The taller dancer was too pre-occupied with playing with her cat that she failed to notice the younger dancer entering the studio.
"Hey,"
Jiaqi looked up to the voice and greeted her back with a smile. She patted the space next to her but instead of seating beside her, Xueer went to take the towel on the sofa before plopping next to her.
Jiaqi watches her as she wipes the sweat off her forehead and her neck.
"Thanks." Jiaqi said.
Xueer looked up to her and her heart skipped a bit upon seeing the emotion in the taller's eyes.
'It's the same from yesterday. The same love and adoration. But at the same time...something else changed.'
She must've been staring for a long time because Jiaqi's brows furrowed in concern and asks her, "What's wrong."
The younger quickly gave her a smile and shook her head to assure the older.
Her eyes then averted to Qmi who's leisurely lying on the floor while Jiaqi rubs her stomach. She reached out to her and to Jiaqi's surprise, Qmi also reached out her paw.
"Looks like she likes you."
"Hm?"
"She doesn't usually get along with new people." Jiaqi explained while caressing the cats neck.
"Did she lead you here?" Jiaqi asks.
"Yeah. She's been bumping her head on the door while I've been staring at it confusely for as long as I remember." Xueer replied with a frown making Jiaqi laugh at her.
Qmi stood up and stretched her limbs while the two women watches her. The white cat turned away from and walked upstairs, leaving the two of them alone.
"Soo..." Xueer trailed.
Without saying a word, Jiaqi lied down on Xueer's lap and closed her eyes.
"Did I wake you up again?" she asks.
"Yeah. I couldn't feel you again."
Jiaqi chuckled. "You've been really clingy lately."
Xueer took the older's hand in hers and intertwined their fingers while asking her, "Do you not like it?"
Jiaqi shook her head, "I like it. It helped a lot. It calmed me."
Comfortable silence enveloped them.
Xueer was softly brushing Jiaqi's blue locks while the other stays interlocked with the latter's hand.
"Jiaqi," Xueer suddenly said, pulling Jiaqi away from sleep. "Look..."
Jiaqi slowly opened her eyes and the first thing she saw is her intertwined hand with Xueer's.
"...It fits perfectly."
A smile tugged up on Jiaqi's lips. She brought their hands near her lips and placed a kiss on the back of Xueer's hand.
"You're cute."
Instead of getting flustered, Xueer became daring and leaned closer to Jiaqi. The latter was a bit surprised but kept contact on the younger's eyes, curious on what she's gonna do.
She saw Xueer's eyes flicker down her lips. Jiaqi licked her bottom lip as an attempt to tease her but she ended up looking at the younger's lips too.
Jiaqi found herself leaning closer and closer until they were only an inch apart.
But before they could close the gap.....
"Xu Jiaqi!"
'Lu Keran, not NOW!!!!'
Jiaqi looked back at her eyes and gave her a shy smile. She placed a kiss on the younger's forehead instead and pulled her up with her before Keran sees them.
"Do you wanna wash up here?" Jiaqi casually asks as if they're not about to kiss a while ago.
"I'll just wash at home." Xueer shyly said, though mentally praising herself for not stuttering.
"Hey Ki- Oh, Xueer's still here." Keran greeted when she entered the studio.
"Uhmm Xueer, are you okay? Your face is very...red." she asked.
She turned to look at Jiaqi with a worried expression but Jiaqi pointed at her and said, "It's your fault."
Keran gave her a confused look.
Xueer, becoming more embarrassed, unclasped her hand from Jiaqi's and dashed to her house.
Keran became more confused.
"What'd I do???" she asked Jiaqi.
"Nevermind that. Why're you here?" Jiaqi asked back.
"Food...?"
"Oh?"
"Yes. Now go wash up while I prepare the food." Keran ordered.
~~~~~~~~~
"She's wearing your clothes. I don't know but that kinda speaks big girlfriend energy to me." Keran started a conversation after Jiaqi finished taking a bath. "Are you two a thing now or...what?"
"You know I can't. I mean, not yet." Jiaqi replied. "She did confess tho. Yesterday." she added.
'I love you...' she remembers Xueer's words.
Keran turned off the stove and leaned to the counter, facing Jiaqi. "What happened?"
"She said she wanted me and, of course, I wanted her too but....I don't want to ask her to be my girlfriend when we're in this situation." Jiaqi explained.
"What if something happens to me, what about her? We're just in the start of the relationship and then suddenly I'm...I don't know...gone...? Lost...? Maybe even....dead....This time...I might..."
Keran didn’t say anything and just listened to her.
No matter how much she hates the thought of possibly losing Jiaqi--for real this time--she knows that it might really happen. Although Jiaqi’s father doesn't directly harm her, the things he does is enough to destroy her.
"Well.....how are you doing, then?...." Keran carefully asks.
"I'm....I'm–...It hurts, Keke...I'm scared..." Jiaqi stuttered. "I–I don't wanna lose her. I–....I–...I don't know what to do if I lose her...I can't imagine...h-how I'll be w-without her anymore..."
Keran grabbed her hand and rubbed soothing circles to ease her.
"You don't have to worry about losing her, Jiaqi." She comforted. "Xueer's strong. Stronger than you think. You have to trust her more Ki."
"I do, Keran, trust me I do. But the one we're against is my father. And you know him. You know how he can get. You know his ways and...and...and..."
"Jiaqi, Jiaqi hey. Calm down, breathe. You're hyperventilating, you gotta breathe. Stay with me."
Keran heard the front door followed by a, "Hey, I'm back." and she could've felt relieved if her best friend isn't shaking in front of her.
"Xueer, in the kitchen! Please hurry." Keran frantically instructed.
Xueer immediately followed where Keran directed her and was shocked to see Jiaqi’s state.
