(5)

Three days later.

As usual, Su Yiran got up early. After breakfast, he drove to the dessert shop. Just after getting out of the car, he saw Gu Yuanting standing at the dessert shop’s entrance and couldn’t help feeling a bit helpless.

That day, after leaving the tea restaurant, Gu Yuanting insisted on sending him home and even wanted to stay over at his place, saying it would be more convenient to take care of him. Su Yiran refused. Unexpectedly, the next day when he opened the door, Gu Yuanting was already waiting outside, saying he wanted to send him to work.

Su Yiran just wanted some time alone to think about everything that had happened recently, so he declined again. After making things clear with Gu Yuanting, he drove to the dessert shop by himself. But after only a short while working in the shop, Gu Yuanting came in and silently helped him with the work.

Since there were both employees and customers in the shop, Su Yiran couldn’t just send Gu Yuanting away openly. Gu Yuanting said he was worried about Su Yiran’s condition—he was carrying their baby—and was afraid the busy work would tire him out. So, these days he was just helping quietly in the shop without disturbing him. Regarding the baby, Su Yiran had no choice but to let it be. That’s how these three days passed.

Gu Yuanting stood at the entrance of the dessert shop, waiting for Su Yiran while staring blankly at the shop sign. The sign was no longer the “Yi Ting Desserts” he first saw when coming here. It had been changed to “Mumu Desserts.”

As Gu Yuanting looked at the sign with a sense of loss, suddenly he seemed to sense something. Turning around, he just saw Su Yiran walking over from the parking lot. The sadness in his heart immediately vanished, his eyes lit up, and he quickly went to greet Su Yiran: “Ranran.”

Su Yiran noticed Gu Yuanting was looking at the sign, and instinctively glanced up as well. After divorcing Gu Yuanting, the “Yi Ting Desserts” sign, which held special meaning, inevitably made him sad, so he replaced it with a new sign named after the ragdoll cat “Mumu” he raised in his previous life.

Su Yiran smiled briefly at Gu Yuanting without saying much, then went straight into the shop.

Gu Yuanting felt a sweetness in his heart from Su Yiran’s smile and immediately followed him inside. Like the past two days, he helped Su Yiran greet customers, assist in making desserts, and reminded him to rest more. Meanwhile, his heart was filled with nervousness and anticipation.

The three days they had agreed on had passed. According to their agreement, today Su Yiran… Ranran was going to give him an “answer.”

During these three days, Ranran had not rejected his presence. His attitude was no longer cold and distant like when they first reunited; instead, it had softened a lot. While helping Ranran with desserts, looking at his profile beside him, Gu Yuanting even felt an unprecedented warmth and sweetness.

Just spending three days with Ranran like this, Gu Yuanting tasted the sweetness of happiness. He thought he finally understood the meaning of his rebirth and arrival in this parallel world.

He hated himself for having severed everything with his own hands before and for having hurt Ranran so deeply. Thinking about what he did three months ago, he felt so guilty and remorseful. He made a firm decision: once reunited, he would treat Ranran well and make up for all his mistakes.

Ranran should agree to be with him again, right?

Gu Yuanting was cutting the Hami melon, putting the fruit into the juicer, feeling anxious but hopeful. He couldn’t help secretly glancing at Ranran beside him.

Su Yiran was focused on making a mousse cake. As if sensing something, he glanced at Gu Yuanting. Their eyes met unexpectedly. Gu Yuanting, caught off guard, quickly looked away like he had been electrocuted, his heart pounding wildly.

Su Yiran paid no more attention, finished the mousse cake for a customer, and started making the Hami melon milkshake.

Gu Yuanting took a long time to calm his heart and secretly glanced at Ranran again. Ranran should agree, right? These past two days they had gotten along well. Maybe—maybe Ranran wouldn’t agree to go back with him to Country D, but as long as Ranran was willing to be with him and settle down here in City A, that would be fine.

Before getting the result, Gu Yuanting was already stepping back in his mind.

“It’s past eleven. Let’s go eat across the street,” Su Yiran said to Gu Yuanting.

“Oh, okay, okay!” Gu Yuanting snapped back to reality, realizing that Su Yiran was about to talk about something important. He nervously clenched his fists.

—

“I’ve thought it over carefully these days,” Su Yiran said seriously, looking across at Gu Yuanting after finishing his soup in the restaurant’s private room. “We… better forget it.”

The atmosphere during lunch had been good, and Gu Yuanting had gained some confidence. Hearing Ranran’s words, he felt as if struck by lightning and couldn’t react at all. After a long while, he forced a smile: “Forget it… what do you mean ‘forget it’?”

Su Yiran stared at Gu Yuanting and after a moment said, “I… can believe what you said—that you divorced me because you were pressured by the Gu family, to protect me. But through this, I think… we aren’t right for each other.”

