Love in the Midst of Mistaken Identities

Xia Ruoxin entered. She was wearing a high-collared blouse so no one would notice the strangle marks on her neck. Yet, the nurse saw the abnormal way she was walking.

Each step she took was an ordeal for her. No one knew that her leg was badly bruised. She scooped Rainy into her arms and stroked her daughter’s eyes gently.

“Rainy, Mommy is here. If you feel like crying, go ahead. I won’t laugh at you.” She sat Rainy carefully in her arms while she hid her heartache. Her daughter was trying not to cry. Xia Ruoxin did not know when it started, but her daughter had stopped crying in front of her. The little girl only did it alone when no one was around.

“Mommy, I don’t feel pain. It’s really not painful. Not one bit as long as Mommy blows at it.” She hugged her mother’s neck tight and buried her little face in Xia Ruoxin’s nape. “It’s not painful as long as Mommy is here with me.”

Xia Ruoxin’s heart ached for her daughter as she held the little girl. The nurses standing by a side began to tear up, too. What exactly had happened to this pair of mother and daughter for them to lead such a pathetic life? No one meant to cry, but they could not help themselves.

…

“Rainy, shall we go out today and buy you a pretty dress? We can make you as pretty as Dolly.”

Xia Ruoxin caressed her daughter’s hair. However, she realized there was none on her head. Her heart ached every time she looked at her.

“Yes.” Rainy nodded her head smartly before she went back into Xia Ruoxin’s arms. The doctor nodded his head towards Xia Ruoxin. “She can go, but remember. She can’t exhaust herself because she might have an operation in the next few days.”

“Thank you. I understand.” Xia Ruoxin nodded in acknowledgment. She carried her daughter and left.

Xia Ruoxin massaged her leg gently. After a day’s rest, it did not feel as painful now, and she was able to bring daughter for an outing. She put a hat on Rainy’s head and one on herself so that they looked identical.

“Mommy, I want to bring Dolly, too.” Rainy suddenly remembered she had forgotten her doll. Xia Ruoxin picked it up from the bed and gave it to her daughter. The doll was her only playmate and her favorite thing.

She carried her daughter and left the hospital. Rainy was delighted. Her eyes curled into a pair of crescents when she smiled, and she looked so adorable, like a budding first moon. She waved her hand constantly at the nurses to bid her farewell.

Xia Ruoxin entered a boutique selling children’s clothes, carrying her daughter. The dresses were very nice. She took a pink dress off the rack and measured it against her daughter. Rainy always has a pale complexion, more so now. Regardless of which color Xia Ruoxin chose, the dresses looked good on the little girl especially the pastel ones.

“Is this nice?” she asked her daughter.

Rainy felt the little dress in Xia Ruoxin’s hands and nodded in joy. “Yes.” Her childish voice sounded extremely pleasant, crisp yet sweet.

“Come, Mommy will help you to put it on.” She took her daughter’s hand, led the girl into a tiny changing room, and began to undress her. However, when she saw the little swollen buttocks and a body covered in needle marks, tears welled in her eyes.

Her heart ached. It ached so badly, but she did not know what she could do to make the pain stop and let her daughter survive.

“Mommy.” Rainy covered Xia Ruoxin’s eyes with one hand. With the other one, she put it on her little buttocks shyly, blocking her mother’s view. “Mommy, don’t look at my butt.”

“Alright, alright. I won’t look. Let’s get you changed and make you a beautiful child.” Xia Ruoxin knew her child was timid and shy by nature. She helped her daughter wear the new dress and put on her tiny sun hat. The girl looked so pretty. Rainy had her natural good looks. With the new dress on her, she was practically an angel.

Xia Ruoxin led her daughter out of the dressing room. Quite a few people were staring at the little girl and the dress she was wearing. They wondered if the child’s good looks had made the nice dress looked even more beautiful. The dress was soft, the child young and adorable—like melted butter that was nice and fragrant. One would love to take a bite off her so as to savor the silky texture that melts in one’s mouth.

“I want this.” Someone pointed at Rainy’s attire and placed an advanced order. Rainy held her mother’s hand and tried to hide behind her. Why were they staring at her dress? She hid behind her mother as though she was afraid of them swallowing her whole.

She would not be delicious because she was not a cake.

“I want that, too.” A crowd of middle-aged women began to gather as everyone wanted to be the first to have Rainy’s dress. She edged closer to her mother as she stood between her legs and hid her tiny frame behind her.

A big pair of teary eyes shuffled frequently around the surroundings. Xia Ruoxin took her daughter’s hand and made the payment. To her surprise, the owner of the boutique gave her a fifty-percent discount. She said the little girl should go for commercial shoots. She would definitely be a star.

Xia Ruoxin lowered her head. Her eyes met Rainy’s confused looks, and she smiled faintly. Her daughter needed not to be a star. Xia Ruoxin’s only wish was for her to be healthy as she grew.

“Mommy, am I pretty?” Rainy held her doll in one hand, and Xia Ruoxin was holding her other one. However, she kept walking.

“Of course, you are. You’re my most adorable and prettiest princess.” Xia Ruoxin squatted down and fixed her dress. She had definitely given birth to an extremely adorable daughter.

Rainy’s small lips curled up, and she broke into a big smile.

A young girl liked others to compliment her beauty. This applied to her daughter, too.

Xia Ruoxin continued walking with her daughter. Rainy seldom had the chance to walk on the streets, and she was curious. When she saw a beautiful butterfly hair clip, she lowered her head consciously.

“Rainy, your hair will grow soon.” Xia Ruoxin rested her hand on her daughter’s head as she continued in a gentle voice. “Once your hair has grown, Mommy will buy you lots of beautiful butterfly clips, and you can wear a different one every day. Okay?”

She knew what was on her daughter’s mind, but that would pass. Soon, Rainy would be the same as she was before she fell sick. She would be beautiful and healthy.

“Mmm.” Rainy nodded her head hard. She stayed behind Xia Ruoxin. Her sun hat blocked the rays of sunlight from her face. However, it did not block her adorable, pretty little face.

“Xia Ruoxin.” An extremely sharp voice called out abruptly from behind them. Xia Ruoxin froze at the sound. Her ears hurt from the sharp frequency. She hurriedly carried her daughter and walked away. It was Li Manni. Xia Ruoxin must not let her see her here, especially not Rainy.