Chapter 12: Pinky Promise

Stella delivered the fruit tea and felt something was off. Sitting on the carpet in the living room, reading her book, she finally realized what it was.

In Leo's study, the booklet on his desk was upside down.

From where she stood opposite him, it looked correct, so she didn't notice at first.

But why would it be upside down? Leo wouldn't deliberately place it wrong for some mental exercise or skill. The only explanation was that he didn't notice, meaning he wasn't really working.

She remembered him repeatedly going in and out to refill his coffee, feeling both amused and heartbroken.

Ah, the burdens of an older man. How adorable.

"It's all your fault!" Stella flicked her own forehead.

He was perfectly fine in the living room, and she had to drive him away, even bringing a huge pot of fruit tea, practically forcing him to stay in the study forever…

Stella hurried to the study but stopped at the door.

No, she couldn't just barge in. She couldn't expose the truth, she needed to be clever.

She rubbed the little jade rabbit on her ring finger, thought for a moment, then turned on the home theater.

"Leo, want to watch a movie?"

When Leo came out, he found the living room had been set up.

The cushions that were strewn about were neatly arranged, the coffee table was piled with various snacks like candied fruits, duck necks, egg tarts, and a large fruit platter. The blackout curtains were drawn, and the room was lit only by the glow from the screen, giving it a genuine theater feel.

Stella pulled him to the couch, handing him a fork full of fruit, "Leo, what kind of movies do you like?"

Leo picked a blueberry from the colorful fruit platter she had arranged and said, "I don't have a particular favorite genre. Pick something you like."

Stella thought for a moment, then asked, "What was the last movie you saw in a theater?"

"It was a long time ago, I can't remember the name," Leo recalled, "Probably one of those superhero movies. I left halfway through."

"Left?" Stella was puzzled.

"Yeah," Leo said, "It was a punishment for losing a bet with my classmates. I only needed to stay for an hour."

Stella reconsidered her choice of entertainment.

"Just pick something you like," Leo patted her head, "I just want to watch with you. The content doesn't matter."

Stella blushed.

After a lot of deliberation, she chose a highly acclaimed animated movie.

The movie was released during summer vacation when she had gone to the southwest for a month of volunteer teaching with her uncle and cousin. She missed the various rave reviews and social media buzz. After returning to school, her roommate Anna mentioned she watched it three times and cried each time, but Stella was skeptical.

"Shall we watch this one?" Stella asked.

"Sure," Leo agreed.

The movie was 150 minutes long, but twenty minutes in, Stella found herself moved to tears.

She had a habit of tearing up and running her nose, turning her into a snotty mess, far from the poetic "a branch of spring with rain."

Just as the main plot was starting, Leo, who was calculating the likelihood of various plot developments, heard a sniffle.

Turning his head, he saw Stella crying.

"…"

A layer of tissues already covered the trash can, indicating she'd been crying for a while.

He looked at the lively main character on screen and then at Stella's reddened nose, his usually analytical brain suddenly overwhelmed with a single thought: Why?

Feeling his intense gaze, Stella pulled herself out of the movie, meeting his eyes.

Leo's expression was complex: surprise, confusion, and a touch of reluctance.

Stella only wondered why he seemed reluctant to speak.

She rubbed her eyes, moved the tissue box and trash can closer to Leo, and in a nasal voice, comforted him, "Leo, it's okay for men to cry."

"…"

From then on, Leo paid little attention to the plot, focusing instead on the silently weeping Stella, his frown growing deeper.

Stella had always been a crybaby when she was little. She'd cry if her teddy bear got dirty, if someone took her soy milk, or if she wasn't allowed to play. Very delicate.

But back then, her emotions were straightforward and unrestrained. This habit of crying silently while biting her lip was something new.

When did she develop this bad habit?

The movie reached its first climax, and the sorrowful background music played. Stella couldn't hold it back anymore and let out a sob, biting down on her left knuckle.

Leo frowned. He grabbed her chin, pulling her hand away, and rubbed the purple marks from her teeth.

"Stella, don't bite."

She nodded, lips pressed together, but her right hand was now secretly digging her nails into her palm.

He grasped her small hand, only to see her biting her lip again.

Leo took a deep breath, feeling a fire burning in his chest, making him both irritable and pained.

His face darkened. With a swift movement, he pulled Stella onto his lap, bending down to press his forehead against hers.

Their noses were less than an inch apart, breaths mingling.

Stella, startled by the sudden change in position, gradually relaxed her clenched jaw.

"Will you still bite?" Leo demanded, staring into her eyes.

Stella lowered her gaze, remaining silent.

"Doesn't it hurt?" he asked.

Stella's lips quivered, tears streaming down, wetting his shirt.

After a few moments of their silent standoff, Leo sighed and backed off slightly.

Seeing the deep bite mark on her lower lip, he raised her chin, pressing his thumb gently against the mark.

The pain made Stella want to pull away, but Leo held her tighter, rubbing her lip harder.

Stella looked at him with a mix of surprise and grievance, tears welling up even more until she finally broke into a loud wail.

Leo breathed a sigh of relief, dropping his stern demeanor. He turned up the volume of the movie and cradled Stella in his arms, letting her cry into his shirt.

In the adult world, even breakdowns had to be controlled, unrestrained crying seeming to be a privilege of children. But with him, it was different. As long as Stella wished, she could always be that delicate little girl.

After ten minutes, Stella's crying subsided. She lifted her tear-streaked face from Leo's neck and said, "I need to blow my nose."

Leo, the culprit who made her cry, was now obligingly attending to her needs—wiping her tears, helping her blow her nose, soothing her, and offering water.

Looking at Leo's smiling face, Stella thought of how he had deliberately scolded her to provoke her earlier. Feeling a surge of boldness, she grabbed his hand and bit it, "That's for scolding me!"

"I was wrong," Leo admitted without any resistance, even offering his other hand. "Feel better now? You can bite more if you want."

Stella glared at him for a few seconds before giving up, "No more biting."

Leo adjusted her to sit properly facing him and gently said, "Let's agree not to hold back your tears like that anymore, okay?"

Stella was silent for a couple of seconds, then lowered her head, "I'm sorry…"

"It's not your fault," Leo said, ruffling her hair, "Seeing you in pain makes me anxious."

Stella couldn't help but feel a lump in her throat, and tears started falling again.

Leo cupped her face, speaking clearly and firmly, "Stella, you are my wife, the closest person to me in this world." He gently wiped her tears and said softly, "You can be however you want in front of me. Don't worry about anything, don't think about anything, okay?"

Stella's pupils trembled, and she slowly nodded.

"Promise?" Leo extended his pinky.

Stella, through her tears, laughed, "How do you even know about pinky promises…"

Leo just smiled at her.

"Pinky promise, no changes for a hundred years!"

Leo playfully tapped her cheek and then adjusted her into a more comfortable position. Picking up the remote, he rewound the movie to where they had left off.

Stella didn't move away, continuing to sit in his lap, leaning against his shoulder to watch the movie.

After the emotional climax, the movie transitioned into a heartwarming and sentimental part. Stella, having exhausted her emotions earlier, was now feeling drained. Listening to the soothing music, her eyelids grew heavier and heavier.

Before she drifted off, she snuggled closer to the familiar scent of cedarwood and was immediately embraced tightly. She felt a soft, warm kiss on her forehead and nuzzled into it before slipping into a sweet, deep sleep.

"Sleep, I'll stay with you," Leo whispered.