It had been a long time since she'd woken up in a man's arms, and she had to admit it was nice. Actually no, not nice. It was absolutely amazing.
After their visit to Li Jun's family house, Li Na returned to her house from her visit to the Lu's with Li Jun. For almost a week now Li Jun has been staying with her and they have been enjoying each other's company. At school Li Jun behaved like a good ol'boy, promptly submitting his project to her and attending her class when due.
They were discreet about their relationship at the school and they tried to keep it under wraps.
At home, Li Jun's been working Li Na hard in every nook and cranny of her home as he refused to go back to his house, sneakily bringing in his clothes and toiletries. At home, he works Li Na hard against the wall, strapped on her kitchenette, and showering together in a not-so-innocent but intense way. He's an endless, high-intensity, cardiovascular workout to the extent that Li Na didn't bother going to the gym. For the life of Li Na, She knows he's younger than her, maybe that's where he finds all the so-called energy.
Today, Li Jun had a very urgent meeting with the contractors his company gave a job to and he went to supervise the project. As Li Na was entering her apartment the thought of Li Jun pervaded her mind as the sharp shrill noise from her phone jolted her back from her dreamy look, she was shocked by the name that was blinking on the phone.
"Hello, mother," Li Na answered the phone.
"Li Na, So you have deemed yourself too big to call home and ask about your dad who has been lying in the hospital for several days?" Mrs. Xu let out a disgusted breath
"Mum, I called you but You never seem to answer your phone. You have put me on a blacklist, mother." Li Na's voice was cut off as her prim and proper mother burst into a series of posh insults.
"Oh shut it Li Na, Your attempt at finding an unreasonable excuse is completely uncouth and foolish. Finding out that you were not able to call me, putting you on a blacklist should have given it away that you are supposed to come back home," Li Na's mother coldly said.
"Dear mother, we're still in an academic session, I can't just up and leave my school without a tangible reason." She knows that if she should go by a Saturday, her mother will find all means to stop her from coming back to the school immediately and that will be hell because she will be subjected to her mother's consent derision.
"Don't you dare be sarcastic to me, Young lady, You are still working? HA! And they told me I gave birth to a child! I want to see you this weekend or you stay in that school and pretend you do not have parents. You ungrateful child"
"Mum--," Li Na felt stifled at her mother's words.
"Don't mum me! Do you know that Chen Yinan has been released from prison?"
"Chen--Chen Yinan has been what? But mum he should still be serving sentence for the next six months." Li Na said as several thoughts of dread and fear start swirling in her mind.
"Oh, he was released. It was thanks to his uncle and your father who pulled some string to release him from his confinement" Said Li Na's mother.
Li Na could not find anything to say as she was confused, she felt betrayed. "But mother, th-this is the man who raped me, how can you do that to me!!!" Li Na screeched.
"Keep quiet will you? as his fiance, he has the right to sleep with you. How can you be part of the people that framed him? What you did then was not good and it did not reflect on us as in a good way"
Li Na's mother continues "do you know what he did to help your father when he was still in his position as a lecturer, how can you of all people put him in the prison. Despite all your shortcomings he still forgives you and agrees to marry you. You better accept it and end that spinster status of yours. This coming Saturday I want you to see you." Li Na mother said as she cut off from the phone
"No way in hell," Li Na muttered.
"What's that?"
"Sorry, Mum. It would be nice to come and visit dad but there is no way I'm going over there to talk with that man. No way."
Mrs. Xu responded snidely. "I don't want to hear any excuse, A good man who is ready to accept you despite you framing him for a crime he didn't commit.."
Li Na has a swipe at her eyes as tears threaten to fall."Mother! Ho-how can you say that? Why don't you believe me? Do you know what kind of actions he took when he forcefully slept with me?" Li Na breathed in as a single tear leaked from her eyes. "After what he did, Dear mother, he threatened to kill me! To Kill Me! How should I explain, for you to believe me? Despite all the evidence showing what he did," Li Na shouted as fierce emotion racked her whole body.
Mrs. Xu was quiet for a moment or two. "Oh spare those sob stories and don't you dare shout at me ever again in your life. Do you think I don't know what you're doing at school, hmmm? You are one to put someone in prison? You better come home and explain the affair you are having with your student"
Li Na was shocked as she heard what her mother said."What? How did you know, Mother? Wh-who told you." Li Na whispered while biting her fingernails.
"How? You are asking how?"
"Mother?"
Mrs. Xu cleared her throat again. "You never came home to see your father when he was lying in the hospital but Yinnan did with a well-wishing gift. Now that Chen Yunnan is back, he has decided to marry you but did you know he was still concerned about you when he realized that you were in an affair with your student, He said he will forgive you. Yet my holier-than-thou daughter who puts someone in prison claiming that he raped her and had an affair with several of his students went ahead to have an affair with a student. What should I make of that hmm?"Li Na's mother emitted a ladylike but derisive snort, communicating exactly what she thought of Li Na's behavior, and Li Na was about to hang up on her mother but the fear which her mother instilled in her gripped her.
Li Na became jittery as she remembered the flowers and cards she has been receiving on some occasion in the past weeks and she came to the conclusion that she now knows who that is. "Mother, Chen Yinnan stalked me and you don't find it repulsive, right? So he persuaded you about cutting off my so-called affair and you trust him but I don't trust him, and I sure as hell wouldn't allow him to be in my vicinity. What he did after being released from the prison was creepy."
"What's that supposed to mean? Whatever you do or say, I want to see you this weekend, sweetheart."Li Na hated how her mum managed to make an endearment like sweetheart seem like a sarcastic sneer. She managed to convey in just that one word how very far Li Na actually was from being her sweetheart.
"Or I will report your dealings with your student to the board of educational committees and we will see how you will remain a lecturer there. "Li Na's mother said in a voice that is mixed with hatred and acid.
Li Na stifled the urge to say something cruel or rude in response. "I'll buy my ticket and let you know what time I'm coming," she replied wearily.
"Fine. You better do that."
And with that, Li Na's stiffly informative conversation with Mother came to an end.
She felt angry and emotionally drained at the exchange she had with her mother. She would have wonder if her mother was really mother if not for the DNA she sneakily took some years back confirming that Mrs. Xu was naturally her mother.
More than slightly exhausted, she spent another hour feeling down and unmotivated as Li Jun's call came through her phone, she told Li Jun that she will not be around because she was visiting her mother and Li Jun persuaded her that he will follow her to her mother's place discreetly.
Persuading Li Jun that it was not a good idea for him to follow her, especially when there was the possibility that someone connected with the university could see him coming with her can put him or her in a situation that's not good.
Li Na told him that not every family can easily accept their relationship when Li Jun brought up going with her to visit her family. He had accepted, albeit reluctantly, while exacting a promise that he would come in an hour's time and stay in a hotel nearby. And Li Jun all but admitted that his passion for her was teetering on the edge of his control and that he would be back home soon.
Li Na did not want to be the cause of putting Li Jun on her mother's radar, so she was determined to limit the possibilities that they might be seen together. She didn't tell him that her ex is back and she made up her mind to go back home and end the situation with her Chen Yinnan for good.
Li Na did not know what sinister plot Chen Yinnan was cooking and she didn't want to be persuaded into doing things she was not ready to do. The fear of seeing Chen Yinnan gave her the feeling of being used and damaged, as she had so many times with him.
Which was a stark contrast to what she felt with Li Jun. Though that fact made her no less cautious, although she has started trusting Li Jun and relying on him bit by bit since the last weekend he met with his family.
Despite her erratic thoughts, Li Na slept far more peacefully with the assurance she heard from Li Jun's voice.