After being discharged, Yu Sheng was once again submerged in the company's complicated affairs, which for a time left her struggling to adjust emotionally.
When alone, she couldn't help but fall into thought. Once, her goal had been firm and clear—
Not only to divorce Shen Yunmian, but also to lead Yu Corporation out of Shen Corporation's control and influence.
But as everything gradually got back on track, she suddenly felt a deep sense of confusion, as if the tightly stretched string inside her had snapped, leaving her at a loss.
In the initial days after breaking free from the shackles of marriage, she had indeed tasted long-lost freedom.
Her breathing was smooth, her actions were under her own control, and she no longer had to expend energy on that already dead marriage.
She and Sophia wandered through the streets of the city, tasting desserts, visiting attractions, feeling like a bird that had finally escaped its cage and embraced the vast sky again.
However, this lightness didn't last long.
As the helmswoman of Yu Corporation, the burden on her shoulders was as heavy as a mountain.
After seeing Sophia off, the attention she had previously diverted came rushing back at double force.
And after leaving the hospital, there were endless urgent documents, one meeting after another that seemed never-ending, complex business negotiations, and tangled internal personnel relations… all of it surged like a tide, quickly drowning her brief relaxation.
She began unconsciously working overtime, the lights in her office staying on later and later.
Sitting behind the large desk, rubbing her aching temples, looking at the dense data and clauses on the screen, a deep sense of weariness spread from the bottom of her heart.
She suddenly felt a bit dazed. Shen Yunmian had been the same—day after day buried in piles of documents, surrounded by an unapproachable aura, exhausting all her passion and warmth in endless work.
Back then, she had pitied that version of Shen Yunmian so much, trying to melt that layer of ice with her gentleness.
And now, she herself seemed inevitably to be walking the same path.
This feeling wasn't just fatigue—it was more like an invisible confinement, binding her tightly to this small space, making her deeply understand that there was no absolute freedom in this world.
She curled her lips into a self-mocking smile.
It was just another form of cage. And being able to avoid doing things she hated was already incredibly fortunate.
Meanwhile, in the empty rooms of Jiuxi Bay, Shen Yunmian was also suffering through sleepless nights.
During the day, she could still numb herself with work. Catching a distant glimpse of that person's back was enough for her to keep restraining herself.
But when night fell and everything grew silent, all her defenses collapsed.
Her longing clung to her like a festering wound, gnawing at her rationality.
She desired Yu Sheng—not only as emotional comfort, but also with an uncontrollable craving from deep within her body.
She longed for that warm, soft embrace, longed for the kisses that once fell on her lips and neck, carrying heat, longed for the trembling warmth of skin against skin, longed for the way the other would call her name in suppressed passion at the height of desire…
These thoughts spread like wildfire in the stillness of the night.
She even began to have erotic dreams.
In her dreams, there was no longer the despair of separation, but rather those few tender moments buried by time.
Yu Sheng's eyes were still bright, filled with love as she took the initiative to kiss her. Fingers traced along her spine, sending waves of tingling shivers… they entwined on the familiar bed, breaths mingling, as if they had never been apart.
"Sheng Sheng…"
She murmured in her dream, reaching out, wanting to tightly embrace that warm body.
Yet the embrace fell empty. She jolted awake from the beautiful dream, her heart pounding, her body still carrying the lingering heat and emptiness after desire.
What met her eyes was the cold ceiling, and the empty half of the bed devoid of any warmth.
The immense contrast was like a bucket of ice water poured over her head, instantly extinguishing all that illusory heat, leaving only a more piercing cold. The suffocating sense of breathlessness wrapped tightly around her again.
In the darkness, the hallucinations arrived as expected.
Yu Sheng's resolute departing figure appeared before her again and again, clearer each time, replaying endlessly like a silent film, mocking her unbearable longing and disheveled state.
She curled up, burying her face deeply into her knees, her nails digging hard into her palms, trying to use pain to fight against the overwhelming despair.
Her stomach began to ache faintly, the result of long-term irregular eating and alcohol stimulation.
But she seemed not to care, even finding that this physical pain was far more bearable than the emptiness in her heart.
She was like a wandering ghost, torn repeatedly between illusion and reality, unable to find release.
After experiencing this kind of pain so many times, she gradually became numb.
She always tried to comfort herself: compared to the suffering of her previous life, at least now she was still alive, and the person she loved was still standing before her—at least she could still see her.
Thinking this way, everything seemed a little easier to accept.
Shen Yunmian began deliberately working overtime until midnight. Occasionally passing by Yu Sheng's office, she was surprised to discover that at some point, Yu Sheng had also started working late.
She simply stopped going home, sleeping directly in the lounge, as if that would bring her a little closer.
The two of them were like parallel lines that never intersected, enduring this lukewarm torment.
Another late night.
After finishing the last minutes of a cross-border meeting, Shen Yunmian looked up out the window. The city had already fallen asleep, with only scattered lights like stubborn stars.
As if possessed, she suddenly felt an impulse.
She got up, walked out of her office, took the elevator, and her fingers seemed to have a will of their own as they pressed the familiar floor belonging to Yu Corporation.
The elevator doors slid open silently.
Most of the floor was dark, only a faint glow leaking from the crack of the president's office door at the end of the corridor.
Yu Sheng hadn't left yet.
