Chapter 171

Chapter 171

“Auntie Yao, have you ever heard of the Sky Garden?” During the week or so they had spent in Ireland, whenever Yao Qin was willing to chat with Xia Wanzhi, Xia Wanzhi would subtly steer the conversation toward Xie Qiyan.

Strangely enough, Liu Shubai had told her not to bring him up too often, but Xia Wanzhi had mentioned him no fewer than three times a day, and nothing seemed to have gone wrong.

On the contrary, Yao Qin chatted with her quite happily. After some time, she saw through Xia Wanzhi’s little intentions and played along, asking, “What Sky Garden? Ah, let me guess-”

Yao Qin deliberately paused, then smiled. “A proposal spot your husband specially built for you?”

Xia Wanzhi popped two cherries into her mouth, then spat out the pits one after the other. With a mysterious air, she waved a hand. “Nope, wrong. The Sky Garden was indeed built by Xie Qiyan, but not for me. It was for someone who was also very, very important to him.”

Xia Wanzhi did not notice the smile at the corners of Yao Qin’s mouth stiffen. She continued softly, “But the proposal really did happen in the Sky Garden. And I was the one who proposed.”

The temperature had dropped over the past two days, so Yao Qin had a blanket over her knees. Afraid she might catch a chill, Liu Shubai had even made her wear a scarf. Xia Wanzhi did not know whether she had heard that last sentence. Yao Qin lowered her lashes and buried her chin in the scarf, hiding her expression.

Seeing that she had no reaction, Xia Wanzhi bit her lip lightly and watched her.

Liu Shubai had said that compared with before, Yao Qin’s mental state these past few days had improved more than ever. The doctor had also said her social functioning had improved greatly.

Being willing to communicate with others meant she had taken an important step.

Every patient’s condition manifested differently. Perhaps because she also had depression, Yao Qin was quiet more often than not when an episode came on.

A gust of wind blew over, cold enough to make Xia Wanzhi shiver. She did not dare speak, nor did she make any move. She simply stayed quietly by Yao Qin’s side.

Xie Qiyan and Liu Shubai came over one after the other, each carrying a bucket of potting soil. Seeing them, Xia Wanzhi gestured for them to be silent and carefully pointed at Yao Qin.

Liu Shubai was very familiar with this version of Yao Qin and knew full well that she had once again sunk into her own world. He smiled helplessly as he passed Xia Wanzhi, emptied the potting soil into the flower bed, then picked up a small hoe and got to work. “She can’t hear anything from the outside world. Don’t worry about disturbing her.”

Xia Wanzhi: “…”

Xie Qiyan stood there, watching his mother.

“We’ve only been here ten days, and President Xie is almost turning into a flower farmer.” Seeing that Yao Qin really did seem undisturbed by the outside world, Xia Wanzhi got up and walked over to Xie Qiyan, instinctively reaching for his hand.

Xie Qiyan’s hands were covered in dirt, and he drew back slightly. “My hands are dirty.”

Xia Wanzhi did not mind. She took him by the wrist and walked a few steps, then picked up the hose on the ground and turned on the water for him. “Wash them. Go sit with Mom for a while.”

Yao Qin’s state was different every few hours. When she was like a normal person and could talk with Xia Wanzhi, Xie Qiyan wanted to approach her carefully but did not dare. When she lost control of her emotions, he wanted to approach her but was not allowed to.

Now Yao Qin was silent and unresponsive. Even if Xie Qiyan went forward and hugged her, she would have no reaction at all.

And so Xie Qiyan did just that.

After a gentle embrace, Xie Qiyan sat down on a low stool, his cool fingers holding Yao Qin’s warm palm.

Xia Wanzhi did not disturb the mother and son’s warm moment. She followed Liu Shubai and asked him to assign her some work.

Liu Shubai withdrew his gaze and gave Xia Wanzhi a faint, lingering smile. “You and your mother-in-law really do get along unusually well.”

Xia Wanzhi hummed in agreement, her tone rising slightly.

Liu Shubai bent down to shovel soil and busied himself without speaking. After a while, he said, “For Ayan to have met you is his good fortune.”

A smile rippled across Xia Wanzhi’s lips. “And mine, too.”

