Arrogant Man VS Unyielding Woman

"Rival? Zed, what are you talking about? What do you mean rival in love?" Asking, Jean cocked an eyebrow, still with a displeased look.

"You heard me! Calvin is indeed my rival in love. The feelings he has for you... I think you know that better than I do," Zed said with a feeling that he was right about all this.

"No, you're wrong. I don't know that." Jean's face tightened as if thinking about what Zed had said. After a moment, she shook her head and said, "I don't care what other people feel for me. I treat Calvin only as a friend. Besides, there is only one person in my heart. That is you, my husband, father of my son."

Zed's eyes lit up. "Jean..." He looked at her passionately. "I'm sorry. I didn't think this through. I'm so sorry that I upset you."

Jean looked at Zed's sincere eyes. She rolled her eyes at him. "It's good that you know you are wrong. Don't do it again."

She was apparently less angry, making Zed relieved.

'Zed, I know your intention of hidding it from me.

But what upset me was that you didn't want me to be burdened by the weight of too many things. At least, you should share some things that I could bear, ' Jean thought to herself.

Zed heaved a sigh of relief and gave Jean a huge smile. "Yes, my dear wife. I won't."

He leaned back into his chair, feeling a surge of happiness. He knew that Jean would forgive him in the end.

Although she was angry, he believed that she knew what he really felt and why he had to do such things.

Then again, he kept it on his mind that things like this should not be kept from her in the future, or the one that would be having a hard time would be himself.

The car drove fast to the suburban area and stopped in front of a private hospital.

With confusion plastered on her face, Jean got out of the car in surprise and looked at Zed, who was supporting her, "Why here? Why didn't you get Calvin into a better hospital?"

"You mean the City Hospital? Once Calvin shows there, his identity will be exposed. Everything and everyone will turn against him," Zed answered as they walked towards the entrance. "Besides this hospital is not too bad. The scenery and environment is well maintained, and there's absolute peace here that the City Hospital doesn't have. What he needs most now is peace."

Hearing this, Jean couldn't help but ask out of concern. "Zed, are things really bad with Calvin?"

Zed looked at Jean with a bitter smile. "He is just a bit of autistic, hiding in his own world and refusing to come out of his own comfort zone." He sighed before adding, "I have already informed his mother, and now she is taking care of him."

"How ironic. It's not easy for Calvin to absorb everything that happened, and no one ever thought that he is unwilling to accept the truth," Jean sighed too. "How did his mother react?"

"Well, I haven't told her the truth. It would be really heavy for her to know what really happened, especially now that her son is in such condition," said Zed. Jean nodded in understanding. When she didn't say anything more, Zed stopped and looked at Jean. Jean stopped as well. "Later I will get Calvin's mother to leave the room, so you can have a good chat with Calvin."

"All right." Jean nodded, relieved for Zed's consideration.

Without her thoughts bothering her, Jean got a good look of her surroundings, and the environment was indeed as nice as Zed had earlier described.

As they passed by empty rooms with opened doors, she noticed that each individual suite had a medium-sized garden inside with a patch of different colored tulips and other green plants and bushes grew on the fresh mowed looking grass.

The place was elegant and yet simple. There was also something about the atmosphere and the beige painted walls as well as the illuminance that made the hospital feel comfortable and homey. Indeed, if something happened to Calvin that ruined his own self, then this was a really good place for him to recuperate.

Finally, they reached a closed door. Zed knocked, and after a moment, the door opened. Jean found herself gazing upon the woman who opened the door. Shallow wrinkles spread across her withered face, and it was obvious that she had worked too much, judging by how her tired eyes looked. Jean assumed that this woman before her was Calvin's mother.

Althought, Calvin looked younger than Zed, his mother, Alina Wu, looked much older than Zed's mother.

"Mr. Qi, who is this?" Calvin's mother asked worriedly as she gave Jean a quick glance.

