Chapter 5: Can You Give Me Another Chance?

Xie Zhao’s eyes stung. He couldn’t help but reach out, gently and carefully touching their tiny hands.

Their palms were incredibly soft.

“Ah…”

The baby was a little sleepy, murmuring softly. She instinctively grabbed Xie Zhao’s finger, her lips making a sucking motion.

In an instant, the blood rushed to Xie Zhao’s head. He froze in place, not daring to move a muscle.

“The babies are hungry. I’m just letting you have a quick look. After this, I need to take them to the ward for a few days of observation.”

Xie Zhao nodded quickly.

The nurse tucked the baby’s arms back into the cotton blanket and wheeled them away.

“Whew!”

A moment later, Xie Zhao finally let out a long, heavy breath, releasing the tension that had been weighing on his chest.

He felt something pulsing strangely in his blood. A wave of excitement and joy grew wildly, sweeping through his entire body.

They had survived!

He was a father!

*

When Lin Muyu was wheeled out, she saw Xie Zhao standing by the window, staring outside.

The young man was tall and lean. A simple deep blue short jacket, black Dacron^[1] trousers, and cloth shoes looked exceptionally smart on him.

Xie Zhao was blessed with good looks.

When Lin Muyu married him back then, it was mostly because of his face.

Unfortunately, she had been young and hadn’t known the price she would have to pay.

How had she failed to see that Xie Zhao didn’t like her at all?

On their wedding day, he had been drinking. He stormed into the room, pinned her down, and forced himself on her.

Her first time had not been pleasant.

Back then, she must have felt the fluttering excitement and joy of a young girl.

But when she woke up early the next morning, the cold bed and the young man’s mocking, disgusted gaze made her feel as if she had fallen into an ice cave.

“Are you satisfied now?”

He had stared at her, sneering as he spat out the coldest, most heartless words.

“You wanted to marry me, so this is the price you pay!”

“You can rot here for the rest of your life!”

With that, Xie Zhao had turned and walked away. That very afternoon, he moved her to Dahetan.

Over the past year, through her pregnancy, she had felt anticipation, joy, and hope.

Would he change once he became a father?

Would he say even one more word to her?

Or perhaps, would he grow to like her even just a little?

However,

time was like a knife, slowly destroying all her hopes. Each cut bled, slowly draining the life out of her.

She had stopped hoping.

Never again.

*

Hearing the noise, Xie Zhao quickly turned around and hurried over.

Seeing that Lin Muyu had her eyes closed, Xie Zhao gently wheeled her into the ward and set up her IV drip.

She finally woke up while the IV was being set up. Xie Zhao first found a pillow to prop behind her back, then picked up an aluminum lunchbox wrapped in a thick cotton coat from the bedside table. He opened it gently and held it out to her.

“I bought some brown sugar eggs^[2]. Eat this first, and when Mom gets here, she’ll make you some noodles.”

Xie Zhao explained softly, “No shops are open during the New Year, so I bought this from an elderly woman in one of the alleys. Please make do with it for now.”

Lin Muyu didn’t move.

She stared intently at Xie Zhao, then suddenly asked, “Why haven’t you left yet?”

Xie Zhao was taken aback.

“Go where?”

he asked instinctively.

Lin Muyu paused. She pursed her lips, looked away, and spoke softly.

“Isn’t that what you said?”

Her tone carried a hint of self-deprecation. “You can go anywhere, as long as you don’t have to stay with me.”

Lin Muyu didn’t say the rest.

How could she ever forget?

That day, she had followed him to Dahetan, her heart full of anticipation and joy.

She had naively thought that Xie Zhao wanted to build a proper life with her and have a little home of their own.

But that night,

he had stood over the bed, looking down at her, the disgust in his eyes raw and undisguised.

“I can go anywhere I want. Why would I stay with you?”

“Let’s just rot together. You truly disgust me.”

Every single word had been like a sharp blade, cutting her to the quick.

That was also the first time she realized just how much Xie Zhao loathed her.

For a moment, the ward fell into a dead silence.

Xie Zhao paused. As scattered fragments of memory surfaced in his mind, he wished he could slap himself hard right then and there!

What kind of edgy, rebellious phase had he been going through?!

God, he had been awful!

“Ahem!”

Xie Zhao looked at Lin Muyu and forced himself to say, “I apologize. I said some terrible things in the past and hurt you. I’m sorry.”

“I was young and foolish, selfish and stubborn. I did a lot of wrong things. I was blind, taking your kindness for granted and acting recklessly. I always thought there would be a chance to make things right, that there would always be time. I thought that as long as I turned back, you would all still be there, forgiving me and waiting for me.”

“But I know now that it doesn’t work that way.”

His expression was earnest, a faint light glimmering in his eyes. His voice was soft and gentle, carrying his absolute sincerity.

“Can you give me another chance? I’ll prove it to you through my actions.”

As his last word fell, Lin Muyu froze.

It was like a boulder crashing into a calm lake, sending ripples through her heart. She stared blankly, completely at a loss for how to respond.

“You don’t have to answer. I know that asking you to forgive me right now is just guilt-tripping you.”

Xie Zhao was very calm. He smiled and pushed the bowl and chopsticks forward again. “I only hope you won’t push me away anymore. That’s enough for me.”

Lin Muyu’s heart skipped a beat.

She finally snapped out of it, reaching out to take the lunchbox and chopsticks from Xie Zhao.

It was still warm.

He had been keeping it warm the whole time.

The eggs were tender, and mixed with the taste of brown sugar, it was a rare sweet treat for this era.

She ate quickly. There were six eggs in total, but Lin Muyu stopped after eating three.

“These three…”

“I already ate.”

Xie Zhao waved his hand and said with a smile, “I bought some food earlier. I’m not hungry, so you go ahead and eat.”

Seeing that Lin Muyu was still hesitating, he added, “The doctor said that if you don’t eat well, you won’t produce milk, and our daughters will go hungry.”

Hearing about the children, Lin Muyu’s expression finally softened.

She didn’t argue further. Lowering her head, she ate the remaining three eggs and drank every last drop of the brown sugar water.

Xie Zhao finally breathed a sigh of relief.

From outside the window came the loud boom of exploding fireworks.

The children ran around with firecracker scraps, their laughter pure and crisp.

Xie Zhao thought to himself.

Starting tomorrow, it will surely be a brand new year!

*

New Year’s Day, six in the morning.

The moment the door was pushed open, Xie Zhao woke up.

The newcomer was short, her back slightly hunched. She wore a blue padded jacket with several patches, grayish-white pants, and a pair of faded, washed-out pink shoes.

Her hair was messy and graying, wrapped in a blue headscarf. Her face was sallow and thin, and she stooped, peering inside with a look of trepidation.

In the gray dawn light, she clutched a blue cloth bundle tightly, looking inside with uneasy eyes.