An Ran clutched the cake she made with her own hands, thrilled to the core, planning to surprise Gu Yan.

Even though she and Gu Yan have been married for six years, she still believed in keeping the ritualistic charm alive.

Being an experienced captain, today marked Gu Yan's eighth year as a pilot. Hence, leveraging her status, she “bribed” the airport staff, leading her through multiple security checks, and she eventually managed to bring a homemade cake.

She watched the exit gate anxiously, waiting for that familiar figure.

As Gu Yan was flying international flights, they hadn't seen each other for more than half a month.

Finally, that tall figure appeared, dragging his suitcase. An Ran shouted towards him, "Gu Yan! Honey!"

However, her smile froze on her face.

She saw Gu Yan pulling another pink suitcase, and next to him was a stewardess, giggling as they chatted.

What shocked her more was the gentleness in Gu Yan's eyes when he looked at the stewardess.

It was a look she was all too familiar with.

It was just like the way he used to look at her.

Hearing her voice, Gu Yan glanced over. "Ran Ran? Why are you here?"

Ran Ran, her nickname, was how he called her after her parents passed away.

But his expression was somewhat puzzling.

In the past, his face would always light up in surprise whenever she sprung surprise visits.

Today, however, he didn't seem to be very pleasantly surprised. His face reflected astonishment, even a bit of fright.

Anran managed a stiff smile: "I came to celebrate with you. Today is the eighth anniversary of your flying career; have you forgotten?"

Guye was first taken aback, but then he put his suitcase down properly, hastily pulled Anran into a hug, and gave her a peck: "My wife loves me so much; she remembered when I have forgotten."

Cheers echoed all around: "Wow —— Captain Gu has such a beautiful life, being married to such an amazing wife! Sister-in-law, will we have a cake to celebrate our eighth anniversary?"

"Dream on, young lad, you're thinking too nice. The gentle love between sister-in-law and her captain is truly a sight to behold for the rest of us."

"Yeah, Yeah, the captain gets off the plane to a gorgeous woman’s company, delicious food, and cake. Us single dogs all we can do is head home and order take-out!"

“Yujiao, what are you waiting for? Let’s go. Or, would you rather stay and live a ‘threesome’ life with the captain and his wife?”

Yujiao?

Following their gazes, Anran looked at the girl next to Guye.

She didn't come off as a dainty and delicate girl, but her voice and tone were unbearably sweet: "Brother Yan, may I join you?"

Guye looked at her, softly asking, "Jiaojiao wants to join too? Sure.”

Suddenly, Anran halted.

Why would their couple's date include a person she didn't know?

Zhang Yujiao's voice was gentle, a warm smile spreading on her face. She pampered Anran: "Eating alone is so lonely. I thought we would have more fun together, will you mind, sister?"

Seeing the odd look on Anran's face, Guye hurriedly explained: "Jiaojiao is a new trainee stewardess. There are many things she doesn’t quite grasp yet, so I’ve been teaching her. I noticed that this girl is diligent, so I decided to guide her more."

"So what does it have to do with taking her with me on a date?"

Even with these thoughts, An Ran never voiced them out.

Gu Yan accompanied Zhang Yujiao at the back of the car. An Ran paused for a bit before sitting quietly in the front passenger seat.

Throughout the journey, she kept silent, just listening to their chatter and laughter.

Noticing her somber expression, the driver attempted to make small talk, “Miss, it can't be fun playing third wheel, right? I see you're quite beautiful, don't you have a boyfriend?”

An Ran shot a glance at the couple at the back, expressionless, “The gentleman at the back is my husband of six years.”

The driver's smile froze on his face, then he continued driving in silence.

The place that An Ran chose was a couple's private room in a western restaurant.

When the three of them arrived, even the manager was slightly taken aback, but his professional attitude made him quickly recover.

Zhang Yujiao seemed a bit out of place, as if it was her first time in such a restaurant.

Gu Yan smiled at her, his tone indulgent, “Silly girl, why are you nervous about having a meal?”

An Ran spaced out for a moment.

