Tricking Her Child

Madam Su sighed. Haish, this boy … "How can you not know if you like him?"

"I … Well, we're friends. Naturally, I like him."

"But you don't know if you like him more than that." Madam Su pondered. Her son wasn't dumb normally but he had no ability to judge people and was especially slow when it came to feelings. Nie Chang had been in love with him for so many years and he only found out now. If nothing was done, her son might take another couple of years to figure out what he himself felt. But what could she do?

Su Yan also didn't know what to do. "So … In the end, do you think he likes me?"

Madam Su wanted to nod but held back at the last moment. Knowing her son he had probably only come because he felt insecure after Nie Chang's confession. If she told him, wouldn't he just get comfortable again? Then he wouldn't have any incentive to sort out his own feelings. No, she couldn't do that!

She put on a troubled expression. "That … I'm also not too sure."

Su Yan's face fell. "Ah? So even you don't know. No wonder. He really should have made it clearer."

This time Madam Su barely held back from rapping her son on the head. "I'll tell you how to find out. But before that, we have to make sure that you like him back. Where's the use in finding out if he likes you when you don't want to become a couple?"

Su Yan nodded. That sounded logical. "Then how do I go about that?"

"First of all, you have to ask yourself: When he kissed you yesterday how did you feel about that?"

Su Yan seriously pondered that question. "Mn … Pretty good?"

"Pretty good?", Madam Su repeated her son's words with a little doubt. What did he mean with that?

"Well, it didn't feel disgusting or anything. It actually felt nice. I was just really surprised."

"Mn. And if you imagine that the person he likes isn't you, how do you feel about that?"

Su Yan pursed his lips. "Pretty bad."

"Pretty bad?" Madam Su frowned. "Can't you explain better? I thought you were writing stories in your free time. Where did all that fancy vocabulary go?"

Su Yan pouted. "Mom, that's not the same! Stories are much easier than real life."

"So how do you feel about that?" She didn't intend to start any discussion with him.

"I don't like it. I think I should be happy for him since we're friends but when I imagine that he won't spend time with me anymore I'm really sad. I don't want him to go."

Madam Su nodded and patted her son's shoulder. "You definitely like him."

"Really? Are you sure?" He grabbed her arm and drew his brows together. Could it really be true? He actually liked Nie Chang … that way?

Madam Su nodded. "You definitely do. If you didn't, you wouldn't be so anxious about the fact that he might like somebody else. You're totally jealous!" Of a person who doesn't even exist. My poor child. "Ah, how did I raise such a self-centered child? You obviously want him all to yourself! But worry not!" Madam Su raised a hand to prevent her son's protest. "Luckily, it could be that he likes you back already. You just have to make sure."

Su Yan nodded and eagerly leaned forward. He didn't feel like he was self-centered at all, well, not that much at least but he really wanted to make sure! "So what do we do?"

"There is only one way to find out if Nie Chang likes you or not: You'll have to bring a favorable situation about where the way he reacts will be a telltale sign of his true feelings."

"Ah! That makes sense!" Su Yan looked like he had seen the light.

Madam Su nodded hurriedly. "So, here's what to do: You call Nie Chang and tell him to come over to your apartment. Make sure the flowers he gave you are on display and that you're wearing something nice. Then, you give him the chocolate you made yesterday. If he accepts, he definitely likes you!"

Su Yan blinked. "But I already ate it."

"Huh?"

Su Yan nodded with a guilty conscience. "I was anxious yesterday so I ate it when I came back home."

Madam Su put a hand to her brow and shook her head. This boy! "Alright. Then you can't do that." Then what else could be done? It had to sound logical if she wanted to trick her son into giving himself to Nie Chang. "How about … you just be direct?"

"Direct?" Su Yan looked at her without comprehending anything. She couldn't mean he should … just ask, right? His gaze grew a little apprehensive. "Mom, you can't want me to ask him, can you? I can't! I definitely can't! How embarrassing would it be if he doesn't like me! Then he'll be all like 'But I told you that I like somebody else already! That's it! We're not being friends anymore!' and then he'll walk away."

"Aiya! What are you even talking about?" Madam Su grabbed her son's hands and looked into his eyes with a serious air about her. "Ah Yan, this is extremely important. You like him so you can't mess up or he'll be taken away by someone else!"

Su Yan nodded. His mother was right. This was really important!

"So, you call over Nie Chang and when he's there you just hug him. When he hugs you back that means he likes you."

"I just hug him?"

"Yes."

"But … we hug all the time."

Madam Su patted his hand. And you're still pondering whether he likes you or not. "This time is different. He confessed, didn't he? If it was meant for you, then he'll hug you back. If it wasn't, then he won't."

"I see."

I'd really like to know what you're seeing. Madam Su sighed and patted his shoulder again. Whatever. After this, her son would have a capable man at his side. She wouldn't have to worry about him anymore. That was good as well. Now, she just had to prepare the other side in time.

Just at this moment, there was the sound of the front door opening.