No, Arina said in a somewhat dejected tone. My husband passed away, which is why I’ve decided to return to China with my son.Gilmore’s heart instantly filled with joy!So he quickly blurted out, Then... how about we have a meal together after you land? Let me pick you up! I’ll treat you to a welcome dinner!Arina hesitated for a moment and said, If Ivy finds out about this, she’ll definitely not let you have a meal alone with me, right?Upon hearing this, Gilmore could barely hold back his laughter.Ivy?She’s missing!Hahaha! She just went missing, and Arina is coming back—this... this is truly divine intervention!Gilmore stood up excitedly from his chair at the barbecue stall and paced back and forth, saying, Don’t worry about Ivy. The relationship between Ivy and me has already broken down. We’re separated now, and she doesn’t interfere with my affairs anymore.Arina asked in surprise, Why are you two separated?Gilmore sighed and said, It’s a long story.After speaking, he quickly ad

Helplessly, Mia turned to Alan again and said, And you too! When I called to ask you, you still said you were looking for mahjong parlors, but in fact, you took my dad out to eat and drink!Alan coughed and replied, It’s mainly because Dad said he was suffering from hunger. I couldn’t possibly drag an elderly person around the streets with me on an empty stomach, could I? If he fainted from low blood sugar, it might even lead to danger.But you shouldn’t have lied to me either! Couldn’t you just have told me the truth that you two were eating?Alan was suddenly at a loss for words. He felt he really hadn’t handled this matter well, and the key point was that he hadn’t expected Mia to see through Gilmore’s pretense. If he had known this would happen, he would never have gone to that barbecue meal.So he could only sincerely apologize: I’m sorry, honey. I didn’t think this through properly. Dad told me not to tell you at the time, so I didn’t mention it to you on the phone.As he said t

Alan hurried to follow behind her, a faint excitement stirring in his heart.After all, tonight was a great day for him to level up—he could finally hold his wife and sleep in bed with her!Even better, if things went smoothly, he might even be able to make up for the long-delayed wedding night with her!Lost in these thoughts, Alan rushed into the room. He was just about to sweep Mia up in his arms and set her on the bed when he saw her walk past the bed, go straight to the wardrobe, and take out a set of bedding. She glared at Alan in a huff and said, You’re still sleeping on the floor tonight!Huh?! Alan asked in surprise. My dear wife, didn’t you say I could ‘level up’ already? I’ve been stuck at this level for over three years—it’s high time I moved up!Mia’s face flushed with a mix of shyness and anger. She stamped her foot and said, That was what I said before! Now things have changed—we’ll put the ‘level up’ on hold for a while!Alan asked glumly, Until when?Mia pouted and said

Five minutes before 11 o'clock, another group of people walked out of the exit. Gilmore held the flower bouquet and craned his neck in anticipation. Suddenly, he spotted a middle-aged woman in a black long dress and immediately waved excitedly at her, Arina!At the sight of him, the woman froze for a moment first, then responded with a face full of surprise, Oh my goodness, Gilmore!With that, she quickened her steps and walked toward Gilmore.Alan also perked up instantly, eager to see what his father-in-law’s first love looked like.So he took a glance—and was immediately stunned by her beauty!Arina was said to be the same age as Gilmore; both were 48 years old. However, Arina didn’t look like a 48-year-old woman at all!She was tall and slender, with well-maintained skin. Dressed in a black long dress, she exuded an air of elegance like a goddess, and her hair was styled in a neat, dignified updo.As for her appearance, it was simply impeccable—beautiful and charming, graceful and poi

Her husband loved her deeply, and she had fulfilled her duties and obligations as a good wife—never betraying him, taking excellent care of the family and their child, and even offering him considerable support in his career.Yet, deep down in her heart, she knew this was merely a life where they relied on each other and treated each other with respect, like guests. Though she was truly grateful to him, respected him, cared for him, and even cherished him, she did not love him.This marriage without love lasted for more than twenty years, until her husband passed away from cancer.Arina had taken care of him wholeheartedly until his burial.After he was laid to rest, her heart suddenly felt utterly empty.It was only then that she realized she had fully fulfilled all her obligations as a wife to her husband.She had given her all to being virtuous, loyal, family-oriented, and raising a child to continue the family line—excelling in every aspect.However, after her husband’s death, she su