Chapter 283 - Rise Again
Just after the event ended, Davi visited the comfort room. She was still inside the cubicle when she heard voices gossiping about her.
"You know what? I wonder what"s wrong with little s.h.i.+n"s mother."
"Yeah, you noticed, too? Even though her upper face was covered with mask, I know she never smiled. Makes me wonder what"s wrong with her. She never even smiled once the entire day."
"That"s what I"m telling you. Her son is such an adorable genius and she kept embracing him but she wouldn"t smile at all!"
"Yeah, if I was her, I would have been beaming with pride and smiling the entire day from having such a genius kid like that."
"I agree, I agree. No matter what her reason, as a mother, she should at least smile and show her son that she"s happy."
"Yeah, right? She looks flawless and gorgeous even with the mask on but… sigh… I wonder if her son wasn"t bothered by it at all."
"I"m sure he was bothered. He"s a genius after all. He"s not like our clueless children."
"That"s for sure."
Upon hearing those words, Davi felt her heart ripping apart. She gritted her teeth as she clenched the front of her dress with her fist. They were right, there was no way Little s.h.i.+n wouldn"t notice it. These woman were just stating the truth but their words made her eyes burn with hatred towards herself. As his mother, she shouldn"t be like this. She should be able to show her son how happy she was, she should be able to show him a bright smile as she embraced him, and she should be able to smile and laugh together with him.
…
On their way home, Little s.h.i.+n dozed off, sitting on Davi"s lap. Sei could tell that there was a strange emotion in her eyes as she kept staring at her son while caressing him gently. It was as if her mind was occupied with something ever since they left the school.
When they finally reached the Chen residence. Sei offered to carry the boy but Davi said she was okay. She then carried him and brought him inside the mansion while Sei remained rooted on the ground, watching her walk away.
Sei lazily leaned on the Maybach Exelero behind him. His one hand was in his pocket as he lifted his face towards the dark sky. He was still wearing his mask as he stood there quietly, as if he was planning to count the stars.
An hour went by and Davi finally stepped out of the house.
Noticing her presence, Sei looked at her and when their eyes finally met, the girl stood still. She was approximately ten steps away from him yet Sei"s heart began to flutter.
Seeing her standing there in a white dress still seemed like a dream to him. That familiar long dark hair and those delicate facial features that Sei missed so badly every single moment for the past five years, was now standing before him and he couldn"t ask for anything more. She was so beautiful and he just wanted to bury her in his arms again. However, Sei didn"t move at all. He just lovingly gazed at her quietly. Sei had to gather all of his discipline to suppress his desire to walk over to her.
At that point in time, there was nothing but silence between them. Another long moment went by and Sei had almost surpa.s.sed his limit and was about to give in when suddenly, the girl finally moved.
As soon as he saw her take a step forward, Sei"s lips finally curved up slightly. This is it. The most awaited moment for Sei.
The girl in white slowly walked towards him and Sei"s Adam"s apple bobbed up and down as he smoothly straightened his posture, facing her as she approached. This was actually what Sei was waiting for all this time. The time when she finally decided to face everything again. The time when she finally chose to rise again.
Sei never believed that she had changed for the worst and he hoped that she was still the same strong girl he knew and loved. From the very start, he believed in her. He knew that all she needed was a little awakening and a.s.surance and she would definitely rise again, like a phoenix from the ashes, no matter how deep the hole she had fallen into. That was why, all this time Sei didn"t do a thing. He fully believed in her 100%. He knew that just as she did for him before, she would do anything for her son. He believed that her innate maternal love and desire to give her all as a mother would be a great force to push her up and awaken her will to rise again.
As he looked at her eyes, there seemed to be something unfathomable in it. Her beautiful eyes were glimmering with something Sei couldn"t fully decipher. Five years ago, her eyes were always filled with strong determination and unwavering spirit no matter what happened, but this time seemed to be something different. It was as if the delicate angel had turned into a fierce and intense warrior. Sei was sure that this was the aura that she gained serving in the military for years, mixing with her original self. He didn"t know why but the intensity in her eyes was effortlessly ruining the rhythm of his heartbeat.
The girl then stood one step away from him but Sei still didn"t say a word. He was waiting for her to speak first. However, the next moment, the intensity in her eyes weakened and she lowered her head as though she was trying to hide her face from him.
It was as if the storm that was brewing had disappeared in an instant.
Sei was surprised with the sudden twist of her reactions, but before he could do a thing, Davi raised her hands and tugged on Sei"s sleeves. Her head was still down as she finally broke the silence.
"I… I have something to say." She said. Her voice was soft and filled with sorrow.
"Mm. Please say it all. I will listen." Sei replied. His voice was encouraging, gentle as ever.
"I… I"m sorry." She uttered and Sei"s face darkened. He didn"t expect that the first thing she tells him was "I"m sorry", making his heart constrict.
"There"s no reason for you to say sorry," he replied.
"But I was the reason why you suffered." She retorted and Sei finally snapped. He held her face and made her look at him.
"You"re wrong. We are the same. Both of us were the victims. We both suffered in their hands. They are the only ones to be blamed for everything that has happened in our lives. Didn"t you already sacrifice enough for me, too? We both suffered for each other"s sake. So please, stop blaming yourself; stop feeling guilty. Everything has never been your fault. Do you understand?" Sei stated firmly and honestly. His voice was powerful and it pierced straight through her heart. His words were soothing and heavy and Davi couldn"t help but accept every word he uttered from the bottom of her heart, as if his words were the only thing she would believe in this world without question.
Many times before, she wrestled within herself, trying to reason out the same words Sei just told her. However, she always had a hard time believing the thoughts in her head. She felt so guilty and responsible. But now that it was Sei telling her these words for her redemption, her heart and mind instantly surrendered and succ.u.mbed to his words. This made her realize once again that this man still held the key to her complete faith, devotion and recovery.