The Tycoon's Mysterious Darling Wife
Chapter 359 - 361. Ya Xi’s Heart Knot (11th Update)

Chapter 359: 361. Ya Xi’s Heart Knot (11th Update)

Ya Xi gradually calmed down, but her brow was still tightly furrowed, and she murmured softly to herself. Doug held her hand, constantly speaking softly into her ear until she fell into a deep sleep, her sleeping face serene.

Seeing that Ya Xi had truly calmed down, Doug gently withdrew his hand and walked out to the balcony to send a message to Shen Qinglan. Shen Qinglan was already asleep, and the person who saw the message was Fu Hengyi. Fu Hengyi glanced at the content of the message, thought about it, and decided not to wake Shen Qinglan. Instead, he sent Doug a link to a web page.

Doug understood why Ya Xi was acting this way after seeing the content he received. He returned to the bedroom, saw that Ya Xi was sleeping fairly peacefully, and planned to leave. However, just as he reached the door, he heard Ya Xi’s soft crying. Returning to the bedside, he discovered that Ya Xi appeared to be having a nightmare. She cried softly, like a helpless little kitten. Doug’s heart clenched suddenly, and with a sigh, he sat down by the bed and once again took Ya Xi’s hand.

"Ya Xi, I’m here, don’t be afraid. You’re a brave child, don’t look back. I’m waiting for you ahead..." His voice was tender and magnetic, like an ocean, gently enveloping Ya Xi with its soft waves in his warm embrace.

The next morning, when Ya Xi woke up, she saw Doug sitting on the floor, his head resting on the edge of the bed, and her hand tightly clasped in his. Ya Xi wanted to call out, but her throat hurt terribly, as if slashed by a knife. She withdrew her hand and Doug woke up.

"Ya Xi, how are you feeling?" Doug asked gently.

"Water." Ya Xi said with a barely audible voice, but Doug understood. He stood up, poured a cup of water for Ya Xi, propped her up, and fed her half a cup before stopping.

After drinking the water, Ya Xi felt some relief in her throat. Looking at Doug, "Thank you. Why are you at my house?"

Doug put the cup back, "I called you yesterday, don’t you remember?"

Ya Xi furrowed her brow, thought carefully, and seemed to recall. She looked a bit embarrassed, "Sorry."

Doug smiled, "We’re friends. You’re alone overseas with no one to take care of you. It’s only right that I come to look after you."

Ya Xi’s complexion was still pale. Doug looked at her and asked casually, "You talked in your sleep all night. What did you dream about?"

Ya Xi paused, "Did I talk in my sleep last night?"

Doug nodded, "Quite a lot, but your voice was too soft. I couldn’t understand clearly."

"I don’t remember." Ya Xi shook her head blankly.

Doug looked into her eyes. They were clear, not seeming to lie, and he felt somewhat relieved. It was good as long as there was no sign of Ya Xi recovering her memory. For a patient like Ya Xi, if she regained her memory and had a relapse, the chance of her getting better again was slim to none. She might spend the rest of her life trapped in that pain.

"Forget it if you don’t remember, seeing how upset you were, it must have been a nightmare. It’s better that you forgot. Since you just woke up, I’ll have the maid cook some porridge for you to eat," Doug said.

Ya Xi didn’t dwell on the dream. She hadn’t eaten all day and was indeed hungry. Doug went downstairs and came back up holding a cup of milk, "Drink some milk first to fill your stomach."

Ya Xi took the milk, drank half the cup then put it down. She still felt very weak and dizzy.

Seeing that she wasn’t in high spirits, Doug did not deliberately start a conversation with her. Instead, he picked up a book from Ya Xi’s bedside and flipped through it.

Ya Xi lay in the blanket, quietly gazing at Doug’s profile, and unintentionally fell asleep. Her breathing was steady, and her expression peaceful, indicating she was sleeping well.

Doug waited half an hour, saw that Ya Xi was indeed asleep, and then left. He still had some matters to understand.

He called Shen Qinglan. Hearing the situation as explained by Doug, Shen Qinglan’s heart shook, "Doug, will Ya Xi recover her memory?"

Doug looked serious, "Currently, there’s no sign of it, but there’s no guarantee for the future. I already know what happened in her family. The incident with her parents has greatly impacted her, causing her much pain, which stimulated her already sensitive nerves."

"You’re saying that if Ya Xi continues to be stressed, she might remember everything?" Shen Qinglan asked in a deep voice, her voice clear but edged with an unmistakable chill.

"Yes."

"Alright, I understand. Ya Xi will need you to take care of her a bit more; I’ll figure something out for this end of things," Shen Qinglan said, and after hanging up, she called Yan Shengyu.

