In the next dozen or so days, she swiftly blended into this family.
Yi Wenze’s mother enjoyed cooking. Especially Chinese cuisine. Jia He was also happy to chat idly with her. She ended up spending more time with his mother the next few days. The two would discuss upon waking up what to have for the day’s meals. If it was something neither of them knew how to make, they would look up recipes online and research it closely.
Finally Yi Wenze and his father couldn’t take it anymore. They persuaded the women to just barbecue in the yard at night instead of spending two to three hours preparing a single dinner meal while leaving the men aside the entire time.
“Jia He, you have a great appetite,” his mother was very satisfied using a white brush to coat the fresh vegetables in olive oil. “I just love that young girls can eat heartily and healthily.”
She wasn’t a young girl anymore…
Jia He smiled saying: “I generally eat more in winter. My appetite goes away in summer. Possibly still in a Chinese mindset with a hearty winter appetite now.” The woman before her gave her a meaningful look. Then she suddenly lowered her voice: “Have you two taken any preventative measures?” Jia He exclaimed shockingly rendered speechless for quite a while from the blunt question.
Too straight to the point. Even her own mother hadn’t asked so directly before…
Lowering her head, she desperately brushed more oil onto the chicken wing. After much effort, she finally softly said: “No.”
It shouldn’t happen right? Her cycle had been normal these past few months. And there were no excessive reactions other than… She pondered. It seemed the only change was her bust size. Everything else was the same as usual so it should be fine right?
The more she thought about it, the more embarrassed she felt with the woman still looking at her too.
The fire kept blazing as the chicken wings placed over it swiftly emitted an aroma. A seasoning brush was handed next to her making her come back to her senses. She busily brushed it a few times just as she heard his voice ask: “What are you thinking about?”
Jia He blushed even more. After much deliberation, she still didn’t get any words out.
Last time was a misunderstanding thinking she was pregnant. She tested and tested for half a day yet it was negative. If it repeated again this time, even ghosts would laugh themselves to death… Amidst the increasingly richer aroma, she finally stealthily glimpsed at Yi Wenze full of apprehension: “Do you think… I should do a test?”
Crap. She asked anyway.
Her eyes darted about almost scalding her hand on something.
Yi Wenze took the things from her hand very much within expectations: “I already made an appointment. You may need to get up a bit earlier tomorrow morning.” Huh? Jia He looked at him in disbelief: “When did you make it?”
“Before coming. When I was in Shanghai,” he placed all the cooked food onto plates, “I was afraid you’d be too nervous so didn’t mention it beforehand.” Jia He gaped speechlessly watching him bring it over then come back to keep grilling more. It was a very long time before she murmured at him: “I didn’t feel anything at all. How could you sense it…”
“I’m the child’s father. How could I not sense it?” His expression was indifferent matter-of-factly so.
She thought about it. Feeling it made a bit of sense even if there was no scientific basis. She might as well consider it heart telepathy…
The next day she got woken up before fully awake. He carried her to get dressed.
She muddled through half awake before recalling what they had to do today. But seeing how exceptionally well-put together he was dressed, Jia He who believed she had slowly built immunity after getting together with him received a shock awakening this early morning. Really made her want to snap a picture with her phone to commemorate it permanently.
Seeing her stare fixedly at himself, he was very helpless: “Awake now?”
She mm-hmmed giving up on that extremely infatuated notion. Obediently following him downstairs.
The two entered the hospital and systematically began all sorts of tests. She simply let Yi Wenze lead her around endlessly going from room to room doing all kinds of exams. All the doctors were merely polite to her without revealing a single useful bit the entire time.
When waiting for the results, he exchanged a few private words with the doctor.
Jia He sat on the sofa watching his expression without the slightest ripple. Guessing he was afraid she’d be let down so agreed with the doctor beforehand. It had to be said he was still very considerate in this aspect.
In the end, she very apprehensively left the hospital without asking him anything.
If it was positive, the doctor would have given very detailed explanations and medical advice… Looking at Yi Wenze’s expression, it seemed he had nothing to say. Estimating he feared disappointing her again so was considering how to break the news to her. Thinking randomly like this, she started overflowing with guilt again ceaselessly running through what she could say in her heart.
It wasn’t until the car stopped at a wide open grassy area.
The grass stretched all the way to the seaside. The excessively crystal clear sea shimmered white under the sunlight. Just watching it already lifted one’s mood. She followed him out of the car walking along the beach. There were no people near or far, only the two of them.
Peacefully quiet with only the occasional sound of waves.
Yes or no?
Was he wanting to surprise her? Or thinking about how to comfort her?
