"The bath is ready." Qian Ling walked out while wiping her hands on the clean cloth. Susu was told about the new treatment and another wave of pain she needs to endure. Even though she hated it, she knew she had to get through it to get well.
Leaning onto Chen Mu's chest, her body relaxed as he carried her to the bathroom. There was a chair prepared for him to assist her. Since her body was weak, he had to help her strip. Holding her naked body in his embrace, he stepped foot in the tub and slowly sat down. The second her body soaked entirely in the tub, she whimpered in pain.
Her legs bent and straightened rapidly in the bath as if she was drowning. Hugging her close to his chest, his strong arms kept her from climbing out of the tub. He closed his eyes as water splattered to their faces. Although he didn't feel a pinch of pain like she did, his heart felt it from her screams. All he could do was whisper to her ears that the pain would go away once the toxins are released.
Of course, this was only his way of interpreting it. Her sniffles and clenched fists were tough to ignore. If he had the choice, he would rather suffer in her place. Even if he wanted to release his grip around her and let her go, he knew he couldn't. This was the most difficult task in his life.
Her struggles reduced in strength as her body weakened from struggling so much. An hour into the bath, she asked, "Can you talk about something to distract me from this?"
"Okay. How about I tell you a story about a five-year-old girl and six-year-old boy's first encounter?" His eyed reddened as lips quivered slightly. With his arms around her body, he began telling her the story of when they first met.
He wanted to tell her this since long ago, but never had the right opportunity to do so. Now was probably not the best time, but he didn't want to wait any longer. "Once, there was a six-year-old boy named C and his friend was named T. Like every other day, C went over to T's house to play with him. As they were having fun running around in his garden, T overheard his parents talking."
"Apparently, T's family had invited T's fiancée over to play. Both sides of the family would be present as well. After hearing about this, T asked C to do him a favor and switch identities with him. Although C refused at first, he ended up agreeing."
Susu asked, "But don't they look different? T's parents would find out, wouldn't they?"
Chen Mu chuckled and shook his head, " T and C looked very alike when they were young. Sometimes, people actually mistaken one for the other. Plus, T's parents had to leave for something important at the end, so they never found out about the swap incident."
Susu leaned onto his chest, "oh.."
"Anyways, T and C changed clothes. After that, T snuck out of the house to play with his friends while C met his fiancée for him. At first, C wanted to ignore the little girl, but she was too adorable. This girl was sensitive to others' emotions. She could tell that C didn't want to interact much. Still, she initiated conversations with him."
"By the end of the day, C and T's fiancée became friends. She had been innocent and didn't understand that she had proposed to C before she left. She took out the ring around her neck and pointed to the matching one on C's neck. That necklace belonged to T, but she didn't know."
Susu's droopy eyelids suddenly opened lifted slightly when she heard about the necklace. "What color were their rings?"
"Both silvers, but hers had a reddish tone while his was blue. Shhh, let me continue." His cheeks leaned against her temple as he resumed.
"The little girl told the boy that when they grow up, they will become a family. She even made the boy promise her to wait until she grows up to be a good wife for him. This girl's words were like a spell in C's mind. Since that day, C had never stopped thinking about her and the promise he has made even though she mistook him for the wrong person."
His eyes swelled and voice stuttered, "C also kept the ring from many years ago. It was a ring that T never cared about and wanted to toss away. Many years later, the girl grew up into being a fine lady. She chased after T and ended up getting hurt over and over. Meanwhile, C would do many things behind her back for her, but she didn't know."
"You.." Susu pressed her lips together as her eyes started to sting. This time, it wasn't tears from the pain she received from the herb bath. It was a realization that Chen Mu has been the one for her since the start. After running through circles from all these years, it's always been him.
As he continued telling her the story, flashbacks came to her mind. Why was she so silly back then? 'For all these years, it's been him looking after me. When I was at my lowest, he made me laugh. When I was tired, he was always there to carry me physically and emotionally. He did so many things, yet I never knew...I didn't know even after we started dating. I only knew how great he treated me, but none about the past.'
At the end of his story, he whispered, "Right now, C is holding the girl he always dreamt about since childhood. So, you silly girl. You must stay strong. I'll be with you to face this pain. I'll do anything for you. You can bite, pinch, punch and do whatever you want to me as long as you don't give up. We've walked a long way, and I've finally got you in my arms. I'm very close to holding these hands down the aisle."
"I'm very close to taking you as my wife. There are many things we haven't done yet. So, please endure for the time being. I love you so much." Although he was hugging her from behind, she could hear the unsteadiness in his voice. He was afraid of losing her.
She let out a soft sniffle, "Okay. I won't ever give up. I'll get better and take responsibility for my words."
"You promised." He smiled.
"Mm. Promise."