Mr Carlos Huo, She's Your Wife

When Erica was eight weeks along, the ultrasound showed she was carrying more than one baby—she was having twins! Matthew was a mighty baby-maker! At least, that was what Erica thought. He should be feeling proud of himself now.

She looked at the man who had done this to her. He was as calm as ever. Erica felt like weeping, but had no tears. She wanted to strangle Matthew again. Why did he always produce so many at once? Wasn't one child good enough?

But since she was pregnant, she could give Matthew hell. After all, what was the point of being bloated and miserable if she couldn't take it out on him? At the thought of this, Erica lost her temper. "Get out!" she ordered.

"What's wrong?" he asked innocently.

"The moon's not full tonight.

We're not sleeping in the same bed. No way," she said. "What does the moon have to do with anything?" What he could do? He couldn't change the phase of the moon.

"It is because I say it is. It's your fault it's not full!" she spat.

Matthew was confused, but he knew she was mercurial. There was no arguing with her when she was like this. He could only go downstairs to whip up a bowl of noodles for her. That was probably the best thing for his pregnant wife.

It did make her feel better, though. And he was able to sleep in the same bed with her.

But in the dark of the night, Erica rested an arm and a leg on Matthew.

It was uncomfortable, but it was meant to be. It was just to make sure he was awake for one more of her demands. "Don't wear a blindfold to bed!"

Well, he could only do as she asked.

"Don't close your eyes!" she ordered again.

Well, he opened his eyes and looked at her.

"Don't breathe!"

On the verge of collapse, Matthew still kept his cool. "Don't breathe? Don't be silly! So...how can I make you happy?"

The woman thought for a while

and answered, "Well, um... you could dance for me."

Matthew was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. He walked into the study. He knew the one person who could answer his questions: Sheffield. He picked up the phone and dialed his number.

After riding him for how late it was, Sheffield listened patiently as Matthew described what was going on. After Matthew concluded his tale of woe, Sheffield burst into laughter. "I guess you'll have to figure out what you can do to make her happy. So it's your fault that the moon's not full. It'll probably be your fault when it's cloudy, too.

you can do is love her, and try to be patient. Now here's what I want you to do..." After hanging up, Matthew thought Sheffield was right.

she emerged from the elevator,

I know you don't feel good because you're pregnant, so I got these flowers for you, because I love you." He

the center of that arrangement, held in bamboo shoots, were some red roses and globe amaranths. "Wow! That's a lot of flowers. How many flowers did you get?" There were so many flowers there was no way she'd be able to hold

them shipped by air. I also got you 48 roses and 32 globe amaranths." The word for 1314 sounds similar to "my whole life." Roses symbolize passionate love, amaranths immortality. 4, 832 is approximately

happiness. Matthew really wanted to thank Sheffield because it was his idea. 'Maybe I

I love you too!" Erica sweetly kissed

a bouquet of flowers each day. He had to buy more vases and pots for them to go in, but she was worth it. Not only did he get her flowers,

and an ultrasound when she was seven months pregnant. And there were just two of them inside

along, the doctor recommended bed-rest. Matthew left nothing to chance and made sure she obeyed the

tried to mollify her, also for the umpteenth time. "Okay, I feel you. We won't

each day, he would

"No."

"So how's business? You used to be super-busy, but not since I got pregnant. In the last 8 months you only went on a business trip. Company's not in trouble, is it? My studio running okay? How did the photos turn out?" She took a deep breath after that, allowing Matthew to get a word

your studio is running great. I've got the best photographers filling in for you. All the photos are credited to the photographer 'for

Let me see

and handed it to the woman. "Here you go,

long as Erica didn't run away from him, he would give

photo of the six of them. "You never let me look at

didn't deny it.

wide and looked up at the

photo as the wallpaper. I was also afraid that you would open the Weibo app and find my username." So

and then opened his phone album.

she saw on Matthew's phone was indeed her. It was a photo of her from two days ago. She was fast asleep. Her belly was big, and her hair was a mess. She didn't look good at all. "I'm

had taken away the glass jar of folded stars and the photo

day, and he knew how she looked. "Okay, then let go of me. I won't delete it, I

let go of her hand until he got her promise.

about three hundred photos in the album, many of which were of her and the children, and their wedding photos. Of

curled up together, scrolling through his gallery. Erica started doing the

at the sleeping woman, Matthew felt sorry for

her pregnancy, and then had to carry that weight around every day. Her body was changing and it was out of

a sudden movement where he touched. Babies often push against the walls of their cage, and these kids were

was again—that strange smaller bulge. He waited a moment and then the bulge returned, in another location. He smiled.

bulge again, and moved to touch it. It was like some bizarre game of whack-a-mole.

woman didn't feel anything and stayed