Wicked Ways

With all the stress and anxiety masking it, Chang had not realized how much her hunger had built up all day. Before she realized it, she had scraped her plate clean that had been full of food only the moment before. As soon as she had scraped the last bit off, Jian made another small pile on it. Looking at the mountain he had put on her plate again, Chang blushed, feeling like a total glutton. Not only had she been hungrier than she had realized, but he had also ordered some of her favorite foods. Sweet and sour pork ribs, moo goo gai pan, lo bak go, he had even poured a bowl of egg drop soup for both her mother and herself, although hers still sat untouched.

'How did he know that I love the food from this place? Where did he even get these dishes from, and how did he even get the food and the dishes in? I didn't know you could bring outside food into a hospital, how did he get this in..? Hmm, should I even still be surprised by the things this man does?' Raising an eyebrow, Chang chewed on the end of her chopsticks as she got lost in her thoughts.

"Xiao Xi, don't chew on your chopsticks! You have to eat, you've grown so skinny, how will you fulfill your mama's wish if you're so thin!" LiHua's admonishment brought Chang out of her thoughts. She was confused at her mother's words and wondered what she meant before remembering what she meant. It was the topic from earlier coming around to haunt her again. Her mother was such a spoon sometimes, she just loved to stir up trouble. It was one of her mother's fortes.

"Hmm I concur, you should eat more, I like it when you have more to hold onto." Jian leaned over and whispered the second half into her ear, causing them to turn red.

Slapping her chopsticks onto her plate, Chang stared at the two of them, fuming. The two of them continued to eat nonchalantly as if they had not been teasing her only a moment before. Unable to maintain her composure, Chang got up and stalked into the private adjoining bathroom and slammed the door shut.

"Such a child still in so many ways." LiHua snorted and laughed seeing her daughter's flustered reaction.

"Mm." Liang JianAmal replied with a low grunt, his eyes twinkling while his lips were curled into a satisfied smile.

LiHua brightened seeing his reaction, 'I'm glad she found such a caring man like her father, good job Chang!'

----

In the bathroom, Chang ran cold water to splash on her face and neck. Eventually, her face stopped burning and she only had a hint of rosiness on her cheeks. As she did so, she was careful not to displace her makeup as best she could. Even though she could only feel the bruise on her cheek when she pressed on it, it would do her no good to have her mother see it. Looking in the mirror, Chang could tell there was a hint of swelling in the area in her cheek as well as her lower lip and hoped her mother would not notice.

'Ah, I guess this is as good as it gets.'

Drying her hands, Chang exited the bathroom swiftly her dress swirling around her knees with her quick motion. She sat down back in her chair to eat more, as dammit she was still hungry and would just have to brave through their wicked ways! As she sat down, her mother was nibbling at a lo bak go cake. As she nibbled LiHua looked up at her daughter and dropped the food from her chopsticks onto her plate. She stared in wide-eyed shock at what she saw.

Chang was confused as to her mom's reaction but followed the line of sight to her neck, where she'd unbuttoned her collar a couple buttons while she splashed water on her neck.

'Wait, my neck!' Chang instantly slapped a hand over the area her mother was staring at and glared at Jian. 'This is your fault!' Silently she accused him with blazing eyes.

LiHua coughed lightly and eventually tore her eyes off the marks on her daughter's neck with difficulty. "It appears I need not say anymore, I had no idea my daughter was so good to her old mother. I will be patient and await good news soon."

"Hmm look forward to it." Liang JianAmal replied quickly while smirking at Chang. Needing a change of topic quickly, Chang cleared her throat and quickly interjected before either of them could say more.

"So mom how come you're here? You didn't hit your head on a cabinet or anything did you?"