Sorry.

At dusk, as the sky was growing dark, Tao Yaoyao left the company with a heavy heart.

The reason she left work so early today wasn't because that man had come again.

Usually, if that man were coming, Tao Yaoyao would pack up around two in the afternoon to get ready to accompany him.

The reason Tao Yaoyao wasn't working overtime today was because of a text message.

At the thought of this, Tao Yaoyao couldn't help but pick up her phone again, trying to figure out the hidden meaning behind the text for the umpteenth time.

Yao Yi Yao: If you are not busy today, try to come back a bit earlier.

Looking at this message sent by Xu Mingyao at two in the afternoon, Tao Yaoyao's heart was filled with unease.

Did she...

...

...find out about something?

Probably not.

After a brief moment of thought, Tao Yaoyao dismissed this possibility.

If she had really found out about anything, her tone wouldn't be this gentle, even carrying a hint of a plea.

Then, why did she suddenly ask her to come back early?

It had been a long time since she last took the initiative to text her.

Tao Yaoyao couldn't quite figure it out.

Perhaps it was because of her burn last night, and she was worried?

Tao Yaoyao still remembered how she had rushed into the kitchen in a panic last night.

...

...Perhaps that was it.

This reason wasn't entirely logical, but Tao Yaoyao couldn't think of any other reason why Xu Mingyao would ask her to come back early.

Although she could confirm that her affair with Lin Yu hadn't been exposed.

Tao Yaoyao's tightly knitted brows still couldn't relax.

When you have a guilty conscience, you see ghosts everywhere.

Carrying an anxious heart, she made her way back to the door of their rented apartment.

After standing at the door and mentally preparing herself for a good while, Tao Yaoyao finally used her fingerprint to unlock the door and pulled it open.

Her gaze swept across the empty living room, and her attention was quickly drawn to the sounds coming from the kitchen.

Just as Tao Yaoyao's inquiring gaze fell on the kitchen doorway, a woman—whose presence there was both unexpected and completely illogical—appeared wearing an apron and holding a spatula.

"You're back?"

"Perfect timing. I'll just heat up the dishes, and we can eat!"

Looking at Xu Mingyao holding a wooden spatula with a gentle and sweet smile, Tao Yaoyao was so shocked that for a moment she began to suspect she had died of exhaustion at work.

Otherwise, how could she be seeing such a scene that defied all common sense?

"What are you spacing out for?"

"Hurry up and come inside, close the door."

Seeing Tao Yaoyao standing blankly at the door, Xu Mingyao playfully scolded her with a hint of dissatisfaction.

"Oh, right."

The stunned Tao Yaoyao finally snapped out of it. She entered the room with stiff movements and closed the door.

Xu Mingyao retreated from the kitchen doorway, and the intermittent sound of a spatula clinking against a pan drifted out.

Tao Yaoyao sat on the sofa, her nearly crashed brain struggling to process, trying hard to come up with a reasonable explanation for Xu Mingyao's abnormal behavior tonight.

But after thinking for a long time, Tao Yaoyao still couldn't make heads or tails of it.

Could it be that she knew about her and Lin Yu, went crazy from anger, and wanted to poison her to death?

At the thought of this possibility, Tao Yaoyao's heart suddenly felt as uncomfortable as if it had been tightly gripped by someone, and even her breathing became stifled.

But soon, this unrealistic possibility was swiftly rejected by her.

No way.

With Xu Mingyao's temper, if she knew everything, she would only want to grab a knife and hack her to death alive.

She wouldn't have the patience to wait for the poison to take effect.

Then what was wrong with her today?

Tao Yaoyao couldn't figure it out, and subconsciously turned her head to look at the kitchen, where the sounds of cooking were coming from.

After a moment of thought, Tao Yaoyao felt she couldn't just sit there doing nothing.

Standing up and walking to the kitchen, before Tao Yaoyao could say anything, a steaming plate of stir-fried pork with chili peppers was handed to her.

"Here, take this out to the table. We're ready to eat."

Looking at the incredibly abnormal Xu Mingyao in front of her, Tao Yaoyao was full of doubts but didn't know how to ask. She could only obediently take the plate, turn around, and leave the kitchen.

With their combined efforts.

Steaming rice and dishes were quickly served on the table.

The dishes Xu Mingyao cooked weren't complicated; they were just a few simple home-style dishes.

Stir-fried pork with chili peppers, stir-fried chicken with button mushrooms, and scrambled eggs with cucumber.

They were all extremely simple dishes that required no technical skill.

"Try it, see if it's good."

Xu Mingyao thoughtfully picked up a piece of chicken and placed it in Tao Yaoyao's bowl, speaking with anticipation.

Tao Yaoyao hesitated for a moment, silently reassuring herself several times that it absolutely wasn't poisoned, before putting the chicken from her bowl into her mouth.

It was slightly beyond Tao Yaoyao's expectations.

The chicken didn't taste great, but surprisingly, it wasn't bad either.

But this was already a very rare thing.

Who was Xu Mingyao?

