Because... the current Duoduo is no longer the "Ni Duoduo".
I took a couple of steps and saw a plum tree blooming beautifully beside me. I went over, broke off a branch, held it in my hand, and then stepped into the room.
Ni Duoduo sat on the bed, quietly looking out the window. The sunlight outside shone on her face. From the side, her fair chin was round and soft, and her face exuded a sense of tranquility.
I walked in, and she immediately turned around and glanced at me, a hint of confusion in her beautiful eyes. Then, seeing that it was me, she smiled and said, "You've come."
"How are you feeling today?" I asked with a smile as I walked to the bedside and placed the plum blossom in the vase by the bed.
"It's alright... but... sigh." Ni Duoduo sighed, "I still can't remember anything... Hmm, this flower is very pretty."
I sat on the edge of the bed and whispered, "Still can't remember?"
"I can't remember... I can't remember anything." Ni Duoduo held her head in distress, her eyes blank.
"It's okay." I said gently, "If you can't remember, you can think about it slowly. If you can't remember it today, think about it tomorrow. If you can't remember it tomorrow, think about it the day after tomorrow... Eventually, you'll be able to remember it."
“But I still want to know.” Ni Duoduo shook her head, a hint of sadness on her small face: “I don’t even know who I am… I just sit here like this every day… Sigh, thankfully, you come to see me every day.”
I watched the girl quietly, and in her eyes I saw only clarity and tranquility...
"By the way, are you going to tell me a story again today?" Ni Duoduo smiled. "You're much kinder than the other doctors... The other doctor just comes every day and all he does is give me medicine... Sigh..."
I smiled and said gently, "A story? Sure. If you want to hear it, I'll continue telling you today."
Ni Duoduo's face immediately lit up with a smile: "Okay!"
I cleared my throat: "Ahem... Okay, today's story is: Well, many, many years ago, there was a very remarkable man who was unwilling to settle for mediocrity and had great ambitions. So, one day, he left his hometown alone with only a thousand dollars and came to the bustling South, that dazzling world... He was determined to make a name for himself..."
In the quiet room, I told the "story" in a low, calm tone. Ni Duoduo listened attentively, but her gaze towards me grew increasingly gentle.
"What's wrong?" I paused, looking at her. "Your eyes look a little strange."
"No... I think you look very beautiful when you talk." Ni Duoduo was a little embarrassed. "By the way, doctor. It's been several days, and I still don't know your name. Can you tell me? I don't remember anything right now. You are the first friend I've ever made."
“…My name…” I smiled: “My name, well, you can call me Xiao Wu.”
“Xiao Wu…” Ni Duoduo’s eyes widened, a strange expression flashed across her face, her eyes seemed to be somewhat bewildered and thoughtful.
"What's wrong?" My heart skipped a beat. A hint of surprise crossed my face. "You...remembered something?"
"No." Ni Duoduo shook her head, then chuckled, "This name... it's so corny. Hehehe..."
Then, all that remained in the room was the girl's innocent and joyful laughter.
Just a few days ago, after that bloody night, I knocked Ni Duoduo unconscious and brought her back. When she woke up, the first thing she said when she saw me was, in an almost delirious tone, "Who are you?"
This was an almost absurdly dramatic ending. The doctor's examination concluded that the girl had likely suffered severe trauma and had lost her memory.
I sat by Ni Duoduo's bedside, watching her joyful smile, and sighed inwardly:
Perhaps this is the best ending for her.
One year later...
In the warm climate of the Caribbean, on a picturesque island surrounded by palm trees, about two hundred meters from the sea, on a high slope, stands a small wooden villa.
Hammocks were placed among the palm trees by the entrance, along with rubber boats and motorboats stuck in the sand, and an old-fashioned radio played leisurely music.
In a hammock between two palm trees, Yang Wei, wearing a swimsuit with a floral shirt draped over her shoulders, was quietly reading a novel. Beside her was a bucket of chilled ice cream with a straw and spoon.
In this hot weather, sunshine, beaches, beautiful women... and ice cream—it's a very relaxing scene.
However, what was very discordant with this scene was... a woman's desperate screams and cries of pain suddenly came from the wooden villa!
"It hurts so much!! It hurts like hell!!!"
Yang Wei lazily rolled over, casually picked up her earplugs, put them on, pursed her lips, and sighed, "Sigh, it's just childbirth, is it really that painful?"
In the room, Qiaoqiao lay sprawled on the bed, her legs spread wide and raised high, while a female doctor in her forties sat on the bed, her hands reaching between Qiaoqiao's legs from under the sheets, shouting, "Push...push! Push..."
Qiaoqiao was covered in sweat, her hair was stuck together in clumps, her beautiful face looked a little chubby, and she was panting heavily.
I stood right next to her. Qiaoqiao gripped my hand tightly, wincing in pain and screaming incessantly, her body trembling.
