Zhilan spent the rest of the week ignoring text messages from Ji Jingwu. She knew that wouldn't stop, but she didn't want to deal with him. She clenched her fist when she felt her phone vibrate at lunch.
"Um, Zhilan?" Lu Xia asked, across from her.
"Yes?"
"You just broke your chopsticks." Zhuo Zhi finished for him.
She looked at her hand and sighed. "I'll be back."
As she was leaving the club lounge, Jiale and Qiao Chen walked in. She glowered at the youngest as they passed each other. He laughed nervously and sat down. There was a snicker from Jiale as he saw what happened.
"You really did it this time."
The sophomore huffed. "You think I don't know that?"
"By the way, why did you give away Zhilan's number? It's only gotten you into trouble with her."
Qiao Chen looked all around and gestured for everyone to lean in. "I know it wasn't the best choice. It was weird when Liangliang asked for it. But when he said Ji Jingwu wanted it, I had to give it."
"Why?" Jiale asked with a raised eyebrow.
"To see Captain's reaction, of course."
"Why would he care?" Lu Xia asked.
A grin slowly spread across Jiale's face. "Why would he care? They are just friends. Unless..."
Zhuo Zhi realized what direction they were going in and snickered. "That's one way to go about it."
The youngest grimaced. "Please, stop. She's my cousin."
Before they could continue, Zhilan walked back in. They all turned to look at her and she raised an eyebrow at them.
"What?"
"Nothing."
She narrowed her eyes, but sat down and continued eating.
"So how is Ji Jingwu?" Jiale asked innocently.
In response, a broken chopstick was thrown at his face.
Zhilan panted softly after many rounds against the pitching machine. She started cooling down her muscles. After she finished, she went up to the club office to collect her book bag. As she got there, she noticed Siyang standing by the white board. He had a clipboard in hand and was scribbling on the board.
She smiled. "Shouldn't you be home by now?"
He turned in surprise, but relaxed at seeing her. "I could ask you the same thing."
"I was just getting in some extra training. I'm about to leave. What about you?"
"There's a couple of things I want to do before I go."
Zhilan hummed. "How about I wait for you? We can leave together."
Siyang let out a breath. "I'm sure you want to go home. You don't have to."
"It's still bright out. I can wait."
"Are you sure?"
She laughed. "It's fine. I'll be here."
As he continued, she sat down and played on her phone. Occasionally, she would glance up and watch him. His eyes were focused on the task in front of him.
No matter what, he works so hard.
She looked away and back at her phone.
After half an hour, he looked like he was done. Zhilan stood up and gathered her belongings. She waited for him to do the same until she noticed he was looking at another clipboard.
He's about to do more work instead of leaving.
"I think I'm going to stay longer. You should probably go. I don't want to keep you here too late."
Yup, there it is.
Zhilan shook her head, half amused and half exasperated. "Siyang."
"I'll try to be quick. You go. I'll see you around."
She walked up to him and gently pulled the clipboard from his hands. "I'm sure this can wait. Relax. It's the weekend."
He sighed, but didn't move.
"If you don't start walking, I'll drag you to your house."
The corners of his mouth quirked up. "You've never been to my house."
She blinked as that registered in her mind. "Huh. I haven't. Why not?"
"I guess it never came up before."
Well, that's not fair.
He tried to take the clipboard from her, but she stepped back. "No. Go home."
"I will. Soon."
"Go or this stays with me."
"Zhilan." He sighed.
Quick, what might get him out the door?
She racked her brain and an idea came. "I got it. Let's make a deal."
Siyang raised an eyebrow. "What kind of deal?"
"I will give you back this clipboard if we go to your house right now."
He blinked, not expecting that. "What?"
She grinned. "We go to your house and hang out for a bit. After that, you'll get it back. That simple."
"This sounds like an excuse to just go to my house."
Zhilan shrugged. "In part, but I do want you to relax. Do we have a deal?"
A beat of silence followed and he grabbed his belongings.
