This was an unassuming breakfast shop.

The sign was simple, the storefront small.

Li Changxin had pulled an all-night shift and had been drinking coffee all night. On his way home, he passed by this shop and saw the words "Freshly Made Wontons and Shaomai." He suddenly felt a craving for breakfast and stopped his car.

This shop was open early. It was only 4:50 a.m., and the entire city of Luohai was still half awake. This was the first open breakfast shop Li Changxin had seen on his way.

The small shop consisted of two rooms, separated by a green and white printed fabric. The outer room contained only four ordinary wooden tables. In stark contrast to the simple sign, the walls inside were painted white, covered in several fresh and beautiful simple drawings, framed in wooden frames to complement the tables. The moment one stepped inside, a sense of comfort washed over them. Most importantly, the place was spotless. Not even the cracks between the tiles or the corners were a speck of dirt. This discovery instantly reassured Li Changxin, a bit of a germaphobe. If the food tasted good, he thought he'd come back often.

A middle-aged woman wearing a blue printed apron was wiping the tabletop with deft hands. Seeing Li Changxin push the door open, she greeted him with a smile, "Good morning, sir. What would you like to eat?"

"What's your signature dish?"

"This season, bamboo shoots and pork dumplings are the best sellers. Most diners pair them with a bowl of beef vermicelli soup," the woman recommended with a smile.

"Then bring me one bamboo shoot and pork dumplings and one bowl of beef vermicelli soup."

"Okay," the woman called back, turning her head. "Fanzhi, one bamboo shoot and pork dumplings."

The name made Li Changxin pause. He suddenly raised his head, his eyes fixed sharply on the floral fabric. "Okay." The response from inside was so faint that the original tone couldn't be discerned.

It couldn't be that person. That person had always been willful and capricious, doing whatever she wanted, and would do anything to get what she wanted. Even if the Ye family was now in decline, she would never go so far as to subject herself to such humiliation.

Thinking of this, Li Changxin withdrew his gaze and waited quietly for his breakfast to arrive. Once, he helplessly told her, "Miss Ye, I don't like you."

Hearing this, she simply smiled and confidently said, "But, Doctor Ye, I like you."

"Miss Ye, with your qualifications, there's no need to compromise yourself. I really don't know what you like about me. There are so many doctors in the hospital who are more capable and more attractive than me."

"But I don't like any of them. I only like you, Li Changxin."

Later, she told him, "Li Changxin, let's get a divorce."

"Sir, your bamboo shoots and pork dumplings are ready. They're fresh out of the pot, so be careful of the heat." The woman carefully placed the steaming steamer in front of him, interrupting Li Changxin's reminiscence.

The dumplings weren't large, but they were beautifully crafted, each fold evenly sized. After steaming, the skin was translucent, revealing the rich meat filling and flowing broth inside. Li Changxin stared at them for a long time, then picked up his chopsticks, picked up one, and began to savor it. The bamboo shoots were tender and juicy, and the meat filling was a perfect balance of fat and lean. With every bite, the filling juices ooze out, filling your mouth with a delicious, fresh flavor.

Li Changxin chewed slowly, chewing one after another.

After swallowing the last one, he looked up again and said, "Give me another serving of the shrimp ones."

The woman praised, "Sir, you're a real gourmet. These shrimp dumplings are our signature dish. We're running out of time to make them, so we limit them to 100 servings a day. Don't underestimate our small shop; we have many repeat customers. You're here early. If you'd come later, there wouldn't have been a seat." Then, she turned and called inside, "Fanzhi, another serving of the shrimp dumplings."

"Okay," came the reply, and then silence.

But this time, Li Changxin heard clearly: the name being called was indeed "Fanzhi."

Soon, the shrimp dumplings were served. Li Changxin slowly took a bite of the tender, pink shrimp wrapped in a thin, cicada-wing-like wrapper. The familiar ginger flavor instantly filled his mouth.

He still remembered his grandmother teaching him the craft, and he'd been there, hearing her repeatedly remind him, "Fanzhi, this is our Li family's secret recipe. Grandma never shares it with anyone. We always add chopped ginger to our shrimp dumplings and wontons to remove the fishy smell and enhance the flavor. The texture and flavor are exceptional. When Grandma ran her morning stall, the shrimp version was a huge hit."

Li Changxin suddenly found it difficult to swallow.

Li Changxin searched the car for a long time before finally finding a lighter and a half-pack of cigarettes at the bottom of the glove compartment. These were the cigarettes Qiao Jiaxuan had left in his car.

Qiao Jiaxuan didn't smoke. That time, he'd been extremely upset, so he'd smoked to let off steam.

And now, Li Changxin wanted to do the same. He leaned against the car door, agonizing for a long time before finally lighting a cigarette.

The long-opened cigarette had a strange smell.

The early spring morning in Luohai was chilly and biting. A low, muffled sound of wind drifted past his ears, reminiscent of her rapid breathing when they'd spoken at the airport before leaving.

Li Changxin knew it was his own turbulent thoughts, so he stubbed out his cigarette and tossed it into the trash can.

The sky brightened, and pedestrians began to gather. The breakfast shop across the street had already entered its busiest hour.

Li Changxin sat in his car, waiting until after ten o'clock, when he finally saw a familiar figure, bent over, exiting the breakfast shop, carrying two large bags of trash.

It had been over three years since they'd last seen each other. But with just one glance, Li Changxin knew for sure: it was indeed her.

His ex-wife—Ye Fanzhi.

Now, her face was thin and her expression haggard. Her once meticulously styled long curls were haphazardly tied into a messy puff atop her head. She wore a green and white printed apron over her bulky black cotton coat, and a pair of cheap, ugly black snow boots. This ridiculous appearance shone no trace of the cool and beautiful Ye family princess of the past.

It was she who tiptoed over to kiss him and confessed, "Li Changxin, I love you."

Later, she forced him into marriage.

"Xu Biting, listen carefully. Li Changxin is mine, Ye Fanzhi's." He could still remember her slapping Xu Biting and pouring the entire bottle of red wine over her head. She was so imposing, like a raging leopard. If he hadn't lifted her up by the waist, she would have pounced and bitten.

She had completely turned his life upside down.

Seeing her in such a disheveled state should have been a source of immense pleasure to Li Changxin. But he didn't.

He stared at her in disbelief, unable to move.

Li Changxin thought there must be something wrong with his brain.

It was just like how he'd been desperately trying to get rid of her, but even after finally getting rid of her and never seeing her again, he'd still think of her from time to time.

He kept telling himself: Li Changxin, you're crazy. Two years of being forced into marriage had become a habit.

Thinking of the humiliation of being forced into marriage, Li Changxin clenched his fists again.

It was only after a long time abroad that he finally shook off those inexplicable emotions.

After all, away from home, with so many surgeries to perform every day, he had no time for melancholy.

But now, in this place, seeing each other for the first time, that irritation surfaced again.