A year has passed so quickly. Her birthday wish, however, remained unfulfilled.
Yu An sniffed, "Thank you, Auntie." She didn't want to cause trouble for the Ji family; Xi Jia's illness had already given them a lot of headaches.
She lied: "Our Director Zhou and several colleagues aren't going home this year; they've already planned to celebrate my birthday. So I won't be going to your place. Thank you for still remembering my birthday."
"Don't cry, don't cry. Why are you crying, child?" Xi Yelan said. "Is someone really celebrating your birthday? Don't lie to Auntie."
Yu An: "I'm not lying to you. Director Zhou and a few colleagues actually stayed behind to keep me company, but I could only pretend I didn't know."
Xi Yelan asked Yu An to send her the address, as she had prepared many birthday gifts for Yu An.
The phone call lasted a long time, and after hanging up, Yu An's nose was red from the cold.
Just now, she was momentarily lost in thought. Was Zhou Mingqian not going home because he'd really had a falling out with his family, or was he worried about her spending the New Year alone?
Perhaps she's overthinking it.
Regardless, she had someone to eat with during the Chinese New Year.
Everything she has now is something she never dared to dream of before.
——
With two days left until the Spring Festival, Mo Yushen also took a holiday. The market will close the day after tomorrow, and his battle with Mo Lian will also be suspended due to the holiday.
Early in the morning, at only six o'clock, Mo Yushen was shaken awake by Xi Jia, "Husband, get up quickly."
Mo Yushen was startled and immediately came to his senses. "What's wrong?"
Xi Jia threw off the covers and got out of bed to find her clothes. "I have to go to painting today, or I'll be late if I don't get up now."
Mo Yushen was completely confused. "You signed up for a training course?"
Xi Jia shook her head. She couldn't remember who had signed her up for the class, but she had class today. "Buy me some more chocolates so I can share them with my classmates. I always end up eating theirs."
Mo Yushen felt something was off. Even though she had signed up for the class, she had never attended a single one. How could she have eaten her classmate's chocolate? Suddenly, he realized something.
Her memory is confused.
She once said that when she was four or five years old, she attended an art class and would often steal chocolates from the little girl at the next table.
How did this memory get misplaced to her childhood?
"Xi Jia, you don't have class today. That's a memory from your childhood."
Xi Jia was putting on her skirt when she paused, "What did you say?"
Mo Yushen: "Take a look at your phone's notes." He handed her his phone.
Xi Jia opened her notes app, puzzled. Yesterday, she had a memory lapse; for a moment, her mind went blank. Mo Yushen had even reminded her that it was possible her memory was misplaced.
"But I really have class today."
Mo Yushen held her shoulders with both hands. "Don't rush. Tell me, what are you thinking about right now? Why do you insist on going to class?"
Xi Jia: "Nothing else, it's just that I have class at 8:30. Oh right, I haven't finished the homework the teacher assigned last time. I'll go early and ask a classmate to help me finish it. I should bring her a few extra chocolates."
"Is that all you have in mind right now?" Mo Yushen asked.
Xi Jia nodded.
Mo Yushen: "Where is the class held? How old are you? Who will take you there?"
Xi Jia: "I don't know where the classes are held. The driver always takes me there. I'm twenty-seven years old. Don't you know how old I am?"
Mo Yushen put one arm around her and used his other phone to call Professor Xiang, explaining Xi Jia's situation to him in detail.
Professor Xiang: "I've encountered a similar case before, but it wasn't her disease. It was an Alzheimer's patient whose memories were from her childhood. The patient knew what year it was, but the things she did were things she would only do when she was a child. These were instructions from her brain that she couldn't control."
Mo Yushen: "What about Xi Jia's situation?"
Professor Xiang: "I've seen the monitoring records her medical team sent me. Her recovery is better than I expected. There are no further lesions in her brain nerves, and there are even signs of improvement. This behavior of hers should be short-term. I'm just sorry to trouble you."
Mo Yu breathed a sigh of relief, "It's nothing."
Professor Xiang: "Just go along with whatever she wants to do; her happiness is the most important thing."
He used the most common example to explain Xi Jia's current mental state to Mo Yushen: "Take me as an example. I just woke up, thinking about the development of drug A because Xi Jia's condition has worsened; she's lost her hearing, and I have to race against time. Actually, Xi Jia has already taken drug A, and now her hearing is basically normal. But for me, the instruction in my mind is: 'I have to go to the lab today; Xi Jia is waiting for this drug to save her life.' Even if others tell me that Xi Jia has regained her hearing and has taken drug A, I just can't accept it. Do you understand this feeling? The brain issues this instruction; it's wrong, but I think it's right. Even if others tell me that it's in the past, I still can't get over it and can't believe it."
Mo Yushen: "I understand." It's similar to her previous memory from two years ago. Back then, the memories were continuous, but now they're not, and it's a randomized memory from the past.
Professor Xiang: "We have only explored a small part of brain nerves and brain memory. We have not yet figured out the cause of Xi Jia's disease and Alzheimer's disease. Medicine is constantly advancing, and Xi Jia's disease can be cured."
