A photograph of her mother with a handsome man she’d never seen before. Instinct, however, screamed that he was her biological father. Most of the letters were unsent drafts her mother had written to him. As she sorted through the contents, her fingers brushed against a single, un-enveloped sheet of paper at the very bottom. Curiosity compelled her to unfold it, but when she saw the name—Mr. Jiang—her heart plummeted. This was the only letter from Mr. Jiang to Shi Yu's mother. The script was bold and vigorous, each stroke brimming with an insistent passion… Shi Yu froze, her mind a complete blank. Did this mean... her mother and Mr. Jiang hadn't been so innocent after all? At the very least, Mr. Jiang had loved her mother. And when her mother had hit rock bottom, desperate to entrust her daughter to the Jiang family, could she have spent her final days with him? The thought was unbearable. This small box seemed to hold the hazy answers to questions she had never dared to ask. Suddenly, all of Jiang Yichen’s years of coldness and hatred made perfect, painful sense. He wasn’t wrong to hate her… A part of her was also flooded with relief that he had never opened this box himself, that these secrets had never been laid bare before his eyes. Guilt washed over her, an overwhelming tide. She felt like a fraud, suddenly unsure how she could ever face him again. The sound of an engine turning over downstairs startled her. Was Jiang Yichen leaving? She moved to the window just in time to see his car pulling away, its taillights shrinking into the distance. A wave of guilt urged her to reach out, to try and make amends, but she had no idea how. She pulled out her phone and sent a message: Where are you going so late? To her surprise, Jiang Yichen replied, his message a curt two words: Business trip. She carefully typed out another line: You were drinking. Don’t drive yourself. Be safe. Her uncharacteristic concern was met with silence. Jiang Yichen didn't reply again. It was going to be a long, sleepless night. Gazing out at the sprawling Jiang estate, Shi Yu was overwhelmed by a storm of emotions. She didn’t belong here. She was the one who had destroyed the life he was meant to have. If it hadn’t been for her, perhaps her mother would never have set foot in the Jiang family home. Overcome with misery, she desperately needed to talk to someone. She called her best friend, Li Yao. "Yao, where are you? Can you meet?" The first thing Li Yao did was complain. "Well, well. You vanish off the face of the earth, and now you deign to call? I suppose I’m just supposed to be waiting by the phone for your once-in-a-century summons. Name the place." ... Shi Yu and Li Yao met at the entrance of Zero Degree Bar. Li Yao was dressed casually in a white hoodie, her pretty, delicate face half-hidden in its shadows. Staring at the bar's neon sign, she was speechless. "I would've bet my life you wouldn't be caught dead in a place like this. I figured you just picked it as a landmark. You actually want to go *in*? Do I look like I'm dressed for this?" Shi Yu tugged at her own plain, everyday clothes. "We're in the same boat. I'm just... not in a good place. I needed a drink, and you’re the only person I could call." Li Yao rolled her eyes, but she offered her arm anyway. Shi Yu took it without a second thought, and the two of them went inside. Shi Yu wasn’t in the mood for a party, so she led them straight to a secluded booth in the corner. After they ordered drinks, Li Yao got straight to the point. "What's wrong? Did that bastard you live with upset you again? I keep telling you, just dump the guy. Why stick around just to be his punching bag?"