Chapter 1:She Should Wake Up
When Rong Ci arrived at the airport in Country A, it was already past nine in the evening.
Today was her birthday.
When she turned on her phone, she received a flood of birthday wishes — all from her colleagues and friends.
But there wasn't a single message from Feng Ting Shen.
Rong Ci's smile faded.
By the time she arrived at the villa, it was already past ten at night.
Aunt Liu saw her and froze for a moment. "Madam, you... why are you here?"
"Where are Ting Shen and Xin Xin?"
"Sir hasn't come back yet, and Miss is in her room playing."
Rong Ci handed over her luggage and went upstairs. She found her daughter, wearing her little pajamas, sitting attentively at a small table, fiddling with something. She was so focused that she didn't even notice someone entering the room.
"Xin Xin?"
Hearing her voice, Feng Jing Xin turned her head and happily called out, "Mommy!"
Then, she turned back to continue working on whatever she was doing.
Rong Ci walked over and scooped her into her arms. Just as she kissed her, she was pushed away. "Mommy, I'm busy!"
Rong Ci hadn't seen her daughter in two months and missed her dearly. No amount of kisses seemed enough, and she wanted to chat with her daughter.
Seeing how focused she was, she didn't want to ruin her mood. "Xin Xin, are you making a seashell necklace?"
"Yeah!" Feng Jing Xin's interest was clearly piqued. "It's Aunt Wu Wu's birthday in a week, and this is the birthday gift Daddy and I are making for her! Daddy and I carefully polished these seashells with tools. Aren't they pretty?"
Rong Ci's throat tightened. Before she could say anything, her daughter, still facing away from her, happily added, "Daddy also customized other gifts for Aunt Wu Wu. Tomorrow—"
Rong Ci felt a pang in her chest and couldn't hold back anymore. "Xin Xin… do you remember Mommy's birthday?"
"Huh? What?" Feng Jing Xin glanced at her briefly before looking back down at her beads, complaining, "Mommy, stop talking to me. You're messing up my bead order—"
Rong Ci let go of her and said nothing more.
She stood there for a long time, but her daughter didn't look up at her even once. Pressing her lips together, Rong Ci finally left the room without saying a word.
When Aunt Liu saw her, she said, "Madam, I just called Sir. He said he's busy tonight and asked you to rest first."
"I see."
Rong Ci responded lightly. Thinking of what her daughter had just said, she paused and dialed Feng Ting Shen's number.
After a long wait, he finally picked up, but his tone was indifferent. "I'm busy. Let's talk tomorrow—"
"Ting Shen, who's calling this late?"
It was Lin Wu's voice.
Rong Ci gripped her phone tightly.
"It's nothing."
Before Rong Ci could say anything, Feng Ting Shen had already hung up the call.
It had been two or three months since they last saw each other. She had made the effort to come all the way to Country A, yet he didn't even bother to come home to see her. He couldn't even be bothered to finish listening to her on the phone…
After so many years of marriage, he had always treated her this way — cold, distant, and impatient.
She had grown used to it.
In the past, she would have called him back, patiently asked where he was, and whether he could come home.
But today, perhaps because she was too tired, she couldn't summon the energy to do so.
The next morning, after some thought, she still decided to call Feng Ting Shen.
With a time difference of about 17 or 18 hours between Country A and home, today was her birthday in Country A.
This time, she came to Country A not only because she missed her daughter and Feng Ting Shen but also because she hoped that the three of them could spend this special day together.
That was her birthday wish this year.
Feng Ting Shen didn't answer the call.
A long while later, he sent a message.
[What's up?]
Rong Ci replied: [Do you have time at noon? Let's have lunch together, just the three of us.]
[Got it. Let me know the address once it's set.]
[Okay.]
After that, Feng Ting Shen didn't send another message.
He didn't remember that today was her birthday.
Although Rong Ci had prepared herself mentally, she still couldn't help but feel disappointed.
After washing up, she was about to go downstairs when she overheard voices coming from below — her daughter and Aunt Liu.
"Madam came back. Isn't Miss happy?"
"Daddy and I already promised to take Aunt Wu Wu to the beach tomorrow. If Mommy comes along, it'll just make things awkward for us."
"Besides, Mommy is so mean. She's always scolding Aunt Wu Wu—"
"Miss, Madam is your mother. You shouldn't say such things. It'll hurt her feelings, you know?"
