Chapter 48

After editing a Moments post for quite some time, Stella clicked "send" under Ethan's watchful gaze. Once she posted it, he didn't think to check for other people's responses, just silently gave her post a like. Then, feeling good, he tidied up the cookie wrappers on the table and leisurely went to take a shower. Even though there was a time difference, it was already early morning in the United States. But not long after, her post received quite a few likes. In the SnapChat group, Layla sent a message promptly, "My friend, weren't you hesitating just a few hours ago? What's with this Moments post now?" Thinking back to her mindset in the evening, Stella couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed. She bit her lip, typing with a smile, "Well, life always throws unexpected surprises, doesn't it?" For example, Ethan's unexpected confession. Layla asked, "So?" Stella replied, "I guess you could say... I've chased him down." Although Ethan was the one who confessed, the outcome was always the same. Ironically, being in a relationship with each other while being married seemed to provide an extra layer of security. It felt... quite strange. Natalie replied, "What's up with you? Did you just happen to find your Mr. Right by accident? I had a weird feeling about Ethan at the funeral. Could he have planned this from the start?" Seeing this message, Stella furrowed her brows, sinking into contemplation. The idea of changing grooms was something she hadn't even considered preparing for, so it couldn't have been Ethan's plan. But what followed... As she pondered, the sound of water from the shower in the bathroom ceased. Ethan had just finished showering and emerged to find Stella lifting her head, staring at him thoughtfully. "What's up?" He raised a hand, using a thick towel to dry his still damp, short hair before turning his head to look at her. Stella hesitated slightly, then shook her head. "Nothing." It was just a sudden speculation. If she were to ask him now, it would seem like she was doubting him. Putting her mind at ease, she smiled and said, "You should go sleep on the bed today." He was tall and broad, cramped up on the narrow couch, unable to stretch out properly. How could he get a good night's sleep like that? Ethan's eyes narrowed slightly as he glanced at her. "Are you going to share the bed with me?" Stella pursed her lips before replying, "I'll sleep on the couch." As her gaze met his serene eyes, she couldn't help but explain, "It's nothing else, I just... worry that I won't sleep soundly and will disturb you." Stella had always been a light sleeper. During weekends, Layla would often come to her apartment to stay, and if she sensed someone beside her while asleep, she would wake up in the middle of the night. She had even seen a psychologist once, who suggested that it might be a stress response from being kidnapped as a child, causing her subconscious to remain on guard even while asleep. This was especially true in unfamiliar environments like hotels. She coped better in the orphanage; even if she woke up occasionally, she would soon fall back asleep. But after returning to the Carlson family, even when sleeping alone, she often found herself awake until dawn. She often felt that she was an imperfect person. Some of her flaws, she didn't even share with Natalie or Layla. Thinking about this, she apologized softly, "I'm sorry." She actually didn't want to reveal her flaws to others, but she also didn't want Ethan to misunderstand anything. Ethan got up and walked over, sighing as he rubbed her head. "Silly, why are you apologizing?" he said. Then, with an indifferent tone, he added, "The couch is fine. I've slept on it before. I'm a big guy, it doesn't matter where I sleep. You go to the bedroom, get some sleep early. We're leaving the island tomorrow." Stella breathed a sigh of relief, hesitated for a moment, but ultimately didn't argue further. She nodded and headed towards the bedroom. Just as she took a few steps, she suddenly turned back and called out, "Ethan." "Yeah?" "Goodnight." Ethan smiled. "Goodnight." ... A simple goodnight, yet it brought comfort to her heart. After finishing her shower, Stella lay down on the bed. She glanced towards the door before covering herself with a thin blanket and closing her eyes. She didn't know if it was because of the unfamiliar environment or the intense emotional fluctuations she had experienced. That night, she had the same dream she often had in her childhood. The cramped trunk of a car, pitch black all around. Her small body squeezed in the stifling heat, feeling dizzy. She didn't know how long it had passed when she was picked up in a daze and handed over to someone else. The unfamiliar smell of the other person made her instinctively struggle. But her short arms had no strength, and she could only be held tightly by the person's embrace. The unfamiliar mountain road added a touch of fear to her, and she reached out, wanting to grab onto something, then grabbed a nearby piece of tree trunk. Smelling the somewhat familiar scent of pine, Stella's tightly furrowed brow relaxed gradually, but she didn't let go of the hand she held tightly. Ethan remained silent, his eyes cast downward. Catching sight of the hand she held onto stubbornly, he smiled with indulgence in his eyes, using his other hand to wipe away the thin sweat on her forehead. ... The next day, as daylight gradually filled the room, sunlight streamed in. On the soft bed, the woman still held