502 Like A Star

It was close to midnight when Ying had dropped off Han Bohai at the hotel he was staying at. Looking at the hotel, her brows drew together as she asked, "You're staying here?"

He hummed in reply and added, "Why?"

Ying shook her head as if it was nothing but she couldn't help marvel at the coincidence. The hotel belonged to Nora's father and Ying had often come here in the past month because Cali was also staying here. 

She sat waiting for him to get off of her car for five minutes but he still didn't move at all. It was like he didn't even plan on leaving.

"What are you waiting for now?" she asked impatiently.

"I'm waiting for you to stop me," he replied with a pout.

"HA! That's not happening!" stated Ying without considering his feelings. "Off you go now! Shoo!"

"Since yesterday, you've only been pushing me away. When are you gonna pull instead?"

Ying rolled her eyes at him and extended her hand towards him. 

"OW!" He yelped when she pulled his ear like he was a kid being scolded for stealing candy. "Why do you turn into a ferocious cat all of a sudden?"

Ying unbuckled her own seatbelt and with a hand behind his seat, she leaned over to unfasten his seatbelt as he replied, "It's not all of a sudden, I was born a ferocious one!"

As her face was so close to her, he leaned back as if he wanted to become one with the seat. The scent was hitting his senses dangerously and he knew if he didn't lean back, his desire to be closer to her was only gonna increase.

After the seatbelt, she even opened the door for him and sat back at her seat saying, "Now, leave!"

Han Bohai took a moment to calm his agitated heart and breathed through his mouth. He even held the collar of his shirt and tugged at it slightly as if he was feeling hot and it was making him feel uncomfortable.

Even though Ying had been saying that he was flirting with her, he'd very much like to tell her that she was being too naive if she thought her actions weren't provocative. Why was she testing him? And why was he so easily ruffled by her?

He would love to ask himself this; why was she able to evoke these strange feelings within him? As she said, they only once or twice and yet he was so deeply affected by her presence. It was hardly believable to himself and yet he couldn't deny that magnetic pull of attraction he felt towards Ying was by no means simple. 

Putting on his cap and mask like before, he stepped out of the car and walked towards the entrance of the hotel. Behind him, Ying rolled down the windowpane and shouted, "Oi!" Han Bohai who had been dejected that she didn't stop him, abruptly stopped and turned around to face her with sparkling eyes. Ying took a paper bag from the backseat and said, "You forgot to take your jacket."

"I don't care. I just had to give it back," replied Ying solemnly. "Also, once again, thank you very much."

"That's also not necessary between us," he added.

"What?"

"I mean 'thank you' is not needed," he rephrased his words. "Besides, helping you didn't cost me anything instead I seem to have found a girlfriend like you."

"Who's your girlfriend?" she sounded gruff but there was no anger in her voice.

And because he couldn't feel any hostility in her voice or in her eyes, he dared to be complacent as he said, "You."

"And when did I agree to that?" she retorted staring at him in disbelief.

"Well, not today. But you never know about tomorrow," his grin was wide and she was supposed to be infuriated then why was he looking so adorable? Wait! Did she just call him adorable? Where did that come from? Ying immediately shook her head. He however not knowing her inner monologue thought that she refused his words so he went on, "Don't be so eager to turn me down. Tomorrow is still a better day to say yes."

Ying took a deep calming breath before saying, "Aren't you like a frivolous sea trying to swallow the jade?[1] I honestly never thought I'd come across someone like you."

Han Bohai smiled at her choice of words before he leaned on her car's window and said, "No, I'm the turbulent sea looking for the jade to calm the storm within me.[2]"

"You're good with words," she muttered but she couldn't refuse she was intrigued and amused by him. 

"I'm also good at plenty of other things. But you won't know if you abandon me like this."

"Abandon you? When did I do that?"

His eyes literally showed the way his emotions were stirred as he excitedly asked, "So, we are meeting again? When? Where? How?"

Ying placed her finger at his forehead and pushed him away saying, "I haven't decided on that yet." 

While he was left dumbstruck, she started the car but didn't drive away. Instead, she turned to look at him and said, "Now, I know why you became a star." He furrowed his brows as she added, "Your eyes shine like little stars when you smile."

He was flabbergasted at the way she complimented him before driving away leaving him to smile like an idiot on his own.

[1] 'Sea trying to swallow the jade': So, to clear this up, Ying means 'Jade' while Bohai means 'Sea'. I hope it's understandable why she said it.

[2] 'Jade stone is believed to balance the emotions, calm the mind, and release negativity.' ~Culcheth Healing... So in this phrase, Han Bohai is seemingly trying to say that she is that 'jade' which can calm his turbulent storm of emotions.

P.S. If you still don't get it, let's keep it simple... The boy is straight-up flirting with her without holding back!