Vivian could no longer hold it in and burst into heartbreaking wails.

She could almost feel the loneliness and despair of her past self, struggling bitterly amidst fatal illness and betrayal.

Sylvester knelt by the bedside, holding her tightly as he murmured over and over, "I'm sorry... Vivian, I'm so sorry..."

Vivian cried for a long time before her emotions finally began to settle.

She raised her tear-stained face, reaching out to caress Sylvester’s cheek, asking softly, "Sylvester, do you know? In this life, the moment you rushed into the medical center to stop me, I was terrified."

"Terrified of what?"

"Terrified that this was just another dream." Her voice carried a trace of vulnerability, "Terrified that once I woke up, you would still be that cold Sylvester, still ignoring my feelings, and still giving all your tenderness to someone else."

Sylvester took her hand, pressing it flat against his chest so she could feel the steady, powerful thudding of his heart.

"Listen, the heartbeat is real. And I am real."

"Vivian, in this life, I will never let go of your hand again, and I will never let you suffer an ounce of heartbreak."

Vivian looked at the absolute sincerity in his eyes, then pulled an envelope from beneath her pillow and placed it before him.

Inside was the divorce agreement written in her own hand, dated May 19, 2018.

Yesterday.

The terms were incredibly simple: she wanted absolutely nothing except the custody of their son, Harvey.

"I originally intended to quietly divorce you if the checkup turned out poorly, just to avoid becoming a burden to you." She looked at him, her gaze filled with a quiet peace, "But now..."

Right before his eyes, she tore the divorce agreement to pieces bit by bit.

The shredded paper drifted to the floor like snow, taking with it all the walls and suspicions that had stood between them.

"Sylvester Hurst, in this life, let's start over."

Sylvester locked his arms around her, pulling her into a fierce embrace, as if trying to fuse her into his very bones.

"Okay," his voice cracked with emotion, "We start over. Let me spend the rest of my life loving you properly."

"Daddy, Mommy, are you crying?"

Harvey had woken up at some point, rubbing his sleepy eyes as he stood by the edge of the bed.

The two quickly wiped away their tears. Harvey ran over, grabbing a hand from each of them, saying with a bright smile, "Don't cry. Our family must stay together forever."

The moonlight outside grew even brighter, pouring gently into the room and illuminating the three of them locked in a tight embrace.

Vivian leaned against Sylvester’s shoulder, murmuring, "Sylvester, for this exam... you passed."

Sylvester kissed the crown of her head, his smile full of warmth, "I will work hard to graduate with honors."

On the monitor, the rhythmic ticking sounded like a newborn heartbeat, distinct and clear in the quiet night.

This time, the needle never pierced her skin.

This time, he believed her words.

This time, the story was only just beginning.

Chapter 18

May 20, 2021, their eighth wedding anniversary.

At six-thirty in the morning, Sylvester was wearing an apron, frying eggs in the kitchen.

The surgery three years ago had split their family into two completely different halves.

The first half had been cold and detached; he hadn't even known who she truly was.

The second half was burning hot; he wanted nothing more than to embed her into his very existence, carrying her with him wherever he went.

"Daddy! My tie is crooked!"

Seven-year-old Harvey rushed into the kitchen holding a mirror, his tiny face full of anxiety.

His blue school uniform was worn flawlessly, except for the red tie around his neck, which was twisted into a knot.

Sylvester set down the spatula and knelt to adjust it for his son, "Why so formal today?"

"Mommy goes back to work at school today!" Harvey’s eyes shone like stars, "I want to make Mommy proud!"

Vivian’s recovery had lasted a full three years.

First was the half-year of post-operation bed rest, during which he guarded her twenty-four hours a day.

Then came the conditioning. The traditional medicine was so bitter it made her frown, so he prepared sweet preserves, offering one piece of candy for every bowl of medicine.

Her follow-up appointments took place monthly, and her CA199 marker dropped from thirty-eight to twenty-two, before returning to absolute normalcy.

