Slow to mature after marriage

The phone rang for a long time. Once, twice, three times. Then the screen went dark and the call ended automatically.

Mu Siwan stared at the black screen, stunned for a moment.

She thought that Bo Yan was probably already asleep.

Mu Siwan put down her phone, curled up on the sofa, and closed her eyes. Exhaustion seeped from her very bones, heavy and pulling her down. In her drowsy state, her phone suddenly rang.

The screen lit up, and Bo Yan's name appeared on it.

Mu Siwan answered the call in a daze. Before she could even see his face clearly, she heard her own voice float out, soft and gentle, as if it came from a very far place.

"Hey, Bo Yan."

"Mu Siwan." His voice sounded a little deep. "Where are you? Why aren't you home yet, so late?"

Mu Siwan blinked, not fully awake yet, and those words just popped out of her head.

"You're the one who didn't come home, okay?"

With a subtle, almost imperceptible complaint.

There was a moment of silence on the other end.

"Mu Siwan," he called her name, his voice lower than before, "Where are you now?"

"At home."

The next second, the call ended.

Mu Siwan stared at the black screen for a few seconds, then her phone slipped from her hand and landed on the sofa. She murmured something softly, so softly that even she couldn't hear it.

"But I haven't told you yet, Bo Yan."

-

Just as she was drifting off to sleep, Mu Siwan heard footsteps approaching.

The familiar scent of mint. Then Bo Yan's voice boomed down from above, clenched through gritted teeth, as if he had been holding back for a long time.

"Mu Siwan, can you please change your bad habit of not turning on the lights when you get home? I thought you hadn't come home in the middle of the night, and I almost called the police."

The man's arm went under her knees and lifted her off the sofa.

Mu Siwan was pulled into his arms, his chest warm and firm.

"And what about today? What does it mean to call me 'husband'? And what does it mean to say I have to pick you up from the police station? Can't you be clear about things? You only give half the story, are you deliberately making me anxiously wait in another city?"

He had just returned from Haicheng and rushed to the police station only to find that the person had already left. He also didn't see anyone at home when he returned.

Just as I was about to call the police, I realized my phone was out of battery.

Settling back into the familiar and safe embrace, Mu Siwan buried her head in Bo Yan's chest, nuzzled against him, and took a deep breath of mint.

"Mu Siwan, do you really think you have me cornered? Do you think I'll never get angry and you can do whatever you want with me?"

Bo Yan spoke faster and faster, and became increasingly angry. His voice was very low, and the vibrations in his chest made her ears tingle.

Mu Siwan was finally awakened by his noise. In the darkness, the man's chin was taut, and his Adam's apple was sharp, moving up and down with the rhythm of his speech.

Why is this mouth so noisy?

Mu Siwan frowned impatiently, raised her hand to hook her arm around his neck, and pulled him down. Her lips pressed against his, landing on his Adam's apple. She gently held them in her mouth, rubbing them against his.

His voice caught in his throat. His Adam's apple bobbed beneath her lips, then again.

Bo Yan froze, his arms tightening, yet he dared not move.

After a long time, he spoke, his voice hoarse beyond recognition.

"Mu Siwan, you—who taught you to coax men like that?"

It really is... quite useful.

-

Bo Yan placed her on the bed, lowered his head, and stared at her sleeping face for a long time. Moonlight filtered through the gaps in the curtains, falling on her face and turning her eyelashes a pale silver. Her brows were still slightly furrowed, and her lips were slightly pursed, as if she were still struggling with someone in her dream.

He lowered his eyes and stared at her for a long time. Finally, he raised his hand and tapped her forehead from a distance.

"Mu Siwan," he said in a low voice, as if afraid of waking her, or perhaps speaking to himself, "why do you always throw it away after you're done using it?"

He paused, then said in a hoarse voice.

"Please don't throw it away next time, okay?"

After saying that, he bent down and kissed her forehead again, then turned and went to the bathroom.

The sound of rushing water lasted for a long time. When she came out, Mu Siwan shrank back into the corner of the bed. She was wrapped tightly in the quilt, with only the back of her head showing, and she was half a meter away from him.

Bo Yan stood by the bed for a moment, watching her insecure posture, and sighed softly. He lay down and placed his hand on her waist.

After a moment, Mu Siwan suddenly moved.

It wasn't the usual stiff, cautious way she rolled over; instead, she rolled over with a gurgling sound, like a cat that had finally found its nest, crashing into his arms, wrapping her arms around his waist, and burying her face in his chest.

Bo Yan's body stiffened.

Mu Siwan mumbled, "Bo Yan, I haven't reported to you today."

Her hands were still around his waist, her breath falling on his collarbone, warm and gentle.

In the darkness, Bo Yan stared at the top of her head. Her hair was spread out on the pillow, revealing a small section of the nape of her neck—white and soft. His Adam's apple bobbed.

"Yes," he said in a hoarse voice, "you tell me now."

Mu Siwan's voice was muffled, coming from his chest.

"This afternoon, I went to the police station for an autopsy..." she said haltingly, mentioning the phone call, Zheng Hongyuan, and Mu Cheng rushing in and slapping Mu Sigui. "They're all afraid of you, so I called you 'husband' in front of them."

Mu Siwan buried her face further into his chest, and said shyly, "..."

"That night, taking advantage of your power, I slapped Mu Cheng twice."

She spoke softly, "Bo Yan, I'm sorry for taking advantage of you. Please don't be angry."

Bo Yan hadn't expected her to have gone through so much today, and a pang of heartache flashed across her eyes.

He lowered his head and ruffled her hair, deliberately keeping a stern face even though he knew she couldn't see.

"I'm very angry, Mu Siwan."

Mu Siwan's voice became even more muffled.

"Then... what should we do?"

The man lowered his voice, "Unless you call me 'husband' again."

Mu Siwan fell silent again, her breathing gradually becoming steady. Bo Yan waited for a long time, thinking she had really fallen asleep, so he slowly closed his eyes and tightened his arms around her. The moonlight outside the window was faint, falling on her ears.

Her ears were red.

After a long while, Bo Yan heard her voice, soft and shy in the darkness.

"husband."

"……Um."

Bo Yan hugged her even tighter, resting his chin on the top of her head.

"It's just two slaps. You can do whatever you want, as long as you don't kill someone in public. Your husband will cover for you."

He spoke, his voice so low only she could hear, "A husband is someone you can rely on."

Mu Siwan's eyelashes trembled slightly, her breathing even; it was unclear whether she had heard them.

-

The next morning, Mu Siwan stood in front of the sink brushing her teeth.

The woman in the mirror had messy hair, slightly red lips, and swollen eyelids; she clearly hadn't slept enough. Mu Siwan stared at herself for a few seconds, and a picture suddenly flashed through her mind—she was nestled in Bo Yan's arms, muttering "Husband."

The toothbrush stopped in her mouth. Mu Siwan blinked, unsure if this was a dream or reality.

She was so tired last night that she couldn't remember what she had said or heard. She only remembered that the mint scent was strong and the man's voice was low, as if it were vibrating from his chest, making her ears tingle.

After thinking for a few minutes, Mu Siwan spat out the foam in her mouth, rinsed her mouth, wiped her face, and finally came to a conclusion.

It must have all been a dream.

She couldn't possibly call Bo Yan "husband" with her ears burning. Bo Yan was even less likely to reply to her in a serious tone—"A husband is someone you can rely on."

This statement does not apply to their relationship.

Therefore, it could only be a dream.