I just want to spend more time with you (2)

"Why? Did you miss little old me? Where is that grown up I keep seeing these few weeks? You seem eager to leave me before." Bai Shuyin teased.

His heart thumped. "I did not," Wang Heiyue frowned at her, completely side-stepping her joke, taking the matter seriously. "I would never." 

Bai Shuyin's clear blue eyes flickered at his curt responses. The little boy looked so serious, with red puffing cheeks. The older girl resisted the urge to reach over and pinched again. She shook her head soundlessly, turning away to roll her sleeves up. "Now, shoo." 

The snowy haired girl stood by the table, studying the nasty kitchen and sighed. There would be a whole lot of cleaning to do today and she had to finish up before their meeting. She had to hurry or she would be meeting the prince smelling like potatoes and onions. Feeling the urgency, she picked up the knife, preparing to chop the ingredients. 

She thought the little bun was gone until she heard the sound of wooden stool scraping the ground. A soft frown crossed her face, she turned to see the boy sitting on the low stool she sat before while washing the dishes. He sat there, this time not swinging his legs, as if he was accompanying her. 

As much as she felt appreciated, she believed he was wasting his time here. "Why are you still here?" 

"I don't feel the desire to go," He simply announced. 

"At least go wrap up that hand," Bai Shuyin suggested. She peeled the onion skillfully, having done this so often that her hands moved like they had a mind of their own. When the boy remained silent, only the sound of a cleaver knife hitting the cutting board filled the vacancy. 

"I just want to spend more time with you." He said after a while. 

Her hands paused, stopping mid-way before she slowly slided the cleaver down the onion. "But… I am not going anywhere…?" She replied, almost hesitant. 

Bai Shuyin was confused. She didn't know what to say, did not know if it was the right thing to do. Because she knew that one day, she would be gone from his life. The original Bai Shuyin in the novel wouldn't know, but she did, because she read it. 

"Hmmm…" 

His hum of response gave Bai Shuyin mixed feelings. It seemed encrypted with some kind of skepticism, like it contained some kind of uneasiness. Bai Shuyin placed the cleaver down on the cutting board and looked at Wang Heiyue. This boy had been acting really weird since morning. 

"Ah Yue—?" She began.

The boy's large obsidian eyes glanced upwards, meeting hers. Words had a hard time forming in her mind as the two stared at each other. 

"Ah Yue?" She tried to say it again but Wang Heiyue cut her off. 

It seemed that she had her plan set straight and for years he had known her, Yin Yin was known for her decisiveness, especially when making decisions for him. He had no choice but to use the last resort. 

"Can you not go? I… I don't feel well," The little dragon murmured in a petulant voice, hoping Bai Shuyin would stay and care for him instead of meeting the Southern Prince. 

"It won't take long," She reassured him. 

It didn't work! He couldn't believe it! She insisted on going to meet that prince! 

"But I really feel awful," Wang Heiyue's hand clasped against her robes. 

A warm hand touched his forehead. "You don't have a fever." 

"Then can I come with you?" Despite being caught red-handed for lying, he tried hopelessly. Shameless? He didn't care about that anymore as long as she did not go. 

Bai Shuyin frowned at him, confusion was written across her face. "It won't take long, I will be back before midnight." 

"But my hand—!" 

"Sorry, Ah Yue, but you can't tag along. It's an adult matter," The older girl said. She knelt down by him, pulling a smile on her face. "I'll tell you what. When I get back, let's go cloud gazing at the rooftop, just the two of us. What do you say?" 

The boy didn't answer, his lips were tightly shut and Bai Shuyin could imagine his teeth clenching hardly behind as his hands shook by his sides. 

"Ah Yue?" She furrowed her brows, putting a hand on her waist. She stared intensely at her younger brother. "Ah Yue," She said firmly. "What's going on? What's wrong with you?" 

When he didn't answer, Bai Shuyin tilted her head to the side worriedly. "You normally are never like this." 

He didn't even meet her eyes, usually he loved to maintain eye contact with her, he always did, like it was a mandatory thing to do. 

"Ah, no… nothing," He mumbled carelessly, tumbling on his words. Bai Shuyin watched the young dragon swallow hard before saying. "Sure, cloud gazing sounds good." He nodded, words coming out slowly. 

Bai Shuyin studied the boy. 'Weird. What was he so worried about?' 

As if noting that Yin Yin wasn't buying it, Wang Heiyue leaked a simple smile, eyes slanting as he reassured her. "Really, nothing is wrong. I will see Yin Yin tonight." 

For a while, Bai Shuyin stared into his eyes until she saw the resolution in not sharing whatever his inner turmoil was that she finally slumped her shoulders in reluctance. 

"Fine, now be a good boy and go wrap your wound, okay?" Bai Shuyin finally said, she brushed the tips of her fingers against his cheek, an affectionate gesture. She tilted his chin up and landed a quick peck on his forehead before giving his little shoulders an encouraging push to get him up and moving. 

"Yes, ma'am," He said jokingly. 

She went back to her business after seeing him dragging himself slowly out of the kitchen. Though, she swore she heard a click of tongue coming from that little boy's mouth among the loud chopping noises she made.