Su Qianghai frowned but remained indifferent, saying, “There’s no way he’d give up the chance to change his fate. That kind of opportunity is something others would kill for. He beat out so many people to become the son-in-law of a multimillionaire. He won’t walk away that easily. I’m sure he’ll come back with his head bowed and beg us. Just wait!”
Su Yuebai felt even more bitter. Even now, her father still spoke so stubbornly, showing not the slightest regret. But… it really seemed like Zhang Xiaofeng wasn’t coming back!
They waited for a long time. The time was now 10:36 p.m.—almost midnight. Su Yuebai could wait no longer.
She was just about to pull out her phone and try to contact Zhang Xiaofeng again, when suddenly her phone rang. A call came in urgently.
She looked at the screen—it was from a client surnamed Yan. A Party A representative!
The Su Family’s company developed software across Apple, Android, and Windows platforms. Seeing the name flash on her phone, Su Yuebai’s heart tightened.
This client, Yan Tao, had signed a contract with them two months ago, paid a deposit, and requested a social-matching app similar to “Nearby Appointments.” The delivery deadline was two days away, meaning the preliminary submission had to be done today. But the software wasn’t ready yet!
Zhang Xiaofeng was a top expert in this field, practically a one-man team. He could complete the work of three people with unmatched efficiency. His grasp of programming languages was flawless. Two years ago, he had been eligible to stay at Qingbei as a faculty member—his advisor even said Zhang’s skills were beyond his own. But for love, he chose to work for her family’s company instead.
The app, called “Nearby Match,” was already 95% complete. If Zhang Xiaofeng were still around, it might’ve even been delivered early. But now that he was gone, it was in serious jeopardy!
Panicked, Su Yuebai scratched her head. She stared at the screen, hesitating until the call was nearly missed before finally answering, “Hello?”
On the other end, a commanding voice said, “Miss Su, is the software finished? It’s time to do the initial handoff. If there’s anything that needs adjustment, now’s the time to address it.”
As expected! Su Yuebai’s mind was in turmoil. If Zhang Xiaofeng were here, everything would be fine. But now… it was hanging by a thread!
“Um… is it possible to extend the deadline a little?”
The client was surprised, replying, “Extend it? Why? We’re about to go live. That’s what the contract says. We’re on a tight schedule. What’s going on?”
Su Yuebai didn’t know how to respond. She glanced at her father, her voice trembling, “Dad… it’s Party A on the phone.”
Su Qianghai’s heart skipped a beat. A breach of contract could mean massive penalties! He quickly took the phone and said, “Old Yan, give us a bit more time. The company’s had some recent issues. I promise, we’ll deliver before the end of next week. You have my word!”
“But the contract clearly states the deadline. We’re scheduled to launch. We’ve already prepared all the marketing, operations, and infrastructure. We’re just waiting on delivery! How can you suddenly mess this up now? I don’t care how you do it—you must deliver on time. Otherwise, I’ll take legal action!”
Su Qianghai’s face turned pale. If the client suffered losses, he’d be forced to compensate a fortune!
He took a deep breath and tried to explain, “I understand, I really do. But our top technical guy had some personal issues and left. We’re short-staffed and scrambling. I’ll find someone to help finish the work. Can we work something out?”
“I don’t care. If it’s not delivered by the morning after tomorrow, I’ll file a lawsuit immediately!”
Click—call ended.
Su Qianghai’s face turned ashen. He fully understood. Even if he covered all of the client’s costs, they could still use this as a reason to sue and squeeze a huge payout from him. That’s business. There’s no sentiment in the corporate world.
He stared at his daughter, feeling like he was choking on his own breath. After a moment of silence, he gritted his teeth but said nothing. He refused to admit he was wrong—not now. He had to endure. He didn’t believe Zhang Xiaofeng was truly gone, didn’t believe he’d give up such a chance to rewrite his destiny! This chapter is updated first at novelping dot com.
Meanwhile, Su Yuebai was growing desperate. She rushed outside. A while later, she stopped a stranger on the street and pleaded, “Miss, could I borrow your phone? My friend blocked me, and only an unfamiliar number might get through.”
The stranger was kind and lent her the phone. Su Yuebai quickly dialed Zhang Xiaofeng’s number, but what happened next left her stunned.
A cold mechanical voice: “Sorry, the number you have dialed is no longer in service.”
“What? He actually deactivated his number? No balance?” Su Yuebai stumbled and nearly collapsed on the road from shock.
She had demanded that Zhang Xiaofeng hand over all his wages. He had no money to top up his phone. On top of that, she had tightly controlled him—he never had money of his own. Though he worked in her family’s company, her parents almost never paid him. Now he was so broke… his number had been shut off.