Her pancreatic CT scans were performed annually, coming back completely clean every single time.

The doctors called it a miracle.

But Sylvester knew it wasn't.

This was the final chance he had traded two entire lifetimes to secure.

"All done. Go wake Mommy up."

Harvey sprinted up the stairs.

A moment later, the sound of laughter from mother and son drifted down from the second floor.

Listening to the sound, a quiet corner of Sylvester’s heart melted completely.

By the time he set the breakfast on the table, Vivian was coming down the stairs.

She wore a light gray suit, her long hair pinned up, and wore a touch of light makeup. Her complexion was radiant, making her look like a completely different person from three years ago.

"So formal?" He smiled, pulling out a chair for her.

"It's my first day back at work, after all." Vivian sat down, looking at the table laden with food, "You made this much?"

"It's our anniversary." Sylvester handed her a gift box, "Happy eighth anniversary."

Vivian opened the box to find a pearl necklace with a star-shaped pendant.

It matched the one he had given her before her surgery perfectly.

"When did you..."

"I commissioned it; it took half a year to make." Sylvester stepped behind her, fastening the necklace.

As his fingertips brushed against her warm skin, his throat tightened, "Vivian, thank you."

Thank you for being alive.

Thank you for still being willing to give me a chance.

Vivian turned to look at him, her eyes reddening, "Sylvester, thank you for these past three years."

Thank you for never leaving her side after the surgery.

Thank you for waking up in the middle of the night to cook porridge.

Thank you for accompanying her to every single checkup.

Thank you for... truly changing.

As the car pulled up to the familiar school gates, Vivian took a deep breath.

"Nervous?" Sylvester squeezed her hand.

"I haven't stood at a podium in three years."

"You are Vivian Hurst." He printed a kiss upon the back of her hand, "Your students have been waiting for you with absolute longing."

This was the truth.

Over the past three years, Sylvester had stayed in constant contact with her students.

Caleb Moore had entered a normal university, saying he wanted to become a teacher just like Mrs. Hurst.

The other students constantly asked, "When is Mrs. Hurst coming back?"

Vivian pushed the car door open, only to freeze in astonishment.

Two rows of people stood lining the school gates.

On the left were the principal and the teachers, each holding a bouquet of flowers.

On the right were her graduated students.

"Welcome home, Mrs. Hurst—!!!"

The unified roar caused the leaves on the trees to tremble.

Vivian stood in place, tears spilling instantly from her eyes.

Caleb ran over, bowing deeply, "Mrs. Hurst, I am here to welcome you back on behalf of our entire class. Everyone said we had to see you return with our own eyes."

"Thank you... thank you all so much." She choked out, unable to say more.

Sylvester stood behind her, watching the scene unfold as a profound warmth filled his chest.

He knew exactly what she had longed for most during these three years.

Every time she looked at her lesson plans she would daze off, and every time they drove past the school she would slow down.

Now, she was finally back.

Returned to the place where she truly shone.

In the afternoon, the family of three went to the hospital for their physicals.

This was a rule Sylvester had established.

Every year on their anniversary, the entire family would undergo a checkup together.

He said, "Health is the best possible gift."

The reports came out quickly.

Every single one of Vivian’s indicators was perfectly normal.

Afterward, the car came to a stop before a brand-new building.

Vivian stared at the plaque on the exterior wall, freezing in disbelief.

"The Vivian Hurst Library"

"A library for a hope primary school, donated under your name," he squeezed her hand tightly, "In your past life, you donated your royalties to mountain girls. In this life, I am helping you build a library."

Pushing the door open, the interior was spacious and bright, with bookshelves reaching all the way to the ceiling.

A dozen children from the mountains were sitting in the reading area. Upon seeing them, they all stood up.

A girl wearing a simple cotton dress walked over, bowing deeply:

"Hello, Mrs. Hurst. Hello, Mr. Hurst. I am Lin, the student you sponsored. I work here as a manager now."