"What's wrong?" Lin Yu asked softly, concerned.

  "Nothing, I need to use the restroom." Jiang Yan stood up in a fluster and hurried out.

  "What's going on with sis-in-law?" Shen Yuxuan and Zhou Chen exchanged puzzled glances.

  Lin Yu didn't answer. Instead, he picked up the card attached to the bouquet and glanced at it. A simple line of English was written in bold, elegant script: *Miss you much.*

  Nothing else.

  Lin Yu guessed Jiang Yan must have recognized the handwriting, which explained her reaction.

  *Could it be him?*

  Thinking of Jiang Yan's panicked expression just now, Lin Yu felt as if his heart had been squeezed. In all their time together, he had never seen her so unsettled.

  *So we’re finally meeting?*

  Lin Yu's grip on the card tightened, his knuckles turning white.

  *Let’s see what kind of extraordinary man you are.*

  Though Lin Yu couldn’t claim to love Jiang Yan deeply, she was still his wife. The fact that her heart belonged to someone else was something no man could easily accept.

  He had long wanted to meet this man, and now, it seemed, fate had arranged it.

  "Jiarong, is something wrong?" Shen Yuxuan asked, noticing Lin Yu’s unusually grave expression.

  "Jiarong, do you know who that guy is? Don’t worry, this is my turf. I can have him thrown out right now," Zhou Chen said confidently. He wasn’t exaggerating—given his family’s control over the event’s security, he could make anyone leave.

  "It’s fine." Lin Yu calmly placed the card back and smiled. "I’m used to this kind of thing. When you marry a beautiful wife, you learn to deal with the pressure."

  "Haha, exactly! Who wouldn’t be jealous of such a stunning wife?"

  "Right? Consider yourself lucky, Jiarong."

  Shen Yuxuan and Zhou Chen laughed, trying to lighten the mood.

  "Jiarong, don’t worry. You’re the only son-in-law I recognize. The rest can get lost!" Jiang Jingren declared after taking a sip of wine.

  "Sir, what about the flowers...?" The waiter, sweating nervously, didn’t know what to do. The person who had sent the bouquet was someone he couldn’t afford to offend either.

  "Are you stupid? Can’t you take a hint?" Shen Yuxuan smacked the table in frustration.

  "Give them to me." Lin Yu waved his hand, took the bouquet, and set it aside without another word, urging everyone to continue eating.

  Nearly half an hour later, Jiang Yan returned. Though she had regained her usual cold, aloof demeanor, the faint redness in her eyes told Lin Yu she had been crying.

  "Sorry about that."

  She apologized for her earlier behavior, but when her gaze fell on the roses, her expression darkened again. She grabbed them, about to toss them away.

  Lin Yu caught her wrist. "Running away won’t solve anything."

  Jiang Yan froze at his words.

  Gently guiding her hand, Lin Yu placed the bouquet back on the table. "I know you’re trying to move on. But throwing these away or destroying them only proves they still affect you. When you can look at them without feeling anything, that’s when you’ll truly be free."

  Stolen novel; please report.

  Jiang Yan trembled slightly, her eyes glistening. She said nothing, pulling her hand back.

  "Let’s eat first. We’ll talk later."

  Sensing the tension, Zhou Chen and Shen Yuxuan quickly changed the subject.

  "Jiang Yan, do you like the flowers I sent you?"

  A deep, magnetic voice suddenly sounded behind her.

  Jiang Yan stiffened, her hands shaking uncontrollably. She fumbled across the table, as if desperate for something to hold onto.

  Then a warm, steady hand closed over hers. Instantly, she calmed. Turning, she saw Lin Yu smiling gently at her. "I’m right here," he said.

  Still holding her hand, Lin Yu stood and faced the man he had long wanted to meet.

  The man was tall and handsome, his tailored suit accentuating his athletic build—clearly someone who took care of himself.

  Beside him stood a woman in her twenties, dressed in a champagne-colored, diamond-studded gown, a sparkling necklace around her neck and a jeweled hairpin holding back her locks. Every inch the wealthy socialite.

  Though her features were delicate, her slightly sallow complexion paled in comparison to Jiang Yan’s porcelain skin. The envy in her eyes was unmistakable.

  "Hello, I’m Jiang Yan’s husband, He Jiarong," Lin Yu said, extending his hand.

