That night, sleep eluded her once again. She had a premonition that insomnia might become her new normal. With no way to ease her throbbing headache, she could only continue smoking and drinking on the balcony, watching the sun rise before finally closing her eyes in the morning light.
She had barely slept for two hours when the alarm jolted her awake again. Dragging her nearly broken body to the office, she had just taken her seat when Wang Lin hurried over.
"Si Bei, did you finish yesterday's report?"
Ye Si Bei froze, too exhausted to even process Wang Lin's words. It felt like people's voices were passing through her ears without registering.
Pretending not to hear, she lowered her head and turned on her computer. Wang Lin frowned. "I heard you left at six yesterday. So you didn't finish the report?"
Ye Si Bei didn't dare respond. Infuriated, Wang Lin reached over and shut off her monitor, raising her voice. "What's your problem? Say something!"
"Sister Wang, what's all the noise about?"
Wang Lin's outburst drew attention from nearby colleagues. Embarrassed, she grabbed Ye Si Bei's wrist and hissed, "Come with me."
Without waiting for a reply, she dragged Ye Si Bei from her seat into a dark stairwell and turned on her. "Are you screwing me over?"
"I'm not," Ye Si Bei finally spoke, her weak resistance only fueling Wang Lin's anger.
"If you're not screwing me over, then why didn't you do your job? If you didn't want to do it, you shouldn't have agreed! You promised, then slacked off. These reports are for a loan application—they're due to the bank today. Now Sister Tao is asking, and if the company doesn't get the money, it's on you!"
"I'm telling you, you've screwed everyone over this time—me included! What are we supposed to do now? You think I'm taking the fall for this?"
"What's with the silence? You think this is my problem? You agreed to it—you should've followed through! Did I force you? Did I make you do this for me?"
Ye Si Bei listened quietly, her head buzzing so loudly it ached.
She just wanted a moment of peace, for the noise to stop.
But Wang Lin kept berating her, as if venting all her frustration.
She wanted to fight back, but years of silence left her at a loss for words. Sleep deprivation made her unusually irritable, a senseless rage simmering inside. She dug her nails into her arms, as if two versions of herself were warring within.
One listened meekly to Wang Lin's scolding. The other screamed at her to do something.
Her heart felt like it was on fire, crackling with fury.
She lifted her eyes to Wang Lin.
In front of Tao Jie, Wang Lin was a kind, well-spoken senior—always carrying Tao Jie's bag, always helping her out. But to the younger employees, she was domineering, leveraging her seniority to mock and berate them without mercy.
Ye Si Bei had always endured it, telling herself that money was hard to earn, that life was tough for everyone.
But now, she vaguely sensed—no, it wasn't the same.
Why was it always her?
Wang Lin, seeing her silence, finally wound down, satisfied. She warned, "This time, I'll let it slide. Go explain to Sister Tao that this was your mistake. Take responsibility, and don't let it happen again."
With that, Wang Lin turned to leave.
Ye Si Bei stared at her retreating back, one thought consuming her mind.
What had she done wrong?Why should she admit fault and apologize?
Wang Lin was kind to everyone else, so why was she treated differently?
Because she was weak and easy to bully?
Countless questions tangled together in her mind, and for a moment, she couldn’t even tell what exactly she was so furious about. As she watched Wang Lin reach out to pull open the door, as she saw the light pour in, as she realized she was about to lose her only chance to fight back—
She didn’t know what came over her. Suddenly, she rushed forward, grabbed Wang Lin’s hair, and yanked her backward. The moment Wang Lin turned her face, she raised her hand and slapped her!
The force of the slap left her hands trembling, but an inexplicable surge of satisfaction welled up inside her.
Wang Lin reacted quickly, shrieking as she lunged back, slapping at her, trying to return the blow.
Ye Sibei instinctively didn’t dare fight back. She shielded her head with her hands, blocking Wang Lin’s strikes as she stumbled backward.
Hearing the commotion, Zhao Chuchu was the first to rush over. She shoved open the emergency exit door, took in the scene, and immediately grabbed Wang Lin. “Wang Lin, are you insane?! What are you doing?!”
Wang Lin struggled with all her might, trying to break free from Zhao Chuchu’s grip, desperate to land a hit on Ye Sibei. Ye Sibei leaned against the wall, her body shaking, her gaze peering through her protective arms at Wang Lin—who seemed just as crazed as she was. A strange sense of exhilaration suddenly washed over her.
She panted heavily, unsure whether what she’d done was right or wrong, staring blankly at Wang Lin as the latter grew even more frenzied in Zhao Chuchu’s hold.
“Someone, pull them apart!” Zhao Chuchu, seeing how unhinged both women were, shouted toward the hallway. “Call the police!”
Qin Nan had just sent the information he’d gathered to Zhang Yong when Zhao Chuchu’s call came through.
He had analyzed the photos Zhang Yong provided—four tire marks, three of which were replacements, but one was the original factory tire.
This type of tire wasn’t common. Currently, only two car models used it: one was the FT brand’s Taurus Series 3 released this year, and the other was a Crown Series sedan that had been discontinued as early as 2013.