She never expected that one day, because of her, he would fall into such poverty.
And now, just when she desperately needed to contact him—she couldn’t. She’d shot herself in the foot!
Unsteady on her feet, Su Yuebai stumbled into the traffic lane. A car screeched to a halt, nearly hitting her. The driver rolled down his window and shouted, “Are you trying to die? Watch where you’re going!” Then drove off angrily.
Su Yuebai didn’t have the energy to curse back. She clung to the barrier to steady herself and wanted to recharge Zhang Xiaofeng’s phone to call again. But the kind stranger said, “I’ve got something to do. Maybe ask someone else. There’s a taxi coming.”
Left with no choice, Su Yuebai handed the phone back and watched the woman get into a taxi and leave.
She then opened WeChat and topped up Zhang Xiaofeng’s phone with a few yuan. She had always recharged just 50 yuan at a time for him—never more. Now that she thought back on it, what was she thinking? Had she ever truly treated him like a person? Was he really her husband? Was he even her child’s father in her heart?
She stayed on the street, hoping to borrow another phone from someone. But it was so late—almost midnight. Not a soul passed by. She waited until after midnight and still found no one. Disheartened, she returned to the bridge underpass.
Inside the tunnel, Su Qianghai was squatting on a stone, looking extremely downcast and silent.
In his hand were a pair of worn-out cloth shoes and a faded shirt. He was staring at them quietly.
Su Yuebai froze. She recognized them instantly—they belonged to Zhang Xiaofeng! She hurried over and asked, “Dad, did he come back?”
Su Qianghai looked up at her silently, then said after a long pause, “No. I found these deeper inside the tunnel. He changed clothes and left.”
Su Yuebai’s heart sank. She looked at the clothing and felt a fresh wave of pain.
The soles of the shoes had completely split open, and there was a huge hole in the toe. Inside was a pair of white socks, also torn. She remembered once when he had shown her those socks, saying, “Yueyue, could you buy me a new pair? These have a huge hole. I can’t wear them anymore.”
At the time, she didn’t buy them. Indifferently, she said, “Why can’t you wear them just because of a hole? You’re a man. Can’t you handle a little hardship?”
And that yellowed shirt? That pair of shoes? She had given them to him back in university. He had treasured them ever since, never willing to buy new ones, always rotating the same two items. He was so moved when she gave them to him, he said he’d never wear anything else again. This chapter is updated first at novelping.com.
Even after four years in university and two more after graduation, even though the shirt had yellowed and the shoes had fallen apart, he still wore them. He couldn’t bear to throw them away.
She remembered when she first gifted them to him, how his hands trembled as he opened the box. He sniffled and said, “Xiaoyue, thank you. My family’s so poor I never get new clothes for holidays. Aside from my parents, no one’s ever bought me clothes—especially expensive ones like these. I’ll treat you well for the rest of my life. I love you. I’ll always love you.”
From that day on, he gave her his whole heart.
Once, in the middle of the night, she wanted iced milk tea from Mixue Bingcheng. Even though the campus gates were locked, he climbed over the wall and almost got expelled for breaking the rules.
One time during a thunderstorm, she wore a revealing outfit, saying she liked the sexy look. She nearly froze on the road, and he gave her his own coat. He shivered all the way home, caught a fever of 40°C, and nearly died at the hospital.
“Yueyue, I’ll go buy you Mixue Bingcheng. I’ll lower a basket with clothesline to bring it up to your window.”
…
“Why are you expelling me? I just went out to buy milk tea! Who doesn’t like good food? Why should I be kicked out for that?”
…
“Yueyue, it’s cold today. Why are you dressed so thinly? Come here. I’ll hold you. Wait—let me give you my coat.”
…
“Yueyue, I’m so cold. My fever’s hitting 42°C. Am I going to die? Will I never see you again?”
“Yueyue, I don’t want to die! My parents sacrificed everything to send me to Qingbei. I’m the pillar of my family, the hope of my village. We men from the Northwest bleed but don’t cry—but I’m crying. I don’t want to die! I don’t want to burn to death!”
“Yueyue, I’m so cold. I’m dying! I miss my parents. I miss you! Can you hold me?”
He loved her more than anything. And she had driven him out of their home.
The one he loved most… hurt him the deepest.
Su Yuebai felt immense pain—pain beyond words. Guilt. Helplessness. Heartbreak. Regret. Shame. She had no idea how to face Zhang Xiaofeng again.
Those shoes and shirt were the last gifts she ever gave him.
He wore those shoes for six years. That shirt for six years. Never changed them. And she never gave him another thing after that.
Not even a new pair of socks when the old ones tore.
Now, he was completely disheartened.
He was gone… truly gone…