After thinking for three days, Su Yiran did feel sympathy for the pressure Gu Yuanting had borne at the time, but now the Gu family’s issue was over, and Gu Yuanting was no longer in danger. Their relationship had ended.

Gu Yuanting lied to him about too many things, making him feel like he didn’t really know him. Even Gu Yuanting’s reason for divorce—to protect him—he only dared to believe but not fully trust.

Now that they were divorced, Su Yiran was doing well. Although unexpectedly pregnant with their baby, he could raise the baby well by himself. There were too many problems between them to go back.

“Since we’re divorced, let’s live our own lives well. You… don’t come to my shop anymore. Go back to Country D,” Su Yiran said.

Gu Yuanting felt dizzy. He instinctively reached out to grab Ranran’s hand on the table, but before he could touch it, Su Yiran withdrew and stood up, giving him a faint smile. “Seems there’s nothing more to say. I’ll go first.”

Gu Yuanting snapped out of his daze, immediately stood up, panicked, and tried to pull Ranran back, hugging him and stammering, “Ranran, I—I was wrong. Back then I was confused and reckless. I was wrong. Ranran, we—we still have a baby!”

Suddenly clear-headed, Gu Yuanting felt like he had grasped a lifeline and hurriedly said, “We still have a baby. The baby can’t be without a father. Ranran, I’m not asking you to go back with me to Country D. Let’s remarry immediately and live well at home… the three of us, happily together. Okay?”

Su Yiran was caught off guard being hugged. He struggled a few times but couldn’t break free. Hearing the baby mentioned, he shook his head: “I will raise the baby well and won’t stop you from visiting the baby at school, but there’s no possibility between us.”

Hearing the words “no possibility,” Gu Yuanting felt as if thunder had struck on a clear day. His heart was suddenly torn out. His eyes reddened as he tightly hugged Ranran without letting go. “No, no, how can it be? I—I’ll treat you well, Ranran, I…”

Su Yiran let Gu Yuanting hold him and heard his trembling voice. His heart also trembled but quickly became clear-headed. Since he had made up his mind, he would not drag it out.

“Gu Yuanting,” Su Yiran called him.

Gu Yuanting immediately quieted down, slightly loosened his hold, and nervously looked at Ranran, hoping for a change of heart.

Su Yiran pushed him away and took a step back. “We can’t go back. You… please leave.” Then he turned to leave. Seeing Gu Yuanting unwilling to let go, he just said: “Don’t make me… hate you.”

---

(6)

In a chaotic and blurry dream, outside the civil affairs bureau, Su Yiran and he came out together. Su Yiran lowered his head. Both their hands clenched the freshly issued divorce certificate.

“Goodbye.” It was time to part ways. Su Yiran looked up at him and softly said this.

Then, in the dream, all he saw was Su Yiran’s retreating back, growing more distant until disappearing from his sight, never to be seen again. Su Yiran never looked back.

Gu Yuanting suddenly woke from the dream, heart aching painfully, gasping for breath. After catching his breath, he looked around dazedly but still saw Su Yiran’s back walking away in his mind.

Gu Yuanting was devastated. Feeling the wetness on his pillow, he realized he had cried in his sleep.

After saying cold and harsh words to Ranran in anger that day, fearing he was truly hated, he dared not look for Ranran for several days. He had nightmares every night, silently shedding tears in his sleep, frequently wetting the pillow with tears.

He didn’t know why he had become so fragile. Just thinking about Ranran’s firm “impossible” and “can’t go back” shattered all his defenses, as if falling into a dark abyss.

No… no!

His head ached fiercely for several days. Pressing his temples, he forced himself to get up. Several days had passed; Ranran shouldn’t be so angry now. Maybe he’d be willing to see him.

And now Ranran was carrying their baby. No matter what, he must take good care of him.

He must start over with Ranran. He still had a chance.

Gu Yuanting gritted his teeth and sat up. For some reason, the headache today was even worse.

He was about to get out of bed when an unbearable sharp pain hit his head, causing him to lose control of his body. He suddenly fell back onto the bed, clutching his head tightly, biting his teeth as he cried out in pain, trembling all over.

After a long while…

The headache eased, and his body stopped shaking but remained stiff. For a long time, with red eyes, he slowly lifted his head, trembling uncontrollably again.

Divorce… divorce… he and Ranran were divorced!!

Gu Yuanting had regained his memories. Sitting there shaking, he suddenly slapped himself hard across the face.

Beast!

He must have broken Ranran’s heart deeply…

Thinking of how sad and heartbroken Ranran was at the divorce, he felt agonizing pain. Ranran was still carrying their baby back then… she endured the hardest three months alone with the baby…

Gu Yuanting began trembling again, hurriedly got out of bed and put on his shoes. He had to go find Ranran as soon as possible!

—

These days, after finishing up the shop’s matters, Su Yiran finally had some free time and rested well at home for two days.