The scene struck her as strangely familiar.

When she first met him, that was how he treated her.

That year, when her school organized a social mixer with the neighboring aviation academy, Gu Yan fell in love with her at first sight.

Anran has a major in interpretation, which is much sought after. Her attractiveness stood out since she was young, leading her to be widely recognized as the "department beauty" - a title at the school that led to many admirers.

But Gu Yan was not too shabby himself.

With a tall figure and pleasant appearance, he was a wealthy second generation who also attracted plenty of attention.

Although there were many passionate girls who chased after him, he had eyes only for Anran who has a cool and aloof demeanor. This led him to pursue her relentlessly.

She still vividly recalls the day when Gu Yan, driving an extravagant sports car, had someone deliver 99999 blue roses to the dormitory building where she resided.

She once declared her dislike for red roses and the color red, which prompted him to choose blue roses to express his feelings.

It was both embarrassing and sweet.

Being handsome, devoted, and deeply caring for his loved one - who wouldn't fall for him?

Then, he took her to a fancy western-style restaurant, her first time ever at such a place, and she was somewhat nervous.

He spoke to her warmly, “Silly girl, what's there to be nervous about just having a meal?”

Back then, he was fervently outgoing.

Anran always felt with age, he had matured and started focusing on his career.

However, seeing Gu Yan's tender and doting behavior towards Zhang Yujiao made her heart feel like it was being ripped apart.

Watching the pair at the table, ordering dishes and chattering happily, it evoked an indescribable feeling. It was as if she was watching herself and Gu Yan dating in the past.

Even when she remained silent after they were seated, Gu Yan didn't take notice of her, instead constantly attending to Zhang Yujiao.

"Ah!!"

Suddenly, her thoughts were broken by a scream.

She saw the cake she had painstakingly made for hours tipped over on the floor, and Zhang Yujiao stood beside it, with her head down like a guilty child.

Seeing this, Anran's heart bled.

She couldn't help but frown, her tone slightly heavy, "What were you doing?"

Zhang Yujiao, with tearful eyes, replied, "I saw you were silent, sister, and I wanted to take the cake out for Brother Yan to eat. I didn't expect my hand to shake and I couldn't hold it. You're not going to blame me, are you?"

"Not blame you? This is a cake I made by hand for several hours, and you've just knocked it over. You think I'm not going to blame you?" Anran was relentless.

Gu Yan couldn't help but interrupt her, "Enough, Ran, it's just a cake, there is no need to be so harsh to her. I don't even like cake that much. Plus she didn't do it on purpose, the girl just couldn't hold it for a moment.”

"She's a flight attendant. A well-trained flight attendant. Do you think she can't even handle a cake?" Anran couldn't help but raise her voice, "Gu Yan, is your brain a decoration on your neck?"

Gu Yan couldn't help but retort angrily, "Then what do you want? Do you really have to overreact like this because of a cake? Anran, I never realized you were so petty."

With that, he took Zhang Yujiao's wrist and walked out in front of Anran.

As they walked, Zhang Yujiao said, "Brother Yan, will sister be angry? I really didn't mean it, I can apologize to her."

But Gu Yan's voice dispersed in the air, reaching Anran's ears, "No need to mind her, it's just a cake, there's nothing to apologize for. Did flying tire you out today? I'll bring you home first."

By the time Gu Yan got home, it was already midnight.

The living room was pitch black, but under the moonlight, he saw Anran lying on the couch.

He reached for his bedside lamp based on his memory. In the dim light, Anran's features were knotted tightly together, and beneath her eyes, trails of faded tear stains were visible.

This sight stirred his heart filled with tenderness.

In a single motion, he swept Anran in his arms, intending to put her back to bed, but his abrupt actions startled her awake.

Upon catching sight of Gū Yán, her expression softened.

However, remembering his actions of the day, she began to squirm and attempted to jump down and ignore him.

Gū Yán hugged her tighter to himself, and a warm breath whispered near her ear, "Wife, stop messing around. Today you personally threw me a welcome back party. Could we not fight, please?"

