Xia Ruoxin looked up after she closed the fridge door. A huge palm was wiping her sweat off her forehead carefully.

  “Tired?” Gao Yi asked in an extremely tender voice. It caused her heart to flutter. Ever since her childhood up till now, no one had treated her so well. He cared for her, wiped her sweat, and was worried that she would become tired. No one had cared for her so much. She was at a loss.

  He had asked her if she was tired, and she shook her head. It was just an errand to buy some tea. She did not feel tired frfom that. It was the opposite for him.

  Xia Ruoxin stared at Gao Yi’s bloodshot eyes. She knew he had finished a major surgery yesterday so he must be exhausted, and he needed a good rest.

  “Why don’t you go lay down? You are the one who looks exhausted. Dinner will be ready when you wake up.” She pulled Gao Yi’s hand. Not once had this man put himself first. Instead, he had always put Rainy and her as his priority. It had not changed for the past few months.

  Gao Yi took her hand and led her out of the kitchen. His hand went between his eyebrows and pinched hard to keep himself awake. In fact, he was so exhausted; and he had not slept a wink for the whole of last night.

  He pressed Xia Ruoxin down on the sofa before sitting beside her. He pulled her left elbow and lay it across his lap. Rainy had already started playing on her own. Once she had her doll with her, no one could interrupt her.

  “Let me know when it hurts.” As he said that, his hand gripped her elbow hard. This method of treatment could be slow, and yet it had its effect. It might take a long time though—years or even decades. However, when done properly and consistently, it would at least minimize the pain whenever it rained. There was another way to treat an injury like hers. She would have to break her bones again and undergo reconstructive surgery. This was unnecessary because even if the surgery was a success, her hand would remain weak and unable to carry too heavy items. Instead of putting her through more pain and misery, might as well adopt this conservative treatment approach. Its effects were slow, but her suffering was at a minimum.

  Xia Ruoxin quickly pulled her hand away.

  “Gao Yi, let’s wait until you’ve at least had some rest. Okay? You have not slept at all.” She did not want him to be like this. He was obviously so tired he could hardly open his eyes, and yet he was still thinking about her. She felt even more apologetic towards him.

  “Why? Is your heart aching for me?” Gao Yi asked her in a semi-joking manner. However, the smile did not reach his eyes. He had treated her sincerely and wholeheartedly. No matter how tough it was for him, it was out of his own willingness. He did not feel reluctant at all.

  A light blush appeared on Xia Ruoxin’s face. He was constantly saying all these intimate words to her. She was at a loss as to how she should answer him. Yet, each time, he had been right.

  “Okay, I’ll go in a minute. It won’t take a lot of time.” Gao Yi was not making fun of her. He ran his hand along her elbow as his fingers pressed on her acupoints. Xia Ruoxin pursed her lips because that really hurt. Her eyebrows were knitted tightly together, but she did not utter a word in pain.

  “Does it hurt?” Gao Yi put his hand down and lay his fingers on her face. He could see the bite marks on her already red lips.

  “Why are you being so stubborn? I won’t laugh at you if you cry. Women need to be weak at times.” His fingers rested under her eye. “Ruoxin, you know you don’t have to look strong in front of me. Leave everything to me. If you can’t shoulder it, I will carry it for you. I will gladly bear your pain if you allow me to. You have a man beside you, but you insist on taking everything upon yourself. Do you know how embarrassing it is for me?”


  Xia Ruoxin smiled as tears fell from her eyes. It was a smile nonetheless. Gao Yi fingers swiftly caught her stream of tears. She was truly a woman. She could cry as and when she wanted. Having the ability to cry was a woman’s privilege. In fact, a woman should cry more.

  “All right now. How can you possibly cry more than Rainy? It’s scary.” He used his fingers to dry the tears on her face as he continued to massage her left elbow. He had been doing this every day, regardless of how busy or how tired he was. He would make the time to massage her elbow.

  Half an hour later, he finally put his hand down. Xia Ruoxin immediately took his hand.

  “Ruoxin.” Gao Yi looked at her, puzzled.

  “You need to rest. After you’ve done that, you will eat.” She stood up and pulled him using her right hand. Gao Yi cooperated, and he stood up. Otherwise, with her being so weak, how was she supposed to make a big man like him move?

  Xia Ruoxin was accustomed to using her right hand in this house. If she was to start using her left hand, Gao Yi would glare at her. That was the reason she had not been in the habit of using her left hand. It was much better compared to how it was in the past. With Gao Yi’s persistent massages, it did not hurt as much as it used to be. In the past, whenever it rained, she felt like she would die from the pain.

  She pulled Gao Yi and led him into his room. There wasn’t much furniture inside. His room was decorated very simply. The curtains were drawn back, and it had a bright and cheery feel. Gao Yi sat on his bed. He could feel himself falling asleep.

  He felt someone untying his shoelaces.

  “Ruoxin, no.” He sat up quickly because he did not want her to do this for me.

  He felt a small hand pushed him back onto the bed. This action caused his severely exhausted mind to blur until he closed his eyes and fell asleep. Xia Ruoxin removed Gao Yi’s shoes and socks. Then, she fetched a basin of hot water because she knew that his feet must be very uncomfortable after standing for nearly the whole day. No one could withstand that.

  She washed his feet. Naturally, it was out of concern. He had always been looking out for her all this time. She should do the same for him, too. Over time, the urge to treat him better grew stronger.

  She pulled the blanket over his body. Fatigue was written all over his face as he slept. Last night must have been really taxing. At times, he would have to do a few surgeries in a day. He had even taken care of Rainy and her without having proper rest over several days in a row.

  “Don’t worry about us. I will take good care of Rainy and myself. That includes you, too. Trust me. I am not that weak.”


  She whispered in Gao Yi’s ear, unsure of whether he could hear her. She stood up and drew the curtains together. The room went into a shade of dark gray. It was perfect for an afternoon nap.

  She shut the door gently. The man on the bed finally relaxed into a deep sleep.

  Xia Ruoxin stepped out and squatted in front of her daughter, lightly caressing her newly grown hair. “Rainy, Uncle is tired. Don’t disturb him, okay?” she instructed the little girl.