Slow to mature after marriage

The next morning, sunlight streamed in through the gaps in the curtains.

Mu Siwan opened her eyes, her consciousness slowly returning.

The hand on my waist was still there. Warm and heavy.

She froze for a second.

Then I gently lifted his hand and slowly moved it away. I moved very lightly, afraid of waking him.

The person behind him didn't move.

Mu Siwan propped herself up on the edge of the bed, hopped on one leg, and slowly made her way to the bathroom.

The person in the mirror had messy hair with a few stray hairs sticking up. Their lips were a little red and slightly swollen—the marks left by last night's kiss.

She stared at her face in the mirror for a few seconds.

Pick up the bone toothbrush, squeeze on the toothpaste, and start brushing your teeth.

That question popped into my head again.

Bo Yan, why did you kiss her?

It's not Sunday.

It is not a marital obligation.

He said he didn't want to do anything, he just wanted to kiss her.

She doesn't understand.

The toothbrush moves back and forth in my mouth, and the foam spreads little by little.

The bathroom door was suddenly pushed open.

Mu Siwan saw Bo Yan walk in through the mirror, wearing pajamas, his hair messy, and looking sleepy.

He walked over to her, picked up his toothbrush, and squeezed toothpaste onto it.

The two stood side by side in front of the sink, brushing their teeth together.

Their eyes met by chance in the mirror.

Then it inexplicably moved away.

The only sound in the bathroom was the faint buzzing of an electric toothbrush.

She lowered her head to rinse her mouth and spat out the foam.

He also rinsed his mouth.

She wiped her face with a pink bone-shaped towel.

He also used a blue bone towel to wipe his face.

No one spoke.

But the two gazes in the mirror would occasionally meet.

It touched it, then moved away.

-

After breakfast, Bo Yan went to work. Mu Siwan sat on the sofa, staring at the closed door, propping her head up and thinking for a long time.

She tried to explain it to herself—maybe Bo Yan was too tired last night, so he inexplicably wanted to kiss her. Or perhaps kissing between husband and wife is normal and doesn't necessarily mean there's affection between them?

Yes, possibly.

She nodded, finding the logic to be convincing.

The doorbell rang suddenly.

"sister in law!"

Bo Ning stood at the door carrying a large suitcase, waving excitedly at her.

"My brother said he was worried you'd be bored, so he asked me to come and stay with you for a few days!"

Mu Siwan stepped aside to let her in.

Bo Ning tossed the suitcase into the living room, sat down on the sofa, looked around, and her gaze fell on her leg in a cast, smiling brightly.

"Sister-in-law, I heard you can draw," she said, her eyes sparkling. "Let's draw on plaster casts."

Mu Siwan looked down at her grayish-white plaster cast and curled her lips into a smile.

"……good."

Bo Ning quickly found paints and brushes and laid them out on the coffee table. She sat cross-legged on the carpet and carefully mixed the colors.

Mu Siwan held the pen, head down, slowly drawing on the plaster. The pen tip moved very slowly, in circles, the lines intertwining.

Bo Ning leaned closer to take a look.

"Sister-in-law, what are you drawing?"

Mu Siwan looked down at the pattern she had drawn before she came to her senses.

She drew a red rose.

The petals are layered upon each other, with fine spurs along the edges—her usual style of painting flowers and plants with the texture of bones.

She looked up and glanced at the bouquet of roses on the coffee table. The vibrant red roses were arranged in a pink bone vase. Two days later, they weren't as bright as when they first arrived.

She lowered her eyes and, stroke by stroke, painted the stunning beauty she felt when they first met.

Bo Ning was mixing paints nearby when she casually asked a question.

"Sister-in-law, how are things going between you and my brother?"

Mu Siwan paused for a moment.

Images from last night flashed through her mind—the force with which he held the back of her head and kissed her in the darkness, his forehead pressed against hers as he said, "I only want to kiss you," and the hand resting on her waist in the dead of night.

She frowned.

"He's been acting a little strange lately..." she said, choosing her words carefully.

Bo Ning tensed up.

"What's wrong? Did he bully you?"

"No," Mu Siwan thought for a moment, "it's just...it feels a little different."

She couldn't quite put her finger on what was different.

Since he returned to China, her feelings for Bo Yan had become somewhat strange. It wasn't the feeling of a "business partner" like before, nor the feeling of "marital obligations." It was an indescribable feeling, one she had never experienced before.

Bo Ning looked at her and sighed.

"My brother does have a bit of a strange personality, but don't take it too hard." She lowered her head and continued mixing paints. "You know my parents passed away early, and he raised me single-handedly from a young age..."

She paused, then lowered her voice.

"Sometimes I don't know what he's thinking."

The living room fell silent.

Bo Ning looked up and forced a smile.

"Alright, alright, let's not talk about these sad things." She waved the paint in her hand. "Sister-in-law, look, isn't this color pretty?"

"nice."

Mu Siwan lowered her head, finished painting the last red rose, and when she looked up again, there was a hint of daze in her eyes.

She said softly, "I don't have parents either."

From as far back as she could remember, she lived in an orphanage. The blankets were always damp, and the food was always cold. The adults would beat her, saying it was because she hadn't behaved properly. Later, she escaped and wandered the streets. When she was nearly starving, the Mu family adopted her.

She didn't say these things.

He just kept his eyes down, staring at the rose on the plaster that wasn't completely dry yet.

Bo Ning was stunned.

"sister in law……"

She opened her mouth, and her eyes slowly reddened.

"I'm sorry, I didn't expect that..."

"It's nothing," Mu Siwan interrupted her, her tone very soft. "I don't remember anything from before."

Bo Ning stared at her for a few seconds, then suddenly sniffed.

"Oh no, oh no!" She slapped her head in frustration. "My brother called me here to cheer you up. Now that I've made you like this, he's definitely going to cut off my allowance."

Mu Siwan tilted her head and looked at her.

"To make me happy?"

She paused, then a slow smile appeared on her lips.

"I'm happy now."

Bo Ning was taken aback.

The next second, she pounced on Mu Siwan with a "whoa!" and clung to her.

"Sister-in-law! You're so wonderful! I love you so much!" She buried her face in her shoulder and rubbed against her. "Marry me, don't marry my brother!"

-

Bo Yan had no idea that her younger sister, whom she had raised since childhood, had stolen her boyfriend.

He felt a strange sense of pleasure at that moment, as if he had given up all hope.

Yes, he kissed Mu Siwan last night.

So what? It's my own wife, of course I can kiss her whenever I want.

That's right, he fell asleep holding Mu Siwan last night.

So what? It's my wife, of course I'll hold her and sleep with her.

After figuring things out, Bo Yan felt refreshed and invigorated.

His phone vibrated twice; Xu Qishan and Zhou Shen had invited him out for a get-together.

He leaned back in his chair and slowly typed a few words: "I'm not going. My wife injured her leg and I have to go back to take care of her."

After sending the message, he tossed his phone aside and a slight smile played on his lips.

It's time to go home.

Go home and sleep with your wife.