Susu kept the photo album with her so that she could make a copy of each photo. While flipping through the pages of the album and observing each photo carefully, her fingers gently brushed against the protective covers on her mother's face.
"Mom...you looked so happy when stamping your thumb with Auntie Shen Wen's thumb. You probably wanted to see me end up with Tian Yuo, but I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I'm not marrying because I love him or that I want to work this relationship out."
"I loved him, but I've already decided to give up on him. At the same time, I owe Auntie too much. She really treated me like I'm her daughter and after that night... I don't have any more excuses to bring up. I want to do something for you and even if this marriage may result in a divorce, I'm willing to go through it."
Ding Dong
She wiped her tears quickly and checked through her peephole to make sure that she's opening the door to someone safe. "Chen Mu?"
She opened the doors and was stuffed with a box of her favorite pastries, "Tada~ Surprise!"
"Huh...?" At the moment, her emotions were running on a rollercoaster ride. She didn't know if she was feeling happy or sad. The moment she saw Chen Mu's smiling face and arms spread when he said 'surprise!' she pounced on him and hugged him tightly.
He wasn't expecting her to initiate a hug out of nowhere and such a rough one too! Instinctively, he wrapped his arms around her so that he could balance her weight against his body. "Was it that surprising that you jumped on me? Hahaha" He joked around, but noticed the low sniffles that she's trying to hold back.
"W..what? What happened?" He tried loosening her arms, but she refused to let go. He noticed that her neighbors were starting to get nosy, so he acted naturally and said, "Oh honey! No need to get intimate this quick! Let's go in first!"
With her in his embrace, he slowly walked into her apartment and used his foot to close the door from behind. After locking the doors, he rubbed her back and asked, "What's wrong hmm?"
His 20/20 vision helped him spot the photo album on the couch. 'From what I remember, she said that there weren't any photos of her family. So then... what's with that photo album?' He could feel the wetness from her tears staining his shoulders as he comforted her.
"Shhh...shhh.. it's alright. Everything will be okay...Here, let me take the pastries from you before they get crushed or get into any accidents." His curiosity went wild as she sobbed on his shoulders. After safely placing the box of pastries onto the table, he moved over to the couch where the photo album was wide open.
Following his instincts, he decided to move closer to get a better view of the photo album. "Susu, I'm getting tired of standing. How about continuing after we get on the couch? You can cry for however long you want on my shoulders."
Her raspy voice struck his heart heavily, "W..who's crying? You're crying! I'm just resting my .. my eyes. " Feeling her arms tighten around his neck, he laughed softly, "Yes, yes, I'm the one who is crying. Not you." Slowly, he brought her over to the couch and sat down.
She bent her body with her arms still wrapped around his shoulders and buried her face in his chest, avoiding his face. From where they were sitting, Chen Mu could get a clearer view of the photos. He could tell that the woman in the pictures was her mother.
After years of missing her mother, she finally cried it all out. All her frustration and all the words that she wanted to say but couldn't; everything came pouring out through the tears. Chen Mu wasn't sure what was wrong with her, but he kept whispering words to her ears and stroking her smooth hair.
After half an hour later, her tears stopped, but she remained in the same hugging position. She hiccuped and buried her face into his neck so that he couldn't see how she looked.
"I..I got your shirt all wet." Her voice was as weak as a newborn kitten. His heart softened when he heard her voice, "It's okay. It's just a shirt. I could always wash it."
"I..I messed up some of the pastries when I jumped to you." She sounded guilty for ruining a few pieces of pastry that was in the box.
"It's okay. Now we get to try two flavors in one pastry. Even better." As she spoke more, he found more excuses to dote on this childlike girl in his arms. His voice sounded like gentle waves to her ears, so soothing and calm.
"Chen Mu, close your eyes." She requested.
"Huh? Why?" The moment he loosened his arms around her back, his eyes were covered by her warm palms.
"I look like a mess, so you're not allowed to see my face right now." Though his eyes were covered, he could hear the nervousness from her voice. He smiled sweetly as his hands found its way to her cheeks and caressed it with care.
"You crybaby. Your eyes are probably still puffy from crying. Your cheeks are probably rosy as well. Even if your face is a mess in your eyes, you look cute in mine. Remember, in front of me, you will never have to hide how you truly feel. If you want to cry, then you can wet as many shirts of mine as you want. If you are tired and need someone to support you, my shoulder is always available for you to lean on. Whether happy or sad, you can always share it with me."
After a minute of silence, her palms unblocked his sight. He saw her flushed cheeks and slightly swollen eyes, "Hmm? See, it's not even bad at all. Still the same Susu that I know. Cuter even."
She laughed while sniffling as a few tears escaped the corner of her eyes. Feeling embarrassed, she threw playful punches against his chest and smiled, "You and your teases."
"My pleasure." He caught her hands and laughed with her.
"Ah right! You brought pastries. I'm going to wash my face and then eat them!" Taking the rubber band from her wrist, she tied it up into a messy bun on her way to the bathroom. During the few minutes that she was washing her face, he took the opportunity to look at the photo album.
He whispered to the picture with her mom in it, "Greetings Mrs. Yin, we've never met, but I am Susu's friend for now. I love and care for her more than any man I've came across. I hope you could give me your blessings and some good luck in chasing after your daughter. I promise you that I will always be by her side regardless of her reaction to my feelings. Thank you for giving birth to such a beautiful angel."
"Chen Mu! I caught you!" Susu's startled his poor heart.
"W..wh..what?" he stuttered.
"You were looking at my mom without my permission! But it's okay since she is the prettiest woman I've ever seen. Isn't she beautiful?" Susu walked over while applying moisturizer to her face.
"Mmm.. very beautiful. You take after her a lot." He maintained his smile while looking at the woman in the picture.
"Chen Mu.." She leaned her head on his shoulders, giving him another skipping heart beat moment.
"mhmm?"
"I..am getting married."