Lin Yixun had been in the hospital for days, and Leng Yixiu never showed up. She was actually quite free and easy about it, wishing that he would abandon her right now. For fear of worrying her mother, Lin Yixun lied that she was on a business trip out of town and would be back in a few days. Her mother did not suspect anything. In her mother’s eyes, Lin Yixun was still the one who never lied, unaware that everything had changed. Sometimes, even Lin Yixun had to doubt whether she had the potential to be a fraud. She always deceived those who loved and cared for her, no matter the reason. But a lie was still a lie, and lies did not deserve to be forgiven. Staying in the same hospital to avoid running into her mother unexpectedly, Lin Yixun mostly holed up in her ward, reading books and occasionally browsing the web. Unavoidably, she would sometimes see news about Ouyang Hao online. In the past, Lin Yixun managed to numb herself with work or by dealing with Leng Yixiu, giving her no time to think of anything else. However, once a person has free time, they can’t help but think about many things. The rumors about Ouyang Hao were like dull knives, slicing her skin again and again, causing a deep, raw pain. She clearly could ignore some of the news about Ouyang Hao, could choose to remain indifferent. But every time she made up her mind, she would keep going back on her decision. Thus, she repeated this cycle, masochistically reading the news and gossip about Ouyang Hao. It was as if only by tormenting herself time and again could she be sure that she was still alive. She despised herself for behaving this way. The more she thought about it, the more pitiful she felt. When Lin Yixun was discharged from the hospital, only Old He came to pick her up. Leng Yixiu was still nowhere to be seen. Lin Yixun had no idea what had happened that night. She assumed that Leng Yixiu had been with Cheng Ying these past few days, since he was engaged, after all. Thinking about it, Lin Yixun couldn’t help but curl her lips into a mocking smile. Someone like Leng Yixiu, who had to keep his fiancée company while still dropping by to make his presence known to her, didn’t he find it exhausting? Returning to the Half Mountain Villa, Lin Yixun wanted to rest but was surprised to find other people in the villa. One of the women, dressed fashionably and even somewhat eccentrically, stepped forward and introduced herself, "I am Alin, the chief stylist of New-image." Lin Yixun was momentarily puzzled and turned to look at Old He behind her. Old He explained, "Sir said there is a gathering tonight and he wants you to attend." "A gathering?" Lin Yixun frowned and asked in a low voice, "Can I not go?" She knew her place. A mistress should have the awareness of being a mistress, merely a plaything for Leng Yixiu’s private amusement, unfit for the public eye. Even if she had the thickest skin, she did not want others to know about her disgraceful status. "Miss Lin, Sir has said you must attend tonight’s gathering." What was Leng Yixiu planning? Did he really want to announce her identity to the whole world? Wasn’t he afraid of disgracing himself by bringing her out? The source of thɪs content is novel-fire.ɴet She pulled out her phone from her bag and dialed a long string of numbers, but unfortunately, no one answered from the other end. Seeing Lin Yixun’s extremely poor expression, a mixture of anger, hatred, and sorrow interweaving, Old He couldn’t help but feel a twinge of pity and softly said, "Miss Lin, rest assured, sir has always been prudent. What you are worried about will not happen." "Heh..." Lin Yixun suddenly let out a cold laugh, "Does he know what I care about? Even if he does, would he really consider my feelings?"