Volume One, Chapter 77: When You Wake Up Tomorrow, Will You Still Remember Me?

Just a kiss.

Sang Wan felt as if all her strength had been drained, her body sinking relentlessly downward. Lou Ye caught her waist, drawing her into his arms, pecking at her lips as he asked in a husky voice, "How much did you drink?"

"Just... a little..." The breath she exhaled carried the faint scent of alcohol. Before Sang Wan could finish speaking, Lou Ye kissed her again.

If the kiss at the mountain villa had been stolen, daring only the lightest, most tentative touch, then this time, it was claimed openly and boldly. He captured her lips, teased her tongue. Lou Ye kissed her fiercely, as if determined to turn all those fleeting dreams into reality.

"...Mm..." At first, there were muffled whimpers. But the body in his arms sank like driftwood. When Lou Ye finally released her, gasping for breath, Sang Wan’s head tilted softly against his chest.

She had... fallen asleep?

"Sang Wan?" he called softly, but she did not respond.

Lou Ye let out a silent laugh. There wasn’t even a bed in the office—he certainly couldn’t let her sleep here. He lifted her into his arms and carried her downstairs.

At the stairwell, he saw Lu Jinnian a few steps away, glancing around anxiously. For a moment, Lou Ye contemplated simply walking past him. The thought of Lu Jinnian’s shocked expression, perhaps wide-eyed and stunned, perhaps even rushing forward in a frenzy—he almost didn’t care.

But then he remembered Sang Wan would never want that, and he exhaled regretfully, holding her tighter. He slipped off his suit jacket and draped it over her upper body.

Lou Ye walked out.

In the lobby, Lu Jinnian wandered like a headless fly. He hadn’t found Sang Wan upstairs, and now, even Xu Yiyi was gone. He reasonably suspected they had used a distraction, slipping away while he searched.

Lu Jinnian turned, just as Lou Ye approached, carrying a woman with her head and face covered by a suit jacket. Whether from shyness or drunkenness, she nestled obediently in Lou Ye’s arms, like a cat.

His gaze lingered only a moment, but he felt the oppressive sense of being watched by a predator. Lu Jinnian looked up, meeting Lou Ye’s cold glance—a look that seemed to covet his woman, a look both audacious and rude.

"Lou—" Lu Jinnian started to greet him, but Lou Ye acted as if he didn’t recognize him.

Or perhaps he did, and simply didn’t care to acknowledge him.

The three brushed past each other. The tip of the woman’s high heel grazed the front of his shirt. As the light swept by, Lu Jinnian saw in a flash that it wasn’t Sang Wan.

The woman in Lou Ye’s arms wore a short black dress that barely reached her thighs, woven with silver threads that sparkled. She wore slender black stockings and high heels—seductive and alluring.

Sang Wan would never dress like this.

He found it amusing, realizing that for a moment he’d wanted to pull away the jacket just to see if it was Sang Wan. At the same time, he felt relieved.

Leaving the bar, Lu Jinnian let out a long breath. The next moment, his gaze froze.

"Why are you here?" he called.

A few steps away, Lin Zhaozhao had just stepped out of a taxi.

Lu Jinnian’s brow twitched. "Who told you to come? Did you leave Xiao Mu alone at home?"

"I checked before I left—he was sleeping soundly, nothing will..." happen.

But facing Lu Jinnian’s murderous glare, Lin Zhaozhao’s words stalled in her throat.

Boom!

A Mercedes roared out, running two red lights before stopping. Even outside the villa gates, the wailing cries from inside could be heard.

Lin Zhaozhao’s face changed drastically. She dared not look at Lu Jinnian, hurriedly got out, and rushed into the villa.

Bang!

Lu Jinnian slammed his car door and followed.

The living room was pitch black. Lu Xiaomu stood barefoot in front of the coffee table, his face streaked with tears. "Mommy, I want Mommy..."

His voice was hoarse—who knows how long he had been crying.

"Mu, don’t cry. Aunt Zhaozhao is here." Lin Zhaozhao reached out, but he shoved her away. "I don’t want you. I want Mommy. I want Mommy..."

The anger that threatened to erupt suddenly fizzled out.

Lu Jinnian stepped forward, picked up Lu Xiaomu, and walked straight to the children’s room, closing the door with a bang.

The living room fell quiet.

Lin Zhaozhao stood frozen.

Why?

Why was everything so different from what she had imagined?

Lu Jinnian loved her. Lu Xiaomu depended on her. She was supposed to replace Sang Wan as Mrs. Lu.

But all this time, Lu Jinnian’s care and affection for her hadn’t even matched what he showed before the divorce. Even Lu Xiaomu—on his birthday, he’d hoped she would be his new mommy.

How long had it been?

No.

She couldn’t just sit and wait.

Lu Jinnian belonged to her. The title of Mrs. Lu must be hers.

Her gaze, filled with resentment, lingered toward the children’s room. Lin Zhaozhao stood rigid for a long moment before finally turning upstairs.

On the small bed in the children’s room, Lu Xiaomu had fallen asleep, half-curled against Lu Jinnian, clutching the corner of his shirt.

His head throbbed, as if the heavy bass still echoed in his ears. Yet Lu Jinnian's heart was utterly quiet.

It had never been like this before.

No matter the hour, whenever he returned home, it was always quiet and comfortable. The air carried a faint scent of fruit. Everywhere was clean and tidy. Even Lu Xiaomu was always lively and cheerful, laughing and playing.

He had almost never heard him cry like tonight.

No.

He had, in fact. Countless nights, he’d heard those cries in his dreams—cries that faded quickly, vanishing before he woke.

The villa was like a tranquil ocean, letting him drift in deep blue until dawn, dreamless.

The home was still here. He and his son were still here. Nothing had changed.

Except for Sang Wan.

She didn’t want them, didn’t want this home anymore!

The noise receded, his mind grew quiet.

All he could see was Sang Wan’s cold expression as she opened the door: "You can leave now!"

He gently patted Lu Xiaomu.

Immersed in anger and resentment, Lu Jinnian drifted into sleep.

Buzz!

The lock clicked open, and as Lou Ye carried Sang Wan inside, she was already deeply asleep—her entire weight resting on him. Yet even so, she felt light, easy to carry. He took her straight into the master bedroom and laid her on the bed.

Straightening up, Lou Ye felt as if his feet were glued to the floor, unable to move away.

"Sang Wan?"

Neon spilled in through the floor-to-ceiling window, casting shifting light over Sang Wan’s face. She was groggy. "Mm?"

Lou Ye sat at the bedside, his thumb brushing her lips. "When you wake up tomorrow, will you still remember me?"

"Mm."

Sang Wan nodded, eyes still closed. She raised her hand, pinching her index finger and thumb together, showing a tiny gap, "I only drank... this much..."

You’d better remember what you said!

Seething, Lou Ye turned to leave. But the faint fragrance lingering in the air seemed to hook his heart.

He barely reached the door before spinning around.

Returning to the bedside, he braced himself with one hand and kissed her.

The air grew thin.

But the fierce, burning kiss stirred a tide of heat in his chest.

A hand grabbed his collar.

Sang Wan lifted her head and kissed him back.