Song Qingchun finally could not hold it in anymore and started to wail.

Su Zhinian was also at the same restaurant, but he was in one of the private rooms upstairs.

Even though it was a weekend, he was in a business meeting. Initially, the meeting was booked at a high-end holiday villa, but when he heard the phone conversation between Song Qingchun and Qin Yinan about him inviting her to lunch, he had his secretary switch the venue.

He arrived later than them, and when he passed the hall, he could catch Qin Yinan and Song Qingchun sitting at the same table from far away. However, he did not expect Tang Nuan to join them.

This client he was meeting that day was related to Song Empire. Therefore, other than occasionally dropping in to listen to Song Qingchun, most of his attention was focused on the client. From the snippets of conservation, he realized Tang Nuan was apologizing to Song Qingchun.

The space heater in the room was on full power. He felt stuffy in the middle of the meeting, so he stood up to hang his coat on the provided rack. As he did so, Su Zhinian turned to focus on Song Qingchun. To his surprise and consternation, she was crying.

The sound of crying was muted like they were muffled by a palm clamped over the mouth.

Su Zhinian lost his mind as he stood before the coat rack. It was not until his secretary called his name that he recovered. However, his attention for the rest of the meeting was shattered. He had no idea what had happened to her, but he knew the volume of her crying had increased, in fact, she had started to wail.

Su Zhinian fidgeted anxiously in his seat. Finally, he could not help himself from interrupting the client, who was in the middle of an excited sales pitch, and dashing out of the room.

Standing in the stairwell, Su Zhinian listened for the source of her crying and followed the sound. When he reached the door of the second-floor bathroom, her crying became more conspicuous, and it came from right underneath him.

Su Zhinian skipped the elevator and slammed open the door to the fire escape next to the bathroom. He ran down the stairs and crashed into the bathroom.

He stared at the closed door to the female toilet for a while before closing his eyes to control the girl inside, who was crying her heart out, to open the lock.

She had stopped crying since her mind was controlled; however, tears were still running down her face, and her eyes were bloodshot.

Su Zhinian's heart pinched with pain before striding into the female bathroom and shutting the door close behind him as he pulled her into his embrace.

He was wearing a thin shirt, and as her tears fell on his chest, the sadness they represented permeated his bare skin into his heart, and his arms tightened their hold on her.

Actually, this was not the first time he had appeared by her side to give her a hug when she was at her saddest.

In the five years after she had made him get out of her life, he would still listen in on her and be there to give her a hug whenever she cried. She was never alone, but she did not know that because he had taken over her mind.

He was never there for her happiness, but he was always there to share in her sadness.

Su Zhinian hugged Song Qingchun for a long time before he pulled her face gently away from his chest and used his fingers to gently wipe away her tears. Then, he lowered his head to kiss away those tears that still remained on her face. Then, he slowly pulled her out of his embrace and caressed her face with affection, kindness, pain, and love before opening the door and walking out of it.

Song Qingchun, who was still under his control, stood up to lock the door after Su Zhinian exited the bathroom and continued upstairs.