"Let's go."
Yes!
When they got to Siyang's house, it distinctly reminded Zhilan of her own. It was traditional and medium sized.
"So this is where you live." She said as he slid the front door open for her.
"Come in."
He stood still for a second, feeling a bit awkward. He'd never had anyone over at his house. Not even Zhuo Zhi. After some internal debate on what to do, he cleared his throat. "I think I'll go take a quick shower. You can sit down if you'd like."
Zhilan hummed. "Would you mind if I cleaned up too?"
"Sure. You can use my bathroom. I'll show you."
They went straight down the end of a hall and turned into his room.
He walked over to the entrance of his bathroom. "I'll be back. Make yourself comfortable if you don't see me."
She nodded and took her spare essentials from her tennis bag. She quickly washed away the day's grime. After she got dressed, she went back into Siyang's room. She walked around and looked more closely. It was organized. Books in a corner bookshelf, a clutter free desk, and a neatly made bed.
There wasn't much on the walls except a shelf filled with fishing or tennis related things. A photo caught her attention. She gently picked it up for a better look. All of Yu Qing's main players, along with Qi Ying were in it. Everyone was smiling except Siyang and Baiyang who looked serious as usual. Her eyes flicked to Lu Xia, who looked bored and had an eye patch on.
I'll have to ask about that some time.
She set the picture back in its place.
"Going through my things?" Siyang asked as he came back, amusement in his eyes.
Zhilan looked at him innocently. "Am I really going through anything if it's on display to see? Besides, it's my first time here. I'm curious."
He chuckled. "I know. You made me bring you, remember?"
"I believe we reached an agreement. I wouldn't say you were made to do anything."
He shook his head, but he had a small smile on his face. "Since you wanted to come so badly, do you want to see the rest of the house?"
"I'd love to." She beamed.
Just as they made it out of his room into the hallway, a voice called out.
"Siyang, are you home?"
A middle-aged woman popped into view. "There you are. Could you help-"
She stopped as she noticed Zhilan next to him. Her eyes darted between them silently before focusing on her.
A grin slowly spread across her face. "Well, hello there. What's this? My son has company."
"Mom, this is Lu Zhilan. She's a good friend of mine. Zhilan, this is my mother." Siyang introduced them.
I'm getting a lot more out of this deal than I thought.
Zhilan smiled and bowed. "Hello, Mrs. Mu. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"The pleasure is all mine. I've never met any of my son's friends. Let alone one as gorgeous as you." She gushed.
Siyang cleared his throat to distract her. "Mom, you said you needed help. What can I do?"
Mrs. Mu's face lit up as she remembered. "Yes! Could you help me bring the groceries in?"
"Of course. Zhilan, I'll be right back."
"Sure, take your time."
He walked away.
His mom turned to her. "Would you like something, dear? A snack? Maybe, a drink?"
She shook her head.
"Okay. Please make yourself at home. We'll be back."
"I can't believe that actually happened." She murmured to herself.
She walked into the living room which was very bright and spacious. After pacing around for a little bit, she noticed an open backdoor. She saw that it led to the backyard. She decided to step out for a minute and get some air. The backyard had a garden with a variety of different flowers.
Zhilan inhaled the sweet scent of the flowers and sighed.
"Ah? Who might you be, young lady?"
She gasped and turned in the direction of an elderly man. He watched her with interest from his seat.
"My apologies. I didn't mean to startle you. Come closer."
She blinked and slowly approached him.
He looks a little like Siyang.
He chuckled softly at her. "Please sit down. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Mu Yaoting. What's yours?"
She sat across from him. "I'm Lu Zhilan, sir."
"That's a lovely name. What brings you here?"
"I'm visiting. Siyang brought me here."
Surprise was written on his face. "Really? Where is that grandson of mine? He left you alone? That's no way to treat a lady."
"Oh, he's helping his mom. He didn't leave me alone on purpose." She reassured him.
