"Anna," Karenin said in a low voice.
Anna was a little flustered at first, but laughed again instantly. She stood there, blinking her eyes, as if she had discovered some great secret, and waited for Karenin to walk slowly past.
The man's steps are firm and his expression is calm.
It was no different at first, but because of one thing, everything seemed extraordinarily different.
Anna looked at the man approaching her. From the half-worn leather shoes of the other party to the well-tailored trousers, the trouser line is straight and sharp, long and soft, covering the feet, which is the attire of a classy person.
Looking up, the hem of the coat was straight, like the owner's will, tightly wrapping the body. The dark blue scarf was already an old acquaintance, and Anna greeted him softly in her heart.
In the end, when Karenin came in front of her, she had to raise her head slightly, look from his Adam's apple to his chin, and finally meet those clear blue eyes.
"Are you here to pick me up?" Anna raised the corners of her mouth and asked, with unconcealable joy in her eyes. She put her hands behind her back and intertwined in a proud and shy gesture.
Karenin slightly lowered his head to look at his wife, the black hair protruding mischievously from the brim of the hat, thin and delicate eyebrows, a pair of big curved eyes, and overly red lips.
Karenin raised his hand to take off his wife's hat, and saw the black hair that was coiled up.
He groped, found those hidden little clips, fumbled unskillfully, and finally took them off cleverly.
His eyes didn't move, he watched carefully as the curly hair fell down and finally fell on his wife's shoulders and brushed her cheek.
Karenin's slender fingers slid onto Anna's plump cheeks. Against his own slightly darker skin, his wife's complexion was like ancient ivory, white and lustrous.
He lifted the lock of curly hair slightly with his index finger and thumb, brushed it behind his wife's ear, and said, "Dress as a doorman, huh?"
The ending of that sentence is faint, but it seems to have a thousand kinds of emotions, like accusation, and like pampering.
Anna couldn't stop herself from smiling. She placed her hands behind her back in front of her, folded her hands together, and made a "forgive me" gesture.
"Pavel, Anushka's cousin, go to Mr. Maillard's house..."
Karenin slowly counted his wife's lies, and a crime called "deception" has been established.
"I was wrong!" Anna began to apologize, and then blinked again, "But you didn't recognize me, didn't you? Doesn't it mean that what I did was successful, and my previous idea was feasible, didn't it?"
Karenin was silent for a moment at his wife's words, then he raised his hand and put the hat on the other's hair again.
He surveyed his wife.
His eyes stayed on the "unshaven stubble" for three seconds. Facing this handsome doorman, Karenin finally just asked, "Are you hungry?"
Anna nodded. She was planning to go to the kitchen to steal something to eat, but Karenin asked Mr. Peter to deliver his secretary, and Anna was called there again. She hasn't eaten anything until now. Annushka had already been sent to bed by her just now, after all, it was already nine o'clock.
Even if she accepts Anuschka's services with peace of mind, she should always be a little human at this moment, and she shouldn't involve the other party when she is messing around.
But, the husband is no one else, right
Anna looked at Karenin and said honestly, "I'm hungry."
Karenin's family did not have the habit of preparing late-night snacks, and the three meals were always fixed at fixed times. Anna herself did not have the habit of eating late-night food, which led to a problem now.
How about scooping up Sasha, the cook, inhumanly like a vampire.
Or Anna dragged her tired body to cook some food by herself.
Otherwise, ask your own husband.
Karenin saw his wife looking at him eagerly, and he was a smart man after all, so he naturally understood what his wife meant very quickly.
Karenin wrinkled a small frown between his brows, and after serious thinking, he confirmed.
"I'm not good at cooking."
Sure enough, Anna sighed. She really couldn't expect men in this era to cook, especially rich and powerful men like her husband.
Karenin saw that his wife looked like a rabbit with its ears up, so he couldn't help saying: "Curry soup and black bread are okay?"
Anna looked up at her husband: "Can you do it?"
Karenin was a little uncertain: "Actually, I haven't done it."