Her heart jumped violently, her steps moving uncontrollably toward that light.
The door was slightly ajar. She gently pushed it open.
Yu Sheng sat behind her desk, one hand supporting her forehead, the other absentmindedly spinning a pen. Her brows were tightly furrowed as she stared at a thick project proposal spread out before her, her expression clearly showing irritation and fatigue.
The desk lamp outlined the soft contours of her profile, and also revealed the faint dark circles under her eyes.
Shen Yunmian's heart tightened, a fine, dense ache spreading through it.
Hearing the movement at the door, Yu Sheng looked up. Seeing Shen Yunmian standing there, a trace of surprise flashed in her eyes. Her voice was hoarse from staying up late. "What are you doing here?"
Shen Yunmian walked in, keeping her tone as normal as possible. "Just finished working overtime. Passed by and saw your light still on." Her gaze fell on the proposal. "Ran into trouble?"
Yu Sheng rubbed her brow, and for once didn't hide her frustration. "Yeah. The west side redevelopment project—the proposal's stuck. Some data and policy points just feel off. I can't work around them."
Shen Yunmian stepped closer, casually scanning a few key pages. Years in business had made her insight almost instinctive. "Here," she quickly pointed to a financial model, "the assumed recovery period is too optimistic. It doesn't fully account for policy change risks. And here," her finger moved to the risk assessment section, "the compensation plan and response strategy for potential holdouts are too formulaic. There's not enough flexibility or targeting."
The issues she pointed out struck exactly at the key points Yu Sheng had been unable to grasp.
Yu Sheng paused slightly, looking up at Shen Yunmian. The other woman's gaze was focused on the document, her profile tense under the light, but her lips soft, her suggestions sharp and precise.
Setting aside their unpleasant marriage, she had to admit that Shen Yunmian was truly an excellent successor.
Before marriage, she herself had relied on her father and paid little attention to Yu Corporation, leading to a crisis after his accident that forced them to rely on a marriage alliance. In comparison, Shen Yunmian had managed Shen Corporation extremely well, even taking it to greater heights.
Shen Yunmian felt a bit uncomfortable under her gaze, thinking Yu Sheng might find her meddling, and hurriedly said, "What's wrong? If you don't want to hear it…"
"No. You're right. Go on."
Shen Yunmian relaxed immediately and continued. Yu Sheng listened attentively, occasionally adding her own thoughts.
The two of them discussed the difficult proposal, exchanging ideas back and forth.
There weren't many words, but every point struck at the core.
The office was filled only with the sound of typing and their low, calm analysis.
The atmosphere, unexpectedly, lost much of its awkwardness and gained a trace of long-lost tacit understanding.
By the time they clarified several core issues and found viable breakthroughs, Yu Sheng let out a long breath and glanced at the clock on the wall. It was already past one in the morning.
"I didn't realize it was this late." Yu Sheng stretched her stiff neck.
Seeing the fatigue in her eyes, Shen Yunmian instinctively advised, "Don't stay up too late. Finish the rest tomorrow. Go back and rest early."
Hearing this, Yu Sheng suddenly let out a soft laugh, carrying a hint of teasing complexity as she looked at her. "Hearing that from you, President Shen, is quite novel."
Thinking of how Yu Sheng used to call her a workaholic, Shen Yunmian stiffened. Heat rose to her cheeks, and she awkwardly looked away. The past was too embarrassing to revisit.
"You should head back and rest early. I'll go first." She said, turning to leave, her back slightly hurried.
"Shen Yunmian." Yu Sheng's voice came from behind, calm.
Shen Yunmian paused and turned back, puzzled.
"I'm a little hungry." Yu Sheng's tone was unreadable. "There's a porridge place downstairs that's pretty good. Want to go eat together?"
This sudden invitation was like a stone thrown into the still lake of Shen Yunmian's heart, stirring massive waves.
She looked at Yu Sheng. Her expression was calm, as if inviting an ordinary colleague after overtime.
"Okay." Shen Yunmian nodded quickly, afraid that a second's delay would make her change her mind. "I… I'm a bit hungry too."
The two walked out of the office one after the other, heading downstairs to the porridge shop.
It was very late, and there weren't many people in the shop. They sat down, ordered two bowls of light fish porridge and a few small dishes, and ate slowly.
A faint aroma of food lingered in the air.
Although neither of them spoke, the awkward atmosphere seemed to have eased considerably.
After a long while, Yu Sheng put down her spoon and looked calmly at Shen Yunmian, who seemed slightly restless, and spoke:
"Shen Yunmian, you don't have to always act like… you're walking on thin ice."
Shen Yunmian's hand holding the spoon paused. She looked up, meeting Yu Sheng's clear gaze.
"We're divorced," Yu Sheng said clearly, without any sarcasm or bitterness, simply stating a fact. "Our relationship now is equal. Friends… maybe not even that. But at least, you don't owe me anything. You don't need to keep treating me with that… almost atoning attitude."
These words exploded in Shen Yunmian's mind.
Deep inside, she wanted to cry out: No… Sheng Sheng, you're wrong. I would rather owe you forever than… than become strangers with you.
But she didn't dare say any of it.
She only lowered her eyes, her thick lashes hiding all the surging emotions, and forced out a few dry words:
"…I understand."
—
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