The sky was blue, the clouds were white, and the water was clear with fine sand.
Lin Wan sat on the beach, holding an umbrella, watching a large and a small figure splashing water not far away.
Little Bao was wearing only a pair of shorts, his tiny body submerged up to his waist, holding a large, colorful water gun, bravely spraying water. Chen Jin, holding an empty gun, dodged left and right, occasionally begging for mercy.
He wore a white T-shirt and army-green beach shorts, his short hair wet and clumped together. His water-soaked arms and legs gleamed with a healthy sheen under the sun, and when he laughed carefree, he looked like a big child without a care in the world.
Hearing the bursts of laughter, Lin Wan smiled contentedly.
Since Chen Jin appeared, Little Bao has changed a lot. He had become more open and a lot wilder, no longer clinging to her like before. She thought this was good; boys should grow like this. She couldn't help but admit that Chen Jin was a good father, and Little Bao was lucky to have him.
This man had really changed a lot. In some respects, he could be said to have undergone a complete transformation.
Every time he came over now, he would bring many gifts. For Little Bao, there were fun toys and delicious food. For her, there were silk scarves, sterling silver jewelry, books she had mentioned but couldn't find, and even a set of nail polish. Compared to the luxury bags and shoes piled in his apartment cabinets, these gifts truly touched her.
He also spent a lot of time and effort on her family. In short, he had charmed them all, and every time they met, he would hint that she shouldn't miss out on happiness and should reunite with him sooner. Her brother even joked that she was spoiled by his affection. As for the complicated past, they had all chosen to forgive or simply ignore it. Of course, they only knew part of the story…
Another burst of laughter drew her attention. Chen Jin was holding Little Bao horizontally, standing in deeper water up to his knees. Little Bao was reaching his arms to splash the water, and Chen Jin would occasionally scare him, pretending to drop him into the water. Little Bao screamed, "Mom, help!"
"Daddy is the bad guy!"
Chen Jin pretended to be angry, lifting his son higher and playfully tickling him. Little Bao twisted and laughed while begging, "I was wrong, Daddy is a good guy."
The joyful scene moved Lin Wan. However, when Chen Jin carried Little Bao to her, the smile that had been lingering on her face faded. She deliberately ignored the eager look in his eyes.
That was one of her resolves. What they were going to face was not just a fleeting moment, but a lifetime. She needed enough trust and security before she could hand over her and her son's future to him.
They took a shower and changed clothes in the changing room at the beach resort, then had dinner at the nearby seafood restaurant. Little Bao loved shrimp, so Chen Jin peeled a full plate for him. Now, whenever they ate together, this task was always his; no one could steal it from him.
Lin Wan went to the bathroom midway, and when she returned, Little Bao leaned over mysteriously and said, "The lady over there was flirting with Daddy just now."
She froze, then reprimanded, "Children shouldn't talk nonsense."
Little Bao argued, "I'm not talking nonsense. She was clearly flirting with Daddy."
At this point, everyone around heard, and their attention turned toward them, including the two women sitting nearby. Lin Wan couldn't hold her composure and shot a glare at Chen Jin. She lowered her voice, "You need to be careful what you say in front of children. Don't teach him bad things…"
Chen Jin nodded in agreement, his attitude sincere, which left Lin Wan unable to scold him further.
After a while, the two women got up and left, and Lin Wan couldn't help but glance at them. They were in their early twenties, dressed lightly, with long, pale legs that attracted the attention of men along the way. Lin Wan quickly turned her gaze away, a fishbone-like feeling stuck in her throat.
The meal was eaten in silence, and when they took the elevator down, Chen Jin fixed his hair in the reflection of the bright wall and straightened his collar.
A strange anger welled up in Lin Wan, and she casually mocked, "You're looking good, still a flower at forty. You're in your prime now."
Chen Jin smiled and leaned toward her ear, saying softly, "There's another saying: women at thirty are like tofu dregs…"
Lin Wan stiffened at the sudden words, and he smiled wider, his breath warm against her ear. "So, how much longer are you planning to wait before saying yes?"
Lin Wan kept her composure, carefully stepping on a spot and firmly pressing her foot down. Chen Jin winced, and he grinned through the pain until they walked out of the elevator.
After causing trouble, Chen Jin started apologizing. When Lin Wan didn't answer his calls, he sent flowers every day, changing the style daily. But every time Lin Wan saw the bright roses, lilies, or birds of paradise, she would think of his detestable face. The memory of his careless words made her wish she could throw the bouquet into the trash right in front of the florist.
Before she could do so, she noticed a small card inside, handwritten with the words, "Wan Wan, I was wrong, forgive me."