"I know, but Daddy and I like Aunt Wu Wu more. Can't Aunt Wu Wu just be my Mommy instead?"
"…"
Whatever Aunt Liu said next, Rong Ci couldn't hear anymore.
Her daughter had been raised by her, but over the past two years, as father and daughter spent more time together, her daughter had grown closer to Feng Ting Shen. Last year, when Feng Ting Shen came to Country A to expand his business, her daughter insisted on coming along.
Rong Ci couldn't bear to part with her daughter and naturally wanted her to stay.
But she couldn't bear to see her daughter upset either, so she agreed.
She hadn't expected this…
Rong Ci stood frozen in place, her face pale. She didn't move for a long time.
She had taken time off work to come to Country A, hoping to spend more time with her daughter.
But now, it seemed unnecessary.
Rong Ci returned to her room and put the gifts she had brought from home back into her suitcase.
A while later, Aunt Liu called to say she had taken the child out to play and told her to contact her if she needed anything.
Rong Ci sat on the bed, feeling hollow and lost.
She had dropped everything to come here, yet no one really needed her.
Her arrival felt like a joke.
After a long time, she left the house, wandering aimlessly through this strange yet familiar country.
Around noon, she remembered that she had arranged to have lunch with Feng Ting Shen.
Recalling what she had overheard in the morning, she hesitated about whether to go home to pick up her daughter. Just then, she received a message from Feng Ting Shen.
[Something came up at noon. Lunch is canceled.]
Rong Ci looked at the message without the slightest surprise.
Because she was used to it.
In Feng Ting Shen's eyes, whether it was work or a gathering with friends, everything was more important than her, his wife.
Plans he made with her were always canceled at his whim.
He never considered her feelings.
Was she disappointed?
Maybe she would have been before.
But now, she was numb and couldn't feel anything anymore.
Rong Ci felt even more lost.
She had come here full of excitement, but all she received from both her husband and daughter was indifference.
Unintentionally, she drove to a restaurant she and Feng Ting Shen had visited many times before.
Just as she was about to enter, she spotted Feng Ting Shen, Lin Wu, and Feng Jing Xin inside the restaurant.
Lin Wu was sitting affectionately next to her daughter.
She chatted with Feng Ting Shen while teasing her daughter.
Her daughter happily swung her legs, playing with Lin Wu and even eating a pastry Lin Wu had bitten into.
Feng Ting Shen smiled as he served food to the two of them, his gaze fixed on Lin Wu as if she was the only one in his eyes.
So this was the "something" Feng Ting Shen had to do.
And that was the daughter she had carried for ten months, nearly losing her life to give birth to.
Rong Ci smiled.
She stood there, watching.
After a long moment, she withdrew her gaze and turned to leave.
Back at the villa, Rong Ci prepared a divorce agreement.
He had been the dream of her youth, but he had never truly seen her.
If it weren't for that unexpected night and the pressure from his grandfather, he would never have married her.
She had naively believed that if she worked hard enough, one day he would notice her.
But reality had slapped her hard in the face.
Nearly seven years had passed.
It was time for her to wake up.
Placing the divorce agreement in an envelope, she instructed Aunt Liu to give it to Feng Ting Shen. Then, dragging her suitcase, she got into the car and told the driver, "To the airport."
Chapter 2:The Wife Packed Her Things and Returned Home
At around nine in the evening, Feng Tingshen and his daughter returned home.
Feng Jingxin held onto the hem of Feng Tingshen's clothes, getting out of the car very slowly.
Because her mom was at home, she actually didn't want to come back tonight.
But Aunt Wuwu said that her mom came specifically to accompany her and her dad, and if they didn't come back, her mom would be sad.
Her dad also said that if they didn't return tonight, her mom would definitely follow them out to sea tomorrow.
She had no choice but to agree to come back.
Still, she was a little worried and muttered gloomily, "Dad, what if mom insists on following us out tomorrow?"
"She won't," Feng Tingshen said with certainty.
In the years they had been married, although Rong Ci always tried to find ways to spend more time with him, she was still fairly sensible. As long as he made his stance clear, she wouldn't dare to upset him.
In Feng Jingxin's memory, Rong Ci had always been obedient to Feng Tingshen.
Since he said she wouldn't, she believed him.
Finally reassured, her mood brightened. She quickly shook off her earlier gloom and bounced into the house, telling Aunt Liu that she wanted to take a bath.
