Xiao Su wrapped his arms around her shoulders and leaned against her, his breath blowing against her face. The baby lay in Jiang Xiaobai’s arms with tears at the corner of his eyes. Before this, he had been wailing at the top of his lungs. However, he was quiet now. Opening his eyes wide and staring at the two people in front of him in curiosity, he silently watched them without crying.
Jiang Xiaobai closed her eyes and said exasperatedly, “We can talk, but stop holding me like this.”
“I feel more at ease if I hug you while talking,” Xiao Su said. His words left her momentarily speechless. At the same time, her heart throbbed for a moment. “Recently, you refused to take care of the baby and also ignored me. It wasn’t because you were tired, but because you planned to leave me, wasn’t it?”
She did not answer. Is she tacitly admitting to it? Then, he let out a deep sigh before gently explaining, “If it’s about the incident the other day, then you have wronged me.”
Wronged you? She sneered in her heart, I don’t think I have wronged you in any way.
“That day, I sent her to the hospital due to extraordinary circumstances. Xiaobai, please trust me, okay?” When he said those words, his voice was rather subdued.
Then, she finally lifted her head to look into his eyes. “Trust you? Why should I trust you? I was a pregnant lady in the changing room. There were so many people in the supermarket that even a man like you was knocked into. What if I had been knocked over? Who would send me to the hospital then?”
“But, after I explained it to you the other day, you told me that it was fine. Then why the moment you found out it was Yan—”
“Yes, that’s right! I put that incident behind me; I had no problem with whomever you saved. The only exception to that being Yan! I’m just that unreasonable! She is the woman you held dear in your heart. Of course, you would abandon me for her! This is something I’ve always known, so there is no reason for me to be angry.” Then, she mockingly said, “It’s my own fault. Since the beginning, I’ve known that you love her. Even so, I got into a relationship with you. There are some positions in your heart that will never be replaced. Now, I’m tired; I don’t want to keep this farce up, okay?”
By the end of her rant, Jiang Xiaobai felt that she was being unreasonable and spiteful. Helping someone else was a positive endeavor. Yet, she had passed her days like a jealous woman, going crazy from the jealousy toward Xiao Su’s affection for Yan. It was the only thing that she couldn’t snatch away no matter how hard she tried.
“Alright, I’m tired. If we’re done talking, let’s go back to bed.” After saying that, she pulled away while holding the baby. However, Xiao Su tightened his grip around her waist and hugged her tighter, not allowing her to step back.
“Don’t go. We’re not done talking.” He stared at her intently. “As long as we have not solved this issue, you can’t leave.”
“Xiao Su!” she yelled out his name in anger. His heart throbbed in pain, but he continued, “It doesn’t matter if you’re angry at me or if you want to yell at me. You are going to leave me anyway. If so, then I’m going to be stubborn. I’ll do what I want, regardless of what you wish for.” Then, he pressed forward again, holding her even closer. She was still holding the baby in her arms. So, when he continued to press forward, she was so frightened that she yelled, “Will you be gentler?! What are you going to do if you squeeze the baby to death?”
He came back to his senses from her yelling and took a few steps back. “I’m sorry; it wasn’t intentional.”
She glared at him fiercely. Then, she checked on the baby and found that he was still obediently lying in her arms; his gaze never left her face.
“The baby loves you so much. Besides, he is still so young. Are you willing to abandon him?” He noticed that she had focused her attention on the child, so he decided to use the child to appeal to her emotions. “Look; he stops crying the moment you hold him. If you leave, he wouldn’t be able to have a good night’s sleep anymore.”
“Stop talking,” she interrupted him slightly breathlessly. “Don’t you dare threaten me with the baby. If you provoke me any further, I will take the baby with me when I leave.”
The look in his eyes darkened considerably. “Can you bear to do that?”
She did not respond to his words anymore. However, she thought to herself, Even if I can’t bear it, so what? Why do you have to have a lingering affection for Yan? I, Jiang Xiaobai, have my pride too. “Let go.”
“I won’t.” He hugged her tightly and did not loosen his grip. Thus, she became annoyed. “Are you letting go, or not?” Her expression was frightening—it was obvious that she was furious. Unfortunately, he was afraid of her anger. Under her glare, he slowly released his hold on her.
Afterward, Jiang Xiaobai carried the child back to her room while Xiao Su remained where he was. His eyes seemed lost and pained. Xiaobai didn’t seem like she listened to anything I said just now. What should I do? Has she decided to leave me? If that happens, how am I going to live without her?
He did not know how long he stood there in the room when Liang Yahe walked in. The moment she entered the room, she saw her stupid son standing there in a daze. Then, she flew into a rage again. “You useless brat! I told you to figure it out just now! Were you unable to solve anything at all?”
He lowered his eyes, looking defeated.
“What are you going to do in the future if Xiaobai leaves?”
When he heard those words, he raised his head abruptly. That’s right. If Xiaobai leaves, what am I going to do in the future? I’ve already gotten used to the days with her by my side. He had gotten used to that girl’s merry laughter as she called out his name during winter. Then, when he turned around, she would place her icy feet in his arms without any warning and loudly exclaim; “Xiao Su, quickly help me cover them! I’m about to freeze to death!” He had gotten used to how every time she saw something interesting on the television, she would urge him over with a hooking gesture. When he walked over to her, she would reach up to hug his neck, then rub and pinch his ears as she watched them turn red. He had gotten used to the way she lay in his arms as she talked and joked around. He had gotten used to how she acted spoiled around him, ordered him around, acted cute in front of him, and everything that they experienced together. Now that he reminisced on their time together, his mind was filled with various images.
“That’s true; I can’t live without her.” He smiled bitterly. “Even so, how am I supposed to stop her if she really wants to leave?”
“There are many ways you can stop her from leaving. No matter what, you need to watch her closely. Don’t give her a chance to leave,” Liang Yahe said sincerely. “Can’t you take leave from work and stay home? Keep her company every day; follow her everywhere she goes. If you do that, how is she going to leave?”
These words seemed wise and he felt that they made sense. Thus, he nodded.
Following that, Jiang Xiaobai noticed that Xiao Su no longer went to work. He began to stay at home all day long and occasionally came into her room to keep her company. Unfortunately, she was sleeping most of the time. When he came into the room, she would roll over and turn her back to him. Apart from ignoring him, she did everything else. On the other hand, he took Liang Yahe’s advice to heart. Every single day, he would shamelessly go over and talk to her. Even if she ignored him, he stayed beside her and accompanied her. In the end, Jiang Xiaobai couldn’t stand it anymore. “You don’t mean to lose your job just because you want to watch over me, right?”
Xiao Su gave a self-deprecating laugh at her words. “If I don’t have you, why would I need to work?”
