513 A Thousand Words
Selma Payne’s POV:
I didn’t know what I had done, but by the time I reacted, I had already pounced on Aldrich’s bed and tightly hugged him.
The surveillance device that was forcefully removed issued an urgent alarm, and the tiny wound left by the needle on my hand healed in an instant. However, I couldn’t feel any noise or pain. Only this person in front of me could take away all my attention. His breathing, heartbeat, warm body temperature, and eyes were as deep as the night sky.
“Aldrich, Aldrich...”
I hugged him tightly and unknowingly started to cry.
Aldrich hugged me back. His arms were no longer as strong and powerful as before, and even a simple action like raising his hands made his muscles tremble.
But all of this was so fortunate in my eyes. Everything was real, and I was not dreaming.
“I miss you so much. You don’t know how I’ve been through this time... everything is a mess. You’re not here, and many people are bringing trouble to me. I feel like a bowl of rotten porridge. My brain is muddled and stiff, and I don’t know what to do at all...”
The grievances and pressure in my heart instantly exploded, and I incoherently expressed all the pent-up complaints in my heart to Aldrich. I kept pecking at Aldrich’s face and forehead. His body’s scent made me feel at ease.
Aldrich didn’t say anything, letting me vent my childish anger on him like a child. He only hugged me tighter, then kissed me back weakly, kissing away the tears on my face.
Just like that, I vented my anger for a long time before I completely let it go. I laid on Aldrich’s body and hugged him tightly.
“Good girl, don’t worry. I’m back.” Aldrich kissed my ear and said gently, “I’m sorry for suddenly leaving you alone. I promise that all of this is over. I’ll never leave you again. My dear, look at me.”
I raised my head and saw Aldrich smiling at me with my teary eyes.
“You did well, Selma, and I’ve always known that you can always do well.”
After experiencing the initial chaos, I finally regained some of my rationality. With a red face, I asked Tracy and Master Hayley to examine Aldrich. I also injected myself with another bottle of nutrient medicine under the disapproving gaze of the nurse.
During this time, Aldrich and I held hands tightly. I was not willing to let go. The nurse had no choice but to push our beds together, pretend to see nothing, and leave.
Aldrich indulgently allowed me to stick to him. Although he was still weak, he kept looking at me with eyes full of love and apology, which made me feel at ease.
Tracy and Master Hayley believed that Aldrich’s body was fine at the moment, and it was only a matter of time before he recovered. After the examination, they left, leaving only the two of us in the ward.
I helped to tidy up the slightly messy sideburns on his head and looked at his sunken cheeks. My heart ached as I said, “You’ve lost a lot of weight.”
“It’s just some muscles and fat. Don’t worry, I’ll get them back in less than two months,” Aldrich said softly.
I immediately shook my head. “No, no. Don’t be in such a hurry. Tracy said that you need to recuperate from the deficit in your body slowly. We must slow down and recover the life force you lost because of those damn villains.”
Aldrich did not know whether to laugh or cry. “Don’t be nervous, Selma. Of course, we can take it slow. We’ll listen to you.”
I realized I was being a little too impatient, so I couldn’t help but feel discouraged.
“No, I should listen to you.” I mumbled, “I’ll listen to you. You’re the most important.”
Just like that, we exchanged some small talk back and forth, and Aldrich suddenly laughed at me.
“I thought our reunion after a long time would be very warm, just like the reunion of the male and female protagonists in operas, full of love, words, and tears. But why are we acting more and more like children?”
I blushed and said sternly, “So? Don’t you like it?”
Aldrich immediately snuggled up to me and let out a comfortable sigh. He said in a low voice, “No, my dear. I’ll be satisfied with anything as long as you’re by my side. Nothing in this world makes me happier than being with you.”
This soft cotton ball wrapped around my ‘aura’ and finally kneaded into a soft cotton candy.
I lowered my head and didn’t look at him. After a while, I softly said, “... I don’t know. I’ve fantasized many times about what I’d say to you when you woke up, but now I can’t say anything. Thousands of words are stuck in my throat, but everyone wants to come out first, and no one is willing to be outdone. I wished I could have a hundred mouths, but even my only mouth stopped working.”
Aldrich laughed softly.
“It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter if you can’t tell me,” he said. “You don’t have to say anything. I already know everything.”
I’d simulated the situation after Aldrich woke up countless times in my dreams, but the real situation differed from any of the situations I imagined.