At his words, Anran was left both infuriated and amused.

"So you knew that I was throwing you a welcome back party? When you tacitly allowed her to knock over the cake I made myself, did you ever think of me? During the cab ride, you were laughing and chatting with her so enthusiastically that the driver mistook both of you for a couple, did you ever think of me then? When you left with Zhang Yujiao, leaving me alone in the restaurant, did you ever consider how I felt?"

Anran's voice wavered, "Gū Yán, don't you think you were too harsh on her?"

Gū Yán's face stiffened, "She's the new recruit in our flight team. What's the harm in lending a hand to a girl? She's not like you, having been in society for several years; she's just a young girl. What's the point of holding anything against her?"

Anran was taken aback by his statement.

During her university years, she had taken on some part-time translation work. It had been Gū Yán who helped her find the job, as the employer was a relative of his.

At that time, she had been inexperienced and overly nervous about her first interpreting gig, causing her to mistranslate a few sentences.

Upon hearing about this, Gū Yán's mother expressed some dissatisfaction towards Anran.

She felt that their family, as prestigious as it was, had the luxury of choosing whoever they wished for a translator. Why, she wondered, must they settle for a greenhorn college student? Even if she was Gū Yán's girlfriend, it was not as though they were going to get married.

Yet, Gu Yan defended her with great authority, "She hasn't entered society yet, so it's natural for her to feel nervous on her first part-time job. She's still a young girl, isn't the fact that she's trying to find part-time work to make money a reflection of her ambitiousness?"

Touched by his words, An Ran broke down in tears, exclaiming how good he was to her.

This was how Gu Yan had responded back then. "I love you, I cherish you, that's why I'm willing to protect and pamper you. Ranran, do you know how much it hurts when I see you in pain?"

However, his object of compassion had changed from An Ran to Zhang Yujiao.

An Ran was quiet, brooding in her own thoughts and feeling heartbroken.

Gu Yan, do you even realize that your heart has changed?

"Gu Yan, tell me the truth, are you falling for her?"

An Ran was undeniably somewhat aloof, which was a result of her upbringing.

However, this did not mean she was not sensitive or immune to emotional pain.

She had only met Zhang Yujiao once, but she could already feel Gu Yan's special treatment and favoritism toward her. It was just like how he used to treat An Ran herself.

She couldn't pretend she hadn't noticed.

There was a moment of silence hanging in the air.

After a while, Gu Yan seemed to have sorted out his thoughts. He hugged An Ran into his arms, and resting his chin on her head, he said, "I'm sorry, darling. I didn't think it through. I guarantee it won't happen in the future. I owe you an apology this time, could you please forgive me?"

An Ran didn't want to argue anymore.

After all, she truly did not see Gu Yan and Zhang Yujiao doing anything excessive, so she could only mumble, "This must not happen again."

"This must not happen again!" Gu Yan smiled and said, "Our crew will have a week off. I'll take you out for a break, that would be good, won't it?"

"Okay."

"Then —— dear."

"What is it?"

"My mother is urging us to have a baby," Gu Yan's breath was starting to become unstable, "We haven't seen each other in such a long time, shouldn't I 'turn in' my 'homework'? Shall we take a bath, okay?"

Before she could respond to his words, he was already taking off her clothes, planning to bring her into the bathroom.

Anran neither refused nor accepted, her hand was placed on Gu Yan's clothes, planning to help him undress as well.

But, her fingers paused at the collar of his shirt.

It was a heart-shaped pattern, in red, with a single Chinese character behind it: Jiao.

Her heart suddenly felt like it's fallen to icy depths.

Gu Yan sensed something was wrong with her, he asked puzzledly, "What's wrong?"

Anran didn't answer, she rather forcefully tugged off his shirt to show him.

Gu Yan was stupefied for a few seconds, then he awkwardly laughed, "Yujiao is just a little playful."

Even when he mentions Zhang Yujiao, his tone of voice unconsciously reveals doting.

There was a time when he used to treat himself the same way.

