Won't Charge Anything

The snow was still falling outside. And as the new layer of snow clothed the trees rose as white fairytale beings in that wintry landscape, for the grey clouds had bequeathed a bounty of snow. The snow falling outside seemed languidly dancing on the rhythm of the wind.

There was no sun outside today. The sky was dominated by those grey clouds. It made this chilly day seem a little gloomy. But that also made the warmth of the fireplace all the more precious inside the room.

The fireplace mimicked the warmth of the sunny day. Since it was an electric fireplace, one couldn't hear the crackles that the lively flames would make. The air was neither smokey, nor one could smell the pine burning. However, even with its silent warmth, it brought reassurance and comfort on a gloomy bitter winter day.

In that comfortable cozy silence, one could hear the ambiguous sounds that could make one blush.

Live in the moment was what Shui Xian heard repeatedly in his life. The past is already gone was what he heard. But for once, he really did live in the moment. Without letting his emotions control him or hold him back, he took his time and savored every moment spent with Raelle.

With fire burning in the background and the snow falling outside the window, two naked bodies could be seen moving together softly inside the room. From there on in it was all passion, intense and intoxicating. Shui Xian didn't know what it was but he did feel like there was definitely something intoxicating about it. Their bodies were in perfect harmony.

When they laid together with a wool blanket draped over their naked bodies that were still stuck together with Raelle's back to his chest, Shui Xian knew this intoxication wasn't gonna leave him. It was as if it was his first time realizing that his wife was hauntingly gorgeous, of course, he meant it in a good way.

They were both silent for a long while. Shui Xian was recalling back her expressions when he entered her. That was the first time he found a crease on her face. It was almost imperceptible but he could tell that she was feeling some discomfort when he entered her. However, there was nothing that came out of her mouth. He looked at the back of her head and tightened his arm around her waist.

Did she really not feel pain or she really couldn't express it? He wondered to himself.

Meanwhile, Raelle's brain was trying to process everything that just happened. It wasn't even a surprise that when it came to describing how she felt, her unlimited vocabulary would suddenly lack the right words. Her body was the most honest in that department, but her brain wasn't. Because her brain couldn't process it.

Take that injury she had on her wrist yesterday during skiing, for instance. Raelle had felt something but what she felt was pain, that she couldn't tell. In her dictionary, she only had two emotions; she either felt good or she felt bad.

Right now, she certainly felt good. That was all she could say. She wished she could describe it in a better way but she couldn't do it. Because to describe something, she needed to first understand that feeling herself. And for now, she couldn't differentiate between most of her feelings except for good or bad.

"Why are you so silent now?" she heard his voice from right beside her ear.

"I'm usually a silent person," she replied.

"Really?" Shui Xian sounded surprised. "I thought you liked to talk."

Raelle shook her head, "It's true I have a lot to say but not everyone can listen to what I have to say. 99% of the time, I don't make sense to people. I didn't even make sense to my psychologist team. They were certainly not happy talking to me or listening to me."

"Ah," let out Shui Xian. He didn't even have to ask why that was the case. But it made him feel bad for some reason. Because he could tell she really had a lot to say. It must have been difficult for her to resonate with people being that logical with her bookish knowledge and stage way of seeing everything around her.

She continued, "So, I stopped talking to people. I realized that even my words are precious, I shouldn't waste them on just anyone. Now, people are even willing to pay me to hear my voice."

Shui Xian smiled slightly as he asked, "How much I have to pay to end this silence of yours?"

Raelle turned her head and looked at his face, "Are you willing to listen to me? No matter how frustrating I sound?"

He blinked his head, "Absolutely."

She continued to look into his eyes trying to see whether he was serious or not. Not finding any faults, she said, "Hubby, I won't charge you anything."

"Oh, such an honor?" he acted surprised.

"Since you're my husband, I can make that exception for you," was her response that made him chuckle softy.

They didn't talk about the tempestuous christening they just had undergone. They didn't feel the need to do so. Since they both were comfortably lying against each other, they really didn't need words to say anything. Shui Xian felt like their bodies already had gone through the deepest conversation.

"Wife, you're seriously very adorable sometimes," he couldn't help saying it to her.

"And sometimes I'm equally annoying," she added catching him off guard. "That's what my grandfather says."

Shui Xian had a look of understanding and he pursed his lips in reply. He couldn't possibly disagree with it now. It'd be disrespectful to Grandfather Xiang. It was not because he felt that it was a fact. It was definitely because he thought he shouldn't go against an elder's words. That's the only reason he wasn't saying anything to disagree.

He thought this conversation was over but she didn't think so.

"You agree with my grandfather?" she questioned him.

Shui Xian felt like it was a rhetorical question and he had no right answer for it. However, with his wife's nature, she wasn't gonna let him escape as well. He sighed out, "I can't disagree with him either."

Raelle nodded her head as she said, "It's good that you agree with him. It means you're being honest. Besides, I don't like it when people disagree with my grandfather. Even I have never done it!"

Shui Xian pressed his lips together and decided not to say anything. There was no need to.