Love was mutual.

Only when two people loved each other would they stay together, get married, and build a new little family of their own.
Liu Shubai was nearly fifty, yet hearing those words still stirred something faintly inside him. He actually found himself envying the young. With a bitter smile, he couldn’t help looking toward Yao Qin, not far away.

After mulling it over for a long while, Liu Shubai finally stopped what he was doing and looked at Xia Wanzhi. His voice was low and measured. “What plans do you and Ayan have after this?”

Xia Wanzhi was a little surprised that the question was directed at her. She thought for a moment, met Liu Shubai’s gaze, then smiled.

Liu Shubai understood. He nodded. “That’s right. It’s time for you all to go home.”

Xie Qiyan had come here in the first place to bring his mother back.

Over the past few days, Liu Shubai had been secretly observing Xie Qiyan. The degree to which he cared about Yao Qin was no less than his own, and Xie Qiyan had far more right than he did to look after her.

More importantly, Xie Qiyan and Xia Wanzhi’s arrival had put Yao Qin in better spirits than before.

He had seen vitality in Yao Qin.

More and more of it with each passing day.

She was no longer as despondent and lifeless as she had once been.

“When are you leaving? I’ll have someone tidy up her things.” Liu Shubai turned his head and continued shoveling soil over the flower seeds, pretending to chat lightly with Xia Wanzhi. “She hasn’t had contact with the outside world in too long. After you go back, follow the doctor’s instructions and take it step by step. Don’t rush it, or it might backfire.”

Liu Shubai laid everything out at once. “When you go back, take Dr. Ude with you too. He’s been following her condition all along. I’m worried that if you suddenly change her attending physician, she’ll reject it.”

As he spoke, Liu Shubai’s eyes reddened. “Sometimes she throws tantrums. Be more patient with her…”

Xia Wanzhi frowned and cut him off. “You don’t want her anymore?”

“Find her a place with a little courtyard when you go back. She…” Liu Shubai was still immersed in his own sorrowful world when he suddenly realized what Xia Wanzhi had said. His eyes went wide at once. “What do you mean I don’t want her anymore? You little… How can you be so reckless with your words?”

At first, she had still addressed him respectfully. Now every word out of her mouth was so blunt. In a few more days, she might even dare to lecture him.

Xia Wanzhi blinked innocently and looked at Liu Shubai with a serious expression. “Then you should come back with us, together with her.”

Liu Shubai fell silent.

“You said it yourself. She might reject even a new doctor. You’ve been with her for so many years. If you don’t go back with her, what happens if one day she can’t see you and starts demanding you?” Xia Wanzhi analyzed it for him.

Back then, he had been so decisive when he took her away from the Xie Family. Yet now he was shrinking back.

“It’s not that I…” Liu Shubai stopped mid-sentence, then sighed and turned his head aside, simply giving up on explaining.

The past was the past. Back then, Xie Qiyan had still been young, and Liu Shubai could be Yao Qin’s only support.

But now Xie Qiyan had grown up. His abilities were no less than Liu Shubai’s, and he had gained a capable partner by his side as well. No matter how much there was to worry about, it wasn’t Liu Shubai’s place, as an outsider, to worry over it.

He had no right.

“You’ve already walked more than halfway down this road. Are you really going to give up at the last moment and turn back?” Xia Wanzhi smiled at him, her tone unhurried. “Besides, she may not be without you in her heart.”

Xie Qiyan had a phone call. When Xia Wanzhi saw it, she jogged over to continue looking after Yao Qin, leaving Liu Shubai standing alone in the wind, completely disoriented.

With one palm braced against the shovel handle, his expression was a little blank. Then he raised his head and looked at the boundless sky before his gaze finally settled on Yao Qin. In that instant, something suddenly opened up inside him, as if he had glimpsed a new hope.

After taking the call, Xie Qiyan turned around. When he stood in front of Xia Wanzhi, his expression was exceptionally grim. The warmth that had been in his eyes had turned dark, cold, and vicious.

Xia Wanzhi sensed something was wrong and couldn’t help standing up. “What happened?”

Xie Qiyan concealed the flash of hatred at the corner of his eyes and said flatly, “He’s awake.”

Xie Tianqi had woken up.