"Don't you think you owe me an explanation?"

"I did explain, darling. It was probably just Rain playing."

"Just playing?" Anran's voice quivered, "Drawing things on a married man's clothes intentionally, and you think it is just playing?"

"I already mentioned, it's just Rain messing around. If you don't believe, I can't help it."

After speaking, Gu Yan left slamming the door, leaving Anran alone.

In just a single day, he has already left her alone twice – all because of the same other woman.

Anran silently got dressed.

She suddenly felt that there was no meaning left in her life.

When Gu Yan proposed to her, he had told her that he had a peculiar job and that they may not be able to meet every day, but he promised to treat her well forever and never let a tear drop from her eyes.

Anran pulled a mocking smile at the corner of her mouth.

Sure enough, promises cannot be trusted.

Perhaps he was sincere when he made the promise, but now he can't fulfill it, and yet, maybe he is sincere still.

Anran, who was having insomnia till late at night, was mechanically scrolling through Weibo when she saw a pair of familiar hands.

There was a scar on the knuckle of the index finger.

An Ran remembered.

It was the day she agreed to be Gu Yan's girlfriend. He was ecstatic, like a child. He even cooked himself, accidentally got scalded, and left a mark.

An Ran clicked on the homepage titled "He Is Faith".

It appeared to be a new account, with only two Weibo posts.

The first one was from five days ago. The post said she liked someone and would use this account to broadcast her pursuit.

The second one was just posted.

The text read: "He isn't in a good mood today. He said he wants to see me."

The comments below were blessings without exception.

An Ran felt somewhat disconcerted and spent an entire night in insomnia.

The next day, exceptionally, she visited a quiet pub near her home. She ordered a Long Island Iced Tea and sipped it through the straw, her thoughts on Gu Yan.

Last night, he did not come home.

"An Ran?" Her thoughts were interrupted by a voice somewhat familiar.

She lifted her gaze and recognized Shen Yi, her senior from college.

Somewhat pleasantly surprised, she spoke. "Senior? What are you doing here?"

If she remembered correctly, Shen Yi became a UN interpreter after his graduation.

Shen Yi smiled awkwardly, "I own this bar. I just returned yesterday to check on it, but I will need to leave again soon."

An Ran couldn’t help but praise, "Elder brother is so cultured. Your work is already exceptional, and you still manage this business. I wonder what extraordinary person would be able to match you."

Light flickered in Shen Yi's eyes, "I opened this bar for the person I love. She once mentioned her wish to own a bar but didn't have the chance, so I wanted to make her dream come true."

An Ran was quite acquainted with Shen Yi, who had helped her a lot during their university days, although they hadn't seen each other for a long time.

Upon hearing about her elder brother's romantic gossip, she momentarily forgot her troubles and sat upright, "Do you have a girlfriend? Who is she? Please introduce me."

Shen Yi smiled bitterly, "I don't have a girlfriend. She has chosen someone else."

An Ran suddenly stopped drinking.

"That's really a pity. But with your excellence, elder brother, there will inevitably be girls willing to cherish you."

Her heart was also suffused with a light sense of sorrow.

She had once told Gu Yan that she wanted to open a quiet bar, with no noisy bands or drunk hooligans.

She still remembered when they were not officially together, Gu Yan had patted his chest and promised, "That's a small matter, I'll help you open one in the future!"

He was young and vigorous then, and she had believed his promise.

Now, they had been married for six years, but Gu Yan had not fulfilled his promise.

Even when An Ran jokingly brought up this matter occasionally, he would instantly get angry, accusing her of nitpicking and bringing up irrelevant things. He even called her irresponsible, saying all she wanted was to fool around. If she thought she was too free, she might as well start thinking about having a baby.

Gu Yan had said this many times, and each time she was about to get angry, he would say he was just joking and asked An Ran not to take it seriously.

At this thought, she finished the rest of the Long Island Iced Tea in her cup in one gulp.

Shen Yi lowered his gaze and asked softly, "Are you unhappy recently?"

