My Darling (我的曼达林)

Untitled Part 38

This is the end of My Darling! Woohoo! This final post contains the epilogue and author's afterword, which are both only in the printed book (actually, there's an editor's afterword, too, but I didn't include that), as well as some customary closing comments from me. Thank you to everyone who has been reading along and especially those who dropped an encouraging little comment, even though I haven't been around this last month to respond.

Ah, to be the son of a celebrity. The little guy is just adorable...

Epilogue

ONE

Chu Jian endured quite a bit of suffering during the birth of their baby. That evening, after a successful natural birth, she lay on the bed, her entire body drained of strength, and stared at the baby inside that transparent, plastic bassinet. In a quiet voice, she stated to Jian Bianlin, "He came out from me..."

For the entire day, Jian Bianlin's heart had felt as if it was breaking, and only now was he somewhat in the mood to take a glance at that wrinkly little person. "Mm, he came out from you."

"Bring him onto the bed for me to see."

Bending over, Jian Bianlin picked up their baby into his arms, supported him securely, and then set him down beside Chu Jian.

Chu Jian felt even more that this was so amazing, and stroking her baby's hand, she remarked, "Jian Bianlin, look. I really did birth a person out..."

"Mm... You birthed a person."

This was just too amazing. It felt as if it was only yesterday that they were both sitting at that square table in the corner of the living room of Chu Jian's old, dated home, each person occupying one side of the table as they did their homework, and in passing, she would copy a bit of his, too. And now, the next day, they had partnered up and birthed a person out...

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TWO

When their baby was two years old, Chu Jian and Jian Bianlin took him on a vacation for the first time. To prevent herself and their son from being photographed, Chu Jian brought the baby and went separately from Jian Bianlin. While going through the security checkpoint, Jian Bianlin, as usual, put his cap and sunglasses back on again after passing the screening officer. This brought about a flare up of exhilaration from the people waiting in the queues behind him and nearby. Cries of excitement sounded out incessantly. "Jian Bianlin!" "He's so handsome in real life! So crazy handsome!" "My Baby Jian!" "Dammit! Where's my mobile? Where is it?!" ...

The baby did not understand at all any of what was being said. With the pitter-patter of his little steps, he scuttled from inside the door of the security checkpoint all the way over to Jian Bianlin. "Daddy, uppy!"

In that moment when everyone was still stunned, Chu Jian covered her head and face with a garment and darted over with swift strides, scooping up her son and enfolding him securely in her embrace. Then, like she was doing the 100-metre dash, she fled from there...

"Everyone, my apologies." Jian Bianlin was extremely afraid that Chu Jian would blame him for causing their child to be exposed to the public eye, so very astutely, he chose to remove his cap and sunglasses. With a couple of very unnatural-sounding coughs and a rather solemn air, he unfastened the top two buttons of his button-up shirt. "Let's just take pictures of me..."