Today is the tenth anniversary of my marriage to Ryan.

I prepared a candlelight dinner and waited for him to come home from work so we could celebrate together.

But from the driver, I learned that he had gone to his high school reunion today.

“A high school reunion.”

I frowned slightly, vaguely remembering that I had received an invitation as well.

I had gotten an invitation card too, but since I don’t like noisy gatherings, I chose not to go.

Worried that he might drink too much, I put on an extra coat and went to pick him up.

The banquet hall was designed in a traditional Chinese architectural style, the door half-closed, adorned with exquisitely carved patterns.

From a distance, I saw Ryan surrounded by a group of people.

His black shirt was unbuttoned to the second button, the curls on his forehead falling down and partially covering the arrogance and unruliness in his eyes.

He exuded nobility and the bearing of a leader, standing out from the crowd like a crane among chickens—as if such qualities were instinctive to him.

Ever since our school days, he had been the campus heartthrob, admired by countless people. And now, he was an outstanding businessman in the commercial world.

Even after ten years of marriage, my heart still skipped a beat whenever I saw him.

I smiled softly, about to push the door open and walk in, when I heard teasing voices from inside.

“Ryan, you’re really lucky—now you’re successful, and the white rose of University A is your wife.”

“That’s right. Back then, so many people pursued the great beauty Thenia. There were love letters under the girls’ dormitory almost every day.”

“Even Young Master, the so-called campus god, spent over a million trying to win her over, but Beauty Thenia rejected him every time.”

The lively chatter inside brought back those memories for me as well.

I couldn’t help but sigh and blush.

Back then, I liked him without hesitation. My heart simply couldn’t hold anyone else.

Looking back now, perhaps there was only that one time in my life when I loved someone so deeply.

I couldn’t help but anticipate Ryan’s response.

Recently, he had been busy with work and rarely said sweet things to me.

Although I’m quiet and reserved, I still couldn’t avoid feeling a little disappointed inside.

His voice—deeper and warmer than in his youth, tinged with a smile and slightly drunk—rang out:

“A white rose?

It’s a pity she’s already old now.”

The young and beautiful girl sitting beside him frowned and coquettishly patted his arm.

“Boss…”

It seemed she was dissatisfied with his teasing remark.

That girl had milky white skin, and on her wrist she wore a dazzling blue diamond bracelet that accentuated her graceful and pure beauty.

Ryan smiled gently, pulled her into his arms, and patted her head.

“So kind-hearted, are you?”

The girl pushed him away, her face flushed red, then ran out the door.

Ryan did not blame her for making him lose face. With a cigarette between his lips, he slowly followed after her.

Only lively chatter remained in the room.

“Who is that…?”

“Don’t you know?

His young lover.”

“Well, figures. With Ryan's wealth now, how could he possibly stay only with Thenia?”

“The white rose has turned into plain rice!”

“Oh, come on, it’s actually not a big deal.

If it were me, as long as he gave me money after marriage, that’d be enough. I wouldn’t pursue it.”

I stood frozen outside the door, feeling the blood in my body gradually turn cold along with their mocking voices.

I quickly turned around, but bumped into the waiter who was bringing the wine, stumbled a little, and then twisted my ankle.

Looking a little awkward, I limped out.

The night wind swept in from all directions, like wild beasts revealing their sharp, cold teeth, tearing at my bare skin.

The cold and the pain made me a little more alert, and I suddenly noticed the dull ache in my chest.

Is having money enough...?

But I've been by his side since he was at his poorest.

When we first met, I was a sweet, weak girl cornered by a gang of thugs.

And he was a rebellious and unruly student who happened to be passing by.

Normally he lives a quiet and aloof life, and I didn't dare hope for anything when I asked for his help, but he fought a bloody battle for me.

From then on, I became his little shadow, stepping into his dark and decaying world.

After his mother passed away, his stepfather fell into gambling and alcoholism.

He might treat his own children well, but with Ryan, his "stepchild," he constantly beat and verbally abused him.

Even when he was burdened with a huge debt, the man forced Ryan, with his strong, well-built body, to fight in underground matches to make money.

Because of that, he always came to school covered in wounds.

The first time I saw the horrific injuries on his body, I pounded my chest and swore:

“Thenia will love you and protect you.”

The first thing I did for him was help him escape from his brutal stepfather.

I contacted my uncle, who already had some reputation in the legal field at the time. He patiently gathered evidence bit by bit and helped Ryan file a lawsuit against him.

Back then, he always tried to hide those shameful wounds. Each time, he would coldly say:

“So?

Is this miserable enough?

You shouldn’t come near me…”

“If I don’t come near you, how can I get you out?”

I smiled and asked in return, placing the small white cotton hat on his head, my warm hands covering his ice-cold ears.

"Ryan, it's getting too cold."

"I'll take you out to sunbathe."

Ryan seemed accustomed to standing alone in the dark, cold rain, his face turning pale.

At seventeen, Thenia wished to take Ryan to a place brightly lit with lanterns, a place where spring was warm and flowers bloomed profusely.

To be honest, I’ve never broken my word.

At eighteen, I stood beside Ryan when we heard the verdict that he had won the lawsuit against his stepfather.

At nineteen, I taught that cold, stubborn boy how to smile sincerely and fit in with the people around him.

At twenty, the two of us rose from the bottom of the rankings to receiving an admission letter from a prestigious university in the country.

At twenty-one, we founded our own studio together.

After work, we would squeeze into a tiny rented room only a few square meters wide, share two cups of instant noodles, and even insist on giving each other the last sausage.

During the day, we ran around taking on jobs; at night, we sat in front of the computer fixing bugs until our eyes blurred.

When we were twenty-two, a senior who was famous online, out of jealousy toward Ryan, spread rumors accusing him of stealing his academic achievements.

In the blink of an eye, the genius Ryan became someone everyone despised.

That year, our studio’s inbox and our personal social media accounts were bombarded with vicious attacks.

“Maybe you should just quit.”

In the dim darkness of the night, the boy’s bangs hid his slightly reddened eyes. On the glowing phone screen were cruel insults directed at me.

“A dog licking the soles of someone’s shoes.”

“What white rose? It’s nothing but the leg hair of a copycat.”

“Just looking at it is disgustingly unbearable.”

My warm hand clasped the cold fingers of the young boy. I turned off my phone screen, my crescent-shaped eyes curving into a gentle smile.

“Ryan, I will walk with you toward the dazzling lights.”

Half a year later, light flooded in, and everything became clear.

Ryan’s studio got on track. A year later, his game software surged in popularity, becoming the top-ranked app in daily active users.

Riding the momentum, he went on to develop more software, steadily expanding his business path and branching out into multiple industries.

In just five short years, he rose step by step from a penniless young man to a powerful figure in the business world.

On the night the company officially went public, we drank to our hearts’ content, holding each other tightly, laughing and crying at the same time.

At last, we had supported one another all the way to the brilliance of the dazzling lights.

He made it up to me with a lavish wedding and an expensive diamond ring.

As for me, I still wear the simple ring that Ryan used to propose to me for the very first time.

Back then, he only had 80 dollars, yet he spent more than 70 million dollars to buy that simple pair of rings.

But at some point, I don’t know when, Ryan stopped wearing his ring as often.

Life kept getting better and better, yet we grew further and further apart.

Two people who once held each other tightly in a cramped rented room of just a few square meters now live in a villa—yet can hardly meet when we are both clear-headed.

In those difficult and painful days, our love remained steadfast and unshaken.

And yet, amid wealth and comfort, we have found ourselves on the brink of falling apart.