The Missing Piece: 貌合神离

Extra Story 9: After the Rain

It had rained constantly for the past two weeks. The rain poured down from the sky, as if it would never end.

 

Ji Mingxuan came home from work. Just as he entered the house, he heard someone crying. Following the sound, he walked into the nursery and found the new nanny, Chen-jie, gently comforting the baby in her arms.

 

Chen-jie was a professional with more than 10 years of experience caring for children. But, facing the crying baby in her arms, she still seemed to be somewhat at a loss. Looking up, she said, “Mr Ji….”

 

Ji Mingxuan stepped forward. Upon seeing the baby’s face, flushed red from the crying, he took a step back before he asked, “What’s wrong with him?”

 

“He just finished his milk. He’s crying because he wants to sleep.”

 

“Why is he crying so hard?”

 

“Children feel insecure easily. After all, his mother… uh…” Chen-jie uttered what was on her mind. Only after she spoke did she realise her words hadn’t been the most appropriate. She revealed a remorseful expression.

 

Ji Mingxuan didn’t take it to heart. He nodded and waved his hand. It was raining heavily outside. His gaze, swaying, drifted toward the window.

 

Half a month ago, Ji An’an, Ji Mingxuan’s dearest sister, had left him. She left him forever.

 

Ji An’an had a congenital heart defect. Ji Mingxuan had always known that he would lose her someday, but when the day really came, he still felt caught off guard. Ji An’an had been kind and gentle since she was young. Even as she lay on the hospital bed, her breath thin, she still tried to smile.

 

“Don’t cry, Brother. ”

 

“I don’t regret it at all. ”

 

“Take care of Ji Ning for me, Brother.”

 

Ji Ning was the baby crying right now. Ji An’an had suffered unimaginably after giving birth to him. She had named the child “Ji Ningvii,” hoping he could grow up safe and healthy.

 

Thinking this, Ji Mingxuan finally walked forward and told Chen-jie, “Let me hold him.”

 

Chen-jie felt somewhat surprised. “Mr Ji?”

 

Ji Mingxuan laughed at himself. “From now on, all we have is each other. I’ll have to learn how to hold him, sooner or later.”

 

So Chen-jie stuffed Ji Ning into Ji Mingxuan’s arms.

 

Ji Mingxuan carefully took Ji Ning over; he found the baby incredibly soft. Afraid that he might hurt Ji Ning, he couldn’t help but tense up his limbs, not knowing where to place them.

 

Chen-jie chuckled and helped Ji Mingxuan adjust his posture. Only then was Ji Mingxuan able to steady his hold on Ji Ning’s small body. Clumsily, he tried to get Ji Ning to fall asleep. Of course, the baby showed Mr Ji no respect as he continued to bawl.

 

“Don’t cry.” Ji Mingxuan lowered his head and kissed the small, crumpled face. “I know why you’re crying. You know, I also miss her very much.”

 

At this moment, the pain of losing Ji An’an finally filled Ji Mingxuan’s heart.

 

It took Ji Mingxuan quite some time to get Ji Ning to fall asleep. He was covered in sweat, even though it was already early autumn.

 

But, in the end, the baby had still fallen asleep in his arms.

 

Ji Ning’s small face was ruddy. He really resembled Ji An’an, now that he was sleeping soundly like this. Ji Mingxuan stared at Ji Ning. He remembered that many years ago, when his sister had just been born, he was leaning against the hospital ward’s window, watching Ji An’an sleep just like this.

 

Absent-minded, he suddenly heard someone exclaim outside the window, “It stopped raining!”

 

Ji Mingxuan looked up. The rain that had lingered for over half a month had really stopped. The sun hadn’t set yet. In a corner of the clear, blue sky, a faint rainbow hung sideways. The world had brightened.

 

The first time Ji Ning called Ji Mingxuan “Daddy” was when Ji Mingxuan was 10 months old. 

 

At the time, Ji Mingxuan was answering a phone call from Mr Chen, who was in China.

 

“ ... The other properties have all been processed. But the house in Jinxiu Villa, Mr Shen wanted to keep it.”