  "Hello, I’m Jiang Yan’s *good friend*, Li Junyi." Li Junyi smiled as he shook Lin Yu’s hand, subtly increasing his grip.

  He expected the slender Lin Yu to yelp in pain.

  To his surprise, Lin Yu remained unfazed. Instead, Li Junyi’s own hand was suddenly crushed by an iron-like force, sending sharp pain shooting up his arm.

  Lin Yu released him just before the pain became unbearable.

  Hiding his throbbing hand behind his back, Li Junyi shot Lin Yu a venomous glare. *So the useless husband has some strength after all.*

  He had returned to Qinghai not just for the rough stone auction but also to see Jiang Yan. Naturally, he had gathered all the information he could about her life.

  He knew He Jiarong was a worthless freeloader. So he cut straight to the point: "Mr. He, you’re lucky to have married Jiang Yan. May I ask where you work?"

  "I’m currently unemployed," Lin Yu admitted, though his expression remained unbothered.

  "Oh? So Jiang Yan supports you? How enviable." Li Junyi’s tone dripped with mockery as he glanced at Jiang Yan.

  "With Jiarong’s skills, he could land a job paying millions a year in minutes!" Shen Yuxuan snapped, unable to stomach Li Junyi’s arrogance. If not for the auction about to start, he’d have thrown a punch already.

  "Skills? What skills could a loser like him possibly have? The skill of mooching off his wife?" Li Junyi threw his head back and laughed. Then, his voice turned icy as he addressed Jiang Yan: "Jiang Yan, I thought you left me for someone extraordinary. Turns out you settled for a man who can’t even support himself!"

  His words were laced with venom, his lingering resentment over their breakup plain to see.

  Jiang Yan pressed her lips together, silent.

  "*Husband*~!" The socialite at his side tugged his arm, pouting.

  "Sorry, darling. I’ve told you, she’s ancient history." Li Junyi patted her hand before smirking at Jiang Yan. "Oh, I forgot to introduce you. This is my wife, Shen Aijia. Daughter of Ling’an City’s Party Secretary."

  His pride was palpable, as if to say, *Look at the trash you married, while I landed someone of noble birth.*

  Jiang Yan lowered her head, drowning in painful memories.

  Sweet moments from the past now felt like shards of glass, slicing her heart to pieces.

  The worst was the image of Li Junyi tangled with another woman—a nightmare that had haunted her for years.

  She couldn’t believe the man who had whispered *"I’ll love you forever"* that morning had been in another woman’s bed by nightfall.

  And he had blamed *her*, claiming if she hadn’t refused him, he wouldn’t have strayed.

  This was the root of her pain—the endless questioning of whether it had been her fault, her *purity*, that drove him away.

  Since then, she had lost all faith in men. That was why she had agreed to marry He Jiarong without protest.

  "Mr. Li, the auction is about to begin. Please head upstairs to prepare," Zhou Chen interjected, eager to defuse the tension.

  Li Junyi snorted, adjusted his suit, and left with his wife on his arm.

  "What an ass! Who does he think he is?" Shen Yuxuan glared at his retreating back.

  "Say what you will, but he’s got skills. After returning from Yale three years ago, he started his own jewelry company. In just two years, he became a major player in Ling’an’s industry. Sure, his father-in-law helped, but his talent is undeniable."

  Zhou Chen sighed. "Rumor has it he’s planning to expand to Qinghai. That’s why the city’s propaganda department invited him today. After the auction, he’s supposed to give a speech as an outstanding returnee. I can’t afford to offend him."

  "Outstanding *returnee*? More like a *turtle*," Shen Yuxuan grumbled, annoyed on Lin Yu’s behalf. He couldn’t understand why Lin Yu had just taken the insults.

  Lin Yu was seething inside, but causing a scene here wasn’t an option.

  Besides, Li Junyi had mocked him with facts—facts he couldn’t refute. All he could do was endure.

  He knew Jiang Yan was suffering even more than he was.

  "We can leave if you’re uncomfortable," he whispered to her.

  After a pause, she shook her head. "Didn’t you say it yourself? Running away doesn’t help. The only way to move on is to face it."

  She lifted her chin, her resolve hardening. Then, to his surprise, she linked her arm with his. "Let’s go upstairs."

  Lin Yu gently squeezed her hand. His voice was quiet but firm:

  "I promise you tonight, I’ll win back everything you’ve lost."