Chapter 249 A Lifetime of Marriage
When Si Yuan arrived at the agreed-upon Japanese restaurant, Jiang Shu was already there when she pushed open the door.
It's still the same Japanese restaurant as before, with little change in decor or menu.
What has changed is the people.
Jiang Shu has shed her sharp edges and gained a gentler, more motherly demeanor, though she still retains a remarkably capable and confident air about her.
She raised her hand and beckoned to Si Yuan. After Si Yuan sat down, she said, "It's been a long time since we ate together."
Si Yuan smiled helplessly: "You're too busy to eat again, you superwoman."
Jiang Shu shook her head and said smugly, "Zheng Qingyuan always takes care of me, things are better now than before."
Si Yuan's lips slowly curved into a smile; she was genuinely happy for her.
Zheng Qingyuan is really a good match for Jiang Shu.
When they met each other, it was already the best time for them.
Remembering something, Si Yuan put down the menu, looked up at Jiang Shu, hesitated for a few seconds, and finally asked, "Have you seen that person again?"
Jiang Shu paused in her teacup, then shook her head.
Meng Huaizhi is now forty-one years old and has been living in New York. I heard that he is now devoted to charity and has gradually withdrawn from the business world. His reputation is much greater than his wealth; that is the life he has chosen.
The reason is unknown.
Jiang Shu's expression was calm and unwavering: "I stopped caring a long time ago."
Si Yuan didn't say anything more.
She knew that Meng Huaizhi had already lost Jiang Shu.
Loss is often imperceptible at first, but is felt little by little over the rest of one's life, eventually becoming an unforgettable scar.
Jiang Shu introduced the store's new products to Si Yuan, but Si Yuan really had no appetite.
After hesitating for a moment, Si Yuan finally spoke, getting straight to the point.
"Sister, actually, I wanted to ask you about Jiang Wang today."
Jiang Shu looked up at her, smiled, and leaned forward slightly: "Go ahead, I'm listening. I guarantee it'll be true any embarrassing story about that brat you want to hear!"
Si Yuan's gaze was calm and pale as she asked, "I want to know, during those five years, was Jiang Wang also in great pain?"
“I saw his sleeping pills yesterday.”
Jiang Shu's smile slowly faded, and her gaze froze for a moment.
She put down her teacup, her voice lowering: "Yes, that was his medicine. At first, he only had nightmares because he felt guilty. He thought the child was gone and felt it was his fault for making you leave."
"After that, he couldn't sleep. He was afraid of falling asleep. He could control his thoughts but not his dreams. Nightmares were painful. He also had things he was afraid of, but he never told me what was in his dreams that made him so afraid."
Si Yuan's breath hitched, and her nose suddenly stung.
“You know him, he’s always been carefree,” Jiang Shu continued. “But in the end, he was diagnosed with anxiety disorder and could only sleep a few hours a week. My parents didn’t know, he kept it from everyone and didn’t even get proper treatment. He said, ‘If I get cured, it means I don’t love you anymore.’”
"But he can't help but love you."
Si Yuan's tears fell, but she tried hard not to cry.
"You might also notice that he's probably not sleeping very well right now, or he's waking up very early, right?"
Si Yuan shook her head. In fact, last night was the first time they had slept together since their reunion.
She only realized it this morning.
Jiang Shu continued, "In the past five years, he has long been unable to live without medication. At first, it was sleep aids, then he had to add anti-anxiety medication, and it continues to this day."
“Si Yuan,” Jiang Shu looked at Si Yuan and said, word by word, “those five years of his life were not good at all.”
Hearing this, Si Yuan was already extremely sad, as if the scars on her heart were being poked and pierced with pain.
She could imagine Jiang Wang alone in the empty bridal chamber, suffering from insomnia every night, only able to get a few hours of sleep with the help of medication.
Even though he was in so much pain, he never bothered her.
Because he thought she no longer loved him.
——
After leaving the Japanese restaurant, Zheng Qingyuan came to pick up Jiang Shu.
The three exchanged pleasantries for a while before saying their goodbyes.
Si Yuan stood alone on the streets of the capital. Some corners and buildings became more and more familiar, as if many of them were places he and Jiang Wang had visited together.
She suddenly wanted to call him and tell him that she was back and that she wouldn't leave again.
She wanted to tell him that she knew about his pain and that she felt sorry for him.
She wanted to tell him that she loved him, and always had.
Si Yuan quickly took out her phone and pressed the dial button.
The call was quickly connected, and Jiang Wang's cheerful voice came through the receiver, still as if he were coaxing a child.
"Hello? What's wrong?"
Hearing his voice, she suddenly couldn't say the sad words.
"Jiang Wang".
Si Yuan's voice rang out, hoarse from crying, yet revealing a hint of unwavering determination, "I just wanted to tell you that I'm waiting for you to come home."
There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone.
Then, Si Yuan also heard Jiang Wang's voice.
It's like a young boy experiencing his first crush receiving a response from the girl he likes—excited and ardent.
"Okay. I'll be right back."
——
When Jiang Wang returned home and entered the room, he didn't see Si Yuan, but he discovered that the medicine that had been placed on the bookshelf was gone.
No one dared to touch the servants in the house; there was only one possibility: Si Yuan had thrown them away.
Si Yuan threw away his medicine, and Si Yuan also learned about his illness.
They were all sick.
"Jiang Wang".
Si Yuan suddenly appeared from behind and gently hugged his waist.
"How about we stop taking medicine from now on? I know taking medicine is bad for your health, and it's very painful."
"I'll stay with you from now on, so you can sleep well, okay?"
“Jiang Wang, you shouldn’t be like this. I’ll stay with you until you get better, just like you stayed with me when I was getting better.”
If there's always one person in a relationship who has to say "I love you," then Jiang Wang would definitely say it the most. But now it's the other way around; it's Si Yuan who's expressing her love.
Jiang Wang, however, still harbored deep affection for his lover.
With every word Si Yuan spoke, Jiang Wang loved her even more.
Si Yuan couldn't remember how their entanglement under the bed led them to the bed.
She had once used sexual intercourse to alleviate the pain of her mental illness, and it was Jiang Wang who had given it to her then. So now, Si Yuan wanted to try her best to use the same method to help Jiang Wang alleviate his pain. But perhaps she really didn't have any talent. The first time she was so proactive, her hands trembled so much that she couldn't even unbutton her clothes, and her kissing skills were far inferior to Jiang Wang's. In the end, it was she who succumbed, while it was Jiang Wang who remained clear-headed and in control.
It has always been Jiang Wang.
Jiang Wang knew why she did this, and just thought she was adorably silly.
He kissed her and then pulled her tightly into his arms.
"I will get proper treatment."
"I will sleep well."
"Because I want to live a long and long life, to be your husband for a lifetime."
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