Everything had settled. The fact that she had traveled twenty years into the future was now undeniable. At this moment, Xia Zhi felt her heart grow calmer. It was as if a sword that had been hanging above her head had finally fallen, and she could at last breathe in relief.
She finally had the energy to carefully observe Wen Shihan.
At fifty years old, although some of his hair had turned gray, time had not been harsh on his face. His skin remained firm, his features still strikingly handsome at a glance. The difference from twenty years ago was that the sharp edge in his presence had softened. He now carried a refined elegance, like a well-aged wine, rich and full of depth.
There were people who became more attractive with age than in youth.
Xia Zhi found herself curious about what she looked like twenty years later.
At forty-five, she had entered middle age. She had heard that women aged quickly after twenty-five, and she had even given birth to four children. Would she have aged faster, her figure completely out of shape?
The thought startled her.
She quickly lowered her head and used her hands like precise instruments, checking every part of her body, unwilling to miss a single detail.
Thank goodness, she did not seem to have gained weight.
“Mom, what are you doing?” Wen Yi asked curiously, cupping her chubby cheeks in her hands.
Xia Zhi gave an awkward smile. She could not possibly say she was checking whether she had gained weight. That would not be appropriate to tell a child.
“I’m checking my injuries.”
Wen Yi knew her mother had been in a car accident, but she did not know where she was hurt or how serious it was. Hearing this, her little face immediately tightened with concern.
“Mom, does it hurt a lot?”
Wen Yi had always been afraid of pain.
In the past, even the slightest wound would make her cry loudly.
She kicked off her shoes and climbed onto Xia Zhi’s hospital bed, using both hands and feet. “Mom, where does it hurt? I’ll blow on it for you. If I blow on it, it won’t hurt anymore.”
Xia Zhi did not expect such a reaction from Wen Yi. She paused for a moment, then shook her head. “I’m fine.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
Wen Yi was truly so thoughtful.
Had she saved the universe or something, how else could she have such an adorable daughter?
“Mom, I was really worried about you.” Wen Yi wrapped her arms around Xia Zhi’s neck and snuggled her small body into her embrace, her chubby face pressed affectionately against Xia Zhi’s neck, completely dependent on her. “I kept calling you before, but you just lay there and didn’t respond. Brother said you would wake up soon, but you slept for a whole day and night and still didn’t wake up.”
Faced with Wen Yi’s closeness, Xia Zhi’s body stiffened slightly, not quite used to it. But thinking that Wen Yi was just a worried seven-year-old child, she suppressed her discomfort.
She raised her hand and gently patted Wen Yi’s head. “I’m fine now, aren’t I? Don’t worry.”
Wen Yi hugged her neck even tighter and gave a soft hum in response.
Seeing Wen Yi being held in Xia Zhi’s arms, Wen Le had already grown restless. He left Wen Shihan’s side, climbed onto the bed, and stretched out his arms, acting spoiled. “Mom, I want a hug too.”
When Xia Zhi did not move to hug him, he simply wrapped his arms around her on his own.
Xia Zhi was speechless.
Were kids nowadays all this good at acting spoiled?
She lowered her gaze to look at Wen Le. From Wen Yu’s earlier introduction, Wen Le and Wen Yi were twins, with Wen Le being the older brother and Wen Yi the younger sister.
How amazing was she, to have given birth to twins?
Her gaze then shifted to Wen Yu and Wen Lun not far away.
Those were her… other two children.
Earlier, she had been in such shock that her mind instinctively shut out everything around her as a form of self-protection. Now that she had calmed down a little, she finally had the chance to properly look at these children who shared her blood in this future.
Wen Yu was the eldest, seventeen years old, tall with long legs. By her rough estimate, he was about one meter eighty-three, much taller than her. His features were refined and handsome, like someone straight out of a comic, with a gentle and noble temperament that clearly reflected a privileged upbringing.
Wen Lun was the second son, fifteen years old, about one meter seventy-five. Unlike Wen Yu’s refined elegance, Wen Lun seemed more lively and clever, the type who did not like being controlled and was full of mischievous ideas.
After looking at all four of them, Xia Zhi came to a tragic realization.
All four children looked like Wen Shihan. Not a single one resembled her.
It was as if she had merely delivered them, and once the delivery was done, she was no longer needed.
Wen Le seemed to notice the change in Xia Zhi’s mood. He tugged at her hospital gown sleeve. “Mom, are you unhappy?”
As soon as he said this, several identical pairs of eyes in the room all turned toward her, including Wen Shihan’s.
Xia Zhi fell silent.
Could she really say that she felt upset because all the children looked like Wen Shihan and not like her at all?
No, absolutely not. That would make her seem petty. She could never admit that.
She coughed lightly twice to cover her emotions. “Mom is not unhappy.”
Wen Le frowned slightly. “But you sighed several times.”
Xia Zhi thought to herself, did I? Did I really sigh?
Wen Le continued, “Mom always sighs when she’s unhappy.”
Xia Zhi realized that she did seem to have that habit.
With a clear, childlike voice, Wen Le made his conclusion very seriously. “So Mom must be unhappy.”
Xia Zhi was speechless.
Wen Le, please don’t push your mother into a corner.
“Mom, do you want more warm water?”
Wen Yu’s timely question sounded like heavenly music, successfully rescuing Xia Zhi from her awkward situation.
Without hesitation, she replied, “Yes.”
Wen Yu poured her a cup of warm water.
Xia Zhi reached out and picked up the cup from the table. Out of the corner of her eye, she accidentally glanced toward Wen Shihan. At that moment, he looked completely different from how she had seen him before. Dressed in a white hospital gown, his face slightly pale from blood loss, he had a fragile kind of beauty. The cold, authoritarian aura he carried at work was gone, replaced by a quiet gentleness. For a brief moment, she felt as if she saw a sense of peaceful time reflected in him.
He was already sitting up, leaning against the headboard, holding the water Wen Lun had poured for him in one hand, drinking slowly and elegantly. When he noticed her looking at him, the corner of his lips curved into a faint, meaningful smile.
Xia Zhi froze for a moment, then immediately understood what he meant. A wave of alarm surged through her.
He knew. He had seen through her thoughts. He knew she was upset that all the children resembled him.
Of course, a man like Wen Shihan, who moved effortlessly in the business world, was skilled at reading people. How could her little thoughts escape his notice?
Xia Zhi drained the water in her cup in one go and lay back, resigned to being teased.
Go ahead and laugh, she thought. Since he had already seen through her, it did not matter anymore.