"but… "
"I know what to do, but I haven't tried it." Karenin said, and as if inspired by something, he pondered for a while, took Anna's hand, and led her to the kitchen.
They met Kearney during the period, and Karenin told Kearney that they would use the kitchen temporarily.
"I can… "
"No need, Kearney." Karenin said, and led Anna to the kitchen lightly.
Karenin looked at the kitchen. Although he had lived in this house for a long time, it was almost the first time he stepped into a place like the kitchen.
The cook he had hired kept the place in perfect order and the utensils were scrubbed spotless.
Anna stood aside and watched her husband first get a general understanding of the structure of the kitchen, and then he took off his coat, unbuttoned the cuffs, and rolled up the sleeves of his shirt to the elbows, all of which were completed in the blink of an eye. When Anna opened her eyes, Karenin was holding a round potato in his right hand.
"The clothes will get dirty." Anna's thrifty Mrs. Karenin quickly brought over an apron.
Karenin examined the apron in front of him.
The white cotton fabric, with its lace, clearly belonged to the kitchen maids.
He was silent for a moment and wanted to say no, but before he could say it, the thing was on him, and his wife was babbling, "While it's lovely that you want to cook me dinner, we can't give Ian Just add more unnecessary workload."
Ians is their laundry maid, and Anna also likes the tall, thin woman very much. She also has a lovely daughter who is only two years old. She wears two golden braids and is a little fat. A little cute little freckle will softly call her Anna's mother, because she calls her mother when she sees everyone.
After her wife finally tied him a bow in place of the two straps, Karenin was silent again, then finally decided not to.
Carrots, potatoes, onions…
When Anna watched Karenin slowly and carefully cutting the food, she couldn't help but ask, "How do you know how to make curry? Alexei."
"I saw it in a book when I was studying."
"Then why did you write this down?" Anna asked, really curious.
She knew that Karenin had always read books very carefully, but he was more concerned that the content of these books would allow him to have good conversations with stakeholders, rather than purely for his own personal emotions.
Karenin cut the last bit of onion, his eyes were a little hot, and he fainted with tears. He blinked his eyes, his wife's words came to his ears, he distractedly recalled, and said: "I can't remember anymore."
It is true that Karenin did not remember, because the matter was not that important. It seems to be something that is inadvertently remembered on weekdays, and then because it is too small to be noticed by others, it is gradually preserved in the constant washing of the years.
Anna was still a little apprehensive at first, and even in her rich associations, she almost found a rival in love for herself. Now, after hearing Karenin's explanation, she accepted it without doubt.
She stood beside Karenin and watched him make this curry for her.
The man's expression was serious, his movements were meticulous, and in some places he was a little clumsy, but when the enthusiasm evaporated and the aroma of curry wafted in the air, Anna felt extremely happy.
On the long table, Karenin put things on it, and then he pulled out a chair and sat on one side.
Anna scooped up the first spoonful with a spoon and handed it to Karenin.
"Thanks for your hard work."
"I'm not used to eating at this time, Anna." Karenin refused, but Anna put it in his mouth with some regret, and didn't force him.
The curry was delicious, not to say that it was amazing, but it was really good. The buns are fragrant, and the aroma of the wheat has now transformed into a sweeter taste.
Anna ate the food slowly, and the expression of enjoyment made Karenin at the side feel happy. But he said: "You need to eat regularly, Anna, and that's the best for your health."
"Okay, I'll remember." Anna blinked.
She ate all the food and was almost full.
Anna did not throw the dirty dishes in the kitchen until Sasha came to wash them the next day, but washed them by herself. Karenin's evaluation of this is - a good habit.
When Anna wanted to go to the second floor, Karenin held her back.
"Go for a walk in the garden, for your health, Anna."
Anna was a little surprised, and then laughed.
The starlight fell on the garden of this mansion. Although the whole garden was large in size and well-maintained, it was too routine, and the owner was not a gardening enthusiast at first glance.
Anna was thinking about getting the garden right in the future.
She was deep in thought, not knowing that the man next to her had been looking at her for a long time.
