Chapter 26

I wasn't very alert at work. When my team leader came over, I was still dozing off and didn't hear what he said.

After get off work, I went to our usual Japanese restaurant and got some takeout. You really like their sashimi.

Speaking of sashimi, one winter you had a bad cold. I told you to take medicine and rest in bed while I went to work. Halfway there, I got worried and took leave to come back. When I put down my bag and scarf and went into the bedroom, I found that you had moved to my side of the bed, wrapped yourself up tightly in the blanket, with only your head sticking out. Because of your stuffy nose, your breathing was heavy and slow. The anime I had turned on for you when I left was playing on the tablet next to you, and an episode had just ended.

I walked over and turned off the tablet, just as you opened your eyes: "...Wife? Why are you back?"

Her voice was muffled, like she was whining.

"I took the day off. Did I disturb you?"

You shook your head, threw off the covers and sat up, listlessly wrapping your arms around my waist: "I feel dizzy, I don't want to sleep."

I patted your hair. Since I'm not working anyway, and you look so bored, I thought I'd watch anime with you.

But you fell asleep after only two episodes, so I simply took off my clothes and took a nap with you.

I was shocked when you said you wanted to eat sashimi at noon.

"Sashimi."

"How about I buy you something else? Or I can make it myself?"

"Sashimi."

"Honey, you can't eat sashimi when you have a cold."

Don't you love me anymore?

"...I love you."

You perked up and grabbed your clothes to put them on: "Sashimi is more fun at a restaurant, let's go together."

I could only back down: "I'll go buy it. You stay home and wait for me. It's freezing outside."

That noon, a heavy snow fell. When I came back, I casually made you a small snowman, only the size of my palm. You were so envious and wanted to go out and play in the snow. I tried to persuade you for a long time, but you wouldn't agree.

When you're sick, you're just like a child—cute.

In the afternoon, we snuggled on the sofa to watch a movie. It was an art film, and it was a bit boring. Not long after, you yawned, buried your head in the crook of my neck, and put your other hand on my neck. You relaxed and fell asleep. The medicine you took at noon had taken effect.

I turned the movie volume down, turned up the air conditioning temperature a bit, and pulled a blanket over you. You snuggled in my arms and slept until the afternoon.

"What time is it, honey?"

Five o'clock.

You moved slightly, your lips pressed against my neck, your voice a little hoarse: "...Just now, my face itched... How long have you been stealing kisses from me?"

"..."

…I have a certificate, I did it openly and honestly, I didn't steal the kiss.

Your cold got much better by evening.

...

Their sashimi was still very delicious; we finished eating at 8:30.

After watching TV for a while, I couldn't find anything to do, so I looked through some old videos. The ones on my computer were from a long time ago, and the ones on my phone were from the last two years. Most of them were videos I filmed of you, the shortest being only three seconds long and the longest five minutes. They showed you cooking, cutting flowers, driving, chasing dogs, being silly, sleeping, and looking disheveled after waking up...

Over and over again.

I was still wide awake at three in the morning, unable to sleep, so I got up and turned on the living room light. Jiang Jiang's ears twitched, she glanced at me, and then lay in her cage wagging her tail.

I found a bottle of baijiu (Chinese white liquor) in the wine cabinet in my study, pinched my nose, and downed a glass. It was so spicy that my neck turned red.

This liquor is really strong.