A Mother’s Dearest Wish

“Oh my, oh my! Welcome back,” Bai mother exclaimed, clasping her hands and leaning slightly forward. A sweet, almost too-sweet smile graced her lips, as always. “My adorable son and daughter~”

“Huh?” Bai Qiao froze, a sudden realization dawning on her. ‘It seems Mother already knows our situation,’ she thought. “Wait! No! ‘Daughter,’ what in the world is that?!”

“Ah, haha! I’ve always dreamed of having a sweet little girl,” Bai mother chirped, her eyes twinkling. “Qiao, you’re such a wonderfully filial child, fulfilling your mother’s dearest wish~”

“Hey, hey…” Bai Qiao muttered, a vein throbbing in her temple. ‘This is too much. She’s already forty, yet she acts like such a child. Ugh…’

“Oh, that’s right!” Bai mother exclaimed, placing her index finger to her lips, as if a sudden thought had struck her. “You two can’t possibly eat properly while embracing like that~”

“Eh? Eh?!” Bai Qiao’s expression shifted, and she immediately tried to push Bai Chen away.

However, her outstretched hand was instantly clasped by Bai Chen. “Actually, if Qiao is willing, I could still feed you perfectly well while holding you like this. Though, it would require Qiao to feed me in return…”

Bai Qiao’s mouth twitched. Ignoring Bai Chen’s smiling eyes and her mother’s deliberately strange gasps, she struggled free from Bai Chen’s embrace and jumped to the floor.

As her feet touched the ground, she turned, instinctively retorting, “What happened to you? You’re so… sappy!” Bai Qiao feigned a look of utter disgust.

“Eh? So my Qiao actually preferred me the way I was before? Could it be that you’re a masochist, Qiao?”

“Wh-wh-what?! You’re the masochist! Which eye of yours saw me as one?!”

“Eh? Is that so? Then… the fact that Qiao didn’t refute the first half of my statement means you admit you’re ‘my Qiao’?” Bai Chen leaned in close to Bai Qiao’s ear, blowing a soft breath that immediately sent a shiver through Bai Qiao’s body.

“You!” She had always been the one to retort to others, but ever since meeting Bai Chen, she hadn’t won a single verbal sparring match against him. ‘How infuriating…’

“Pfft!” Bai mother, who had been watching the entire spectacle unfold, finally burst into laughter. She wiped away a tear from the corner of her eye with one hand, saying, “Alright, alright, Chen, stop teasing Qiao.”

Thanks to the unexpected interlude and the clarification of their ‘misunderstanding’ in front of Bai mother, the meal proceeded remarkably harmoniously. It had been a long time since Bai Qiao had felt such a sense of home, a feeling she deeply cherished as she gazed up at the ceiling.

“Eh? Chen? What are you thinking about?” Bai mother asked, seeing Bai Chen staring blankly at the dining table.

“N-nothing much. It’s just that I haven’t had a meal like this since I can remember. It’s a very strange feeling.”

“Ah, ah… Chen, you’re my adorable son too. Our family should continue to live like this from now on,” Bai mother said, pressing her index finger to her lips.

‘Why is this scene so heartwarming? Why is it shaking my resolve to return to that world? Why am I wavering? Should I stay here?’ Bai Chen shook his head, forcing himself to dismiss these thoughts. After all, he couldn’t abandon the Bai Kingdom and remain here indefinitely.

“Hello? Ah! My darling husband~” By the time Bai Chen turned his head, Bai mother had already left the dining table and gone out to the balcony to answer a call.

“Husband, you haven’t even come back to see me~” Bai Qiao continued eating, accustomed to her mother’s coquettish tone, deliberately ignoring it.

“Oh? Husband, you’re coming back? You’ve already booked your flight? The day after tomorrow?”

“Ah, ah, no, no worries, no worries. Be careful on your way back, MWAH~”

Hanging up the phone, Bai mother returned to the dining table, deliberately clearing her throat. “Your father is coming back…”

“Huh? He’s really coming back?!” The chopsticks in Bai Qiao’s hand clattered to the floor, her surprise undisguised.

“That’s right. I really don’t want your husband to know about your current situation; it’s too complicated. So, Chen, starting today, you need to quickly catch up on everything that’s happened. And Qiao… you’ll be our Chen’s girlfriend, of course!”

“Wh-wh-what?!” The other chopstick in her hand also fell to the floor.

“After all, with Qiao staying at home like this, ‘girlfriend’ is the best explanation, wouldn’t you agree?” Bai mother rested her chin on her hands, looking at Bai Qiao with an expectant—or rather, a hopeful—expression.

“Are you—are you kidding me?! I can’t do that!” Bai Qiao roared, then bent down to pick up the fallen chopsticks.

“That’s why… starting today, I’ll personally train Qiao!”

“Hey, hey! I don’t want to turn into you, Mom!” The chopsticks she had just picked up tragically fell once more.

****