Before the meal, the wife had already changed back into women's clothes. She wore a light blue long dress, which was more like milky white under the moonlight. The layered long dress reminded people of the dress on the wedding day.
Because it was already close to ten o'clock, the wife didn't put her hair up as in the daytime, but let it loose, and tied a bow with a blue ribbon.
It's better to look like this, Karenin thought.
"By the way, what about your reading plan for today?" Anna suddenly remembered, walking in her own garden at night, or at night in winter, this is not Karenin's style.
"There is no reading plan for today," said Karenin.
"Sorry, Alexei." Anna said apologetically.
"You don't need to apologize, Anna," Karenin said, and then added after a pause, "But next time, I hope you will take care of yourself."
"I will." Anna smiled, and after a while she asked again, "Can you tell me about your childhood again?"
"Like, can you ride a horse, Alexei?"
"Yes."
"Then do you know how to hunt?" Anna became a little excited.
"I will, but I'm not very proficient. Your brother is even more proficient in this." Karenin said realistically. He himself prefers civil work, or things that use his brain, such as sports such as horse riding and shooting, but he just dabbles.
Karenin suddenly thought of Nikolai. When it comes to sports like horseback riding and shooting, Nikolai has always been number one.
"What's wrong?" Anna felt that Karenin was in a daze, so she asked concerned.
Karenin looked at his wife and said, "The topic you are talking about reminds me of my elder brother Nikolai, who loved riding and hunting the most in his life. Nikolai taught me my horsemanship, but unfortunately , I'm not as good at it as he is."
Anna observed Karenin's expression and was relieved to see that there was no look of sadness.
She changed from holding the other's arm to holding Karenin's hand, crossed her fingers, and then smiled and said, "I think you love him very much."
The man blinked slightly, then nodded slightly: "Yes."
"Nicolas had a huge influence on me."
"how to say?"
They move on, this time with Anna as the listener.
"I always knew I couldn't compare to him."
Karenin started his memory with these words, but Anna was a little surprised, but didn't show it.
The man's eyelashes fluttered slightly, and his thin lips opened and closed, "Nikola is seven years older than me. He is very handsome. My mother once said that among the three children, only Nicholas resembled her the most. And my My father also praised him, saying that Nicholas is the most like him. At an age when I was sensible, Nicholas had already entered the social world with my parents, and my father’s family friends also praised him full of praise.”
When recalling these past events, Karenin spoke very slowly, which was completely different from when he usually dealt with government affairs.
"Besides schoolwork and social activities, Nikolay was also very good at horsemanship. I was at the age where I was going to learn the skill and my father wanted to hire a teacher for me. But Nikolai decided to teach me himself. It took me two months to master the skill."
"Did he teach well?" Anna asked in a low voice.
"No." Karenin shook his head, "I must say, I'm really not good at this kind of sports."
"Nicolas, on the contrary, was a very patient man."
There was a distant look in Karenin's blue eyes, and he said lightly, without showing the slightest bit of jealousy.
"Actually, we didn't spend a lot of time together, and we weren't too close to each other. But whether it was me or my eldest sister, we both loved Nikolai. There was a certain charm about him."
"After my parents died, Maria and I stayed with my uncle in foster care. Nikolai stayed there for half a year, and when he came of age, he was sent abroad. He stayed there only a year and a half before he died. Yes, because of a common infection. He didn’t talk about it, and then we got a letter saying he’d been sick for a while.”
Karenin paused for a moment, and there was a choke in his throat, but he finally swallowed it down again, and the words he spoke became calm.
"We know him. He never talks about any bad things in his letters. When he mentioned it, he probably felt something himself."
"I begged my uncle, and after informing him, we set off quickly. When we got there, he was very weak. He died within a week. He died abroad, and I sent his The body was brought back. It took a lot of work. It is always difficult to return to Russia when someone like him died of an illness. I did something, I thought, and I couldn’t keep his soul from returning to his hometown.”
"After his burial, I told my uncle that I was going down this road."
