Resisting Arranged Marriages: Starting with Myself - Chapter 33

“Why? Why did you not tell me?”

“It has been seventeen years. Why have you kept it from me all this time? Why have you kept lying to me?”

“You and Dad knew, Ye Jiming knew, everyone knew! I was the only one kept in the dark!”

Faced with her son’s choked questions, Wen Yan could not help but burst into tears, her voice failing her.

She sat by the bed and gently took her son’s hand. Because of the IV drip, his hands were bloodless white and icy cold.

“Xiao-xiao, we did not hide it from you on purpose. You were only three years old when you were diagnosed. You were so small; you did not know anything. You just grinned and giggled every day. How were we supposed to tell you that you had an incurable disease?”

“You were too young then to remember things. It was different from Xiao Ye’s situation. He was already ten when he was diagnosed; he was sensible. Even if his parents wanted to hide it, they could not have succeeded.”

Le Xiao cut his mother off. “How could my ‘genetic match’ be Ye Jiming?”

“We do not know either,” Wen Yan said. “Why there are matches or how someone becomes a match are things that even medicine cannot explain. It just happened.”

“At that time, you had just turned three. You showed symptoms of gland pain for the first time, and your father and I rushed you to the hospital,”

Seventeen years ago.

It was mid-spring. The crabapple blossoms outside the window were in full bloom, their petals layered and hanging heavy on the branches like a rosy, misty cloud.

The spring day was bright, but inside the room, it was a scene of gloom and despair.

“Pheromone Disorder Syndrome? How could it be?” Wen Yan murmured in disbelief. Her legs gave way, and she nearly collapsed to the floor. Fortunately, Le Jiancheng, standing behind her, caught her and settled her onto the sofa in the consultation room.

She repeated the words under her breath, then suddenly looked up and said loudly, “Doctor, you must have made a mistake! Our Xiao-xiao is only three. He has never been sick before; he rarely even catches a cold or a fever. This time his gland just hurt a little. How could it be?”

She clutched the medical records and rushed to the desk, pleading, “Please, Doctor, check again. It really must be a mistake,”

“There is no mistake.” The doctor lowered his brow, looking helplessly at the desperate mother. He had seen too many family members like this, screaming and begging. Though he felt their pain, he was powerless to help.

“Turn right out the door, ninth floor of the outpatient department, Reproductive Differentiation Department.”

These words were like a guillotine falling on Wen Yan’s neck, severing her last shred of hope.

She froze for a moment, then covered her face and wailed without any semblance of composure.

Le Jiancheng held his wife in his arms, his eyes red, gently stroking her shoulder to comfort her.

Sitting on the examination bed, Le Xiao did not yet know what was happening. He looked around with his dark, round eyes. Seeing his parents crying, he did not understand why and simply bit his finger and giggled.

In the hallway outside the examination room of the Reproductive Differentiation Department, Wen Yan had stopped sobbing. She held Le Xiao’s small hand and sat quietly on a bench, waiting. Her eyes were swollen from crying, and she stared blankly at the examination form in her hand, lost in thought. Le Jiancheng had gone to pay the fees, leaving the mother and son to wait for the test.

Le Xiao had one hand held by his mother, while the other was already covered in drool from his own sucking. He leaned against his mother’s lap, laughing to himself at some fun thought.

Another mother and son walked out of the examination room. A woman dressed in elegant, proper clothing led a young boy of about ten. That mother’s expression was exactly like Wen Yan’s, full of sorrow, while the boy looked much calmer, slowly straightening his clothes, which had likely been rumpled during the exam.

Not far away, Le Xiao stared with wide, almond-shaped eyes, looking curiously at the strangers.

Then, he suddenly broke free from Wen Yan’s grip and trotted toward them on his short legs.

“Hey!” By the time Wen Yan snapped back to reality, Le Xiao had already stopped in front of the pair, looking them up and down with eyes as clear as a puppy’s.

Then, he reached out his chubby little hand and grabbed the boy’s sleeve.

On the clean white hoodie, a large wet spot from his mouth appeared.

“Brother!” He grinned, his eyes curving into crescents.

Ye Jiming stared blankly at the little bean in front of him, seemingly confused.

