Chapter 456 - Empty

Shui Xian was grinning from ear to ear when he came out of the bathroom, after taking his steamy shower with his wife. He went in to rub her ear but definitely rubbed a lot more interesting spots. He was in such a bright mood that he even subconsciously started humming out a tune. 

It's been years and today, this early in the morning he felt an itch. He really wanted to write a song. A song just for his wife. His creative mind was overflowing with words that he wanted to pen down just for her. It's been a long while since he hadn't been struck with such inspiration.

Just as he was buttoning up his shirt, something suddenly came to his mind, "Wifey, why do I suddenly feel like you just played me?"

Raelle stood in front of the mirror as she plugged in the hairdryer and looked at his reflection in the mirror, "Really?" 

Shui Xian nodded certainly. He wasn't lying. He just felt like his wife used that tactic to shoo away his laziness. He could swear on this fact!

"Fuck! You really played me!" 

Raelle lazily glanced at him before turning back to dry her hair as she asked, "Are you a musical instrument? How can I play you? You aren't even a game that I could play."

"Don't go round and round with your eloquent words just because you don't know how to lie," retorted Shui Xian. "I already figured your trick. There is no need to fool me." He came to stand behind her and held her gaze through the mirror as he went on, "Besides, it's not like I mind being played by you. In fact, in the future, let's play even more."

"Why do I think sometimes you act like Coco?" Shui Xian's eyes widened slightly when he heard her question. "Just a tiny thing makes you so happy that you keep hovering around me."

"Dog is my spirit animal," said Shui Xian. "That's why you'd never have to doubt my loyalty. And that's one of the reasons I think we are a perfect match made in heaven." 

What Raelle valued was loyalty and there was no one who could doubt Shui Xian's loyalty towards Raelle. Not just to Raelle, he had always been sincere and loyal to everyone close to him. So, Raelle wasn't completely wrong about him. He did act like Coco.

"Spirit animal?" questioned Raelle. "How interesting!" As Raelle brushed her hair, she continued to stare at herself in the mirror.

"Baby, I know you're beautiful," came Shui Xian's voice from behind her. "You don't have to be dazzled by your own beauty." He had a hint of a smile in the way he spoke. 

"I'm not dazzled by my own beauty," replied Raelle. "It's just that I think I need a haircut."

Shui Xian looked at her sleek black hair that seemed to be shining after brushing. Her hair wasn't that long. But they weren't short either. "I think the length is alright." He said while playing with the ends of her hair. 

"No, I think it's the right time for a haircut," Raelle said again.

"Okay, if you think so," replied Shui Xian. "Do you want me to get you an appointment? No, wait! You have the ever-awesome, Cloe by your side. She can help you with that."

Raelle gave him a look, "I don't go to salons."

"What?"

"Hubby, are you forgetting that I don't like people touching me?" asked Raelle. 

Shui Xian did remember that. He just never really thought that. "Then how... No, what have you been doing?" he asked incredulously. "Don't tell me you're gonna cut your hair on your own."

Raelle shook her head, "No, Yanyan will do it."

Shui Xian was dumbstruck to hear that. "Ah! How can I forget about Yanyan? But can she do it?"

"Since I was a baby she had been the one doing it," told Raelle. 

"Is she good at it?" he couldn't help asking her.

"Good," answered Raelle. "When I was young, she used to make mistakes like making my hair shorter than her intention. But she diligently learned and now, she's a professional."

"What else did you make her learn?" 

"A lot of things," replied Raelle. There was no doubt that Raelle had been a kid difficult to raise. Not because she was naughty but because of her particularity about certain things. "She can be a hairstylist, a makeup artist, personal dentist, dance teacher, martial arts teacher, or a doctor. You can say she has a wide variety of skills just because of me."

"Did you just say a dentist?"

Raelle nodded her head, "When I was six, one of my teeth were hurting. She took me to the dentist but I was so uncomfortable with a stranger digging into my mouth that she had to hold my hand throughout the whole process. Later on, she started doing research on dentistry."

Shui Xian looked so helpless when he heard that. He felt a sudden pity for Mu Chenyan. But more than that, his admiration for her increased. He really understood in the real sense what Mu Chenyan meant when she said that Raelle didn't know how to take of her personal day-to-day life. 

"Yanyan really did a lot for you," commented Shui Xian.

"True," agreed Raelle without any hesitation. She agreed with that statement more than anyone. The things she mentioned didn't even come close to how much Mu Chenyan did for her. Seemingly, she had been staying home for over two decades but no one could possibly know that during all that time, Mu Chenyan had actually acquired a wide variety of skills just because she wanted to make Raelle feel comfortable.

There was a time when Grandfather Xiang asked Mu Chenyan to stop going overboard. He said if she allowed Raelle to come in contact with people, she might get over her discomfort. But Mu Chenyan didn't think so. According to her, if she could fix it herself, she had no reason to make Raelle suffer even just a tiny bit.

Even if Raelle couldn't voice out her feelings, it didn't mean Mu Chenyan would not know what she liked or disliked. And it wasn't difficult for Mu Chenyan to pick up her skills. She came from a family of military doctors. The study of dentistry wasn't that big of a deal. It was actually when it came to cutting her hair that took Mu Chenyan years to perfect.

"She has done a lot more than just giving me all her youth," said Raelle. "So, even if I offer my heart to her, I won't ever be able to come close to what she did for me. The best I can do is respect her. And you should do as well."

Shui Xian smiled, "I already respect her. But from now, my admiration has reached a new peak." It was actually easy to see what kind of a status Mu Chenyan had in Raelle's life.

In fact, he suddenly had a thought that he should be really thankful to Mu Chenyan who raised Raelle in this way. Just to make Raelle feel comfortable, she really went overboard. But it showed how much she loved Raelle. And if not for her, it was hard to say if Raelle was gonna be here today or not.

"It's about a month away from mother's day," Shui Xian thought out loud. "I'm gonna bake a cake for Yanyan to thank her for raising my wife."

"You're planning far ahead," said Raelle when she heard him.

"I don't think it's that far ahead," said Shui Xian. "Anyway, just a cake might not even be enough. She gave me her precious Elle, I have to show some sincerity." Then he thought of something and chuckled, "It's no wonder that she looks so displeased when she sees me. She is like an aggrieved mother hen who thinks I stole her precious chick."

"I'm not a chick," retorted Raelle.

Shui Xian tapped on her nose lovingly, "Okay. You're not a chick but Yanyan is certainly a mother hen." He shook his head as he thought to himself, 'For someone who never even wanted to be in a relationship, she certainly has way too much motherly love.' And it seemed Mu Chenyan was just born with such maternal instincts. 

If her motherly love couldn't find an outlet towards Raelle, she'd find Hyson to shower him with all her love. At the end of the day, she just made these two her entire world. And that's why it was startling for Mu Chenyan when Grandfather Xiang asked her to go out and get a life.

Her life had been revolving around Raelle for over two decades and suddenly she was asked to change her habit. How could she do it? Habits had always been dangerous.. And it became more dangerous for Mu Chenyan who suddenly lost the direction of her life and felt empty.