 

Ji Mingxuan paused for a while before he replied, “Let him have it, then.”

 

He thought about it for a bit. In the end, he still couldn’t help but ask, “How is Shen Mo doing now?”

 

“Mr Shen opened a studio on Yongning Road. The business isn’t excellent, but it isn’t bad either. He can afford his daily expenses.”

 

“A studio? He started painting again?”

 

“I believe so.”

 

“Really? That’s… very good.”

 

Mr Chen seemed to have hesitated for a moment before he said, “When I contacted Mr Shen last time, he said that he hoped he could meet with you once more, Mr Ji. What do you….”

 

Ji Mingxuan was surprised. He remembered that before Ji An’an had passed away, she had requested one thing from him. She said, “Let Shen-ge be free. Let him, at least, live freely.”

 

How could Ji Mingxuan turn down An’an’s request?

 

So all this time, Ji Mingxuan had never gone back to China. He’d even tried his best not to ask for any news about Shen Mo. He didn’t want to disturb Shen Mo’s peaceful life any further. But now, Shen Mo was the one who had asked to see him…

 

“Mr Ji?” Mr Chen asked on the other end of the phone, “What do you think…?”

 

Ji Mingxuan didn’t make the decision right away. Instead, he glanced at Ji Ning, who was playing with some toys in the crib opposite him. As if they could read each other’s minds, Ji Ning also looked back at Ji Mingxuan with a pair of wide, blinking eyes. And then, he opened his mouth and articulated, “Baba!”

 

Ji Mingxuan was astounded. Seeing no reaction from Ji Mingxuan, Ji Ning kept on calling, “Bababababababa—”

 

It was a sing-song tone, but to Ji Mingxuan’s ears, it was definitely the most beautiful sound in this world.

 

Ji Mingxuan strode over and picked up Ji Ning. He hadn’t hung up on the call yet. 

 

With Ji Ning in his arms, Ji Mingxuan said to Mr Chen on the other end, “I won’t meet with him.”

 

“Oh? But Mr Shen really wanted to meet with you.”

 

“Tell Shen Mo something for me. Just say that…” Ji Mingxuan gazed at Ji Ning, whose little body was in his arms, and continued, “I’m doing well now, and tell him not to trouble himself.”

 

Ji Mingxuan hung up. He touched Ji Ning’s face with his forehead and said, “Say it again.”

 

Ji Ning pouted his lips, but he still sang, “Bababababababa—”

 

Ji Ning had always been clever. By the time he was two years old, he had become a complete chatterbox, always pestering his dad, asking him this and that. 

 

Ji Mingxuan was busy with work, but he still put Ji Ning to bed every night, telling him stories and telling him about Ji An’an.

 

Every year, after New Year’s, Ji Mingxuan would take Ji Ning travelling. He had invested in a hotel on S Island, so he always took Ji Ning there for a holiday. 

 

All across the world, there were so many places worth visiting. Why did he choose S Island, where he and Shen Mo had once wanted to visit? Even Ji Mingxuan himself couldn’t tell if he had some unspeakable hopes in his mind.

 

As usual, a great number of visitors came to S Island this year. After Ji Mingxuan spent his birthday on the island, he stayed there for a few more days with Ji Ning. Ji Ning was just three years old—quite a lively, playful age. He ran wild in the hotel whenever he had the chance; Ji Mingxuan had to look after him in person.

 

On that day, it was the same. Ji Ning was playing by the pool with his new friends, and Ji Mingxuan watched him from not too far away. Suddenly, Ji Mingxuan heard someone call, “Mingxuan!”

 

Ji Mingxuan turned around to find an attractive woman in a fashionable swimsuit. Holding the arm of a middle-aged man, she walked past the pool.

 

Ji Mingxuan could only smile, thinking it must have been someone with the same name as him. But once the couple walked past him, he saw Shen Mo. Shen Mo was gazing at him as well.

 

Their eyes met, and the world was silent. The start of spring had just passed. The weather was especially good that day, with no clouds in the sky for miles. But Ji Mingxuan seemed to feel that only now did the rain that had lingered in his heart truly stop.