Had she really traveled twenty years into the future?
From a blooming twenty-five-year-old into a forty-five-year-old middle-aged woman?
And she had even had four children with her boss, Wen Shihan?
What kind of unbelievable development was this?
Xia Zhi shrank into a corner of the hospital bed, clutching the blanket, cautiously observing everything before her.
Unexpectedly, her eyes met Wen Shihan’s again. In his gaze, she saw the same confusion that she felt. The man she had known before was mature, wise, and sharp, someone who seemed capable of controlling everything and never troubled by anything. Yet now, he rarely showed such bewilderment.
It showed just how shocking the situation was.
Wen Shihan shifted his gaze away from her, lowering his head slightly. His eyelashes cast shadows beneath his eyes, making it impossible to read his expression.
Both of them remained unusually silent, and the room once again fell into a deathly stillness.
“Dad, Mom, have some water.” Wen Lun, always quick-witted, noticed that both Xia Zhi and Wen Shihan’s lips were dry. He quickly poured them each a cup of water. “It’s a bit hot, wait a moment before drinking.”
He placed the two cups on the bedside tables on either side.
“Th… thank you,” Xia Zhi said.
Wen Lun looked shocked. “Mom, why are you being polite to me?”
His mother had never been polite to him before. The most memorable time was when he made a big mistake, and she chased him through several streets with a belt. If their father had not stopped her, his backside would have been beaten badly.
Xia Zhi said nothing.
How could she explain so that Wen Lun would stop calling her Mom, at least for now? Every time he said it, she felt awkward.
Before she could come up with a solution, Wen Lun had already dropped his surprised expression. The doctor had said their parents’ memories were confused due to the accident. It was probably that his mother still did not remember he was her child. That was fine, he could overlook it for now. After all, she was still his mother.
Seeing the awkward atmosphere in the room, Wen Yu tried to ease it. He walked over to the television in the ward. “Mom, are you bored? Do you want to watch TV?”
Xia Zhi nodded. “Sure.” The atmosphere was so awkward it made her uncomfortable. Maybe some background noise would help.
Wen Yu turned on the television.
It was exactly 7:30 in the evening. As soon as the TV came on, the familiar opening theme of the evening news played. Two composed and dignified news anchors appeared on the screen, and the well-known opening line, one Xia Zhi could practically recite, followed.
“Good evening, viewers. Today is July 2, 2042, the fifteenth day of the fifth lunar month.”
Xia Zhi sucked in a sharp breath. Seeing the calendar earlier had already shaken her visually, but now this was a double impact, both visual and auditory.
She stared fixedly at the number “2042” on the screen. It felt as if her head had been struck hard, buzzing loudly.
2042.
It really was 2042.
Panic surged through Xia Zhi. She desperately searched for something to hold onto, like a drowning person grasping for a lifeline. And right now, Wen Shihan was that lifeline. She quickly turned to look at him, only to realize he had been watching her for quite some time.
The blue glow from the television reflected in his eyes, flickering like strange waves. His gaze was filled with deep scrutiny, openly studying her without any attempt to hide it.
A chill ran through Xia Zhi’s heart.
Like most girls, she had grown up watching idol dramas. In her youthful years, she often fantasized about meeting a handsome, wealthy man, falling into a passionate romance with him, walking hand in hand into marriage, and living happily ever after like a fairy tale.
But after graduating and stepping into society, all her former fantasies were mercilessly shattered by reality.
Handsome, wealthy young heirs only dated and married rich, beautiful women. They would never take notice of an ordinary girl like her.
She walked alone, facing the harshness of society head-on.
A boss who manipulated employees, coworkers who set traps, work so competitive it turned people into machines, subways so crowded you were squeezed flat, rent rising again and again…
Surviving had already drained all her energy, let alone truly living. The beautiful dreams she had in her youth gradually faded amid the mundane routines of daily life. She stopped fantasizing and became realistic, counting when she could afford a house, when she could achieve financial freedom, when she could retire.
So when facing someone like Wen Shihan at the company, a top-tier capitalist, Xia Zhi felt only fear and respect toward him. She had never imagined any kind of story between them.
But now, the stark reality was laid bare before her.
Twenty years later, she had married Wen Shihan and even had a whole bunch of children with him.
What kind of surreal reality was this?
“I don’t believe it,” Xia Zhi suddenly said.
Her voice drew the attention of all four children.
Her gaze fixed on Wen Shihan’s face. Time seemed especially kind to him. He still looked almost the same as he had at thirty, with barely any visible change. But when her eyes shifted to his hair, she noticed faint streaks of gray, quietly revealing his age.
Xia Zhi fell silent.
“Mom, what don’t you believe? That we are your children, or that you married Dad?”
Both.
Xia Zhi covered her head with both hands, falling into deep confusion. How could she have married Wen Shihan, and even had so many children with him? It was simply unbelievable.
To be honest, Xia Zhi had always been very afraid of Wen Shihan.
She had a particular trait. As a child, she feared her parents. As a student, she feared her teachers. At work, she feared her boss. These figures seemed to naturally carry an intimidating authority that made her cautious even in breathing around them.
And now reality was telling her that she had married the very boss she feared. It felt as terrifying as someone telling her the world would end tomorrow.
Lowering her hands, Xia Zhi sneaked a glance at Wen Shihan again. But when she saw the faint gray in his hair, she found herself unable to say anything.
She clearly remembered that when she saw him in the elevator not long ago, his hair had been completely black, without a single strand of gray. But now…
At that moment, Wen Yu’s phone rang. He answered it, listened for a few seconds, then said, “Assistant Song, bring my parents’ marriage certificate and our family photo album over.”
Marriage certificate?
Family photo album?