Song Qinian's expression was grim. The mere thought of her birthday brought back a flood of painful memories, making her feel utterly distressed.
It had been nearly a week since then. Why was Lin Lanxing bringing it up now?
Did she know where Shen Chi Yan had gone?
Seeing Song Qinian's reaction, Lin Lanxing's smile widened. "You didn't ask Chi Yan Ge Ge, did you? Because you're too afraid to know the truth! The truth is..."
Before Lin Lanxing could finish, Mu Yuxin interrupted, "Are you done? You call someone else's husband 'Chi Yan Ge Ge' so familiarly. How come I don't remember you having such a disrespectful sister-in-law?"
"You're also afraid of Song Qinian knowing the truth, aren't you? Haha, because you all know Chi Yan Ge Ge doesn't love Song Qinian. Even if it was her birthday, Chi Yan Ge Ge would never have gone to her!"
Lin Lanxing's tone was smug and arrogant. "You don't want to hear it? I insist on telling you, because that day, my sister woke up, and Chi Yan Ge Ge stayed by my sister's side in the hospital all night."
Lin Lanxing's words struck Song Qinian like a heavy hammer.
Lin Qiutong was awake!
No wonder he hadn't mentioned why he missed their appointment that night.
If Lin Qiutong had woken up that day, why had he still come to see her the next day? And why had he been so gentle with her these past few days, giving her the mistaken impression that he cared about her?
"Chi Yan Ge Ge hasn't visited you these past few days, has he? He's been by my sister's side, taking care of her attentively and considerately. Song Qinian, my sister is awake, and your good days are numbered."
Seeing Song Qinian's pale and drawn face, Lin Lanxing felt an immense sense of satisfaction. She had been outmaneuvered by Song Qinian before, and now she finally had a chance for revenge.
Mu Yuxin supported Song Qinian, who could barely stand, and asked with concern, "Niannian... are you okay?"
Mu Yuxin knew almost everything about Song Qinian's situation. She had tried to persuade Song Qinian to leave Shen Chi Yan, but Song Qinian loved Shen Chi Yan so much that she was determined to see it through, leaving Mu Yuxin with little else to say.
But seeing Song Qinian like this, Mu Yuxin could only feel heartbreak.
"If you don't believe me, you can go and see my sister in her hospital room. Don't say I didn't warn you. Chi Yan Ge Ge loves my sister so much, he'll divorce you immediately. If you know what's good for you, pack your bags and get out of Chi Yan Ge Ge's villa!"
Mu Yuxin glared at Lin Lanxing, gritting her teeth. "Are you done yet, you b*tch?"
With people coming and going, Lin Lanxing snorted, called Mu Yuxin a "commoner" under her breath, and then strutted away in her high heels.
"Niannian... how are you?"
Song Qinian's mind was a blank slate. To avoid worrying Mu Yuxin, she forced a smile and shook her head. "I'm fine. Let's go back."
To Mu Yuxin, that smile looked worse than tears.
Back in the hospital room, Song Qinian began to draw. She appeared unaffected, even smiling as she asked Mu Yuxin to take the fruit from the cabinet when she left, saying she couldn't eat it all by herself.
When it was time for the visiting hours to end, Mu Yuxin had to leave. "Niannian, we're friends. If anything happens, you have to call me, okay? Even if you get divorced, don't be afraid. I'll go to the Civil Affairs Bureau with you. If Shen Chi Yan bullies you, I'll be the first one to fight him."
"Don't worry, it's not as serious as you think."
The worst that could happen... was just a divorce!
But the mere thought of it made Song Qinian's heart ache as if it were being slowly tortured, an unbearable pain.
Her mind was filled with the news of Lin Qiutong's awakening.
After staying in the hospital room for a long, long time, she couldn't help herself. She limped her way to Lin Qiutong's room.
Standing at the door, Song Qinian saw Shen Chi Yan through the glass window. He hadn't been seen for days. He was sitting by the bedside, holding a white porcelain bowl in his left hand and a soup spoon in his right, feeding Lin Qiutong porridge.
Lin Qiutong, who had been unconscious for three years, was awake. She leaned against the mattress, gazing dotingly at Shen Chi Yan. Although she looked very weak, a faint smile never left her lips.
The atmosphere between them was warm and sweet.
Song Qinian lowered her gaze slightly, her eyes gradually reddening and heating up.
So, Shen Chi Yan wasn't incapable of tenderness or consideration; it was just that the recipient wasn't Lin Qiutong.
No wonder he had rushed out of her room so anxiously and excitedly after receiving a call that day.
She had sent so many messages, but he hadn't replied to a single one.
So, he had been with Lin Qiutong all along.
Of course, Lin Qiutong was his beloved, his "white moonlight." Now that his white moonlight was awake, how could he possibly pay attention to her anymore?
The next time they met, he would probably suggest divorce, wouldn't he?
Her chest ached with a suffocating pain.
Song Qinian clenched her fists tightly and silently returned to her own hospital room.
That night, Song Qinian discharged herself from the hospital without permission. She hailed a taxi back to the villa, packed all her belongings, and waited for Shen Chi Yan to bring up divorce.
...
Shen Chi Yan only found out that Song Qinian had been discharged the next morning. His brow furrowed. "Didn't the doctor tell her to stay in the hospital for a month? Who let her discharge herself?"
Gao Kunlun replied, "It was the young madam herself who insisted on leaving. The doctor couldn't stop her, so they let her go home to recuperate."
Seeing Shen Chi Yan's dark and displeased expression, Gao Kunlun said cautiously, "It seems the young madam knows about Miss Lin waking up. She also knows that you've been by Miss Lin's side during this time."
Shen Chi Yan was already feeling annoyed, and upon hearing Gao Kunlun's words, his anger flared. "So she's jealous and giving me the cold shoulder?"
"No, no, no, that's not what I meant..."
"Hmph, if it weren't for her father, would Qiu Qiu have become like this? If she wants to leave, let her leave. Don't bother about her!"
Shen Chi Yan's "don't bother about her" meant another week of him not coming home.
Song Qinian waited and waited for Shen Chi Yan to come home and suggest divorce, but he never did.
After her body had recovered quite a bit, just as she was about to go to work, she suddenly received a WeChat message from Liu Xiaohan.
"Niannian... I finally found a job. To celebrate my first day of work, let's have a meal at a restaurant, the whole family. Mom's treating today."
Song Qinian thought she was hallucinating. She reread the message several times. Confirming it was indeed from Liu Xiaohan, she was surprised and felt a sense of relief that Liu Xiaohan had finally come to her senses.
"No need. Since you've found a job, you should focus on working..."
Before Song Qinian could finish typing, Liu Xiaohan sent another WeChat message, this time a voice recording.
"Niannian, our family hasn't had a meal together in a long time. You're busy with work, and Jiashu has a heavy study load. It's the weekend, and I've already called Jiashu. Jiashu has agreed. You'll come too, right?"
Immediately after, another voice recording came through.
"Mom knows she's made many mistakes in the past, but Mom has turned over a new leaf. Let's all wait for your father to be released and reunite as a family, okay?"