On their way back, Shui Xian was driving the car himself. Raelle didn't know when he had set the driver back but now they were on their own. Just the two of them.
Surprisingly, both of them were quiet. Both had something on their minds. For instance, Raelle couldn't stop thinking about what she heard during the day. And Shui Xian happened to be thinking about the same discussion that he had with Hyson but both of them had their own purposes.
Shui Xian had figured out a lot about his own feelings while talking to Hyson while Raelle was left mulling over the feelings he had for her. So in their own ways, both of them were really stuck in the same moment.
Since Raelle's mind was elsewhere, it took her a while to realize that they were on a different route. She obviously remembered they were gonna stay at the apartment near the hospital today but right now, the car was moving away from the bustling city.
Before she could ask him where they were going, the car stopped at the side of the road. Shui Xian alighted down from the car and came over to her side. He opened the door for her gracefully and even offered his hand to her in a gentlemanly manner.
Raelle's hand slid into his as she alighted and walked with him. While walking with him, she looked around. They were at the Ahnzi River Park. What an unexpected place!
There wasn't anything dazzling about this place either. At most, you could get a pretty good view of the river. However, surprisingly, there were a lot of people here. Or it'd be better to say that there were a lot of couples here at this time.
Shui Xian spread a picnic blanket on the grass and gestured her to sit down. Raelle sat down with her eyes looking ahead. Soon, she felt his presence behind her. Shui Xian had sat behind her with her back pressed against his chest while his legs were almost caging her body from both sides along with his arms that came to rest around her waist.
Raelle didn't resist, she leaned back her head on his shoulder as she asked, "Now, that we have settled. May I ask what we are doing here?"
"We are cuddling," replied Shui Xian matter-of-factly. "Can't you tell already?"
Raelle paused for a second before she inquired, "So, you're telling me, we came all the way here just to cuddle? Don't you think we could have done that at home?"
Shui Xian chuckled at her as his nose rubbed against the side of her head, "I just didn't feel like going home yet. And I find hospitals to be stifling. That's why I decided to bring you here to get some fresh air."
"You don't like hospitals?"
"Does anyone like hospitals?" he questioned her instead of answering her question.
Raelle thought of something before saying, "I'm sorry."
"Huh?" Shui Xian was dumbfounded by that sudden apology. "Where did that come from?"
"I shouldn't have made you stay with me at the hospital," she said.
He shook his head at her and bit the tip of her ear, "I spent my day with my wife and I think it was worthwhile. It didn't even cross my mind that I was at the hospital." He took a brief pause before adding, "In fact, I really brought you here to watch stars."
"Stars? Which one? The ones that shine in the sky or the ones who shine on big screens?"
Shui Xian smiled as he answered, "The ones that shine in the sky. So, we are here for stargazing."
"Stargazing?" she repeated.
"Yup!" he answered. "When I was young, my mom used to take me camping just because she wanted to see the star-laden sky in the surrounding nature. Maybe it's because of her that I have always liked stars."
It wasn't every day that Shui Xian would take the initiative to talk about his mother. But today he had brought up the topic on his own. And since it was something related to him, Raelle listened attentively.
"Did she like astronomy?"
"Nope," answered Shui Xian. "I can tell you all about the constellations or the names of the stars. But for my mom, those were just stars. Shining brightly in the sky like jewels." He chuckled as he told her, "Actually, it should be better to say that she treated stars like little diamonds. She was a jewelry enthusiast. Gems had been her best friends."
"No wonder she created the jewelry brand, Moonlight," said Raelle.
"If only," scoffed Shui Xian. "The only reason 'Moonlight' exists is the fact that when she went out to pick her wedding ring, she couldn't find the perfect ring. In her words, 'No ring resonated with me.' And in the end, she decided to design her own wedding jewelry. That's how Bà learned that she had quite some talent and convinced her to make that talent her passion."
"So in a way, Bà is the one behind your mom's success."
"That's true," agreed Shui Xian. "My mom was a typical socialite. She never took working seriously. Sometimes, I really wonder how a workaholic my father fell in love with a socialite like her whose only job was to attend parties."
"But aren't you the one who said that how one falls in love has no definite answer?"
Shui Xian fell quiet when he heard that. Indeed, he had told her that before. And he completely agreed with those words as well. How or when one love becomes a part of our life is hard to answer. Even for someone like Shui Xian who had fallen in love twice in his life.
And if someone asked him about the experience, he might not be able to answer it at all. There was just no right way to answer.
His lips pressed against the side of her neck as he said, "There really is no answer."
Updat𝒆d fr𝒐m freew𝒆bnov𝒆l.c(o)m