Chapter 55: Hello, I'm Pei Jiqing. Pei Jiqing subconsciously dodged...

Chen Huixing's new secretary had waited outside the villa all night. The plane back to the Euro Alliance was already ready, awaiting the order from those inside. But the study remained locked, and there was no movement.

Late in the night, the secretary finally couldn't contain himself anymore and knocked on the door. No one answered. His expression changed slightly, and he immediately called Liang Yi.

When Liang Yi pushed the door open, Chen Huixing was sitting dejectedly on the floor, surrounded by messy papers. He looked up, his eyes empty, as if all his strength had been drained away.

Liang Yi looked at the mess of papers on the floor, the chaotic spread of papers depicting a silent defeat. And Chen Huixing sat there, like a trapped beast with its spine torn out.

Liang Yi suppressed his anger and asked, "What are you going to do?"

Chen Huixing stood up, expressionless, and said, "Bring him back."

This statement completely ignited Liang Yi's anger. His fingers trembled with anger as he slapped him again. "Are you crazy? Bring him back and keep him locked up? Are you determined to force him to death? Is there a bandit in our Shen family?"

He stared at Chen Huixing's cold, hard face, filled with hatred and pain. "Who would like you in this state?"

"You must change."

"If you change... will he come back?" The words were spoken so softly, almost dissipating into the air.

Liang Yi looked at his son's red eyes, his voice even colder than before: "That's Pei Jiqing's own choice. Chen Huixing, you have no right to demand that anyone love you now."

Pei Jiqing had long anticipated that Chen Huixing would not easily sign the divorce agreement—the terms were too harsh, and given his temperament, he would definitely have to wrestle with it for several rounds before giving up.

But he had no choice.

From the moment he woke up from the hospital bed, he was wary and cautious of Shen Huixing.

A month was plenty of time for Chen Huixing to make sufficient preparations. While he feigned deliberation, he had long since made his backup plan in the background—this was Chen Huixing's style, swift and decisive, leaving no room for maneuver. Wei Ji spoke of this with rage, calling him a military scoundrel and utterly arrogant.

But when the signed divorce agreement was actually placed before Pei Jiqing, even Wei Ji was stunned.

There were no traps, no strings attached, and even custody of the child was granted to him—Chen Huixing retained only visitation rights. Wei Ji reviewed it several times, finally forced to admit: Chen Huixing had truly... not rigged anything.

Wei Ji was practically delighted: "Jiqing, you're finally free now!"

Pei Jiqing was stunned, the tip of his pen hovering above the paper.

Free? He instinctively touched the long-dehydrated gland at the back of his neck; the empty touch felt like an unhealed scar.

As the ink spread across his signature, he suddenly wondered uncertainly—this time, was I truly free?

Chen Huixing stroked the agreement he had just received, his eyes stopped at the custody column. This man obviously wanted a child so badly, but he had to act like he didn't care.

Over the years, Pei Jiqing really loved to pretend. Sometimes Chen Huixing felt that he loved to pretend to be weak and put on airs. He used to be puzzled, or he had always been indulgent, or it would be more appropriate to say that he was helpless.

The Pei Jiqing whose heart and eyes were full of him was eventually lost by his own hands.

Chen Huixing remembered that in the past, Pei Jiqing always came over to kiss him, once, twice, like a tentative cat. And he always reacted slowly, and waited for the other party to kiss him several times before he kissed him back half a beat late.

Thinking of the scene of Pei Jiqing and Wei Ji hugging each other in the hospital corridor, Chen Huixing pinched his knuckles until they turned white, and he wanted to blow up the building into ruins.

But what's the use? The Pei Jiqing in front of him had his eyes on someone else.

Wei Ji stopped him at the hospital entrance that day, a sneer etched on his lips: "Captain Shen, don't dwell on other people's lovers."

Shen Huixing wanted to retort, but the words were on the tip of his tongue.

He remembered Pei Jiqing's words about how much they had loved each other—their reckless elopement in their youth, the tattoos that would carry their marks for a lifetime. What seemed like rebellious madness to Shen Huixing was a memory etched into Pei Jiqing's bones.

So now, Pei Jiqing had forgotten him, but he still remembered Wei Ji.

Pei Jiqing had expected Shen Huixing to make a scene, but he had retreated cleanly, without even a lingering complaint.

The lawyer was still searching for what Pei Jiqing had called "evidence," trying to gain more leverage in the divorce. Tired of the interrogation, Pei Jiqing finally roared out: "I said I don't remember!"

He suddenly felt ridiculous. How could he have fallen for such an arrogant man back then? Even more ridiculous was the fact that he had once obeyed his every word, letting himself be completely manipulated.

