Chapter 8

Zhen and Ian arrived at the small house and the first thing that greeted them was a welcome-slipper flying  directly at them.

They both dodged to either sides and the slipper landed on the flat ground with a  'pa' sound

Ian, who felt wronged, frowned and looked at his angry mother that was standing by the door

He knew what he'd done so he opened his arms wide and rushed to his mother

"Motherrrr.....Uwaa I miss you so much —ouch" Ian once again frowned and covered his head

"Mother, that hurts" he complained

"Shut up. I told you to come home early"

Zhen just stood to the side, his head low while listening to their conversation when suddenly, Mrs. Narcia called him

"Zhen. You come here"

Ian already went inside the house after being scolded so only Mrs.Narcia and Zhen was left outside. Zhen didn't hesitate to approach her, his head was still low.

"Auntie, it's my fault" he started

"Ai....tsk tsk. Next time don't be late " She said in a stern voice. Zhen raised his head and saw the disappointment in her eyes

They both entered the house. The food was served about 30 minutes ago and now it started to cool down

Zhen already want to eat but as the saying goes, etiquette comes first so he had to change first to a proper clothes

Not a minute later, Zhen came down, he was wearing a plain white t-shirt and a gray joggers pants. He looked simple yet strikingly handsome. He rushed to the round table and sat next to Ian.

Ian was wearing a gray sweatshirt and black joggers  since he could easily catch a cold.

"You're never gonna guess what I found out" Ian whispered. Mrs.Narcia finally arrived, carrying a bowl of warm rice

"The rice is hot, be careful" She warned before putting the bowl on the table.

Eggplant simmered in coconut milk and malungay leaves, pork sausage, tuna  and hotdog was served. Ian and Zhen's mouth was both watery as they stared at the half cold dishes

"Ian, why don't you lead the prayer"Mrs.Narcia urged Ian and the guy didn't hesitate to start the prayer

"Dear lord, we thank you for the blessing we receive everyday. We thank you for the delicious meal you grant us. Thank you for everything and..."

Mrs.Narcia opened an eye and glanced at Ian who doesn't seem to know what to say next

"May we have more blessings in the future. Amen" Mrs.Narcia closed her eyes and continued the prayer for Ian

"Ian, how many times do I have to tell you to focus on praying "

Mrs. Narcia scooped more than three spoons of soup to Ian

"Don't eat too much fats, it's not good for you"

Ian nodded and started eating. Meanwhile, Zhen was just peacefully eating when all of a sudden, Mrs. Narcia put a huge scoop of soup on his plate. He opened his mouth to speak but was cut off

"You too. You should eat a lot"

Two more scoops

Zhen "...."

Ian "...."

One more

Zhen "Aunt Narcia"

Mrs.Narcia looked at him with a stern expression, slowly, her eyes narrowed and she said

"Are you on a diet?"

Ian "pfft"

Zhen looked helplessly at his plate. He hesitated, "It's not like that... it's just that"

However, Mrs.Narcia paid no attention, shifting her gaze to Ian,she placed a tuna on his plate making his jaw drop

"Mom. I'm on a diet" he mumbled

"What diet? Eat it''

" but you said not to eat too much"

"You have to stay healthy"

Only after she was satisfied that they have enough food, did she finally touched hers. The eggplant boiled with coconut milk, is a perfect combination of sweet and sour

When paired with a warm rice, the rich, creamy, and spicy flavors blended together with the other varying vegetables.

Zhen looked at the scene before him : Ian was grinning widely while secretly putting a hotdog on his mother's plate. Mrs. Narcia though saw this sneaky move and instantly shot a Fierce glance at Ian

They're like two teenagers fighting on the table

"Here. Drink some" He offered Ian a glass of water and Ian happily received it, his mouth still chewing while the corner of his mouth curled up into a smirk

"By the way, what did your teacher said about your white hair?" Mrs.Narcia looked at Ian expectantly

"Um...." He seemed to think about what to say  "um..she didn't scold me However, she wanted me to remove this within a week" He added

Mrs .Narcia glanced at Zhen who was also looking at her. Zhen nodded his head in agreement

"Mm.. Aunt, Ian is our school's representative for the ' model of the year' Contest so he had to take care of his looks for the photo shoot " Zhen seemed to hesitate at his last sentence

"After I finished all the Photo shoot, I will immediately change my hair's color Ian explained as he raised his hand to swear

Zhen sighed upon staring at his second family, his longing for his mother increasing as well as his jealousy for the mother and son pair

But deep in his heart he is thankful to have this kind of family for himself and he would do anything to keep anything or anyone from harming them.