It Seems You've Survived This Ordeal

Three days passed in a blur.Ye Chen hadn't stepped out of his door even once.When he was hungry, he'd cook some noodles for himself.Consumed by the effort to perfect the flawless ointment, he had practically entered a state of sleepless obsession.During these three days, neither Zhang Jingshan nor Li Changfeng had called him again.Inside the rented apartment, it felt as though Ye Chen had been forgotten by the world."It's finally done!"As the ointment in the cylindrical container cooled and emitted that familiar scent, Ye Chen let out a long breath of relief.After transferring the cooled ointment into pre-prepared bottles, he applied a small amount to an old scar on his hand.Instantly, there was a sensation akin to a mild ant bite—not painful, but rather refreshing, sending a cool tingle straight to his central nervous system.This was unmistakably the signature effect of the flawless ointment from his previous life.Click—The sound of the apartment door opening echoed.In the next moment, Chen Yinuo walked in with Ye Youyou."Daddy!"The little girl dashed toward him at full speed."Youyou, wait! Daddy hasn't taken off his gloves yet!"Amid his joy, Ye Chen quickly removed his gloves and scooped Youyou up in his arms.He nuzzled her neck playfully with the stubble on his chin, which hadn't been shaved in days, eliciting a cascade of giggles from the little girl.Meanwhile, Chen Yinuo, standing nearby with a cold expression, felt a peculiar sense of estrangement as though witnessing a stranger.The Ye Chen before her seemed completely different from the scum of a man she had known in recent years.Would the old Ye Chen ever dote on a child like this?Moreover, there wasn't a single bottle of alcohol in sight, no lingering smell of booze, and even the smoke that once pervaded the room was significantly diminished.Despite the workshop-like clutter of equipment, everything was arranged neatly and methodically, without any trace of disorder.And according to the neighbors, he hadn't left the apartment for three days straight.Was this really the gambling, drunken lowlife she had once known?"Yinuo, why are you back?"After making Youyou laugh, Ye Chen turned to look at Chen Yinuo.Snapping out of her daze, her expression remained cold. "Looks like you really paid off the loan sharks; otherwise, I suppose we wouldn't be seeing you right now."Hearing this, a bitter feeling welled up in Ye Chen.He wanted to explain but didn't know where to start.At that moment, Ye Youyou suddenly chimed in."Oh, Daddy, it's your birthday today!"Birthday?In his previous life, after his wife and daughter perished in a fire, Ye Chen never celebrated his birthday again.On that day each year, he would visit their graves and talk to them.Now, hearing Youyou mention his birthday, he suddenly remembered the day he had long since let slip from his mind."Youyou, how did you know it's Daddy's birthday today?" Ye Chen asked."Because Daddy's birthday is the same as Little Tiger from next door! Just now, when Mommy and I were on our way back, Little Tiger's parents were singing him a birthday song. That's how I knew it must be Daddy's birthday too!" The little girl replied cleverly."So, are you and Mommy back to celebrate Daddy's birthday?"As he spoke, Ye Chen's gaze drifted nervously toward Chen Yinuo."Stop right there. I'm just here to check if the loan sharks took you away. Looks like you've survived this ordeal," Chen Yinuo said, her tone unnatural.Though she didn't want to admit it, deep down, she still cared about his safety.No matter how much she hated Ye Chen, she couldn't bring herself to wish for him to be kidnapped by loan sharks.After all, once a couple, even the worst marriage left traces of sentiment. She couldn't entirely disregard his fate.Ye Chen smiled bitterly, unsure of what to say next.Just then, Ye Youyou interjected again."Mommy, I don't want to go! I want to stay with Daddy and celebrate his birthday! I want Daddy to take me somewhere delicious!""Youyou, Mommy will take you wherever you want to eat. Your daddy is busy. Let's not disturb him!" Chen Yinuo scolded her."No, I want Daddy!"Sensing an opportunity, Ye Chen quickly added, "Yinuo, I'm not busy. Let's take Youyou out for a meal together. Consider it a small celebration."Just as Chen Yinuo was about to coldly refuse, Ye Chen spoke again, "I know you dislike me and want nothing to do with me. But no matter what, once a couple, at least we can part on good terms. Let's not act like strangers. Let's have this meal together for Youyou's sake. Please?"Hearing this, Chen Yinuo hesitated.To be fair, even if she planned to divorce Ye Chen, her kind-hearted nature made her hope for an amicable ending rather than an ugly fallout.Now, with Ye Chen's heartfelt plea, the wall she had built around her emotions softened slightly.Noticing her hesitation, Ye Chen pressed on, "Youyou, stay with Mommy for a second while Daddy changes his clothes. I'll be right back!"Hurriedly putting Youyou down, Ye Chen dashed into the bedroom and quickly changed into a clean set of clothes.In less than a minute, he reappeared, seemingly afraid that Chen Yinuo might leave with Youyou while he was gone.Seeing her still there, he smiled sheepishly with relief.Grabbing the transparent jar containing the flawless ointment, he walked over."Yinuo, this is an ointment that removes scars and blemishes. I've named it Flawless Ointment. You can take it back and apply it twice a day—once in the morning and once at night. You'll see significant results in just three days!" he said, offering her the jar.Chen Yinuo didn't immediately take it, her skepticism evident."Is this what you've been working on all this time?" she asked, frowning."Yes, the process is complicated, so it took me a few days to make," Ye Chen replied.Seeing her reluctance, he stuffed the jar into her bag. "Yinuo, trust me—this works. It really does!"Then, scooping Ye Youyou up again, he exclaimed, "Youyou, let's go eat something delicious!""Thank you, Daddy! Thank you!" The little girl laughed gleefully, overjoyed.Perhaps, for the first time in her life, she felt truly happy.Watching Ye Chen and Youyou walking ahead, with Youyou perched on his shoulders, Chen Yinuo stood frozen.This was the family warmth she had once dreamed of but had never truly experienced in this household.For a long time, she had forgotten what such moments felt like.And now, watching Ye Chen, who had changed so much, it all felt surreal.After a moment of hesitation, she didn't remove the jar of ointment from her bag.Instead, she stepped out, closed the door to the rented apartment, and followed the father and daughter.