This car was expensive, worth over 600,000 yuan. In a small town like Nancheng, only someone of status could afford such a luxury vehicle.
After compiling all the information and sending it off, he was about to clean up outside the shop when Zhao Chuchu called. “Nan-ge,” her voice was urgent, “can you come to Huinan Police Station? Sis got into a fight and is in mediation now. The other woman’s husband showed up, and I don’t think I can handle this alone…”
“Got it.”
Understanding the situation, Qin Nan grabbed his car keys from the table. “I’m on my way.”
He hung up and drove straight to Huinan Police Station.
The police station wasn’t unfamiliar to him—he’d gotten into a few fights in his younger, more reckless days. But he never imagined that one day, he’d be coming here to pick up Ye Sibei.
At the entrance, he explained his purpose to the officer, who then led him to the mediation room. Just as they reached the door, a woman’s furious voice rang out:
“She hit me first! Shouldn’t she pay compensation? Shouldn’t she apologize to me?!”
Then Zhao Chuchu’s voice followed: “My sister—what kind of person is she? Do you really think she’d hit you? You’re just taking advantage of the fact that she doesn’t argue back! You’re the one who should apologize!”
“She doesn’t argue back? Is she mute or something?”"Stop arguing!" The officer leading Qin Nan into the room shouted, "Ye Sibei's family is here."
Hearing this, Ye Sibei froze for a moment before turning to see Qin Nan standing at the door.
Though it had been barely over a week since they last saw each other, seeing him again felt like a lifetime had passed.
Ye Sibei stared blankly at him as Qin Nan nodded in her direction and walked over to Zhao Chuchu.
Zhao Chuchu quickly gave up her seat, leaning close to whisper in Ye Sibei's ear: "Wang Lin's husband came, and I was afraid we'd be at a disadvantage, so I called Nan Ge."
With that, she waved her hand and hurried out of the room.
Only the two couples remained in the mediation room. After a brief pause, Wang Lin regained her composure and blustered, "What, calling for backup? You planning to hit us now?"
"Did she hit you?"
"Yeah," Wang Lin's husband immediately responded when Qin Nan spoke up. "She struck first, slapped my wife across the face."
"I see," Qin Nan nodded. "So you don't want to mediate this, is that it?"
At Qin Nan's mention of mediation, the Wang couple hesitated, their aggressive demeanor faltering. Wang Lin frowned, "It's not that we don't want to mediate, but she needs to show some remorse. Even if she doesn't pay compensation, at least she should apologize."
"How much?"
Qin Nan turned directly to the mediator: "We'll pay."
The mediator paused before answering, "One thousand."
Without another word, Qin Nan reached for his wallet. Seeing this, the previously silent Ye Sibei suddenly spoke up: "I'm sorry."
Qin Nan's hand stilled as Ye Sibei looked up at Wang Lin, her voice hoarse: "I'm sorry. Can you forgive me?"
Hearing the long-silent Ye Sibei speak, Wang Lin's anger diminished considerably. She'd only been fighting for pride. Softening her tone, she said, "Fine, let's drop it this time."
Qin Nan turned to look at Ye Sibei beside him. Her head was bowed, and after just a week apart, she appeared even thinner, her pale skin dull and lifeless with exhaustion.
The wounds Wang Lin had clawed into her hands remained visible and shocking. As the officer handed the "Mediation Agreement" to Ye Sibei and she picked up a pen to sign, Qin Nan suddenly reached out and pressed his hand firmly over the document.
"Why did you fight?" he asked, looking at her.
Ye Sibei froze. Knowing she wouldn't answer, Qin Nan raised his eyes to the mediator: "Excuse me, could you tell me why they fought?"
"Apparently it was about overtime work," the confused mediator explained. "They said Ms. Ye had agreed to cover Ms. Wang's shift but didn't show up, which led to an argument."
Understanding dawned on Qin Nan—Ye Sibei had always worked excessive overtime. He turned back to her: "Have you been covering her shifts all along?"
Ye Sibei remained silent. Qin Nan pressed on: "Did you promise her this time?"
Not wanting to cause trouble in front of Qin Nan or have him pay the fine, Ye Sibei murmured hoarsely, "Let's just leave it."
As she reached for the agreement again, Qin Nan snatched it away, crumpled it into a ball, and tossed it aside. The Wang couple immediately stood up, the husband pointing at Qin Nan: "What do you think you're doing?"
"Apologize to her," Qin Nan said, pointing at Ye Sibei.
"Officer!" Wang Lin appealed to the mediator. "Look at his attitude!"
"You've been making her work your shifts every day. She told you she wouldn't cover for you anymore—what right do you have to harass her?""Regardless of who started it, you hit her too, didn't you? You provoked the fight, threw the first punch, and beat her up like this," Qin Nan emphasized, pointing at Ye Sibei. "Either pay compensation or apologize to her."
"What if I refuse to pay or apologize?"
"Then try me!"
Qin Nan suddenly slammed his palm on the table and roared.
The outburst startled Wang Lin and her husband. The police officer quickly intervened, shouting, "Enough yelling! Keep it down!"
