Du Jianghe’s words completely dispelled all of Wan Ning’s doubts.

This was a secret only they as a couple knew; no other person could possibly know.

"Since you’re Du Jianghe... but what is this... what is going on?"

Wan Ning raised her head, looking at him with tear-filled eyes, her voice full of confusion and incomprehension, "You aren’t... weren’t you already..."

She really couldn’t say the words that followed, and the mere thought of those terrible memories made tears fall again.

"Alright, alright, listen to me as I explain it slowly to you."

Du Jianghe hurriedly reached out, gently cradling her face and using his thumb to wipe away the tears that kept falling, "Stop crying, if you cry anymore..."

Wan Ning stared at him intently, not blinking, afraid that he would disappear in the blink of an eye.

Tear drops still hung on her eyelashes, like shattered pearls, making one feel heartache.

"Let’s go to a cool place and talk slowly." Du Jianghe glanced at the occasional gaze around them and said softly.

Wan Ning nodded, letting him lead her by the hand towards the shade of an umbrella by the pool.

There were a few white lounge chairs covered in soft towels. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

Sitting side by side, Du Jianghe slowly began to speak, telling her everything about what happened after he died.

From the last moment of the fire to when he woke as a spirit, realizing he couldn’t leave his family.

From watching over them day and night, seeing them in sorrow and struggle, yet powerless to help.

To accidentally meeting Duoduo who could see ghosts, to meeting Mr. Shen and getting this chance to reunite...

He spoke calmly, as if narrating someone else’s story.

But Wan Ning listened with both surprise and joy.

When Du Jianghe finished speaking, Wan Ning was dazed for a long time before suddenly patting her chest nervously and breathing a long sigh, "Thank goodness, thank goodness..."

"Thank goodness for what?" Du Jianghe was a bit surprised, not understanding why she would say this.

"Thank goodness I didn’t do anything to wrong you."

Wan Ning raised her head to look at him, speaking seriously, "This half a year, although people introduced me to someone, and my mom advised me, I never agreed, I didn’t even meet anyone. In my heart, there’s only you, no one else."

Du Jianghe seemed unsurprised by her somewhat inappropriate words.

Wan Ning’s personality was originally somewhat carefree and lovably straightforward, like a peer when dealing with kids, always able to say things that were laughably absurd when facing matters.

He couldn’t help but show a gentle smile, reaching out to ruffle her hair, "Actually, I hope you would ’wrong’ me. No, I’m already dead, no matter what you do, it wouldn’t count as wronging me."

His tone was light, like joking, but there was a hint of loss hidden in his eyes.

He truly hoped she could let go of the past and start a new life.

Upon hearing this, Wan Ning immediately punched him lightly, with a hint of teasing annoyance, "How could you talk about your wife like that? If I truly found another man, if he were to hit your son every day, let’s see if you can still act this magnanimously."

Du Jianghe’s smile instantly froze, showing a complicated expression.

Hit his son?

That wouldn’t do.

He was silent for a moment before slowly speaking, his tone carrying a slight heaviness, "Actually, you’re right. How could I bear to let go of you and our son, but I am no longer here. Yet I hope you could let go of me because the days ahead are long; you can’t always live in past sorrow. I initially didn’t want to come back to see you, afraid that after seeing me then, you’d have a harder time letting go..."

Before Du Jianghe finished speaking, Wan Ning pinched the soft flesh at his waist and twisted it fiercely.

But he didn’t feel pain.

Because he was already dead, now merely a ghost, how could he have a sense of pain?

Yet he cooperated by furrowing his brows, looking at Wan Ning.

"You always do this."

Wan Ning’s voice started to choke, sobbing quietly, "Making decisions for me without asking for my opinion, always with an attitude of ’it’s for your own good.’ This really makes people disgusted, do you know?"

As she spoke, she kept pounding Du Jianghe’s arm with little strength, but with deep grievance and protest.

"I will forget you, but definitely not now."

She raised her head and looked at him through tearful eyes, with a determined gaze, "You’ve only been gone half a year, and for me to forget you completely and turn around to find another man, what do you take me for?"

"I need time, Du Jianghe, I need time to accept your departure, to process this pain. When I truly move forward, perhaps I’ll consider starting a new life, perhaps not, but all of it will be decided by me, not by you."

"I’m sorry, it was wrong for me to say that."

Du Jianghe looked at her excited manner with a heart full of guilt, quickly apologizing, "I apologize, please stop crying, okay? It was inconsiderate of me."

Hearing this, Wan Ning raised her hand to wipe away her tears, sniffing, still sounding choked, "Weren’t you not planning to come back to see me? Why did you change your mind?"

Du Jianghe’s gaze turned gentle and caring, he gently held her hand.

"Because of your depression." He spoke slowly, "You can hide it from your parents and your son, but not from me. I watch you every day, seeing you secretly take medicine, seeing you lose control of your emotions, seeing you forced to put on a smile. I’m very worried about you, incredibly worried."

How could he feel at ease?

Upon hearing this, Wan Ning’s body suddenly stiffened, her eyes again turning red.

She didn’t say anything more, only silently leaning in his embrace, feeling the solidness of his chest, feeling him softly patting her back with gentle strength.

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the umbrella, bathing them in light, warm but not glaring.

The laughter from the pool was still ongoing, but at that moment, in their world, there was only each other.

"I don’t love you that much." After a long time, Wan Ning finally spoke gloomily, like she was being stubborn.

"I know." Du Jianghe followed her words, gently responding.

Upon hearing this, Wan Ning immediately lifted her head, disgruntled, and punched him, "Do you think I don’t love you enough?"

Du Jianghe: "..."

He looked at her puffed-up expression, like a fluffed-up angry cat, both heartaching and adorable.

He opened his mouth, wanting to explain, but was interrupted by Wan Ning.

"I really do love you, I really miss you, I think about you every day."

Her eyes reddened as she spoke loudly, as if declaring, yet also venting.

"I miss the braised pork you made for me, miss you tucking me in at night, miss you going shopping with me, miss you... miss you still being with me..."

Du Jianghe’s heart felt as though something was gripping it tightly, aching and pained.

He held her tightly, "Wan Ning..."

He wanted to say something, but couldn’t speak a word.

At this moment, Du Zhiyuan in the pool had finally had enough of the water slide.

He wiped away the water on his face, looked around, wanting to find where his mom was.

But when his gaze fell on the umbrella’s shade, his entire body froze instantly.

He saw his mom nestled in a man’s embrace.

The smile on Du Zhiyuan’s small face vanished without a trace, replaced by shock and disbelief.

He stood there dumbfounded in the pool, the water reaching his chest, and even the cold water couldn’t wake him.

Though he had said he wanted his mom to find him a new dad.

But that was just talk, only hoping his mom would be happy.

When faced with this day, truly seeing his mom nestled in another man’s arms, he realized, he simply couldn’t accept it.

Enormous sorrow and panic overwhelmed him instantly, tears falling unexpectedly.

He wanted to shout, wanted to rush over, wanted to push that man away.

But his throat felt as though it was blocked by something, unable to make any sound, only able to watch that scene with wide-open eyes, his small body slightly trembling in the water.

He feared, he was so afraid his mom would forget papa, so afraid his mom would be taken away by someone else, so afraid he would no longer be his mom’s only baby.

Tears blurred his vision, he whimpered softly, and began to swim towards the shore.