Volume One, Chapter 68: Disappear from His Life

The guest bedroom had been allotted to Xu Yiyi, yet that night, neither of them returned to their rooms to sleep.

Night descended, and outside the window, the capital city sparkled with countless lights.

Each held a can of beer.

They leaned against the floor-to-ceiling window, chatting until they fell asleep.

When the alarm rang, Sang Wan opened her eyes—Xu Yiyi had already gone back to her bedroom.

Sang Wan found her head resting on a pillow and a blanket covering her.

Outside the window, within sight, the haze-blue landscaping of the neighborhood was visible, as well as the Lou Group Tower standing tall against the pale dawn.

She made soy milk.

Prepared sandwiches.

Left a portion for Xu Yiyi.

After finishing her own, Sang Wan quietly slipped out.

It was a fifteen-minute walk from the apartment to Lou Group Tower.

In the bright morning, everything felt dreamlike and beautiful.

At ten in the morning, Sang Wan received a call from Human Resources, summoning her over.

She knocked and entered. Director Qin smiled and pushed a contract toward her. “Sang Wan, congratulations—your probation period is over!”

Sang Wan was stunned.

Director Qin seemed to have anticipated her reaction, “Manager Lin did mention extending your probation. But later, she withdrew the request, explained it was her personal mistake.”

Since it had been a misunderstanding, everything proceeded as per protocol.

Sang Wan’s official employment was now a matter of course.

Her salary was increased again in the labor contract.

All benefits and perks upgraded accordingly.

Back in her department, Sang Wan was about to order morning tea for her colleagues.

The receptionist knocked and pointed at the desk, clicking her tongue, “Three servings of morning tea for each person—everyone help yourselves!”

Three...three servings?

One came from the CEO’s office, reason unknown.

One was from Cheng Jingran, congratulating her on becoming official.

The last was from Lin Qiyue, same reason—congratulations.

Sang Wan thanked each one.

She ordered morning tea again the next day.

The cheerful atmosphere lasted for several days, so much so that Sang Wan left work each day with a smile.

“Sang Wan…”

She left work early that day, and just as she stepped out of Lou Group Tower, someone called after her.

She turned, and saw a middle-aged woman a few steps away.

Around forty or fifty, dressed in a champagne-white cheongsam.

Her gentle expression and aunt-like elegance were unmistakable.

“Auntie, did you call me?”

“It’s true, girls change so much as they grow! Sang Wan, after all these years, you’re even more beautiful. You probably don’t remember me, do you? I’m Yifan’s mother.”

Mrs. Ke introduced herself.

Sang Wan was startled and quickly greeted her with a smile, “Hello, Auntie!”

“Do you have some time? Shall we find somewhere to sit?” Mrs. Ke suggested.

Sang Wan nodded, pointing to the café across the street, “Let’s go there.”

Mrs. Ke’s sudden appearance unsettled Sang Wan, but along the way, she felt she could guess Mrs. Ke’s purpose.

Indeed, after they sat and ordered, Mrs. Ke got straight to the point, “I’m here for Yifan.”

As she spoke, Mrs. Ke opened her phone and handed it to Sang Wan.

A short video.

The chaotic scene was crowded with people.

It was instantly recognizable as the incident at the pearl counter last Saturday afternoon.

Su Baohui causing a scene, Ke Yifan standing in front of her.

An ex-daughter-in-law, a random man.

Paired with the poster’s eye-catching title: “Can’t bear my son wearing a green hat, mother-in-law publicly punches Pan Jinlian and kicks Ximen Qing.”

In just a few days, it had been shared over ten thousand times.

The scrolling comments were unseemly.

As if she and Ke Yifan were a pair of adulterers, while Su Baohui was the embodiment of justice.

“Auntie, you’ve misunderstood!”

Sang Wan spoke politely, her explanation earnest, “Brother Fan asked me to help him pick a birthday gift for you. That’s all—”

“I know!” Mrs. Ke nodded, cutting her off. “Yifan explained everything to me. And he said you’re divorced and single now?”

Sang Wan was caught off guard.