The man relaxed. "Well, why don't we get to know each other a bit? Do you go to Yu Qing as well?"
"Yes, sir. I'm in the same class as your grandson."
"Very nice. I hope he doesn't give you any trouble."
She giggled. "No, sir. It's the opposite. I give him trouble. But not too much, I promise."
He laughed heartily. "Good. He needs to be kept on his toes."
Zhilan laughed along with him.
"And how long have you known Siyang?"
"Several months."
He paused. "That's interesting."
"What is?"
"Oh, nothing."
"I have a feeling that isn't quite true." She said with a tilt of her head.
He smiled. "Very perceptive. Why don't we go inside? I'm afraid I'm not as young as I used to be to spend a lot of time out here."
"Hm. Of course."
She stood up and noticed he had some trouble standing up on his own. She immediately helped him upright.
He sighed. "Thank you. You're very sweet."
"You're welcome."
Just as they got back inside, Siyang entered the living room.
"There's my grandson! How was your day?"
"Hi, grandpa. It was good."
"While you were helping your mother, I had the delightful chance of meeting Zhilan. She seems quite charming."
She gave Siyang a lopsided grin.
He raised an eyebrow at her.
His grandfather continued. "I must say, it was quite astonishing to see you brought someone home. You never bring people, but here is this lovely, little lady. Which makes me wonder if there is something you want to share."
Confusion crossed his face. "I don't understand."
"Could it be that you brought home a girlfriend?"
This is what he was thinking about earlier!
Before either of them could say anything, Mrs. Mu came in. "Zhilan is your girlfriend? I knew it couldn't be a coincidence that the first person you ever bring home is a girl. Why didn't you say so sooner?"
For the first time ever, Zhilan saw Mu Siyang actually blush. "No, mom. We're not-"
"No need to be shy. You don't have to deny it. It's so nice to see you have a girlfriend. Just make sure you don't neglect your studies."
He looked at her, speechless.
I should say something.
Zhilan tried to keep up a poker face to hide her own embarrassment. "It's really nothing like that. Siyang and I are good friends. I'm only here to spend time with him."
The elderly man turned to his daughter-in-law. "Perhaps, they need more time to admit it to us. Let's give them some space, Suyin."
What?
The adults left the teenagers to themselves. Siyang watched as they walked away. He sat and pinched the bridge of his nose.
Zhilan joined him. "Well, that was..."
"Mortifying." He supplied.
She laughed nervously and played with her hair. "I guess that's one word for it."
A beat of silence followed.
"I liked meeting your mom and grandpa though."
He looked at her, curiously.
"They were nice."
"Assumptions aside, you seem to have made a good impression on them."
"I think they were pleased to see you invite someone. Have you really never brought anyone over?" She asked, remembering their words.
He shook his head.
"Not Dachi? Or Zhuo Zhi?"
"Just you."
Zhilan smiled softly. "Well, thank you for bringing me."
"You're welcome."
"So, will you still show me around?" She asked.
He snickered. "Okay."
She grabbed his hands and gently tugged him up.
"Son, I had a thought."
The pair turned to Mrs. Mu walking back to them. She looked at their joined hands and a cheshire-like grin came across her face. "Am I interrupting?"
Zhilan pulled her hands away and stuffed them in her pockets.
Siyang fidgeted with his glasses. "What is it, mom?"
"I was wondering if Zhilan would be staying for dinner."
He looked over at her. "Will you?"
"I wouldn't want to inconvenience anyone. I know my visit was a little impromptu."
Mrs. Mu waved her hand, dismissing her words. "Nonsense. We would love to have you."
She made eye contact with Siyang and he nodded in encouragement. "All right. I'll stay for dinner."
The woman brightened. "I'll make plenty for you."
With that, they were left alone again.
"Let me finish showing you around."
She followed behind him and they passed through the kitchen and dining room areas. Then, they made it to a closed door.
"This is my favorite part of the house."
He opened it and revealed a study. Zhilan looked around in awe. It was like a workspace, but also had a mini library of books and places to sit. There was also a large window to sit by and look outside.
