Worrying Qiu Wen's situation would deteriorate, Xue Ting decided to put aside her temper and sort him out first.

Seeing him being helpless on the ground, broke her heart a little as she hugged him while his breathing began to slow down. She gently stroked his back as he calmed down.

"It's fine. Breathe. I'm here." Xue Ting coaxed as she helped him to stand.

Qiu Wen's body stopped trembling but he hugged her tighter, realising that she at that point, had become the most important woman in his life.

"Let's go back to my birthday party?" He suggested as he faced her while she frowned.

"But we should get you checked..." She insisted as he smiled.

"No, honey. Grandma wants me to bring you there or she doesn't allow me to call her grandma if you don't appear tonight." He stepped in closer to her as he looked at her pretty eyes which fluttered when she worried.

"Plus, it was all your hard work. I cannot let it go to waste." He winked as she finally smiled and blushed shyly but quickly her worried look appeared again. Qiu Wen gently rubbed her arm to soothe her.

"I will explain later about my situation. I will be alright just so long don't leave me." He assured her as she sighed in defeat and nodded.

He held her hand as they walked to the car but her swollen ankle was slowing them down with her occasional limping.

"Oh... We should get your ankle checked..." He said looking at her bare foot as he scooped her off the ground into his arms and headed back to the car. It surprised her as she stared at him all the way, contemplating the choices she made.

Did I just make the right choice, Wen Wen? Xue Ting asked in mind.

"Qiu Qiu, let's go to the hotel. I will have the family doctor there to handle your mum's ankle." Qiu Wen instructed as he hopped into the car with Xue Ting, noticing Joy was excited in the driver seat. Knowing they both had their license completed recently but had yet to try driving on the road, Qiu Wen watched Joy closely with Matthew.

"Alright!" Joy giggled as she stepped on the gear. Xue Ting was still trying to register the string of events and did not realise who was driving as she stared at Qiu Wen diving deep into her thoughts.

"Watch it, Joy!" Matthew scolded when Joy went too near a curb.

"I know! I know! Chill it!" Joy scolded back and noticed Xue Ting still had no reaction to her driving.

Qiu Wen noticed Xue Ting was thinking too deeply that he held her hand and tightened the grip as he felt her relaxed more. A shoe shop caught his attention when they passed by it.

"Hey Qiu Qiu, stop here a minute," Qiu Wen instructed Joy to pull over.

"Where are we going?" Xue Ting finally managed to ask when Qiu Wen lifted her off the car.

"To get you a pair of shoes first. You two wait here!" Qiu Wen told the twins before Matthew got down to help him close the passenger door.

"It's alright. I will walk. I can." Xue Ting insisted when they entered the shop.

He held her around the shop as she searched for temporary shoes. That was when she stumbled on a pair of adorable flats. He instantly knew she was fond of it.

"Excuse me, can we have size 34 please?" Qiu Wen asked as Xue Ting looked at him in surprise.

"Hey, no no..." Xue Ting rejected softly.

"You adore it, don't you?" He faced her who was leaning in very closely to him.

"But it's not worth the price..." She looked at the pair of shoes.

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He lifted her to sit by the bench while waiting for the storekeeper.

"Ting Ting, I haven't been good to you. I never did." He held her hands.

"No, you are good enough." She said remembering he paid her for being in the contract open marriage.

"You paid me every month..." Those words felt like a sword stabbing at his heart as she watched him winced

"No, not like that Ting Ting. I want this gift as an apology for all of my faults. I'm sorry I hurled my anger at you today. It was horrible of me. The anger was supposed to be directed at my mother and I have my reasons." Qiu Wen apologise as he cupped her face in his palm. "I will tell you later…"

She beamed looking at him when the storekeeper approached them. "Excuse me, sir, here's size 34." The sales girl came back interrupting her explanation.

"Qiu Wen…" Xue Ting wanted to explain that he misunderstood his mother and that his mother still loved him tremendously but Mrs. Tang was not good at portraying it.

"Thank you..." He said to the storekeeper as he fitted them on her and was satisfied at how they looked on her.

"Alright, I will settle the bill please." He stood and passed his card to the storekeeper while Xue Ting stood in objection.

"No, don't, please don't..." She got cut off when she wobbled back down to the chair.

