12 Are you Happy?

"Chen!" Lily exclaimed again.

He was still in an overwhelmed state and gave a reflexive reply. "Un?"

She let out a little giggle. "Are you that happy to see me?" she asked. "You are so quiet, but then you usually are anyway."

Chen dazedly replied, "Yeah,"

'Is she really here? This is not a dream?'

She was surprised at his blunt reply but soon felt that he was a little off.

Lily waved her hand in front of his face, and with a concerned look, she asked, "Are you ok? Did something happen?"

"No, it's just I haven't seen you in two years, I was wondering if this is some kind of trick my eyes are playing on me," Chen replied honestly.

Lily stepped closer to him.

On her tiptoes, she cupped his face with both of her hands and rubbed her forehead on his. "Does it feel real now?" She asked, smiling at him.

Cute.

She was so close that he could feel her breath tickling his nose.

The feeling of another person's touch and body heat would usually make him uncomfortable.

Unbearably suffocating.

Her touch was different; it was gentle and cooling, which made him crave for it even more. Since she was wearing clothes that were thin, the feeling of their skin touching was even more intimate and electrifying.

Lily looked deeply into Chen's eyes that felt as bright as day despite having a color that is as dark as the night sky.

'Something did change in him.' She thought.

He wasn't like before, aloof and sad. Though his overbearing and cold nature did not budge one bit.

She laughed under her breath.

"Little fool, aren't you suppose to pinch me if you wanted to help me confirm if it is true or not?"

Chen lowered his eyes and unknowingly wrapped his arms around her waist to support her. The gentleness in his voice was unmistakably visible.

She gave him a small laugh seeing that the way he treated her was still nothing like his appearance.

He was a major softy.

"How have you been! Are you still sad?" She asked him again.

"No." He muttered, returning her gaze. He had a satisfied look on his face. That feeling disappeared along time ago, but the emptiness still stayed.

Strangely seeing her today, it was meteorically removed.

"Then that's good!"

Still in his arms, Lily proceeded to hold her own cheeks. Her eyes wandered up in the sky. "Ah. I haven't seen Anne for so long! I wonder how her marriage is going. Does she have any kids yet?"

Fearing she might fall backward, he held her back and bent down a little lower for her to stably stand on her feet. Their height was still the same, under his chin, she reached only halfway up his neck.

She was still just as reckless. Does she ever fear to fall?

"You can visit her to confirm it yourself, but she's doing fine in general. In fact, they are more loving than the last time you saw them; hence, I'm stuck with a ton of work." Chen tried to complain to her, hoping at least she would convince them to work more.

They are the leaders of this country for god sake, Yet they take things so lightly.

Behind her gentle and cheerful self, Lily had a very nurturing, mature aura, almost overbearing like him.

Different from him, she connoted a secure, reassuring feeling. If she said anything, it would inevitably influence them to do something.

Lily's voice was also magnetic. Very soothingly sweet and clear. A voice that resonates in people's hearts into their core. Even he, who was always unyielding, was obedient as he can get.

"Then let's go play and have you relax! I have been missing all those food we ate!" She exclaimed to him. She very much missed the food they tried at the stalls in town and the cafes.

"And not me?" He joked.

"..."

Lily gave him a stunned looked and slowly blushed. Yet another unexpected sentence that pulled out of his lips.

He's still the same since the last time she saw him, saying all these things again. The only difference was he was using them seamlessly in their conversations. He was getting better at it.

Seeing that she wasn't responding, he quickly said, "I'm teasing. Then let's go. Did you have lunch-"

"I've missed you too." Lily teased him back. I can always play this game. Hmph!

"..."

Chen involuntarily went quiet.

Don't say that.

She was leaving space for him. He didn't know how to reply.

"Let's go! I'm hungry!" Lily pulled him towards town.

Chen replied with an "en" and followed her.

_____________

Both of them found a nearby shop closest to the palace to enjoy their meal and tried to catch up.

Chen was quietly looking at her eat.

"Something wrong?" She asked.

It's hard to eat when someone was burning a hole through her with just his eyes!

"You're not curious about anything? A lot of things had changed since the last time we met." He questioned back.

"Hmmmmm...Well, I figured out some stuff considering it took a lot of effort to get up here, but you can just tell me everything that's changed later,"

Lily rested her chin on one hand and continued, "But I assume you have some questions for me,"

So what she said about herself is true.

"Are you happy?" He suddenly asked, which rendered her feeling conflicted on how to answer.

"I can say now that I'm in pursuit of it." She responded after thinking deeply. It was not the same answer she gave him from long ago. "Anything else?"

Unsure he asked, "Are you okay?"

There was so much to ask and say, but right now, he can only ask these questions.

"Yes." She said her lips formed upwards, but he can tell that she's trying to hide something. Her hesitation and the slight falter in her voice showed it, but he pretended not to notice. He concluded that she will tell him when she's ready and comfortable.

Lily noticed that he hadn't asked anything specifically about herself, about what she told him before she left, but more so on her wellbeing. With his kindness, she felt guilty and unsure if she should say any further.

Seeing this topic might turn into a depressing mood, she said, "Let's go to that pancake shop, I've been missing it."

Thinking about food always makes everything ok!

"But I just visited there today." He remarked, looking unsure. The shopkeeper still thinks they are married. Indeed, this issue really came back to bite him. He cursed at himself for not stopping this nonsense a long time ago.

"Then, let's go back again. Are you shy that they still assumed we're married?" ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Lily hit it right on the spot.

She gave him a teasing smile seeing that he wasn't responding, proving that she was right.

"It's fine. I told you as long as you buy me food. All sins are forgiven!" Lily chuckled.

"Very well." He reluctantly agreed.

When can he ever one up this woman? Even Anne had surrendered to her remarks.

Chen sighed to himself, accepting his fate.

He originally wanted to look like a cool man, not like his past self, but this woman made it otherwise.