SWNOVELS Chapter 223 Sweet Burden
Hermosa's temporary room was simple, with only one bed and one quilt. Additionally, there were two tables, a few chairs, and a closet. It was devoid of decoration and other furniture.
At noon, Sophia and Hugh stayed at the temple for a meal. When they prepared to leave in the afternoon, it started to rain.
Because it was difficult to walk on the rainy mountain road, Sophia and Hugh decided to wait until the rain stopped. But the rain got heavier and heavier, and it hadn't stopped by the time night fell.
At about 8 o'clock in the evening, it was still raining. Sophia finally gave up the idea of going down the mountain. Hermosa prepared two rooms for them to stay for the night.
In the mountain, mobile phones had no cell service and everyone went to sleep early.
At the foot of the mountain, Colin called Sophia dozens of times but got no answer. After asking Aaron, he found out that Sophia and Hugh went up the mountain.
It was past 6 o'clock in the evening. Suppressing the jealousy in his heart, he asked Aaron, "When will they come back?"
Aaron didn't know either. "She didn't tell me. All she said was that they would climb the mountain, but I guess she'll be back soon."
He had wanted to tell Colin that morning. But Colin was busy outside all day.
When Colin came back in the evening, Aaron went out and they missed each other again. They didn't meet until now.
At past eight o'clock in the evening, Colin picked up his coat. "Let's go. I'll go with you and wait until Sophia comes back."
What? Aaron was confused. What did Colin mean? Was Colin going to go back home with him?
They did end up going home together. After ordering takeout and finishing the meal, Sophia still hadn't come back.
He called Hugh again but the call still couldn't connect.
Just as Colin worried himself to the point where he was ready to go up the mountain, Hugh answered the phone.
But the signal was terrible. It looked like it was still raining on the mountain. Colin asked in a sullen tone, "Are you still on the mountain?"
"Yes... went back... to sleep." Because of the poor signal, the line kept breaking up and Colin couldn't hear a full sentence.
Went back to sleep? Besides confirming that Hugh and Sophia were still on the mountain, Colin didn't get any other useful information.
As soon as the call got disconnected, Colin anxiously called Hugh several times.
On the mountain, Hugh walked outside with an umbrella and was about to call Colin back.
But before he could dial the number, his phone started ringing. He looked at the Colin's name on the screen and smiled wryly. Colin was worried that he would have an affair with Sophia on the mountain. He answered the phone. "Colin, it's Hugh."
"I can send someone up to fetch you now!" Colin was mad with jealousy at the thought of Hugh and Sophia alone on the mountain.
Hugh chuckled, followed by a flash of lightning and a rumble of thunder. Without him explaining further, it was clear to Colin that it was impossible for anyone to go up or down the mountain. There was a strong storm on the mountain.
"Are you sure you're not coming back tonight?" Colin didn't want to give up.
Hugh confirmed, "Sophia is asleep. We'll go back early in the morning tomorrow."
"I can go to you!" Colin said desperately, getting up from the sofa and rushing for the door.
"It's too late. Even if you come, there's no place for you to sleep. There's only one single bed for each person here." Hugh felt a little guilty. He had to admit that he didn't want Colin to come. Although his bed was only a single bed, Sophia's bed was large enough for two people to sleep in.
"I don't care if I have a bed." Colin was already changing his shoes and getting ready to leave the house.
Hugh sighed helplessly, "I won't touch her. We've been friends for so many years. Don't you trust me?"
It was still raining heavily. Hugh worried for Colin's safety if he went up the mountain tonight. He decided to take a step back.
His words finally stopped Colin from leaving. It was a long time before Colin spoke quietly, "Tell Sophia I'm waiting for her."
Both of them fell silent. Thunder grew louder in the sky, and the rain fell relentlessly on Hugh's umbrella. The weather matched Hugh's sullen mood. A flash of lightning reflected the sadness in his smile. "Colin, I know you love her, but I won't give up. After all, you're getting married to someone else." Hugh couldn't help thinking that if he couldn't get Sophia's heart, it would be enough to have her as his wife. Meanwhile, Colin lay down on Sophia's bed and said firmly, "Hugh, I'm not going to marry Dorothy! How could I marry such a wicked woman? She doesn't deserve it!"
Colin and Dorothy weren't really together. Colin was just doing it for Sophia's sake.
In an instant, Hugh understood everything.
Neither man spoke again. Hugh hung up first, "Don't worry, Colin. Get some rest now."
It was a quiet night.
The next morning, Sophia woke up early. It was a sunny day. The air in the mountains was fresh.
The sound of Buddhist chanting came from a distance. Sophia took a deep breath of fresh air and. She was in a good mood.
Hugh stood next to her and the first thing he said was, "He's waiting for you."
What? Sophia was unresponsive.
Hugh repeated, "Last night, he called and asked me to tell you that he's waiting for you."
Sophia's smile faded away. Was she happy? Was she moved? Or still angry?
Sophia didn't know how she felt, but couldn't stand Colin's hot and cold behavior.
After breakfast, Sophia and Hugh bid farewell to Hermosa and the abbot.
It was very difficult to walk on the wet mountain road, so they used bamboo poles for support. Some parts of the road were so slippery that it was easy to fall down. Hugh threw away the bamboo pole in Sophia's hand and carried Sophia on his back despite the mud on her shoes.
"Hugh, you don't have to do this! I'm too heavy, I'll only add to your burden." Sophia felt uncomfortable and wanted to walk by herself.
Hugh smiled. "Given such a sweet burden, I don't mind."
Sophia had no words.
Ten minutes later, they reached the bottom of the mountain.
Hugh's car was parked on the side of the road. There was a black Cayenne beside his car.
Colin leaned against his car, looking tired. He was dressed in a white sweater, white loafers, and a long brown coat. Despite his disheveled look, he looked dashing.
With a cigarette in his mouth, Colin looked coldly across the road while Hugh carried Sophia.
It was the first time for Sophia to see Colin wearing casual attire. He used to wear a suit all the time, but maybe this man was born to wear anything. She had to admit... Colin looked really handsome. While she was in Milan, she learned a lot about menswear design from Eason.
She also sketched a lot of casual menswear, but none of them satisfied her.
Every time she drew her designs, she always thought of Colin. She wanted to know if he would look handsome in the clothes she designed.
She had been looking forward to designing a suit that matched Colin's style one day.
Since he was almost thirty-four years old, she had thought that a casual look would be a little inappropriate for him. Or that it wouldn't suit him at all. Bu it turns out, that wasn't the case.
Colin wearing casual clothes not only turned out to be very suitable, but also gave off an indescribable feeling of comfort.
While she was in a daze, Colin stomped out his cigarette butt. He came over and grabbed Sophia by the ankle and threw away the muddy shoes on her feet. Then he took her from Hugh's arms, adjusted her posture, and placed her in his car.
He didn't follow inside. Going to the trunk, he pulled out two tote bags and threw one to Hugh. "We're leaving first." Colin got into the car.
He and Sophia were in the backseat, while Aaron sat on driver's seat.
The Cayenne sped away.
Opening the tote bag that Colin threw, Hugh saw a shoebox with a pair of shoes in the style he often wore. ☐☐☐☐