"I can see why."
Siyang watched as she circled around. He liked seeing her so cheerful. Finally, she settled by the window and he joined her.
"I love this."
"I like to sit here and read for hours on end. It's peaceful."
They both looked out the window at the sky. The sun was still out, but there were some gray clouds floating around. Zhilan frowned. Siyang noticed it and frowned too. Soon, it started to drizzle. After a couple of minutes, it began to rain harder.
She clicked her tongue. "Where did this come from?"
The water fell down steadily over the window.
"I hope it's not like this tomorrow. I have a match to play." She murmured.
"How has your tournament gone?" Siyang asked with interest.
"Really good. Right now, we're in the elimination round. If I win tomorrow, I'll be in the quarterfinal."
"You'll win."
"I'll do my best as always." She said hopefully.
"I'll hold you to that."
Zhilan looked at him and giggled. In that moment, thunder clapped very loudly. She flinched slightly.
Siyang put a hand on her shoulder. "Are you all right?"
"Yeah, sorry. I wasn't expecting that. It scared me for a second."
"Do you want to go back to my room?"
"It's okay. I'm fine. Don't worry." She patted his hand in reassurance.
He nodded. He glanced back to the window and noticed the weather seemed to be getting worse. He sighed deeply. That could be a problem later.
Footsteps sounded through the study and a tall, slim man walked in.
"Terrible outside." He muttered to himself.
He set down a briefcase and looked in their direction. He stared at them for a moment.
"Son. I almost didn't see you."
"Hey, dad."
His eyes focused in on Zhilan and a tiny smile crossed his lips. "You must be the guest that my wife mentioned."
She laughed a little nervously, wondering what he was told.
"Dad, this is my friend. Zhilan, this is my father." Siyang introduced.
Mr. Mu chuckled. "It's not what your mother thinks, but I'll take your word for it. How are you, Zhilan?"
"I'm good, sir. And you?"
"A bit exhausted, but fine. Thank you for asking."
She nodded.
"Your mother is almost done with dinner. Would you kids like to help her set the table?"
"Of course."
They left for the kitchen where Mrs. Mu was ready to carry some dishes to the dining room.
"Oh, good. Your father found you just in time. One of you can get the bowls, plates, cups, and utensils right there. The other can help me with the food and water."
Zhilan grabbed what she could and started to neatly fix each place setting. Siyang helped his mom bring everything else.
"I'll go get your grandfather. Go ahead and sit down for now."
"Over here." Siyang pulled out a chair for her and pushed her in close to the table.
"Thank you."
He took the seat to her left and everyone else walked in. Siyang's mom and grandfather sat across from them while his dad sat at the head of the table.
"Everything looks great as always. Let's dig in."
Everyone began to pass around the dishes.
"Here. I know you love dumplings." Siyang said as he placed some on her plate.
She immediately grabbed half of what he gave her and put it on his plate. "Better."
She also gave him some rice in his bowl and he gave her half of that as well. She scoffed lightly and smiled at him.
"Ah, young love." His grandfather commented.
They both quickly looked away from each other.
"Speaking of that, you must tell us about yourself, Zhilan." Mrs. Mu said.
"What would you like to know, ma'am?" She asked politely.
"Anything. Hobbies, family. How you and Siyang met." She suggested.
"How long you've been dating." His grandfather added.
"Grandpa." Siyang protested.
"Still denying. Okay, whenever you're ready to say it."
Zhilan nibbled on her rice.
"Dad, leave the poor kids alone. Tell us how you met." Mr. Mu encouraged.
"Well, we first met in Germany."
"Germany?"
"When I left to get my arm treated, she was already in the hospital." Siyang clarified.
"Why were you there, if I might ask?"
"I tore my ACL in my right knee after playing a tennis match."
"Birds of a feather, I see." Mrs. Mu said, half exasperated and half amused.
She laughed sheepishly.
