Slow to mature after marriage

Zhou Xubai was clearly just being polite. Seeing that Bo Yan refused, he didn't insist. He sat for a while longer, explained the itinerary, and then got up to take his leave.

As he was leaving, he stood at the door, turned back to look at Zhou Yu'an, his eyes deep, and his lips slightly parted, "An'an, your father and mother have missed you all these years."

The living room fell silent again, with only the sound of the continuous rain outside the window.

Zhou Yu'an remained standing there, staring at the closed door, stunned for a long while.

Bo Yan stepped forward, reached out and pinched her cheek lightly, with a hint of deliberate roguishness.

"What are you all standing there for? Aren't you going to pack your things?"

Zhou Yu'an was forced to come to her senses and looked up at him.

Aren't you coming with me?

Bo Yan's fingers slid from her cheek to her earlobe, gently pinching it, and he asked, "Want me to come along?"

Zhou Yu'an nodded.

Looking into her blank eyes, Bo Yan felt a pang of sadness mixed with tenderness. He raised his hand, placed his palm on the top of her head, and gently rubbed it.

"I will go. But not with you now." His voice was very soft, like he was coaxing a child who was afraid of the dark. "After you've settled in Haicheng, after you're sure they're your family and you're willing to choose them, I'll go and formally propose, baby."

"But we're already married." Zhou Yu'an frowned, pointing out the logical flaw seriously. "Besides, you even proposed to her."

When they got married, the Bo family was very proper and followed all the proper procedures. Matchmaker, betrothal gifts, marriage certificate—everything was there. Although she felt like an outsider throughout the wedding, the Bo family never mistreated her.

"That's different." Bo Yan looked at her, his gaze deep. "Our An'an deserves to have the best again."

Zhou Yu'an nodded, seemingly understanding but not quite. She didn't really understand these ritualistic things; in her view, being married was being married, and being proposed to was being proposed to—there was no need to go through it again. But since Bo Yan said it was "worth it," she nodded.

-

At night.

Zhou Yu'an squatted on the bedroom carpet, opened her suitcase, and began packing. She pulled a coat from the closet, folded it, and put it inside. Grace, who had somehow slipped out from the corner, hooked the coat out of the suitcase with her snake tail and threw it on the floor.

Zhou Yu'an glanced at it, picked it up, and put it back in. Grace hooked it out again.

She released it again. It hooked it again.

A man and a snake, locked in a silent struggle.

Bo Yan leaned against the door frame with his arms crossed, his silver hair hanging above his brow bone, the lamplight casting a long shadow on him.

From the moment Zhou Yu'an started packing her luggage until now, he has been standing there, staring at her without moving.

Zhou Yu'an found it hard to bear his gaze.

She put down the clothes in her hand, stood up, walked up to him, stood on tiptoe, and ripped off his collar, forcing him to lower his head.

"You can't bear to part with me, Bo Yan?"

Bo Yan didn't answer, but lowered his eyes to look at her and said only, "Take a guess."

"Grace was sent by you to cause trouble," Zhou Yu'an said confidently. "So, you can't bear to part with me."

Bo Yan snorted softly, "At least he's not too wooden."

Zhou Yu'an didn't let go of his collar. The two were very close, close enough to see the tiny glimmers of light clinging to each other's eyelashes.

Bo Yan was engrossed in watching, and the next second, Zhou Yu'an said calmly.

"Could you tell Grace to stop causing trouble?" she said. "I'm so busy tidying up."

Bo Yan: "..."

Wood. Just a piece of wood after all.

What is he expecting? Is he expecting her to say, "I'll miss you too"? Is he expecting her to tiptoe and kiss him?

Maybe in the next life, Bo Yan.

Without Grace's antics, Zhou Yu'an quickly finished packing her luggage. She zipped up the suitcase, stood it against the wall, dusted off her hands, and nodded in satisfaction.

Despite his resentment that could feed the evil sword immortal, Bo Yan turned and went into the bathroom.

-

The bathroom was filled with steam.

Bo Yan stood under the showerhead, hot water pouring down his head, running down the ends of his silver hair, blurring his features. He closed his eyes, letting the water wash over him, trying to wash away all the chaotic emotions.

He couldn't bear to part with it. Of course he couldn't. He admitted it.

