Chapter 88: Shen Linyan, I can see you're genuinely looking to have an affair.

Walking out of the bar, An Ling was just about to call Wen Yuche when she heard someone calling her name from ahead.

"An Ling."

She looked at the man not far away and blinked.

It should be Wen Yuche.

She walked over and gave the man an apologetic smile.

"Actually, I told you that you didn't have to come pick me up. It's too much trouble for you."

Whether it was an illusion or not, Wen Yuche's smile seemed a bit forced. He tightened his grip on his phone. "It's fine. Let's get in the car first."

"Okay."

After getting in the car, An Ling had just buckled her seatbelt when she looked up and met the man's gaze.

"What's wrong? Is my face very red?" She smiled and touched her own face. "I had a few drinks."

The expression in Wen Yuche's eyes was complex. He looked as if he wanted to say something but hesitated, and ultimately said nothing.

Upon arriving home, An Ling was just about to get out of the car when the man's voice sounded behind her.

"An Ling."

"Hmm?"

As soon as she turned her head, she heard Wen Yuche ask, "How... how was your relationship with your ex-husband before?"

Not expecting him to say this, An Ling froze. "What's wrong?"

Wen Yuche paused. "Although it's a bit presumptuous to say this, I still want to tell you that Shen Linyan... is not a good person. It's best if you stay away from him."

An Ling stood there for a few seconds before smiling and saying, "Thank you for bringing me back. Drive safe."

Without waiting for Wen Yuche to react, she closed the car door.

Standing at the door of her house, the smile on An Ling's face faded.

She turned her head to look in the direction Wen Yuche had left and frowned.

She opened the door, changed her shoes, and walked in.

In the living room, only Mother An was sitting alone on the sofa.

An Ling put down her bag and took off her coat. "Mom, where are Dad and my brother?"

She needed to settle a score with An Zhou.

Hearing the sound, Mother An looked away from the TV. "They went out for a walk. Did Xiao Wen bring you back?"

"Yeah. If I had known my brother was busy, I wouldn't have called him. Why bother others?"

Noticing the jade on the living room table, An Ling walked over, sat on the sofa, and picked it up curiously to look at it. "Did you buy this for my future sister-in-law? It's very pretty. Did you buy one for yourself?"

The young woman looked focused, her long eyelashes casting a shadow under her eyes, her aura clean and gentle.

Mother An looked at her, her eyes drifting into a daze.

It had been two years, and her daughter had finally returned to her old self.

She couldn't accept, nor could she just watch, An Ling revert to how she was before.

She withdrew her gaze and spoke softly while sitting on the sofa: "I didn't buy this. Shen Linyan sent it."

An Ling's movements halted.

As if not seeing the young woman's stiff expression, Mother An reached out to turn off the TV and continued, "Lingling, Shen Linyan came to see me. He told me he wants to remarry you."

The living room was exceptionally quiet for a moment, leaving only the simple sound of breathing.

An Ling looked up and was just about to open her mouth to say that she had already agreed, but Mother An spoke first:

"I told him it's impossible."

"..."

An Ling instantly shut her mouth, blinked obediently, and pretended it was the first time she was hearing this news.

Mother An said softly, "He also told me his conditions, but Mom isn't doing this for money. If it weren't for the fact that you insisted on marrying Shen Linyan for Lu Jingshen back then, Mom would never have agreed to that arranged marriage. Mom doesn't want you to have any more contact with the Shen family. Mom is truly scared. Just listen to Mom, okay?"

The crystal chandelier overhead refracted a soft light, but the air carried the chill of the night, making the atmosphere in the living room slightly cold.

An Ling was just about to speak when she noticed the tears in her mother's eyes, and her gaze faltered slightly.

She put down the box in her hand, silently pulled out a tissue, and handed it over. "Is this what Mom told Shen Linyan too?"

Mother An took the tissue to wipe her tears. "Yes."

An Ling pursed her lips.