She was a true rich girl, a young lady of a wealthy family.

Someone like her didn't even need to enter a kitchen; naturally, someone would serve the dishes right in front of her.

For someone who never cooked, being able to make dishes at this level was already incredibly impressive!

"It's delicious."

Meeting Xu Mingyao's expectant gaze, Tao Yaoyao gave a very compassionate appraisal.

Having her efforts acknowledged, Xu Mingyao's long, charming eyes narrowed happily, her expression soft and gentle.

Seeing this, Tao Yaoyao's heart pounded wildly.

Yes.

Out of fear.

When had Xu Mingyao ever had such an expression?

When she was angry, she was hysterical; when she was upset, her face would turn so gloomy it seemed like it could drip water.

Even when she was happy, her smile carried a kind of lofty, bewitching feeling.

But what about now?

It was like...

Like a little girl who had received the approval of someone important...

...

A dinner that couldn't be called sumptuous ended early.

Tao Yaoyao, who had wanted to help clean up but was rejected, sat completely bewildered on the sofa.

Even now, she couldn't figure out what on earth was going on with Xu Mingyao today.

Just as Tao Yaoyao was racking her brains, Xu Mingyao, having finished clearing the table, came over and sat beside her, asking softly:

"Was it really exhausting today?"

"Come here."

"Let me give you a massage."

Hearing this, Tao Yaoyao was stunned. Before she could react, Xu Mingyao's fair hands had already rested on her shoulders, beginning to knead them gently.

The strength of Xu Mingyao's massage was just right.

But Tao Yaoyao simply couldn't relax.

Xu Mingyao was just too abnormal today.

So abnormal that it made it impossible to feel at ease.

Not to mention, she already had a guilty conscience.

Suddenly, feeling a body abruptly press close against her back, Tao Yaoyao's heart tightened, and her whole body went stiff.

"Yaoyao."

"I'm sorry."

A soft voice came from behind, carrying a slight, choking sob.

"I've done a lot of bad things..."

"I'm sorry."

Tao Yaoyao sat blankly as the person behind her embraced her.

She simply couldn't believe her ears.

Just now...

...

Xu Mingyao apologized to her?

She, she...

...

A heavy soreness suddenly welled up deep in her nasal cavity, and immediately after, tears flowed out uncontrollably.

The immense grievance she had suffered all this time spread through her heart.

Tao Yaoyao gripped the leather cover of the sofa beneath her tightly, but her body still couldn't help trembling slightly.

Finally...

She had finally waited until this day.

Xu Mingyao had finally come to her senses; she was starting to understand her.

Everything she had done had finally paid off.

Everything she had done...

...

Tao Yaoyao's delicate facial features, which were tightly tensed to hold back her urge to cry, suddenly froze.

A cruel reality, like a demon looming behind her soul, constantly reminded her of what she had done.

Thinking of that guy with blond hair, tall, thin, yet lean and strong.

The grievance in Tao Yaoyao's heart vanished instantly, replaced by a deeply embarrassing sense of guilt.

"It's... it's okay."

"I don't blame you."

Tao Yaoyao lowered her eyes guiltily, swallowed nervously, and gave an extremely simple response to Xu Mingyao's long-prepared apology.

The embrace from behind tightened.

But Tao Yaoyao felt even more guilty, as if a piece of her heart had been hollowed out.

After a moment of embracing, Tao Yaoyao felt a warm, moist breath hit her ear.

"Yaoyao."

"It's been a long time since we..."

"Tonight..."

"..."

"Okay."

Tao Yaoyao agreed softly.

...

...

"Hah."

"Hah."

"Hah."

Xu Mingyao, who had been busy for quite a while, straightened up, panting heavily.

Tonight, she had pulled out all the stops, both as an apology and a compensation, to thoroughly please Tao Yaoyao.

After all these years.

She couldn't be more familiar with Tao Yaoyao's favorite spots, and naturally knew exactly how to please her.

Raising her head excitedly, Xu Mingyao could already imagine Tao Yaoyao's face flushed red, her eyes filled with a captivating haze...

?

Looking at Tao Yaoyao's eyes, which were rippling with gentleness and satisfaction, Xu Mingyao was stunned for a moment.

Just now...

Did she see it wrong?

Why did it seem like Tao Yaoyao...

...

Her eyes looked empty and hollow.

However, because that scene was just too brief, after a short moment of thought, Xu Mingyao decided she must have been mistaken.

Perhaps it was just a moment of absentmindedness after being satisfied.

Thinking of this, Xu Mingyao lay down beside Tao Yaoyao with a satisfied heart, gently embracing her as they drifted to sleep...

...

The night was as thick as ink.

In the silent room, a pair of eyes that refused to fall asleep stared at the faint moonlight on the window lattice, reflecting a dim, hollow, and weak light.

Under the blanket covering the two of them, there was suddenly a movement.

As if driven by some invisible force, Tao Yaoyao unconsciously raised her hand.

She placed her fingers about a centimeter or two below her navel, gently stroking it while staring blankly into space.