HSS Chapter 2
Translated by Novice Translations
Chapter 2: Proposal
Mu Xiaoya clearly remembered that she had died and the scene before her death was still vivid.
Her cell phone kept ringing, the medical records were scattered all over the place, the medical staff rushed in, and her parents cried sadly. How could she be lying in her own room as soon as she opened her eyes?
Creamy curtains, goose-yellow walls, pink sofas, black and white patterned floors. All of these decorations were from before she had gone abroad. After she went abroad, her parents changed the decoration at once. Her room no longer had the previous patterned floor but was replaced with wood flooring with heating installed underneath the floors.
Mu Xiaoya suddenly opened her quilt and ran to the dressing mirror in the room.
In the mirror, Mu Xiaoya had shoulder-length hair, because she had just woken up, her hair was a bit messy and she was still wearing childish cartoon pajamas.
This wasn’t right!
Mu Xiaoya studied abroad for two years, then found a job at a local company. In order to make her image more mature, she changed her hair style before starting her job with her hair much longer than it was now.
This wasn’t who she was now, but who she was a few years ago.
“Ding ling ling…”
A dull ringtone rang, Mu Xiaoya lifted the quilt, skillfully found her cellphone, then picked up the outdated cell phone which wasn’t familiar to her.
“Mu Xiaoya, are you still sleeping? Did you forget about our graduation photos today?” Fang Hui’s voice sounded from the phone.
“Fang Hui?” Mu Xiaoya was a little surprised. “Graduation photo?”
“I knew you had forgotten. Our class will be taking pictures at 11 o’clock. Now, you should immediately call for a taxi.” After she spoke, Fang Hui fiercely hung up the phone.
Graduation photo? Mu Xiaoya felt this situation was incredulous. Today was the day to take graduation photos, wasn’t it on June 2019? Mu Xiaoya turned her head to look at the calendar. Sure enough, the bedside calendar showed that today was June 12, 2019. There were also words marked graduation photos by her own handwriting.
If she wasn’t dreaming, could she see her former classmates and take another graduation picture once she arrives at the school?
That’s right, just go to school and have a look. If what happened was the same as she remembered, it meant that she wasn’t dreaming. Was she really back?
Mu Xiaoya ran to the door excitedly, but she didn’t even think of changing her pajamas. Wearing slippers, she ran out with her cellphone and disheveled hair. Unexpectedly, she ran into Bai Chuan as soon as she left.
“Bai Chuan?!” Mu Xiaoya cried out in surprise. She stood in front of Bai Chuan and there was no scar on his face, which was completely different from the one she had met in the hospital.
“I ...” In fact, Bai Chuan had stood at the door for a long time. He stood conflicted, he was too afraid to enter or leave. He had been expecting Mu Xiaoya to leave. But now that people were out, he didn’t know what to say. He lowered his head uneasily and looked at his toes.
“What can I do for you?” Mu Xiaoya’s voice was very light, which was a habit she had formed from talking with Bai Chuan. When Bai Chuan was seven years old, his parents sent him back to live with his grandmother. Because grandma Bai’s house was close to the Mu’s, Mu Xiaoya often saw Bai Chuan. Additionally, there were not many children in the area. When she was a child, Mu Xiaoya often went to play with Bai Chuan. However, Bai Chuan didn’t pay much attention to her. He was always immersed in his own world, which made Mu Xiaoya frustrated and angry. It wasn’t until grandma Bai explained Bai Chuan’s difference that Mu Xiaoya understood.
Also because of this, as long as Mu Xiaoya talked to Bai Chuan, her tone would be like grandma Bai, gentle, delicate and patient. Over time, little Bai Chuan finally was willing to pay attention to her.
Bai Chuan: “My grandma is dying. She wants me to get married. I…I want to marry you.”
Mu Xiaoya's eyes widened in surprise. Today?
Yes, it was today.
Today was the day Bai Chuan proposed to her.
