Waterbound Love - Chapter 25

After everyone finally left, Du Bai could actually be discharged from the hospital. She just wanted a strange environment to sort things out; the specific place didn’t matter as long as she wasn’t disturbed by familiar things. Overlooking the city lights, Du Bai lit a cigarette. She really liked smoking on the balcony at night, watching the countless lights below, flickering on and off, feeling detached from it all. The slight warmth at her fingertips was it a bond, or nostalgia? Was it her hair or her soul that was being cooled by the wind? Were her tears soaking her face, or her heart?

Feeling the moisture touch her fingertips, Du Bai smiled slightly. It seemed she could only face her own heart under such a serene and pure night sky, yearning for warmth. That longing was deep in her bones; it seemed every cell was screaming for it.

Maybe this isn’t so bad. At least she was a pure person.

Let’s give it a try, maybe this time the answer will be different.

Morning sunlight poured through the window onto Du Bai’s face. She groggily got up and glanced at the clock, smiling. She probably hadn’t naturally woken up this early in a while. Knowing she was going back to class today, she informed Shao and Tinna that she would be discharged today and they didn’t need to come. Given that going to the hospital was already a routine for Du Bai, no one insisted on picking her up; they just went along with it. Since Du Bai’s stay was kept from her family and she was in a general ward, she had to handle her own discharge procedures. She didn’t want to bother Dr. Wang with such a trivial matter, so she walked to the outpatient clinic to take care of it herself.

Although Du Bai had been hospitalized a few times, she had never handled the formalities herself and had no idea where to go. Someone told her to go down to the first floor, pass the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, and go through a side door to reach the lobby.

Thinking it was a shortcut, and since the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department was generally set up independently, Du Bai didn’t think much of it and walked in that direction. Passing the department, she easily found the side door and was about to push it open when she heard a familiar voice. Looking in the direction of the voice, who else could it be but Ji Feiling. Du Bai couldn’t help but be puzzled. What was he doing here? She followed him.

Seeing Ji Feiling gently helping a girl out, his face full of tenderness, Du Bai’s face turned dark, and she crushed the receipt in her hand.

After thinking it through, Du Bai picked up her phone. “Hello, Dr. Wang, this is Du Bai, I’m coming to see you.” Du Bai knew that some things couldn’t be figured out with mere speculation and that she would need some help to get Ji Feiling’s medical records.

Du Bai briefly chatted with Dr. Wang and collected the photocopied records before quickly leaving. On her way back, she was unusually silent. She realized she really had no authority-after warning Ji Feiling not to make any moves, here he was, already involved. And yes, this was no small move. According to Dr. Wang, it seemed they didn’t plan to give up the child.

Holding Ji Feiling’s records, Du Bai thought, “Ji Feiling, you’re something else, aren’t you? You think you can hide your little affair from me? Let’s see how I deal with you.” But first, she needed to know exactly how much Tinna knew.

Du Bai went home, tidied up a bit, and rested briefly before heading to Somn. As expected, she found Tinna drinking by herself.

“Why are you alone again? Where’s your precious future husband?” Du Bai walked to the bar, grabbed her special glass, and started pouring a drink.

“You miss him that much, huh? He’s in Germany, been gone for a week. Do you want to go after him?”

“Yeah, I do miss him a lot. Not seeing him means I miss seeing a certain someone’s smiling face too. How could I not?” Seeing Tinna’s annoyed look made Du Bai feel quite uneasy inside. She leaned closer to Tinna, in a mysterious manner. “Aren’t you afraid he might cheat on you?”

“Hey, can you not be so annoying? Do you think everyone is like you? He’s there for work, okay?”

Du Bai felt bitter but kept her composure. “Tinna, I really want to seriously ask you-have you fallen for him?”

Tinna looked at Du Bai’s serious expression and downed a glass of wine. “Du Bai, maybe I have fallen in love with him.” Upon hearing this, Du Bai’s heart skipped a beat. She tilted her head back and finished her drink. “To what extent?”

Tinna gave a helpless bitter smile. “I don’t know, I just know I can’t live without him anymore. Since he left, I think about him every day. No, actually, every free moment.”

Du Bai took a deep breath in her heart. “How did it come to this?” It sounded like a question to Tinna, and also to herself.

“I don’t know. At first, I didn’t have any illusions about him. You know the situation back then; it was purely a relationship of convenience. But, but later, I realized things were different. He’s not like the guys we used to hang out with. You know I have a bad temper, but he’s very accommodating. For the first time,” Tinna paused and held up one finger, “for the first time, I felt that this kind of tolerance is something a man exclusively offers a woman.”

“Honestly, no matter how tough I appear, I’m still a woman. I can’t be as strong and heartless as you. I just fell for him. By the time I realized it, I couldn’t leave him.” With that, Tinna laid her head on the table and started sobbing.