“I am so sorry,” Wen Yan hurried over to resolve the situation, looking apologetically at the two. “Xiao-xiao, why did you get his clothes dirty? Say you’re sorry, quickly!”

Le Xiao did not seem to hear his mother. He just tilted his head and smiled sillily at Ye Jiming.

“It is quite alright,” Ye’s mother smiled at Wen Yan. “He is just a child.”

“Ming-ming, let us go.” She took her son’s hand and prepared to walk toward the elevators.

Led by his mother, Ye Jiming looked back at Le Xiao with every step, appearing somewhat puzzled.

“Wait a moment!” The four turned back together to find the duty doctor from the examination room calling out to them.

The doctor stepped forward, asked briefly about Le Xiao’s condition, and then said to the two parents, “You two, if you have the time, you might need to do one more test.”

“These two children might just be each other’s ‘genetic matches’.”

“Truly miraculous.” The chief physician looked at the test results of the two children, taking his reading glasses off and putting them back on again. “Truly miraculous.”

He looked up at the four puzzled parents across the desk and said with a smile, “These two children are matches.”

“It is the first time I have seen a case where matches were found so smoothly at such a young age.” He looked at the two children cheerfully. “This is truly fate. Many people never find theirs even by middle age!”

“Then? What do we do now?” Wen Yan asked, confused.

“From the test results, the situation for both children is not very optimistic.” The old chief stopped smiling and said seriously, “Ye Jiming, I see he was diagnosed some time ago and has been on medication, but it can only control the condition; it cannot cure it.”

“Le Xiao, although he was only diagnosed today, with this disease, the earlier the symptoms appear, the more severe the condition is likely to be when he grows up.”

Hearing this, Wen Yan’s legs went weak again, and she trembled like a sieve.

“Parents do not need to worry too much. Although there is currently no radical solution, it can be treated after all.” Seeing her state, the old chief spoke to comfort her. “How about this? I will issue a hospitalization slip first. Let the two children spend some time together; it should alleviate the symptoms to a large extent.”

“As for what kind of treatment to take later, whether to use medication or rely on natural treatment between matches, that is a matter for your two families.”

Walking out of the chief’s office, the four parents looked at each other, momentarily at a loss.

Le Jiancheng was the first to react, patting his wife’s shoulder. “You and Ye’s mother take the children to the inpatient department first; we will go handle the paperwork.” With that, he turned and walked toward the registration window with Ye’s father.

On the way to the inpatient department, the two children walked ahead. Le Xiao, looking like a little bun, held up his hand, stubbornly wanting to hold the older brother’s hand.

He was too short and could barely reach, wobbling on his tiptoes as he walked. Ye Jiming said nothing but quietly slowed his pace and bent down to offer his hand.

Le Xiao successfully grabbed one of the boy’s fingers. Satisfied, he giggled and tried to put it in his mouth, but a split second before he succeeded, the slender finger was pulled away.

Ye Jiming crouched down and said with a serious face, “If you bite my hand again, I will not let you hold it.”

Le Xiao nodded quickly, as if promising to be good.

The two figures, one big and one small, walked forward slowly hand in hand. The two sorrowful mothers followed behind them in silence.

And so, they stayed in the same hospital room.

Perhaps it truly was the mystery of being matches, for ever since they stayed together, the symptoms in both children vanished. Ye Jiming no longer complained of gland pain. Le Xiao could not yet express himself clearly, but he rarely cried or made a fuss, and the swelling on his gland visibly subsided.

There seemed to be a natural attraction between them, like the north and south poles of a magnet; they naturally gravitated toward each other. No matter where Ye Jiming went, a tiny shadow followed behind him. No matter where Le Xiao went, a caring older brother was by his side.

When Ye Jiming wanted to read, Le Xiao would lean on his shoulder and stare at the picture book. When Ye Jiming practiced English, Le Xiao would stand aside, babbling in a language only he understood. When Ye Jiming did his homework, Le Xiao would sit on his lap as if curious about everything on him; by the time the homework was finished, the older boy’s shirt would often be soaked with drool.