It was insincere. Lin Wan cursed inwardly but forgot to throw the flowers away.
The next day, the flowers came again, with the same card, but this time it had a joke written on it.
In the following days, there was a different joke each day.
Lin Wan never wanted to read them, but she couldn't help herself. After reading, she would sternly place the flowers in a vase and throw the little paper into a drawer. The jokes weren't funny at all, and it was clear they had been copied from the internet, showing no sincerity. Yet, the act itself was so boring that it almost made her laugh.
Meanwhile, she paid more attention to her self-care. She spent more time in front of the mirror. While there were changes compared to five or six years ago, she was still far from being "tofu dregs." No matter what, she bought some new skincare products at the counter and gathered a few new clothes. Before bed, she would do yoga with a face mask on, soaking the rose petals from Chen Jin's flowers in the bathwater.
A month passed, and Lin Wan's anger had long dissipated. Yet, Chen Jin had not appeared. That morning, the florist's assistant arrived again, and Lin Wan froze when she saw the flowers in his hand. She stood at the door, staring at the flowers, while Little Bao came over and said with disdain, "So ugly."
Lin Wan blinked, her eyes moistening slightly, and murmured, "Really? I think they're fine."
She picked up the little card and read it. It said, "Even if you turn them into tofu dregs, I'll still eat tofu dregs like a pig." Below was a simple drawing of a pig's face.
She laughed, unable to stop herself, and tears trembled in her eyelashes. Little Bao, puzzled, watched for a while, then hurriedly ran back to the room, picked up the phone, and dialed a number he knew well. Lowering his voice, he said, "Dad, Mom is crying and laughing…"
In another city, Chen Jin put his phone away, picked a tie from the wardrobe, and carefully adjusted it in front of the mirror. Whistling, he went out the door. She thought he wasn't making enough of an effort, so he would add fuel to the fire, stimulate her a little, and make her feel a sense of crisis. He has had two major projects to manage lately, and he planned to take advantage of this opportunity to make himself more indispensable. The next time they met, he wanted there to be a real change.
It had been almost two months since Chen Jin last showed up. Lin Wan had no idea what he was up to. She hadn't answered his calls, but now that she was willing, he hadn't called. What frustrated her the most was that he hadn't called Little Bao for three days, and the flowers had stopped arriving. During breakfast, Little Bao anxiously asked if his dad didn't like him anymore.
Lin Wan felt heartbroken for her son and worried something had happened to Chen Jin, so she called him. The phone rang for a long time before a woman answered sweetly, saying that he wasn't available to take the call…
The words caught in her throat, and it took her a while to recover. A bitter, sour feeling rose in her heart, and she forced herself to stay calm, telling Little Bao, who was waiting expectantly, "Daddy's in a meeting, he'll call later."
The temperature had dropped these past few days, and Little Bao had a slight cough. With his mood low and no appetite, Lin Wan made extra dishes that evening, feeding him a little porridge, though he barely drank two sips before angrily declaring, "Daddy's bad. I won't talk to him again."
Lin Wan nodded and agreed, "Alright, we won't talk to him."
Just then, the doorbell rang. She put down the child and went to answer the door. When she saw who was outside through the video intercom, she froze. Her heart, which had been heavy all day, was instantly soothed.
She opened the door, and Chen Jin walked in, carrying the weight of travel on him. He had a small suitcase with him. Seeing her stunned expression, he explained, "Just got off the plane, came to see you guys first."
Lin Wan noticed the exhaustion on his face, and before she could speak, Little Bao, hearing the sound, immediately jumped out of his chair and sprinted like a little rabbit to throw himself into Chen Jin's arms, shouting "Daddy." Even Nini ran over, joining in to make noise and call out to Chen Jin.
Chen Jin responded with "Son," bending down to skillfully hold Little Bao and saying, "I missed you so much," before planting a loud kiss on his son's cheeks. Little Bao giggled, twisting in his embrace, and the past few days of unhappiness disappeared in an instant. Lin Wan watched, momentarily dazed.
Chen Jin lifted his son, marveling, "You've grown a lot in just a few days."
Little Bao clung to his neck and complained, "It's been forty-nine days."
Chen Jin froze, then smiled apologetically, "You remember so clearly. Dad's wrong, I'll accept my punishment."
Little Bao said, "Alright, your punishment is to have dinner with me."
Chen Jin agreed, then turned and nodded at Lin Wan. He carried Little Bao toward the dining area, glancing at the withered calla lilies in the vase. He smiled, and Lin Wan stood there for a moment before pushing his suitcase against the wall.