Having been given a second chance at life, who would still want to pursue her?

Chapter 1 The Wife's Diary

All characters are over 18 years old. This is a fictional story; please do not apply it to real life.

Inside a VIP ward at the Central Hospital.

Chen Jianji sat blankly to the side, staring numbly at the woman lying motionless on the bed.

The woman was extremely beautiful, with her cool and aloof eyes closed, as if she were taking a short nap as usual, as if she would wake up at any moment.

But Chen Jianji knew that she might... never wake up again.

Seeing his condition, the nurse who was conducting the examination nearby offered words of comfort.

"You are the husband of patient Lin Qingxue, right?"

"Don't be too anxious."

"There are quite a few cases of vegetative state patients waking up in clinical practice. If the patient has a strong will to live and the family provides more companionship, there is still a good chance of recovery."

"You've been here without sleep for two days now, your eyes are all red. Find a family member, friend, or caregiver to take over your shift and get some rest."

Chen Jianji remained silent and did not move an inch.

Seeing this, the nurse said nothing more, only shook her head and sighed.

Then he pushed the medical cart and left the room.

bang~

A soft sound.

The door was closed.

Chen Jianji seemed to have just come to his senses, still clutching a yellowed diary tightly in his hand.

The diary had a simple digital lock, but it was already damaged.

Several dried bloodstains were still scattered on the cover.

This is something Lin Qingxue held tightly in her arms before she fell into a coma after the car accident the day before yesterday.

Chen Jianji casually turned to the first page.

【2013.5.15】

He stood in the school cafeteria, holding a plate piled high with meat, and placed it heavily in front of me.

He said he accidentally overpaid and would treat me to a meal, his face still bearing that smug and self-satisfied smile.

But in my eyes, it just feels disgusting and repulsive.

He was proud of it despite being watched by those around him, completely unaware that his behavior was nothing more than a laughing stock in the eyes of others.

They looked at me too, as if to say, "Sure enough, no matter how good your grades are, if you're a student from a poor family, you'll eventually bow down to money."

He's no different from those disgusting thugs and rich kids; he probably thinks I'm the kind of girl you can easily pick up by giving me a little something.

In the past two days, Chen Jianji had already read through these contents countless times.

But seeing it again now, I couldn't help but feel a pang in my heart, and a touch of self-mockery crossed my face.

In 2013, he and Lin Qingxue were still in their senior year of high school.

Chen Jianji showed affection for Lin Qingxue for three whole years, from his first year of high school to his third.

Knowing that she came from a poor family and had a strong sense of self-respect, he always tried to find ways to bring Lin Qingxue food and drinks.

But to my surprise, everything I did only earned me her disgust and loathing.

Chen Jianji never thought of it either.

His wife, who never showed any emotional fluctuations, always spoke briefly, and seemed to treat him with utmost respect, would write such a despicable version of himself in her diary.

Although she didn't respond to his initial advances, she didn't reject them either. Isn't that a signal to a guy?

It was clearly her who sent him the love letter after the college entrance exam.

She was the one who said she would marry him...

Chen Jianji always believed that it was his persistence that moved Lin Qingxue.

That's what makes her willing to date, marry, and have children with him.

But I saw this diary the day before yesterday.

He then realized that Lin Qingxue had never loved him; she had always loved someone else.

Chen Jianji continued to casually flip through the pages of the book.

【2013.5.17】

With less than a month until the college entrance exam, Ayan has eaten a lot of the food he brought throughout his senior year, so his nutrition is already adequate. Hopefully, Ayan won't be so anxious anymore.

...

【2013.5.20】

I really didn't want to accept anything from him on this day, but Ah Yan had been wanting to eat this cake he bought for a long time...

......

Even if you don't flip through the pages in order, each page still contains words of concern for another person.

Chen Jianji looked at the words he had read countless times before, as if he were torturing himself over and over again.

The bloodshot veins in his eyes became even redder, and a self-deprecating smile appeared on his lips.

It turns out that even someone as proud as Lin Qingxue would make an exception for the man she likes.

Li Wenyan, her neighbor and childhood sweetheart.

It turns out that every time she accepted my gifts in the past, it was to provide nourishment for another man.

For this reason, he would not hesitate to accept gifts from the person he disliked the most.

Chen Jianji flipped through the pages again and stopped at one page.

【2017.11.1】

I graduated from university this year, and it's also the day I promised to marry him. The wedding banquet at the hotel is all prepared, but I'm in the dressing room, and I can't feel happy at all.

He was a troublemaker at school, consistently ranking at the bottom of his class. He was arrogant, loved to cause trouble, and was always getting into fights...

But I had no choice. He paid for my dad's medical expenses back then, and I can't repay that debt.

Ah Yan, I'm sorry, I broke my promise to you...

The last word in the diary was written with great force, as if it were trembling, the handwriting almost piercing through the paper.

The next half of the page, and even the following pages, were torn apart, and there were traces of burns from a car accident.

In fact, several parts of the diary had been deliberately torn out before the car accident.

A smile inexplicably crept onto Chen Jianji's lips.

It's obvious that those torn pages were filled with longing for another man.

Lin Qingxue is someone who values face more than her own life.

Outsiders all say she is a good CEO, a good wife, and a good mother.

They rarely owe favors, and if they do, they will immediately repay them double.

She wouldn't allow herself to have any stains, even after the car accident, she managed to hold on until the moment before she lost consciousness, tearing away those "sins" in her heart, afraid of being discovered.

But in this world, there are no secrets that can't be kept hidden, and no paper that can keep fire from spreading.

Chen Jianji's eyes remained calm as he turned directly to the last page.

【2023.10.31】

Ah Yan sent me an invitation, saying he's getting married tomorrow, on the same day I got married years ago.