When Le Xiao cried for some mysterious reason, Ye Jiming would pull him into his arms, read him stories, play with toys, or tell jokes. When Le Xiao had a nightmare at night and sobbed for breath, Ye Jiming would settle him in his own bed, and the two little ones would sleep peacefully under the same blanket. When Le Xiao fell while running in the hallway, Ye Jiming would immediately run to his side, gather him into his arms, and pat his back while whispering comfort.

The two seemed to have a telepathic connection; with just a look or a smile, they immediately understood each other. They were closer than blood brothers.

Time flowed on. The late spring sun was warm enough to melt a person, with butterflies lingering and falling flowers everywhere.

In the fine spring light, the two children sat together in the hospital garden, reading a storybook on the same swing.

Ye Jiming was not good at reading children’s stories, especially fairy tales. However, options were limited during their hospital stay, and they had already read through all the books Le Xiao could understand.

His voice was like a calm lake, without any ripples or waves. Any ordinary person would have fallen asleep, but Le Xiao was full of energy, restlessly climbing up and down the swing.

“Finally, they got married and lived happily ever after,” Ye Jiming said as he turned to the last page. “Alright, I am finished.”

Le Xiao looked very excited and asked curiously, “What does ‘married’ mean?”

Ye Jiming froze, clearly not quite sure how to explain the concept. In his understanding, getting married was like his parents, getting a pair of red booklets and then living together at home.

“It is like the prince and princess, being together forever,” he replied, coming up with a simpler explanation.

Seemingly unsatisfied with the answer, Le Xiao asked again, “Does getting married mean we can stay together forever?”

“Uh, yes, I suppose,” Ye Jiming said after a hesitation.

Le Xiao’s eyes lit up instantly. He grabbed Ye Jiming’s hand and said with great solemnity, “Brother, let us get married!”

He tilted his head with a serious face, entirely unaware of what an earth-shattering thing he had just said.

Ye Jiming’s face turned bright red, and he could not stutter out a single word for a long time.

“Okay? Is it okay?” Le Xiao was persistent, shaking the older boy’s hand.

“Brother, do you not want to play with me forever?”

Ye Jiming nearly choked on his own saliva. “Cough! I do.”

The reaction of the two children made the adults nearby burst into laughter. After laughing, Ye’s mother turned her head and said seriously, “Xiao-xiao’s mother, I think what the children just said is not without reason.”

“Ah? What?” Wen Yan, clearly not expecting this, stared back in shock.

“Since the two children are each other’s only matches and they get along so happily, if a marriage can be arranged naturally, it would be for the best,” Ye’s mother said.

“After all, if they cannot be together in the future, both children will have to use blockers for the rest of their lives.”

Wen Yan had not yet recovered from the massive shock and smiled awkwardly. “Ming-ming’s mother, is it not a bit too early to say this? Both children are still so small; who knows what will happen in the future?”

“Xiao-xiao’s mother, I understand what you mean.” Ye’s mother took her hand, her expression earnest. “I am not a traditional parent, it is just,”

Wen Yan fell silent. She understood what Ye’s mother had left unsaid. For both Ye Jiming and Le Xiao, their lives would either be spent with each other or spent relying on drugs to control their condition while searching for true love. There was no third possibility.

“I? I will discuss it with his father.” She hurriedly forced a smile, ending the conversation.

In the inpatient department late at night, all was quiet. Both children in the room were in dreamland. Wen Yan gave Le Jiancheng a look, signaling him to follow her out.

In the empty hallway, even whispers created a series of echoes.

Wen Yan explained the situation. Le Jiancheng listened in silence, his brow furrowing deeper and deeper.

He was silent for a long time before he said, “Actually, what the Ye family said makes sense.”

Wen Yan became anxious, her voice rising involuntarily. “But Xiao-xiao is only three years old! This is a major life event. How can it be decided like this?”

“Xiao-xiao is only three, but he has no other choice.” Le Jiancheng’s voice was heavy, like a dull knife cutting into the couple’s hearts. “Either marry Ye Jiming or use blockers for life.”

Hearing her husband’s words, Wen Yan seemed to lose all her strength and covered her face, weeping.

“And the doctor said the earlier the symptoms appear, the more dangerous the condition usually is. From that perspective, it is Xiao-xiao who needs Ye Jiming more.”

