Had he just come from Yun Ruoxi?
The thought clung to Cheng Anya's mind like a demon, dragging her into a faint, undeniable bitterness—not strong, but unmistakably sour. She knew full well that this man was a philanderer.
Women to him were like clothes—changed at will. Yet he also had a steady girlfriend, one who matched him in status and appearance: a perfect match in the eyes of others.
And yet… when the pride unique to her daytime self faded, when her hidden self-respect was peeled away—
It was as if emotions too real, too raw, surged forth without warning.
They say the night is the best shield for hiding things. But she believed the night exposed a person's truest self.
In daylight, the blazing sun forced pride and charm to the surface—nowhere to hide.
But at night, stripped of the day's brilliance, the shadows coaxed out the darkness within. The blackness was enough to conceal the ugly truths, making one feel safe from exposure.
Seven years ago, they'd shared nothing more than a one-night stand. Strangers, whose only impression left on Cheng Anya was that Ye Chen was a beast.
She hadn't really thought much of him over the years. At most, when she looked at Ningning's face, she'd occasionally wonder where that beast had gone.
Love at first sight?
That was a fairy tale.
Something that didn't exist in the brutal reality of life. And Cheng Anya, by nature, was not the kind of woman to fall into such melodramatic illusions.
She didn't truly get to know Ye Chen until seven years later, during the time she worked as his secretary.
And maybe…
Just maybe, there was a tiny flutter of the heart.
But it was just that—a flutter. She had always been rational. Except for that one impulsive night at the bar, Cheng Anya had never done anything reckless in her entire life.
Ye Chen's promiscuity had smothered that budding feeling in her heart.
He wasn't capable of giving her the kind of love she wanted.
And Cheng Anya—she wasn't interested in anything less than that.
Maybe every woman dreams of being the one to tame the bad boy, of being his fated one.
To Cheng Anya, that was a foolish fantasy.
Because no matter how many times a bad boy tries to change, he's still a bad boy at heart.
Seven years raising Ningning alone had stripped her of any lingering naivety. Even seven years ago, she had never entertained such silly notions.
So...
A flutter of the heart was all it was. Nothing more.