[Could it be that he... hasn't let go yet?]

The last symbol was smeared with black ink, creating a large area of smudges.

Clearly, the person who wrote those words was in a state of turmoil.

Chen Jianji took a deep breath, closed the diary, and stuffed it into the inner pocket of his clothes.

Then he slowly looked at Lin Qingxue, who was still lying on the hospital bed with her eyes closed.

She's been married to herself for so many years, and they even have children.

Chan Kin-kei always thought that her quiet and reserved nature was due to her personality.

He should have known this long ago, but he kept numbing himself with it.

Lin Qingxue wasn't indifferent; she just didn't like him.

Like this diary, it is filled with self-loathing and a restrained love for another person.

Just like the day before yesterday, after she left Li Wenyan's wedding, she drove like crazy, as if she had been stimulated by something.

This was the first time in so many years that she had lost her composure, all because of another man.

Squeak...

The ward door was gently pushed open.

A woman in a uniform walked in.

Until he stood in front of Chan Kin-kei.

He handed over a box.

Chen Jianji looked up and then saw who it was.

She is Lin Qingxue's secretary.

"Sir, this is a gift that Ms. Lin prepared last month. It was also the gift that she called me from her office drawer on the day of the car accident, and I took it home to deliver to her."

Chen Jianji mechanically reached out and took the box, then opened it.

What came into view was a brand new check for one million dollars.

There is also a critical condition consent form from three years ago when Lin Qingxue suffered severe bleeding during a cesarean section, as well as her daughter Xiaotong's birth certificate.

Chen Jianji held the two items tightly, his fingers clenching slightly, and said in a hoarse voice.

Did she say anything when she gave it to you?

The secretary paused for a long time before speaking.

"She didn't specifically instruct me on anything, but after President Lin finished preparing last month, I heard her mutter to herself that this money had nothing to do with the Chen family's aquaculture business and that she earned it herself."

"And they also said... said something like, 'We're even.'"

Upon hearing this...

Chen Jianji smiled silently.

We've been together for so many years, plus this diary and the secretary's words.

Chan Kin-kei finally understood what this meant.

Lin Qingxue's father fell seriously ill when she was about to take the college entrance examination.

It was Chen Jianji who begged his family to give him 100,000 yuan to save her father.

Back then, 100,000 yuan was a lot of money in the countryside, and the value of a life was incomparable.

At that time, Lin Qingxue was just a high school student who hadn't taken the college entrance exam yet, and she couldn't afford to pay it back at all.

But now, she's using a million dollars, compounded tenfold.

And a daughter...

No wonder she's always so busy, busy with contracts, busy expanding the market, busy securing partnerships, but she never cares about her family, and she never pays attention to any birthdays or anniversaries.

It turns out that all of this was considered the price to pay.

this...

That really suits Lin Qingxue's personality.

Chen Jianji ran his fingers along the edge of the box.

So many years of companionship.

Chen Jianji thought he had won Lin Qingxue's heart.

Both he and his parents fully supported this relationship.

Lin Qingxue also fulfilled her responsibilities as a wife.

She is good at managing a household and keeps the company in excellent order.

She can also take good care of the family, and no one can find fault with her.

But only Chan Kin-kei knew.

He went from being overjoyed at the beginning to becoming numb to Lin Qingxue's calm and indifference day after day.

Chan Kin-kei can no longer deceive himself.

The person who has been lying next to you for years doesn't love you.

This marriage was inherently a sham from the start.

After the car accident, everything was laid bare under the scorching sun.

He, and this family, are torn apart.

Chen Jianji slowly put down the box and then stood up.

"I'm going to pick Xiaotong up from school. You keep an eye on her."

After saying that, he left without waiting for his secretary's reply.

On the bustling street.

Chen Jianji didn't drive; he walked the whole way.

Until we arrived at the kindergarten gate.

A large group of parents had already gathered at the entrance to pick up their children from school.

Chen Jianji just stood there, dumbfounded.

What should I say to Xiaotong later?

I lied to her yesterday and said her mother was away on a business trip.

What about today? What about the future?

Mom may never wake up again; Mom doesn't love this family at all.

My mother likes someone else.

Even if she wakes up, her father will still divorce her mother.

He... seemed unable to utter a single word.

...

I'm sorry, Xiaotong.

You were born into this fake family.

As Chen Jianji looked at the laughter and chatter around the school gate, his gaze gradually lost focus, and his vision went blank.

if...

If I could do it all over again.

He will definitely stay far away from Lin Qingxue.

......

"Hey, Brother Ji, what are you doing standing here?"

A familiar voice pulled Chen Jianji back to reality.

He turned around and saw his good brother Zhang Ziliang, but his previously somewhat pot-bellied figure seemed to have lost a lot of weight.

Chen Jianji looked away. He hadn't told anyone about Lin Qingxue's car accident; he didn't know how to tell them.

"What else could it be? I'm picking my daughter up from school; her mother is away on a business trip."

"Your daughter? Whose mother is she?"

At this moment, Chan Kin-kei had already suppressed his emotions. Over the years, he had become very good at controlling his emotions because he did not want to bring negative emotions to his children.

No longer as arrogant and impulsive as described in Lin Qingxue's diary.

Chen Jianji's lips twitched slightly.

Are you genuinely stupid or just pretending?

"You didn't know about Lin Qingxue and me?"

"And weren't you there when your daughter had her full-month celebration?"

The voice just fell.

The previously noisy surroundings seemed to fall silent.

Chen Jianji sensed this strange change.

Only then did he raise his eyes.

He was stunned at first glance.

All around were parents dressed in various clothes who had come to pick up their children.

At this moment, they were all students in school uniforms, each holding a tray and getting their food.