"Ah, but they seem to be fine. Despite being hospitalized, it must have been good that you two weren't by yourselves. I imagine being in another country can feel strange without someone with you." Siyang's grandfather chimed in.
"It can be a bit overwhelming. I was on my own for a while, but then Siyang came. It didn't feel like that anymore. It was very nice to have him there." Zhilan said and turned to him with a grin.
He couldn't help but return it with one of his own.
His grandfather looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Is that what I think it is? This boy has a smile on his face."
"Wow, is this my son? I don't think I even remember the last time he smiled." His mom said, watching in amazement.
Siyang looked at them and sighed. "Aren't you exaggerating?"
Zhilan giggled. "I've told you before to relax. Even your own family seems to think you're too serious."
There was scattered laughter around the table.
He turned to her and scoffed lightly. "You too?"
She poked his cheek in response and giggled again. He shook his head and hid another smile behind his glass. It's something his mother didn't miss.
"Two smiles! What is happening here?"
"I believe it has something to do with our guest sitting next to him." His grandfather said with a glint in his eyes.
"Grandpa, please." Siyang said, knowing what direction he was going in.
"Of course. Being in the presence of such a beautiful girl, no wonder he can't help but smile. And you are quite beautiful, Zhilan." Mrs. Mu grinned at her.
She looked down at her plate, feeling bashful. "Thank you, ma'am, but I think you're over-praising me."
"You're being too modest. Son, tell her she's beautiful."
Zhilan's eyes widen as she processed her words. Siyang, who was sipping his water, momentarily choked and coughed.
"W-What?"
"Tell Zhilan that she's beautiful."
He looked at his mom like a deer caught in headlights. He glanced over at his grandfather who appeared to be enjoying his reaction.
"Well?"
He turned to Zhilan, but no words came out.
"You don't have to say anything. It's really not necessary." She assured him with a nervous laugh.
Before he knew it, he felt the words come out of his mouth. "But you are beautiful. Really."
He immediately looked away from her and was suddenly very interested in his chopsticks.
Her heart started to race and her cheeks began to burn. "T-Thank you."
I can't believe he actually said that.
"So, what about your family, Zhilan? Any siblings?" Mr. Mu asked, moving on.
She snapped out of her thoughts and turned to him."None. I only have my cousins. And of course, I have my aunt and uncle. My aunt is abroad and I live here with my uncle."
Mr. Mu's eyebrows furrowed. "Your uncle? Where are your parents?"
She froze and stayed silent. Before she could speak, louder rainfall and thunder sounded through the air.
"Oh, no." Mrs. Mu said and left the dining room.
After a minute, she came back, looking unpleased. "The weather has gotten a lot worse."
"That's not good." Zhilan muttered under her breath.
I might have to call uncle.
Just as it occurred to her, her phone rang in her pocket. She pulled it out and the call was from her uncle Xiangqian.
"Excuse me, everyone."
She left the room to answer and was immediately bombarded with questions.
"Zhilan! Are you okay? Are you safe? Where are you? Have you seen how terrible the weather is?"
She sighed. "I'm fine, I'm safe, and yes, I've seen the weather, uncle. I'm with Siyang and his family in their house."
"Huh? What are you doing there?"
"Hanging out with him?"
What do you think I'm doing?
"Nevermind that. How do you think you're going to get home in this storm?"
She huffed. "I don't know. It's not like I planned to get caught in a storm that came out of nowhere."
"You! Your uncle is concerned and you're being annoying."
"How about I call you back?"
"Huh? Are you really going to-"
Zhilan hung up before he could finish. She rubbed her forehead and stuffed her phone back in her pocket.
"Is everything all right?" Siyang asked when she made it back to the table.
"That was my uncle being...my uncle. He was checking on me."
"He must be worried. The weather isn't improving." Mr. Mu interjected.
"I know. It'll be hard for me to go home if this keeps up."
"You're not really thinking of trying to leave, are you? Weather conditions can be very dangerous." Siyang's grandfather added.
