When Zoe regained consciousness, he found himself lying on a soft, warm bed. The faint fragrance of herbs lingered in the air, soothing yet unfamiliar. Slowly pushing himself up, fragments of the festival scene replayed in his mind.
Yuzhen. Chen Ling. Yuan.
A family of three—smiling, happy, complete.
Zoe's chest tightened. He didn't know whether to laugh bitterly or break down. Yuan was already three, maybe four. That child couldn't have been born in just one or two years. Which meant… not long after that day five years ago, Yuzhen had chosen a new life. A family. A future without him.
His stomach twisted. "Scum…" The word slipped from his lips like venom. "Why did I ever give my life for that bastard? I hate him… hate him…" His hands trembled, rage boiling hot as he seized the nearest pillow and hurled it.
The pillow, however, did not hit the wall. It was caught—firmly—by Yu Zhen himself, who stepped through the door at that exact instant.