"Alright, alright," Aunt Liu responded quickly. She remembered Rong Ci's instructions and handed an envelope to Feng Tingshen. "Sir, this is from Madam. She asked me to give it to you."
Feng Tingshen took the envelope and casually asked, "Where is she?"
"Well… Madam packed her things and went back home at noon. Didn't you know?"
Feng Tingshen froze mid-step as he was going upstairs. He turned his head. "She left?"
"Yes."
Why Rong Ci had suddenly come to Country A, Feng Tingshen hadn't given her a chance to explain.
He didn't care either.
Upon learning she had left, he didn't give it much thought.
Feng Jingxin was a little surprised too.
Hearing this, she felt a little disappointed.
She had been thinking that if her mom didn't follow her and her dad out to sea tomorrow, it would actually be nice to have her mom keep her company at night.
And besides, polishing seashells often hurt her hands, and she had wanted her mom to help her finish them!
Feng Tingshen and Rong Ci hadn't seen each other for months. Rong Ci had made the effort to come, but she hadn't even gotten a glimpse of Feng Tingshen.
Thinking of how Rong Ci's face didn't look quite right when she left, Aunt Liu couldn't help but remind him, "Sir, Madam didn't look very happy when she left. She seemed upset."
Aunt Liu had initially thought that Rong Ci left in a hurry because of something urgent.
Now, realizing that Feng Tingshen didn't even know she had gone back, she sensed something was off.
Upset?
Rong Ci was always gentle and accommodating in front of him.
So, she could get upset too?
That was new.
Feng Tingshen smiled indifferently, dismissing Aunt Liu with a casual response before heading upstairs.
Back in his room, he was about to open the envelope Rong Ci had given him when Lin Wu called. Feng Tingshen answered the call and tossed the envelope aside before leaving the room.
A while later, the envelope fell to the floor from the edge of the bed.
That night, Feng Tingshen didn't come back.
The next morning, when Aunt Liu came upstairs to clean, she saw the envelope on the floor. Recognizing it as the one Rong Ci had asked her to deliver, she assumed Feng Tingshen had already read it and casually placed it in a nearby drawer.
...
After getting off the plane, Rong Ci went straight home and upstairs to pack her things.
After six years, she still had quite a lot of stuff in the house.
But she only took a few sets of clothes, two sets of daily necessities, and some of her professional books.
After they got married, Feng Tingshen would send living expenses every month—one account for her and another for their daughter.
But Rong Ci had always used her own card for expenses.
As for her daughter's card, she had never touched it.
What's more, because she loved Feng Tingshen, every time she went shopping and saw clothes, shoes, cufflinks, or ties that suited him, she couldn't help but buy them for him.
As for herself, due to her work, her daily expenses were low. With her heart and mind focused entirely on her husband and daughter, she always wanted to give them the best. Most of the money Feng Tingshen gave her was spent on him and their daughter.
Under these circumstances, there shouldn't have been much money left in her account.
However, over the past year, since her daughter had been living with Feng Tingshen in Country A, she had fewer opportunities to buy things for them.
Now, there was still more than 30 million left in her account.
To Feng Tingshen, that might not be a significant amount, but to her, it was no small sum.
Since it was her money to begin with, Rong Ci didn't hesitate to transfer it.
Leaving the two cards behind, she dragged her suitcase and left without looking back.
She had an apartment not far from her workplace.
It wasn't big, just over 100 square meters.
Four years ago, she had bought it to help boost a friend's sales when they ran away from home. She had never lived in it before.
Now, it came in handy.
The apartment had been regularly cleaned, so it wasn't dirty. After a bit of tidying up, it was ready to move into.
After a long day, Rong Ci washed up and went to bed around 10 p.m.
"Ding ding, ding ding, ding ding—"
The piercing sound of the alarm clock woke Rong Ci from her sleep.
Startled awake, Rong Ci's mind went blank for a moment.
Once she regained her senses, she remembered that it was 1 a.m., which was 7 a.m. in Country A, where Feng Tingshen and her daughter were.
This was usually when Feng Tingshen and her daughter had breakfast.
Ever since her daughter had gone to Country A with Feng Tingshen, Rong Ci would call her at this time every day.
But Rong Ci was often tired from work and went to bed early, so she had set this alarm to make sure she wouldn't miss the chance to talk to her daughter.
When her daughter first went to Country A, she wasn't used to it and missed her mom a lot, always wanting to call her.
But as time went on, her daughter's initial attachment and longing turned into indifference and impatience during their calls.