"Shen Qinglan?" Yan Shengyu’s voice was weary; he had not slept the previous night. He had planned to go to Xueli City to be with Ya Xi yesterday, but was delayed by some urgent matters here.

"Where’s your mother?" Shen Qinglan cut straight to the point. She wanted to call Zhao Jiaqing directly but did not have her contact information.

Yan Shengyu was taken aback, "You’re looking for my mom?"

"Yes, are you with her? If not, give me her contact details."

Yan Shengyu indeed wasn’t with Zhao Jiaqing at the moment. After reporting a string of numbers, Shen Qinglan immediately hung up the phone.

Zhao Jiaqing was surprised to receive Shen Qinglan’s call, but after listening to what Shen Qinglan had to say, her expression instantly changed, "I know now, thank you for telling me, Miss Shen, I am sorry for what happened before."

Shen Qinglan was slightly stunned, not understanding what she was referring to, and Zhao Jiaqing didn’t explain, hanging up directly.

**

Ya Xi’s high fever started to recur that afternoon. Doug was just about to take her to the hospital when Ya Xi clutched at his clothes, looking at him with pitiful eyes, "I don’t want to go to the hospital."

Doug’s heart softened the moment he saw her eyes and softened his voice, "Okay, we won’t go to the hospital. We will have a doctor come to the house, is that okay?"

Ya Xi nodded, "Okay."

Doug called one of his doctor friends, who arrived quickly and prescribed the same antipyretics for Ya Xi. After taking them, she showed no sign of improvement. Doug knew all too well that the root cause of Ya Xi’s condition was psychological.

When Ya Xi was a bit more lucid, Doug looked at her intently, "Ya Xi, are you troubled by something? If there’s anything that’s making you unhappy, you can tell me."

Ya Xi shook her head; she didn’t want to talk about her parents.

Doug reached out and took her hand, "Ya Xi, you don’t have to be so strong. Don’t hold back your emotions. If you are tormenting yourself over your parents’ issues, then you’re being foolish."

Ya Xi looked at him, "You know?"

Doug nodded, "Do you want to talk about what you’re thinking?"

Ya Xi was silent for a while before she began to speak softly. Doug listened quietly without interrupting until she was done.

"Ya Xi, you are not a burden to your parents. Whether they choose to divorce or not, you might be a factor, but you are not the main reason. There’s no need for you to blame yourself this much."

Ya Xi looked dismal, "Doug, why should two people who don’t love each other force themselves to be together, even putting on a facade of love in front of others? I never imagined that my happiness was an illusion, that I was living in a world of lies. My father, whom I thought was good, betrayed my mother and had another woman, while my mother endured this life for so many years. I can’t imagine how she has endured it. If I were just a little bit healthier, would my parents stop torturing themselves because of me?"

"Doug, look into my eyes," Doug said, and Ya Xi looked up at him, "Did your mother tell you that they aren’t divorcing because of you?"

Ya Xi shook her head, "No, it’s just my guess." She had a vague feeling that her parents were in this situation because of her.

"Ya Xi, you are too sensitive. Your parents’ decision is not purely for you. Their relationship has broken down more because of their own issues, and your speculation only makes you suffer. If your parents knew, they would be upset too."

Ya Xi’s tears fell without warning, as she clutched her chest, "But Doug, my heart hurts so much, and a voice in my head keeps telling me, all of this is caused by me, that my parents are in this state because of me, and I shouldn’t be alive."

Her emotions surged, and Doug held her, gently patting her back, "Ya Xi, this isn’t your fault, your thoughts are wrong..."

His voice reached Ya Xi’s ears but couldn’t penetrate her heart; she cried with sobs, and flashes of an image passed through her mind, where her father hit her mother in front of her. This memory was both foreign and vivid.

Doug stopped talking and just gently patted Ya Xi’s back, letting her vent her emotions while internally analyzing the reasons for Ya Xi’s psychological reactions and formulating strategies to respond.

He had barely pulled Ya Xi out of the abyss, not wanting to see that girl lost in despair and fear again.

Ya Xi cried for a long time, her crying turning from loud sobs to gentle weeping and eventually to silence. She lay quietly in Doug’s arms, clutching the front of his shirt in a dependent manner.

Seeing her calm down, Doug spoke softly, "Ya Xi, how about going away to clear your mind with me once you get better?"

With a hoarse voice, Ya Xi asked, "Where to?"

"Europe, a tour around Europe."

Ya Xi didn’t say yes and didn’t say no. Having cried, she was now exhausted. Her illness had been recurrent and her emotional burden so heavy. Once she had let it all out, she relaxed and fell asleep without realizing it.

Doug laid Ya Xi on the bed, her hand still clutching his shirt. He smiled helplessly, looking at Ya Xi with an affectionate and tender gaze that he didn’t even recognize himself.