As soon as the door opened, the smell filled her nostrils and spread slowly to her brain, where the cellular molecules were urging her to get in.

Jiang Xiying looked at Qiao Zhe, shrugged her shoulders, and bent down to sit in the car.

Qiao Zhe entered the car from the other side, and the expression on his face was obviously much more relaxed.

He reached into the backseat and took out a breakfast for Jiang Xiying. The breakfast was meant for him, but he had run into Jiang Xiying.

"Thank you." Jiang Xiying nodded at Qiao Zhe to express her gratitude. Then, as she opened the envelope, she asked kindly, "Have you eaten?"

"Yes, I have."

Jiang Xiying's hands stopped moving, and she glared at him from where he couldn't see. Then, she started to eat her breakfast without any hesitation.

Even though the breakfast was delicious, she still didn't forget her purpose for coming to the school gate. She continued to look around at Jiang Rann's figure.

Seeing her like this, Qiao Zhe frowned and said, "Come find me tonight."

"Hmm?" The slightly raised tone indicated that the owner of the voice was in a good mood, so Qiao Zhe did not hear the unwillingness in her voice.

"If you're late, you'll have to bear the consequences yourself." Qiao Zhe's long fingers rhythmically tapped on the steering wheel.

Jiang Xiying pursed her lips and had a complicated expression on her face.

Jiang Xiying still hadn't seen Jiang Rann today. Even her work condition today was not good, and she was listless.

She slept later than a dog and woke up earlier than a chicken every day. However, her efforts were not rewarded.

In addition, when she thought about meeting Qiao Zhe at night, her mood became even worse. From the moment she started work, she prayed that this day would pass slowly.

The more she did this, the more time seemed to be moving against her, moving faster and faster, and she would roll her eyes when her colleagues complained that time was going too slowly. Why did she feel that time was going too fast?

Before she got off work, she received a message from Qiao Zhe. The content was short and clear. There was only an address and time.

However, Qiao Zhe did not know if he had calculated the time accurately, but she arrived on time.

Jiang Xiying stood at the entrance of the restaurant. Actually, she was a little nervous in her heart. After hesitating for a moment, she strode in.

"Hello, are you Miss Jiang Xiying?"

Just as Jiang Xiying was about to walk to the front desk to ask, the lobby manager came up to her.

Jiang Xiying nodded.

The lobby manager's smile widened, "Please follow me. Mr. Qiao is already waiting for you inside."

Oh no.

Jiang Xiying felt her scalp go numb. She couldn't be late, could she? Jiang Xiying subconsciously looked at her phone and heaved a sigh of relief.

Fortunately, it wasn't the appointed time yet.

"Please."

The moment she relaxed, the lobby manager had already led her to the door of the private room that Qiao Zhe had booked, "We will serve the dishes for you right away."

Jiang Xiying walked in and sat down in front of him. She felt an invisible pressure coming from his body and didn't want to stay any longer. She got straight to the point. "What did you call me here for?"

"I'll tell you after dinner." Qiao Zhe had a faint smile on his face ever since she came in.

He picked up the red wine and poured himself a glass, then waved at her, "Do you want a glass?"

"No."

Not long after, the dishes were served one after another.

Jiang Xiying's heart was filled with endless ridicule. Why didn't she say it now? Wasn't it better to let her know what it was earlier? Wasn't it uncomfortable to keep things to herself?

The meal was like chewing wax to her. The feeling of waiting was really bad, and her perturbed mood made her feel even worse.

There were several times when she wanted to ask Qiao Zhe to tell her the truth, but every time she saw the cold expression on his face, she swallowed the words she was about to say.

"I'm done eating." Jiang Xiying swallowed the last mouthful of rice with some difficulty.

Qiao Zhe wanted to laugh when he saw her so anxious.

"Yes." Qiao Zhe also stopped eating. He picked up the wine on the table and slowly rubbed the edge of his glass. "If you get a divorce now, I can guarantee you custody of your child."

Jiang Xiying had thought of countless possibilities of what Qiao Zhe had told her, but she had never expected him to tell her about it.

The scene of Lau Yanhong beating up Jiang Rann suddenly flashed through Jiang Xiying's mind. Even now, when she thought about it, she still felt some heartache and resentment in her heart.

Jiang Xiying lowered her head slightly, her fingers twisting helplessly under the table. She was not sure if Qiao Zhe's words were true or false.

"You don't believe me?" Her reaction was expected. Qiao Zhe raised his eyebrows slightly and asked.

"No," Jiang Xiying said. She just did not completely believe him.

"What reason do you think I have to lie to you?" This time, Qiao Zhe tapped the edge of the cup, and the clear sound of the cup and nails seemed to strike Jiang Xiying's heart.

Jiang Xiying thought that if she relied on her own strength, it would be impossible for her to meet Jiang Rann. If Qiao Zhe could really help her, then perhaps Jiang Rann would really belong to her completely from now on.

Jiang Xiying was about to agree when Qiao Zhe's next words were like a bucket of cold water.

"But after the divorce, you have to be my secret mistress. And you can't refuse any of my requests."

Qiao Zhe's words were like a demonic voice, lingering in Jiang Xiying's mind, refusing to leave.

Her fingers tightened, her face turned pale, and a feeling of humiliation rose in her heart. She looked up at Qiao Zhe in disbelief.

What was this? Even if Qiao Zhe helped her escape from Lau Yanhong's family, wouldn't she still be jumping into another tiger's mouth?

Lau Yanhong and her son were too strong for her to resist. Although Qiao Zhe was alone, he was stronger than three Lau Yanhong and her son! How could she resist? Wasn't this asking for trouble?

Was she that stupid to jump into the fire pit?

Jiang Xiying stood up with a "wow" sound. Her heart was filled with anger, and even her lips were trembling, "Qiao Zhe, what do you mean? I don't accept it!"

He was openly insulting her! Did he treat her like a casual woman?

This thought appeared in Jiang Xiying's mind, making her feel extremely uncomfortable.

Qiao Zhe's eyes darkened slightly, and his tone became much colder, "Jiang Xiying, I'm giving you a chance. Who else around you would help you like this?"

"Qiao Zhe, you are really shameless!" Jiang Xiying smiled sadly. This was the person she had been thinking about for eight years. Did he think that she would thank him just because he helped her get the child back and jumped out of the fire pit that was the Mu family?

Perhaps she would, but that was before he made that condition.

"I don't agree." Jiang Xiying grabbed her bag from the side, glared at Qiao Zhe, and turned to leave.

Finally, she said, "Qiao Zhe, from now on, I will pretend that I never knew you."

Jiang Xiying, who had left in a hurry, did not notice Qiao Zhe's fingers, which had turned white from holding the edge of the cup too tightly.

As soon as she stepped out of the restaurant, Jiang Xiying closed her eyes and took a deep breath of the fresh air from outside. When she opened her eyes again, tears welled up in her eyes without warning.

When I think back to eight years ago, the two of them loved each other so much that anyone who knew them would have thought they were a match made in heaven and would have been happy.

Once upon a time, she had felt the same way. She had thought that she must have burned incense in her previous life to let her meet Qiao Zhe, and she had even fantasized about their future together countless times.