No reconciliation, no forgiveness! Mr. Pei leaves with nothing.

Stepping into Royal Dragon Bay, Kagel seemed like Jiang Hua's personal butler, or perhaps a bodyguard to monitor her. As soon as he entered the entrance hall, he sensed a heavy atmosphere and the surroundings were completely silent.

Upon seeing the person returning, Xu Qiulan said, "Miss, you're back."

"Hmm." Jiang Hua handed over her bag as usual. She saw Ji Liangchuan kneeling in front of his father on the sofa. In just a few days, Jiang Hua didn't know what he had gone through. His face was haggard, his eyes were cloudy and lifeless, and he was unkempt with stubble on his chin.

I don't know what her father and Ji Liangchuan talked about, but when he saw her, Ji Liangchuan walked unsteadily to her side.

Seeing him like this, Jiang Hua felt even more guilty. Her eyelashes trembled slightly as she looked at him. "You... how did you become like this?"

"Did he attack you?"

After returning from the island last time, she was sent away, and in just a few days, Jiang Hua had no idea what he had gone through.

Ji Liangchuan's throat tightened as he looked at the mark on her neck, his heart trembling with a sharp pain. He said nothing, but Jiang Hua understood somewhat.

At this moment, Jiang Weiguo stood up and said, "I told you, you shouldn't have been so stubborn."

"The Jiang family has been handed over to you, and you're still not satisfied?"

A painful, aching feeling spread through his chest. He was going crazy thinking about her. He had thought she wouldn't be doing well without him, but it turned out that the only one who wasn't doing well was him.

"Huahua, you're back. Let's get this straight. What do you have to offer Huahua on your own to compete with the Huo family? What can you possibly give her?"

"And you?" Ji Liangchuan asked her in a hoarse voice, his eyes bloodshot. "I know you don't love him at all. If you're willing, we can leave together."

"Didn't we agree on this?"

"We need to... stay together."

That hand cautiously and tentatively grasped hers, as if holding a precious and fragile treasure.

"I need a definite answer from you."

Jiang Hua is not an indecisive person, and she has never suffered so much torment and struggle for anyone, wavering between them.

Ji Liangchuan was a good person to Jiang Hua.

No one can compare to him except his father.

Jiang Weiguo remained silent, waiting for his daughter to make her own choice. This time, he would not force her or impose his will on her. Although the Huo family was good, he preferred that his daughter be happy, even if her happiness only lasted a few years. He just wanted to leave no regrets.

Regarding the future of the Jiang family…

He had placed too high expectations on Huahua, and he shouldn't have put the entire burden of the Jiang family's future on her shoulders.

Jiang Hua finally steeled herself and said the three words she least wanted to say: "I'm sorry."

“From beginning to end, it’s the Jiang family that owes you.” If your father hadn’t sent you away back then, maybe you wouldn’t have had that car accident, and you wouldn’t have been targeted by the Huo family, causing Xu Zhoulan to disfigure you and make you suffer for so many years. “Ji Liangchuan, I am very grateful that you were the person I met in Wuchuan back then.”

He noticed the hand holding her stiffen slightly, then slowly and weakly fall to its side. "But...didn't you say that you cared more about those eight years of companionship?"

“Mr. Ji, I think Madam has already given you a clear answer.”

"I have come here with you today because of my master's orders. I am here to resolve the matter between you and your wife."

Jiang Weiguo: "Let's all sit down and talk."

"Aunt Xu, make a cup of tea for the young lady, and prepare some snacks. Go to the lake and catch a fish to make soup for her."

Xu Qiulan: "Yes, sir."

They sat facing each other on the sofa, and Jiang Hua never dared to look him in the eye; she was afraid she wouldn't be able to hold back...

Kagel took out a thick stack of documents from his briefcase, containing all the transaction records for the day. "Mr. Ji, can't you understand one thing by now?"

There should be a saying in China: Love can overcome all difficulties, but it cannot overcome reality.

"This is Madam's spending bill for the past month. Just the monthly labor and maintenance fees for her jewelry alone amount to nearly 800,000. In the bank's vault, Madam has over 3 billion worth of jewelry that she doesn't want to discard. Each piece is a unique and treasured piece from around the world."

"Even the evening gowns worn to banquets were ordered a year in advance by a haute couture designer to be handmade by him."

