With global currency devaluation, I'll wear these back and take my whole family flying!

The next morning, when Shen Ci got up, breakfast was already prepared on the dining table.

"Mom, how did you sleep last night? Did you get used to it?"

"Great! I haven't had such a good night's sleep in ages," Shen Jingjing said with a smile.

She usually sleeps fairly well, but there are bound to be various noises in the old neighborhood, and there are many elderly people in the neighborhood, so she can often hear noises downstairs before dawn.

But her daughter's villa was so quiet all day that she couldn't hear any outside noise. The bed was comfortable, and it was her daughter's house, so she slept soundly and didn't dream much.

Shen Ci smiled upon hearing this: "I'll be fine once I get used to sleeping here. I have to go back to school for an exam today. Wait for me at home. If you want to go out for a walk, remember to let me know. Don't just go out without saying a word."

“I know, I’m not going out, I still have to stay home and watch Buddha Jumps Over the Wall,” Shen Jingjing said.

Shen Ci nodded: "Then I'll bring my roommate back to eat your Buddha Jumps Over the Wall after the exam tomorrow."

"Okay, hurry up and eat your breakfast. After you finish, go to school quickly so you won't be late for the exam."

"You can send Ali a video during your lunch break to let her know you've arrived. She's usually free around that time."

"Okay, I understand." Shen Jingjing nodded in agreement.

After finishing her meal, Shen Ci drove to school and went straight to her dormitory, as all the things she needed for the exam were still there.

When she got to the dormitory building, she saw Li Xiao.

This sudden turn of events left Shen Ci slightly stunned, because it seemed like a long time had passed. She couldn't remember how long it had been since she had seen Li Xiao, and for a moment she couldn't recall when or what the last time she saw him was.

In addition, she and Tang Song confirmed their relationship, and she was very busy during this time, so she had completely ignored and forgotten about him.

When they met again, Li Xiao had lost a lot of weight, and his eyes were no longer sunny and clear, but filled with a layer of murky gloom.

Shen Ci snapped out of her reverie, still not wanting to say anything to this person, but Li Xiao had clearly come to see her and spoke first: "Aci, I'm here today to withdraw from school."

The news about Li Xiao dropping out of school had already spread throughout the class, and Shen Ci knew about it long ago. She thought the matter was already settled.

Shen Ci spoke indifferently, her expression and tone equally indifferent: "You don't need to come all the way here to explain your affairs to me. We have nothing to do with each other anymore."

This wasn't the first time Li Xiao had heard Shen Ci say this, but this time he didn't act like he had before, nor did he roar or question hysterically.

But he wasn't numb; rather, he understood that because of Lin Biqi's matter, he was no longer worthy of asking Shen Ci for an answer.

This was the fundamental reason why he decided to go abroad when he was completely disheartened.

Li Xiao looked at Shen Ci and said to himself, "I'm here to say goodbye. No matter what I did before without your knowledge that you can't forgive me for, or what my mother said or did to you, from today onwards, you don't need to worry about it anymore, because I will no longer appear in front of you and bother you."

Even now, Li Xiao still doesn't understand where the problem between him and Shen Ci lies—is it with himself or his mother?

But how could he have imagined that it was the pain and persecution Shen Ci suffered in her previous life? So he could never find the reason for this matter, nor could he get any answer.

"Have you finished speaking?" Shen Ci looked at him calmly.

Li Xiao's lips twitched, but he finally nodded. Seeing this, Shen Ci didn't want to linger, so she walked past him and quickly went up the steps. Just as she was about to enter the dormitory, Li Xiao suddenly mustered his courage and called out to her, "Shen Ci!"

The volume of this shout was a bit higher, causing Shen Ci to instinctively stop and turn around, but she did not turn back.

A surge of emotion welled up in Li Xiao's eyes, and he asked in a trembling voice as he looked at Shen Ci's retreating figure, "I want to know, from beginning to end, did you ever truly love me?"

By asking this question, Li Xiao had completely shed what little pride he had left.

But in front of Shen Ci, he had long lost his dignity and principles; he was already as humble as dust.

With Shen Ci's back to him, Li Xiao couldn't see any expression on Shen Ci's face, but there was a clear expectation in her eyes. He hoped that Shen Ci's answer could soothe his heart and soul and smooth out the struggles and pain he had been experiencing these past few days.

All it took was a simple nod from Shen Ci; that would have been more than enough for him.

Shen Ci's expression was as still as a cold pool, and his eyes seemed to be recalling something deep within.

Did I ever like him?

Of course I liked him. If I hadn't loved him so deeply, how could I have been hurt so badly? If I hadn't loved him so deeply, how could I have spent the rest of my life unable to heal him, leaving me alone until death, no longer daring to believe in love? If I hadn't loved him so deeply, how could I have hated him so intensely?

But that was all in my past life.

this life……

Shen Ci didn't turn around, but she gently shook her head, delivering the most silent yet most powerful blow to Li Xiao.

She never loved him in her entire life!

Li Xiao watched as Shen Ci gently shook his head, the expectation in his eyes gradually fading, then turning ashen, just like his heart.

Shen Ci didn't look back at him again and quickly entered the gate.

*

Shen Jingjing couldn't stay idle at home alone. This villa may be big, but it was nothing to her, having worked in the housekeeping department of a five-star hotel for half her life.

As soon as her daughter left the house, she changed her clothes and started bustling around, wiping here and there.

However, as she wiped, she realized that the house wasn't dirty at all. What she didn't know was that Shen Ci hired a professional cleaning team from the property management company to clean the house every week. Otherwise, how could one person possibly clean such a big house?

While they were busy with their work, Tang and Song arrived.

"Auntie."

Tang Song greeted her as soon as she entered the door, before she even showed herself. However, Shen Jingjing, who was on the third floor, didn't hear him at all. Tang Song casually put down the things he was carrying at the door and went upstairs to look for her. He eventually found Shen Jingjing watering flowers on the third-floor balcony.

Shen Jingjing was also startled: "Oh, Tang Song, what brings you here?"

Tang Song was wearing a black overcoat today. He was tall, and it looked especially good on him. He had a warm smile on his face: "Aci has exams these past two days. I was thinking that since you've come all this way to Longcheng, it would be boring for you to stay at home by yourself. I happen to be free today, so how about I take you out for a walk?"

“It’s quite cold in Longcheng right now. I see you didn’t bring any warm clothes. I’ll take you to buy one, otherwise you’ll catch a cold when Aci takes you out to play in a few days.”