After making things clear with Gu Yuanting, Gu Yuanting really did not come looking for him again. Su Yiran both felt relieved and a little melancholic deep inside, but whatever it was, it was over. He quickly pulled himself together and began planning a new life.

Now that there was a baby, he could put the shop’s business on hold for a while. He promoted employee Zhang Xiaohong to manager and hired another employee, so he didn’t have to be so busy himself. He also planned to hire a housekeeper in the future…

However, after handling everything with the shop, the busy and fulfilling life suddenly became quiet, making him feel a bit uneasy. A less busy life seemed to be missing something.

He suddenly wanted to have a cat more than ever.

Su Yiran had already planned to raise a cat before. After asking the doctor and confirming it wouldn’t negatively affect his current health, he did not hesitate. He contacted a local cattery he had been eyeing and planned to pick up a cat today!

Early in the morning, Su Yiran’s heart was already fully focused on the little kitten that was about to arrive. Eager to get to the cattery, after a simple breakfast, he grabbed his car keys and took the elevator down.

Gu Yuanting knew that Ranran had been resting at home for the past two days. Anxious and restless, he hurriedly drove towards home. But the closer he got, the more nervous and scared he became.

Ranran… would he still forgive him? Would Ranran reject him?

He thought of countless explanations and ways to beg for forgiveness in his mind, nervous and anxious, until he finally reached the community.

As soon as Gu Yuanting parked his car, he saw a familiar figure passing by nearby. In that instant, he forgot everything else and quickly got out of the car, walking briskly toward him: “Ranran!”

Su Yiran was walking toward the open parking lot in the community, still thinking about what to name the kitten, feeling very happy. Suddenly, he heard a familiar voice nearby and instinctively turned his head, his good mood instantly shattered.

Seeing Gu Yuanting walking briskly toward him, Su Yiran frowned slightly: “You… why are you here again? Is there something else?”

As soon as Gu Yuanting saw Ranran, he couldn’t think about anything else. He hurriedly stepped forward to hug him, trying to explain anxiously: “Ranran, actually I—”

Su Yiran quickly blocked his hand when Gu Yuanting tried to hug him, stepping back two paces and frowning more deeply: “What are you doing?”

Gu Yuanting froze mid-action. Looking into Ranran’s cold and guarded eyes, it was like being doused with cold water. His mind went blank, and his heart ached as if stabbed by needles; his fingertips trembled slightly.

He was at a loss, sad and afraid, carefully calling out: “Ranran, I…”

Su Yiran didn’t know what Gu Yuanting wanted to do but no longer wanted to get involved: “I have other things to do. I’m leaving first.”

Seeing Ranran turn to leave, Gu Yuanting hastily reached out and grabbed his hand, stammering as he explained: “Ranran, I—I actually lost my memory. I’m sorry. I was wrong. I suddenly lost my memory; it wasn’t intentional. I don’t want to be apart from you. Ranran, please don’t go…”

Su Yiran was getting impatient and a bit angry. Memory loss? That’s ridiculous. Is this a joke?

They were already divorced, and he made things clear that day. Why still come to disturb him?

Su Yiran shook off Gu Yuanting’s hand, tightly frowning: “I thought we already made things clear that day. Gu Yuanting, we’re divorced. Although… some misunderstandings were cleared up, I feel that we’re not suitable for each other.”

Gu Yuanting was struck like thunder, staring blankly at Ranran, his mind roaring.

“Go back. I have things to do. I’m leaving now,” Su Yiran said, then turned to walk toward his car.

“Ranran…” Gu Yuanting instinctively followed, wanting to grab him, to explain properly, to beg for forgiveness.

Ranran glanced coldly at him: “Don’t follow me.”

Gu Yuanting was stabbed in the heart by Ranran’s cold gaze. He wanted to follow but didn’t dare. He could only watch as Ranran got into the car. The car passed by him, slowly driving away until it disappeared from sight.

Gu Yuanting stood there like a lost soul.

Ranran didn’t want him anymore…

After an unknown length of time, Gu Yuanting wandered aimlessly, eventually realizing he was standing in front of his home.

His confused and dazed thoughts gradually focused, forcing himself to pull himself together.

No, no, he still had a chance. As long as he stayed calm and explained everything from the beginning clearly, Ranran would surely forgive him.

He would wait for Ranran to come home…

Habitually, Gu Yuanting tried to unlock the door with his fingerprint, but the door wouldn’t open.

A few days ago, he could still get in with his fingerprint, but today it didn’t work anymore. Obviously, Ranran had changed the fingerprint lock.

Gu Yuanting stood dumbfounded in front of the door, deeply saddened.

When Su Yiran returned home with the cat, it was not yet noon. Perhaps because it was a cloudy day and the heavy air felt oppressive, as if brewing rain, or maybe because of what happened with Gu Yuanting in the morning, his heart felt heavy and unsettled.

Memory loss… could it really be true?

That was too absurd.