Epilogue 2 (2/2)
When she was drowsily about to drift off into sleep, contractions suddenly started up again. At first, she thought they were nothing to be concerned about, but eventually she realized that things weren't quite right. Yanking on Yi Wenze's arm, she stammered, ”I think I'm about, about to give birth.”
This was the first, and also last, sentence she spoke before she delivered the babies.
Yi Wenze was with her throughout the entire labour and delivery. After the entire childbirth was done, she at last was transferred onto a hospital bed to recover and groggily receive everyone as they came on their sightseeing tour of her. There were plainly many people here, but in her eyes, only the image of him was real to her. The two of them locked gazes for a long while until finally she heard him, his voice low, ask, ”Did it hurt?”
Seriously…
Laughing in annoyance, tears still br.i.m.m.i.n.g in her eyes, she retorted in a shaky voice, ”What do you think?”
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Due to this one sentence, the first thing Yi Wenze said to her when she woke again was, ”We're not going to have any more children in the future.”
Jia He, her tongue and mouth parched, allowed him to gently dab a wet cotton swab over her lips. After resting for a while, she spoke up lightly, ”I'm not mad at you…” Actually, as she thought about it now, she realized that that question he asked had contained simply too much love, too many feelings in it. Merely thinking about it warmed her heart.
With a smile, he gently answered, ”I know.”
As the two gazed upon one another, she tried with all her might to contain the tingle that she felt in her nose, and she asked him, ”Where are Aijia and Aihe?”
”Sleeping.” He smiled. ”They're a lot like you. They like to smile when they sleep and their faces have a very contented look.”
Jia He wrinkled her nose. ”You're implying again that I'm a pig.”
”Have I implied that?” Yi Wenze tapped the pendant hanging from her neck. ”I've already made it very clear.”
Jia He had no words to say to that. Fine. I don't have any strength right now to say anything anyway. I might as well just outright be a gluttonous, lazy pig.
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After she was discharged from the hospital, Xiao Yu and Qiao Qiao came to visit her, and it was only then that she learned just how much she had incited the indignation of both G.o.ds and man in that scene right after she came out from the delivery room.
”You're just too awesome.” Qiao Qiao looked at her in great admiration. ”That's Yi Wenze we're talking about. The man stayed there watching over you for a whole night. He gazed so lovingly and with such deep devotion at you and used a voice more stirring to people's hearts than even in his movies to tenderly ask you, 'Did it hurt?'” She shook her head and gave a sigh. ”You, though, were just a letdown. You actually went and completely spoiled the whole beauty of the moment by acting like some sort of spiteful, vindictive woman and nastily asking him back, 'What do you think?' That's just too unappreciative!”
Jia He was in the middle of taking a sip of soup, and she nearly sprayed it all back out.
”All right, that's enough.” Xiao Yu was in fits of laughter as well. ”Just look at Jia He's face, all covered in remorse. And here you're still stirring the pot of trouble with your embellishments?”
Her chin resting on her palm, Qiao Qiao grinned at Jia He. ”You've now realized that you should be remorseful?”
Jia He buried her head down and drank her soup. She stayed silent for a long while before finally giving her a pitiful look. ”You go give it a try. I honestly was going to die from the pain…”
Right after she spoke these words, however, even her mom joined in on stirring the trouble pot, shaking her head and sighing as well. ”In the previous twenty years, aside from being your idol, the man didn't commit any heinous acts. How did he end up getting a wife like you? …”
Saying this, her mom picked up the chicken soup and left, heaving a sigh every three steps.
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The psychological scar from that one sentence of hers left her still awash with guilt when Yi Wenze returned home that evening.
Her mom was in the baby room soothing the two peacefully sleeping babes, while Jia He was in her own bedroom, slippers on her feet, walking around as exercise. She took about three or four steps, but each one was torment. She finally had personally experienced and could deeply relate to how woeful it had been for Cao Zhi to have had to compose a poem within seven paces.
