When Rong Ci arrived at the airport in Country A, it was already past 9 p.m.
Today was her birthday.
She opened her phone and received a bunch of birthday wishes.
All of them were from colleagues and friends.
But there was no message from Feng Ting Shen.
Rong Ci's smile faded.
By the time she arrived at the villa, it was already past 10 p.m.
Aunt Liu saw her and froze for a moment: "Madam, you... why are you here?"
"Where are Ting Shen and Xin Xin?"
"Sir hasn't come back yet. Young Miss is playing in her room."
Rong Ci handed her luggage to Aunt Liu, and as she went upstairs, she found her daughter, wearing a little nightgown, sitting at a small table, concentrating on something, completely absorbed, not even noticing when someone entered the room.
"Xin Xin?"
Feng Jing Xin heard and turned her head, happily calling out, "Mom!"
Then she turned back to what she was doing.
Rong Ci went over, hugged her, and kissed her, but was pushed away. "Mom, I'm still busy."
Rong Ci hadn't seen her daughter for two months and missed her dearly. No matter how many kisses she gave, it was never enough. She also wanted to talk to her daughter.
Seeing her so focused, Rong Ci didn't want to disturb her. "Are you making a shell necklace, Xin Xin?"
"Mm!" When she heard this, Feng Jing Xin clearly got interested. "In a week, it will be Aunt Wu's birthday. This is the birthday gift I'm making with Dad for Aunt Wu! These shells were polished by Dad and me using tools. Aren't they beautiful?"
Rong Ci's throat tightened. Before she could speak, she heard her daughter, still with her back to her, happily say, "Dad also got other gifts customized for Aunt Wu. Tomorrow—"
Rong Ci's heart skipped a beat, and she could no longer hold it in. "Xin Xin... Do you remember Mom's birthday?"
"Huh? What?" Feng Jing Xin glanced up at her, then lowered her head to look at the beads she was arranging and complained, "Mom, don't talk to me, the bead order is all messed up."
Rong Ci let go of her and didn't say anything more.
She stood there for a long time, seeing her daughter not even look up at her. Rong Ci pressed her lips together, and finally, without saying a word, she left the room.
Aunt Liu saw her and said, "Madam, I called Sir earlier, and he said he has something to do tonight and asked you to rest first."
"I see."
Rong Ci answered and, remembering what her daughter had said earlier, hesitated before dialing Feng Ting Shen's number.
It took a long while for him to pick up, and his voice was faint, "I'm still busy, I'll talk to you tomorrow."
"Ting Shen, who's that so late?"
It was Lin Wu's voice.
Rong Ci gripped her phone tightly.
"It's nothing."
Before Rong Ci could say anything, Feng Ting Shen had already hung up the phone.
They hadn't seen each other for two or three months. She had finally made it to Country A, but instead of rushing home to see her, he couldn't even spare a moment for a phone call…
After so many years of marriage, he had always been like this—cold, distant, and impatient.
She had actually gotten used to it.
If it were in the past, she would have called him again, patiently asking where he was and if he could come back.
Maybe it was because she was too tired today, but she suddenly didn't feel like doing that anymore.
The next day, she woke up, thought about it, and still called Feng Ting Shen.
There was a 17-18 hour time difference between Country A and China. In Country A, today was still her birthday.
The reason she came to Country A this time was not only because she wanted to see her daughter and Feng Ting Shen, but also because she hoped their family of three could have a nice meal together on this special day.
That was her birthday wish for this year.
Feng Ting Shen didn't answer the call.
After a long while, he sent a message.
[Is something wrong?]
Rong Ci: [Do you have time at noon? Bring Xin Xin, let's have lunch together.]
[Got it, tell me the address once it's decided.]
Rong Ci: [Okay.]
After that, Feng Ting Shen didn't send any more messages.
He hadn't remembered that today was her birthday.
Although Rong Ci had prepared herself for it, she still couldn't help but feel disappointed.
After washing up, when she was about to go downstairs, she heard her daughter and Aunt Liu's voices downstairs.
"Is Madam upset?"
"I promised Dad and Aunt Wu to go to the beach tomorrow. If Mom suddenly comes, it would be awkward for us if she follows us."
"And Mom is so bad, always being mean to Aunt Wu."
"Young Miss, Madam is your mother, you can't say that. It will hurt her feelings, do you understand?"
"I know, but Dad and I like Aunt Wu more. Can't I let Aunt Wu be my mom?"
"..."
What Aunt Liu said, Rong Ci couldn't hear clearly anymore.
Her daughter had been raised by her alone, but over the past couple of years, as father and daughter spent more time together, her daughter had grown closer to Feng Ting Shen. Last year, when Feng Ting Shen came to Country A to expand the market, her daughter insisted on coming with him.
Rong Ci couldn't bear it, so she naturally hoped her daughter would stay by her side.
But she cared more about her daughter's happiness, so she agreed.
But now...
Rong Ci stood frozen in place, her face turning pale. She stood there for a long time without moving.
She had come to Country A this time to spend more time with her daughter.
Now, it seemed there was no need for that.
Rong Ci went back to her room and put the gift she had brought from China back into her suitcase.
After a while, Aunt Liu called, saying she had taken the child out to play and told her to contact her if needed.
Rong Ci sat on the bed, feeling empty inside.
She had left her job and come here, but no one really needed her.
Her arrival seemed like a joke.
After a long time, she left the house.
Wandering aimlessly in this unfamiliar yet familiar country.
Around noon, she remembered she had arranged to have lunch with Feng Ting Shen.
Thinking about what she had heard this morning, she hesitated for a moment about whether to go home and pick up her daughter. Just then, she received a message from Feng Ting Shen.
[I have something at noon, lunch is canceled.]
Rong Ci looked at it without a trace of surprise.
Because she had already gotten used to it.
In Feng Ting Shen's heart, no matter whether it was business or social gatherings… anyway, everything was more important than his wife.
The plans they had made were always canceled on a whim, without any regard for her feelings.
Was she disappointed?
Maybe in the past.
Now, she was numb, and couldn't feel it anymore.
Rong Ci was even more confused.
She came here so excitedly, yet whether it was with her husband or her daughter, all she received was indifference.
Unknowingly, she had driven to the restaurant she and Feng Ting Shen had been to many times before.
She was about to go in when she saw Feng Ting Shen, Lin Wu, and Feng Jing Xin sitting in the restaurant.
Lin Wu was sitting on the same side as her daughter, fondly talking to her while feeding her.
Feng Ting Shen smiled, serving them both food, but his gaze was always fixed on Lin Wu across from him, as if only she existed in his eyes.
This was what Feng Ting Shen called "having something to do."
This was the daughter she had carried for ten months, almost losing her life in the process.
Rong Ci smiled.
She stood in place and watched.
After a while, she withdrew her gaze and turned around to leave.
Back at the villa, Rong Ci prepared a divorce agreement.
He had always been the dream of her youth, but he never saw her.
If it weren't for that night's accident and the pressure from her father-in-law, he would never have married her.
In the past, she naively thought that as long as she tried hard enough, she would one day be seen by him.
But the truth slapped her hard in the face.
It had been nearly seven years.
She Should Wake Up Now.
After placing the divorce agreement in an envelope and instructing Aunt Liu to give it to Feng Ting Shen, Rong Ci dragged her suitcase to the car and told the driver, "To the airport."