Chapter 461 – An Empty Heart Finally Filled
Several times, she had almost reached her limit. She longed for Song Yi to return so she could hold him and pour out her hardships and longing.
Thankfully, with Ningning, her mother-in-law, and others around, she managed to get through that most difficult time.
Looking back now, Xu Fanghua thought she had been truly strong back then. She couldn’t believe she had made it through.
Even though she missed her husband intensely during that time and desperately wanted him by her side, she never regretted letting Ayi go abroad to study.
Song Yi held Song Siyi in one arm and Xu Fanghua in the other, his eyes full of deep affection and tenderness.
There was so much he wanted to say, but at that moment, he didn’t know where to begin.
His heart was completely filled with love and guilt, and it softened greatly.
Mother Song came out of the kitchen with a dish and saw the three of them embracing.
Seeing this scene, her eyes welled up with emotion.
A family of three together, whole and complete—how wonderful.
This was the kind of day she had longed for.
Now, it had finally arrived.
Though she was reluctant to interrupt their family moment, it was mealtime, and they still had to eat.
So, Mother Song cleared her throat and said, “Fanghua is back now. It’s time to eat.”
Xu Fanghua and Song Yi snapped back to reality.
Realizing they had been caught in an embrace by Mother Song, they both felt a little shy.
Song Yi handed Song Siyi to Xu Fanghua and turned to Mother Song, saying, “Mom, let me help you with the dishes. I’ve missed your cooking so much—I’ve been craving it. I didn’t expect to come home and get to eat right away.”
Once all the dishes were brought out, everyone took their seats.
Song Yi had countless things he wanted to say to Fanghua and longed to spend time with his daughter, but everything would have to wait until after dinner.
Song Yi wasn’t lying—he truly missed his mother’s cooking.
Although his mother’s dishes weren’t as tasty as his mother-in-law’s, to every child, a mother’s cooking is always unique.
Each dish carried that special, unmistakable flavor that only a mother could bring.
Even if the food wasn’t particularly delicious, it was enough to stir up feelings of nostalgia.
That’s exactly how Song Yi felt.
When he picked up his mother’s food and put it in his mouth, the familiar taste made his eyes heat up, and his throat tightened with emotion.
In these past few years in Country A, aside from missing his wife, he missed his family dearly.
His father, his mother, and his younger brother…
And Qinghe Village, the place where he grew up…
But in a foreign land, he couldn’t see their faces, couldn’t hear their voices. The only connection he had with them was through letters.
Song Yi couldn’t even remember how many letters he had sent to Fanghua and his family.
Nor could he count how many days and nights he had spent, overwhelmed with longing for Fanghua and his family, reading their replies over and over again.
He had carefully preserved all of those letters and had brought them back with him this time.
To Song Yi, those letters were priceless.
They had been with him, helping him endure nearly two thousand days and nights of hardship.
At this meal, Song Yi ate a lot—so much that he was nearly stuffed.
Mother Song knew her eldest son well, and she could tell when he had eaten too much.
Seeing him continue to eat even though he was full, she couldn’t help but smile and shake her head, scolding him good-naturedly, “It’s good that you’re full, but don’t overeat. You’ll feel uncomfortable.”
“You’re back now, and I’m here, so you can always have my cooking from now on.”
With his mother’s gentle persuasion, Song Yi reluctantly stopped eating.
After dinner, Song Yi spent some time playing with Song Siyi.
It wasn’t until the right time that Song Siyi finally fell asleep.
Before going to bed, Song Siyi had been insisting on sleeping with both her mom and dad, though her main focus was her dad.
After all, it was the first time she had ever met her father since she was born.
And her dad was just as handsome, kind, and gentle as she had imagined, treating her very, very well.
So, she wanted to sleep with both her parents.
However, in the end, Mother Song managed to persuade her otherwise.
Mother Song understood that after more than four years apart, Song Yi had finally come home, and he and Fanghua probably had a lot to talk about as a couple.
Tonight, she decided to let the young couple have some time to themselves.
As for her granddaughter, she would sleep with her tonight.
Song Yi was deeply grateful for his mother’s arrangement.
So, when Song Siyi fell asleep and Mother Song carried her into the room, Song Yi eagerly pulled Xu Fanghua into their own bedroom.
As soon as they entered, Song Yi shut the door and immediately embraced Xu Fanghua tightly.
He buried his face in her long, fair neck, breathing in her familiar scent, and whispered, “Fanghua, I missed you. I missed you so much… so, so much…”
Song Yi repeated “I missed you” many times.
But even those countless words couldn’t fully express how deeply he had missed her.
His longing for Fanghua was so intense that it had seeped into his bones, nearly becoming an unbearable ache.
In the past four years, there were countless nights when he dreamed of being back at Fanghua’s side. The happiness he felt in his dreams was matched only by the emptiness and sorrow he felt upon waking.
But now, he had finally returned.
At last, he could hold Fanghua in his arms again.
This moment was real.
And his once-empty heart had finally been filled.
Only now, as he held Fanghua, did Song Yi feel truly alive—like a man with flesh, blood, soul, and emotion.
While in Country A, Song Yi had been nothing more than a soulless machine focused on studying.
His emotions had always been suppressed.
He was overwhelmed by the shock of meeting Siyi, and with his mother present, he had been too embarrassed to express his feelings freely.
But now, his emotions and feelings finally erupted.
He couldn’t hold back, and tears began to fall.
Xu Fanghua held him tightly, feeling the sense of security that her husband brought.
When she felt the hot tears falling onto her shoulder, her heart twisted with pain.
Quickly, she turned her head, cupped Song Yi’s face in her hands, and stood on tiptoe to gently kiss away the tears on his cheeks.
“Ayi, don’t cry,” she whispered softly.
“From now on, the three of us will always be together, never to be separated again.”
“Mm, okay,” Song Yi responded, before lowering his head and pressing his lips to hers.
That kiss lasted a long, long time before they finally stopped.
Eventually, Song Yi guided Xu Fanghua onto the bed.
Words were not enough to express their feelings. Only their closeness, the exchange of warmth between their bodies, could convey how deep their love and longing for each other truly ran.
That night, they stayed entangled with one another until the early hours of the morning, whispering words of love between moments of intimacy. It wasn’t until then that they finally stopped and fell asleep in each other’s arms.
*
The next morning, Xu Jinning and Xie Ting’an arrived at the small courtyard, only to hear from Song Siyi that her father had returned.
“Brother-in-law is back! Wasn’t he supposed to come in another week?” Xu Jinning glanced around, but neither Song Yi nor Xu Fanghua were in sight.
Mother Song chuckled and said, “They’re still sleeping. I didn’t wake them up. Let them sleep a bit longer.”
Xu Jinning understood immediately. After all, her brother-in-law had just returned, so the couple was naturally going to “sleep in” a little longer.