This alarm was no longer necessary.
She just couldn't let go.
Thinking of this, Rong Ci smiled bitterly.
After hesitating for a moment, she deleted the alarm, turned off her phone, and went back to sleep.
On the other side.
Feng Tingshen and Feng Jingxin had almost finished breakfast.
Although Feng Tingshen knew that Rong Ci usually called their daughter at this time every day, he wasn't always home and didn't pay much attention to it.
Noticing that Rong Ci hadn't called today, he took note of it but didn't care. After breakfast, he went upstairs to change.
Feng Jingxin felt that her mom was becoming increasingly nagging, and she was getting less and less interested in talking to her.
Seeing that her mom hadn't called yet, she figured she might be busy with something.
Her bright eyes darted around as she grabbed her schoolbag and ran out the door.
Aunt Liu quickly followed. "Miss, it's still early. You can leave later!"
Feng Jingxin didn't listen and happily ran to the car.
What a joke—her mom rarely missed calling her at this time. If she didn't leave now, her mom might call soon, and she'd have to talk to her. She didn't want that!
...
After getting married, Rong Ci had joined Feng Corporation.
She had done so for Feng Tingshen.
Now that she had decided to divorce, she no longer had a reason to stay at Feng Corporation.
The next morning, after arriving at the office, Rong Ci handed her resignation letter to Jiang Zhe.
Chapter 3:No Longer Calling Them
I've wanted to divorce you for a long timeChapter 3:No Longer Calling Them
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Jiang Zhe was one of Feng Tingshen's personal secretaries.
When he saw Rong Ci's resignation letter, he was very surprised.
He was one of the few people in the company who knew about the relationship between Rong Ci and Feng Tingshen.
Those familiar with Feng Tingshen all knew that his heart was not with Rong Ci.
After their marriage, he was cold to her and rarely came home.
To get closer to and win over Feng Tingshen, Rong Ci chose to work at Feng Corporation.
Her initial goal was to become Feng Tingshen's personal secretary.
But Feng Tingshen refused.
Even when the old master intervened, it couldn't make Feng Tingshen agree.
In the end, Rong Ci had to settle for joining the secretarial department, becoming one of Feng Tingshen's many ordinary secretaries.
At first, Jiang Zhe was worried that Rong Ci's presence in the secretarial department would cause chaos.
But to his surprise, Rong Ci, although she used her position to get closer to Feng Tingshen, did so tactfully and never crossed the line.
On the contrary, perhaps to make Feng Tingshen see her in a new light, Rong Ci worked very seriously and showed exceptional ability. Whether it was during her pregnancy, childbirth, or other times, she always followed the company's policies and never sought special treatment.
Over the years, Rong Ci had risen to become a team leader in the secretarial department.
Jiang Zhe had always observed Rong Ci's feelings for Feng Tingshen.
To be honest, he never thought Rong Ci would resign.
He couldn't believe that Rong Ci would willingly resign on her own.
The fact that Rong Ci was resigning now likely meant that something had happened between her and Feng Tingshen, something he didn't know about, which had led to Feng Tingshen ordering her to resign.
Rong Ci was highly capable, and though it was a pity, Jiang Zhe still handled it professionally: "I've received your resignation letter. I'll arrange for someone to take over your work as soon as possible."
"Alright."
Rong Ci nodded and turned back to her workstation.
After working for a while, Jiang Zhe reported to Feng Tingshen online.
As they were wrapping up their conversation, he suddenly remembered Rong Ci's resignation. "By the way, President Feng, about—"
Although he had told Rong Ci that he would arrange for someone to take over her work as soon as possible, he still wanted to get Feng Tingshen's opinion on when Rong Ci should leave.
If Feng Tingshen wanted Rong Ci to stop coming to the company tomorrow, he would make the arrangements immediately.
But just as he was about to bring it up, he remembered that when Rong Ci first joined the company, Feng Tingshen had made it clear that anything related to Rong Ci should be handled according to company policies, and there was no need to report to him specifically.
He wouldn't care.
And indeed, over the years, Feng Tingshen had never taken the initiative to inquire about Rong Ci's matters in the company.
Whenever he saw Rong Ci at the company, he always treated her like a stranger.
Over the years, Rong Ci had performed outstandingly. Two years ago, when they were considering promoting her, they had even brought it up to Feng Tingshen, given his dislike for her.
The implication was that if he didn't like it, they would drop the matter.
