At Tang Wei’s words, Bo Ye actually laughed. “What is that supposed to mean?” Bo Ye’s eyes were fixed on his face. “You *are* my son. Do I need to drag you in for a DNA test? Since when do I need permission to raise my own son?” Tang Wei looked at Bo Ye’s face. The resemblance between father and son, one big and one small, was uncanny—as if one were a copy of the other. The only difference was that Bo Ye’s features were sharper, more defined, while Tang Wei’s disposition was gentler, a quality that strongly echoed his mother, Tang Shi. He said softly, “Mr. Bo, if I recall correctly, you and my mother divorced five years ago. I was born after the divorce, which means my custody naturally falls to her. If you wish to raise me, you’ll have to negotiate the matter of custody with my mother.” Bo Ye’s pupils constricted. As if unable to believe what he’d heard, he repeated, “What did you say?” How could a five-year-old be so unnervingly astute?! Tang Wei simply watched him, seemingly unfazed by his shock. Finally, his voice dropped to a low murmur. “Mr. Bo, if I weren’t your son… if my mother had me with another man… would you still be treating me this way?” A knot formed in Bo Ye’s chest, and a wave of raw irritation washed over him. If this child wasn’t his, would he have gone to such lengths to bring him home? But the thought of Tang Shi having a child with another man sent an uncontrollable rage searing through him… It was as if, in his mind, Tang Shi was supposed to revolve around him forever. She could only ever bear *his* children. Any other man who dared to touch her was asking for death. Seeing the expression on Bo Ye’s face, Tang Wei suddenly let out a small laugh. The sound was as clear as a bell, yet it carried a mockery that pricked like a needle. “Mr. Bo, you will never understand what our lives have been like for the past five years. That’s why I can never be close to you.” Tang Wei lifted his head to look at Bo Ye, and in that instant, Bo Ye felt as if a thousand arrows had pierced his heart. A five-year-old boy possessed the power to wound him so deeply. “Mr. Bo,” he said, “I am the only reason my mother has to live in this world. Without me, she would die.” Without Tang Wei, Tang Shi would die. ****** At eight in the evening, Tang Shi finished getting ready and went to the location Bo Ye had given her: the entrance of a place called Mago. A host noticed her immediately and came forward to greet her. “Good evening, miss…” Tang Shi had meticulously styled her hair, reapplied her makeup, and chosen a delicate perfume. She wore a chic suit dress and a pair of heels, her aura one of cool elegance. She stood there, her hair swept over one shoulder, a delicate necklace resting against her collarbone. It was a handmade piece by Tang Yi, one of a kind in the entire world. Her presence alone was enough to make people hesitate to approach. It was too commanding, too refined, like that of an heiress from some prominent family. Her face was slightly lowered, revealing long lashes that brushed against her cheeks. Her lips were a stunning shade of red, and the elegant line of her nose created a perfect, refined profile that made everyone feel they had seen her before. But no one could place her. Perhaps this city that never slept was home to too many noble socialites, so they merely found her familiar but couldn't recall where they might have seen her. A face that exquisite, however, would surely leave a lasting impression if they ever saw it again. No one knew that she was the former young mistress of the Tang family, reborn from the ashes after five years in prison, the loss of half a finger, and the complete destruction of her lifelong pride and dignity. Bo Ye arrived, parked his car in the Mago lot, and saw this very scene as he walked up. A couple of drunk guys stumbled past, one of them shaking his head. “Damn, you see that woman at the door? She’s a knockout! That aura, that look… wow.” His friend replied, “Forget it. A woman like that is out of your league. You’d be lucky to be her chauffeur.” “Haha, I’d be her chauffeur! I’d do it for free!” Bo Ye’s brow furrowed slightly. When he looked up again, he saw Tang Shi standing there, wrapped in an aura of cool detachment. Indifference was written in her beautiful features, a cold distance that settled in her eyes. But when she saw him, a flicker of panic crossed her gaze. Bo Ye stopped in his tracks. He wore a creatively tailored white shirt and immaculate suit trousers that accentuated his long, straight legs. On his feet were a pair of Balenciagas. He held his car keys in one hand and a jacket slung over the other arm. Two black diamond studs in his left ear glinted, echoing the obsidian darkness of his eyes. He stood at the entrance, tall and imposing, his roguishly handsome face drawing glances from every passerby. He had that kind of innate presence, an ability to command everyone’s attention. His devilishly handsome features and deep, steady charisma were an intoxicating combination that made women crazy, desperate to throw themselves into his arms. It was said that Bo Ye was the dream lover of every woman in the city. So, five years ago, when he married Tang Shi, it was as if every woman in the city had her heart broken. They had all waited for the drama to unfold. Five years later, when he personally sent Tang Shi to prison, countless women had likely popped champagne in celebration. Bo Ye was, in every respect, perfect—his family background, his wealth, his power. But when it came to love, he had never spared Tang Shi even a sliver of affection. Tang Shi thought of how tragic she had been. This man had never belonged to her, yet she had believed she could move him if she just held on, steadfast and strong. She had played the fool for five years and carried the weight of a crime for another five. A decade. It took her a decade to understand that she and Bo Ye could never be together, and the price of that lesson was her reputation ruined and her family destroyed. There at the entrance, Bo Ye and Tang Shi’s eyes met across the bustling crowd. It was as if time rewound, and for a fleeting moment, they were back where they started, a single glance holding an eternity. He was still the love of her life; she was still the girl of his youth. Time had flown. The world had changed so much. How had they ended up here? Who… who had been pulling the strings from behind the scenes? Tang Shi pushed the chaotic thoughts from her mind and looked up as Bo Ye walked toward her, step by step. A man who shone like a star, impossibly distinguished, he outshone everyone around him until he came to a stop right in front of her. As that perfect face drew so near, Tang Shi realized with a pang of sorrow that she felt not a single flutter in her heart. *Bo Ye, do you have any idea that I have loved you for fifteen years, from my youth until now, and endured a lifetime of suffering for it?* She glanced at him and then looked away. Bo Ye’s voice was faint beside her. “Have you been waiting long?” “Not long. Ten minutes, maybe.” Tang Shi offered a graceful smile, so flawless it was impossible to find fault with. But it was this very perfection that made her feel like a stranger to Bo Ye. In the past, she had always been gentle and warm, her eyes overflowing with affection. Now, those same eyes were like a hollow, black void. Her pride, once a soaring bird, had fallen broken into that abyss, consumed and turned to nothing. A tremor went through Bo Ye’s heart, but he forced his voice to remain steady. “Let’s go up. Follow me.” With that, he reached out and pressed the elevator button. The moment the doors opened, no one else dared to step forward and ride with them.