Yi Wenze had just finished his shower and stepped back out. Walking over to her, he touched her face. ”What are you thinking about?”
Jia He looked mournfully at him. ”I'm going to get post-partum depression.”
His body still emitted the dampness that came from having just taken a shower. She was not sure whether it was because she was feeling guilty or he truly had once again become more handsome, but in any case, she was especially unable to take her gaze off of those eyes of his. Holding her gaze for a while, Yi Wenze gave a slight smile. ”Honey, don't look at me like that.”
She uttered an ”okay” and blinked. Then, her face flushed.
”You're not going to go have a look at them?” Jia He was beginning to grasp for things to talk about.
”They're sleeping.” Yi Wenze took a seat on the couch and motioned for her to come over to him. ”With time being limited, it's better if I use it to look at the person who is awake.”
Unhurriedly, Jia He ambled over and settled into a snug and comfortable position on the couch. ”You've started selecting the actors for the new film?”
He made a very mild ”mm” in response. As if suddenly thinking of something, he looked at her with a smile. ”Lun was asking about their one-month celebration banquet.”
Jia He gave an ”oh.” After a long moment of rumination, she remarked, ”Time's flown. They were still just in my tummy and now it's already the one-month celebration banquet.” With this topic, she suddenly thought of a breakthrough point that she could use to get to what she actually wanted to say. ”It was nicer when I was pregnant. Every day, you stayed at home and made a ton of tasty food for me.”
Taking in the sparkle in her eyes, Yi Wenze told her calmly, ”After another two years, I'll free up most of my time to just keep you company.”
So that meant she truly would be keeping the beauty hidden away in her golden house?
With a very satisfied nod, Jia He continued guiding his thoughts along. ”Actually, now that I think about it, having babies isn't that bad. Maybe by the second time, I'll be like an old pro. How about after a couple more years, we'll have another two?”
Once she was done saying this, she scrutinized his face in the illumination of the lamplight. Yi Wenze had a contemplative expression that left her feeling very deflated. Could it be that he still minded the little temper tantrum she had thrown right after childbirth? But… if she really were to count, they had actually never had a real quarrel since becoming a couple. That time could be considered the snappiest she had ever been with him…
While her mind was still wandering off into blind conjectures, she felt him take her into his arms. Calmly, he asked, ”What did Qiao Qiao say this time when she came today?”
Oh shoot. Qiao Qiao, I've done you wrong!
He took a sip of water, remaining silent for quite a while. At last, he stated, ”I don't want to wait for so long again, honey.”
Jia He continued putting in her efforts. ”It's just a few months where we can't do it…”
”I don't want to wait even a few hours…” Smiling, he tweaked the tip of her nose. ”Trust me, it's torture to get through.”
”Oh,” she answered. Then, gleefully, she climbed into bed.
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In Chinese mythology, 王母娘娘the Queen Mother of the West, also known as the Heavenly Queen Mother, is the wife of the Jade Emperor, the ruler of Heaven.
This theoretical third child, 佳艾易Jia Aiyi, would be take Jia He's surname while the given name would be h.o.m.ophonic with 爱易, which means ” love Yi.” Hence, this little one's name would sound like ”Jia loves Yi.” Similarly, the alternative Yi Wenze offers, 佳艾文Jia Aiwen, sounds like ”Jia loves Wen.”
Cao Zhi was the third son of Cao Cao, the warlord and founder and first king of Wei. Cao Zhi was known for his literary talent. When Cao Cao died, his son Cao Pi succeeded him as king. Cao Pi distrusted his brother Cao Zhi, suspecting that he wanted to usurp the throne. The legend is that Cao Pi summoned Cao Zhi to court and ordered Cao Zhi to compose a poem within seven steps that would convince Cao Pi to spare his life. If he failed to do so, he would be executed.
In Chinese culture, traditionally a feast is thrown to celebrate when a newborn baby turns one-month old.
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Completed:
1 of 1 Prologue
58 of 58 Chapter segments
2 of 7 Epilogue segments (4 epilogues in total)
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