As AiLin was trying to figure out the expression that riddled Samuel’s face, soone had ca from behind him, giving him a pat on his shoulder. It was an older man in his fifties with a moustache lining above his lips. He had a rather gruff face but his clothes with the plain button up shirt and a sweater make him more comforting than stern. His eyes moved toward her, surprise coloring his lips until he turned his face into a smile. His voice was warming, "My daughter has ca ho," he said, to the point that his tone llowed into a sadness. "Co on, Valen," he pulled his wife’s hands, bringing out a woman older than AiLin herself, her face was stern, her eyes foxy with the ends of her eyes curving upward which set her different to her daughter and son. Her smile could give soone a chill but she seed like soone who wouldn’t smile even upon winning a gamble.
Her eyes turned to look at AiLin, and although it was brief, AiLin could see her eyes widening slightly.
She walked forward, the woman who is her mother.
Vicky stepped away, letting Valentina to move forward. The Mrs of Hua Family looked at AiLin’s entire face, her hands reached out, hovering beside AiLin’s cheeks as she could feel the warmth radiating from the woman’s palms. AiLin didn’t know what sense of tingle she felt in her heart, what she could feel was only a deep sense of sorrow as she looked back into her mother’s eyes that seed to be redder as she reached her hands forward.
But her mother didn’t end up touching her. Instead, she pulled her hands away, her gaze then shifting toward Li ZiChen who was watching the scene unfolding before his eyes in silence.
"You really do fulfill your promises, Mr Li," said AiLin’s mother, her words sounding more like sarcasm as there was no smile on her lips.
"I always payback my debts," Li ZiChen responded back with a curl at the end of his lips. "I pay double when soone cross and I pay double to repay those who had done kindness towards ." And it was not a lie that settled on his words but a pure confidence and commitnt to his own statent.
AiLin looked again at Mrs Hua Valentine. She looked gorgeous. Although she is supposed to be in her fifties she appeared so youthful that she would seem much younger than her age. Her back was straight, the way she walked was with a poise of a noblewoman, and especially her sharp gaze that reminded her of herself. It was like looking at a mirror and that made it even more awkward as she could feel that her birth mother was unsure on how to treat her, just like how she is unsure if she should hug her or introduce herself.
"I’m AiLin," she introduced herself again to Mrs Hua who looked at her with a complicated expression.
"My na is Valentine. Hua Valentine," she introduced herself and almost offer her hand for a handshake but hesitated as it looked too awkward and out of the picture.
"We should get inside," Mr Hua spoke, unlike his wife, he was more colorful in expression and with a smile. His face betrayed his heartwarming nature that ooze out warmth and kindness.
"We should, it’s getting colder outside," Mrs Hua said before she waited for AiLin to stand beside her. "I hope our ho will be welcoming for you."
"It looks holy," AiLin smiled and followed the older woman, standing beside her before they proceed to enter the house. Yes. Mrs Hua might be awkward but for so reason AiLin could feel the woman’s awkwardness wasn’t a symbol of dislike. She had felt the raw dislike shown by Mrs Jiang so she knows well enough when she sees an older woman’s eyes looking at her with brimming warmth.
As they walked, AiLin felt herself the center of attention. Li ZiChen has always had a bad habit of staring at her, so she could ignore his gaze. But Mrs Hua, Mr Hua, Samuel, and Vicky didn’t bother to look at the path they took and continued to glue their gazes on her. It was as if she was a brown duck along walking with the other goose who began to stare at her out of place.
AiLin rubbed her forehead, feeling the gaze more intense. It wasn’t because those gazes were hateful. It’s because those gazes were so curious. When AiLin failed to walk properly from being over conscious by the intense stare, she fell forward and saw myriad of hands circling to help her out.
The first hand that had captured her by the waist is Li ZiChen. The one in front of her was Samuel, Vicky held her left hand while Mrs Hua held her by her elbow. Mr Hua was already preparing for her fall that he almost knelt down on the floor.
They all stared at each other awkwardly before giving each other a knowing look and stepped back. Mr Hua cleared his throat to ease the tension of awkwardness that made them begin to act like a deer in the headlights.
"AiLin, is there anything you’re allergic to?" Mr Hua asked her.
She looked forward to Mr Hua, the man was smiling warmly at her and it made her feel awkward as she had never been treated so gently by Mr Jiang in the past. She doubted Mr Jiang even knew her birth date, though he would rember Jiang NianNian’s.
"AiLin," whispered Li ZiChen, he stopped her from her brief ponder and she turned to him, questioning how he knew every second when her mind slipped away.
She turned back at Mr Hua, replying gingerly, "I don’t have anything I’m allergic to but I heard that I shouldn’t be in the cold for too long. I have a weak stomach."
"Oh, that’s great! It’s been getting colder so we decided to make so hot pot today," said Mr Hua happily, "I hope you’re fine with hotpot?"
"I like them," AiLin said even though she doesn’t usually prefer hot pots she felt like eating one today. Mr Hua seed extrely delighted hearing that she was looking forward to the hot pot, his eyes moving to his son and wife with a sense of triumph. Seeing the wide smile on her father’s face, AiLin herself felt her mood lifted. It’s been a while since she ever felt so holy. It was as if she had been living a fake life all this ti and finally sun appeared between the clouds that had settled for far too long in her life.
She looked again over to Li ZiChen. He had been wordless, letting her to take her ti for herself to know her family. He was also keeping his words, not trying to push her to be too close to her family even though doing so would have benefit him more who needed her in order to complete his plan against her grandmother. When they t their gazes together, AiLin saw him raising his lips and she turned her face again to her family who was all staring at them staring at each other which felt awkward.
Vicky who didn’t want to lose, ran up toward AiLin, standing only one step away from her left shoulder, "AiLin and I t in the shopping mall yesterday! Rember, the one who I told you about?"
Samuel was taken aback as he turned toward AiLin, "Ah, so you must have seen aunty Ruo."
"Let’s not ntion her na," said Mrs Hua with a disdainful look on her face, "That woman will co whenever you call your na."
"True, true," Mr Hua responded to his wife, "But as I thought, similar to your mother, you are very brave."
Reviews
All reviews (0)