After a few seconds of silence, she suddenly smiled and sighed. "What's all this for? It's not a big deal. You scared me so much that I've sobered up. I promise you, aside from work, I won't have any contact with the Shen family. Alright, let's not talk about it anymore. I reek of alcohol, so I'm going upstairs first."

Just as she stood up, as if remembering something, she bent down and patted the box, blinking playfully. "Oh right, since this was given by Shen Linyan, let's just keep it. It'd be a waste not to."

After closing her bedroom door, An Ling stood by the doorway, a thoughtful expression on her face.

A moment later, she picked up her phone, dialed a number, and walked over to sit on the soft sofa.

The call connected quickly, and the man's familiar voice came through the receiver.

"Is Madam home?"

An Ling picked up the diamond ring box on the table, opened it, and saw the diamond ring inside. She muttered, "Why are you still calling me Madam? Do you think we can still remarry? Why didn't you tell me you went to see my mom?"

She was wondering why Shen Linyan suddenly asked if they should tell her family. It turned out he was waiting for her here.

The man let out a low chuckle. "Did Lingling ask Mom?"

"I didn't ask. Mom brought it up to me herself."

An Ling puffed out her cheeks. "You're still laughing. Shen Linyan, I think you really just want to have a secret affair."

The man's tone still carried a smile. "A secret affair is fine too. Does Madam want to sneak over to my place?"

Why did this guy sound quite happy?

Wasn't he the one who said he wanted to remarry in the first place?

Hearing the man's laughter, An Ling didn't feel relieved inside. She hadn't expected things to turn out like this either.

Back then, she had chosen to divorce Shen Linyan because she was afraid of the plot's ending. Now that she wanted to remarry, her mom was worried she would repeat the same mistakes.

Somewhere in the unseen world, it felt as if she was deliberately being reminded of the unfortunate ending of this marriage.

After a moment of silence, An Ling lowered her eyes and pursed her lips. "Shen Linyan, I promised Mom. Mom hasn't accepted what happened before yet. It might take some time."

Choosing between her family and her lover, An Ling had never thought she would fall into such a dilemma. She originally thought it would be a difficult choice for her.

But in fact, Shen Linyan had already told her the answer long ago.

The man's voice remained gentle, carrying a reassuring steadiness. "I know. I said that whatever Madam wants is fine. I will solve this matter."

Her head feeling dizzy and heavy, An Ling lay on the sofa, placed the phone by her ear, closed her eyes, and suddenly said softly:

"Shen Linyan."

"Hmm?"

"I'm going to tell you a secret. Do you want to hear it? If you listen, you have to believe it, and you can't tell anyone else."

The man stood up and walked toward the kitchen, putting his phone on speaker and setting it on the table. Hearing this, he chuckled, his tone indulgent. "Alright, I'll believe it, and I won't tell anyone else. Go ahead, Madam."

He picked up a cup and was just about to pour some water when An Ling's sleepy, slurred voice came through the phone.

"Back when I divorced you, aside from not wanting to stay in the Shen family, there was actually another reason."

His movements abruptly froze.

But the voice on the other end of the phone continued.

"I dreamed about our ending. In the end, you would go bankrupt and be kicked out of the Shen Group, and I would die. We were still married at the time, and I didn't want our ending to be like that."

"Shen Linyan, this is the reason why I wanted you to get all the shares. I want you to be well."

"Although you might think it was just a dream, I've experienced things stranger than dreams. I hope you can believe me."

In the silent living room, every word the woman said pierced clearly into his ears.

The man stood quietly in place, his eyes slightly downcast. The shadows cast by his prominent brow bone obscured the emotions in his eyes, and beneath his straight nose, his thin lips were pressed into a tight line.

His slender fingers set down the cup in his hand, letting out a crisp clink against the table.

The earlier amusement in his eyes had long since vanished, leaving behind only an endless, pitch-black abyss.

"I believe you, Madam."