As time went by, the sun rose above the horizon.
“It’s so beautiful,” Estelle couldn’t help but marvel, fascinated by the scene.
“Do you like it?” Mr. Mysterious inquired.
“Yes, I like it very much,” Estelle replied. “Sir, if we go abroad, do you think we will have an opportunity to return here in the future and witness the sunrise?”
Mr. Mysterious held her tightly and reassured her, “Absolutely. We will return here whenever you desire.”
After a brief pause, he added, “In fact, we’ll revisit Mount Cloud in four years’ time.”
“Why four years?”
“You’ll be turning thirty in four years,” Mr. Mysterious remarked. “On August 26th, four years from now, we will celebrate your thirtieth birthday together.”
Estelle smiled faintly and asked, “Is it worth celebrating?”
“Indeed, one’s thirtieth birthday signifies the start of a new chapter in life. It’s a day to bid farewell to the past and embrace a fresh beginning,” Mr. Mysterious explained sincerely.
Realizing the validity of his words, Estelle nodded and added, “Everything will fall into place within the next four years. Cristofer and Gretchen will be married and have their own children, and my company will be back on track. You’ve promised to assist me in managing the company, so I’ll be your boss by then.”
“No problem. You will be my boss, and I will work hard and make money for you. You just need to do what you like. And…”
“And what?”
“And four years should be enough for you to have two children,” Mr. Mysterious said with expectation. “Estelle, have two more children for me, will you? It’s better if we can have two more daughters that are as beautiful as you. They will throw themselves into my arms and call me Dad sweetly. They will take my legs as children’s slides, just like Yohan often does. Our family will live a happy life. And when the children fall asleep, we can go out secretly and go to the top of the mountain to watch the sunrise.”
When Estelle heard this, she felt both sweet and worried. “I have to give birth to two more children?”
She always knew that Mr. Mysterious wanted children of their own. And she was willing to have children with him. However, thinking about this, she couldn’t help but feel worried.
“Sir, I’m worried…”
“Are you worried about your physical condition?” Before Estelle could finish her words, Mr. Mysterious said, knowing what she was thinking about.
Estelle nodded and replied, “I’m doing much better now, but… I have cancer, after all. There’s always the possibility of a relapse at any time.”
“No, that won’t happen,” Mr. Mysterious responded, his embrace tightening around her waist. “According to the saying, someone who escapes death and survives is destined for good fortune thereafter. You will be blessed and enjoy good health for the rest of your life. Estelle, I wasn’t there with you when you gave birth to Yohan and Yvonne. The next time you become pregnant, I will be by your side, taking care of you throughout your pregnancy. I will do everything in my power to be a good husband and a good father to our child.”
Detecting the guilt in his voice, Estelle spoke up, “When I was pregnant with Yohan and Yvonne, Cristofer, their biological father, didn’t provide any support or assistance. Even Cristofer didn’t express any remorse for his absence. Sir, you don’t need to blame yourself for it either.”
“…”
Seeing Mr. Mysterious fall into silence, Estelle thought she had said something wrong, so she quickly added, “I know you have treated Yohan and Yvonne as your own children. What I want to say is… I also want to have children with you.”
Mr. Mysterious chuckled and sighed helplessly. “I see. Just let nature take its course. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. I just feel that I’ve missed too much important periods of your life, so I want to make up for it. Besides, I love children.”
“I can see that you love children. You spoil Yohan so much! You always buy everything he wants and never refuse his requests. I don’t think you should spoil him like this.”
Mr. Mysterious raised his eyebrows and said, “Yohan is my son. It’s natural that I give him whatever he wants.”
Estelle then imitated his expression and raised her eyebrows too. “What if he says he wants to see Iron Man? Will you grant his wish?”
“Why not?”
Estelle was speechless. “What if he wants the stars and the moon in the sky?”
Mr. Mysterious didn’t directly respond to her question but instead spoke with affection, “Estelle, on the day you accept my proposal, I will give you a gift. It’s a present I’ve prepared for a long time but haven’t had the opportunity to give you yet.”
“What is it?”
“It’s a secret for now,” Mr. Mysterious replied. “When you agree to marry me again… when you agree to marry me, I will give you the gift that I promised you before.”
The scenery was so beautiful, and the atmosphere was so romantic that he almost gave himself away.
Seeing that Estelle didn’t sense anything wrong, he breathed a sigh of relief secretly.
“So, it is a wedding gift?” Estelle asked.
Mr. Mysterious nodded. “Yes.”
“Have you promised to give me any gift before? I don’t remember it,” Estelle inquired.
“It doesn’t matter. I remember that. And that’s enough.” Mr. Mysterious said, lost in thought of the past.
****
“Cristofer, the stars you gave me are all fake.”
“If you agree to marry me, I will give you a real one.”
“Humph. I don’t believe you can give me a real star.”
“I’m telling the truth.”
“You are bragging!”
“If you don’t believe me, you can marry me and see if I’m telling the truth.”
****
Cristofer had indeed prepared a star as a gift for Estelle. He had acquired the naming rights of an asteroid, intending to dedicate it to her.
When Cristofer was twenty-three years old, he invested a substantial amount of money in purchasing the naming rights of an asteroid from a sky-watcher. He intended to present it to Estelle as a wedding gift, allowing her the honor of personally naming the asteroid.
However, an unforeseen car accident on the eve of their wedding altered everything.
After six years had gone by, the couple separated, and Cristofer could only present the gift to her under the guise of Mr. Mysterious.
“Estelle, I’ll bring you and our children here to watch the sunrise again four years later.”