Rong Shaoze pursed his lips in silence; Xiaocong’s words made him feel a deep sense of sorrow.
His child had grown up without a father and must have often been made fun of by other children.
Whenever they teased him and bragged about their own fathers, how did he feel on the inside?
Thinking about these things filled him with guilt and self-reproach.
His child was the best, and he would give him the very best things in this world.
He embraced Xiaocong in his arms, and the man said with a rare tenderness, "Xiaocong, once your eyes are better, whatever you want to play with, whatever you want to have, Daddy will buy it for you. You’re still young now, you don’t need to fend for yourself, you can compare who has the cooler daddy with the other kids. When you grow up, you can compete with them on your own terms."
Xiaocong tilted his head, finding it hard to imagine what the world would look like once his sight was restored.
"Daddy, can Xiaocong’s eyes really see?" he asked uncertainly.
"Of course!" Rong Shaoze replied with certainty.
"Can I see what Daddy looks like, what Mommy looks like, what Grandma looks like, what Nanny looks like, what Xiaocong looks like, what everyone looks like?"
"Yes, you’ll be able to see everyone. You’ll also see what color the sky is, what colors the flowers are, and many, many beautiful things."
The more Xiaocong thought about it, the more he looked forward to the world. He grabbed Rong Shaoze’s arm, saying excitedly, "Daddy, Xiaocong hopes he can see you all very soon!"
He had always lived in darkness; his world had no other color but black.
The vibrant world outside was truly tempting him.
"We should ask Uncle Tao to perform the surgery as soon as possible, Xiaocong will be able to see you all very soon!"
He was truly too excited; living for four years, this was the most excited and the most anticipated moment of his life.
Lin Xinlan held his hand and said with a smile, "Xiaocong, don’t be anxious, Uncle Tao needs to prepare some things before the surgery. In a few days, you can have the surgery, and soon you’ll be able to see what Daddy and Mommy look like."
"Mommy, when Xiaocong’s eyes can see again, if Grandma knows, she will be very happy."
The little guy was indeed too excited.
"Yes, Grandma will be very happy. Stop thinking about it and go to sleep. Only children who go to bed on time are good children."
"Alright, sleep! Goodnight Mommy, goodnight Daddy."
"Sweet dreams, my darling." Lin Xinlan kissed him on the forehead, and Rong Shaoze also gave him a kiss, "Goodnight."
Xiaocong obediently closed his eyes, with a smile still lingering on his lips.
Seeing him so happy made Lin Xinlan happy as well. Nothing made her happier than the prospect of his eyes recovering.
Rong Shaoze took her hand and said softly, "Xinlan, let’s get married."
Lin Xinlan was taken aback, not expecting him to suddenly bring this up.
The man smiled and said, "Let’s get registered first, at least to give Xiaocong a complete family. Once his eyes are better, we can hold a wedding ceremony, how about that?"
Lin Xinlan hesitated for a moment and said, "Let’s wait until Xiaocong’s eyes are better before we talk about it."
Rong Shaoze felt a tinge of disappointment, "Why do we have to wait until his eyes are better? Getting married and his surgery are not related at all."
He wanted to secure this woman sooner, as it would give him some peace of mind.
"No way, I want to wait until Xiaocong’s eyes are better." Lin Xinlan was stubborn; she had her own plans.
Although she and Rong Shaoze were in love, being in love was one thing, getting married was another.