An Ran gave a wry smile and talked about everything that had happened recently in great detail.

Shen Yi was silent for a moment, then very hesitantly said, "If you are really unhappy, there's an open position on our side with a lot of room for promotion, you might want to consider it."

"A job at the United Nations?" An Ran laughed bitterly, "Brother, aren't you overestimating me? Not everyone can be as outstanding as you."

Shen Yi's gaze sparkled, "Don't be so self-deprecating. If you are truly unhappy in this marriage, then you should think about it. As for work, don't worry. I can help you."

After thinking for a while, she looked at Shen Yi. "Let me think about it." She paused and then corrected herself, "No, I accept."

Her gaze moved past Shen Yi to the distance.

It seems like it’s time for her to leave.

Gu Yan hadn’t been home for two days, and An Ran didn’t call him like a shrew and make a scene crying and threatening to hang herself.

They were both adults, some things were understood without being voiced.

So she didn’t make a big fuss about it on the surface, but she had already begun looking for a lawyer and preparing the divorce papers.

At the same time, she was also accepting Shen Yi's recommendation.

During these few days, Shen Yi had been at her side the entire time, helping her here and there, accompanying her to find a lawyer, assisting her with visa procedures, up to the point that An Ran didn’t even know how to express her gratitude anymore.

In contrast, Gu Yan didn’t even once reach out to her.

She managed to sneak a glance at Zhang Yujiao's Weibo sub-account, noticing that Gu Yan had been inseparable from Zhang Yujiao these past few days.

He accompanied Zhang Yujiao to the amusement park, ate hot pot with her, and even played the drop tower and roller coaster that he had always despised with her.

Zhang Yujiao's hand lightly covered Gu Yan's hand.

She said, "The company of Mr. Gu is the happiest thing in my life."

The comments were all filled with blessings and admiration.

An Ran still remembered how much she loved going to amusement parks before, where her favorites were roller coasters, drop towers, and pirate ships.

But when she and Gu Yan were dating, she always hoped that Gu Yan could play with her, but Gu Yan would always disdainfully say: "What's so fun about these facilities? They’re not worth risking your life for."

The difference between love and not love can sometimes be so obvious.

She can't even understand now why she agreed to his proposal when it was so evident.

Looking back now, she was just moved by Gu Yan's passion back then, but she didn't know that when warmth meets cold, it's a dead end.

Seeing An Ran lost in her thoughts again, Shen Yi's expression became somewhat complex.

He lightly coughed, interrupting her painful recollections: "When do you plan to move out? Do you want to go back and tell Gu Yan?"

An Ran glanced downward: "There aren’t too many things to take with me. It's not convenient to take them on the plane, so I'll just take my personal belongings. There’s no need to bother senior brother."

Shen Yi looked like he wanted to say something but stopped. "Alright."

When they returned home, the room was silent.

She didn't have to think to know that Gu Yan hasn't returned yet.

But that was no longer important.

An Ran only packed a few of her favorite clothes and some necessities, without taking any couple items she had with Gu Yan.

She had just closed her luggage when the sound of unlocking echoed at the door.

Gu Yan looked at her, somewhat surprised. "Where are you off to?"

An Ran showed no expression. "On a business trip. I’ll be gone for a few days, and I'm preparing early."

Gu Yan's expression relaxed a bit, as he let out a sigh of relief. "I thought you were acting out and planning to run away." He walked in, not even bothering to change his shoes. He wrapped his arms around her. "Our flying team has a dinner gathering tomorrow night. You should join us."

An Ran hesitated for a moment, then lightly opened her eyes. "Okay."

After six years of marriage, it was only right to fulfill Gu Yan's last request.

An Ran didn't set off with Gu Yan. Instead, she waited for him to leave, then she gave her luggage to Shen Yi early, before heading to the appointment.

Once everything was handled, she hastened to the restaurant.

As soon as she got to the door, a familiar voice emerged from the noisy surroundings. "An Ran? We've been together for so long, I’ve gotten bored."