"She's my wife, Jean. Jean, this is Calvin's mother, Alina Wu," Zed introduced, stepping aside for Jean.

"Nice to meet you, Ms. Wu," Jean greeted politely with a sweet smile on her face.

"Nice to meet you, too," Alina replied but showed of pressure.

Alina didn't make any gesture to let them in and kept her feet standing by the door, so Jean asked with a smile. "Ms. Wu, how is Calvin now? May we go in and see him?"

"Oh..." Alina replied and looked as if she just woke from her dream. Embarrassment showed on her face and said, "Please, come in. I apologize of being a bit of absent-minded just now..."

"It's okay, Ms. Wu." Jean smiled as she made her way in after Alina gave way for her.

As she entered, she immediately saw Calvin, sitting and leaning on the deck chair in the garden with a dull look on his face, making her heart twitched a bit.

Now she finally understood why Zed was hiding this from her.

The man sitting on the deck chair had thin cheeks and dullness in his eyes.

He was staring at a flower in front of him, but he didn't seem to be aware that he was staring into a flower as his mind wandered elsewhere.

If it wasn't for the same handsome, and good-looking face, Jean would have never called this man Calvin.

It was as if his soul was completely sucked out of his body.

For no other reason, Jean felt somehow sad, and her eyes got watery, seeing him like this.

She approached Calvin and squat down in front of him.

Meanwhile, Alina had just been watching Jean the whole time she entered and surprise was evident on her eyes.

She felt someone patting her shoulder gently, interrupting her from her stare at Jean and turning around to meet Zed's gaze.

Zed showed her a smile, gesturing that they take a walk outside.

Alina nodded without hesitation and followed Zed out.

Before she left the room, she took a look back at her son, and a hint of worry showed on her face.

'Why is that girl looking at my son with such sadness and sorrow in her eyes?

What is her relationship with him?

Didn't Mr. Qi say that she is his wife?

But, why did Mr. Qi allow his wife to take so much care of my son? To the point that he would take the trouble of pushing me away to give them privacy.' As the door closed behind them, Alina could do nothing but heave a deep sigh before following Zed. Back into the room, as Jean heard the door closing, she held out her hand and reached for Calvin's. He didn't seem to notice her touch, so she called him, "Calvin..."

Calvin's body shivered, and finally, he took his gaze from the flower to look at Jean.

His eyes was faced towards Jean, but it was as if he was looking through her. He completely looked lost in a trance.

"Calvin, it's me, Jean." When Calvin didn't show any recognition, Jean moved forward and grasped Calvin's hand harder. "How did you become like this?" He didn't seemed to notice her again. Jean felt her heart breaking into pieces and a tear escaped from her eye, but she didn't lose hope just yet. "Calvin! Why did you become like this? Are you really going to continue to let youself fall after having lost your freedom and your happiness for Christina for so many years?

Have you even seen your mother? She is still so young, but because of you, she looks much older than she should be. Do you really want her to keep worrying about you and taking care of you? You can't be that selfish, Calvin! How can you be so selfish? Wake up, Calvin! Please! Get out of your own world. That's not where you are supposed to be in. Stop dwelling in some place where no one grows! You should face the truth instead of hiding from reality.

Calvin, man up! Stop making your family and friends worry so much about you. I'm worried so much about you! Do you know how much pain I have to endure just by looking at you like this? All the foolish things you have done, I can let them all pass, but why can't you face the truth? Are you just going to abandon your friends?"

Grief showed on Jean's face as she held Calvin's hand tight and continued talking in hopes that he would finally snap out of it, but Calvin looked at Jean with the same expression as if he heard none of it.

As if Jean wasn't there beside him. As if he wasn't there anymore.

Looking at him like a lifeless and empty cocoon, the pain in Jean's chest spread. "Come back, Calvin. Please. Come back." She couldn't help but lower her head and started crying, whispering at him, fearing that she was starting to feel hopeless.