My life is ending, and my aloof CEO wife is taking revenge on me.

Chapter 23 Birthday Gift

"I heard that Song Yafei has been funding your old orphanage. I think if you two get divorced, she will definitely withdraw her funding, right?"

I nodded, feeling like an incompetent good-for-nothing who had wasted the dean's years of training.

"Don't worry, if you and Song Yafei get divorced, I will sponsor the orphanage. But for now, since you two are not divorced, this is all I can give you for now."

Uncle Feng handed me a check for 500,000 yuan, a kind smile on his face. “This should be enough to help the orphanage get through this difficult time.”

My hands trembled slightly as I accepted the check, my heart filled with unbearable bitterness.

What have I been doing all these years?

Why did I end up living such a failed life, with no savings left?

I'm so incompetent, I'm not even as good as Yu Chengliang, no wonder Song Yafei fell for someone else.

"Zhang Tian, ​​go back and prepare a birthday gift for Professor Xie. This might be a chance for you to start anew."

"Yes, I definitely won't let you down."

I nodded vigorously.

Although I haven't been painting much these past few years, my brushstrokes and inspiration are still there. Give me a quiet space, and I'm confident I can deliver a satisfactory result.

I lost an opportunity five years ago, and I'm determined to win it back this time!

"This is the Zhang Tian I know: confident, composed, and radiating an indomitable spirit. I believe you can succeed!"

"However, while you're preparing your birthday gift, don't forget about the divorce, or I'm afraid we'll repeat what happened a few years ago."

When I think back to that opportunity for further education, I manage a wry smile, unable to articulate my true feelings.

It's regret, resentment, or perhaps helplessness in the face of fate.

After chatting with Uncle Feng for a while, he handed me the Chinese medicine he had specially prepared for me and then waved goodbye.

I returned to the rented room carrying two large bags of Chinese medicine and a check for 500,000 yuan. Xu Hu was cooking.

He turned around, saw me, quickly wiped the dirt off his hands, and took the bag from me.

"Brother, did you go to the hospital today?"

"No, this was given to me by an elder to help improve my health."

No one knows about my affair with Uncle Feng, and I don't want to tell anyone, so I vaguely glossed over it and pulled Xu Hu to the sofa.

"Xu Hu, could you go to the orphanage tomorrow?"

“Sure, I have to go on a long trip the day after tomorrow. I was thinking of going to the orphanage tomorrow afternoon since I don’t have any work, so I’m going to help them fix the broken tables, chairs and appliances.”

Xu Hu drives a truck, doing manual labor, and sometimes he doesn't go home for several days at a time.

This trip was a long one, which conveniently allowed me to stay home alone to paint and prepare a birthday gift for Professor Xie.

As I was thinking, I handed him the check. “This is from an uncle who wishes to remain anonymous. He asked me to donate it to an orphanage. Could you give it to the director for me tomorrow?”

"Remember, whatever you do, don't say I took it. If they ask, just say it was your boss or a fellow worker who donated it. Just don't mention me when it comes to this money."

Xu Hu scratched the back of his head, puzzled, and asked, "Why? This is a good thing; the dean should know."

“If you mention my name, the director won’t take the money. You don’t want the orphanage to fail to survive this crisis, do you?”

Xu Hu immediately shook his head, but looking at the check in his hand, he still had doubts. "Brother, is this money of yours from some dubious source?"

"Don't overthink it. My money is clean and honest, and it was indeed donated by an elder I know."

I patted him on the shoulder, not wanting to delve into the topic any further, and said, "I have something to do, I'll go inside and get busy."

"Brother, go ahead and do your work. I'll call you when the food is ready."

"Ah."

I went back to my bedroom, took out the paints, laid out the sketch paper, closed my eyes, and sketched out the artwork I wanted to send out in my mind.

Countless inspirations flashed through my mind, and one of them, a half-finished painting I had once drawn, suddenly came to mind.

The bright colors, the smooth, desolate outlines, and my thoughts at the time are vividly recreated in my mind.

When I opened my eyes, I was full of energy. I picked up my paintbrush and started painting.

Although many years have passed, my muscle memory is still there, and I quickly finished the line drawing, followed by coloring, blending, and shaping.

I wielded my paintbrush freely, the paint splashing onto the tiles, and no one would ever say the house was too dirty or smelled bad again.

At that moment, I entered a state of complete absorption, forgetting about time and hunger.

When the painting was finally finished, I realized that a day and a night had passed.

With a "gurgle," my empty stomach protested, and that familiar stomach pain spread throughout my body.

I bent down and squatted on the ground, struggling to rummage through my pocket for painkillers, and swallowed them in one gulp.

Just then, there was a rapid knocking on the door.

"Zhang Tian, ​​are you there? Zhang Tian!"

I heard Lin Qiuran's anxious shouts from outside. I moved with heavy steps, leaning against the wall, and finally reached the door. My forehead was already soaked with cold sweat.

Why are you here?

"I've come to deliver your suit."

Seeing that I was still alive, Lin Qiuran breathed a sigh of relief, but after seeing my face clearly, he was stunned and immediately helped me into the house with concern.

"What are you doing? Why do you look so pale?"

"I stayed up all night working on the drawing, and I just finished it. I haven't had time to catch up on sleep yet, so I don't look very good."

I forced a smile, trying to reassure him, but seeing his worry deepen, I couldn't help but take out my phone and look at my face.

With two huge dark circles under his eyes, messy hair, and a face covered in bluish stubble, coupled with a T-shirt that had faded from washing, he could easily be mistaken for a homeless person.

"Are you kidding me?! Do you even know your own body condition?! You just had surgery, how can you stay up all night? And haven't you eaten yet?"

Before I could speak, Lin Qiuran glanced at the untouched food on the table, its lids covering it, and her anger flared even more.

Like a child who has made a mistake, I lowered my head and obediently stopped training.

In fact, my empty stomach was already being overwhelmed by pain, causing me to break out in a cold sweat.

Perhaps because I've taken too many painkillers, my body has developed an immunity, and this time it took a long time for the pain to subside slightly.

"You never know how to take care of yourself. I'll go heat up your food, you can eat some first."

Lin Qiuran sighed softly, got up and took the food that Xu Hu had prepared before leaving to the kitchen.

Just as he started firing, he remembered the main purpose of his visit and poked his head out to ask, "By the way, what do you need this suit for?"

"I'm going to Professor Xie's birthday party today."

"Did you get Professor Xie's invitation letter?"

As a senior from the same school, Lin Qiuran naturally knew who Professor Xie was.

And if I remember correctly, Lin Qiuran's favorite class during her school years was Professor Xie's class, and she would often go to audit his class with us lower-grade students.

"Zhang Tian, ​​when does the birthday party start? It's almost seven o'clock already."

"Oh no! It's too late!"