“I... I want to marry you.” Bai Chuan repeated again. He was usually very reluctant to talk, but his grandma taught him since he was a child. If he wanted to let the other person know what he meant, he must say it.
So, she went back in time. She really went back to four years ago and encountered Bai Chuan’s proposal again?
Would she accept this time?
Mu Xiaoya looked at Bai Chuan who stood in front of her. Bai Chuan was almost the same age as her, but maybe because he often was in his own world, he still had the aura of pure youth. He wore a pure white T-shirt, casual cotton pants, white shoes and his delicate facial features was like a porcelain doll. He stood in front of the courtyard and was glowing all over. Mu Xiaoya bet that if he wasn’t autistic, then Bai Chuan would definitely become a boy who would have bewitched thousands of girls.
It's a pity that such a handsome face was burned later on.
Mu Xiaoya could still clearly remember the face she saw in the ward, even if he wore a mask and she couldn’t see at all, she felt her shock inside. How big was the fire that burned a person to that extent?
“Xiaoya, do you still remember Bai Chuan from grandma Bai's home?” One year after the Spring Festival, she returned home, and her mother suddenly talked about Bai Chuan.
“Bai Chuan, what's wrong with him?”
“I heard that he was burned, and the fire was set by his wife.”
“Don't blindly talk, the fire was caused at home. His wife didn't know that Bai Chuan was home.” Her father frowned.
“A husband not home, how could a wife not know.” Mother Mu said, “Outside it’s said that this woman was greedy for the Bai’s family property. She didn’t hesitate to marry Bai Chuan who was autistic. As a result, she couldn’t stand Bai Chuan’s autism after marriage. She wanted to burn Bai Chuan to inherit his heritage.”
“Don’t talk such nonsense without evidence.” Father Mu didn’t want his wife to spread bad gossip, but said to his daughter, “You used to have a good relationship with Bai Chuan before. Go see him when you have time.”
Later, Mu Xiaoya went to the Bai family to see Bai Chuan, but she didn’t see anyone, only Bai Chuan's father. He told her that Bai Chuan was sent abroad for treatment. Later, Mu Xiaoya went abroad to study, then stayed abroad to work. She didn't see Bai Chuan again until she was dying.
“I want to marry you.” In front of her, Bai Chuan still repeated his demands.
“Why do you want to marry me?” Mu Xiaoya asked curiously. Bai Chuan's situation was very special. He was autistic. Although grandma Bai carefully taught him, Bai Chuan’s performance was much better than other autistic patients. He could communicate with people smoothly as long as he wanted. But Bai Chuan, who still had a personality defect and cognitive impairment, did he understood what he meant?
“Grandma said, everyone... will have a partner, partner... if you... like someone.” Bai Chuan seriously said, but his sentence was too long. He rumbled on, “Grandma’s dream, was for me to get married and have a partner. Grandma is dying. I want to marry you.”
Because grandma Bai was dying, and her biggest wish was for him to get married and have a partner to accompany him, and you like me, so you came here to propose to me?
Bai Chuan's rumbling was very bad, but Mu Xiaoya understood. She looked at Bai Chuan’s earnest eyes and suddenly wanted to agree.
If the scene in the hospital wasn’t a dream, if she really did return to four years ago, then four years later she would still get sick and die. If you ask someone who knows that they won’t live long, would they still marry and have children? Others don’t know, but Mu Xiaoya won’t, she will only spend the rest of her time with her parents.
But Bai Chuan wasn’t the same. Bai Chuan didn’t mind her death. He was the only one who said that he wanted to marry her at the hospital even though he knew she was going to die soon.
Mu Xiaoya's eyes suddenly flashed and recalled the scattered medical records, as well as the dense notes on the medical records, and Bai Chuan's panic while he struggled with his elder brother who took him away.
