Time trickles by before we even know it. It's a never-ending cycle that goes on and on. Life in itself is just a cycle of time. It has everything... From series of meetings to departures. From the discovery of friendship to losing it. From a precious time to how we wasted it away. Most of all, life is a memory of those shed tears that once fell like droplets of rain but soon dried up leaving behind just a trail of bittersweet, foggy, broken and yet beautiful memories.
With her head laying on his thighs, Xu Mey was enjoying the soft breeze in the garden while listening to the cello-like voice of her husband.
From her position, she could see his long lashes fluttering languidly while his lips moved as he read the parenting book in his hand with a great deal of concentration. It was yet again, one of those moments when she wondered how did she become so lucky?
Often girls talked about their Prince Charming and Xu Mey always wondered what really could be a Prince Charming? Or a knight in shining armor who would come on his horse and sweep her off her feet?
But none of that came true for her. Not at all...
She had met him when he was considered to be in his darkest period of time while she was the pessimist girl who only knew how to scheme her next move. She wondered where would they be if, on that night of Wu Wang's sister's wedding, she hadn't brought him to her own room? Would they really be here today?
"Ah-Jie," she called out softly.
"Mmm..." He hummed in reply while sweeping her hair away from her face.
"What if we had missed each other on Wu Xia and Ming Qu's wedding?" Her question came unexpected but Jie was still calm. "Do you think we would be here today?"
"Yes." He answered in an assuring manner.
"How are you so sure?" She eyed him skeptically.
"We didn't even know each other's name back then. But didn't we still meet through that matchmaking?"
"We did. But what if instead of you, Jun had actually been the one to say yes?" She went on.
"Still, we'd be here as we are now." His voice was full of certainty.
"Are you that certain?" She asked.
"Yes, I am." He tapped her adorable nose and added, "Because we could have missed out on each other but how could the red thread which ties us to each other can miss out? As you must have heard, the thread can be tangled and it can take a long time for us to understand the scheme of heaven but eventually, that red thread is meant to connect us to each other. So, my dear wife, even after the detours... We'd still be right here where we are."
Xu Mey felt an inexplicable sense of happiness hearing his words. As always, he was the optimistic one. Her own mind was prone to over-thinking. But right now, no-one could blame her. Her pregnant hormones were raging within her making her senses a bit fuzzy.
She sat up to face him and said, "Do you know what I regret the most in life?"
"What?" He asked curiously.
"Calling you a second-hand product." She smacked her own head with her fists and went on, "I was really stupid. It was supposed to be a harmless joke but later I realized, it was quite offensive."
Seeing her aggrieved face, Jie was quite amused. "Silly, I didn't mind it at all." Xu Mey looked back at him with wide eyes and he continued, "It was offensive at some level but if you hadn't called me that I might have not been this intrigued by you. Your bluntness and honesty, just made me too engrossed in your inside beauty."
Xu Mey thought she should have remembered that her Ah-Jie would never condemn her for anything. Even if she stood before him to kill him, he might be the one saying, "Should I help you dig the grave? You won't have to strain yourself."
She silently shook her head at this thought. "But is there anything that you regret?" Jie nodded his head. "What is it?" Her interest piqued to know his regrets.
He rubbed her head lovingly as he said, "I regret not finding you sooner."
Xu Mey was left dumbstruck. But then again, she should have expected something like this from him. She scrunched up her face in pure irritation and said, "Ah-Jie, can't you be honest? There must be a lot of other regrets."
"Baby, I learned a motto from life, it's better to look back and say, 'Why was I dumb enough to do that?' rather than saying, 'I wish I did that back then.' Do you get it? I always act upon what I deem fit. And that leaves no room for regrets." Jie's words really brought Xu Mey to a new understanding of him and it made her feel blessed all over again.
"Let me get the fruits for you," he got up to walk inside the house.
"Ahh!" That shrill scream from behind startled him as he turned back to see Xu Mey clutching her stomach with a pale face. "Ah-Jie, it's hurting." She barely managed to say as her face was contorted with pain.
Jie ran up to her side and helped her out the door and into the car which had been on standby these days since it was her ninth month and he didn't want to risk anything in any way at all. He settled in the backseat holding her close to his chest and cooed, "Hold on, we'll be right there in a while."
Although her mind was hazy with the pain that she felt in her stomach, she managed to smile up to him to reassure him. After all, his face was white like a paper sheet which made it seem like he was the one experiencing those contractions.
"Don't worry. I can bear this." She breathed out with much difficulty while cold sweat was forming on her forehead.
Jie wiped her face with a towel and planted a soft kiss on her head saying, "I know. My baby is the strongest. This much pain is nothing to her." But inwardly, he couldn't possibly control his own thoughts at all. Seeing her like that was really heartbreaking for him.