Molly Yun really wasn't asleep yet. She put down the thick book in her hands and smiled, "Not yet. Go ahead, I'm listening."
Molly's belly was already quite big—since she was pregnant with twins, she started showing much earlier than usual.
Eric Jiang gently handed her a cup of hot milk, thoughtfully marking her place in the book she hadn't finished, then putting it aside for her.
Molly covered the phone and mouthed 'Rona Muir' to Eric. He immediately understood, smiled, and quietly left, giving Molly and Rona some space to talk.
"Molly, I've been thinking for a long time, and you're the only one I can talk to," Rona's voice sounded tired and defeated. "I don't dare talk to Xixi about it—I'm afraid she'll overthink. Zixuan's overseas and can't come back, and even if I told her, she doesn't understand what's going on here. You're the most clear-headed, so I can only come to you to vent."
"Sounds like something you can't figure out right now," Molly replied gently. "Is it about Peter Pingshan?"
"Yeah." Rona turned off the TV, hugged the phone, and said, "I ended up with Peter Pingshan because I got drunk and slept with him. Later, I wanted to take responsibility, and he did a few things that genuinely moved me, so we got married. After more than three years of marriage, we even have a son, but I feel like we're drifting further apart, like we live in two different worlds."
"Today he suddenly asked me out for dinner and apologized, saying he's neglected me all these years. Molly, when I heard him say that, I felt so complicated. If someone else said it, maybe I'd believe it, but coming from Peter Pingshan, it just felt off."
"You know, Jiro Hirayama grew up in a totally different environment than any of us. He's such a nerd," Rona said. "I can't feel his heart, and I don't even know what I want anymore. Molly—no, Nono, you know? I really did like Sean Kerr once. For so many years, how could I not have feelings? But Sean hurt me again and again, disappointed me again and again, made me... After everything with Sean, I found I just couldn't love anyone so freely anymore."
"Sometimes I even ask myself, do I love Peter Pingshan? I think I do—at least when I married him, I was willing and genuinely happy. But why, after only three years, do I feel so tired?" Rona's voice sounded hollow. "Nono, I'm starting to doubt if I even love Jiro Hirayama anymore. When Amy got close to him, I was furious, devastated, desperate. But after all that anger and despair, my first thought wasn't to fix things, but to give up, to get a divorce. Is there something wrong with me?"
Hearing Rona's question, Molly realized she really was in trouble.
And it wasn't a small problem, either.
"Nana, it's a good thing you noticed the problem in time," Molly replied. "Yes, something really is off, and it's not normal. I think you've been hurt so badly that you've built up this self-protection and self-doubt. When you face betrayal and pain, your instinct is to give up and walk away—it's a way to protect yourself, even if it means cutting ties completely. That's a natural reaction for anyone who's been hurt. It's not your fault."
"You know, pheromones have an expiration date. Three years is about when they start to fade. You said when you married Peter Pingshan, you were full of hope and joy, which means there was real love between you. But you're both not great at expressing yourselves. You've spent years as a VP and CEO—you're used to giving orders, hiding your feelings, and keeping people out. If Peter were more sensitive, maybe things would be different. But he's a straightforward guy, obsessed with his experiments, and he missed the chance to really connect with you."
"I get why you're disappointed and exhausted. Lots of couples face this. The next step is communication. Look at Xixi and Charles Yin—they went through this too. Back then, so much happened between them, and Xixi almost gave up more than once. But after weathering all those storms, they learned that only honesty keeps a relationship strong and a marriage healthy."
"Sean Kerr's actions really broke your heart. So you, already reserved and not good at expressing emotions, started hiding even more. Peter's behavior tonight—someone probably gave him advice, which is why he reached out. If I had to guess, it was Charles Yin. When you went on that trip with Lucas Lin, you think he didn't know? He was just giving you space to think things through. That's Charles's way. And honestly, even though it's risky, it works. At least now you understand how much marriage means to you, right?"
Rona nodded, "Yeah, you're right."
"I think Peter values your marriage just as much as you do. Otherwise, why would someone as awkward as him apologize? But your heart is wrapped in such a thick shell, it's hard to open up." Molly said gently, "Nana, don't be so hard on yourself. Try to let your guard down a little. I know it's tough, but it's worth a shot."
"See, Peter isn't just obsessed with his experiments—he's put the castor bean extract into our company's products, hasn't he? That's his way of apologizing!" Molly patiently explained to Rona, "If he didn't love you, why would he do all this? Whether he's overseas or here, he quietly solves technical problems for you. Think about it: without Peter's support, how could Danni Cosmetics have grown so fast in just three years? I remember most of our patents came from him! He may not be good with words, but every little thing he does—it's all for love."
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Rona wasn't stubborn or self-centered. As she listened to Molly's explanation, her anger slowly faded.
When Molly heard Rona sigh, she knew her words had gotten through.
"Everyone expresses love differently. Nobody's perfect; everyone has strengths and flaws. Take us, for example. My flaw is my health—I died at twenty-two. Yours is being so stunning that, when you first started working, you were always chased and scolded by jealous wives. And Xixi, she's so soft that she always gets bullied, never tells Charles Yin she loves him, and just runs away when she's framed. But can you say none of us have strengths? No way! I'm the eldest daughter of the Yun Family, smart and accomplished. You're the VP at Odyssey Corporation, decisive and powerful at a young age. Xixi may be weak, but she's a fierce mom—she fought for her child and grew into the VP at Danni Cosmetics."
"Eric is gentle and never says sweet words, but he quietly warms my life every day. Charles Yin is a conqueror outside, but tender at home, shielding Xixi from trouble and paving her way. And Peter, even if he's a nerd, when other women chase him, he livestreams it for you, making it clear he's loyal. See? These three men rarely use romantic words, but each has his own way of showing love."
"Nana, the things you're worried about really aren't important. It's probably just that recent events have thrown off your perspective, so you keep focusing on Peter's shortcomings. But honestly, Peter has his own struggles too." Molly smiled, "He gave up his family's support, chose to join the Mu family, gave up his nationality, and even let his son take the Mu surname. For a guy as awkward as him, if that's not love, then what is?"
Rona was stunned. "That's really how it is!"
"Exactly. Lucas Lin is sweet, thoughtful, obedient, young, handsome, and smart. It's easy to fall for a guy like that. But have you ever thought about whether he's right for you?" Molly said softly, "You've been blinded by others—you can't see your own heart."
Rona quickly replied, "I know, I don't have any other feelings for Lucas Lin. I really just treat him like a little brother."
"I believe you. You've never liked the puppy-dog type—otherwise, you wouldn't have broken up with Sean Kerr." Molly said, "You've always liked the wolfish type. Jiro Hirayama is a wolf."
Rona suddenly laughed, "I think I'm starting to get it. Thank you."
"No need to be so polite between us! It's late—get some rest." Molly said gently.
"You too."
After hanging up, Molly immediately texted Charles Yin: "Mission accomplished."
When Charles Yin got the message, he smiled and said to Jiro Hirayama across the table, "Alright, Rona will figure things out herself now. Just keep doing what you need to do."
Jiro Hirayama almost wanted to kneel to Charles Yin in gratitude.
Even though he'd known this 'emperor' for years, he had to admit—whenever Charles stepped in, there wasn't a single problem he couldn't solve!