World 2. Chapter 3
It wasn’t until Yan Xue got engaged to the rich kid that she broke up with Zhang Mingxuan. Only then did Zhang Mingxuan realize that her heart had never been with him. The blow was devastating; he was completely devastated for a while after the breakup. It was only with the support of his close friends and family that he gradually managed to pull himself out of that terrible situation.
Yan Xue was his first love, and Zhang Mingxuan believed he had given his all to the relationship. He knew he wasn’t the type to sweet-talk or know how to cheer his girlfriend up, but whatever Yan Xue wanted, he did his best to buy it for her.
Sometimes, Yan Xue would casually mention that he, as her boyfriend, was spending less and less time with her, which only deepened his sense of guilt. When she said this, she had no idea that to satisfy her ever-growing demands, Zhang Mingxuan had taken on several part-time jobs—working all day long—just to barely cover their expenses, all while ensuring his studies weren’t affected and without asking his family for money.
After emerging from that dark period, Zhang Mingxuan threw himself entirely into his work. He co-founded a company with a senior from his university, and after overcoming initial hardships, the business skyrocketed to tremendous success.
The original couple was very proud of their son, but his marriage remained a thorn in their side. Seeing him so absorbed in his career and showing no interest in finding a partner made them anxious.
When Zhang Mingxuan could no longer bear their nagging and finally relented slightly, the couple began arranging blind dates for him. Eventually, at the age of thirty-six, Zhang Mingxuan walked down the aisle.
After the wedding, Zhang Mingxuan and his wife weren’t exactly inseparable, but they treated each other with mutual respect, and their life was stable. Two years of this uneventful existence passed before Yan Xue started messaging him again. When Zhang Mingxuan saw the messages, he didn’t reply, but he was puzzled as to how she had managed to get his phone number.
After all, following their breakup, Zhang Mingxuan had deleted all of Yan Xue’s contact information and even changed his own phone number. Unable to reach Zhang Mingxuan, Yan Xue began staking out his office and the places he frequented. Upon learning of her intentions, Zhang Mingxuan deliberately avoided her, so the two never crossed paths.
Finally, Yan Xue reached her limit and sent Zhang Mingxuan a direct message warning that if he didn’t show up, she would go straight to his wife, Lin Jingyi. Lin Jingyi was pregnant at the time, and Zhang Mingxuan, fearing Yan Xue might do something irrational, had his family stay with her while he went to the restaurant to meet Yan Xue.
Little did he know that Yan Xue had already sent a text to Lin Jingyi, informing her that she was about to meet her husband. Unable to resist her curiosity, Lin Jingyi went to the restaurant alone. Upon seeing Yan Xue and her husband “cuddling and hugging,” she couldn’t help but rush to the roadside.
By the time Zhang Mingxuan managed to break free from Yan Xue’s clutches and left the restaurant, he saw that Lin Jingyi had been in a car accident. After being rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment, Lin Jingyi survived, but she lost the baby. Not only that, but because of the accident, she also lost her ability to have children.
Having paid such a heavy price, Zhang Mingxuan was determined not to let Yan Xue off the hook. Upon investigation, he discovered that the wealthy heir Yan Xue had originally chosen had gone bankrupt, and the couple was now renting a place in a city village with a mixed population. Yan Xue wanted a divorce, but her husband refused. To dissuade her, the rich second-generation heir frequently beat her, keeping her constantly under the shadow of violence. He even restricted her access to contraception. Over time, Yan Xue dared not bring it up again, though her desire for divorce never truly faded.
Yan Xue and the rich kid had previously lived a life of luxury, always spending lavishly and never knowing how to save. After the bankruptcy, their meager savings were quickly depleted. To make ends meet, they couldn’t resist the temptation and took out online loans and high-interest loans. Unable to repay them later, they were constantly hounded by debt collectors.
Yan Xue’s decision to seek out Zhang Mingxuan this time stemmed from her learning by chance from a classmate that he was now doing quite well. She believed he had the means to help her pay off her loans and escape the rich second-generation heir’s clutches. However, she never imagined that her plan would backfire—not only did her situation fail to improve, but Zhang Mingxuan had genuinely come to hate her.
After learning the details, Zhang Mingxuan passed Yan Xue’s whereabouts on to the debt collectors and the rich second-generation heir, while also arranging for someone to keep tabs on them to ensure they wouldn’t have an easy life.
Lin Jingyi wanted to divorce Zhang Mingxuan because she was thinking about having children, but Zhang Mingxuan refused. He told her that she was his salvation, not a replacement for Yan Xue—it was because she was uniquely herself. Wherever she was, that was where he felt at home.
Although the couple had no children of their own, they sponsored many underprivileged children and frequently volunteered at orphanages. In their later years, they gained many “children” through these efforts.
Zhang Mingxuan didn’t care about having children, but the original host still did. She hoped Lin Yanan would safeguard her son’s family and protect the unborn child.