She truly didn't want to live anymore.
Living like this was utterly undignified.
If she could wet her pants today, she could soil herself tomorrow.
In front of the younger generation, in front of her children, she was ashamed beyond words.
But now, looking at the person squatting on the floor, she suddenly didn't dare to die.
If she died, he certainly wouldn't live on alone.
Just like last time when he had a cerebral hemorrhage; if he hadn't survived, she wouldn't have been able to go on.
It was the same logic; if she didn't live, Ling Chengfeng would follow her to death.
They were already old, why cause such a fuss.
They had been together for almost sixty years, never apart.
She was twenty when they met, Ling Chengfeng twenty-five.
Now he was eighty-three, and she was seventy-eight.
A lifetime seemed very long, but at the end, it suddenly felt very short. How did it pass so quickly?
Old Master Ling slowly cleaned the floor, becoming breathless by the end, his hands shaking even more.
Yet, he still looked up at Old Madam Ling with a smile.
"Manxia, look, I've cleaned it all up."
Old Madam Ling, crying and laughing, wanted to talk with him properly while she was still lucid.
"Thank you for your trouble. My illness will only get worse, I fear."
"It's alright. No matter what happens to you, I won't dislike you. As long as you are well, that's all that matters. You must be well."
Having stayed together for a lifetime, they were the people who understood each other the best. They could guess each other's thoughts without needing many words.
"I will be. We will both be well."
They looked at each other and smiled, both feeling at ease.
...Outside, Zhu Yunfei and Ling Junye were still waiting by the door.
But there was no longer any sound from within.
The living room had also fallen silent at some point.
Ling Leyou, tired from crying, had already fallen asleep. The nanny placed her in the baby carriage for her rest.
The living room had also been cleaned.
Ling Yucheng and Gong Zhijing rushed back, their faces full of confusion, unaware of the situation.
To prevent them from worrying, Zhu Yunfei hadn't told them.
They took their child back to the East Courtyard, staying home for two days before rushing back to New City.
—After the engagement banquet.
The Jiang family members were exhausted.
They left the hotel, got into the car, and returned home.
Jiang Zexi took Xia Wanfu back to their room to rest.
However, Jiang Shixun and Zhou Yuqing still had to work, needing to deal with matters online first.
The incident had exploded online after fermenting all morning. Fortunately, Gong Zhijing's hug at the wedding had somewhat eased the malice.
However, the incident still had a significant impact, affecting the Jiang family's business considerably.
Many potential collaborators hesitated, resulting in substantial losses in business.
But these were minor matters. The most important thing was to salvage Xia Wanfu's reputation and prove that Xia Linfeng's actions had nothing to do with her.
This had been tricky before, because no matter what they said, unless concrete evidence was presented, it was difficult to gain credibility online.
If this matter wasn't verified, it would greatly impact the Jiang family's business, and Xia Wanfu would be unable to establish herself in high society.
Fortunately, Gong Zhijing had appeared to be on very good terms with Xia Wanfu at the engagement banquet.
This would lend more credibility to their public relations efforts and substantiation.
Jiang Shixun's phone rang incessantly, indicating how busy he was.
Group matters and online issues all fell upon him. Zhou Yuqing stayed by his side, her eyes full of heartache.
She couldn't help, but the only thing she could do was be there for him.
...
Xia Wanfu was unaware of the upheaval outside.
She had been busy preparing for the engagement banquet recently and hadn't had time to think about these things.
Furthermore, completely immersed in Jiang Zexi's pampering and care, she was so happy that she had no inclination to think about anything else.
After experiencing so many changes, life had finally settled into a rare stability.
Upon returning to their room.
Xia Wanfu slumped onto the sofa, not wanting to move.
Her face was stiff from smiling all day, and after wearing high heels for an entire day, her feet felt alien.
Jiang Zexi, though tired, was a man, and his stamina was better.
Seeing how utterly exhausted Xia Wanfu was, he quickly went to pour her a glass of water.
"Rest for a while, then take a bath and get a good night's sleep."
"Thank you." Xia Wanfu took the cup and drank it in one go.
At this moment, she suddenly felt her leg being lifted, startling her so much that she nearly sprayed the water from her mouth.
Looking down, she saw Jiang Zexi half-kneeling on the floor, gently placing her leg on his knee, and then removing her high heels.
She quickly swallowed the water in her mouth, flustered, "What are you doing?"
"Massaging your feet."
Jiang Zexi gently kneaded her ankles, his touch focused and tender.
"Don't... they're dirty... Mmm... Ah..."
A slight ache accompanied by a wave of relief made Xia Wanfu unconsciously moan out in comfort.
Jiang Zexi's massaging hand paused slightly, his eyes immediately darkening. He then massaged even more vigorously.
Xia Wanfu bit her lower lip, covering her mouth in embarrassment.
How could she have made that sound just now? Honestly, but it was indeed so comfortable.
Seeing Jiang Zexi kneeling there, she worried he would get tired.
He had also had a busy day, and had drunk so much alcohol.
"Don't bother, you've had a long day too. Rest for a while!"
Xia Wanfu tried to pull her foot back, but Jiang Zexi suddenly grabbed her ankle.
His scorching palm, through her ankle, sent a fiery warmth throughout her body.
Xia Wanfu flinched, trembled inexplicably, and instinctively looked at Jiang Zexi.
Jiang Zexi gazed at her, his eyes full of desire, and said in a deep voice, "I'm not tired. We can go for a few more rounds..."
These words sounded so strange.
Xia Wanfu dared not meet his gaze, and forcefully tried to pull her foot away, saying softly, "Don't be silly, can we rest for a bit!"
"No, don't move. I'll move. Come on, moan a few more times. I like it."
While she wasn't paying attention, Jiang Zexi pressed her ankle a few more times.
Without warning, Xia Wanfu let out a soft hum again.
"...Mmm, ah... "
Hearing herself make such a shameful sound, Xia Wanfu tightly bit her lower lip, overcome with shyness.
Jiang Zexi, however, smiled even more gleefully, continuing to massage her.
Since she couldn't resist, she might as well enjoy it.
Xia Wanfu completely relaxed on the sofa, letting him massage her, her whole body at ease, her face filled with enjoyment.
She tightly pressed her lips together, trying not to make a sound.
After a long while, the fatigue in her feet was so relieved that she no longer felt any pain.
Seeing her comfortable expression, Jiang Zexi leaned towards her, his voice hoarse, "Alright, now it's my turn to feel comfortable, isn't it!"
Xia Wanfu was startled. She wanted to push him away, but it was too late.
Jiang Zexi kissed her deeply, with utmost passion.
Xia Wanfu felt utterly resigned. She just couldn't understand why this man never seemed to feel tired!