Saturday
Ya Nuo: "I forgot to ask for your address"
Nana: "It's 51 Ln Road. When you reach the corner of the block, I'll come get you."
Ya Nuo: "Alright, I'll see you soon."
Nana: "Can you bring your makeup tools with you?"
Ya Nuo: "What for?"
Nana: "I want to see you without your makeup. Pretty please?"
Ya Nuo: "..okay"
Half an hour later, Nana hugged Ya Nuo's arm as they entered the mansion.
"My mom, brother and friend are out shopping for tonight's dinner. We can go up to my room."
"Okay."
After getting to her room, Ya Nuo saw that Nana had prepared drinks and sweets for her.
NaNa: "Come, come. I don't know if these are to your liking, but they're my favorite. If you want to eat something else, I can have the chef make it for you."
Ya Nuo smiled, "I'm good with this. What did you want to talk about today?"
Nana: "I know we aren't that close, but may I ask why you have to hide your beautiful face and disguise as a male? I don't mean that your current look isn't handsome, in fact, you look better than 90% of the men whom I've seen..."
Ya Nuo: "Nana, there are some things where you can't get what you want in life. I'm hiding my gender identity so that I won't end up in trouble."
Nana: "Nuo Nuo, since you saved me before, I can try to help you if you tell me what's going on and who you're hiding from. With my family's status, my father can help you."
Ya Nuo shook her head, "I don't want to get too many people involved with me. It'll make you in danger."
Nana: "I don't care about danger. You're my friend and you saved me before. I can't pretend that I don't know when I already discovered that you are having trouble."
Ya Nuo: "...maybe in the future."
Nana saw that she was frowning and quickly stopped, "Then, how about removing your makeup and trying out some dresses? You always dress up as a guy and probably rarely as a girl. You could teach me about makeup too."
Ya Nuo: "Okay. Just for today then."
Nana: "Hehe, here is some makeup remover."
After removing her makeup, taking off her wig, and wearing a light blue short sleeve dress, she walked out of the bathroom. Her beauty mesmerized Nana. It was breathtaking, like seeing a goddess coming out of a portrait.
"Wow... you look so gorgeous. Amazing!!!!! Here, hold these lilies. You look like one of my aunties!"
"Aunty?"
"Yep, she's so sweet and pretty! Don't believe me? I'll show you her picture."
Nana quickly swiped on her phone and showed her a picture of Auntie Yang Xue.
"Right?"
Ya Nuo's body trembled slightly, "Can I see that picture longer?"
"Of course, here."
"She.. She looks like my mom!"
"Nuo, don't cry. Please, I'm sorry, I..it's okay. Do you want to meet her? She also has a child, but her child went missing long ago. She said she couldn't find her daughter ever since then." she patted Nuo on the back and wiped her tears using a piece of tissue.
"What...?"
"Auntie Yang Xue married an abusive man and got divorced. She gave birth to her second child after the divorce and when the child was 2, she got kidnapped. Ever since that day, Auntie has been searching for clues."
"Do you know who she married?"
"She married your father."
"I'm sorry, I don't feel well. I want to leave first."
"Nuo! Auntie Yang Xue is coming to tonight's dinner! Don't leave yet." she hugged Ya Nuo's arm.
"You.. did you set this up?"
"I didn't do it on purpose. My family and Auntie Yang Xue are very close and we wanted to help her. When I first met you I didn't think you would be related to Auntie at all. It wasn't until my parents pointed it out and so I invited you for dinner so the two of you could meet again."
"I came here to hang out as a friend! Not meet someone who might be my mother!"
"Then aren't you at least a bit curious of who she is? how she's like? Like you said, she might be your mother, meaning there is a chance that she isn't. She's been looking for her child for 16 years! Do you know how many heart breaks and suffering she's been through these years?"
"She went through pain? Then what about me? She's been looking and searching for so many years and she couldn't trace back to her ex-husband?? You are standing on her side, but did you know how much I suffered since I was young? You know nothing so shut up and don't talk as if you know me! What would she do if she finds out about my past 16 years of life?" Ya Nuo shoved her arms off and Nana lost her balance.
"Aahh!!" Nana crashed into the table of food and scrapped her arm.
"I'm sorry, I..lost my temper. Where's your medicine kit, I'll help you treat the wound and then leave."
"No! Then I won't treat this wound and let myself bleed until dinner! Nuo, I don't know what you've been through and would try to share your burden with you. If you are Auntie's daughter then I hope you'll give this woman a chance. She is not what her ex-husband claims and you should hear her side of the story from her."
Ya Nuo unzipped the back of the dress, "Nana, I understand what you are saying, but if you were me, how would you face her? This wound on my back will always remind me how horrible my childhood was and how much my father hated me. This scar will never go away and the pain I felt back then still lingers in my heart. This heart wrenching feeling that hurts so badly, so much that I feel like ripping my heart out, will never go away. How will I face my mother and tell her that all these years, I've lived with a monster who abused me to the extent where I wanted to die? How about you tell me? I already feel so much pain and is trying my best to survive. I don't want to make her feel worst than she already does."
Nana covered her mouth in shock. After her first drop of tear broke free, the rest followed like a stream. "Nuo.. you.. you must have suffered. This scar.. must have hurt a lot. You are hiding from your father aren't you? You can hide for him for now, but what about the future? Why not try to meet your mother and reconnect again? At the very least you'll have protection against your father. He wont be able to do anything bad to you anymore as long as you have our protection! We will avenge you and make those bitches suffer!"
"Nana, forget it. He's my father..I can't do that to him. I hate him, but I don't want to cause him harm."
Female voice: "Then what if he's not your father?"