"If you put it this way, I will actually come to where I am today, and I have a deep relationship with Nikolai." Karenin said in a low voice.
He remembered that it was not smooth to bring Nicholas' body back to Russia at that time, and he remembered that because he had no rights, his brother's body had to stay in that cold place.
The winter in Russia is also so cold, but there has never been a moment, like that time, that made Karenin feel numb and emotionless.
Anna looked at the other party, but from Karenin's steady narration, she felt Karenin's emotions at that time.
Her eyelids were a little red, but she didn't shed tears. She just stopped, put her feet up, and wrapped her tall husband in her arms. She gently stroked his back with her right hand and said softly, "It's all over, Aya!" Alexey."
"You are very brave. I really think that whether it is you or Nicholas, you are both very good people."
"And in my heart, you will always be the best one."
She said in a warm voice, her soft hands still stroking the other person's back slowly.
"If you're not really that good. At this moment, I'll just hear a guy who's jealous of his brother talk about him with narrow eyes."
"If you are not really strong enough, you will not be the person who makes my heart move. You will not be able to love others after going through so much."
At the end, Anna smiled slightly and said in a low voice: "We all know that love is greater than hate, don't we?"
Karenin originally maintained a straight posture, but following his wife's words, he slowly bent down. In the end, his wife no longer needed to stand on tiptoe.
Karenin hugged his wife back with a calm voice.
"I don't like equestrianism, but Nicholas said he will teach me more when he comes back from public school next time. Sometimes he will make his own way, even if I refuse, but he has always kept his promise , although sometimes it was his unilateral decision. But then my parents passed away, and this matter was never mentioned again.”
"Not long after Nicholas passed away, I always thought about it. It took more than half a year for me to forget about it."
"That's because you love him and miss him dearly," Anna said softly.
Karenin was silent for a while, his thoughts seemed to pass through the thick fog, and passed through the pages covered with frost and dew in the forest. He once didn't understand, and it took him more than half a year to calm down. At this moment, because of his wife's soft and affirmative words, he understood.
As if clearing the fog, Karenin whispered: "Yes, you are right."
After a long time, the cold wind made people wake up from some sentimental memories. But maybe it was because of the cold that he was unwilling to let go immediately and let the warm embrace leave him.
Until, Anna smiled and said, "Then, let's make an agreement."
"What?"
Anna let go of her hand, looked up at the blue eyes of the other party, and a small gentle arc curled up at the corner of her mouth.
"The second child will be called Nicholas, and the first, if, if he is a boy, Seryozha."
"Seryozha will definitely be a good brother, so that he will take good care of Nikolai. If they agree to teach each other how to ride a horse, they will definitely remember it. If someone forgets, we can remind them."
Karenin listened to his wife's gentle words, and when she mentioned the child, the images of the future and the past overlapped, and finally he smiled.
That smile was just a slight curl at the corner of his mouth, but to Anna, it seemed extremely precious.
There was a sense of fullness in her heart, because tonight, she touched the memory of Karenin, the immature Alexei.
Anna raised her hands and gently hugged Karenin's waist, saying: "Don't forget, now and in the future, I am the one who loves you the most, Alexei."
Karenin's throat moved, and for a long time, his big dry hands rested on his wife's hair, along the direction of hair growth, and his fingertips gently rubbed against the soft hair. Ufa, then slowly said:
"I love you too, Anna."
Sound cannot travel in a vacuum.
At an average room temperature, it will travel at a speed of 340 meters per second.
If you use metal and other objects, such as iron rods, it will reach 5,200 meters per second.
I love you, from the time Anna knew Karenin to now, after seventy-six days, fifteen hours and thirty-two minutes, I finally reached Anna.
She had imagined many scenarios for this, but it was only at this moment that she realized that it was the luckiest thing in the world to get the same response as she loved him, and it never mattered in what way.
So she didn't cry out of emotion, nor did she continue to ask for more sweet words, she just smiled proudly and replied:
"I knew it all along!"
I have always known that you love me too, otherwise, how could I love you so much