CHAPTER 510: CHAPTER 5: THE REMNANTS OF DREAMS_2

Following Shen Chi, she learned about the great revenge he had just fulfilled, how he had been battling a malignant brain tumor for eight years, and how Xu Meimei had been committed to a psychiatric hospital. She was aware of his calm acceptance of and yearning for death...

When Lin Xiaoguai opened her eyes, she was momentarily unsure of the time until their gazes met.

In that instant, she almost felt as if the Shen Chi before her overlapped with the Shen Chi from her dreams.

But quickly, she realized that it might have been her imagination; the eyes that looked back at her were filled with the familiarity of tenderness and affection, nothing like the agony and despair of her dreams.

"Why did you wake up?" Shen Chi took her into his arms and gently patted her back, "Go back to sleep, didn’t we promise to take Sisi and the others to the amusement park tomorrow?"

"Mhm," Lin Xiaoguai felt reassured, nuzzled his chest, and closed her eyes again.

Listening to the increasingly steady breathing of the person in his arms, Shen Chi couldn’t fall asleep no matter how he tried.

That dream...

Shen Chi subconsciously hugged the person in his arms tighter until he detected her uncomfortable squirming and realized he needed to relax his grip.

He closed his eyes, but his mind was filled with Wanwan’s eyes—alternating between despair and containment of deep sorrow—as well as that "other self"...

Feeling somewhat breathless, he tried to reassure himself that it was just a dream, that none of it was real, but it had no effect; the panic within him hadn’t lessened one bit.

The dream was too real, so real that he felt he could experience the other self’s anguish upon losing Wanwan and the torment of finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel only to be diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor, eventually spiraling into a mentally distorted, insane state.

Upon reflection, the only difference between reality and the dream was that, in reality, Wanwan had kept the child, whereas, in the dream, she had miscarried and lost the ability to be a mother.

He desperately tried not to think about it, but he couldn’t help but remember Wanwan’s bizarre demeanor after her near miscarriage, her extraordinary love for the children, her favoritism toward Little Niangao, and her unusually cold attitude toward dad...

Too many abnormalities made it impossible for him to convince himself that he was overthinking.

Perhaps, the Wanwan he first met had already experienced those events? No, that couldn’t be, how could a person live two lives?

—If time-travel and reincarnation novels had been popular, Shen Chi wouldn’t have found it so confusing.

After much thought, Shen Chi could only assume perhaps Wanwan had the same dream years ago.

He deliberately ignored how Lin Xiaoguai had avoided a miscarriage and how a dream could feel so painfully real.

—One could imagine that in a decade or so, novels about time-travel, reincarnation, and various golden fingers would solve the mysteries he pondered today.

For Lin Xiaoguai, although the dream could bring a moment of cathartic relief, it ended there; the past was gone, and she had long since dwelt on what needed to be dwelt upon.

But for Shen Chi, it was different. Although he had always been clingy with Lin Xiaoguai, he had become even more so recently, feeling uneasy the moment he couldn’t see her.

"What on earth are you trying to do?" Lin Xiaoguai said with a helpless expression, "I told you I drove here myself. Did you come over just to drive back with me?"

She was somewhat embarrassed. She had seen couples walking across the street holding hands, little girls going to the bathroom together, and middle school students riding their bicycles side by side on the road.

But what did it mean to drive together? Could you even drive side by side on the road? Or chat with walkie-talkies? It was one thing if it happened by coincidence, but why go out of your way to do it?

Especially since this was not the first time; the same embarrassing situation had happened three days in a row, and it was getting on her nerves.

"Your car is parked at Zhi Xin Garden, right? I’ll take you out for dinner," Shen Chi said, touching his nose.

He was somewhat aware that his reaction was a bit excessive.

"What about Sisi and the others if we go out?" Lin Xiaoguai retorted with annoyance.

"Dad made donkey meat hotpot today and called them all over," Shen Chi replied.

In his mind, it was perfectly fine for the quadruplets to eat at home since Mrs. Zhang was cooking, and both she and Jian’an would be there to keep them company. Naturally, these thoughts were just internal; he wouldn’t dare say them directly to Wanwan.

However, if before he had some reservations about how much Wanwan valued the children, now he could be at ease about it.

"Fine. But how will I get there tomorrow?" Lin Xiaoguai hesitated before asking.

"No problem, I’ll bring you over tomorrow," Shen Chi paused before saying, "Come to think of it, when I have more free time later, you don’t have to drive yourself. Just let me know where you want to go, and I’ll take you."

He thought his suggestion was quite good; after all, he was nearing fifty, and he could probably retire at 65. Another decade and a half of work would suffice. Then, he would be able to accompany Wanwan wherever she went, and naturally, her car could be left unused.

Even before 65, he could delegate more work to his subordinates and enjoy some quiet time for himself.

"It’s so convenient for me to drive myself; why should I find you?" Lin Xiaoguai expressed dissatisfaction.

Even in a loving marital relationship, there is still a need for personal freedom. Even if both parties are free, there could be disagreements in how to spend time. She enjoyed vacationing, going outside to sketch, visiting gift shops and charitable foundations, while Shen Chi... he liked to go to shooting clubs, other sports clubs, and occasionally inspect his business. Every now and then, influenced by Little Niangao and the others, he would play basketball or learn some judo.

Their occasional compromises for each other were fine, but being together all the time would make anyone uncomfortable.

After Lin Xiaoguai presented her reasons, Shen Chi was immediately disheartened but retorted after a moment, "That’s now. Maybe our hobbies and lifestyles will gradually converge in the future?"

"Then we’ll talk about it when the time comes," Lin Xiaoguai said without mincing words. (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets, and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)