She sighed. "But I can't stay put."
"Who says you can't? You're not moving from here until the storm stops." Mrs. Mu declared.
"It might not stop for a while."
"There is a guest room. You could stay here tonight." Mr. Mu suggested.
The eldest man of the house nodded in agreement. "That's a great idea, Chuanli."
Zhilan glanced at Siyang to see how he would respond.
"I think you should stay. Your safety is important. I wouldn't want to see you get hurt."
Why are you the sweetest person I've ever met?
"All right. I should call my uncle and let him know."
He nodded and she walked away to call. She dialed her uncle who immediately answered after one ring.
"Niece! How could you hang up on me like that? Are you able to safely come home?"
"Actually, no. I'm going to stay here with Siyang and his family until the storm goes away."
"But, it won't stop until tomorrow! I'm watching the news right now!"
"Well, they don't mind me spending the night here."
He didn't say anything for a minute.
"So, you're going to spend the night at a boy's house."
Of course you focus on that.
Zhilan pinched the bridge of her nose. "We'll be in separate rooms."
"Good. I guess there isn't much of a choice. I don't like it, but okay, I'll see you tomorrow. Behave yourself."
She shook her head and went back to the dining room. "According to my uncle, this storm won't stop until tomorrow. So, I can't go anywhere even if I wanted to."
Mrs. Mu nodded. "It's for the best. I hope you'll be comfortable here."
She hummed. Dinner came to an end and everyone began to stand up.
"This has been very nice. I should get some rest now. Have a good night." Siyang's grandfather said and left.
"I should get to bed too. It's been a long day. I'll see you all in the morning." Mr. Mu said and left as well.
"Son, I'm going to find something for Zhilan to sleep in. Would you mind helping me clean?" Mrs. Mu asked.
"I'll handle it." He said, already picking dishes up.
"I'll help." Zhilan offered and did the same.
She followed him into the kitchen where he set the used dishes in the sink. She started washing them while he came back with the rest.
"You don't have to do that."
"I don't mind."
"Let me." He said and gently tried to tug a plate from her hand.
She rinsed her other hand and flicked his forehead. "No, it's the least I can do."
He snickered softly. "How about I wash and you dry?"
"Hmm...Okay."
She moved away to let him take over. They quietly cleaned everything up. She heard footsteps and looked over her shoulder.
"I found some pajamas that my niece left before. You seem to be around the same size. I left it on the bed. Thank you for helping me, kids. I can finish up here. Son, show her the guest room. Good night. Get plenty of sleep. "
"Good night, mom."
"Good night, Mrs. Mu. Thank you for everything."
Zhilan followed behind Siyang, who led her to the room across from his. He switched on the light for her to see the light blue colored room.
"This is where you'll stay for tonight."
She briefly glanced around and nodded. "It's perfect. Thank you."
"I'll still be awake for a little while if you need anything."
She suddenly remembered her belongings. "Oh! I forgot I left my things in your room. I'll get them real quick."
"Don't worry. I'll bring your things to you."
He walked out and came back with her two bags. He left them at the foot of the bed.
"Thanks again. Good night."
"Good night."
He closed the door of the room, leaving her alone. Zhilan let out a deep breath and changed out of her clothes. She dug through her bag for a ponytail holder and pulled her hair back. Finally, she laid down on the bed and got comfortable. She closed her eyes and was slowly drifting off to sleep when a very loud crack sounded. She immediately sat up, startled and sighed.
The storm had not calmed much at all and continued to rage. She sat still for a few moments before turning on the bedside table lamp.
I guess sleep isn't really my friend tonight.
Despite all of his efforts, Siyang couldn't fall asleep when he tried. Not only was the storm keeping him awake, but so were the day's events. More specifically, the dinner with his family and Zhilan. While he loved his family, they could be...a bit much. The exception being his father.
