The Assassin's Enemy Lover

Zi Han gulped as he raised his head to look at her before asking, “Can I?”

Zi Xingxi raised the cigarette butt to her lips and took a long drag with the bright red embers of the burning paper glowing brighter. She turned her head to the side and released a puff of smoke from her nose before handing it to him.

Zi Han, “....”

How on earth did she do that? Sensing his fascination she kept a straight face while saying, “Only this once. You can’t make it a habit.”

Zi Han nodded his head and this time he was very proficient. He didn’t cough as bad as the first time.

He passed the cigarette back to his mother feeling his tense nerves relax significantly.

“Now you know who your dad was?” she asked her expression subtle.

Zi Han nodded his head and said, “I know...,” before turning his face away and looking at the pool as though thinking of something.

.....

His finger tapped the table twice before he said, “But who killed him?... I want him dead.”

Zi Xingxi looked at him for a while with a lazy expression before passing back the half-smoke cigarette to him. “So you aren’t mad that I didn’t tell you sooner?” she asked with a set expression.

Zi Han coughed a little before replying, “No. You had your reasons. Now it makes sense why you never liked the Marshal. He never made the effort to find out who did the crime but he even ruled my father’s death as accidental initially. If I had known sooner I might have grown up hating the Marshal and in turn, I would hate Yi Chen so... no I am not mad.”

Zi Xingxi suddenly regretted not saying it sooner. Her son wouldn’t have fallen for that minx’s charms. How regretful indeed. “Now that you know do you still want to be with him?” she asked with a mist of smoke wafting in front of her face creating a mystic air.

Zi Han didn’t answer for a long time. He just sat there in silence staring into nothingness. After a while, he finally spoke, “All this had nothing to do with him... I still want him but I am not so sure if he wants me.”

Zi Xingxi took the cigarette from him and smoked it before pressing it into the ashtray while asking, “And why is that?”

“He isn’t stupid so he already knows what I did but I am not sure if he still wants to be with me,” he replied while ruffling his hair trying to distract himself from another wave of emotions threatening to gush out.

“Hmph, you underestimate your charm. He already drank from the poisonous cup and there is no reversing it. He is going to pester you for the rest of your life,” she said and Zi Han raised his head looking at her with narrowed eyes.

“Speaking from experience?” he asked and the corner of Zi Xingxi’s lips rose in a sneer.

“By the time I figured out that your father was pursuing me and not looking for a fight he had already fallen hard. If I didn’t speak to him he would follow me around Scylla calling me Xixi. He was as annoying as a fly.”

“Xixi let’s go to lunch, Xixi smile for me, Xixi you are so beautiful, Xixi this, Xixi that. Aaaah, I almost lost my mind. The one time I kissed him he dragged me to his father and pointed at me excitedly yelling that’s my wife.”

Zi Han chuckled hearing this. It seemed his father was a character and a half. “And what did his father say?” he asked curious to know. Zi Xingxi rubbed her earlobe while trying to recall her father-in-law’s exact words.

“He shrugged his shoulders and said to me ‘he is your problem now’. My face back then was so mortified. I knew then that the emperor was eager to get rid of him. If he had a girlfriend he would stop bothering him.”

Zi Han broke into laughter. It seemed his father was someone interesting to be around. Zi Han pinched the sleeve of his long sleeve t-shirt and asked, “So was it, love at first sight?”

Zi Xingxi smiled and said, “For me no but for him yes. I knew that I was done the day he beat up a prime minister seeking marriage for his son. We were already in a relationship but I didn’t think I loved him. I still stupidly thought it was a fling and he would naturally get rid of me when he was tired of playing.”

“That night he lost it and after he was done beating the shit out of that annoying man he dragged me to the stealth cruiser and just pressed me against the wall and... hem. Anyway, it was after that that I realized I had already fallen in love.”

Zi Han, “...”

Zi Xingxi leaned forward and asked, “And you? Do you love Yi Chen?”

Zi Han instinctively wanted to deny it but he shut his mouth and said, “You are asking too many questions.”

Zi Xingxi chuckled before saying, “I see. Well, too bad for him. He has been pestering me and your grandfather wanting to speak to you. In fact, we got so tired of his endless calls that we blacklisted him. Your light brain broke at some point thus he could only use this method. Do you want to call him back?”

Zi Han lowered his head and lay on the table while using his arms as a pillow. “I am not ready,” he said in a muffled voice and his mother ruffled his soft hair. When she felt how soft it was she couldn’t bring herself to stop. She had forgotten how addictive it was to mess with Zi Han’s hair. This is why she was particular about his haircut and only ever did his hair by herself.

“You can break up with him. Mum will get you a better boyfriend,” she said only for Zi Han to raise his head his tone reprehensive, “Ma.”

“Shh shh shh, I was kidding. Lie back down and let Mama pat you bald.”

Zi Han, “...”

At this rate, he would have a bald patch at the crown of his head.