Bai Chuan should really like her, right? Mu Xiaoya thought, if she was destined to live for another four years, why shouldn’t she marry Bai Chuan? Let him avoid the tragedy of his previous life as thanks for the scattered medical records from her previous life.
“Okay.” Mu Xiaoya agreed, almost impulsively.
Bai Chuan's eyes widened, and there were 10,000 stars that converged within his eyes, as if the stars shone in his eyes until it was dyed into a bright starry sky.
That was the most beautiful scenery Mu Xiaoya has ever seen in her two lives.
Bai Chuan was really good-looking, ah, Mu Xiaoya sighed. Even for this face, she would marry him. By all means, she can’t let that big fire wreck it, ah.
“Go!” Bai Chuan was excited and grabbed Mu Xiaoya's hand. His strength was very strong. Suddenly, Mu Xiaoya was dragged, she was stunned and almost failed to stand up, half her slippers flew off. However, it was this action that made Mu Xiaoya realized that she was still wearing her pajamas.
“Where to?”
“Hospital, find grandma.”
“I need to change first.”
Bai Chuan looked at Mu Xiaoya in wonder, as if he didn't understand why she had to go change her clothes.
“I'm wearing pajamas. It's not good to go out like this.” Mu Xiaoya patiently explained, then held Bai Chuan’s hand to drag him into her home. She left Bai Chuan in the living room and went back to her bedroom to change her clothes. Then, they went to the hospital by car.
When the car arrived at the hospital, Fang Hui called again and Mu Xiaoya picked up, the other party immediately scolded: “Mu Xiaoya, where did you die? I called you an hour ago, but you still haven't arrived, the whole class is waiting for you.”
“I'm sorry, sorry.” Mu Xiaoya really forgot about it, but what was more important, grandma Bai or the graduation photos? And she was already at the hospital door, it was impossible to run to school and take graduation photos.
“Fang Hui, you apologize to everyone for me. I can’t go today, take your own pictures.” Although she had some regrets, she had no other choice.
“What?! You better give me a reason. What’s more important than taking graduation photos?” Fang Hui was clearly angry.
“I'm getting married!” Mu Xiaoya threw the bomb.
Mu Xiaoya's words were like a switch, which activated the robot Bai Chuan’s mode with a click. Although Bai Chuan didn’t have much of an expression, his unwavering eyes suddenly overflowed with the gleaming reflection of waves in the sunlight.
“Wo Cao1!” In addition to these two words, Fang Hui had no idea what adjectives to use to describe her mood at this time.
“I’ll bring you xi tang2 tomorrow, ah.” After that, she didn’t wait for Fang Hui’s reaction, Mu Xiaoya hung up the phone, took Bai Chuan’s hand and walked to the hospital building.
Bai Chuan quietly followed behind her, his eyes stared at Mu Xiaoya’s back.
“What floor is grandma on?” Until they were in the elevator, Mu Xiaoya asked Bai Chuan.
Bai Chuan silently pressed the button to the top floor.
The elevator started and slowly rose. Bai Chuan looked at the palm of his hand which was released by Mu Xiaoya. His palm wasn’t adapted to the emptiness and he clenched his hand a few times.
When the elevator was halfway up, Mu Xiaoya suddenly cried out: “How can I come empty-handed?” When she came to visit, she forgot to buy a gift and Mu Xiaoya frowned regretfully.
At this time, Bai Chuan silently placed his hand on the palm of Mu Xiaoya’s hand and held it, he said: “Not empty-handed.”
Mu Xiaoya looked at her right hand, which was suddenly “not empty”, and a strange thought rose in her heart: Did Bai Chuan really felt that it wasn’t empty?
At this moment, Bai Chuan stared at the floor number on the elevator that constantly changed, and his mood finally calmed down.
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Footnotes:
Wo cao – rabbits don’t eat their own nest grass. Basically, saying you shouldn’t be in a relationship with people who are close with you.
Xi tang – sweet given on a happy occasion (esp. weddings)