Mrs. Ke smiled, “Sang Wan, I’ll be frank. Even though you and Yifan are both single, you’re not right for each other! Yifan’s father and I agree wholeheartedly—we hope… this ends here!”

The Ke family was steeped in scholarship. Ke Yifan’s father was a university professor, his mother a doctor.

When Ke Yifan had tutoring at home as a child, Mrs. Ke always picked him up after class.

More than ten years had passed, yet Sang Wan still remembered Mrs. Ke’s first visit to assess their home—the disdain on her face, the doubt in her eyes.

A one-bedroom rental, bare and simple.

The bedroom, behind closed doors, was private space for mother and daughter.

The living room was arranged as a classroom, with desks and stools, and a huge blackboard sticker.

If it hadn’t been for Sun Yueqing’s stellar reputation, Sang Wan believed Mrs. Ke would never have allowed Ke Yifan to be tutored there based solely on the environment.

But Sun Yueqing lived up to her name.

After just a few lessons, Ke Yifan’s grades shot up like a rocket.

Only then did Mrs. Ke relax about him studying at their home.

But apart from that first visit, she never set foot in their home again.

The car would be parked far away, she’d pick up Ke Yifan and leave, never lingering.

As if even offering them a smile would make them overstep their bounds.

Years had passed.

Mrs. Ke’s caution remained unchanged.

“Auntie, you really misunderstood!”

Sang Wan replied seriously, “I haven’t seen Brother Fan in over ten years. I only learned he was the surgeon when I went for my post-op checkup last week. The day we bought the gift was our third meeting, and it was just a favor between friends. We’re simply ordinary friends.”

“Sang Wan, do you believe what you’re saying? You might fool Yifan, that naive straight man with little romantic experience.”

Mrs. Ke still wore her gentle smile.

But her gaze, lofty and penetrating, made Sang Wan uncomfortable.

As if she’d seen countless “green tea” girls like Sang Wan and heard all these excuses before.

Sang Wan was stunned.

She spoke again, her voice cool, “Auntie, then your purpose in seeking me out is…”

“To disappear from his life!”

Mrs. Ke said bluntly, “In the past and the future, you and Yifan are not from the same world. There’s a saying among you young people—no need to force yourself into a different circle. With Yifan’s current circumstances, he can find a better girl. Do you know the backgrounds of the girls who were matched with Yifan in Shanghai?”

“Female PhDs returned from overseas…”

“Daughters of hospital directors, chief physicians from the same hospital…”

“Even socialites from wealthy families…”

Each phrase was crystal clear, and Mrs. Ke looked at Sang Wan, “Yifan is a sentimental child; he often can’t distinguish the intricacies of relationships. But Sang Wan, you’ve been married before, you understand, don’t you? So you’d better not…”

“Mom!”

A hurried voice and footsteps interrupted Mrs. Ke.

Ke Yifan appeared, quickly cutting off what his mother was about to say.

But Sang Wan understood.

Mrs. Ke had made it plain: never mind that Sang Wan was divorced—even without that, she was beneath Ke Yifan’s station.

So Sang Wan should know her place and not ruin Ke Yifan’s life.

“Mom, how did you find us? What did you say to Sang Wan?”

Ke Yifan, out of breath, looked unhappy.

Mrs. Ke’s gaze was reproachful, “Better late than never, but some mistakes, as parents, we see clearly and should help you avoid early on, to prevent trouble.”

“Mom, stop!”

Ke Yifan interjected, turning to Sang Wan, “Sang Wan, I’m sorry! Everything today is my fault. I’ll explain another time. Please, just leave for now, okay?”

“Leave? Where to?”

At the mention of “another time,” Mrs. Ke grew anxious.

She looked at Sang Wan, her pleasant expression gone, “No one’s leaving until things are clear!”

Sang Wan stood up to go.

But Mrs. Ke bypassed Ke Yifan, who tried to block her, and grabbed Sang Wan’s wrist.

In the quiet café, their commotion drew curious glances from other patrons.

“Oh, what’s all this excitement?”

A cool voice sounded behind Sang Wan.

A hand, cold and firm, grasped her wrist.

Lou Ye raised his gaze to Mrs. Ke, “Let go!”