[I can’t explain it either. I want to know too!]

[Yarden called her and asked for the address. He is driving to the construction site now.]

I stared at the chat and forgot what I was about to do. Something in my chest felt a little empty. I walked to the wine cabinet. I wanted to take a bottle.

The chat floated across my vision again.

[Stephen drinks too much. Now that his son is back, what if he gets drunk and hits the kid?]

[Right. Ruby still doesn’t know that the child has been found. In the later story, she has no child. This kid must have been killed by Stephen.]

I paused and quietly put the bottle back in the cabinet before locking it. My phone suddenly buzzed.

Ruby sent a message.

[Remember to eat dinner. Don’t drink on an empty stomach. Don’t sit in the dark and use your phone. Don’t stay up too late.]

I looked at the message for a while.

All of a sudden, I did not want to divorce her anymore.

…

A week later, I received a bank notification.

Ruby had transferred me some money. She had also left a note.

[This is two weeks’ salary. Take it and use it first.]

The amount was not large. The numbers were uneven.

I stared at the message for a while as the chat instantly flooded in.

[Ruby really left herself only enough for bread!]

[She has blisters on her hands and still thinks about her ex-husband.]

I slowly got up from the couch.

I touched the photo in my pocket and said slowly, “Casper, your mom looks like she is about to starve.”

Then, I walked into the kitchen. I had barely stepped into it in these past three years. Ruby had always cooked all kinds of dishes for me. I only knew how to cook instant noodles, and I often burned them.

I searched for recipes. I nearly cut my hand and forgot to add salt.

After two hours of struggle, I finally made a pot of soup.

Then, I went to the pharmacy and bought antiseptic as well as bandages.

I followed the scattered hints from the chat about the “new development area in the south of the city” and took a cab there.

The construction site was full of dust.

I stood at the entrance in soft home clothes and sneakers. I held a thermos. I looked completely out of place.

The chat laughed at me.

[Stephen looks kind of cute like this.]

I was looking around when a white car pulled up.

Yarden got out. He held a neatly packed food box.

He saw me as well. His smile stiffened for a moment before it returned to its usual elegance.

“Mr. Wilson?” he walked over. “What are you doing in a place like this?”

He looked at my thermos and chuckled.

“Bringing food for Ruby? Her stomach is weak. She can’t handle anything too oily.”

I looked down at my soup.

“It’s chicken soup. It’s not oily. I already skimmed the oil off.”

Yarden stepped closer and lowered his voice.

“Mr. Wilson, there are some things you may not understand. Ruby is at her hardest stage right now. She needs someone who can help her rise again. Not someone who only knows how to make soup.”

I thought about it for three seconds.

“But she is carrying bricks right now. Carrying bricks needs strength. Presently, helping her to ‘rise again’ isn’t relevant.” I paused and added, “I’m not someone who only makes soup. I can earn money myself. I just haven’t figured out how to do it yet.”

The chat was stunned.

[Yarden got completely shut down.]

[Stephen’s logic is always strange, but somehow you can’t refute it.]

When the atmosphere froze, Ruby walked out of the construction site.

She wore a dusty work uniform and had bandages on her hands. Sweat covered her forehead. She saw us and clearly paused.

Yarden immediately moved toward her. “Ruby, I brought you food…”

Ruby walked straight past him and came to me instead.

Her brows were slightly furrowed. “Why are you here? There is too much dust here.”

I lifted the thermos and the bag of medicine.

“I brought you soup and medicine.”

Ruby’s eyes softened. When she took the things from me, her fingers trembled slightly.

Yarden’s face turned pale. “Ruby, I came here specially…”

Ruby turned to him. Her tone was polite and distant.

“Mr. Smith, thank you for your kindness, but I don’t need it. Don’t come again, please.”

After that, she said in a low voice, “I’ll take you back.”

She completely ignored Yarden, who was still frozen in place.

In the cab, we both stayed silent.

I looked at the bandage on her hand and said suddenly, “There is dust on your wound. It might get infected.”

Ruby pulled her hand back slightly.

“It’s fine.”

I said slowly, “Yarden said you two are going to live together.”

Ruby turned her head sharply.

“He’s lying!”

Her voice was quick and carried a rare anger.

Then, she realized that she had lost her composure. She lowered her voice and said, “I have nothing to do with him. I’m staying in the construction site dorm.”

I gave a soft “oh” and said nothing more.

The chat floated across my vision.

[Wait, why is it still a mystery how Ruby becomes so rich later?]

[No one has it worse than Ms. Xander. I’m speechless.]

The car arrived at the villa.

Before I got out, Ruby suddenly said, “Don’t worry about the money. If it’s not enough, tell me.”

Her eyes were slightly bloodshot, but her gaze was serious.

I nodded. I remembered that tomorrow was the day Casper came back.

I took a few steps, then turned back.

“Are you still working at the construction site tomorrow?”

Ruby said, “Yes.”

“Alright. Then you handle your work.”

With that, I walked straight into the villa.

Before going to sleep, I received a message from an unknown number.

[Leave Ruby. You don’t deserve her.]

I looked at it for a while and replied slowly.

[Are you Yarden? You sent it to the wrong person. I’m her ex-husband.]

Then, I blocked the number and turned off my phone before sleeping.

…

The next morning, Casper was sent over by the private investigator.

His nickname was Cas. He was small and soft, and he looked at me with wide, innocent eyes.

He was a little thin. I took him to the hospital.

We registered, queued, and waited to be called.

Cas was very well-behaved. He stayed in my arms without crying or making a fuss.

When it came time for the blood test, he pouted a little. I comforted him a few times, and he quickly calmed down.

After the checkup, I took the report folder and carried Cas out of the pediatrics department.

I wanted to find a place to sit for a while.

When I looked up, I saw a crowd gathered near the emergency room.

In the middle of the crowd, I saw Ruby.

She sat on a chair in the emergency area. Her left hand was wrapped in bandages.

Yarden stood beside her. He bent down and spoke to her.

He held a cotton swab in his hand and tried to clean the scratch on her face.

Ruby turned her head away.

Yarden did not give up. He reached out and tried to hold her shoulder.

They looked really close with each other. They attracted a lot of attention.

I stood there and watched.

The chat flooded in.

[Oh my god, love triangle chaos!]

[Ruby got injured at the construction site while saving a coworker!]

[Yarden is really fast. He showed up immediately.]

[Wait. I think I get it. I finally understand how she became so rich later!]

I was about to see what the chat said when Ruby’s voice came from behind me.

“Stephen!”

I turned my head. I saw her break away from Yarden and walk toward me.

Yarden tried to grab her, but she shook him off.

She walked very fast and reached me in just a few steps. She lowered her head and saw the child in my arms. Then, she saw the report folder in my hand.

The word “pediatrics” was clearly printed on it.

Ruby froze.

She stared at Cas before looking up at my face.

Her eyes slowly turned red and teary.

She swallowed unconsciously. Her voice was hoarse. It barely came out.

“Is this your child?”

I blinked. I tried to remember whether I had forgotten to tell her that our son had been found. I had clearly planned to let her meet Cas today, but she had to go to the construction site.

She saw my silence, and her lips started to tremble. She raised her left hand. Her fingers shook badly, but she did not dare to touch Cas.

Her voice broke. It carried a trembling kind of despair.

“When did you have an illegitimate child?”