In the end, he merely smiled and finished the rest of the water in his cup.
That simple? She secretly felt somewhat disappointed deep down. Just as she was about to say something more to fill this in, she saw him approach her. Reaching out, he very lightly circled his arm around her. Jia He looked at him puzzledly when she suddenly felt her neck turn cool, as if something had been put on.
He stood right in front of her, practically pasted against each other. His arm reached around behind to clasp something. Very slowly, as if because he was borrowing the moonlight to see, it was harder to make out clearly so took more time.
“What is it?” She felt along the pendant’s shape.
“Little gold pig.”
Couldn’t see it. Could only feel the rich, intricate carved lines of the weird design. “It’s not my zodiac year yet.” Today was clearly his birthday. Yet he gifted her something first instead. The living room lights shone in, only illuminating half the room’s brightness. He drank more water from his refilled cup, two mouthfuls. “Saw it this afternoon and felt it matched you very well so bought it.”
She oh-ed. Then tipsily walked out of the kitchen pretending to go to the bathroom when actually it was to face the mirror and ferociously examine the pendant hanging on her chest. An extremely cute cartoon pig holding a lollipop. Even the spiral ridges of the candy was carved realistically.
This is my image? She was finally rendered speechless.
She had assumed he didn’t react. But not until she was lying in the bathtub, entire body covered with bubbles from his massage did she then whimper out, “Retribution for self-inflicted misery.” In the billowing hot air, his laugh was very faint yet endlessly amplified. Not until he very tightly bundled her up from head to toe in a thick merino wool blanket and carried her back to bed did she already feel the temple areas of her head tightening from drowsiness.
It was like her forehead was gently pecked. Then she heard him say to sleep.
Only then did she suddenly recall she had forgotten to tell him about the birthday gift issue. “I prepared a gift for you too.” She wanted to sit up but he pulled her back down with one hand. “Talk tomorrow.”
She oh-ed. Then suddenly remembered Tian Chu’s gift. “I forgot to tell you. Tian Chu left a birthday gift for you on the table. Check it yourself tomorrow.” She had turned on the electric heating blanket earlier but still felt cold. Yet plastered against him now, it was warm all over. She snuggled in closer against him in his embrace. Only then did she hear him mm-hmm. “Allen told me he happened to run into Tian Chu during a meeting this afternoon. He got her to bring over a gift for me.”
Unaccustomed to sleeping with a necklace on, she felt her neck itch. She lightly tugged the little pig on her neck. With just that subtle action, Yi Wenze still noticed. Lowering his head to look at her neck, “What’s wrong? Uncomfortable?”
“No,” she mumbled. “Yi Wenze, how come you’re not the slightest bit curious about my birthday gift for you at all?”
This was way too unmotivating!
Her teasing made him chuckle. “Already received the most important birthday gift.”
Very simple line yet it felt like someone giving a light tickle to her heart. Unspeakable feeling.
Only then did Jia He recall her own words. Her heart quivered slightly. Extremely embarrassed by her movement, she was promptly hugged tightly in his embrace. Then she heard his voice say, “Wife, I love you.”
Clearly not the first time hearing this. Nor the first time he said it. Yet it still threw her heartbeat into chaos.
She softly said, “I really did prepare a birthday gift. It’s nothing valuable though.” Clutching that little gold pig, after silently collecting her composure for quite some time she finally said, “I got the New Zealand visa handled.”
No sound from behind her for a very long time. She waited until her heartbeat practically stopped before finally hearing him say by her ear, “Wife, thank you.”
Five words that she silently recited over seven to eight times in her heart.
She chuckled and snuggled back more into his embrace, nestling to sleep very reassured.
After waking up the next day, it was already almost noon. He had long left. Jia He ran to the kitchen to see if there was anything to eat and discovered sandwiches already prepared in the fridge. Judging by the date, bought yesterday. How did she not notice he had even bought lunch already? She was just tearing off the film and tossing it into the microwave when she heard someone knocking on the door.
A huge grinning face of Richie Woo before he even took off his sunglasses. Gave her a huge shock.
“My room has nothing left anymore! Let me in for you to make lunch!” Jia He awkwardly looked at him, “Aren’t you thick-skinned.” She moved aside from the door. Just in time to hear the microwave noisily calling out. She hurriedly grabbed some paper towels to pad and take out the sandwich. Cut it into halves and passed the slightly bigger half to this ravenous wolf. “How’d you know there’s food here for me?”
“Guessed,” Richie Woo took the sandwich. Poured himself a cup of hot water. “Since you’re used to sleeping until noon everyday, he would definitely prepare food for you. Right?”
Some matters were very obvious. Yet when said from another’s mouth, it would finally click.
She chuckled and took a satisfying bite of the sandwich. The rich smoked meat flavors mixed together with the salad in her mouth. Truly hunger-satisfying delicacy.
This reminded her so she finally had some conjectures. Just what was that gift anyhow?
While absently pondering about this, Richie Woo suddenly took a call. He responded vaguely with mm-hmms while biting the sandwich. Finally reacting very shocked and asking again, “How long will it take?” Then a few seconds passed before he hung up. His gaze raked up and down Jia He several times as his smile turned from faint to broad. Leaving Jia He completely baffled.
“When the family prospers, everything flourishes,” his line of sight finally landed on her lower abdomen. “There’s joyous news?”
She blanked for a moment, nearly choked to death. “What are you saying?”
