“Coming.” Xia Ruoxin stood up and rushed to the kitchen without answering A Sunny Day Will Come. She carried another bowl of porridge to Gao Yi.
“You’re gonna eat more?” She asked Gao Yi dubiously.
“You’ve already eaten a portion. Eating so much at night isn’t good for your health. You’re a doctor so you should understand that better than me?”
“It’s fine.” Gao Yi ruffled Xia Ruoxin’s hair. “I’m not sleeping straight after eating. I still have things to do. Two hours would have passed when I’m ready for sleep. Even if I eat more now, the two hours is enough for me to digest the food.”
There was nothing more Xia Ruoxin could say. She sat opposite him as he ate while she chatted with him. Gao Yi asked her about her new painting studio, and Xia Ruoxin’s eyes lit up as she talked excitedly with endless words.
“I’ve never seen you so talkative before.” Gao Yi put down his chopsticks, his right palm flat on the table as he chuckled gently. There was a hint of a smile in his clear eyes. Even though he still exuded a lethargic air, his eyes rippled with gentle waves. It was beautiful.
“Are you saying I talk too much?” Xia Ruoxin tried to recall whether she had become more talkative recently. Perhaps she was becoming naggier because she was aging.
“No.” Gao Yi surrendered. Seems like all women have the bad habit of letting their imagination run wild, and Xia Ruoxin was no exception.
“I’m just regretting.” Gao Yi’s tone dropped suddenly.
“What’s wrong?” Xia Ruoxin’s heart clenched. Did he regret meeting her? Had she done something and caused him trouble? If that’s the case, what could she do to help and solve the problem?
“Don’t take it the wrong way.” Gao Yi chortled. His bright laugh was gentle. He wasn’t like Chu Lui. Chu Lui was dark and hard to understand, but he was warm and sunny. Of course, with light came shadows. No one could be sunshine forever without any dark side. Gao Yi had his troubles, too, but he always treated Xia Ruoxin as warm as the sun.
Gao Yi sighed suddenly as if he was plagued with endless troubles. He placed his hand on Xia Ruoxin’s shoulder. She stiffened and then slowly relaxed. She told herself that she would get used to it. Eventually, she would be able to accept another man and form a family with him, and Gao Yi was undoubtedly the best candidate. Shen Wei had told her that he was a good man—that she should seize her chance, but she was scared that she wasn’t good enough for him.
Gao Yi pulled Xia Ruoxin towards him and hooked a strand of her hair. There was a small smile on his face. “I regret making you independent and helping you gain back confidence. I wish you would rely more on me, actually. Then, I can say more confidently that I have a beautiful woman by my side. Not just one, but two—you and Rainy. No matter what, I’m on the winning end.”
“Thank you.” Xia Ruoxin sniffled. From the corner of her eye, she could see the dim glow of the streetlamps. In the distance, the shadows around the light softened gradually.
Meanwhile, she forgot about the computer that was still on. The screen had long turned black, but Penguin was still running. On the other end of the chat, a man waited for her reply for the whole night.
Was she unable to answer, was she unwilling to do so, or had she forgotten?
At last, he turned off the computer. The sky outside was already bright.
He came out of the room and entered the bathroom. When he exited, his fatigue had already been washed off. He was back to his firm and prim self. The only sign that betrayed his lack of sleep was his bloodshot eyes.
He went to the company, and after a long day of work, night came. At night, he had nothing to do. He stared blankly at the computer screen, but she wasn’t there. The only contact he had was now black. She was offline.
After all, he laughed derisively. Only he would wait for someone like a fool, and she didn’t even know.
Perhaps she would never know.
Could he be forgiven? She still had not given him the answer.
…
“Mommy, where’s Daddy?” Rainy put down the milk bottle in her hands, her legs resting on her mother’s lap. She counted the time with her fingers. “Daddy is going to send Rainy to school tomorrow, but it’s already two days. Daddy’s not back yet. He doesn’t want me anymore?” Her eyes started to redden. She finally had a father, and now she was going to lose him?
Xia Ruoxin placed the milk bottle back into Rainy’s hands and pinched her cheeks. “Daddy has some issues at home and went back. When he’s back, you’ll be able to see him.”
“Daddy’s home?” Rainy was still young and didn’t understand. “Then, Mommy, isn’t Daddy’s home my home, too? Does Daddy’s home have a grandpa, a grandma, and many kids like me?”
Xia Ruoxin couldn’t answer this question. Gao Yi never talked about his family. They were probably well to do since the way he carried himself, and his principles when dealing with situations didn’t seem like those of a mere working class.
However, could such a family really be able to accept her and Rainy?
She rubbed her daughter’s soft hair and lifted her into her arms to come to eye level with Rainy. She stared into her daughter’s big eyes that saw the world in black and white. “Daddy’s home is not our home yet, but it will be soon. No matter who’s in Daddy’s home though—as long as you’re obedient, they’ll definitely adore you. Rainy is so pretty, how could anyone dislike you?”
“Mm.” Rainy nodded her small head vigorously. She often heard praises of her being pretty and cute, and that the kids and teachers at the kindergarten all loved her. Mommy told her that if she was obedient, she would be liked by many.
Hence, she was obedient, and she would be obedient, too. If Grandpa and Grandma in Daddy’s home liked her, they would like Mommy too, right? Would they smile at her and Mommy, too, just like the grannies last time?
She held the bottle in front of herself and drank the milk obediently. It did not taste good at all, but she knew that it was her mother’s hard-earned money so she should not put it to waste. She would finish it no matter how awful it tasted.
Xia Ruoxin watched as her daughter emptied the milk bottle. Even though the little girl’s expression was of disdain, she still tried her best to finish it. She heaved a sigh of relief. Gao Yi had mentioned that Rainy’s immunity was weak. A child at this age needed milk to meet their nutritional requirements so when her economic situation improved, she made her daughter drink some almost every day. However, because Rainy did not drink much of it when she was younger, she disliked the taste of powdered milk.