Chapter 277: Chapter 277 Wedding Anniversary

Xu Jinzhi, who had been suffering from insomnia, had been taking medication for over two months. But now that she suddenly stopped, she couldn’t sleep again.

In the middle of the night, Tuantuan developed a fever yet again, and Xu Jinzhi, too preoccupied to worry about her own insomnia, hurried to find ways to cool him down.

After two hours, Tuantuan’s fever finally subsided.

But children’s illnesses often flare up repeatedly. It took several days for Tuantuan to completely recover from his fever.

~

In mid-July, it was time for Sui Sui’s first birthday.

Sui Sui had a grand celebration for her full-month birthday, so they didn’t do anything big for her one-year birthday.

Of course, there were other reasons involved. In the end, Sui Sui’s birthday was simply marked with a meal among family members.

Now, Sui Sui could call out to people quite fluently, delighting everyone with her little voice.

Usually, the house wasn’t so full of people. It wasn’t often that Sui Sui got to see so many people around her, so she was particularly excited.

It wasn’t until everyone had left that Sui Sui appeared completely worn out. She didn’t even make it through her bath before falling asleep.

Xu Jinzhi watched Sui Sui fall asleep, then Tuantuan, and only then did she return to her own bedroom to wash up.

After she finished, Xu Jinzhi felt somewhat bewildered. It seemed the sudden quiet left her unsure of what to do next.

Standing there dazed for a while, Xu Jinzhi left the bedroom and headed to Xie Yanchuan’s room.

Xu Jinzhi sat down beside Xie Yanchuan and started to tell him calmly about the day’s events, Sui Sui’s birthday.

Soon, Xu Jinzhi finished her story, then began talking about trivial matters, continuing intermittently for half an hour.

When Xu Jinzhi stopped, silence engulfed her once more.

Xu Jinzhi said nothing, just silently watched Xie Yanchuan.

In August, Xie Yihang wanted to go on a trip, and he wanted to take Tuantuan with him. He had even called Tuantuan to invite him.

But Tuantuan refused, and Xie Yihang, somewhat upset, kept asking why Tuantuan couldn’t go with him.

Tuantuan didn’t answer, but it was clear he had no intention of going.

Xu Jinzhi learned about this from He Shuying, who told her it wasn’t Xie Linchuan and his wife taking Xie Yihang out, but her. She wanted Xu Jinzhi not to worry too much.

The past few months had been stressful for Tuantuan. A change of scenery could do him good, preventing him from bearing too much at a young age.

Xu Jinzhi understood He Shuying’s intentions. He Shuying had never shown the typical grandparent’s affection for her grandsons.

Her offer to take them on a trip was probably out of pity for Tuantuan.

Yet Xu Jinzhi didn’t immediately accept, saying the decision depended mainly on Tuantuan’s feelings, which she respected.

Nevertheless, since Tuantuan didn’t want to go, Xu Jinzhi didn’t press further. She just asked him to explain to He Shuying himself—there was no point in disappointing her kindness.

Another important event happened in August: Song You gave birth to a daughter.

Xu Jinzhi visited Song You in the hospital and saw her radiating happiness. Xu Jinzhi felt genuinely happy for her.

She was truly pleased for Song You’s happiness; it was wonderful.

But Song You, always considerate of Xu Jinzhi’s feelings, dared not show too much joy in front of her.

September came.

Tuantuan started school.

Xie Yanchuan remained unresponsive; he had been in a coma for nearly ten months. In everyone’s hearts, it seemed he would never wake up.

Xu Jinzhi quietly went to work, managing the household matters as if everything could continue fine without Xie Yanchuan.

Even Xu Jinzhi herself sometimes felt that time had healed her.

Occasionally, she would reflect on her initial collapse and even felt a bit ashamed—as if it were all just a joke. Now, wasn’t she gradually accepting it?

No one’s life is over because of someone else’s absence.

Why had she been so distraught at the time?

While Xu Jinzhi thought this, her actions told a different story.

On the first and fifteenth of each month, she still went to Qing’an Temple, kneeling before Buddha for long periods, unsure what she was seeking—perhaps just some compassion.

She still couldn’t sleep properly, and although she continued to see Han Li every week, there were some things she could not explain to her.

Even if she did, it wouldn’t make a difference.

To this day, Han Li still didn’t understand what her patient was truly thinking. Xu Jinzhi neither wanted to be tormented to death by her emotions nor fully recover.

As a doctor, she naturally hoped her patient would get better, but when the patient was resolute, Han Li was helpless.

Time slipped away unnoticed.

Soon, October arrived.

With summer gone, the nights in City A began to cool. It was even a little cold when Xu Jinzhi took Tuantuan and Sui Sui for evening walks.

The holiday was over; it was back to regular work.

Today was October 9, an ordinary workday, but for some, it was anything but ordinary.

For Xu Jinzhi, it was one of those days.

Today was Xie Yanchuan’s birthday; it was their wedding anniversary.

They had been married for six years.

Last year on this date, Xie Yanchuan was still alive and well. Xu Jinzhi had even taken the day off to spend a wonderful anniversary with him.

That day, Xu Jinzhi wondered if Xie Yanchuan would remember their anniversary, remember her, after she was gone.

Yet a year had passed, and she was still very much alive, while Xie Yanchuan lay in bed like a living dead.

Xu Jinzhi left for work as usual that morning. When she arrived at the company, Assistant Chen watched her cautiously, and Xu Jinzhi knew what he was worried about.

Later, in a meeting with Xu Zhen, he too looked at her with caution. They were both concerned about the same thing.

After the meeting, Xu Jinzhi said to Xu Zhen, “I’m fine.”

Throughout the year, there were so many anniversaries, and even on non-anniversary days, she hadn’t forgotten Xie Yanchuan. Hadn’t she survived them all?

So what was there to worry about for just a wedding anniversary?

Xu Jinzhi left the meeting room and returned to her office to work normally. In the afternoon, she even went out and signed two contracts.

It seemed to have no effect on Xu Jinzhi at all.

At six in the evening, Xu Jinzhi finished up her work, tidied her desk, and then left the company as usual.