"What in the world is going on?"
Song Qiao listened to Ye Zhiwei's sudden, frantic outburst.
He racked his brain, unable to comprehend what had gotten into Ye Zhiwei.
If it weren't for his deep understanding of her from his previous life, he would have suspected her of having a hidden mental illness.
"General Manager Song, please don't be angry. We don't know what's happening either."
"General Manager Ye was fine this morning. After reading that letter, she became like this."
Zhou Zhou, witnessing Song Qiao's ever-changing expression, quickly interjected, fearing further escalation of the conflict.
"It's alright, you can go attend to your work. I'll handle things here."
Song Qiao smiled helplessly at Zhou Zhou and waved her away.
"This..."
Zhou Zhou clearly looked uneasy, her face etched with hesitation.
"Don't worry, I'll have a private chat with General Manager Ye."
"Take all the office staff on this floor away. No one is to know about the conversation between General Manager Ye and me."
Song Qiao insisted on her leaving.
Seeing this, Zhou Zhou dared not press further and turned to go downstairs.
After the surroundings had quieted down.
Song Qiao took a deep breath, gently knocked on the door, and said in a soft voice,
"You can tell me if something is wrong. Don't forget, we are friends, and we are also business partners."
Silence emanated from the office.
It took a long while for Ye Zhiwei to respond.
"What did that letter say? If I'm not mistaken, it was sent by Mo Ling and his group, wasn't it?"
Song Qiao maintained his composure, his mind racing.
"Song Qiao, tell me the truth, why did you help me back then?"
"Did you help me because we were friends, or just to use my Ye Corporation to defeat Mo Ling?"
The room fell silent again for a moment, and finally, Ye Zhiwei's response came.
Her voice was somewhat hoarse, indicating she had been crying.
"I..."
Song Qiao's heart suddenly tightened.
The words were on the tip of his tongue, but he didn't know how to explain.
He was a reborn individual, and he had helped Ye Zhiwei because he had made a promise to her in his previous life.
But now, he couldn't explain it to her at all.
After all, his help to Ye Zhiwei in this life was rather abrupt.
This matter had likely already aroused suspicion from some observant individuals.
"Say it?"
Ye Zhiwei, who had been straining her ears for an answer, waited for a long time without Song Qiao's reply.
Her heart, which had held a sliver of hope, felt as if a bucket of cold water had been thrown over it.
She finally understood why Song Qiao had helped her.
She took a deep breath, her voice tinged with sobs.
"Song Qiao, please leave. Let me calm down by myself."
"I beg you, don't bother me anymore."
"This..."
Song Qiao, who had intended to offer more comfort, found himself at a loss for words.
After a few minutes of hesitation, he finally spoke,
"Alright, when you've calmed down, I'll explain."
With that, he turned and left.
He had only taken a few steps.
The office door was suddenly ajar, and Ye Zhiwei peeked out.
With red-rimmed eyes, she gazed at Song Qiao's retreating back, her heart plummeting into an abyss of ice.
...
Song Qiao emerged from Ye Zhiwei's office.
Feeling deeply dejected, he happened to encounter Xia Yuqing, who was there to hand over a project.
"Husband, I didn't expect to run into you here."
Seeing Song Qiao, Xia Yuqing was overjoyed and rushed forward, hooking her arm through his.
"I haven't seen you for these past few days. I've really missed you so much."
Xia Yuqing's innocent and cheerful demeanor seemed to transport Song Qiao back ten years.
To the time when they had just gotten married.
Although their lives were simple back then, they were very happy.
Recalling that blissful period, Song Qiao's gloomy mood lifted considerably.
"Do you have something else to do? I'm actually done with my work. Would you accompany me for a walk nearby?"
While Song Qiao was lost in thought, Xia Yuqing asked somewhat plaintively.
"Of course, I have nothing else to do right now."
Song Qiao naturally took Xia Yuqing's right hand, and they slowly walked towards a nearby park.
"Remember the night before our wedding, we walked hand-in-hand in this very park? We even paid to take a photo here. Do you remember?"
Xia Yuqing chattered incessantly along the way, reminiscing about their pre-marriage days.
Song Qiao listened with a smile.
"I remember, of course, I remember. We also agreed to hang that photo in our bedroom."
Looking at Xia Yuqing's expectant eyes, Song Qiao was also drawn into those memories.
"Have I been treating you badly after we got married?"
At that moment, Xia Yuqing suddenly stopped, turned around, and looked earnestly into Song Qiao's eyes.
Before Song Qiao could react.
She continued, "I searched our home for three whole days and couldn't find that photo anywhere."
"There isn't a single piece of your clothing in the entire bedroom."
"I used to complain about you leaving your smelly socks everywhere, but now I can't find a single one."
"I've searched desperately, but I can't find any trace of your life at home."
Xia Yuqing's voice grew more emotional, finally breaking into sobs.
"I asked my mother, but she always gave me evasive answers."
"But Xi Xi told me that you haven't been living at home for a long time!"
"I've been desperately trying to recall my memories of this period, but I just can't remember anything. Tell me, what exactly is going on?"
Xia Yuqing's words struck Song Qiao like a bolt from the blue, leaving him stunned.
His heart sank, and for a moment, he didn't know how to respond.
"Yuqing, I, my work is usually..."
He wanted to find an excuse to cover it up, but he couldn't make it sound plausible.
After all, no matter how busy one's work was, if two people were married, it was unlikely that their home would be completely devoid of their presence.
"Husband, look me in the eyes."
Song Qiao looked at Xia Yuqing helplessly, a mixture of emotions churning within him.
He wanted to tell her the truth, but he was afraid she couldn't handle the shock, having just been discharged from the hospital.
Furthermore, for some reason, he even felt a reluctance for Xia Yuqing to regain her memories of that period.
He wished time could freeze at this moment forever.
Xia Yuqing suddenly grabbed Song Qiao's wrist, as if afraid he would disappear before her eyes.
She asked him, word by word,
"Tell me the truth now, did we really get divorced?"