Si Xia stared at Mr. Yu's back as he walked into the house after Chen.
Xia had just come to a realisation. Yu Chen had a very real experience with what true love looked like. She had a father who loved her to the bone but didn't think twice about letting her go if that was what she wanted.
Si Xia was suddenly struck by what it meant to live truly. It wasn't trying to always be with the one you loved, it was the trust that your loved one would return to you, wherever they may roam.
"Maybe this is why Chen's able to love me so much. She knows what it is to love. And she trusts me." Si Xia mumbled to himself as Yu Chen appeared at the front door and walked towards him, calling out to him.
"Hey Xia!!! Come on!! What are you doing here?" Yu Chen asked as she grabbed Si Xia's hand and led him inside her home.
Si Xia gave Chen's hand a squeeze and whispered, "I love you."
Yu Chen laughed as she replied, "Remember this sentence after you meet my mom."
Yu Chen's mom immediately began scolding Chen as soon as she entered the house with Si Xia.
Chen had apparently greeted Mrs. Yu and then ran off in the middle of her lecture about how thin she had gotten. Si Xia had a warm smile on his face as Mrs. Yu continued to scold Chen while greeting him in the intervals.
There was silence in the living room for a minute when Mrs. Yu went to the kitchen to fetch something. Chen quickly took this opportunity to ask her father, "Dad, how do you like Xia?"
Si Xia waited in anticipation, his heart almost in his mouth, as Mr. Yu took a second to think. "As long as you're happy." he finally said with a shrug and a smile.
Yu Chen's face broke into the widest smile and she said, "I am. I really am dad. I know I couldn't be happier."
Mr. Yu smiled as Mrs. Yu's voice was heard a few seconds before she appeared in the living room with some freshly cut fruits on a plate.
"What are you smiling about?" Mrs. Yu reprimanded Chen before turning to Si Xia with a smile. "Eat dear. I know you all never get fresh fruits in the city. Eat. You'll love them." she said with a motherly smile and a lump formed in Xia's throat as she picked up a slice of an apple.
"So mom. What do you think of Xia? Do you like him? Do you love him?" Yu Chen asked with enthusiasm as Mrs. Yu sat down.
"I think I like him better than I like you." Mrs. Yu answered with a smile and raising an eyebrow.
"And they say that a mother's love knows no bounds. They should meet my mom." Yu Chen mumbled as she pouted.
Si Xia stiffled a laugh as Mrs. Yu frowned. "What did you say?" she asked.
"Nothing." Yu Chen replied with a nervous laugh. She popped a grape in her mouth and said, "I was just saying it's been ages since I ate fresh fruits."