"It's my apology gift. You don't accept it then I'm not forgiven?" He pouted as she twitched her lips to the side, not knowing what she should do.

She was about to retaliate when the storekeeper returned with his receipt and card. He collected them and carried her to the car with the box in the paper bag.

"You know you don't have to carry me. I can still walk..." Xue Ting objected as Qiu Wen silent her with a surprise kiss on her forehead which left her stunned and speechless again.

She could feel her heartbeat racing as she tried so hard to suppress her fear of losing him despite how. She tried to distract herself with the contract and that it was all an act. However, it all was to no avail. Her heart betrayed her unknowingly, the same as many years ago.

At the party, Grandma was patiently waiting by the corner as Qiu Wen carried Xue Ting into the ballroom while the twins trailed from behind.

"Ting Ting!" Grandma instantly stood to greet her excitedly at the sight of all of them.

"Grandma…" Xue Ting called out. "Qiu Wen, put me down, please?" She whispered her last line in embarrassment as everyone watched the couple walk in. "Great-grandma...." The twins called out in unison.

"Good great-grandchildren." Grandma laughed happily as she held on to Xue Tingís right arm.

Qiu Wen secretly smiled proudly at his wife blushing when she sat by Grandma's side. The twins sat with them too.

Qiu Wen then walked to Grandma's front and knelt. "Grandma, I brought Ting Ting here and she had forgiven me. I'm sorry for upsetting you, Grandma."

Grandma pouted as she gave him a sour face. "Grandma, it was just a misunderstanding. Forgive him then?" Xue Ting persuaded.

"Ting Ting, you are so soft-hearted. You can so easily forgive and yet this boy doesn't deserve it you know? " Grandma scolded as she looked at Qiu Wen while Xue Ting patted her arm to calm her down.

"Grandma, it's his birthday. You are always being nice. You should also be nice today for him to emulate you. Then he will learn to treat me better right?" Xue Ting tried again to coax.

Qiu Wen mouthed to her thank you as she smiled.

"This party was my idea. I wanted to get your mother involved with your wife. With me around, do you think I will let things go wrong between them?" Grandma vented as Qiu Wen held her hand.

"I know Grandma. I'm sorry. I promise I will treat her right. And thank you for throwing me this party though you know I don't like it." Qiu Wen mumbled towards the end.

"If I ever caught you again scolding her like that, I will make sure you attend every single day one function or party!" Grandma's sudden intense warning turned out to bring laughter to the four of them.

"Thank you, Grandma. I promise to treat her right." Qiu Wen stood to hug his grandma.

"Happy birthday, Wen Wen." Granny finally sounded more relaxed as she wished him. "Thank you, Grandma." He let go of her embrace as he smiled.

"You should go entertain your guest. Leave your kids and wife with me. They are sufficient to keep me company." Grandma urged as he nodded and walked off to greet a few friends. "Mummy, Brisbane is waving at us…" Joy pointed as Xue Ting waved back and smiled. "Go ahead and play with her." Xue Ting knew the twins were asking to see Brisbane as they both excitedly headed over after excusing themselves with Grandma.

"Ting Ting, how could you let him off the hook so easily? No wonder he broke your heart long ago." Grandma's last sentence reminded her of the terrifying incident earlier.

"Granny, since when did Qiu Wen have anxiety issues? I don't recall seeing him in that state before when I was younger." Xue Ting sat upright as she asked.

"Why? Did something happen?" Grandma asked worriedly.

"He had an attack earlier during our fight. I told him to check it out in the hospital but he refused." Xue Ting explained guiltily.

"What happened? How did it relapse again? Oh no!" Grandma got more worried.

"Granny, it's alright now. He said he would be fine if I didn't leave him. Could you tell me how did he get such issues? There must be something that triggered it. Do you remember?" Xue Ting pestered as Grandma sighed.

"His first anxiety breakdown was during his first birthday party. When his mother left him at his birthday party in front of his friends after scolding him and he was crying, I think he was worried that his mother did not want him and left. I came to the rescue to calm him down but then he cried till he couldn't breathe and we had to take him to the hospital. That was when we discovered he began to have anxiety issues." Grandma explained with a sad face as Xue Ting was surprised at the revelation while comforting Grandma by gently patting her shoulders.