I was also very nervous. I held her hand tightly, but I didn't know how to help. All I could do was try my best to comfort her.
Qiao Qiao's fierce nature was on full display at this moment; in her extreme pain, she dared to curse anything!
"Chen Yang, you little bastard! You scoundrel! You heartless little devil! Just for your moment of pleasure, I've suffered so much! You men get your pleasure, but we women suffer... Damn, it hurts so much!!! This... this hurts way more than diarrhea!!!"
What could I say at that moment? I could only stand by, scratching my head and trying to comfort her, encouraging her to keep trying.
The door to the room opened, and Yan Di and Fang Nan came in carrying a basin of hot water.
"Has she given birth? Has she given birth yet?" Yan Di and Fang Nan asked in unison.
"Give birth...give birth my ass!" Qiaoqiao cried from the pain. "If he were born, it would be better...this heartless child! When he comes out, I'll spank him eight times a day! Ouch...it hurts so much..."
Seeing Yan Di and Fang Nan's hesitant expressions, as if they wanted to laugh but dared not, I couldn't help but shake my head: "Sigh, you two should go out first..."
Qiaoqiao cursed for a while, but then, unable to bear the pain any longer, she grabbed my hand and began to plead, "Chen Yang, Chen Yang, I'm in so much pain... Xiao Wu, I beg you, I can't take it anymore... Please don't give birth to this child, okay? It hurts so much."
I listened to Qiaoqiao say childish things. My heart ached for her, but all I could do was comfort her, "It's alright, Qiaoqiao, it'll be alright in a little while...it'll be alright in a little while..."
"Then you have to make it up to me..."
"Fine! Give birth to the baby, and you can have any compensation you want!"
"I want diamonds!"
"purchase!"
"I want a new sports car!"
"purchase!"
I want a good horse!
"purchase!"
"I also want a new yacht!"
"purchase!"
"I……"
Just then, Yang Wei pushed the door open and poked half her head in: "How is it? Did you get out?"
Qiaoqiao and Yang Wei have never gotten along; it's a long-standing issue. Even after living together for the past year, the two women still enjoy bickering. Sometimes Yang Wei wins, sometimes Qiaoqiao does. At this moment, Qiaoqiao is in excruciating pain and feels completely lost. Seeing Yang Wei enter, she immediately exclaims, "What are you doing here…you…"
Yang Wei leaned against the door and said calmly, "Watching you give birth. I didn't expect it to be so painful. I thought you'd be out soon."
"Yang Wei!!! Are you gloating?!" Qiao Qiao roared, "You'll get your turn to suffer later! I'll definitely find a DV camera and record you screaming in agony!!"
Yang Wei laughed and said, "Great idea! I'll go get the camera right now!"
Seeing Yang Wei walk away with amusement on his face, Qiao Qiao turned pale and cried out, "No, no! I have to give birth quickly! I can't let that guy Yang Wei record my pathetic state!! Son, you better come out right now! Otherwise, your old mother will be embarrassed!!! Push! Push! Push! Push..."
I was laughing so hard I almost choked. I never expected Yang Wei to use such a method to encourage Qiao Qiao to "strive" like this.
finally……
"Wow……"
A loud cry rang out, and Yang Wei, Fang Nan, and Yan Di, who had been hiding outside, rushed in. The two nurses standing nearby immediately picked up the baby and began cutting the umbilical cord…
A group of women surrounded me, immediately pushing me, the real father, aside.
I looked at the baby surrounded by these beautiful women and sighed.
My son, you are much luckier than your father. You were born to be the heir of the Qiao family, and a large amount of Qiao family real estate is waiting for you to inherit!
Hmm, I also need to give that old fox a call. Now that the baby's been born, I'll figure out another way to squeeze some money out of him!
"Are you done arguing?!" the female obstetrician shouted impatiently. "If you're done arguing, then continue! There's one more person!"
Yang Wei, Qiao Qiao, Yan Di, Fang Nan, and me: "…………"
"What? There's another one?" Qiaoqiao was the first to exclaim, "There's another one?"
"Don't you even know you're carrying twins?" the doctor snapped. "Look at your belly! My God! I've never seen such an idiotic mother!"
I was stunned. We looked at each other... We'd lived on this island for almost half a year, and Qiaoqiao's prenatal checkups had all been done at a nearby hospital.
"Ah, last time when I did the fetal heart rate monitoring, the doctor said 'both heartbeats are normal,'" Qiaoqiao said blankly. "I thought one of the 'normal heartbeats' referred to my own heartbeat. Could it be that the doctor was referring to the heartbeats of both babies?"
The doctor sighed, "God, forgive these ignorant men and women!"
We stood there for a moment, then simultaneously shouted at Qiaoqiao:
"Push harder!! Keep pushing!!!"