''Boyan,'' Shi Luo dashed back towards him within a minute. She pressed her hands on the kitchen cabinet. Her hair fell in front of her shoulder in a mess as she lowered her head and panted softly.
''Luoluo?" He blinked, tucking her hair behind her ear.
''Mom is here,'' she whispered.
He nodded, ''I shall greet her then. Come, I will open the door.''
She grabbed his hand.
He glanced at her with a questioning look on his face.
''She knows that we were pretending.''
He sighed, ''But we can tell her that we are dating now,'' he tilted his head to the side. These words… they tasted like honey in his mouth and sounded like music to his ears.
Shi Luo let go of his hand, ''No… that… I think she kind of dislikes you now.''
''Huh? What did I do?" he blinked, looking at her grievously.
Shi Luo patted his head, ''Remember, you initiated the lie at that time.''
When Shi Xia found him at Shi Luo's place and questioned her about why she was living with a man, it was Jun Boyan who told her that they were dating.
''But that… that was to help you out in that situation,'' he whispered, ''...And to stick around in your life with an excuse.''
How cute! Shi Luo kissed his cheek.
'Ring… Ring.. Ring..'
Shi Luo stiffened. She grabbed his wrist before dragging him to her bedroom.
''Hey, what are you doing?"
''Shhh,'' Shi Luo pushed him inside, ''Stay there quietly.''
Just as she was about to close the door, he thrust his foot forward, stopping the door from closing. He leaned towards her and sucked her bottom lips, taking them between his teeth, ''Quietly, sure.''
Shi Luo could feel her face burning.
''Mom,'' Shi Luo opened the door and greeted the woman.
''Why did it take you so long to open the door?'' Shi Xia frowned. She has been waiting here for a long time already.
''Uh…'' Shi Luo blinked.
''Are you sick, Luoluo?'' Shi Xia interrupted her.
''Huh?"
''Your face is red.''
''Cough…Mom, don't just stand there. Come inside,'' Shi Luo changed the topic.
''When did you come back?" Shi Xia asked as they stepped inside the house.
Shi Luo closed the door behind her, ''It has been half an hour. I was making some tea.''
''That's great. I'd like a cup of tea as well,'' Shi Xia entered the kitchen, ''Hmm? Two cups? Do you have a guest?" she asked, after noticing the two cups kept on the kitchen counter.
Shi Luo bit the insides of her cheeks. ''I was kind of thirsty so I thought I should have 2-3 cups of tea,'' it sounded absurd to her own ears.
But luckily her mom did not question her further.
As they walked back to the couch in the living room, holding the teacups, Shi Xia spoke up, ''How did it go? Did you like him?"
''Well, Mom. He said he sees me as a friend and not as woman.''
Shi Luo thought about heer conversation with Caleb.
''About what you said regarding marriage…. You want to get married because of certain circumstances, right?" she asked him.
''Don't tell me you have already made a decision?''
''I have,'' Shi Luo glanced at him in determination, ''I don't think I am in for this marriage. Even for dating. I have someone I like at this moment so I don't find it appropriate to give it a try with you. It's an insult to my feelings for him and to you as well.''
Caleb quietly glanced at her face.
Shi Luo tapped her finger on the table. Was he offended? But she did not find anything wrong with what she said. Even though Jun Boyan and her were not dating and the future looked as bleak as it could, she can't deny her feelings for him.
Whether her feelings for him were fleeting or not, time will decide but at the moment, she felt uncomfortable with the idea of being with any other man when her mind was only thinking of him.
''Good to know that,'' Caleb said, interrupting her thoughts, ''In fact, although I need to get married, but I don't think I will be able to see you as anything other than a good friend. I don't think it will work out between us.''
Shi Luo smiled. She was relieved. Because he was not a stranger and she knew him when she was kid, that complicated things for her.
She was not sure about how she was going to reject him without offending him.
But things turned out pretty well in the end.
***
Shi Xia massaged her forehead, ''I didn't consider it. My daughter is so perfect. I didn't expect for you to be rejected by a man,'' she sighed.
Shi Luo lowered her head and took a sip of tea, trying to hide her smile behind the cup. She wished she could tell her mother how happy she was that this blind date did not work out but then she also did not want to disappoint her by doing that.
Shi Xia absent-mindedly picked up the cup and it was angled in the process causing a little tea to spill on her dress.
''Ah..'' she placed the teacup on the table.
Shi Luo quickly stood up, ''Mom, are you alright?"
Shi Xia nodded, ''That's fine. The tea had gone cold so I was not scalded by it.''
Shi Luo sighed in relief. She handed her a few tissue papers from the tissue box kept on the coffee table.
She went to place the cups in the kitchen and to get some water for Shi Xia.
Shi Xia sighed, ''I should just wash it,'' her clothes were feeling sticky at the moment, ''Luoluo, I am going to your room to wash up.''
''Yes… huh?" Shi Luo froze. She stood rooted to her spot, staring at her retreating back.
It was after a long time that she finally moved. She ran towards her room but her mother had already pushed open the door and stepped inside.
''Mom,'' Shi Luo screamed.
Shi Xia turned around to glance at her, ''What happened? Why are you being so loud?"
''I… I.. You… Come out of my room,'' she stood near the door, her gaze sneakily roaming past the bed and curtains. Where was Jun Boyan? Was he inside the bathroom?
''But I need to wash up,'' Shi Xia was speechless.
''The pipes have burst so the bathroom is not working properly. How about you use the bathroom in the guest room?''
''Why didn't you call the plumber?"
''I forgot.''
Shi Xia glanced at her peach colored dress, ''I guess I will just put up with this. I should leave now.''
Shi Luo nodded, ''Yes.''
''Haish….'' Shi Xia sighed. She wanted to spend some time with her daughter today but her usually calm and composed daughter appeared a bit unstable today.
Maybe it was because of the rejection. No woman likes to be rejected by a man no matter how she sees him or despite the fact if she likes him or not.
''Luoluo…'' Shi Xia paused near the door.
''Yes?'' Shi Luo glanced at her mother cutely with doe-eyes. Maybe acting cute would help in not being suspicious at this moment.
''After everything that has happened, I hope you will stay away from Jun Boyan.''
Shi Luo stiffened, ''Huh?"
''You are smart, you should know what I mean.''
''Mom, do you not like him anymore?" Even though she had a hunch she still asked to be sure about it.
''It's not that I don't like him. He is my friend's son and he has grown up into a fine man. But if we are talking about a suitable partner for you, then I won't consider him anymore. He initiated the lie that you both are dating, that fact alone makes him a bad option. Once a liar, always a liar. I am not calling him a liar as a person but I don't like any kind of deception when it comes to relationships.''
''But…''
''No buts. Did I make my point clear or not?"
''Yes.''
After Shi Xia left, Shi Luo locked the main door and went back to her bedroom. She slumped on the bed. Her mother's words continued ringing in her head until she suddenly remembered something.
Jun Boyan was supposed to be in her room too.
She quickly sat up on the bed, ''Boyan?"
There was no response.
She dashed inside the bathroom but there were no signs of him. Where did he go to hide when her mother entered the bedroom?
Shi Luo checked behind the curtains. She even peeked from the window, wondering if he jumped off from such a height.
''Boyan, where did you go?'' Shi Luo looked around her room.. Her gaze stopped on the wardrobe. Did he hide there in a hurry but ended up fainting due to breathlessness? Was that why he was not responding to her?
The source of this c𝐨ntent is fre𝒆w(e)bn(o)vel