At the time, Feng Tingshen had frowned and impatiently reiterated that he wouldn't interfere and that they should handle it according to company policies.
He had also said that in the future, they shouldn't ask him about anything related to Rong Ci at the company.
Seeing Jiang Zhe hesitate to speak, Feng Tingshen frowned. "What is it?"
Jiang Zhe snapped out of it and quickly replied, "Nothing."
Since Feng Tingshen was already aware of Rong Ci's resignation but hadn't mentioned it himself, it showed that this matter was of no importance to him.
Jiang Zhe decided to handle it as usual, following company procedures.
With that thought, Jiang Zhe said no more.
Feng Tingshen ended the video call.
…
"What are you thinking about?"
At noon, a colleague suddenly patted Rong Ci on the shoulder.
Rong Ci came back to her senses and smiled, shaking her head. "Nothing."
"Aren't you calling your daughter today?"
"No, I'm not."
She usually called her daughter twice a day—once at 1 a.m. and once around noon.
Her colleagues in the office all knew about this.
However, what they didn't know was that her daughter's father was their company's big boss.
After work in the evening, Rong Ci went to the market, bought some groceries, and picked up a few potted plants before heading home.
After dinner, Rong Ci went online to check information about a technology exhibition.
After reading through it, she made a phone call: "Reserve a ticket for me for next month's technology exhibition."
"Are you sure?" the person on the other end said coldly. "The last two times you asked me to save a ticket, you didn't show up. Do you know how many people dream of getting those tickets, only for you to waste them?"
The annual technology exhibition in the country was a major event in the tech industry, and not everyone could get tickets.
Their company had a few slots for attendees, and many elites in the company vied for the chance to go.
To them, every slot was incredibly valuable.
"If I don't attend this time, I won't ask you for tickets again in the future."
The person on the other end didn't respond and hung up.
Rong Ci knew this meant they had agreed.
She smiled.
What she hadn't said was that she wanted to return to the company.
As a partner in the company, she had chosen to get married and have children when the company was just starting out, stepping back from her role and focusing on her family. This had completely disrupted the company's development plans, causing them to miss many opportunities.
Her colleagues were both angry and frustrated with her.
Over the years, they had barely kept in touch.
It was true that she wanted to return to the company, but her focus had been on her family since her marriage.
She had been out of the industry for too long.
She worried that if she returned to the company unprepared, she wouldn't be able to keep up with their pace.
So, she planned to spend some time thoroughly understanding the current state of the industry before making any concrete plans.
In the following days, Rong Ci focused on her work during office hours and her own matters after work.
She didn't take the initiative to contact her daughter or Feng Tingshen.
Of course, they didn't contact her either.
She wasn't surprised by this.
Because as early as half a year ago, reaching out to them had become a one-sided effort on her part.
They had only passively responded.
…
In Country A.
Feng Jingxin had developed the habit of calling Lin Wu every morning after waking up.
That day, as usual, she called Lin Wu as soon as she woke up.
But before they had talked for long, she started crying loudly.
Lin Wu had just told her some terrible news.
"Aunt Wu is going back home!"
Feng Jingxin was heartbroken. After finishing her call with Lin Wu, she immediately called Feng Tingshen: "Dad, did you know about this?"
In his office, Feng Tingshen flipped through some documents. "Yes."
"When did you find out?"
"It's been a while."
"Y-you… Dad, you're so mean…" Feng Jingxin hugged her pink pig plushie and cried loudly. "Why didn't you tell me? I don't want Aunt Wu to leave. If she's not here, I don't want to go to school here anymore. I want to go back home, wah~"
Feng Tingshen replied indifferently, "It's already being arranged."
Feng Jingxin didn't understand. "W-what do you mean?"
"We're going back home next week."
Editor — AlphaNovel Writer
Chapter 4:Preparing for Divorce
Feng Jingxin jumped out of bed. "Really?!"
"Mm."
"Then why didn't Aunt Wu tell me just now?"
"It's just been finalized; she hasn't been informed yet."
Feng Jingxin was overjoyed. "Then, Dad, don't tell Aunt Wu yet! Let's surprise her when we go back, okay?!"
"Okay."
"Dad, you're the best! I love you so much!"
After hanging up, Feng Jingxin was still ecstatic, singing and dancing on her bed.
A little while later, she suddenly thought of Rong Ci.
For the past few days, she had been in a great mood because her mom hadn't called her.
