You are my heartbeat

One week slipped by.

Shen Ning hadn't gone to college, her phone remained switched off, and the outside world faded into insignificance.

Qin Yuheng, on the other hand, hadn't come home since that night. He buried himself in work at ShengTian Group, using it as a distraction from the turmoil in his heart.

---

At ShengTian Group Headquarters...

"Do I pay you all for giving me this shits?!"

The roar of Qin Yuheng's voice echoed through the boardroom like a thunderclap. The senior managers flinched, their heads bowed in fear.

"Get lost! Both of you are fired!"

Two employees scrambled to gather their belongings, their faces pale with fear.

In the span of one week, Qin Yuheng had fired eight people.

Meetings that were once concise and efficient now dragged on for hours. His dissatisfaction with every report, every project detail, was evident in his biting words and cold demeanor.

The employees trembled whenever he entered the room. The air around him was suffocating, an aura of barely-contained fury that left no room for mistakes.

"Mr. Qin, the quarterly projections—"

"Redo them," he snapped, not even looking up.

"But—"

"Redo them, or pack your things."

The staff exchanged nervous glances, their faces drained of color. They had assumed that, after his marriage, the ruthless man they once knew had evolved into a more calm and composed person.

They whispered among themselves in the hallways.

"Do you think he's going through something personal?"

"Whatever it is, we're the ones paying the price for it."

"Do you think he finally snapped and turned into an even bigger tyrant?"

The only thing they knew for sure was this: ShengTian Group had become a battlefield, and Qin Yuheng was at the center of it, his anger was the reflection of the chaos in his heart.

----------

The office door opened abruptly, two pairs of uninvited footsteps came breaking the tense silence.

"Hey! What's wrong with you?" Fu Sinan's voice cut through the room as he and Huo Siang barged in. "We've been calling you since two days, but your phone's switched off. And what about sister-in-law? Why isn't she answering either?"

When Qin Yuheng looked up at his friends, his eyes were bloodshot and dark circles under his eyes.

His friends froze.

"What's wrong?" Fu Sinan asked, his concern deepening.

Qin Yuheng stood, walked toward them, and, without warning, pulled them into a tight embrace.

This simple act stunned them.

"... Nothing," he muttered, his voice hoarse and filled with pain. "Nothing is right."

His behavior alarmed them. Huo Siang pressed, "What happened?"

"I failed," Qin Yuheng whispered, his voice heavy with despair. "I failed to win her heart."

Then Qin Yuheng told them from the tampering condoms to that night's incident and to their fight.

Huo Siang was the first to react. "Wait, wait, wait. Did you just say you tampered with the condoms?!"

Qin Yuheng gave a slight nod.

"What?!" Huo Siang shot to his feet. "You really stooped to such a low level?!"

"I did. But I threw them away later," Qin Yuheng admitted.

Fu Sinan pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "Yuheng, how are you so sure that she betrayed you? Hmm?"

"She was taking pills. She avoided being intimate with me. She picked up his calls late at night. And that night... she admitted it so easily."

"And that's enough for you to believe she cheated on you?" Huo Siang shot back, disbelief evident in his tone. "Did you even try to find out the truth?"

"If she didn't love you and was just pretending," Fu Sinan added, "then why would she confess her feelings for you publicly on her birthday?"

Qin Yuheng snapped. Did he really misunderstood her?

Huo Siang folded his arms. "That night, was Aunt Rong still at Moon Villa? Did you ask her if anyone came to visit your house?"

Qin Yuheng shook his head.

Both of them shouted at once, "You're such a bastard!"

Huo Siang continued, his voice rising. "Without knowing the full truth, you accused her of infidelity! You know how sister-in-law is— she'll try to explain, but when you refuse to listen, she'll give up trying to convince you."

The word "give up" echoed in Qin Yuheng's mind, each repetition striking like a blow.

"No," he muttered, his voice trembling. "No. Ah Ning wouldn't give up on me."

Fu Sinan's gaze softened. "Then go to her. Ask her patiently. We've seen how much she loves you. Don't let your baseless suspicions ruin everything."

Without another word, he grabbed his coat and rushed out of the office.

Meanwhile an hour ago at Moon Villa...

Shen Ning sat on the edge of her bed, staring at her phone as it came to life after a week of silence. Her screen lit up with dozens of missed calls from her friends, Mu Chen, and even Huo Siang.

Her gaze lingered on the name of her best friend, Yun Xi. Taking a deep breath, she dialed her number.

It didn't take long for Yun Xi to answer. "Shen Ning! What's wrong with you? Why weren't you answering my calls? And why have you been absent from college for a week?"

"I'm fine," Shen Ning replied softly, her voice devoid of its usual energy.

"… Are you really okay?" Yun Xi's voice softened with concern.

"…," Shen Ning hesitated.

"You had a fight with your husband?"

Another pause.

"Shen Ning, are you okay telling me what happened?" Yun Xi's patience finally coaxed a response.

"He…" Shen Ning's voice broke slightly. "He thought I betrayed him."

Yun Xi stayed silent, giving her the space to continue. Shen Ning then explained everything.

Yun Xi listened carefully before speaking. "Let me get this straight—you used to love Mu Chen?"