AiLin’s gaze felt brighter as she stared back at Li ZiChen’s light colored eyes. For a while, she found herself staring at those pair of beautiful eyes. It was so lively. Despite him not uttering a single word, those eyes felt alive.
She blinked however, pulling herself together and then staring at him in question to his statent. Seeing his grin, she realized he was pulling her leg. A frown appeared between her eyebrows, "You an that it is easier to protect it from anyone who would like to steal it."
Seeing back to her eyes, Li ZiChen shrugged his shoulders, "I have said what I ant to say." Instead he reached out his hand again, "Do you know? My father also had his left hand wounded. It’s a nasty wound, a gnarly one. They said if the doctor hadn’t gotten there in ti, he wouldn’t have a hand anymore. It had been a few decades since the scar happened to his arms but even now it didn’t fade."
"Oof," she winced, "What happened?"
"Nothing too bad actually. He was kidnapped when he was young along with my mother. In order to protect her, he shielded her from broken glasses and that caused his wounds. They are actually hopeless romantic, always with each other, and never even fought once in front of or YingYi. My grandparents are often bitter about it."
"They must be a happy couple," laughed AiLin who couldn’t imagine it as Mr and Mrs Jiang fought too often that she would find herself woken up from sleep and stifling her ears so she wouldn’t have to hear them bringing up her na as the catalyst of their fights. She smiled and humd, "No wonder you have grown up to beco so loving."
"Loving?" He repeated her words, his expression incredulous at her statent.
She wondered what made him confused, "You are loving. Toward your younger brother especially."
"When I had hit him in front of you?"
Oops! She forgot that she had seen YingYi earlier this afternoon and had seen the reason why YingYi loves his older brother a lot— all because Li ZiChen had took care of his younger brother like his treasure as well.
"I just felt that you must have had a great sibling bond considering you told that you rarely fought," she lied a smooth lie and turned her eyes away. When she heard his small laugh, her heart felt light and she turned her face to admire that sincere smile that had painted his lips.
"You’re right," he whispered, "I take care of the people I love, a lot," he emphasize on his last word.
AiLin’s eyes widened slightly upon hearing this. Finding out a little about Li ZiChen’s family sohow made her feel quite... happy?
She didn’t know what the emotion in her was saying but she looked back to his arms as he reached it out as if knowing she would like to study it even further. However she decided to stop and stand from the chair. She thought that it was enough of talk that they had shared together and this shouldn’t be happening too often.
If they get too close, it would be hard for her to.. leave.
AiLin’s eyes turned toward her shopping bag and sothing perked her ears. She ran toward it and took a round object that was wrapped in newspaper clipping. Reaching back to the chair, she happily uncover the newspaper and raised the pink round object to Li ZiChen’s eyes. A wide grin settled on her lips, "Look! Look! It’s a piggy bank."
Li ZiChen watched as suddenly her curiosity faded. His eyes darkened seeing she was building a stronger wall between him, fearing that their closeness would be her kryptonite. But she was quick to return to her usual self, running on her small feet and walking toward him while bringing the piggy bank in front of his face like a treasure she had just captured.
"Piggy... bank?" Li ZiChen was certain he had given her his credit card. It had no limit. No limit to the point that she could have gotten herself an airplane and a jet. Adding a couple of trip all around Europe and a newly built apartnt wouldn’t be difficult either. Yet here, she was, holding tight to the ceramic piggy bank. He almost narrowed his eyes, "Weren’t you with money when you still lived with the Jiang Family?"
The question ca to her ears and she humd, "No. They never even fed a full bowl of rice. How would they ever give any money? I know however that money is important," she stressed at her last word. After all, back then she had always thought that if she had enough money she could run away. Money was her lifeline, her hope to leave the family and live a happier life.
If she had done it earlier and had saved more money, would she had been carrying her baby girl on her arms instead?
AiLin felt a tug when Li ZiChen had pulled her chin. His eyes narrowed as he stared to her mien, "Do you realize that every ti you talked to your mind will drift so often?"
Under his gaze, AiLin felt the heat of his finger that had touched her skin. His face had seed offended as if her mind that continuously disappear mid conversation had finally ticked him enough.
She realized her bad habit of disappearing to her own mind and she regretted it but for so reason Li ZiChen’s strong gaze that were eyeing her facial muscles had also tugged her nerves. Her cheeks burned and sothing in the pit of her stomach spread. Her fingers pushed him away, "I’m sorry, I didn’t notice it. I was just thinking a little it often happens, it’s my bad habit. I will make sure not to repeat it again," she replied at once before standing up. "Anyway it’s late at night. You must have been busy the whole day so you should rest! Don’t forget to eat your dinner, I’ve eaten so I’ll just go ahead and sleep since tomorrow is a long day."
She hurried to take the rest of her shopping bag, making her way to her bedroom.
The door shut close faster than ever, leaving Li ZiChen alone. In fact, it was his very first ti to have soone running so blatantly away from him. He sighed, staring at his own hand that had touched her face and slowly placed it on his lips. "Damn it," he cursed, reeling in the sweet scent of her perfu, wanting to stay longer with AiLin so he could ask her questions, read to her mind, and understand the parts about her that he couldn’t seem to figure out.
When he closed his eyes, he could rember every crevices of her face, her eyes that light up when she looked at her, her smile that was so sincere that he was certain only directed toward him. A sense of wanting to monopolize that smile and her kindness grew on him and he knew that if this goes on, he would beco far too possessive of her kindness, wishing that she would be hateful to everyone but him.
But even then, Li ZiChen knew that a life full of hate isn’t good for her.
In fact, for her to finally feel alive, she needs to put an end to the fla of hatred that’s been burning brighter than ever since the past six years.
As he turned his eyes, he caught the sight of the hot pink piggy bank that was winking back at him. With a sigh, Li ZiChen pulled it to his hand. He looked at the round stomach of the pig. He wondered if placing another credit card would make AiLin to smile widely again. It seems her smile was not only expensive but tricky to receive.
He then decided to open his wallet and took out all his cash. He folded each dollars to a small square and pushed it inside the piggy bank.
Before he drew his night, he made sure to place the piggy bank in front of AiLin’s room, smiling as he did so as he imagined the kind of adorable smile that would spread her lips evenly as she saw her piggy bank full with money.
If it was his money that could make her happy, that wasn’t too expensive or difficult to do.
At least it is easier than the problems that were haunting her head so often.
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