“Every outfit and every piece of clothing worn by the lady each season is a custom-made piece, not to mention… the amount of money the lady needs to spend when she goes shopping.”

“Even the fresh ingredients we eat every day are strictly controlled by a nutritionist. To ensure that Madam can eat fresh ingredients, starting three years ago, all the ingredients used by the Jiang family were provided by the Huo family. For this purpose, they even set up farms and ranches to ensure that every food item meets health standards.”

"Based solely on all monthly expenses and transaction records, the total is around five million, not including the wife's shopping expenses."

"If you really include it, the amount is incalculable."

"I think all of this is something Mr. Ji can't give me."

"Even if Madam is willing to give up all of this and live a normal life with you, you should think about whether you can afford the medications Madam and Chairman Jiang are taking, as well as the investment in the Jiang Group project."

"The Huo family has a dedicated medical investment team that focuses on research experiments on conditions such as sudden cardiac events, investing nearly 10 billion yuan annually."

"The medicine that Madam and Chairman Jiang are taking, each pill is worth 800,000."

"This does not include the cost of hiring a medical team for surgery."

"Even when Mr. Ji had his surgery, it was the master who found a medical team for you out of respect for your wife."

“What I’m saying is true. Mr. Ji is allergic to anesthesia, which is why he hasn’t been able to have surgery for so long, right? Every time you have surgery, you have to endure tremendous pain, which is why you haven’t been able to get cured for so many years.”

"The owner went to great lengths to find a suitable anesthesia so that you could have a successful surgery."

"What I've said above is all true. Miss Jiang is used to a life of luxury, and even if I could lower your standard of living, I couldn't because of her illness."

"The Jiang family has never owed you anything..."

"Master, I also want to pass on a message to you: after all these years, it's time to be content with what you've stolen and retire."

"Whether it's Madam or Chairman Jiang, they should be satisfied with you."

"The worst thing a person can do is to be greedy."

Ji Liangchuan stiffened, his warm heart gradually cooling down.

Back in Wuchuan...

He replaced him.

This was the only way she could enjoy eight years of privileged life in the Jiang family in the capital.

"Wanting everything will only lead to getting nothing in the end."

"Mr. Ji's annual copyright revenue is around 30 million. This revenue, not including Madam's jewelry, is only enough to cover Madam's annual living expenses."

"Alright, stop talking!" Jiang Hua looked at the person in front of her, who was dejected and lonely. It was as if the person who was once gentle and refined, yet proud, had been shattered in an instant and could not be pieced back together.

“I’m sorry, Madam, I’ve been too talkative.” Kagel then took out another agreement document. “Mr. Ji, you can sign here. As long as you sign here, you will receive a generous sum of money, including the option to choose any villa in Su City. This will be enough for you to live comfortably for the rest of your life.”

"This includes the shares in the Jiang family. Since this was given to you by the madam, you will not be short of the shareholder dividends generated by the Jiang family every year. However, you need to return the management rights to the master."

"I think... no one would refuse such terms!"

Kagel didn't explicitly ask him to leave, but he had already pressured him to make a choice.

Being sent to Suzhou was tantamount to exile.

Coincidentally, Wuchuan is within the jurisdiction of Suzhou City.

Ji Liangchuan remained silent for a long time. Every word he said made him feel unbearable, and shattered all his expectations for her future.

Because he couldn't bring himself to speak.

Tell her that the person who was by her side in Wuchuan back then wasn't him at all...

"I'm sorry, I'm not capable of giving you all of this..."

Seeing the pain in his eyes, Jiang Hua felt a slight pang in her heart and a sudden sadness. She wanted to say that it wasn't like that.

But she couldn't tell him what was on her mind.

Jiang Hua endured it, her fingernails digging fiercely into her palms. Her delicate palms were so raw that she didn't even notice or feel any pain. "I'm the one who should apologize."

She slowly calmed her breathing, curved the corners of her mouth into a smile, and pretended to be nonchalant. Jiang Hua handed him a pen and said, "Sign it. He doesn't need these."

"Ji Liangchuan, you need to live a good life, okay?"

"... "

"When you have time, you can come back and visit your father."

And me...

"... "

"Don't just disappear without a word again."

"I... have been looking for you for a long time."