In fact, to avoid talking to her mom on the phone, she had deliberately left home early in the mornings and turned off or left her phone far away after school.
After two days, she worried that her mom might find out and get upset, so she stopped doing that.
But to her surprise, her mom hadn't called her at all in the following days.
At first, she thought her mom might have found out that she was intentionally avoiding her calls.
But then she realized, based on past experience, if her mom knew she had done something wrong, she would have corrected her immediately instead of getting upset and refusing to call.
After all, in her mom's heart, she was the most important person. Her mom loved her the most, and she didn't believe her mom could bear to stop calling her just because she was upset.
Thinking about this, Feng Jingxin suddenly started to miss Rong Ci.
It was the first time in days that she thought of her mom.
Unable to resist, she dialed Rong Ci's number.
But just as the call went through, she suddenly remembered: even though she would soon be able to see Aunt Wu after returning to the country, her mom would undoubtedly try every possible way to stop her from meeting Aunt Wu.
She wouldn't be able to see Aunt Wu whenever she wanted, like she could here.
Thinking about this, Feng Jingxin's mood soured.
In her home country, it was the middle of the night.
Rong Ci was already asleep.
She was woken up by Feng Jingxin's call.
Seeing the call from Feng Jingxin, she was about to answer when the call was abruptly disconnected.
Although Rong Ci had stated in the divorce agreement with Feng Tingshen that she would give up custody of Feng Jingxin, the child was still her daughter.
She felt a certain responsibility toward her.
Seeing that Feng Jingxin called her but then hung up, Rong Ci worried that something might have happened and immediately called back.
But Feng Jingxin turned her face away and refused to answer.
Rong Ci grew even more concerned and quickly called the landline at the villa.
Aunt Liu answered promptly. After hearing Rong Ci's concerns, she reassured her: "Miss should be fine. She went to bed very late last night and woke up late today. When I went upstairs earlier, she was still asleep. I'll go check on her now and call you back shortly."
Hearing Aunt Liu's words, Rong Ci felt a bit relieved. "Alright, thank you."
When Aunt Liu went upstairs, Feng Jingxin was already in the bathroom washing up.
After Aunt Liu explained the situation, Feng Jingxin mumbled while brushing her teeth, "I accidentally pressed it."
Aunt Liu didn't suspect anything. Seeing that she was brushing her teeth, she went downstairs to report back to Rong Ci.
Watching Aunt Liu leave, Feng Jingxin huffed and finally felt a bit better.
Hearing Aunt Liu's report, Rong Ci also felt reassured.
However, being suddenly woken up, she couldn't fall back asleep for a long time. The next morning, she felt groggy when she got up for work.
The envelope containing the divorce agreement that Rong Ci had given to Feng Tingshen was forgotten after he took Lin Wu's call that day.
On the day of their return to the country, Feng Tingshen placed the last document into his briefcase, ensuring nothing was left behind, and then headed downstairs.
"All set, let's go."
The stretch limousine quickly left the villa and headed for the airport.
…
Rong Ci had no idea that Feng Tingshen and the others were returning to the country.
No one told her.
It had been half a month since she moved out of the villa.
During this time, she had gradually adjusted to and even come to enjoy the quiet and leisurely life of living alone.
It was the weekend, so she slept in a bit.
After getting up and freshening up, she opened the curtains. Seeing the sunny weather outside, she stretched, watered her plants, and was about to make herself a simple breakfast when the doorbell rang.
It was her neighbor, Mrs. Fang, who lived across from her.
"Miss Rong, did I disturb you?"
Rong Ci replied warmly, "No, I'm already up."
"That's good." Mrs. Fang said enthusiastically, "These are some freshly made buns and dumplings from our house this morning. I brought them over for you to try."
"Thank you so much… You're too kind."
"It's nothing, really. If it weren't for you saving our Sweetie the other day, who knows what that mad dog would've done to her. My husband and I have been wanting to thank you properly, but we've been so busy with work. I feel so bad…"
"It was just a small thing, Mrs. Fang. You're too polite."
After some polite exchanges, Mrs. Fang left.
Back inside, Rong Ci ate breakfast while reviewing an AI algorithm mechanism she had been studying.
In the afternoon, a news alert about the centennial celebration of T University popped up on her phone.
Rong Ci paused and checked the date, realizing it was indeed T University's anniversary.
She went online and found several trending topics about #TUniversityCentennialCelebration#.
