Imperfect Desires

It was already close to noon and Ying had yet to wake up. Surprisingly, she hadn't changed her sleeping position. She was still laying on top of Han Bohai's body. He hadn't been able to move even once as well because if he moved, she'd start whining in her sleep. 

And he was such a fool that he'd rather suffer himself than try to put her down on the mattress. He didn't even know which part of his body was numb at this point. Maybe he was numb all over or maybe he was sore all over. Whichever it was he couldn't tell. 

His eyes were glued to the ceiling as a lot of things ran through his mind. His daydreaming only broke when the door of the room was pushed open and Su Xixi's voice came in, "Yan Ying! Is this time for you to sleep?! How-!" Her mouth opened but whatever words had been in her mind got stuck at the tip of her tongue.

Han Bohai got a scare when she suddenly appeared while they were still in this position, he wanted to move Ying but the latter clung to him even more tightly as she grumbled, "Stop moving! It's comfortable!"

Han Bohai really didn't know what was comfortable about his hard body. But it really made him feel happy inside so he instinctively rubbed her back to put her back to sleep.

This small gesture or the look in his eyes as he gazed at Ying's sleeping face, nothing escaped Su Xixi's sharp eyes. She still hadn't left the room. While Han Bohai was struggling with what to do in this embarrassing situation, she appeared unruffled with what she saw. 

Soon, she stepped inside the room and clutched Ying's shirt before she yanked her off of Han Bohai's body. Ying was startled and cursed out loud which earned her a slap on her head from her mother.

"Try swearing on your mother's face and watch me pull your tongue out!" 

Ying's eyes immediately shot open as she looked at her mother in horror, "Mom, what are you doing here?" She rubbed the back of her head where she was slapped earlier and showed her grievance on her face, "And how can you hit your daughter at this age? You didn't even hit me when I burned your hair."

"Maybe I should have shaved your head off to teach you a lesson back then," said Su Xixi. She pinched Ying's lips making it look like a duck beak. "I'm done indulging you. Get your ass over there and get dressed!"

She let Ying go who was now rubbed her lips while Su Xixi looked at Han Bohai's stunned face and narrowed her eyes at him, "And you! Come with me."

Ying immediately ran to stand before him with her arms open as she looked at mother vigilantly, "What are you up to? Where are you taking him?"

"That's my matter," replied Su Xixi. "It doesn't concern you."

"Of course, it concerns me," retorted Ying. "That's my boyfriend you're trying to kidnap right now."

Su Xixi gritted her teeth as she glared at her daughter. No one had ever tested her patience as much as her one and only daughter did. And she always found herself helpless before this daughter of hers. 

Su Xixi took a deep breath and smirked at her daughter as she responded, "That's my son-in-law." She pushed him away and said, "Now, do your own thing. Try testing my patience again and trust me, I'm gonna beat you."

Ying obviously didn't take her words seriously but she still turned around to face Han Bohai had had just managed to sit upright. "If she says anything unreasonable, don't just listen to her. Even if she is my mother, you can't give in to her."

Han Bohai smiled helplessly at her before he followed Su Xixi out of the room. She brought him to the back garden. "Can I go to freshen up a bit?" he asked after hesitating for a while.

"It's alright, I won't take much of your time," said Su Xixi in a calm voice. 

From how much he had interacted with Su Xixi, Han Bohai could tell that she was a very sensible and calm woman. Her aura was intimidating and she sounded a bit harsh but there was hardly any fluctuation in her emotions. Only when it came to Ying, she'd end up being agitated. But he could blame it all on his own Ah-Ying who seemed to love provoking her own mother for some reason.

Han Bohai was surprised when he saw her sitting down on the grass under the shade of a tree. She pulled out a cigarette and bit it between her lips. However, even though there was a lighter in her hand, she wasn't lighting up the cigarette.

"Are you scared of me?" 

Han Bohai was startled back to the reality with her voice. He looked at her cautiously and replied, "Ah-Ying says you're a scary person."

Su Xixi snorted at that remark, "My daughter really has some nice things to say about her mother."

"Don't get me wrong, she really respects you and admires you as well."

Su Xixi squinted her eyes at him and he lowered his head even further. "I know my daughter well. She doesn't admire me. The only person she genuinely admires in her life is Zimen. There has never been a second person."

Han Bohai pursed his lips as he couldn't refute that. He had seen how much Xin Zimen meant to Ying.

"Why do you think I brought you out to talk?" asked Su Xixi. "Or more precisely, what do you think I have in my mind?"

Han Bohai took a deep breath before he said, "I'm sure you won't throw money at my face to get out of your daughter's life."

Su Xixi held the unlit cigarette between her fingers and end up laughing out loud. She stared at him and said, "Is it because you're an actor? You sure have an imaginative mind."

Han Bohai smiled at her as he scratched his head sheepishly, "It must be because I've seen it happen. But as I said, I know you won't do it."

"And why are you sure that I won't do it?" asked Su Xixi.

"Firstly, because I don't need money," replied Han Bohai. "Secondly, it's because you have even better ways to make me disappear from your daughter's life."

Su Xixi's lips curved up as she looked at his face in amusement, "I think I like you."

Han Bohai was started by her statement as he stared at her in confusion.

"You are quite astute," she said. "You're right. If I want, you'd never be able to stay in my daughter's life. And I personally don't think money is a solution. My best friend used to say if you can solve a problem by breaking a few bones, why bother wasting money?"

Han Bohai's eyes widened in shock and she chuckled at his reaction, "Relax! That was my best friend's way of doing things. Although she would have to spend extra money for settlements, she always found it worthwhile. But that was just because she liked getting into fights. I on the other hand have always believed there are better ways to solve things."

"I have no reason to not approve of you for my daughter," she said. "It's her life, I usually don't like dictating her life for her. If I had done it, she wouldn't be so unrestrained today."

Han Bohai pressed his lips together not knowing what to say. 

"Do you plan to get married?" she asked. 

"Of course," he replied.

"Don't be so hasty, I'm asking whether you can wait to marry her or not?"

"What do you mean?"

"I think I don't need to tell you anything about my daughter," she began. "Although you love her, the same can't be said about her yet. She likes you but whether she has crossed the line of love or not, you'd be more clear about it."

Han Bohai was actually taken aback to hear her. She didn't even spend much time around Ying and yet she could tell her daughter's feelings. And she might even be able to tell it better than Ying herself. A mother really knows best, eh!

"If you plan on spending a lifetime with her, I hope you can give her some time," said Su Xixi.

"You don't have to worry," replied Han Bohai. "I can wait. I don't want her to marry me just because of the pressure of age. After all, her grandmother is in a hurry to get her married."

"Shania is impatient," said Su Xixi. "But I'm not. She might think marriage is important for a woman, I don't. My father used to say that a woman should never be recognized by her marital status. A woman's life is more than just a marriage. And I've always believed in my dad's words."