"Let's just drop it..."
Qin Nan's roar actually frightened Wang Lin's husband. Glancing at the opponent's burly physique, he worried about future retaliation and quietly urged his wife, "Just apologize and let it go. Don't make trouble."
Wang Lin's eyes reddened as her husband coaxed and persuaded her. Qin Nan sat silently across from them, watching. After a long pause, Wang Lin finally looked up at Ye Sibei and choked out, "I'm sorry."
Ye Sibei froze in surprise. The mediator quickly handed over the "Mediation Agreement Confirmation Form." Wang Lin lowered her head, tears falling as she hastily signed her name, then immediately stood up with her husband and rushed out in tears, unwilling to stay a moment longer.
Qin Nan pushed the agreement toward Ye Sibei. "Sign it."
Ye Sibei remained silent. Staring at the mediation document, she inexplicably felt her eyes sting.
She gazed at Wang Lin's signature for a long time before finally reaching out to write her own name.
Stroke by stroke, she penned "Ye Sibei." As the final stroke ended, she suddenly realized—
Every injustice demands an apology.
Only when the other party admits fault can the wounds in her heart begin to heal.
But tragically, some apologies would forever remain out of reach.
Once the paperwork was completed, Qin Nan led Ye Sibei outside.
As soon as they stepped out, they saw Fuqiang Real Estate employees surrounding Wang Lin.
Wang Lin wiped her tears in the crowd, seemingly explaining something.
"Thank you for today."
Ye Sibei knew Qin Nan had come at Zhao Chuchu's request. She awkwardly expressed her gratitude, "Sorry for making you come all this way."
"Don't say sorry for things you didn't do wrong."
Qin Nan spoke without inflection, then turned to her. "Need a ride home?"
"No, I still have to go to the office this afternoon."
Though Qin Nan wasn't scolding her, his words left her with an indescribable ache.
She hated disappointing people—especially good people.
Qin Nan nodded, then added, "Your dad called. Said his birthday is the day after tomorrow and invited me over."
Ye Sibei felt embarrassed by Ye Ling's behind-the-scenes maneuvering. She quickly tried to help Qin Nan find an out: "You can just make up an excuse—"
"I already agreed. But you should talk to them soon, sign the papers, and go to the civil affairs bureau."
His tone was calm and decisive.
He was nothing like her—once he made a decision, he acted swiftly, without hesitation.
Such resoluteness, when applied to personal matters, came across as cold. Ye Sibei stood rooted in place, her face betraying sorrow. She seemed to gather all her strength to suppress her emotions before finally murmuring, "If there's anything about me you don't like... I can change."Qin Nan didn’t speak. He stood there for a long while before finally murmuring softly, “When we first got married, we bought a lamp together. At the time, we only got one bulb, and I thought it was ugly. Then one day, I came home and found you had cut paper into a flower to cover the lamp. You stood under it and asked me if it looked nice. I said it did.”
As he spoke, Qin Nan lowered his head and looked at the ground. “But later, I realized paper flowers are too fragile. They always break. Every time it broke, I’d suggest replacing the lamp, but you couldn’t bear to part with it. You’d just say it could be fixed. So I watched you keep repairing it. Day after day, you repaired it, and day after day, I waited. Then one day, I finally saw a petal fall off, but you hadn’t fixed it in a long time.”
Ye Sibei listened quietly. She understood—Qin Nan wasn’t talking about the flower. He was talking about her.
Perhaps he had once held expectations for this marriage, but he soon realized she was just a paper flower.
A family like a swamp, a self that couldn’t stand strong, a powerless life, a dull soul.
No matter how hard she tried to mend it, without addressing the root, she would eventually exhaust herself. He could only watch as this flower withered bit by bit, leaving behind that bare bulb, ugly and illuminating the rest of his life.
Qin Nan had never said these things to her before, so she pretended not to know, always trying to hold onto this marriage. But the moment he spoke them aloud, even the words “I’m sorry, I’ll change” felt like a lie to her.
She thought he was right. She was just a paper flower that could never be properly fixed.
Someone like her would only drag whoever she was with into the mud.
“The last time I saw you, you were still wearing a hair tie with little diamonds,” Qin Nan looked up at her. “This time, there’s nothing.”
“I know.” Ye Sibei couldn’t bear to listen any longer. Not daring to say more, she turned to leave. “I should go.”
“Ye Sibei,” Qin Nan called after her. “If a person can’t stand up on their own, no one can save them.”
Ye Sibei didn’t respond. With her back to Qin Nan, she waited until he finished speaking before lowering her head and striding toward Zhao Chuchu, who was waiting for her by the door.
Qin Nan silently watched her retreating figure for a long time before finally turning his gaze back to the still-noisy crowd from Fuqiang Real Estate.
Wang Lin was still crying, surrounded by people comforting her. They were gathered around a sleek black car, its design smooth and imposing.
Qin Nan’s eyes narrowed slightly.
—It was the very same F-brand Crown series he had seen in a picture that morning, a model discontinued as early as 2013.
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