Love in the Midst of Mistaken Identities

Xia Ruoxin kissed her daughter’s cheek. Rainy cupped her face with her hands and broke into a shy smile. When he saw how adorable she was, Gao Yi carried Rainy and rained kisses on her cheek. Then, he carried her begrudgingly to let her play.

Xia Ruoxin picked up the fallen towel from the floor. She turned around and caressed her red lips. Her heart pounded again as she felt her emotions stirred by what had happened earlier.

Once her emotions were stirred, it would bring along a thousand strands of love.

Above the sofa, a cartoon was showing on the television. Rainy wasn’t particularly fond of watching cartoons. However, Gao Yi always left it on. He kept saying that she was unlike any other kid, which wasn’t good... so he was constantly forcing her to do some things that a child should be doing.

Actually, Xia Ruoxin felt the same way. Rainy was always playing with her doll in her spare time. In fact, she was more mature than the children who were her age. She could cook her own noodles although it wasn’t really delicious. Nevertheless, it was an accomplishment that many children couldn’t do, not even teenagers. Rainy, on the other hand, could do it very well. At three years old, she could cook her own noodles to eat.

The television was showing a cartoon starring a pink pig. It seemed to be popular for children at Rainy’s age, and Gao Yi decided to sacrifice his favorite news and sports programs so that Rainy could watch a pig.

Rainy played with her doll with the occasional peek at the television. However, she was neither interested nor fond of it. Xia Ruoxin could see that she had a long way to go. It wouldn’t be that easy to transform a mature Rainy into a normal child.

At night, Rainy held her doll in one hand and her pillow in the other. Then, she knocked on Gao Yi’s door.

Gao Yi was preparing to go to bed when he heard a knock on his door. Initially, he was going to take a shower. He had just taken off his shirt, and now, he had to put it on again. When he opened the door, he couldn’t see anything outside. Then, he lowered his eyes and saw little Rainy who was as tall as his kneecap.

He bent down so that he was just an inch or two taller than Rainy.

“What is it?” He placed one hand on Rainy’s cheek. She had gained some weight lately. Her cheeks looked chubbier now with her baby fat. She had a slender chin, a straight nose, and a pair of eyes with the size of black seedless grapes which spoke volumes. It was no wonder Ruoxin’s friends at the art studio had called her ‘Little Beauty’. Indeed, she was such a pretty thing that she would definitely outshine her mother when she was a full-grown woman.

“What is it, Little Beauty?” Finally, Gao Yi sat on the floor so that he was the same height as the little imp.

“Can I sleep with Daddy tonight?” Rainy held her doll with both hands and stood attentively as she asked cautiously worried that Gao Yi wouldn’t agree to her request.

“Okay. Of course, you can sleep with me.” Gao Yi stood up and carried Rainy. “You can sleep with me tonight, but you can’t cry for Mommy. If you really cry to me in the middle of the night, I will ignore you in the future.” He pinched Rainy’s cheek unsure of what was happening to the little one. Why had she asked to sleep with him out of the blue? As far as he could remember, she couldn’t sleep at night without Xia Ruoxin. If her mother was not with her, she would force herself to stay awake even when she was exhausted.

“I’m worried that Daddy will leave.” Rainy pouted and buried her face into Gao Yi’s nape. “I want to keep watch on Daddy so he won’t leave.”

Gao Yi suddenly felt an ache in his heart. This child had always been sensitive. He had gone for far longer than he had expected on this trip which might have triggered something in her. As a result, she had let her imagination run wild.

He gently leaned his head against Rainy’s tiny one. “Come. Daddy will tuck you in.”

At last, Rainy smiled. Her eyes curved into a pair of crescents like the moon hanging in the night sky. She looked so pure and innocent that no one could resist her.

Gao Yi took a children’s storybook. He told one story after another. First, it was Cinderella. Then, it was Snow White, and finally Ugly Duckling. At long last, he managed to coax Rainy to sleep.

Rainy coiled herself up occupying a small space on Gao Yi’s huge bed. It wasn’t even one-tenth of the space. At times, he could feel the wonders of life. Despite being a doctor by profession and witnessing numerous life-and-death situations, he marveled at the fact that he could watch such a small child grow into an adult with his own eyes. What a fantastic event it would be?

“Grow up well.” He caressed Rainy’s pink cheek. “You are still young, and you have a long time to go. I hope to stay by your side forever until you grow up, get married, and when you don’t need me anymore.”

These were his heartfelt word regardless of whether she was his biological daughter. This child had his bone marrow in her. He had saved her life, and his blood was running in her veins now. How different was this from having a biological child?

“Sleep.” He kissed Rainy’s tiny forehead before going for his shower. When he came out of the bathroom, the living room lights were still on. The child sleeping on his bed had been obedient. She hadn’t kicked her blanket away.

He opened his room door and closed it again gently. When he came out, he saw Xia Ruoxin still sitting on the sofa. She had her easel out and was busy painting. Many said that a man who was hard at work was charming, but the same could also be said for a woman. A woman could also look beautiful with her intellectuality, her sense of content, and a blissful smile. Xia Ruoxin captured all that in her paintings.

Xia Ruoxin’s paintbrush flew around the canvas according to her current emotions. All of which were captured within each stroke and line. Her lips curled into a small smile. The look in her eyes was bright but gentle. The strokes blossomed into anything she wanted them to be.

Gao Yi walked over to her. He stared intently at the paintbrush in Xia Ruoxin’s hand. He had to say that there was truly something special with her drawings. It reflected her character which was gentle and elegant. It set one at ease.

Xia Ruoxin completed one painting. She had lost track of time. When she raised her head up, she almost knocked into the man’s forehead.

A hand rested on her forehead and blocked the impact. Otherwise, the two foreheads would have collided.

“Why are you still awake?” Xia Ruoxin jumped with fright. She had lost track of time. Had Gao Yi been standing there for a long time? She realized when she was too absorbed with work or too occupied with things she was doing, she would be distracted; and a few hours would simply pass by.