After leaving the Li family, Ye Qian found a small hostel nearby to stay at. As Ye Ling had mentioned, Ye Qian had a small savings of her own. Ever since she started working, she had been saving her salary without giving it to her mother, who, in turn, would sometimes slip her some money. After marrying into the Liu family, Liu Zhiyuan’s salary was also handed to her, until their relationship soured and Liu Zhiyuan took back control of his pay.

Even staying outside for a year or two, Ye Qian felt secure knowing she had money in hand.

Today she went to the Li family with the intention of showing them her fallen state, with a pathetic demeanor and submissive attitude. Even though she had made mistakes, the sight of her in this condition could evoke sympathy. Regardless of the circumstances in the future, once she pleads in front of Ye Ling, the family would have seen her like this. If Ye Ling were to refuse then, how would the Li family view Ye Ling!

Even knowing these actions wouldn’t affect Ye Ling much, Ye Qian didn’t want to miss any opportunity.

Ye Qian had always been accustomed to living in good places since childhood. The beds in the hostel were cold and hard. She endured it for a night, and the next day took her things and went to the company. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

She planned to apply for a dorm room from the company, but unexpectedly, the leader called her in for a conversation.

The leader was straightforward and candid, telling Ye Qian that her age was right at the transition point, unable to progress further. They asked her to consider options and provided a list of potential workplaces, asking which one she preferred.

Of course, she would need to visit these places herself to see if they would be willing to accept her.

Ye Qian had anticipated some of this but hadn’t expected the Liu family to press so hard, making the situation irreparable in such a short time.

Looking through her options, she finally chose a kindergarten. After all, she had studied dance and could leverage her dance skills there, making it manageable.

No matter how displeased she was, Ye Qian didn’t show it in front of the Liu family. She knew if she did, it would reach the Liu family’s ears who would revel in her misfortune. Ye Qian didn’t want to be ridiculed by them or make them feel triumphant, so she left the leader’s office with a determined face after the conversation.

Once the office door was closed, Ye Qian’s face darkened. Walking through the hallway, when she met the usual colleagues, she didn’t ignore their looks as before but instead glared back intensely, making them avert their eyes in fear.

Since she wouldn’t be staying there much longer, Ye Qian didn’t plan on keeping up any pretenses or holding back in front of them anymore. Tearing down these facades wouldn’t lead to any worse consequences.

In the afternoon, Sun Mingjie came. As soon as Ye Qian saw him, tears began to fall uncontrollably. She had intended to show her vulnerable side to Sun Mingjie, but seeing him made her cry genuinely. Her mother had abandoned her, and she truly had nothing left, only the support of the man in front of her.

Every time they met, even if Ye Qian felt wronged, she never complained and always admitted her mistakes. But seeing Sun Mingjie flustered as she cried, not knowing what to do, wanting to comfort her but not daring to in the office, rendered him speechless.

Ye Qian knew Sun Mingjie was not articulate and didn’t expect soothing words or promises. After letting out her grievances, she gradually calmed down.

"Brother Mingjie, I’m now all on my own. My mom’s gone, and my dad is out of the picture. You know he remarried and has a new family. From now on, though I call him dad, to him, I’m an outsider. You know Ye Ling has always had issues with me and ignores me. I really have nothing now." Ye Qian lifted her swollen eyes to look at Sun Mingjie resolutely, "Brother Mingjie, you’re not going to abandon me too, are you? If you are, please just tell me now. Don’t wait and let me know later; that would break me. Better to let it be final in one go."

"Ye Qian, don’t worry. Whether my parents agree or not, I’ll take care of you forever and never leave you." Being asked for a commitment by the woman he loved made Sun Mingjie’s heart swell with sweetness, even a desire to hold her close, but he restrained himself. "Where are you staying now? I only heard after getting home yesterday that you moved out of the Liu family, and your mom’s gone. You must not have a place to stay. I’ll help you find somewhere after work today. Work hard, and things will get better."

"Brother Mingjie, the leader already talked to me regarding the transition. This time, I chose to work at a kindergarten." Ye Qian decided it was better to be upfront about some things now, hoping to elicit sympathy from Sun Mingjie so he wouldn’t mind too much.

For those from such prominent backgrounds, no place was better than the company, as they were destined to rise step by step. Ye Qian’s sudden transition indicated she had been ostracized and pushed out of that circle.

Though she knew Sun Mingjie liked her, Ye Qian was still worried if he would care about this.

After speaking, she carefully scrutinized Sun Mingjie’s expression, not willing to miss any clues or make any mistakes in interpreting it.

A trace of astonishment flashed across Sun Mingjie’s face. He paused, then realized, "Transition? Shouldn’t it be too soon for that?"

At this point, Sun Mingjie stopped talking. He knew the Liu family must have intervened somehow. Everyone in their circle knew about Ye Qian’s job arranged by the Liu family. Now that Ye Qian and Liu Zhiyuan were divorced, the Liu family wouldn’t let her continue thriving at the company.

Understanding all this, Sun Mingjie noticed Ye Qian staring at him with reddened eyes, her lips tightly pressed together in silence, and he immediately realized he had said the wrong thing.