Win My Husband Over to Find My Child
Chapter 192: Of Purple Hyacinths and White Tulips

Chapter 192: Of Purple Hyacinths and White Tulips

"I think I did well... for this game... How many words have I formed?"

Sitting on the carpeted floor, Leslie stared at the square tiles constructing various crosswords on the game board. The unused ones were scattered on one side of the coffee table.

Leslie was playing Scrabble in the lounge on the second floor. She wanted to do an activity but, she didn’t feel like playing a jigsaw puzzle. She was glad to stumble upon the board game when looking for an interesting one.

Ms. Chen encouraged Leslie to strengthen her cognitive function by playing games. The therapist suggested card games, chess and Jenga to name a few.

Mrs. Su left Leslie alone at her request. The private nurse helped her to sit on the floor chair with a backrest before going downstairs to chat with Aunt Wendy.

"Hurm... which word should I form next?"

Blinking, Leslie read the words that she had formed. This game pushed her to think more, a good one if she wanted to keep her brain active. She focused on using medium to advanced words instead of the basic ones.

"...Leslie?"

Leslie perked her ears once she heard a familiar voice calling for her. She didn’t catch the slight vibration in the sound.

Lifting her gaze from the game board, Leslie turned to look in her right direction. Her lashes fluttered as her eyes widened in surprise.

"Calix... what’s with that... flower bouquet? Ah! What’s wrong with... your face?"

Leslie’s eyes fell on the huge bouquet held by Calix before she noticed something was amiss.

The man’s appearance was as immaculate as ever but, his eyes were swollen. The whites in his eyes showed traces of redness.

Pursing his lips, Calix blinked a few times. His eyes drifted to the bouquet before they traveled to Leslie’s stunned face. He perceived concern surfacing in her almond eyes.

"Hey, why are you looking at me like that?" Calix stepped forward, approaching Leslie while trying to maintain a facade, "I got some flowers for you, Mrs. Xu."

"Your eyes... are swelling..." Leslie pointed to her own eyes, "Did... something happen?"

"Oh, I slept too much at work," Calix quickly gave an excuse, not saying anything about him breaking down in the office, "I wanted to return home soon but, I ended up sleeping until late afternoon."

Leslie blinked. She was unsure yet, she got a feeling something did happen. But, it was not her place to inquire if Calix didn’t want to talk about it.

"Well, you returned home at midnight... it’s good you got some nap... in the office... Ah, come sit here..."

"Uhuh."

Calix was so ashamed of himself. He didn’t know how to face Leslie after learning of what happened to her years ago – including his deductions of the Li family’s mistreatment toward Leslie during her period of pregnancy.

If she learned his identity as the man from that night, would she continue staying with him? Being at ease when interacting with him?

Calix was aware the passionate night he spent with Leslie six years ago was crafted by someone’s meddling. But, it didn’t change the fact he did still harm her.

Without her consent, he impregnated her thus, forcefully changing her life.

’I shouldn’t hide. I need to face this.’

But, Calix was unwilling to hole up in his office and let her wait for his return. He promised to have dinner by the lakeside with her tonight.

Before he alighted the car, Calix made sure to smoothen his appearance. He styled his messy hair and took in a couple of deep breaths, reminding himself not to act weirdly in front of Leslie.

’Did he get troubled by something?"

Putting on a smile, Leslie watched Calix lowering himself down to the floor before sitting with crossed legs facing her. She sensed the lingering glum reflected in his swollen eyes.

Pondering how she should react to Calix, Leslie took in the beauty of the flowers brought by him, "They are pretty and... smell nice... But, why did you buy flowers... for me?"

"Because the flowers are pretty," responded Calix with a smile tugging on his lips, perfecting his facade beyond the limits, "Here, for you."

Leslie chuckled, lightly shaking her head in helplessness. Taking the bouquet offered by Calix, she decided not to think too much about his front.

Not everything could be shared between them. She herself concealed secrets from him.

"Yes... I love how they look... and their scent... Did you choose these ones?"

Calix inwardly sighed in relief seeing the sparkles in Leslie’s eyes. She took a whiff of the flowers, her countenance beaming in delight. A loose strand from her side ponytail brushed against the petals.

"I wanna claim credits but... haha, the florist suggested these."

When Calix stopped at one of the red lights on his way back home earlier, he spotted a flower shop nestling in a row of other stores. He pulled by the roadside before hurrying to the florist.

Calix was unsure of himself but, he felt like getting something to Leslie as a gift. It was his selfish desire to ease even a little of his guilt before facing her at home.

"What do you suggest if I want flowers for forgiveness?"

The florist arranged purple hyacinths and white tulips in a bouquet. The middle-aged woman smilingly wished him well during his quest, thinking he was a young man quarreling with his lover.

Holding the fresh blooms in his hands, Calix explained nothing to the florist. The twinkle in his eyes lost its usual bright luster.

"Oh?" Leslie peeled her eyes away from admiring the flowers, once again looking at Calix, "Do they have special meanings? What are they?"

Blinking, Calix blankly stared at Leslie’s expectant eyes. He didn’t expect her to ask him the flower language behind purple hyacinths and white tulips.

Err... even if he specifically asked for flowers with that meaning, how could he tell her the truth?

"I don’t know."

Calix’s short response was met with a knowing look from Leslie. He unconsciously moved his body backward and threw his gaze away, randomly looking at the Scrabble game on the low table.

"Are you sure, Mr. Xu? Why do... you look sneaky?"

Calix clammed his mouth shut, blinking innocently. His action earned laughter from Leslie.

"Hehe, either way... thank you for the flowers..."

Smiling, Leslie admired the bouquet again. She made a mental note to ask Aunt Wendy’s help in arranging these flowers. The housekeeper was talented in that area.

Calix quietly watched Leslie touching the velvety petals. Clasping his hands together, he swore to find a way and time to lay out the truth to her.

Instead of burying the truth, Calix would rather accept Leslie’s wrath and disappointment. He didn’t want to lie to her forever.

"Leslie, I plan to change how I want to celebrate my birthday this year."

Calix’s mellow voice lured Leslie to shift her focus from the flowers to him. For some reason, he seemed more nervous than she initially sensed.

"Are you going to... throw a party instead of... a family meal?"

Did he change his mind about their discussion this morning?

"Neither," shaking his head, Calix’s voice was laced with slight uneasiness, "I want to celebrate that day with the children at Harmony Haven Orphanage. The place where Calliope lives."

"...what?"

Froze, shock flickered in Leslie’s eyes.