Xi Jia glanced at her phone; it was almost 6:20. She nudged Mo Yushen and whispered, "I'm going to be late."
Mo Yu nodded and hurriedly ended the call with Professor Xiang.
Xi Jia pressed her forehead against Mo Yushen's chest. "I'm sorry, husband, I can't control myself. I know I'm having memory problems right now, but the next second, I'll think about the homework the teacher assigned that I haven't finished."
Mo Yushen hugged her and said, "It's alright. It'll be fine. I asked Professor Xiang."
After a moment of silence, Xi Jia repeated, "Let's hurry up, I'm afraid we'll be late if we don't leave soon."
Mo Yushen had no solution for the moment. He couldn't conjure up an art training class. Even if he could find a teacher and a place temporarily, where could he find classmates for her?
"Honey, let go of me, I need to wash up, or I'll be late."
Mo Yushen, in a moment of inspiration, said, "Winter break has started, and the teacher said today's class will be canceled and made up after the New Year." He sent a message to Professor Xiang: "Professor Xiang, could you please send me a holiday notice? I need to show it to Xi Jia; I can't find any extracurricular classes for her right now."
Soon, it was sent to the professor.
Xi Jia looked at him suspiciously, "Did the teacher say that?"
Mo Yushen nodded. "What are your teachers' last names?"
Xi Jia: "Zhang".
Mo Yushen: "That's right."
Mo Yushen changed Professor Xiang's contact name to 'Art Class Teacher Zhang'. He handed the phone to Xi Jia: "This was sent by your teacher. There will be no classes during winter break. I'll take you out to play today."
When Xi Jia saw that there was no class, she felt relieved. She didn't need to make up her homework either. The tense nerve in her mind finally relaxed.
After a while, I stopped feeling uneasy and stopped thinking about class.
She hugged Mo Yushen: "Thank you, husband. I don't know what will happen in the future, and I'll have to trouble you again."
Mo Yushen patted her head: "It's what I should do." Now her memory is slowly returning to normal, and the erroneous command from before has been resolved.
It was past six o'clock in the morning in winter, and it was still dark.
Xi Jia changed out of her dress and lay back down on the bed, intending to take a nap. She tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.
Mo Yushen was leaning against the headboard reading a book when he saw her open her eyes. "Aren't you going to sleep?"
Xi Jia sat up and asked, "What are we doing today? You're on holiday too, right?"
Mo Yushen: "I'll take you out to play."
"where?"
"studio."
Mo Yushen just contacted an art studio through a friend; many adults go there to cultivate their interests. Today is the last class before the holiday.
Xi Jia then asked, "What studio?"
"secret."
"Fine, don't tell me then."
Xi Jia initially thought it was related to her script. However, upon arriving there, she discovered it was actually an art studio.
The studio manager knew Xi Jia's specific situation, so he didn't say much. He arranged a place for her and prepared a set of drawing boards and tools for her.
Xi Jia was preparing to paint a watercolor painting when she asked Mo Yushen, "Do you prefer boys or girls?"
Mo Yushen: "Girl."
Xi Jia is going to draw a little princess. "When I don't have to take medicine anymore, we'll have a baby. I want to give you a little princess."
Mo Yushen looked at her profile, his gaze gentle.
He nodded, without telling her that her medication might have side effects.
Xi Jia carefully colored the princess dress, while Mo Yushen stayed by her side.
Xi Jia: "Actually, you don't need to bring me to paint. My memories of that period have passed, and I don't crave painting as much anymore, nor do I feel awkward about it."
Mo Yushen: "Anyway, I have nothing to do at home." He used a cotton swab to wipe away the paint that she had accidentally spilled next to her.
Chapter 90
The next day, Xi Jia's memory was normal in the morning, and Mo Yushen breathed a sigh of relief.
Even during the holiday, Mo Yushen did not completely abandon his work. After the stock market reopens, his confrontation with Mo Lian will become even more intense.
A knock sounded on the door.
"Mo Yushen?" Xi Jia's voice came through.
"What's wrong?"
Xi Jia pushed open the door to Mo Yushen's study. "Did I disturb your work?"
Mo Yushen sensed something was off about her. Her eyes lacked their usual dependence, appearing slightly cold, as did her expression. Had she just taken a nap and her memories had randomly reverted to the past?
"Is something the matter?" he asked in response.
Xi Jia: "I need to go out for a bit, is it convenient for me to borrow your car?"
Mo Yushen nodded and found the car keys for her.
Xi Jia: "Thank you."
When Xi Jia went out, Mo Yushen had someone follow her.
Xi Jia went to the mall and bought a lot of loungewear and pajamas.
After receiving the report, Mo Yushen understood which day her memory had returned to. It was the day they first lived together after getting their marriage certificate. Later, she said that her loungewear was childish and immature.
It wasn't until 7 p.m. that Xi Jia left the mall. On her way home, she stopped at a convenience store and went in to buy a few things.
Once they arrived at the villa's courtyard, at eight o'clock, Xi Jia's phone alarm rang again, reminding her to check her memo.