"Honey, c'mon, don't be so cruel, I'm your husband. How can you have the heart to do that to me?" asked Edward. He fastened Daisy's safety belt and then gently kissed her on her forehead. Then he buckled up himself, smiled at her, and slowly started the car. Daisy blushed a little, and thought, 'Is it really necessary to say so many sweet words?' He did all kinds of thoughtful things for her as he joked. How could she not love such a tender man like him?
"I told you that Mark would drive me home. Why did you come?" The question was eventually raised, the one that Daisy had been dying to ask. She now evaded his playful tone on purpose.
"Didn't somebody say she missed me? I rushed here to let you see me. Aren't you moved?" While holding the steering wheel, Edward glanced sidelong at her, half playful, and half serious. He looked both charming and mischievous.
"Yes, I am. I'm so moved that I put myself in a perilous position, like a sheep falling straight into the tiger's mouth." Although Daisy was happy inside, she acted otherwise.
"Wait a second. Honey, didn't you say that you were a dog? How did you become a sheep all of a sudden?" Edward was much more eloquent, and it seemed he had a reply ready for everything she was throwing at him. Daisy was annoyed.
"Are you driving the damn car or correcting me?" Daisy cursed whenever she was pissed off. 'Why does this guy have to take everything so seriously? Can't he just humor me for once?' she thought.
"Fine. Seriously now, are you going to see the Ouyangs tonight?" Edward asked cautiously, and observed her expression. This was the first time that he had ever mentioned of her family.
Hearing his question, Daisy was in a daze for a second. Did the family still have anything to do with her? No! So many years past, she had accepted the fact that she was no longer a member of the family, although it still hurts to think about it.
"What Ouyangs? I don't know them, and please don't mention them anymore. I have nothing to do with them." Daisy's face darkened all of a sudden. She didn't know why Edward had brought the issue up. She no longer belonged to the family the minute she had been thrown out of the house.
Edward was dumbfounded at her reply. He had guessed that she didn't get along with her family, but he hadn't expected her to react like that. Sensing her melancholy, he didn't know what to say.
After a period of silence, Edward couldn't help but ask again, "At least can you tell me why?" The issue had been puzzling him for a long time.
"Can I say no? You'll be the first one to know, someday, when I'm ready, " said Daisy. Her heart was heavy. White poplars flashed past them outside the window. She looked at them through the window, lost deep in thought.
Her home? It had been the warmest place in the world for her when her mom was alive, but since she passed away, it had gradually become a living hell. Nevertheless, she had chosen to stay, not because of the rest of her family, but because she could still recall the beautiful memories she had had with her mother there.
But in the end, she had resolutely left the family, with nothing, because of his one single sentence. She gave up the dearest thing that she had cherished, to become strong for him. Had she ever regretted this? Yes, she had. When she was sacrificing herself, but he didn't cared at all; when she was by their sick son's bedside, and he was dating other women; when she was missing him, but he didn't even remember that she existed, she was devoured by remorse.
But she knew that she could never go back after that. In the eyes of the other members of her family, maybe she no longer even existed. She was grateful that, although she had been treated badly, to some people, she was the only biological daughter of the Ouyang Family. That was why she had been able to approach Edward in the first place.
However, he didn't love her back then. He even hated her, because he thought that she had been scheming against him. She indeed had married him for some purpose-to find a harbor where her heart could anchor, the heart that loved him deeply.
The words he said to her that morning had hurt her more than when she had to leave her own family. Back then, she had no choice but to accept the fact that he didn't love her, and that she couldn't force him to fall in love with her. She had to leave him, and her heart broke every time she recalled his anger at her.
Edward didn't pursue the question. He looked sideways at Daisy. He didn't know what had made her so sad, or what Daisy was thinking about. At that moment, she looked even colder than usual.
Edward was worried that they might go back to square one. Why did the Ouyangs make her mood swing so abruptly? What had he missed?
His heart ached to watch her like that, and he wished he would be able to work out all the puzzles and find out where her sadness had come from.
The phone rang, and the silence broke. Edward frowned, and picked up his phone in the front of the car. It was an unknown number. It was weird, because unknown numbers had hardly called him until then. Who was it?
Daisy turned around, and asked, "Won't you answer it?" She was bothered, because the ringtone had interrupted her meditation.
Um, yeah, right away." Edward had thought to hang up, but he was afraid that it might produce a misunderstanding, and that Daisy might think he was hiding something from her.