A beautiful summer night

The five-year-old child who used to only be able to hug her leg has now grown up, tall, broad-shouldered, and full of energy.

Yao Qin could feel those arms causing her entire body to tremble slightly.

So bewildered, so joyful.

Her body stiffened, afraid to move. The moment Xie Qiyan embraced her, Yao Qin's gaze seemed somewhat dazed, and tears welled up in her eyes as she felt this warm and real hug.

Xie Qiyan's throat tightened, his eyes reddened, and his vision blurred. His voice trembled as he hugged his mother affectionately and dependently, just like when he was a child and had been wronged: "It will be alright, everything will be alright."

He stood up straight, then leaned slightly forward, took Yao Qin's hand and pressed it against his cheek: "Mom, I'm Ayan, I'm..."

It's your little Ayan.

Xie Qiyan choked up, fearing this was another dream, and urgently asked, "You recognize me, don't you? You remember me, don't you?"

Tears also streamed down Yao Qin's cheeks. She remained silent, her gaze softening as she looked at Xie Qiyan. In the quiet air, she slowly moved her fingertips to wipe away the tears on Xie Qiyan's cheeks: "How could I not recognize you?"

How could she not recognize her little Ayan?

Aside from the time she fell ill, she never forgot her child.

She shouldn't see him; her current state will only become a burden to him.

In Ireland, when she suddenly regained consciousness and recognized him, she dared not acknowledge him.

I cannot face him if I do not acknowledge him.

She was all too aware of how much trouble her illness would cause those around her.

Xia Wanzhi sobbed softly, wiping her tears haphazardly with the back of her hand, overjoyed to witness the long-awaited reunion of mother and son.

Liu Shubai, however, suddenly stopped in his tracks as he tried to approach Yao Qin, seemingly even more hesitant and uneasy than Xie Qiyan.

Noticing Xia Wanzhi's gaze, Liu Shubai curled his fingertips, and the two turned and left in tacit understanding, giving the mother and son some space to be alone.

Xia Wanzhi actually had many questions she wanted to ask, but she thought that as a junior, she seemed to have no right to ask about the affairs of her elders.

Moreover, Xie Tianqi is not dead. Although Liu Shubai has taken care of Yao Qin for more than 20 years, he has never been given a formal title.

She has met her mother-in-law, but she doesn't know which of her father-in-law she should recognize.

While Yao Qin was still conscious, Dr. Wu De connected with his team members via video conference before evening to discuss the details of the surgery.

The meeting lasted for more than an hour. As darkness fell, Yao Qin's hand, which was holding Xia Wanzhi's, suddenly lost its strength, and her gaze towards everyone gradually became listless.

"I'll take her to rest, you two continue listening." Liu Shubai reached out to help her up, indicating to Xie Qiyan and Xia Wanzhi that they should rest assured.

Perhaps she was tired, Yao Qin didn't make a fuss or say a word, and habitually followed Liu Shubai's steps to leave.

Xie Qiyan listened to the doctor's words, but his eyes were fixed on Yao Qin.

Until my right hand was held by a warm hand.

Fingers intertwined.

Xia Wanzhi didn't look at him, but stared intently at the doctors discussing and analyzing relevant surgical cases on the projected screen.

Xie Qiyan's attention returned to the screen, and he tightened his grip on Xia Wanzhi's hand hidden under the table.

The following day, Dr. Wu De's team arrived in Beicheng and, after discussion, transferred Yao Qin's medical records to the Department of Neurosurgery at Beicheng Hospital. After reaching an agreement with Beicheng Hospital, they will collaborate on the surgery a week later.

During this week, Yao Qin remained lucid at times and had relapses at others, but unlike before, it was not so difficult to tell whether she was lucid or not.

When Yao Qin is lucid, she talks to Xie Qiyan and Xia Wanzhi. When she is not lucid, she will pull anyone aside and talk about her little Ayan.

As soon as the cold snap ended this year, the bright spring sunshine truly arrived. Xia Wanzhi knew that Xie Qiyan was busy with company affairs, so in order not to distract him, she took care of Yao Qin herself most of the time.

Liu Shubai diligently transformed the backyard of the villa into a small garden for Xia Wanzhi, and Xia Wanzhi, along with Yao Qin, supervised the construction, occasionally setting up an easel to paint.

He paints landscapes, people, and dreams.

When she was painting, Yao Qin would sometimes watch her. Only when she had an attack would she quietly hold a needle and embroider a handkerchief.

The pattern on the handkerchief is asparagus fern.

Xie Qiyan once said that Yao Qin loved asparagus fern the most, so several fine asparagus ferns were planted in the rooftop garden of Xingyao Building.

Xia Wanzhi suddenly looked forward to the day when Yao Qin would see the Sky Garden.

“I had another dream last night.” Yao Qin stopped what she was doing, suddenly looked up at Xia Wanzhi, and whispered, “I dreamt that someone took me home, and Xiao Ayan was there too.”

Xia Wanzhi paused, waiting for her to continue, only to find that her words ended there.

From the moment Xia Wanzhi began inquiring about Yao Qin's dreams, she heard many bizarre and fantastical dreams from her, most of which were illusory and had nothing to do with reality, and a very small number of them were even related to Xie Qiyan.

More often than not, it was "someone" that Yao Qin mentioned.

Xia Wanzhi could guess that the person was probably Xie Tianqi.

It was a time bomb buried in her heart, and a ferocious beast that had trapped her for many years.

It's an unresolved knot in my heart, and also a kind of obsession.

Xia Wanzhi had painted countless dreams, and she could see many things through them, but she couldn't understand Yao Qin at all.

Xie Tianqi was a heartless man, but Yao Qin still loved him completely.

She doesn't know their story from when they were young, so she can't comment on it or understand it.

The day Yao Qin was hospitalized for examination was the day Xie Tianqi was discharged.

Coincidentally, the two were in the same hospital, and even more coincidentally, they bumped into each other.

Xie Qiyan didn't hide the fact that he had taken his mother back; the Xie family probably already knew. The old man had asked to come and see her as soon as he found out, but Xie Qiyan wouldn't allow it.

The Xie family has caused Yao Qin far too much harm. Unless Yao Qin herself requests to see them, Xie Qiyan will never agree.

Furthermore, even if Xie Qiyan agreed, Liu Shubai would still stand at the door with a knife, preventing any other member of the Xie family from approaching Yao Qin.

After settling Yao Qin in, Xie Qiyan went downstairs.

In front of the hospital, the Xie family's car was still parked in the same spot, with the back door open, and Xie Tianqi sitting inside looking over from afar.

His eyes were filled with so much doubt, and this doubt quickly took root in him, making him eager to get answers.

Xie Qiyan calmly walked up to him, looked down at him and smiled contemptuously: "You're lucky to still be alive to see my mother."

Xie Tianqi's pupils contracted, and his breathing became unsteady: "She..."

“Schizophrenia.” Xie Qiyan’s eyes were sinister, each word sharp and piercing. “You owe her, and you can’t repay it even if you die.”

Xie Qiyan, having witnessed Xie Tianqi's shocked reaction, gave a sarcastic smile.

He actually hoped that someone who abandoned his wife and children would feel even a sliver of guilt or remorse.

"She will be fine." Xie Qiyan looked at him and said, word by word, "She will be by my side, enjoying family life and seeing her grandchildren all around her."

And he, Xie Tianqi, will ultimately have nothing.