In that warm restaurant filled with a slightly subtle atmosphere, Old Master Zhou had a faint smile on his face and his eyes were full of satisfaction. His heart felt sweet, like it had been filled with honey.
He looked at Andrew, thinking to himself: This brat is usually careless and unserious, but today he finally came to his senses and knows how to care for his wife.
After Andrew returned to his seat, he slightly frowned. Even he didn't understand what had gotten into him just now—how did he end up serving that plate of shrimp?
That plate of shrimp seemed like a fuse that triggered a subtle change in the whole situation, making everything feel a bit unusual.
Charlotte sat to the side, watching as Andrew didn't pick any shrimp for her, but instead carried the whole plate and placed it in front of Katherine.
In that moment, she felt like a jar of mixed flavors had been spilled in her heart. It was hard to describe how upset she felt.
Everyone at the table had their own thoughts during that meal.
After dinner, Katherine stayed and chatted with Old Master Zhou for a while.
She gently opened her mouth and broke the short silence. "Grandpa, I just got a message from a colleague. One of the patients I've been handling needs me to check on them."
As she spoke, she started to reach for her bag.
Old Master Zhou immediately stood up, looking worried. "Katherine, how come they're calling you even after you're off work?"
"Does your hospital not let people rest at all?"
Katherine gave a helpless smile. "Grandpa, our kind of work is like this. When something urgent comes up, we have to go back."
Old Master Zhou's eyes filled with pain when he heard that.
Katherine looked at him and felt a deep sense of reluctance. In her heart, this elderly man felt like real family—aside from her mother, he was the one who treated her the best.
She walked over and gently hugged Old Master Zhou, softly reminding him, "Grandpa, please take good care of your health. Make sure to go for your regular checkups every year."
Old Master Zhou slightly frowned after hearing that. A hint of doubt rose in his heart.
He felt there was something strange about Katherine's words, like she was trying to say goodbye. That made him uneasy.
Just as he was about to ask her something, Katherine spoke again, "Grandpa, I'm in a hurry. I'll head out first."
Old Master Zhou snapped out of it and quickly called out behind her, "Katherine, drive safe. Come back to visit grandpa whenever you can."
"Alright, Grandpa."
Watching Katherine's figure disappear through the door, Old Master Zhou turned around and saw Andrew still standing there silently. He couldn't hold back his anger anymore and shouted,
"Andrew, your wife just left, and you're not even going to walk her out?"
A complicated look flashed through Andrew's eyes. He paused for a moment and said, "Grandpa, I'm heading back too."
Charlotte saw that Andrew was leaving and quickly followed him. She spoke in a sweet tone, "Andrew, I'll go with you."
But Andrew acted like he didn't hear her at all. His eyes kept following Katherine's direction until her figure completely vanished.
His chest was filled with an unexplainable irritation, like a fire was burning inside but had no place to release.
Charlotte chased him to the car and reached out to open the door, but Andrew stopped her.
His tone was a little cold. "Charlotte, I'll have the driver take you home. I have something to do."
After saying that, he didn't hesitate. He called the driver over and instructed, "Take her home."
Then, he got into the car and drove off.
Charlotte was left standing there, full of grievance and unwillingness in her eyes.
Inside the car, Andrew kept thinking about what Katherine had said to him today.
The more Andrew thought about it, the more uneasy he felt.
Even though they were divorced, she could still come to see Old Master Zhou.
He was not stopping her from coming.
Andrew grew more restless as he thought and turned the car around, heading toward where Katherine lived.
He did not know this was the last time he would see Katherine before she left the city.
This farewell would last five years.
After Katherine left the Zhou family mansion, she did not go straight home. Instead, driven by some strange impulse, she drove to the riverbank.
On the way, memories kept flashing through her mind, making it hard for her to breathe.
She parked the car and felt pulled by some invisible force, walking step by step toward the river.
July in the city was like a huge steam room, hot air filling every corner, suffocating.
But today at the riverbank felt like another world. A gentle breeze blew, bringing some coolness that eased the heat on her skin but could not blow away the heavy shadow in her heart.
There were many people walking by the river, old people leisurely walking their dogs, couples sweetly leaning on each other, children running happily.
This lively scene seemed like a dream to Katherine, completely out of place with her mood.
She slowly walked down the stone steps, her eyes empty, until she found a quieter spot and sat down quietly.
Her gaze fixed on the boats sailing on the river, her thoughts drifting far away.
Those boats, big and small, all had their directions.
But she felt like a lost boat in a vast ocean, not knowing where to go.
The breeze gently lifted her hair but also brought back a flood of long-suppressed sadness.
Emotions she had tried to hold back rushed in like a breaking dam.
She could no longer hold back, buried her head between her knees, tears flowing uncontrollably, wetting her clothes.
In this unnoticed corner, she let out all her pain, quietly sobbing.
She told herself silently: Katherine, this is the last time you cry for him. After this, erase him completely from your memory.
While she was lost in sorrow, suddenly, a soft touch landed on her shoulder.
The sudden touch startled her. She quickly turned her head, hurriedly wiped the tears from her face, then slowly looked up at the person.
It was Joshua, with a bright and handsome face.
His smile was like warm sunshine in winter, bright and comforting.
But when he saw her red and swollen eyes, his smile froze, his expression paused, eyes full of worry as he asked, "What happened to you?"
"Senior Brother, why are you here?" Katherine did not answer his question but was surprised to meet him here.
She tried to keep her voice steady, but the slight tremble betrayed her fragile heart.
"I came out to clear my mind. From afar, I saw someone who looked like you, so I came over to check."
Joshua sat down gently beside her, never taking his eyes off Katherine, his concern growing.
After a moment of silence, he softly asked, "Are you feeling upset?"