thin line; daoming si

Chapter 9

When you wake up, you subconsciously reach for a warm, soft surface next to you. However, all you feel are cold, empty sheets. That's right. You slept alone last night.

The bond has finally become strong enough for the two of you to be apart for hours at a time. It doesn't mean you don't miss him, though. You sigh, reluctantly opening your eyes and getting out of bed.

To say that your parents were happy to have you back home was an understatement. Yes, they were glad that you found your soulmate. But they definitely missed their daughter, especially because you're an only child. You're their pride, and all they have.

You have a peaceful breakfast with them before heading off to school. You know that Si will be there as well, but his schedule is completely different from yours. You're not sure if you will even see him at all.

You greet Li Zhen and Qinghe as usual when you arrive, but you can tell that they are still a little weirded out from that dinner you had a couple days ago. You know that they will eventually get used to Si, it will just take some time.

Qinghe is telling you about the video game tournament he was playing in yesterday when two arms suddenly wrap themselves around your waist. You immediately stiffen but then relax when you recognize the soft voice in your ear. "Hey."

"Hey." You smile when he nuzzles his face into your neck. His touch makes you feel so warm and fuzzy after being without him for so long.

"I have to go but come to my house after school, okay? The guards know who you are, they'll let you in."

"Okay, I'll be there." He squeezes you tightly one more time before letting go, waving to you as he walks off with the rest of F4. You wave back, sighing contently as your smile refuses to leave your face.

"She's so whipped already." Li Zhen whispers to Qinghe. But fortunately for you, both of them are terrible at whispering.

Your face heats up as you glare at them. "I am not!" You huff with a pout.

When they both look at you with an expression that tells you they are unconvinced, you roll your eyes, walking off to class.

_______

Your day is pretty uneventful but even so, you're extremely tired. It's because you haven't healed all day. But Si doesn't finish class for another hour and a half, so you're just going to head to his house and wait there.

Luckily, the bus ride is shorter than it would be if you were going to your house since he lives closer to the school. You knock on the door, expecting it to be opened by a security guard but instead, you are met with someone else.

It's an older woman, dressed in clothes you know you can never afford. Her face is serious, and almost a bit scary. Not to mention familiar...

"May I help you?" She asks coldly. That's when you realize why she seems so familiar. She's Daoming Si's mother.

Your eyes widen as you begin to back away. "N-no ma'am. I just realized I um.." You quickly scan your brain for a lie. "I have the wrong house." You smile sheepishly.

You turn around, ready to dart out of there. "Wait." You stop dead in your tracks. "You're here for my son, aren't you?" It sounds less like a question and more like a statement.

You suck in a breath, turning back around. "N-no!" You shake your head frantically. "I was just-"

Then a smirk forms on her face, making your heart drop to your stomach. "You're his soulmate."

You try to form another lie but no words seem to come out of your mouth. You're stunned into silence.

"The guards told me so much about you. Please, come in."

You swallow harshly, slowly walking towards her. The smug smile remains on her face as she moves to the side, letting you in before closing the door behind you.

You walk towards the living room, simultaneously cursing out the guards in your head as well as praying with every ounce in your being that Si gets here soon to save you.

"Have a seat." She gestures towards the couch behind you and you gingerly sit down. She sits across from you on the other couch and for a while, she says nothing. She just stares you down, analyzing every detail of your appearance. It makes you uncomfortable and self conscious, as if she can see every hair out of place and every blemish on your skin. You suck in a breath, hoping that she will say something. Anything.

"What's your name?" She asks.

"My name is Y/n. It's nice to meet you, Ms. Daoming." You offer her a friendly smile, which she doesn't return. Well okay, that wasn't very nice.

"What do your parents do for a living? They're probably well-known, I'm sure I've heard of them before."

Your heart sinks as you divert your eyes from her gaze. "W-well, actually-"

At that moment, you hear the door open and it feels like a weight has been lifted off of your shoulders.

You wince as his loud voice rings through the halls. "Y/n, I'm here-"

He stops in the living room and his eyes widen as they flicker between you and his mother.

"Mother? What are you doing here?" His voice is quiet.

"That's not important. I was just asking your soulmate here what her parents do for a living."

"I umm..they.." Your face heats up. You know that she will be disappointed with what you have to say. What if she hates you?

"Her father is the owner of-"

"I was asking her, not you." Si's mother interrupts him when he tries to step in and save you. "Go on." She looks back at you and you divert your gaze to the ground.

"My father..he's a junior officer at his company." You sigh. "And my mother, she owns a small food delivery business."

Ms. Daoming hums thoughtfully. "Just as I thought. I knew you weren't worthy of my son." Her voice is even colder than before, which you didn't know was even possible.

"Mother-"

"I'm not finished." She glares at her son, daring him to interrupt her again. "My family has worked so hard to get to where we are only for you to come along and ruin it." Her harsh words cause tears to form in the corners of your eyes and despite how hard you try to hold them back, they begin to fall. "You may be my son's soulmate, but that doesn't mean that I have to like you, let alone accept you. I hope you know that you will be a disgrace to the family line."

You can't help but let out a choked sob, causing Si to rush to your side. "That is enough." He nearly growls, glaring at his mother as he wraps you in his arms.

"We're leaving." He pulls you up from the couch, leading you down the hall and out the front door. When you're right outside, he pulls you into a warm hug. His arms encase you completely, making you feel protected. One hand runs up and down your back tentatively, trying to calm you down. "I'm so sorry." He mumbles into your hair, kissing the top of your head. The simple action alone makes you feel so much better and you're able to stop crying.

He pulls back from you a little bit, wiping your tears with the pads of his thumbs. "You've been nothing but good to me, yet I keep hurting you." He whispers, caressing your cheek. "I'm a terrible soulmate."

"No." You sniffle, smiling gently. "You may not be perfect, but you're doing the best that you can. You're trying, for me, and I appreciate it."

He smiles, an indecipherable emotion swimming in his eyes as he looks at you. "You're amazing, you know that?"

A warm feeling blooms in your chest. "Of course I am."

He rolls his eyes and then lets out a chuckle, grabbing your hand. "So where do you wanna go?"

"Maybe..the park?" You say hopefully.

He gives you a thumbs up. "You got it."

A couple minutes later, the two of you are cuddled on a park bench, watching the sun set low in the sky.

______

A/N: i was gonna have them kiss but then i changed my mind...whoops