tightly onto the man's arm, the two of them snuggled together intimately. In the distance, two seagulls flew in from the coastline, tracing several spiral trajectories in the azure sky before landing on the railing of the open-air balcony facing the sea. After a few calls, they flew away together, but they had already awakened Stella. Rubbing her eyes, she opened them slightly, then blinked as the intense sunlight outside the window dazzled her. When she fully came to her senses, she realized something was amiss. Turning her head in confusion, she was met with the familiar handsome profile of the man, his eyes closed, his brow relaxed, shedding his usual aloof demeanor. Stella didn't understand why Ethan was in the bedroom, but the situation now was that she was actually tightly holding onto the man's arm. With one hand still being pressed by him, she tried to calm herself down and cautiously attempted to withdraw her arm from his embrace. Once, twice, three times. Just as she was about to succeed, the man's thick, long eyelashes trembled slightly before slowly opening to reveal his deep blue eyes, which locked directly onto Stella's gaze. Ethan glanced at her movement and chuckled lightly, "See? You say you can't sleep well, but in your dreams, you're eager to hold onto me." Yesterday, he just wanted to check how she was sleeping, but ended up being grabbed. Afraid of waking her up by trying to break free, he had to let her be this time. It wasn't his fault. Stella felt a bit guilty under the man's gaze, especially since she had indeed said those words seriously. The dream from last night had long dispersed, and she lowered her gaze to look at the arm she was holding. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly, surprised that she had actually been holding onto his arm until now. "Maybe you're the exception," Stella murmured, her brow furrowing lightly again. "I might like you too much, so even in my dreams, I don't want to let go." There was a hint of seriousness in her expression. She liked him too much. Ethan raised an eyebrow at her words, pondering them for a moment with a faint smile playing on his lips. Then, he asked calmly, "Oh? So what was the fuss about a few days ago?" He was referring to Stella's avoidance behavior a few days prior. Even though they had already expressed their love for each other, he still needed to understand why she acted that way. "Because you mentioned your first love," Stella muttered softly, then lowered her gaze, hesitating as she explained, "I was just... afraid that you married me because of some trauma and I didn't want to cause you trouble." She had seen a withdrawn and taciturn child being adopted, only to be returned to the orphanage shortly afterward under the pretext of being "too much trouble." She had also seen a neighbor who used to regularly give fruit to the orphanage children being taken away by his son to the big city, only to be returned by his daughter-in-law under the same pretext. Trouble often marks the beginning of distance between people, and she didn't want to be a bother to anyone. Ethan watched her with a melancholy expression and gently extended his curled index finger, gliding it over her nose. He spoke warmly, "Stella, haven't I told you before? You don't have to strive for perfection in front of me. Whether you're happy or angry, you don't need to suppress your emotions." Stella didn't want to be a bother, yet she always restrained herself with the standard of perfection. He always hoped she could be a little more unrestrained. There was seriousness in the man's profound gaze, as if he could see into her heart. Stella was taken aback for a moment, pondered for a while, and then chuckled softly, "Maybe I'm scared that having too many flaws will make the people close to me dislike me." "Do you think I have no flaws?" Ethan asked with a smile. Stella hesitated for a moment, but ultimately couldn't lie too much. She replied hesitantly, "Actually... there are." "Since I also have flaws, would you still dislike me for them?" Stella shook her head gently. She was used to being naturally close with Ethan. His so-called flaws were already something she had long accepted. Ethan patted her head, casually raising an eyebrow. "So, even if you throw a tantrum now and then, I won't find it troublesome. Do you think I can't handle your little quirks?" he said with a smile. He was happy to indulge her quirks. Still with that casual tone, but for some reason, Stella's eyes suddenly felt a bit sore. After a moment of silence, she whispered, "Yeah, I seem to be very happy now." He had said that if she had emotions, she should tell him. "Happy about what?" Ethan asked. Stella thought for a moment before organizing her thoughts to describe her feelings, "It feels like... I've been eagerly anticipating a piece of cake for a long time. I only wanted to take a small bite, but you gave me the whole piece. And then you told me, 'These are all yours, I gave them to you'." Someone wanted to give her all the goodness and preciousness. "Ethan, you seem to be even better than I imagined," Stella said in a gentle tone. With a sudden praise, Ethan chuckled casually, teasingly hooked his lip, and said in a clear voice, "Didn't I say it a long time ago? You have great taste." He took her delicate, soft fingertips, played with them for a moment, and then patted her, "Alright, let's get up, we have to leave for the island later." ... The two were going to a small island located off the main island.