He pulled his wife into his arms and whispered comfort. “Yan-yan, I know this is cruel, but we and Xiao-xiao, none of us have another choice.”

“Let us try first, alright? The doctor said the peak period for the disease is after age twenty. If they both still have no partners when Xiao-xiao turns twenty, let them try to be together.”

Wen Yan leaned against her husband’s chest, her tears flowing.

Though grieving, her logic remained clear. If they decided to use blockers for life, setting aside the medical costs, the impact of the drugs on Le Xiao’s body could not be ignored. The drugs could only briefly suppress the pheromone disorder; they could not alleviate it. Furthermore, medication could lead to complete menstrual irregularity, uncontrollable pheromone outbreaks, the total disappearance of pheromones, the inability to perceive others’ pheromones, or even the loss of fertility.

She had read the manual for the blockers; it listed a long string of side effects, every one of them terrifying.

“Alright.” She finally relented, looking like a defeated general, her head hanging in dejection. “If Xiao-xiao turns twenty and they both still have no partners, then let them get married.”

“But,” she said, looking up at her husband with eyes red from crying, “do not let him know about this before he turns twenty, not about his illness, and not about the engagement.”

Le Jiancheng opened his mouth to speak, but his wife interrupted him. “He is only three. When he grows up, he will not remember.”

“I do not want him to be trapped in this disease and this engagement from a young age. I do not want him to feel that there is only one possibility for his future life.”

“He will grow up slowly. He can meet more friends, whether they are Alphas, Omegas, or Betas. He can date people he likes and experience the love he wants. It does not have to be Ye Jiming, and it does not have to be about pheromone compatibility. He will have his own pursuits and ideals; he will have his own life experiences,”

“He cannot be trapped in the shadow of this disease, worrying every day about when it will strike, living in constant fear.”

“He especially cannot be bound to the single possibility of ‘marrying Ye Jiming,’ cutting off other feelings he might have.”

“He is only three; there are still seventeen years. The world is wide; there is more to it than just disease and marriage.”

Le Jiancheng listened quietly to his wife’s words and tightened his hold on her.

After a long while, his voice was steady. “Alright.”

The next day, the couple told the Ye family the result of their discussion. Ye’s mother seemed to have some objections to waiting until Le Xiao turned twenty and wanted to argue, but she was silenced by Ye’s father saying, “Twenty is the legal requirement; it cannot be any earlier.” She muttered something and said no more.

And so, the seemingly absurd childhood engagement was set. At that time, Ye Jiming was ten and knew nothing of love; Le Xiao was three and sillily thought getting married meant playing together every day.

Many years had passed since then.

As Wen Yan’s voice faded, the ward fell silent. Only the faint breathing of the mother and son could be heard.

After a long silence, Le Xiao spoke softly, “So that is how it was.” It was unclear who he was talking to.

“Xiao-xiao,” Wen Yan gripped Le Xiao’s hand tightly, her voice trembling. “Will you blame Mom and Dad? For hiding it from you and then suddenly making you get married when you turned twenty?”

His mother’s words made Le Xiao hesitate for a moment, and then he slowly shook his head.

“No.” His voice was like an ethereal whisper from another world. “I do not blame any of you.”

“I do not even? Know who to blame.”

It seemed no one was wrong, and yet it seemed everyone had made a mistake. A thousand threads had intertwined to form this unsolvable knot.

“It is alright.” He looked up and gave a sad smile. “You are right. I have been very happy all these years. I have met many good friends, I am doing what I love, and I have many people who support me. I am already very satisfied.”

“If I must marry Ye Jiming? I understand now. I will marry him.”

“Xiao-xiao, it is not like that!” Wen Yan clutched his hand, her tone urgent. “Whether you get married or not is not important at all. I just do not want you to feel wronged, do you understand?”

“If getting married makes you unhappy, then forget it. There will be other ways.”

She pulled Le Xiao into her arms and rocked him gently like a child, even though the young man was now a full head taller than her.

Leaning against his mother, Le Xiao lowered his eyes, lost in thought.

Suddenly, hurried footsteps rang out in the hallway, interrupting the tender moment. Doctors and nurses began to run, their white coats fluttering. A nurse rushed to get equipment, shouting:

“Room 1013, emergency!”

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