345 Soft & Cuddly

Ah-Si spent half an hour in dilemma trying to think what to do with the sleeping woman on his sofa. Take her to the guest room? But guest rooms weren't used for a long time and he didn't know how clean it'd be. Take her to Ying Jie's room? No... Without Ying Jie's permission, that's not good.

He looked at Nora's face who was hugging her body now indicating that she was feeling cold. For a moment he thought about just leaving her right there but...

"Screw it!" cursing under his breath, he picked her up from the sofa and went towards his own room at the east corner of the house. After tucking her in his own bed, he quietly left the room. 

Earlier when he was trying to come up with a decision, he didn't even for once thought about waking her up. Wouldn't it save him the trouble if he just had woken her up and asked her to leave? But he stupidly just let her sleep in his own room. And on his own bed! For someone who wanted to push her out of his life and heart, he really wasn't acting like it! What an idiot!

With these thoughts running through his mind, Ah-Si didn't even realize when he slept while laying in his brother's room. Well, whatever she wanted to say it could wait 'till morning. But he forgetting something. He knew something was missing. But he couldn't put his finger on what.

The morning after a drinking night out had always been Xiu's biggest regrets. But for Nora, hangovers weren't as bad and like her body knew it she'd wake up on her usual time. Today, however, she was slightly late. Normally she woke up at 5:30 but now it was close to 7 in the morning when the blaring sunrays made her groan in frustration.

Thinking that she was in her own bedroom, Nora casually sat up to rub her eyes while yawning. Then she tried to blink her eyes to look around but could only squint her eyes because of the irritating bright sunlight coming through the window. Nora was frowning since she remembered clearly that sunlight wouldn't hit directly into her room through the window. Why was it like that today? Did the sun decide to change its course or something?

She looked at the clothes she wore and how she was stinking of alcohol and sweat. This sticky feeling made her scrunch up her nose in disgust. "Argh! I forgot to take a bath..." she rubbed her hand over her face while groaning.

She put her feet down and felt the soft and fluffy carpet underneath her feet which made her confuse again. When she looked down, her eyes went wide. There was a pastel pink fluffy rug underneath her feet. I repeat it's PINK! 

And the reason why she freaked out was that seeing the 'pink' rug made her finally realize that she wasn't in her room. Now, how did it hit her? Did we mention that Nora wasn't a big fan of pink color? No? Well, now let's clear this up since Nora had always disliked the color. And that's why it was impossible to find any shade of pink in her life. 

Closing her eyes while Nora was ruffling her hair, she felt something touching her thigh. She opened her eyes and sat frozen looking at those big doe eyes staring back at her in curiosity. It was the little baby girl who had crawled up to her silently and was now using her hands to crawl up her lap. 

Nora was stunned. She had no idea what to do when she looked at the adorable little baby before her. Especially when the little girl crawled up to her lap before using her shirt as a support to stand on her legs to touch her face with her small hands.

Just as Ava's soft hands touch Nora's face, she lost it. While Ava giggled at her she almost lost her balance but Nora held her. The hands which she didn't know where to put earlier now on instinct had clung to the little girl so tightly. Nora was now hugging her with tears rolling down her cheek. She didn't even know why she was crying or perhaps she knew but didn't want to bring back the dark memory.

But she certainly knew how peaceful she felt holding that soft little doll in her hands. Ava was so little and so soft and cuddly that Nora didn't want to pull away from her. Only now she had noticed the small bed at the corner of the room which must belong to this little one in her hands. Actually, now she didn't even have to think where she was, she knew. 

"You look just like you dad," said Nora while poking the little one's cheeks who just tilted her head slightly while smiling without knowing anything. "So cute..." gushed Nora while she dropped a kiss at her cheek. The little girl only giggled even more at that. 

Nora always thought that kids were whiny and loud but this one in her hands was oddly quiet. She wasn't being fussy at all. Nora had spent half an hour or so with her but she didn't whine or cry even once. She simply played around with Nora's hair, her face then buried her own small face into Nora's neck and slept peacefully while sucking her thumb. It really surprised Nora because except for her giggles, she didn't even hear the baby girl babble anything.

Wasn't she at the age to talk already? she wondered to herself but didn't know how to answer her own self.

But what surprised her even more was how could the little girl sleep peacefully when she saw so smelled so bad? Wasn't she bothered by it? Didn't babies have a strong dislike to certain types of strong smells? Why was this one acting so different?

She stood up with the little girl and looked around the room. Only now did she notice that everything in this room was pink except for the bed she slept in. How thankful she was for that! Soon, her eyes fell on a photo of Ah-Si with this baby girl in his hands smiling widely. Sighing out loud, she mumbled, "You really love your daughter huh..."

She caressed the little one's head before she tried to put her on the small bed of her own between her teddybears which were bigger in size than her small frame. But the little one refused as she clutched her shirt tightly in her small fist. No matter how small her hands were she was strong since Nora couldn't really set herself free from her grip. Or perhaps, her heart didn't allow her to.

"Let's find your father then," said Nora as she opened the door of the room with a deep breath.

She had only taken a step out when a deep voice from behind startled her.

"What the..."

Nora turned around to look at the man who seemed equally shocked to see her. He was staring right at her with a dumbfounded look.

"Miyabi!" he called out softly.

"Yes, sir!" Nora heard the maid's reply from behind him whom she only noticed now.

"Am I seeing things or there is actually a girl coming out of my son's room. Let me repeat, it's my SON'S room!"

Nora's eyes widened when she figured out that the man before her was actually Ah-Si's father. Just kill her now! She looked down at her shabby appearance and really wanted to bury herself in shame. This was so not the time to meet him.