“Oh, nothing.” Gao Yi stood for a while before taking a seat beside Xia Ruoxin. He took her sketchbook, placed it on his lap, and began flipping through. “Your skills have gotten better.” It was a heartfelt compliment. Although he didn’t know much about art, he had seen enough of Xia Ruoxin’s works. These few had clearly shown the improvement in the workmanship and the emotions that she was trying to capture.

  “Ah, really?” Xia Ruoxin felt embarrassed by his compliment. Her expression was akin to Rainy’s. In fact, Rainy resembled her. After all, she was the one to give birth to her daughter.

  To have the Big and Little Beauties by his side was a much envious thing for a man. Many others would love to have that chance.

  Gao Yi reached out and rested his hand on her shoulder. Then, he tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear. Xia Ruoxin’s body jerked, but she gave him a smile quickly.

  Gao Yi held her hand in his huge palm. This time, Xia Ruoxin didn’t struggle or reject him.

  She was thinking this was good, too.

  Rainy needed a father while she could possibly find someone who she could rely on, a shoulder for her to lean on. This man beside her could just be that man.

  Gao Yi breathed a sigh of relief. He knew she was beginning to open her heart up bit by bit to him. Time was the best remedy for a woman who had been hurt before. He would give her as much time as she needed.

  He would wait. If one year wasn’t long enough for her, he would give her two years. He was willing to give her three if that’s what she needed. He believed that Xia Ruoxin wouldn’t let him wait for long. She wouldn’t wait until they were both old with a head of white hair before she realized he was still there waiting for her.

  It wouldn’t come to that. She was beginning to accept his affection for her.

  There was a tingling sound resembling the snap of the chord in her heart. Xia Ruoxin rested her palm against her chest. It didn’t hurt as bad. On the contrary, she felt relaxed. It had been broken, but a hand had begun to help her mend it gently.

  The road to recovery might be painful. However, it was something like a physical wound that would heal gradually with the passing of time until the process was complete.

  “Ruoxin, I’ll take you away after some time.” Gao Yi reached out and circled his arm around her shoulders. “Let’s leave this place together with Rainy. Trust me. You will like that country. It’s beautiful.”


  “Alright.” Xia Ruoxin closed her eyes and leaned her head onto Gao Yi’s shoulder. She hadn’t had a home before. Now, a man was offering to give her a home unconditionally. It was something she didn’t want to reject.

  Someone was reaching out for her in the dark and giving her a ray of light; he was giving her some warmth in the frigid winter. No one liked the dark, and no one loved the winter.

  She wanted a warm place without pain or

  tears.

  Meanwhile, Rainy had turned in her sleep, and her tiny foot was exposed under the blanket. A big hand reached out and held tightly onto her foot, and then he placed it under the blanket again. Lately, this child had been having tossing in her sleep. She could be in her growing phase. She would kick about under her blanket, but after pouting her lips for a while, she would stick her thumb into her mouth and continue to sleep.

  Gao Yi finally knew how tough it was to be a mother even more so to raise a child. It was especially true for a weak and sickly child like Rainy. They had to be extra cautious after she had recovered from her major illness.

  “You are just three years old, and we are already worried sick about you. My hair seemed to have turned gray prematurely.”


  He squeezed Rainy’s little hand and compared it with his big one. Such a small hand. How much time would she need to grow bigger?

  In the morning, Rainy snuggled under her blanket. When she opened her eyes, she pouted and wondered about the absence of her mother’s smell. Was her mother deserting her?

  “Why? You are ignoring your father so early in the morning.” Gao Yi came over and pinched her little cheek. He didn’t have to go to work today so he would be spending the whole day with her. Ruoxin had a class, and it was quite a distance from home so she wouldn’t be able to rush back for lunch. He could have sent the little imp to the kindergarten, but there had been many cases of influenza. The kindergarten was not a safe place for her. It was best that she stayed home.

  “Daddy!” Rainy’s big round eyes lit up as soon as she saw Gao Yi. She pulled the blanket aside and threw her little frame into his arms. Her smile was so sweet as though she had just eaten a candy.

  Gao Yi dressed her in the clothes that had been set aside. Then, he carried her into the living room and made her a bottle of milk.

  Rainy sucked on the milk bottle and drank slowly while Gao Yi took a pair of small shoes out from the cabinet. After that, he helped her to put on her socks. Rainy wasn’t used to it, and she wriggled her toes. She bit on her milk bottle as her feet started to sway.

  “Daddy, can I go out to play?” She ran before Gao Yi and started to negotiate with Gao Yi with her wide eyes. She had been cooped up at home for a very long time, and she really wanted to go outside to play. Gao Yi considered the notion for a minute as he sat her on his lap. She was simply too young so there was no room for negotiation.

  “Why don’t you finish your milk? Then, I’ll bring you out.”


  He swirled the bottle of milk in his hand. For small children her age, it was ideal for them to continue to drink milk formula until they were six years old. Rainy was only three, and yet she was rejecting milk. Perhaps, she knew how tough it was for her mother so she repelled the idea. Even now when their financial situation was much better, she still disliked the taste of milk.

  Rainy accepted her milk bottle. Her eyelashes which resembled a pair of brushes were lowered as she sat obediently and finished her milk. She made it seem as though she was forced to drink poison. She looked utterly miserable that Gao Yi was caught between laughter and tears.

  He put her sun hat on and tied a scarf securely around her neck. She was bundled up like a bear cub. The weather today was better so it was possible to bring her out. In fact, she should accustom herself to the weather outdoors so that she could improve her immune system.

  Rainy was dressed like a clumsy bear. When she walked, she waddled from side to side. Suddenly, she kicked into a plastic bottle lying in her path, and she bent down with much difficulty to pick it up.

  Gao Yi was holding her hand, but he made no attempts to stop her. He only wanted to know what she was going to do with it.

  Rainy loosened his hand and waddled to the trash bin at the side. She tip-toed and put the bottle into the bin.

  Many passers-by had been observing them secretly. When they saw what Rainy had done, they were in awe of her sensitivity and wondered at the good work her parents had done to educate her.