The celebration was drawing a lot of attention, not only because T University was the top university in the country but also because it was the first centennial celebration in its history. Many distinguished alumni from various fields had been invited to attend.
These honorary alumni were influential figures in their respective industries.
Rong Ci scrolled through the news.
When she saw several familiar faces in the footage, her hand holding the phone trembled slightly.
Memories of her time at university flooded back to her.
Her heart suddenly felt unsettled.
If she hadn't gotten married right after graduating from her undergraduate program, perhaps her name would also be among the honorary alumni invited to the celebration today.
Closing her laptop, she hesitated for a moment before driving to T University.
By then, it was already afternoon.
Many of the prominent figures invited to the event had already left.
But the campus was still bustling.
Rong Ci wandered aimlessly around the campus.
When she reached the familiar experimental building, a familiar voice called out to her.
"Xiao Ci?"
Twenty minutes later, in a teahouse outside T University.
Yu Moxun poured tea for Rong Ci. "How have you been lately?"
Holding the teacup, Rong Ci smiled faintly, her eyes downcast. "I'm doing well. Just… preparing for a divorce."
Yu Moxun hadn't expected such an answer and paused. "I'm sorry."
"It's okay."
"So, what are your plans next? Are you thinking about coming back to the company?"
"I've thought about it, but…"
Yu Moxun didn't know what was troubling her, but he said seriously, "Xiao Ci, the company needs you. You're a part of the company too. I hope you can come back and take charge."
"I… I…"
Looking at Yu Moxun's earnest expression, Rong Ci felt conflicted.
It wasn't that she didn't want to return.
But the AI field had developed so rapidly in recent years.
She had been out of the industry for six years. Even if she returned now, she feared she wouldn't be able to keep up with the times, let alone lead the team to stay at the forefront of the industry as she once did.
Chapter 5:Mrs. Went on a Business Trip
Yu Moxun and Rong Ci hadn't met much in recent years.
But even with just a few encounters, Yu Moxun could tell that the person she was now was far different from the energetic and spirited Rong Ci of the past.
Thinking back to the old days, Yu Moxun could never have imagined that the word "inferiority" would ever be associated with Rong Ci.
Yu Moxun didn't know much about Rong Ci's marriage to Feng Ting Shen.
But he did know a bit.
He had some guesses in his heart but didn't say them out loud. Instead, he seriously told her, "It doesn't matter if you've fallen behind for a while. Your abilities and talents are not something ordinary geniuses can compare to. Xiao Ci, as long as you're still willing to walk this path, it's never too late to start over."
"Don't forget, you are the best student I've ever had in my teaching career."
Rong Ci smiled as she listened, "If the teacher heard that, he'd probably scoff and say he was forced to pick the tallest person among the short ones."
Thinking of her elegant yet sharp-tongued teacher, Rong Ci's smile faded slightly. "I saw in the news that the teacher came back to attend the celebration. Is he doing well?"
"He's doing fine, but us students, who constantly embarrass him, appear in front of him every now and then, and it really annoys him."
Rong Ci chuckled and couldn't help but reminisce about the days when she was pressed to write papers every day under her beloved mentor.
Yu Moxun said, "Come back, Xiao Ci."
Rong Ci tightened her grip on her teacup, took a deep breath, and nodded. "Alright."
She had been researching artificial intelligence since she was a child.
She genuinely loved the field.
Because of her love for Feng Ting Shen, she had abandoned her own dreams for six or seven years.
She had been away for six or seven years, and it would probably take some time to catch up.
But she believed that as long as she put in the effort, it wasn't too late.
Yu Moxun asked again, "When do you plan to come back?"
"I still need to wait for someone to hand over my current work, so it might take a little longer."
"It's fine. There's no rush."
Since she was coming back, what was a little more waiting?
They chatted for a while, and then Yu Moxun checked the time and said, "Someone under me has introduced me to a genius in algorithms. Apparently, he just returned to the country recently, and we arranged to meet. Since we've coincidentally run into each other, how about you come with me to meet him?"
Rong Ci shook her head. "I don't know your people, maybe next time."
"Alright."
As soon as Yu Moxun left, Rong Ci saw Feng Ting Shen's sister, Feng Ting Lin, walking toward her.
Rong Ci had seen her in the news.
But she didn't expect to run into her here.
She greeted her, "Sister Ting Lin."
Feng Ting Lin didn't respond but frowned as she looked at her. "How come you're here?"
"I came to check out T University's anniversary celebration."
