"Edward Stephens, it’s impossible for to like you."
"That’s okay."
...
Daisy Ginger savored this exchange, lifted her eyes with a hint of a smile, and said lightly, "If it weren’t for Mr. Stephens keeping locked in the hospital these days, and posting people to guard the door, I might really be moved by Mr. Stephens’s deep affection."
Edward Stephens took a sip of his drink, ignoring Daisy Ginger’s provocation, and said lightly, "Because you’re disobedient. If you were a bit more obedient, we’d both live more comfortably."
"By obedient, you an letting you have your way, doing whatever you want?" Daisy Ginger’s calm smile faded, and her face cooled, "I’m telling you, I absolutely will not have this child. Don’t even dream about it!"
The man seed to disdain arguing with her, ignored her words, and picked up his chopsticks casually, starting to eat the food that was brought to them.
It was noon, the Hong Kong-style restaurant was bustling with people coming and going.
The owner of the restaurant was an immigrant from Hong Kong, who had been running it here for over a decade, frequented by old custors.
The place was filled with Chinese people, chatting in their hotown dialects. Daisy Ginger picked up on a few Banyan City accents, her eyes darkened slightly, and she lowered her head, no longer acknowledging Edward Stephens, quietly sipping the creamy mushroom soup in front of her.
They ate until half past one in the afternoon.
Edward Stephens presumably had work to do later. He paid the bill and then took her to the car.
Daisy Ginger sat in the car, hugging her legs, watching the bustling scenes outside the window.
Still, no matter how long she lived here, this city always felt foreign.
Daisy Ginger pursed her lips, gently resting her chin on her knees.
She felt a bit hosick.
*
Returning to the Stephens family ho, Daisy Ginger was led back to her room.
"I might co back late tonight." The man, with his back to her, stood before her changing clothes, "If you get bored, you can go downstairs to stroll in the garden. But don’t go too far," he turned his head slightly, glancing at her, "you might get lost."
Daisy Ginger kept a cold expression, not acknowledging him.
The man studied her expression, walked over, and leaned down in front of her, his cool fingers touching her cheek.
"What’s wrong," he looked at her, "want to stay and keep you company?"
"Get lost." Daisy Ginger shook off his hand, showing him no friendly expression.
The man chuckled lightly, leaned down, and kissed her forehead, "Daisy, if you behave, I’ll make you the happiest woman in the world."
Daisy Ginger raised her eyes to glare at him.
Unperturbed, he remained calm and composed, as if she were already caught in a trap, and no matter how she struggled, this was it.
She lifted the quilt, crawled in, and turned her back to him, ignoring him.
Behind her, she heard rustling sounds, then the man’s departing footsteps.
Daisy Ginger unconsciously bit her lip, staring at the void opposite, listening to the steady footsteps of Edward Stephens leaving, thinking that she must leave.
How could she let him be so triumphant, after ruining her life, and remain so composed?
A hint of malice appeared in her eyes, and a tallic taste filled her mouth where she had bitten her lip. Yet, Daisy Ginger seed unaware.
Her body’s tolerance to pain seed to be growing stronger.
*
Edward Stephens said he would stay at ho to accompany her for a few days and indeed stayed.
Although Daisy Ginger very much hoped he would just leave and stop bothering her.
Being pestered by him for three days, the man finally agreed to take her out for a stroll.
The next morning.
Spring in Chicago is much warr than in Banyan City.
Daisy Ginger wore just a thin knitted sweater, the neckline drooped, revealing her thin shoulders and steep collarbones as she stood in the bathroom washing up.
She looked in the mirror and found her complexion rather poor.
Pale, with dark circles under her eyes.
All because of that guy...
She cursed Edward Stephens in her mind just as he walked in, shirtless.
Seeing her brushing her teeth, he approached to kiss her cheek, and then quickly dodged when she almost spat toothpaste foam at him.
"Pfft." He laughed nearby, looking sowhat smug.
"..." Daisy Ginger gave him a blank look, too lazy to engage with this childish man, lowered her head to rinse her mouth, swiftly washed her face, and left the bathroom to him.
It had been almost a month since the last intense argunt at ho. The bloodstains she left had long been wiped clean without a trace, and the housekeepers had long resud their usual routines, as if nothing had happened, continuing to take care of her as always.
Even Edward Stephens rarely provoked her into anger now, as if the matter of changing the dication was all in the past.
But just like the scar on her wrist that couldn’t be removed, her subtly protruding belly and increasingly low spirits reminded her that her body was still suffering aftereffects.
She unconsciously bit her lip again at the sa spot, a strong tallic taste filled her mouth. The man opened the door and ca out just as Daisy Ginger swallowed a bloody spittle and looked at the man’s calm and gentle profile.
Her eyes deepened.
*
Edward Stephens first took her to Chinatown nearby for breakfast.
Soy milk and doughnuts, dumplings with wontons, even freshly stead dumplings.
Daisy Ginger realized that ever since arriving in Chicago, Edward Stephens had mainly chosen Chinese cuisine despite his evidently Westernized taste.
He was accommodating her.
She glanced at the soy milk in the man’s hand, seeming not to like such Westernized things, he took one sip and put it down.
She tasted a wonton, then said lightly, "You don’t like eating these things, you don’t need to force yourself to accommodate ."
The man looked up at her.
Daisy Ginger spoke earnestly, "As long as you let go back, you can eat whatever you love."
"..." He chuckled again, reaching out to pinch her cheek, and said, "Silly."
Daisy Ginger: "If you have to eat things you don’t like with for a lifeti, do you think it’s fun?"
"We have different tastes, different preferences, no common interests and hobbies. You won’t be happy with ."
"Are you finished?" Edward Stephens passed her a freshly fried doughnut, "You like this, try it."
"..." Daisy Ginger glared at him, only finding this guy stubborn, impervious, accepting the doughnut and taking a furious bite, chewing hard as if biting his flesh.
"I actually think living with soone different allows life to last longer."
Daisy Ginger looked up at him.
The man cupped his face, giving her a faint smile.
His face seed to glow in the sunlight.
"Living with an identical person, what fun is there?" His eyes held a gentle warmth, "I’m not so narcissist, after all."
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