Keran made way for Xueer and left the two of them when she saw Jiaqi calmed down just by Xueer's touch.
The younger girl cupped Jiaqi’s face and gently caresses her cheek while whispering words of comfort to her. She hugged the latter--Jiaqi’s head on her shoulder--and planted a kiss on her temple.
"It's alright, I'm here, I'm here. Shhh, I'm here."
Xueer continued stroking her hair eventually calming Jiaqi down.
Once she was feeling better, Jiaqi wrapped her arms around Xueer's waist and pulled her closer, further burying her face in Xueer’s neck.
"I'm sorry." she weakly apologized.
"Don't be," Xueer assured. "It's fine, don't worry. I'm here for you, it's okay."
She guided Jiaqi to the living room, where she found a note by Keran saying that she has to leave.
She made her on the sofa and tried to pull away from the hug but the taller tightened her grip around her so she ended up straddling Jiaqi.
'This...position...is NOT IT. XU JIAQI WHAT THE HELL!?!?!?'
"H-hey," obviously she'll stutter, not to mention the blushing too but all of those subtly dissapeared when she heard a sniff, followed by the loosening of the hug around her.
'....Jiaqi....'
She place her hand on the taller's head and gently pats it while her sniffs became louder until she's uncontrollably crying on the younger's shoulder.
Xueer didn't say anything. Not that she couldn't, but it felt like Jiaqi didn't need to hear anything that time. It felt like she only needed to feel that she's there, that she's safe and that no one can separate them.
Xueer didn't notice that Jiaqi has been clenching her fist. Really hard. So when she saw the nail marks in her palm, that are starting to become a scar, she was surprised.
She went to get some bandages for her scar but when she came back, Jiaqi was no longer on the couch. Instead, she saw another note saying, "I went somewhere. Don't wait for me. I'm sorry."
"She hasn't even eaten anything." Xueer muttered. "And I told her not to be sorry..."
~~~~~~~~~
Mr. Zhang was, more or less, surprised to see Jiaqi before him again. But that surprise was replaced with worry when he saw the girl's puffy red eyes. Especially after she commanded him, "Don't let anyone in. I want to be alone.", when she stepped inside the gate.
She doesn't remember how she got there. Or what she was supposed to do, but she didn't want to see anyone right now.
She went upstairs to her room and locked the door before lying down her bed and staring at the ceiling.
"Why me, father? What did I ever do to deserve this?" she asks in the air. But her voice wasn't laced with anger. It was sad, tired and disappointed.
"I never understood why I had to go through this. Until now I still don't." she sighed.
"I finally got something that I wanted. I'm finally really happy for once but–...but you're threatening to take it away."
This time, her anger was bubbling up.
She gripped the sheets (the scars on her palms stinging), her breathing heavy and her anger becoming too hard to control.
"Why, why, why! WHY CAN'T I BE HAPPY FOR ONCE! I'M STILL YOU'RE DAUGHTER, WHY DO YOU HAVE TO DESTROY ME!"
She started trashing around, throwing her pillows, the blanket and anything and everything that she can get her hands to.
Mr. Zhang, somehow, was able to feel that something like this was going to happen. So, before she could throw and destroy anything else, he unlocked the door with his pare key, went inside and firmly hugged his young miss to restrain her.
She madly tries to free herself from the bodyguard's hold until she felt her energy getting sucked out. She helplessly cried and cried in his arms till no more tears were coming out of her eyes.
"...I just...want to be happy.....Why...why does...he want to take it way.....To take her away....." she sobbed.
Mr. Zhang soothingly rubbed her back and gently rock their selves back-and-forth to lull her to sleep. Slowly, Jiaqi eyes became heavy and sleep took control of her.
He properly laid Jiaqi in the bed, picking up her pillows and blanket. He dusted it off before placing a pillow under the girl's head and one for her to hug it then placing the blanket on top of her and tucking her in.
He made sure to set the air conditioner on her preferred temperature, cleaning and bandaging her scarred palms before tidying her whole room.
He has taken care of her and watched her grow since she was seven and this was.......probably the worst break down he has ever seen her do.
Usually, she'd just lie down in her bed and wait until she'll fell asleep but this was the first time that she has trashed around.
After making sure that everything is tidy and that all the broken things have been cleaned, he checked up on her one last time before exiting the room to leave her to sleep.
Once he was out of her room, he was greeted by another man informing him that his mother came.
Mr. Zhang's mother has also been taking care of Jiaqi since she was a toddler. She knows all the things she went through and has seen her go through so much pain.
If Mr. Zhang acts like her own father at times, then his mom acts like Jiaqi’s grandma most of the time.
"Ma, what bring you here?" Mr. Zhang greets and asks his mother.
"My senses are telling me that something's wrong with the child. Is she alright?"
Mr. Zhang shook his head, "She's far from alright. She just trashed her room before falling asleep."
"Oh no," his mother worriedly remarked.
"I was given orders to not let anyone in but, can you take care of her?"
"I came here because of that. Don't worry I'll handle her. Go do your job." his mom assured.
"Xiexie Ma."
He gave his mom a kiss on the cheek and gave Jiaqi’s room one last look before returning to his spot.
Mrs. Zhang went inside Jiaqi’s room to check up on her. She sat beside her on the bed and softly strokes her hair.
The action woke Jiaqi up. She turned her head and was relieved, even happy, to see Mrs. Zhang. She moved closer to the older woman and rested her head on her lap while she continues to stroke her hair.
"Sleep some more, Angel. When you wake up later, I'll cook all you favorites, how's that?"
Jiaqi sleepily nodded her head and snuggled closer to the woman who continued to lull her to sleep again.
~~~
I have no idea what happ to the second half of this but it is what it is 🥲