Rong Ci didn't mention that she was also a graduate of T University.
But aside from the students and faculty, the majority of people returning to the university today were invited alumni.
What was she, a nobody, doing here causing trouble?
Forget it.
As long as she didn't cause any trouble or tarnish the Feng family's reputation, Feng Ting Lin couldn't be bothered to say anything.
With that thought, Feng Ting Lin bluntly stated her intention, "Xiao Ming said he wants to eat the food you make. I'll have someone deliver it to him later at your and Ting Shen's place."
Xiao Ming was Feng Ting Lin's son, a year or two older than Feng Jing Xin.
Feng Ting Lin and her husband's relationship had been strained for years. She had been busy with work and rarely looked after her child. Over the past two years, their child had become increasingly rebellious, and now it was hard to control him even if she wanted to.
Knowing that her son liked her cooking, Feng Ting Lin had been sending him over to her and Feng Ting Shen's place whenever she had time.
Aside from the old lady, no one in the Feng family took her seriously.
Teenagers were the best at mimicking their elders.
Feng Ting Lin's son liked her food but deeply looked down on her as his aunt, treating her more like a maid when he came over.
In the past, for Feng Ting Shen's sake, Rong Ci had been patient with Feng Ting Lin's child and didn't mind his lack of respect.
But now that she and Feng Ting Shen were preparing to divorce, she no longer wanted to continue sacrificing for him.
So, Rong Ci directly refused, "Sorry, Sister Ting Lin, I'm busy tomorrow."
Since she was going to return to her professional field, she would focus all her time on the important matters.
After the divorce, she would have no further connection to either Feng Ting Shen or Feng Ting Lin.
She wouldn't waste any more of her time on them.
Feng Ting Lin didn't expect Rong Ci to refuse her.
After all, in the past, Rong Ci had always lowered herself to please the Feng family for Feng Ting Shen's sake.
However, Feng Ting Lin didn't think much of it.
Rong Ci had never refused her before, so now that she said she had something to do, Feng Ting Lin assumed that she must have something important going on, otherwise, why would Rong Ci give up the chance to please her?
But she was still not very happy. "Ting Shen and Jing Xin aren't around you right now. What could be so important?"
Rong Ci couldn't help but smile bitterly inside.
Over the years, she had abandoned herself, focusing all her attention on Feng Ting Shen and their daughter, always revolving around them.
Hearing such a comment from Feng Ting Lin, she knew it wasn't unjust.
But she wouldn't be like that anymore.
Thinking of this, just as Rong Ci was about to speak, a few people walked toward them.
"Miss Feng!"
They seemed to be looking for Feng Ting Lin.
After sizing up Rong Ci, one of them asked, "Miss Feng, who is this?"
Feng Ting Lin didn't respond, just coldly said, "A friend."
"Oh, a friend…"
They, like Feng Ting Lin, had come to T University for the celebration, and their status was not low.
Seeing Feng Ting Lin run into familiar faces, they initially thought it was someone important.
But now, seeing how Feng Ting Lin was treating Rong Ci, aside from one or two people who couldn't help but take a second glance at Rong Ci's fair and long legs, no one else even spared her a glance.
They surrounded Feng Ting Lin and quickly left.
Feng Ting Lin wouldn't admit that Rong Ci was her sister-in-law. In the past, this might have made Rong Ci upset, but now, she no longer cared.
After Feng Ting Lin left, she picked up her bag and turned to leave.
That night, around 10 PM, Feng Ting Shen and Feng Jing Xin's flight landed at the airport on time.
By the time they got home, it was almost midnight.
Feng Jing Xin fell asleep before she even made it back home.
Feng Ting Shen carried Feng Jing Xin upstairs, and as he passed by the master bedroom, he noticed the door was open, but the room was pitch dark.
Carrying Feng Jing Xin to her room, he returned to the master bedroom, turned on the dim lights, and glanced at the bed—empty.
Rong Ci wasn't there.
At that moment, the butler happened to bring up his luggage. Feng Ting Shen loosened his tie and asked, "Where is she?"
The butler quickly replied, "Madam went on a business trip."
Half a month ago, when Rong Ci packed her things and left, he had happened to be away. The other servants in the villa said she had left with her luggage, likely for a business trip.
It was strange, though—Rong Ci rarely went on business trips. Even when she did, it was usually just for two or three days.
But this time, it had been half a month, and she still hadn't returned.
Feng Ting Shen hummed and didn't ask further.