Chapter 103 - Tired

Under the careful watch of Lu Chen, the family of three continued roaming around the area for almost an hour before returning to the hotel. Along the way, Lu Qiang and Xiu Mei happily talked about their day so she didn't have an opportunity to check her phone at all.

"Quickly wash up then I'll read you a story before sleeping, okay?" Xiu Mei brushed Lu Qiang's hair and hugged him before pushing him towards his room. Lu Qiang nodded while Lu Chen entered his room with all the shopping bags in his hand.

Xiu Mei returned to her room and washed up as well. After changing into her pajamas, she on her bed and continued rubbing her hair to dry it. After a few minutes, she stepped out of her room and entered Lu Qiang's room while her towel still hung around her shoulder.

"Which story do you want for bedtime today?" Xiu Mei's face was filled with tenderness as soon as she saw Lu Qiang in his usual printed light blue pajamas. She pulled him towards the bed and rubbed his wet hair for drying.

"Hmm…" Lu Qiang became silent for a short while before finally deciding on something. "Then can I listen about Grandma's story again?"

"Grandma's story, huh. Okay, sure. I'll tell you that story again after I dry your hair."

"Then mom, what about your hair?" Lu Qiang pointed at Xiu Mei's wet hair.

Before Xiu Mei could open her mouth, another voice responded for her.

"I'll help your Mom with hers." Lu Chen remarked as soon as he entered the room. He was in his navy blue pajamas and wearing his gold-rimmed glasses he would always wear at night.

"Wife, scoot over a little bit on this side so I can rub your hair."

"Oh." Xiu Mei absentmindedly nodded and followed what he said. While holding Lu Qiang with his shoulders, she scooted aside a little bit to make space for Lu Chen.

The area of the bed behind her immediately dipped as soon as Lu Chen sat on it. He quickly grabbed the towel around her neck and started rubbing her hair while slightly massaging it as well.

Because this was the first time someone rubbed her hair, Xiu Mei felt a bit tingly around her neck. She didn't know if it was just because she wasn't used to it or if she was actually very sensitive when someone touches her hair.

She continued drying Lu Qiang's hair while Lu Chen dries hers. If anyone sees this picture, they would surely look in envy with how picture-perfect it was.

After that short bonding time, Xiu Mei immediately tucked Lu Qiang to bed. Lu Chen decided to sit beside Lu Qiang's bed to watch over them.

Xiu Mei laid beside him while starting telling stories about her mother's story in the military. She knows it's a weird bedtime story for a child but after Lu Qiang listened to her parents' story when she visited them before, the kid would often pester her to tell their stories instead of the normal bedtime stories for children. She was very skeptical at first but gradually got used to telling it after a few days.

Ten minutes later, Lu Qiang finally fell asleep. After giving him a kiss on his forehead, Xiu Mei sat up from the bed and turned to Lu Chen who seemed to be sleeping as well.

Xiu Mei looked over him worriedly. Won't he got a body ache if he sleeps in that position?

She quickly got off the bed and walked over to his side. She reached out to him and lightly patted his crossed arms.

"Chen?" She whispered.

Lu Chen's eyes immediately opened as soon Xiu Mei patted him. He looked at Xiu Mei who was now saying to him to go back to his bed to sleep. He seemed to still be so out of it as he dozes off while staring at her.

Seeing this, Xiu Mei grabbed his hand to pull him up.

"Let's go." She said, finally pulling him to make him stand up. Lu Chen didn't fight back and allowed her to drag him outside of the room.

"You seem tired. You should have just went straight to sleep ah." She said. Lu Chen shook his head.

"Then, goodnight." She said. Before she could take a step towards her room, Lu Chen tugged her hand lightly to stop her from walking away.

"Spend some time with me a little more, okay?"

"?"

Before she could even reply, Lu Chen pulled her towards the living room. He sat on the sofa so Xiu Mei was just about to sit beside him when she was suddenly pulled by Lu Chen forward.

Xiu Mei stiffened in her place after realizing her current position. She was now sitting on Lu Chen's lap. She felt lost and she could hear heart drumming crazily within her ribcage in nervousness.

Lu Chen acted moved very naturally while snaking his arms around her waist. He rested his chin on her shoulders and relaxed.

Not used with their current position, Lu Chen could sense that Xiu Mei's stiffness while hugging her.

"Relax, wife." He whispered in her ear which tickled Xiu Mei's ears. She reacted and unconsciously avoided him but with her locked in his arms, she couldn't do anything.

Xiu Mei bit her lip as she tried to distract herself with different thoughts. She didn't push him away because she wanted to try in getting used to this. It's not like she's uncomfortable with this kind of skinship because she hated it, rather, she's uncomfortable because this was the first time she'd ever gotten this intimate with a male person after she completely matured.

Behind her, she was unaware of Lu Chen's thoughts.

Lu Chen was genuinely tired at that moment so after seeing Xiu Mei, all he wanted to do was to bury her in his arms to seek comfort. His work, his cousin's death, and his father-in-law's accident were getting to him. He is still a normal human after all. So right now, he was acting a bit spoiled in front of her to get some comfort.

After staying in that position for a while, Xiu Mei leaned forward to reach for the remote control of the television.

Lu Chen did not stop her and allowed her to turn it on. Xiu Mei was slowly switching the channels when a random thought hit her.

"Ah! Did you bring the paper bag that Mrs.Kim gave me?"

"It's on the counter."

"Then let me grab it for a minute." She slightly pushed Lu Chen, signaling him to release her but Lu Chen stopped her from getting away and tightened his hug instead.

"Later."

"Chen, come on."

"No." He buried his face on her hair and continued, "Just take it later."

"..."

Fine, Lu Chen seemed to have no intention of letting her go any moment now.

She returned her attention to the television and switched the channel once again. She was just about to switch to another channel when she heard some news that paused her movements.

"This afternoon, Vice Premier Xiu got into an accident…."

The next words did not register in Xiu Mei's mind because as soon as she heard her Dad's name and that he got into an accident, her mind immediately went blank.

...Dad got into an accident?

Her heart began to palpitate as dread suddenly filled her mind. She absentmindedly pushed Lu Chen's arms away to grab her phone in her room.

She didn't even bother unlocking her phone and hit her mother's number in speed dial. After a few rings, the call was immediately picked up.

"Mom? How's Dad?"

"Mei'er, calm down first okay." Hearing her daughter's panicked voice, Yu Shi Huang tried calming her down.

"Is Dad okay? Please tell me, is he okay?" Xiu Mei almost begged on the phone.

"Your Dad is fine. He's completely fine. So calm down, okay?"

Xiu Mei didn't immediately believe it, thinking that her mom might be just telling her that so she won't panic and worry.

"Mom, is Dad really fine? Tell me, he's really fine right?"

"Yes, honey. You're Dad is really alright. I wish you could talk to him right now but he's in the middle of a meeting with your second brother right now."

Hearing that, Xiu Mei somehow calmed down a little bit. She was still unsure whether her Mom was telling the truth so she won't get a panic attack but she changed her mind after thinking that if something serious had really happened, she'd surely receive a random call from one of her brothers which usually tips her off that something had happened.

This time, Xiu Mei didn't know that the reason why she wasn't tipped off at all because her second brother called Lu Chen instead of her.

Xiu Mei worriedly asked her mother for his Dad's current condition and what really happened. She was too worried and focused on the call that she did not notice Lu Chen was leaning on the door frame of her room. In his hand is his phone messaging Xiu Mo Ruo of Xiu Mei's current condition.