First, there was his grandfather, who made the assumption about his relationship to Zhilan. Then, there was his mother, who was more than eager to accept his words. While Zhilan did seem a bit uncomfortable, she didn't comment on it further. However, nothing threw him off more than his mother telling him to call his friend 'beautiful'.
While she told him that he didn't have to, he basically blurted it out. He heard her thanks, but he also heard the stammer in her voice. He couldn't help but wonder if he had made her uncomfortable. Perhaps, he should talk to her and apologize. He sighed and decided to go see if she was still awake. If not, he would talk to her in the morning.
Zhilan stood up and started quietly pacing around the room. She wasn't sure how long she was pacing for until she heard a quiet knock on the door. She opened it and blinked.
"Siyang?"
"Hey, I hope I didn't wake you." He said softly.
She shook her head. "No, not at all. I haven't even been to sleep yet. Come in."
He entered her room and sighed. "You're having trouble sleeping too."
"Yeah, it's kind of loud. I wish I could fall asleep through all noise like Lu Xia right now. The world could be ending, but that kid still won't wake up."
They both laughed quietly.
"So what brings you here? Besides obvious lack of sleep." She sat back down on the bed and patted the empty spot next to her for him to sit.
He joined her and cleared his throat. "I have something on my mind that I want to talk to you about. It's about earlier."
Zhilan made a confused noise. "What about earlier?"
"I want to say that I'm sorry."
"Sorry? What for?"
"If you were embarrassed or uncomfortable at dinner. My family can be a handful. And I'm sorry if by chance, I made you feel that way."
What brought this on?
"No, there's- no. You don't have to apologize for anything."
"Are you...sure?" Siyang asked, hesitant.
"Of course! I mean, I did feel a little embarrassed by some things they said, but they still treated me very nicely. I liked your family."
"Really?"
She nodded. "I did. Besides, families are supposed to embarrass you in front of people anyway. For example, have you seen my uncle?"
The first time he met Lu Xiangqian popped into his mind. "He is....something."
"The word you're looking for is crazy, but see? Everything's fine."
"And me? I didn't make you feel uncomfortable?"
Zhilan frowned. "Why would you think you made me uncomfortable?"
He looked away from her, feeling flustered. "When I said....When I said you were...."
He didn't finish, but she knew exactly what he was talking about.
"Oh, that."
Silence fell over them.
"Did you...did you mean it?"
"Mean what?"
"Did you really mean it when you said I was...beautiful?"
"I did." He answered truthfully.
"Oh." She murmured.
Her heart started racing again like earlier.
Why does that make me feel like this?
"What is it?" He asked.
She messed with her ponytail while she thought about his question. "It's just...I've been told that before. A lot. It never really meant anything to me coming from strangers. But it's different when it comes from you. It means...more. Thank you."
Zhilan put her head on his shoulder and Siyang chuckled.
"Using me as your pillow?"
"You're really comfy and warm." She said, stifling a yawn.
"I should go. You're tired."
"Just stay a little longer. Please."
He couldn't find it in himself to say no. "All right. Just a few minutes."
They laid down and got comfortable on the bed. The storm outside continued, but began to quiet down a little. It was enough to lull Zhilan to sleep. Siyang glanced at her when he heard her soft breathing. He smiled softly at her peaceful form.
He noticed a loose strand of hair in her face and gently tucked it behind her ear. It occurred to him that he should go to his room, but he felt himself drifting off and didn't move.
Author's Note
I live! Wow, it has been a long time! I'm sorry about that, but the writer's block was real! This was an idea I had swimming in my head a long time but it took me forever to execute it in a way that I liked. Anyways, I did introduce Siyang's family. I thought it would be pretty fun since literally no mention of parents or other family exist in the show. And that applies to almost every teen on this show lol. F.Y.I, Mu Siyang would totally have a family that teases the hell out of him. He may be the very calm and collected Captain of Yu Qing, but not at home. You haven't seen the last of them yet. I hope you enjoyed this super long chapter. It's definitely my longest one. And don't forget to vote and comment!
- Violet