Chen Huixing gave him half of his disposable assets, and—a little girl holding a doll.

Shen Zhizhi stood beside Sister Zhang, looking at him. Sister Zhang, pulling her suitcase, respectfully addressed the amnesiac Pei Jiqing, "Madam, I am your accustomed servant."

Before Pei Jiqing could react, Sister Zhang added, "Master has given us all to you."

He squatted down and held out his hand to Zhizhi. The little girl hesitated, then suddenly threw herself into his arms. Pei Jiqing subconsciously stroked his daughter's soft hair and placed a gentle kiss on her cheek.

From then on, Chen Huixing became an impeccable ex-husband.

Aside from paying child support on time and visiting twice a month, he never overstepped his bounds. When he

first came to pick up his daughter, the tall Alpha stood on the porch, his military jacket's shoulders still as sharp as a knife, casting a solitary, upright shadow in the twilight. He stood as straight as a cedar, his uniform buttons meticulously buttoned to the top, yet somehow, an indescribable loneliness emanated from him.

Pei Jiqing peered through the peephole and noticed Chen Huixing was wearing gloves, his index finger unconsciously tapping against the crotch of his pants. When Pei Jiqing opened the door, sunlight slanted in from behind him, stretching his shadow so long it almost completely covered him.

Chen Huixing's lips moved, but he finally uttered, "Long time no see."

Pei Jiqing's fingers unconsciously gripped the doorframe, half his body hidden in the shadows. He whispered "Zhizhi" into the house, and the little girl dove into her father's arms like a bird, only her round eyes peeking out at Chen Huixing.

Pei Jiqing's subconscious avoidance made Chen Huixing's chest tighten.

He remembered how Pei Jiqing used to be the first to throw herself into his arms.

As dusk fell, Chen Huixing promptly returned Zhizhi, her cheeks flushed from play. Pei Jiqing's tense shoulders finally relaxed as he took his daughter in.

A young executive should be full of vigor and spirit—uniform crisp, medals gleaming, the center of attention wherever he went. But now, even Chen Huixing's pheromones have been completely subdued.

Rubbing his temples, Pei Jiqing reflected that before he lost his memory, he might have truly loved this person.

Perhaps in that utterly awful period of his life, this dominant Alpha had been his only salvation.

Wei Ji cared for Pei Jiqing with such meticulous care that even his subordinates assumed she was their boss's lover.

When Pei Jiqing first woke up, his memories still stuck in the downtown area years before, so naturally, he relied most on this "old lover."

Zhizhi quickly became familiar with her father. The little girl was lively and active. She loved playing football in the yard and would gently comfort every stray cat she met on the road.

When the news of Wei Ji's engagement broke out, Pei Jiqing was just slightly stunned. Over the years, they have finally taken different paths.

When Pei Jiqing saw Wei Ji, his heart really didn't feel any different. He knew that he had stopped loving him a long time ago.

He was very calm when packing his luggage, and was even able to say goodbye to Wei Ji calmly.

When Wei Ji grabbed his wrist and said, "Chen Huixing won't let go so easily," Pei Jiqing just withdrew his hand lightly: "The divorce agreement has been signed."

"You can remarry after divorce." Wei Ji added unwillingly.

Pei Jiqing shook his head: "He won't."

The Alpha, who is proud to the core, really lets go when he says he will let go. Even if he really has some ideas, he will push them back, just like a bound blade, neatly put back into the sheath.

From then on, they were separated by mountains and rivers.

The once-rampant news about the executive's wife had vanished online without a trace. Even the scattered discussion threads that appeared mysteriously vanished shortly after they appeared.

Pei Jiqing's fingertips traced the empty search page. The public's memory is fleeting; a host who has been out of the public eye for too long is quickly overwhelmed by new gossip.

Perhaps this marriage was built on an unequal relationship from the start—Chen Huixing was the high-ranking executive, while Pei Jiqing was merely his dependent Omega.

This imbalance caused Pei Jiqing immense suffering in his past marriage.

Now standing on the streets of Ling City again, Pei Jiqing has calmly accepted all the realities: his mother's death, his own experience of marriage, the birth of a daughter, and divorce. With his youthful spirit still lingering, he bought a sunny apartment in the city. Zhizhi

ran around on the wooden floor every day, while Sister Zhang kept the house spotless.

As Pei Jiqing stood in the interview room at Ling City TV Station, the long-lost spotlight shone upon his face.

He said, "Hello, I'm Pei Jiqing." He suddenly realized that he was still attached to this world of light and shadow

- whether it was as a host in the past or as a media person now. The thrill of being in front of the camera always flowed in his blood.