On the other hand—his wife had reunited with her family after 21 years, and had so many people who loved her; it was certainly a good thing. He should be happy, and rationally speaking, he shouldn't bother her too much. But he just couldn't help but keep thinking about the same question: where did he rank in Zhou Yu'an's heart?

There's that unshakeable "white moonlight" in front of her. Now, a bunch of family members have arrived, vying for her attention. How important is he? How much does she care about him? Does he even have the slightest place in her heart?

Bo Yan had no confidence. Not at all.

No.

He had originally planned for Zhou Yu'an to spend about a week alone with her family, but now it seemed three days would be enough. After three days, he would go to Haicheng. Forget about proposing marriage; he missed her, so he would go see her—no reason needed.

Just then, the bathroom door suddenly opened.

Bo Yan opened his eyes.

Amidst the misty air, Zhou Yu'an stood in the doorway. She had changed her clothes sometime during the night—wearing only a light blue lace-trimmed bra and panties. The fabric was minimal, barely covering what needed to be covered, leaving large expanses of skin below her collarbone exposed, gleaming faintly in the warm yellow light. Her waist was slender, easily encircled by Bo Yan's hand. Her legs were long, straight and pressed together, barefoot on the slippery tiles.

Before Bo Yan could speak, Zhou Yu'an had already walked over. She placed her fair feet on the man's instep, slightly rose on her tiptoes, hooked her arms around his neck, and tilted her head back to kiss him.

The shower water poured over the two of them, soaking her thin lace lingerie, which clung to her body, outlining her undulating curves.

Bo Yan grabbed her waist with his large hand, pulled her into his arms, and turned her against the cold tile wall. Hot water flowed between their bodies, running down her neck, collarbone, and waistline.

He looked down at her, water droplets running down his brow bone and onto her cheek.

"Didn't you complain that I was holding you up while you were packing?" He stared at her, his eyes deep. "How did you get in? Hmm?"

Zhou Yu'an was pinned against the wall by him, her back pressed against the cool tiles, her front against his burning chest. Her cheeks flushed crimson, whether from the hot water or something else, she didn't know.

"I didn't mean you were holding me up," she said haltingly, her fingers gripping his shoulders, her nails digging into his skin. "I just—wanted to pack my things quickly so I could be with you."

Bo Yan looked down at her, his gaze so deep it seemed he wanted to swallow her whole.

"Why do you want to stay with me?" he pressed, determined to get her to tell him.

Zhou Yu'an bit her lower lip, and water droplets slid down her eyelashes.

She looked up into his eyes, those eyes that were always calm and indifferent, but now they were moist and soft.

"Because... I like it."

"I enjoy being with you, Bo Yan."

Bo Yan's Adam's apple bobbed.

The shower was still running, the steam rising and blurring their outlines. He took her in the bathroom.

It wasn't gentle; it carried a punitive, proving force.

Zhou Yu'an didn't dodge; she clung to him, burying her face in his neck, accepting everything he gave her.

Later, they moved from the bathroom to the bed.

The rain was still falling outside the window, a little lighter than during the day, a light drizzle. Only one bedside lamp was on in the bedroom, the light dim and ambiguous, casting the shadows of the two people on the wall, overlapping and indistinguishable from one another.

Zhou Yu'an's hair was disheveled and stuck to her cheeks. She was curled up in Bo Yan's arms, her chest heaving, and she was breathing softly and impatiently. This position made her a little uncomfortable. She bit her lip and realized that she couldn't reach anywhere else, so she lowered her head and bit the man's pectoral muscle impatiently.

Bo Yan let out a muffled groan.

"Bo Yan..." her voice was muffled.

"Um."

"What if... what if they don't like me?"

From childhood to adulthood, what Xu Ruolin often said to her was: "You are not my biological daughter, you have to be obedient." "You are superfluous in this family, don't cause trouble for others." "Who would like you? You would have starved to death outside long ago, unless we took you in."

Bo Yan felt a surge of warmth and tenderness in his heart. He cupped her face in his hands and gently smoothed her disheveled hair with his thumb.

"No. Mom and Dad will really like An'an."

"What... what if?" Zhou Yu'an's voice trailed off. "What if they don't like it?"

The man lowered his head and kissed her forehead, his lips lingering on her cool skin.

"Then let's go back to northern Beijing," he said. "Muyan Garden will always be your home."

The rain outside the window was pattering softly, like someone gently responding from afar.

Bo Yan said, "I'll be waiting for you at home too."