Jia He sighed inwardly. Such troubled lives. Why not just directly ask?
“What would you like to name the child in the future?” His tone was indifferent casually asking.
She followed behind him. Her entire face hidden in the shade of her sunhat. Stepping exactly where he left imprints on the sand. Name? She truly hadn’t seriously considered it before. Watching Yi Wenze’s impeccable back view, she felt another pang of guilt. She’d definitely try doubly hard once they returned… “Have you thought of it already?”
“Ai Jia. Ai He.” His answer came very naturally.
She paused in her steps and looked back at him when he turned around: “Don’t like them?”
Her eyes soured slightly. What happened? Was it him getting more and more romantic or her losing touch with being a woman? They were just names. And China’s most common obvious sort of love confession. She didn’t know how many times she had written such lines before. But thinking of the child taking his surname then also being named this…
Her heartbeat slowed more and more as if about to stop.
She watched him walk back over lowering his head to look at her before sniffing and saying: “How do you know for sure it’s twins?”
His voice carried laughter, gazing at her very calmly: “The doctor told me. And so did the report.”
……
She stared fixedly at him focusing completely on him.
It was a long while later before she stuttered out: “Re-really…?” She placed her hands on her lower abdomen instinctively in disbelief over his words. An inexplicable sense of elation after craving children for many years that frightened in its authenticity.
He reached out smoothing her windswept hair asking lightly by her ear: “Jia He, marry me.”
A simple line. Gentle beyond measure.
Just like whispering a “good morning wife” to her every morning. Or casually asking if she was hungry. Yet it thoroughly seared her heart. She blankly raised her head to look at him as her eyes seemed unable to withstand the weight welling up immense tears all at once.
Damn it all. To think even such a simple proposal could make her cry like this…
As a screenwriter, she understood all too well just how thunderously preposterous all acts of romance were in reality. She had even considered that if Yi Wenze publicly said or did anything, she would definitely be utterly embarrassed. Mortified to the point her elated heart gave out before she could even relish in happiness. And so she had constantly thought she might as well be the one to propose. Save the trouble of being frightened by excessive frailty.
Happiness didn’t require surprises. Merely waking up everyday able to see you was all she wanted for an ending.
Yet now her expectations were perfectly met. He always understood what she wanted. Just an deserted beach without any onlookers.
Only him and her. Plain and insignificant, yet pure sweetness through and through.
“Not willing?” He lowered his voice asking again.
Jia He gnashed her teeth at him. You’re obviously teasing me on purpose right? With your children in my belly how could I still want to be a single mother? But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t get any words out. Her body undulated with scorching heat, more dazzling than the seaside’s blistering sunlight. She cleared her throat about to say something when her eyes moistened again.
Yi Wenze laughed lifting her sunhat and lightly kissed the tip of her nose before slowly kneeling down on one knee. His white clothes and pants against the whitening fine sand under sunlight blended perfectly together.
Jia He foolishly watched him. Feeling her soul had left her body looking at herself from afar…
His eyes were brimming with sincerity focusing only on her. That gaze alone caused her heartbeat to falter, her hands already completely limp.
“I’ve had depression before. But I was fortunate to meet someone during that summer who allowed me to walk until where I am today. My previous marriage also failed. Luckily I happened to meet someone in the spring of 2011. Not only did I want to be with her, I hoped she would look at only me her whole life,” he took out a box from his clothes lightly opening it. The platinum glow of the ring glimmered intoxicatingly as it peacefully lay inside the box, “I’m most fortunate that they’re the same person. If I don’t marry her back home, do you think the entire world would not permit it?”
On an unfamiliar beach of an unfamiliar land, only the man before her was familiar.
She looked at him. Even his proposal pose and words were perfectly flawless. The two gazed at each other for a long time before she finally stretched her hand out hoarsely saying: “I think I can’t make the entire world my enemy.”
It was a very small ring fitting her ring finger seamlessly. As he put it on her, he also clasped her hand in his.
As if by the camera work in scripts, it slowly zoomed in on his gaze and visage. That very first time they truly met, this was how he looked back at her too. His sights falling only on her, profoundly dark eyes completely smiling.
Frame after frame flashed through her mind. Yet he had already lowered his head. But just as they were about to touch, she suddenly laughed: “I think I was wrong. Looks like I did something to make the entire world my enemy.”
After speaking she cupped his face taking the initiative to kiss him.
The very instant their lips pressed against each other she suddenly felt this lifetime was now accounted for. Five years, ten years, twenty years, forty years… She had given him her rest of her life.
Because he was Yi Wenze her future would only be blissful.
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