them in a while anyway.
Satisfied with her appearance after a final glance in the mirror, An Yuanyao grabbed her bag and left the apartment.
The room fell silent.
Time passed until the door opened again.
Li Chongming cautiously pushed it open, as if dreading what might await him.
His mind flashed back to the last time he had encountered An Yuanyao, her behavior erratic and furious.
He stepped inside, his eyes scanning the room.
She wasn’t there.
Instead, he saw a pair of pink slippers by the door.
His brows furrowed.
What ugly slippers.
Swapping his outdoor shoes for a pair from the shoe cabinet, he ventured further in.
He checked the bedroom.
Empty.
Slightly puzzled, he checked the living room, the bathroom, and every other corner of the apartment.
An Yuanyao wasn’t home.
Where did she go?
Although curious, her absence brought him a strange sense of relief. 𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙥𝒖𝒃.𝙘𝙤𝒎
Sinking into the sofa, he stared blankly at the television, which remained off.
Last night’s conversation with Li Wanran lingered in his mind. When she had asked him when he planned to divorce An Yuanyao, he’d been at a loss for words.
His silence had clearly upset her, her hopeful expression turning to anger. It had taken him a long time to coax her out of her mood, leaving him feeling drained.
He hadn’t felt this way about a woman in years.
When he came home to An Yuanyao, she was always compliant and accommodating.
Though Li Wanran’s beauty still captivated him, her personality seemed unchanged from their youth—a stark contrast to An Yuanyao’s unwavering docility.
Not knowing where An Yuanyao had gone, he pulled out his phone and dialed her number.
The ringtone sounded from the bedroom.
She had left her phone behind.
His expression darkened.
Where on earth did she go?
Liu Changqing paused mid-slurp, surprised to see An Yuanyao walk in, grinning foolishly with a bag over her shoulder.
He chewed his noodles slowly, swallowing before raising an eyebrow at her.
"Why are you here again?"
"Why can’t I be?" she snapped, rolling her eyes.
An Yuanyao’s gaze immediately zeroed in on the large bruise on Liu Changqing’s forehead, her expression changing.
Reaching out instinctively, she stopped short, as Liu Changqing jerked back in alarm.
"Hey! What are you doing? Why are you reaching for me?"
Her hand froze mid-air, and she blinked at his reaction, her expression somewhere between confused and hurt.
After a moment, she stomped her foot in frustration.
"I just wanted to see if your bruise was real!"
"As if someone would go to the trouble of painting a fake bruise on their forehead."
She glared at him, her tone softening. "So… how did it happen? It looks painful."
Liu Changqing hesitated, sensing a hint of concern in her voice.
He shivered slightly, unnerved by her sudden change in demeanor.
"You’re acting weird today. Did you catch a fever or something?"
"Why do you always hope I’m sick?!"
"No, seriously, you’re not acting like yourself."
Liu Changqing resumed eating as An Yuanyao rummaged through the bag she was carrying.
"Want some of this?"
She pulled out a roast duck.
"You carry roast duck around with you? Planning to snack on it if you get hungry on the way?"
"It’s leftovers. I couldn’t finish it, so I brought it for you!"
"...…"
Liu Changqing glanced at her, then back at his bowl of noodles.
"Forget it. I don’t like eating other people’s leftovers."
