【24.】

  When they mention him again, more or less with a look of admiration, someone even asked me: "Are all men from the East so excellent?"

  A figure flashed through my mind, someone I hadn't thought of in a long time, and yet it only took one sentence to bring him back from the depths of memory.

  It's as if there is a fence in my heart, isolating everyone. I thought it was to protect myself, but now I realize that he has settled in my heart, and I'm carefully not opening up to others. It turns out I didn't want the person in my heart to be buried by time, worn away by the years.

  The school flower's name is Ophelia. At first, I thought she was just playing around, after all, a man like that, anyone with eyes can see he's a playboy type. Those peach blossom eyes, smiling but not quite smiling, could really take a woman's life.

  There was a time when we were in social practice class, I and Ophelia were assigned to the same group. It wasn't until then that I knew the man's name... oh no, it should be said his English name.

  His English name is very special, they call him King.

  King, monarch.

  But they don't know his Chinese name, I think so too... what's the use of knowing it anyway, and it's not like they can call him by his Chinese name every day.

  "Ah." Ophelia's face was filled with infatuation, completely forgetting to take note of the data flickering on the computer screen. "I think I've fallen in love with him."

  No wonder you're a foreigner... how romantic. I let out a small sigh in my heart, today's data is indeed abnormal!

  "But I know he won't fall in love with me."

  I looked back and saw Orpheus with his head hung low, fiddling with the pen in his hand. He didn't seem to be blaming anyone, but it was a very sad sight.

  Women in love...are probably all like this.

  "Osie, have you ever loved someone?"

  I was stunned and didn't know how to respond for a moment. She probably felt that she had asked something too private, so she smiled: "I'm being nosy."

  "Have loved..."

  Orpheus looked at me and sighed after a while: "It seems that you have been hurt by love before."

  "How can you tell?" I smiled mischievously, winking at her "Did my eyes give me away, Miss Ophelia?"

  "Everything about you betrays you, Osie... except for that forced smile on your face right now. You know... in this world, we can hide the truth, we can hide wealth, but there's one thing we can't hide - love." Orpheus reached out and grasped my hand "I don't know who you thought of just then, but I saw it in your eyes and your body. They're both so honest. At least more honest than you are."

  "Hmm." I quickly jotted down the data and smiled "You really do know me well."

  "He's coming to pick me up tonight." Orpheus stood up "How does this outfit look on me?"

  I blew a whistle with a flowing air: "You are extremely beautiful."

  Orpheus's face turned red, which was rare. Probably thinking that she would be praised by the person she loved, even if it was a generous person like her, she couldn't help but show off her little girl's demeanor.

  At night when the class was over, the eye-catching Bugatti Veyron at the entrance successfully attracted everyone's attention. I held my books and struggled to squeeze out of the crowd, thinking that it's not just Chinese people who love to gather around, but also people from all over the world have this habit. In fact, without even thinking about it, I knew whose car it was.

  Later he told me that everyone was staring at my car, but you seemed to be the only one who didn't notice and were struggling to get out.

  Actually, this time's matter, if not for him bringing it up later, I really wouldn't have remembered. Sometimes I feel like my days are spent in a daze, and I don't even know what I'm thinking about from day to day, probably just my baby.

  I used to think that only the belly gets bigger during pregnancy, but it's not true. My hands and feet are slowly swelling up too. When I press on them, they leave a dent that takes a while to recover. Lately, my favorite game is pressing on my legs and belly with my hand, making a soft and squishy dent that takes a while to go away. It's quite interesting.

  Every time at this moment, Du Bin would let out a sigh and then bring me some hot water to wash my feet. With both feet soaking in the warm water, I felt that all my limbs were relaxed.

  It's rare for a big man like him to be so willing to do these things for me, and every time I show even the slightest hint of apology, he just smiles faintly and says nothing. But that expression is clearly one of sweet delight.

  ——————————————————————————————————————

  On a sweltering afternoon, my belly was as big as if I had hidden a large watermelon inside. It happened to be summer vacation, and I lay on the bed with the air conditioner blowing, leisurely watching the news on TV that couldn't keep up with the speed of the anchor's speech.

  Suddenly a wave of pain, I knew labor was just in these days, but didn't think it would be so early. Just yesterday the doctor said there would still be half a month left.

  I couldn't care about all that, I was already exhausted and could only weakly call out to Du Bin. Although we lived in the same apartment building, it felt like we were worlds apart. Just as I was feeling helpless, the door was pushed open and Du Bin looked at me with a worried expression, but also with a hint of surprise: "Were you calling for me?"

  I clenched my lips in pain and helplessly pointed at my belly.

  He seemed to sense something and walked over, usually he rarely touched my body, so now it was a bit embarrassing. I glared at him: "Hurry up and take me to the hospital!"

  Du Bin's eyes widened in surprise, and he suddenly reached out his hands to hug me.

  I was already in agony on the way, I don't know why it came so suddenly. Later, I thought I might have fainted from the pain. All I could hear were people talking around me, words like "water broke" and "anesthetic needle" kept popping up, and I knew I had arrived at the hospital.

  He was then given an anaesthetic injection and lost all consciousness.

  ————————————————————————————

  Actually I didn't want a cesarean section.

  I gazed gloomily at my abdomen, which would definitely leave a scar. The resentful look in my eyes was noticed by the person beside me, who chuckled: "At that time, you had already lost consciousness, your blood pressure dropped very quickly, it's impossible for you to have a normal delivery. Besides, the baby's position was not correct, a normal delivery would be too strenuous for you. By the way, it's a boy, 7 pounds and 6 ounces, very healthy."

  I really want to see what this legendary little baby with a breech position looks like and why it has to torture its own mother so much?

  "Can you bring the child over and let me take a look?"

  "He's still in the incubator, I'll go ask and see."

  The life-and-death production drama I had imagined did not occur, and I was just like all the other expectant mothers in this hospital, or even more ordinary. I smiled to myself, thinking what was I expecting?

  Even if I'm in pain and suffering now, that person won't comfort me with the same gentleness as before.

  From now on, there is no expectation.