Still, both Su Zhaozhao and Xie Huaizheng thoroughly enjoyed their dinner that night.

Su Zhaozhao and Liu Guiyan had quite a bit to drink.

Before they left, Liu Guiyan filled two large bottles with plum wine and handed them to Su Zhaozhao. “Zhaozhao, since you like it, why don’t you take some home? The weather is so cold, you can drink it to warm up. You can even heat it up before drinking if you feel chilly.”

“Thank you, Aunt Liu.” By now, Su Zhaozhao had had a little too much to drink. Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes looked a bit hazy, but she was still mostly lucid.

“Go on home, now. I won’t see you out.” Liu Guiyan smiled, then looked at Xie Huaizheng. “And you, Huai Zheng. You’re married now and starting a new life. I hope you two have a child soon. When that day comes, Aunt Liu can knit sweaters for them.”

Hearing Liu Guiyan’s cheerful words, Xie Huaizheng smiled along with her. “Alright, Aunt Liu. We’ll be going now.”

He was never very talkative whenever he visited. Before Su Zhaozhao started coming along, he would only occasionally chat about how he was doing.

‘On the one hand, it was to reassure Liu Guiyan. On the other, it was probably to give her and her husband an emotional anchor, wasn’t it?’

‘That way, when they thought of their own child, they would know that if their son were still alive, he would have been just as outstanding as him.’

‘It wasn’t about showing off; he just wanted to give them that anchor.’

Xie Huaizheng silently tucked some money under a bowl, then pulled Su Zhaozhao away.

After they got in the car, Xie Huaizheng drove off. Su Zhaozhao, sitting in the passenger seat, could sense his unhappiness.

So, for once, she remained quiet.

The main reason was that she had had too much to drink. Her head was a little fuzzy, and she didn’t know what to say anyway.

She was worried she might accidentally say the wrong thing and upset Xie Huaizheng even more.

Xie Huaizheng drove back home and parked the car in the main courtyard. Seeing Su Zhaozhao already dozing off beside him, he sighed helplessly.

“If you can’t hold your liquor, why do you love drinking so much?”

Su Zhaozhao seemed to be fast asleep and didn’t respond.

Xie Huaizheng got out, walked over to Su Zhaozhao’s side of the car, and opened her door.

He had intended to carry her back inside, but when a gust of cold wind hit her, Su Zhaozhao shivered and instantly woke up.

Seeing Xie Huaizheng, she realized she was still in the car.

She tried to get up and leave, but she’d forgotten about the seatbelt holding her in place.

Amused by her antics, Xie Huaizheng couldn’t help but chuckle. He then leaned over and unbuckled her seatbelt for her.

He helped Su Zhaozhao back into the house.

Once the door was closed, the house felt much warmer compared to the frozen world outside.

Xie Huaizheng also moved the space heater closer to make sure Su Zhaozhao wasn’t too cold.

He then poured her a cup of hot water to warm her up.

Su Zhaozhao held the cup of water. It was the perfect temperature—not too cold, not too hot—and felt comforting to drink.

Feeling comfortably cared for by Xie Huaizheng, she turned to see him still bustling about. Squinting, she couldn’t help but say, “Xie Huaizheng, stop fussing around. Why don’t you sit down and rest for a bit?”

“Alright.” Xie Huaizheng sat down beside Su Zhaozhao and took a sip of water himself.

Su Zhaozhao leaned against Xie Huaizheng’s shoulder and said softly, “Honey, don’t be sad. Aunt Liu and her husband… they’re really worried about you, you know.”

Xie Huaizheng’s heart skipped a beat. He turned to look at Su Zhaozhao. She seemed so bright and cheerful, laughing and joking with Liu Guiyan just a moment ago, as if she hadn’t been paying him any mind.

‘But had she actually been paying attention to his mood this whole time?’

“I’m not sad. Seeing them living so peacefully and happily… to be honest, I’m actually quite happy for them,” Xie Huaizheng said, clearing his throat softly.

“You’re lying. You might not look any different than usual, but you’ve been so much quieter. You’re like this every time you visit them.” Su Zhaozhao recalled the several times before when Xie Huaizheng had worn the same expression.

‘He was carrying such a heavy burden. Even though he’d gotten much better recently—he could even eat apples now—seeing Aunt Liu and her husband must still overwhelm him with grief, right?’

Su Zhaozhao knew she couldn’t simply talk him out of this kind of pain; he had to find his own way out of it.

‘Time would have to be the thing that slowly eased his suffering. At least he no longer broke down the way he used to.’

Xie Huaizheng reached out, wrapped his arm around Su Zhaozhao, and pulled her into his embrace.

Her body was soft in his arms, her scent a mix of jasmine and faint wine. Xie Huaizheng couldn’t resist holding her close and inhaling deeply a few times.

‘It was as if this was the only way he could truly find his reason for being.’

“Alright, Zhaozhao, I admit it. You saw right through me again.” Xie Huaizheng gave a weary smile. “But I really am doing much better than before. I just… I don’t know how to help them. Running that shop is hard work, and now that it’s winter and so cold, fewer people are willing to go out to eat.”

Listening to him, Su Zhaozhao nodded. “I know. I know all that. Your heart just aches for them. You feel like they shouldn’t have to work so hard.”

“Yeah. I originally wanted to find them jobs in the military district—working in the cafeteria or at the school, for example. But they refused, saying they couldn’t trouble us like that and that they preferred to rely on themselves.”

“So you always feel guilty? You feel like you can’t do anything to help them, even though their son is gone?”

“Yes. I feel guilty.”

“Then have you tried looking at it from another angle? You visit them for every holiday, bring them lots of things, keep them company, and even slip them money sometimes. How is that not making their lives better?”

Su Zhaozhao gently guided him.

Even though her head was still a bit fuzzy, she was trying her best to stay clear-headed.

No matter what, she had to cheer him up before anything else.

Xie Huaizheng paused for a moment. “I never thought of it that way. I didn’t think the things I bring them amounted to much.”

“How could that be? I think your constant care and concern makes them happier than anything. When they see you, it’s like they’re seeing their own son. I’ve seen it. The way they look at you is so full of affection, without a single trace of blame. So, Xie Huaizheng, please don’t be so disheartened, okay?”

Hearing her words, Xie Huaizheng couldn’t help but smile. “Zhaozhao… you have a point. Perhaps what they really need is that kind of emotional healing.”

“I’m glad you understand.” Su Zhaozhao smiled. “They don’t have many material wants; they’re self-sufficient. But I’m sure they feel incredibly content every single time you visit.”

‘So that’s how it is.’ Xie Huaizheng hugged Su Zhaozhao tightly. “Zhaozhao, thank you for telling me this.”

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