Chapter 60 Thanking Mother

"Where did Old Xie take Li Wan to in some remote mountain village?" Mrs. Lu complained, frowning. "There's no signal at all."

Unbeknownst to her, Xie's mother, Li Wan, and Xie's father were currently doing volunteer work at a remote, isolated mountain village primary school. The area was surrounded by mountains, and cell phone signal was so weak it was practically nonexistent.

She had called her son Xie Shiyan a while ago, and when she heard his still emotionless and formulaic response, her heart sank.

Over the years, she had grown accustomed to her son's zombie-like state. As long as he was alive and breathing, that seemed to be her only solace.

Li Wan sat on the simple playground, watching the children playing in the mountains in the distance. The afterglow of the setting sun cast a lonely golden hue on her. Her once well-maintained black hair was now mostly streaked with silver, just like her mother's before.

But ever since her daughter was "found," Jiang's mother has been like a withered tree blossoming in spring. She dyed her hair, looked radiant, and smiled more often. When she attended the wedding banquet, everyone said she looked ten years younger.

Li Wan possessed immense wealth, and her son was a business tycoon envied by everyone. But only she knew that her son had "passed away" with Ning Ning eight years ago.

What remained was nothing more than a shell, barely clinging to life, fueled by responsibility and his mother's threat of suicide. Xie Shiyan thought he had hidden it well. But how could Li Wan, as a mother, not know? Her son's increasingly severe insomnia, the antidepressants hidden deep in the drawer, and those unfathomable, lifeless eyes...

They all silently spoke of the purgatory in his heart. She had once hoped that a woman could enter his heart and dispel that desolate, icy wasteland. But eight years have passed, and neither socialites from privileged backgrounds nor gentle and considerate ladies could stir even a ripple in his eyes.

Mr. Xie came over with the freshly cooked food. Seeing his wife's forlorn figure, his eyes were filled with heartache. "Eat something, just a little bit," he said, handing her the bowl and chopsticks.

Afraid of worrying her husband, Li Wan forced a smile, took the bowl and chopsticks, and said, "Okay, I'll eat. Let's go back in a couple of days. I want to go back and see Shi Yan."

She lowered her head and mechanically put the food into her mouth, tasting nothing. Her father watched her silently, finally just nodding heavily.

The top floor of the Xie Group in City S.

Xie Shiyan was buried in a pile of documents, his fingers tapping rapidly on the keyboard, producing a monotonous and rhythmic sound. The large office was filled only with the low hum of the air conditioner and the sound of his own heartbeat; it was cold and empty.

Suddenly, the phone screen lit up; it was a short video sent by Shen Nian'an.

He casually clicked on it, and the screen was a bit shaky. The background was the garden downstairs in Lu's parents' apartment complex. In the center of the shot was Jiang Yining's bright smile. She was squatting on the ground, with one arm around Lu Jingshen's daughter and the other around Shen Nian'an's son, Zhou Huaijin. Her cheeks were pressed against the two little ones' pink cheeks, her eyebrows were curved, and her smile was pure and bright.

Lu's mother's cheerful, laughing voice rang out: "If you like children, hurry up and have a few yourself, and we'll take care of them."

Xie Shiyan's gaze was instantly fixed on the screen. His heart felt as if it had been squeezed tightly by something, and then began to pound uncontrollably.

Through the cold screen, his fingertips unconsciously traced Jiang Yining's smiling, squinting eyes. His low, husky voice echoed in the quiet office, carrying an almost indulgent tenderness and a deep-seated longing: "You really like children that much..."

In the evening, Xie Shiyan returned to the villa located in a prime area of ​​S City. The motion-sensor light in the entryway turned on, dispelling the dimness of the foyer. He habitually loosened his tie, his gaze sweeping over the somewhat messy living room.

Finally, the light fell on the slender figure in an apron, carefully tasting the soup with a spoon, standing in the kitchen doorway. The warm yellow light outlined her soft features, and the air was filled with a warm aroma that blended herbs and food.

"You're back?" Jiang Yining turned around at the sound of her voice, a warm smile blooming on her face, like a lamp lighting up the twilight.

"I've made you a calming and stomach-soothing soup, it's keeping warm in the pot. Go take a shower and change into some comfortable clothes, then you can drink it when you come down."

"Mm," Xie Shiyan responded, a hint of relief in his deep voice. He took off his suit jacket, loosened his tie, and walked into the kitchen. He naturally reached out from behind her to take the soup spoon from her hand. "I'll serve it."

"No need." Jiang Yining stepped aside and leaned into his arms, wrapping her arms around his lean waist and pressing her cheek against his slightly cool shirt, like a cat that had found its home, rubbing against him contentedly. "The soup is ready, just waiting for you to drink it."

Xie Shiyan caught her steadily, put one arm around her waist and gently rubbed the top of her head with the other, his deep voice filled with indulgent laughter: "What? Haven't seen you all day, and you're clinging to me again?"

Jiang Yining tilted her head back, her eyes sparkling, and began excitedly sharing her day's experiences with him, especially the two incredibly adorable little ones: "You didn't see it! Little Jinjin hugged my neck, calling me 'Auntie' in her sweet, childish voice. My heart melted. And that little girl from the Lu family, with her two little pigtails, hopped and skipped around like a little rabbit!"