Du Bai quietly watched Tinna, feeling a confusing mix of emotions inside.

Strong? Heartless? Perhaps.

“The situation back then” – it all started with her. Tinna probably knew some things but not everything. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be this calm.

There are things that Tinna can’t do, but I can do them for her. It’s better for me to bear Ji Feiling’s hatred because I wouldn’t care.

Life’s relentless push was once again at it. They were never thinking of the same thing to begin with. Who knows what the outcome will be; perhaps this is fate’s test for everyone.

Back home, Du Bai immediately sensed someone was there. Her body tensed as she cautiously opened the door. The living room light cast a warm glow, and Yaoyao was curled up on the sofa, sleeping. She seemed uncomfortable, frowning slightly as she slept. Seeing this, Du Bai’s lips curved into a gentle smile, a warmth that reached her heart.

It wasn’t that no one had waited for her before; Wei Jia, Pei Yin – their actions felt like watching a play from the sidelines, filled with mockery. But this innocent girl brought a completely different feeling, perhaps because it came from her heart.

Du Bai walked over and suddenly thought of how this scene would play out on TV. There were usually two scenarios. One, the man gently covers the woman with a blanket, and she wakes just at that moment. The man, in a clichéd TV drama fashion, says, “Ah, you’re awake.” They then gaze into each other’s eyes, full of affection, leading to a romantic moment.

Thinking this over, Du Bai wondered if she should just wake her up directly and skip the cliché drama ending.

As Du Bai got closer, Yaoyao woke up. Why? Because Du Bai had sat on her. Even though the sofa was soft, it was painful enough to keep her awake. She had pretended to sleep to see what Du Bai would do next. Being a naive young girl who had watched plenty of TV dramas, she definitely expected some tenderness and romance. Who knew Du Bai would just sit there, not moving at all? What was going on? Watching Du Bai approach her wish jar, Yaoyao couldn’t hold back any longer and stopped her, “You can’t look at that.”

Du Bai raised an eyebrow. She had noticed Yaoyao waking up but wanted to see how long the girl would pretend. “Why can’t I look? Isn’t it for me?” she said, eyes gleaming.

Yaoyao blushed, lowering her head. “Not now. You have to wait… until it’s full.” Her voice trailed off to a barely audible whisper.

“In that case, as compensation, may I kiss you?” Du Bai’s voice was unexpectedly gentle, as if coaxing a cute young girl into opening a door.

“What-” Yaoyao’s words were cut off by their lips meeting. The kiss deepened, growing with a fervent intensity, even making the moon shyly hide behind the clouds, only peeking out occasionally.

In the morning, Du Bai was awakened once more by the glaring sunlight, making her vow to get heavier curtains. She sat up dazedly, looking around and realizing she was in the guest room. She sighed with relief and smiled. Seeing the empty bed, she figured Yaoyao had left early out of shyness. Maybe she had acted impulsively last night, but she didn’t regret it. She wouldn’t allow herself to regret anything, having long forgotten what regret even felt like.

Stepping out of the room, she saw Yaoyao setting the table. The scene was simple yet warm. Perhaps, after all the storms and circling around, this was what she truly wanted.

“Good morning,” Yaoyao greeted shyly with a smile. Du Bai felt a surge of joy and was just about to give her a good morning kiss when she noticed Yaoyao’s clothes. Her face immediately darkened. “Who allowed you into my room and to go through my closet?”

Caught off guard, Yaoyao stammered, “Last night, my clothes were ripped, so I-”

“Take it off.” Du Bai’s face was pale, but her voice remained icy. It was as if this was the only way to keep her trembling heart from being revealed.

“Either take it off or leave.” The cold, heart-wrenching words came from Du Bai with a ruthless expression, as if only by doing so could she numb her own pain. Yaoyao, face ashen, ran back to the guest room, sobbing. After a long while, she dried her tears, trying to compose herself, and came out pretending nothing had happened, only to face a room of silence. Du Bai was nowhere to be seen, and the sudden emptiness made Yaoyao feel like the life had been sucked out of her, her forced smile now frozen, almost as if she were crying.

Yaoyao struggled to the dining table, sitting down. Looking at the empty main seat, she said, “Time for breakfast. This is our first meal alone, and it’s the first time you’re eating something I made. You need to eat more.” Her voice choked with emotion. She slowly sipped her porridge, tears falling into the bowl and quickly dissolving. Her throat tightened with a mix of bitterness and sorrow, making it hard to swallow. She thought, maybe my cooking was so bad it scared her away.

Suddenly, she stood up and dumped the porridge, throwing the side dishes into the trash. She crouched down, hugging herself, starting with quiet sobs that soon erupted into loud, heart-wrenching cries. So overcome with sadness, she didn’t notice the blood seeping from the cut on her index finger through the bandage, blooming like a sinister flower.