“Ze’s call just now,” he had an ‘I understand’ expression. “Wrap up post-production for this movie then he’s returning to New Zealand straightaway. You know how much promotions are still waiting for him after this? The company’s first film. Collaborating with Eclipse. And he’s the named producer too. Yet he just handed it all to me.” Jia He was dumbfounded for a second. Decided so quickly?
After he finished speaking, he directly left the kitchen. Jia He also didn’t feel good about directly asking more. She swept a glance at the mountain of gifts piled on the sofa. Just as she wanted to clear some space for him to sit, she heard an exclamation behind her. “Brat didn’t even look?” She turned back. Only then did she understand what Richie Woo meant. Tian Chu’s gift was still neatly wrapped in original condition on the table. As if it really was never opened before.
Usually these idol or fan gifts would all end up handed to A-Qing for screening and storage in the end.
By not deliberately going to unwrap it, his attitude was already very clear.
Richie Woo placed the box back to original spot. Sighing, “What should be done and what shouldn’t be done, Ze sees more clearly than me.”
Jia He smiled without responding. Actually even if he did open it to check, she wouldn’t think too deeply over it either. She didn’t know since when already, but complete trust had long been established between the two of them. That kind of feeling was just like towards family.
Not until seeing Richie Woo off did she give Yi Wenze a call. He seemed to be busy. Holding her phone, she walked from kitchen to bedroom, swaying all over the bathroom. Aimlessly floating all over the rooms. When he finally picked up, it instead startled her. “Are you busy?”
“I was taking another call just now.”
The three words ‘New Zealand’ made her burn up from inside out it felt like. She was the one who secretly handled getting the visa, wanting to surprise him. Yet didn’t expect it to come so quickly… Although Richie Woo didn’t mention specific dates, his words hinted very clearly for her that soon… she would meet his family.
Hearing her not say anything, Yi Wenze called her name.
Only then did she return to her senses. “Richie Woo came to mooch food saying you plan to return to New Zealand as soon as post-production ends?” He faintly mm-ed. “About a week probably.” Hearing his tone, it instead sounded like she was the one rushing him. Twirling her finger absently on the bathroom counter sink, after hem-hawing for half a day Jia He finally said, “Actually there’s no need to hurry so much. My visa is for three months.”
Hidden text: Actually, I’m still not prepared yet. Really not urgent.
Instead he chuckled. “It’s fine. Happens my little nephew will turn three. He kept mentioning you over calls wanting you to see him. My parents also really want to meet you.”
What he said only made Jia He grow tenser. She was temporarily unable to think up good excuses either and could only ramble out some nonsense before hanging up. She stared into the mirror for a full minute. Oh no! Only remembered little romantic gestures! Now she really was shoved onto the sedan [being forced into marriage].
The direct result was that afternoon she simply called a taxi to Xiao Yu’s company building. Forcing her to slip out to drink afternoon tea together.
Who knew that before she even got through speaking three sentences, Xiao Yu already very calmly took a sip of her tea. “So it happened?” Jia He nearly smashed her forehead to death into the table. “Why does everyone understand it this way?” Xiao Yu sneered and directly dialed Qiao Qiao. “Yi Wenze is bringing Jia He back to New Zealand next week.”
After finishing speaking, she promptly stuck the phone next to Jia He’s ear. A series of shocked cries came from the other end. “Bullseye! Got marked?!”
That volume was plenty enough for even phone holder Xiao Yu to hear clearly. Looking at Jia He’s torn expression of being torn between laughter or tears, she finally took the phone back. “Okay I’ll call again later,” she directly hung up ignoring Qiao Qiao’s string of chasing questions afterwards. “See? It’s not that I’m impure. It’s normal reasoning.”
Jia He was completely rendered speechless. Bowed her head to keep drinking tea. Still kept drinking tea.
“One week is pretty rushed,” Xiao Yu gave a proper calculation for her. “Go for some intensive one week treatments ba. And think about what gifts to prepare. Adults and children need it. First time meeting the in-laws and such, gifts definitely need to be done properly.”
She spoke matter of factly. Jia He was also led along by her train of thought and fiercely nodded.
Seeing her completely trusting expression of ‘I’ll listen to you’, Xiao Yu started getting a headache. She angrily and resentfully dug a spoon into the chestnut cake. “I have spa membership card here. Just use the one I usually go to. Avoid going to hit-and-miss places and get scammed out of money. As for gifts, have to think hard,” she thought for a moment. “I can prepare a gift for you. Let my grandfather write calligraphy for you to bring over.”
Jia He’s eyes instantly shone. Forget Xiao senior’s calligraphy, even a casual word by one of his students brought out would definitely yield high prices… She heard that in recent years Senior hadn’t taken calligraphy commissions except for sending blessings to friends on their birthdays or longevity celebrations anymore. He was already pretty much in retired status.
Although not comparable to antiques, it would absolutely be prime calligraphy of current times.
Jia He chuckled with metaphorical tail wagging. “So blessed with great friends. What else would I want for!”
Xiao Yu continued eating cake, smiling without sincerity. She muttered a response, “Nothing much. Just consider it exchanged for three day New Zealand trip,” she chewed her spoon and seemed to suddenly recall something. She mumbled unclear with stuffed mouth, “Oh right. Ask your Yi Wenze for me when he’ll hold a wedding reception meal. I need to get my visa handled ahead of time.”
Jia He bit the rim of her cup and successfully burned through.
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