Jiang Hua stood up somewhat awkwardly. "Dad, I'm going back now."

Jiang Weiguo: "Aren't you going to stay for dinner before you leave?"

Jiang Hua turned around without looking back. She didn't dare to look at his hunched back and dejected appearance. "No..." she said in a very faint voice, then left Yulong Bay and got into the Bentley parked at the door.

...

At Jinsha Shallow Bay, Pei Zhan, dressed in dark casual pajamas, held a pair of scissors in his hand, patiently trimming the excess flower branches and arranging the flowers in suitable positions in the vase. His wife was very picky about flowers and was also allergic to pollen, so the flowers used for decoration were carefully selected. The fragrance of the flowers was rich but not cloying, and his calm and reserved aura showed no signs of restlessness due to Jiang Hua's departure. He was like a hunter who quietly and patiently waited for his prey to enter the net.

Time... passed by minute by minute.

As the sun was setting in the late afternoon, Pei Zhan finished trimming all the flowers and instructed the servants, "Place this bouquet on Madam's bedside table."

His tone betrayed a growing impatience.

Four hours have passed...

"Yes, sir."

This flower is a carefully cultivated new variety called 'Night Rose'. Its petals are a dark purple, and it can soothe the nerves and help with sleep.

"Sir, Madam has returned."

Pei Zhan's gaze followed the doorway and saw the person who had been returning late. The servants following Jiang Hua were from the Jiang family's old residence, carrying many gifts.

The servants quickly swept up the fallen petals and leaves on the ground.

“Hua…”

Jiang Hua didn't even glance at him before heading upstairs, treating him like he wasn't there. But Pei Zhan saw clearly that her face was filled with the message, "I'm angry, I don't want to see you, don't talk to me."

But this has another layer of meaning...

If you don't come to comfort me for more than a second when I'm so angry and in a terrible mood, you're doomed.

The moment Jiang Hua entered the room and turned to face the door, Pei Zhan opened the door and immediately met her gaze. His wife, who was in a bad mood, was clearly showing her emotions in her eyes, which were full of anger and accusation.

Pei Zhan walked in and gently closed the door. He reached out his hand to her, but she didn't come forward. So Pei Zhan took the initiative and hugged her. "Why are you back so late?"

Jiang Hua didn't say anything. After leaving Yulong Bay, she didn't want to see him again, so she went to her maternal grandfather's place and only came back at the end.

She was in a bad mood because of Ji Liangchuan.

He was Jiang Hua's childhood hope.

But Pei Zhan is a reality she has to face.

Without reality, Jiang Hua could truly disregard everything.

However, she thought that facing Pei Zhan would make her feel even worse, but it seemed that he wasn't as annoying as she had imagined.

Instead, it dissipated some of the negative emotions.

“If I had come back even a second later, I would have… searched the whole world for Mrs. Pei.”

Jiang Hua buried her face in his chest, smelling the familiar sandalwood scent. Thinking of Ji Liangchuan's appearance, she couldn't help but feel a pang of emotion, but for some reason, the thought of him made her feel uncomfortable.

Feeling the damp warmth near his heart, Pei Zhan felt a chill run down his spine, and a cold glint appeared in his eyes.

If Pei Zhan had known that she would have such strong emotional fluctuations when facing Ji Liangchuan, he would rather be disliked than see her shed a single tear for him.

Tears fell silently, and apart from the trembling of her body, Jiang Hua did not utter a single sound of sadness. However, her very aura told him that she was heartbroken and saddened by Ji Liangchuan.

They remained in that position for an unknown amount of time.

The night outside was completely dark, and the room was pitch black with no lights on. When Pei Zhan picked her up and placed her on the bed, covering her with the blanket, he couldn't see her broken state.

Jiang Hua closed her eyes, her mind hazy and her consciousness somewhat unclear. Tears still clung to her long eyelashes, but a hand gently wiped them away. The next moment, she withdrew her hand and sensed the departing figure in the darkness. She had grabbed something.

Pei Zhan caught her gaze through the darkness, and their eyes seemed to meet. The man's sharp aura softened, and he made his next move, getting into bed. By the time he reached out, Jiang Hua was already in his arms.

"I promise you, I won't touch him." He said this, his words, neither too loud nor too soft, gently brushing past her ear.

"Don't cry, okay?"