An Ran's heart trembled, and she stopped her hand, which was about to push the door. She stood by the entrance, listening.

"Are you going to divorce her?" a surprised male voice asked. "Did our captain fall in love with Zhang Yujiao?"

"I think it's exactly as you imagine. Look how good our captain treats Yujiao. Yujiao wanted to eat ice cream just now, but our captain didn’t let her because it’s Yujiao’s period."

"Oh my God, could it be that the captain and Yujiao are already--"

Anran clenched her fists tightly, holding back her tears.

A crowd started making a commotion, discussing the "scandal" between the two.

Just at that moment, a faint voice silenced everyone.

"What about sister Anran?"

The crowd suddenly remembered, she was the one Gu Yan was officially married to, while Zhang Yujiao was the mistress.

Gu Yan seemed somewhat embarrassed, cleared his throat, and said loudly, "Stop stirring up trouble. Yujiao is new here, and I was just trying to look out for her because I was worried she might not fit in. Plus, sister Anran will be coming soon. If she hears these rumors, she'll be upset with me again, and I can’t handle the hassle. So, stop causing trouble for me."

Zhang Yujiao also gently smiled and said, "Exactly, what are you guys doing? Speaking like this, how can I continue living here?" Anran, peeping through the crack in the door, saw her lean against Gu Yan's shoulder and continue, "I'm well aware of how nice Brother Yan is to me. I will also definitely learn from everyone and strive to be a qualified official flight attendant.”

Someone asked curiously, "But Captain, didn't you say you were sick of Sister Anran?"

"Once you get married, you'll understand how troublesome women can be. How can one simply discard an old wife? But the passion is really gone."

After hearing his words, the crowd was speechless.

The words he blurted out made Anran dizzy with anger. Holding back her aching heart, she turned around and left.

No weeping, no shouting.

What Anran didn't expect was to find Shen Yi waiting for her at the door.

"Why are you here?" As she started to speak, she realized she was already in tears and her voice was choked with emotion.

Shen Yi concealed the emotions in his eyes and softly said, "Let's get in the car."

The two fell into a mutual silence.

Shen Yi took her back to the quiet bar, put up a 'closed for business' sign, and personally made her a glass of Long Island Iced Tea.

An Ran downed half the glass in one gulp, her voice tinged with melancholy, "Big brother, why are human emotions so unvalued?"

His voice hoarse, Shen Yi replied, "An Ran, you simply met the wrong person. It's not that emotions are worthless."

An Ran smirked in a self-mockery.

Yes, she had chosen the wrong person.

Or perhaps, he was never meant for her.

Gu Yan was always a man who sought excitement and novelty. She knew this from the very beginning.

However, it was this very trait that fascinated her, a heart that was stifled for too long, and led her into his trap of love.

In their years of love and marriage, she could clearly feel Gu Yan’s passion for herself dwindling over the years.

There is a saying that the less hot water available from a faucet indicated someone else sharing that same source. Now, it seemed there was no doubt in that.

If she hadn't decided to surprise him by going to the airport, she wouldn't have known about Zhang Yujiao, and would have continued to blame herself for not being good enough.

An Ran laughed bitterly, "Big brother, can we leave earlier?"

Shen Yi sighed lightly, "If I had the say, I would take you away immediately, but your visa is still not ready." He paused then tentatively asked, "How about I take you to the place next door to distract your mind? I'll expedite your visa application; it should be ready by the day after tomorrow. As soon as it's ready, I will buy the plane tickets and we'll leave, okay?"

An Ran drew another breath, quickly gulping down the remaining half glass of cocktail into her stomach. She instantly felt somewhat dizzy and hastily slumped over the table, helplessly uttering, "Alright, then."

Before she could even finish her sentence, she began to drift off into a sleepy daze.

In her dreams, she vaguely heard someone say, "Such a foolish girl. She doesn't have a good drinking capacity, yet she drinks so fast."

"How is that scum of a man worth harming your own body like this?"

His voice was full of helplessness, but maybe she was just too drunk, An Ran somehow heard a full load of heartache.