Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

  The car came to a stop. Gao Yi carried Rainy out from within and made his way towards his apartment. He opened the door.

  He inhaled hard through his nose.

  “It smells so good!”


  “It smells so good!”


  The two voices said in unison.

  “Little imp. When did you learn to talk like me?”


  He pinched Rainy’s little nose while she hugged his neck, laughing. In fact, there was nothing for her to learn because that was what he would say every time he came through that door.

  Xia Ruoxin heard the door opened, and she came out from the kitchen. Rainy jumped down from Gao Yi’s arms and ran towards her as fast as her tiny feet could.

  “Mommy, Uncle and I are hungry.” The moment she came back, she started to complain to Xia Ruoxin while she hugged both her mother’s legs.

  Gao Yi stood by the doorway in ease.

  “Oh, yes. We are starving,” he said jokingly to match Rainy’s childish mannerism.

  “Dinner will be ready soon. Rainy, please wait for a bit more.” Xia Ruoxin smiled gently as she pinched her daughter’s chubby cheeks. The little girl had regained the weight she lost when she was sick. Xia Ruoxin looked at her daughter who had become more adorable. She might not be fat enough, but she was a healthy child now.

  Xia Ruoxin had done all the preparations. After all, it was her job to feed these two mouths now.

  Gao Yi came over and placed the doll into Rainy’s hands. “Rainy, go and play. Let me help Mommy.”


  Rainy nodded her head hard and sat obediently at a side, playing her doll.

  The strong fragrance from the kitchen earlier had caused Gao Yi’s stomach to rumble even more. He could feel it. “I realized that I have grown so accustomed to your cooking that the outside food no longer appeals to me.” He picked a plate up and sniffed hard at the dish. Haha. This was the smell that he had missed the whole day. He had really struck gold.

  “I can bring you lunch if you feel like eating.” Xia Ruoxin looked up at him as she suggested. He was unwilling to let her do anything because he was worried that she would be tired. He didn’t allow her to work for fear of worsening the condition of her left arm. However, she was not as fragile as he thought. If she continued to live this lifestyle, she was afraid that she would truly become a handicap.

  “You will be tired.” Gao Yi reached out and tucked her hair. Look, she had only cooked a few dishes, and she was already covered in sweat. If he let her find a job, wouldn’t she be exhausted?

  Xia Ruoxin pulled his hand down helplessly. “Gao Yi, I’m not tired. I am feeling hot. There is definitely nothing wrong with me. Trust me. Okay? I can bring you lunch.”


  Don’t be so uptight. She had finally come through the hard times from the past. Her life now, compared to how she had lived previously, was certainly much better. She was truly content, and she always wanted to do something more for him because he had done so much for Rainy and her.

  “Oh, is that right?” Gao Yi placed his hand under his chin as he gave her the once-over.

  “Yes, I will be fine in a moment.” Xia Ruoxin nodded her head solemnly. She did not see the humor in Gao Yi’s eyes.

  “Alright then. I won’t have to feel hungry in the afternoon.” Gao Yi put his hand down and agreed to her suggestion. Actually, he was more than happy for her to bring him lunch. Lately, he really felt he could not stomach the food outside anymore.

  Xia Ruoxin turned around and picked the plates up. At last, she sighed in relief. She could finally do something for him.

  “Buttttt……” Gao Yi stretched the word out. Xia Ruoxin was puzzled. “I can still do that, right?”


  “Of course. You can.” There was a hint of playfulness in Gao Yi’s voice. “The hospital now knows that I have a daughter. If you are going to go, what will you say about our relationship? My wife? Otherwise, how do you expect me to explain things?”


  Gao Yi did not finish what he was going to say, but he looked at her with a half-hearted smile. He was staring at her distressed face, and his expression became more serious. Was it that difficult for her to accept him?

  Xia Ruoxin’s lips were slightly pursed, and then she looked up as though she had made a decision. She nodded lightly to him. “I will do that.” He was willing to pretend to be Rainy’s father. Naturally, it was only right that she pretended to be his wife.

  “Ruoxin, you knew what I was trying to say. I have always been serious about it.” Gao Yi’s hands cupped her face, and his fingers caressed her cheeks. Everything that had happened in the past, is it that important to you? His low sigh sent a slight tremor into Xia Ruoxin’s heart.

  She could taste the thick bitterness between her lips. Of course, her past was important to her. How could she not know that a man would not help a woman so much with no reason to the extent of accepting her child? Neither would a man take such good care of a woman. She was not stupid, and she was not an idiot. However, her past had been so filthy. She was not worthy of him. She really wasn’t.

  “I am unworthy of you.” Xia Ruoxin lowered her head. There was a hint of pain in her teary eyes. Her hand was maimed, and there was no way she could ever conceive another baby again. She had also gone to that place and worked there. She had been tainted from long ago. For money, she was willing to sell her body even if that person was Chu Lui. It was the same. She felt filthy.

  This time, she was holding an empty plate in her hands. Gao Yi sighed and cupped her face in his hands. He wanted her to see the honest look in his eyes. “Ruoxin, listen to me. I don’t care what had happened to you in the past, and I don’t mind Rainy’s existence because I love her, too. In my opinion, me not being a part of your past will always be my regret. That is why I don’t wish to live any longer with regrets.

  “Open up your heart. Look with your eyes. Look at me and accept me. You will find that it is not that hard to do.

  “Ruoxin, believe in me.”


  His voice was peeling off the layers surrounding Xia Ruoxin’s heart. Her lips quivered. She wondered what she had in her that this man before her had seen. What good did she have? She had a child, and part of her was maimed.

  “Gao Yi, I……”


  She wanted to say more, but Gao Yi silenced her by putting a finger on her lips. It’s alright. You don’t have to say anything. I will always be here, waiting for you. He picked a plate up seemingly afraid of hearing her rejection.

  It might have been his only weakness.

  “Gao Yi, I worked as a hostess once. I am tainted……”