Lian glanced over, his expression suddenly soft.
"You still deserve to be cherished."
Then he lay down flat on the sand right next to her, hands behind his head.
Maisie stared at him, completely dazed and mesmerized.
The two of them lay side by side on the warm beach, cool sea breeze blowing gently, staring up at the beautiful dark sky filled with stars.
After a peaceful moment, Lian asked softly, "Heading home soon?"
Maisie shook her head. "Whole night booking tonight. The later I go home, the better for Mom."
A little while later, Lian's phone buzzed. It was his mom.
"Lian, sweetie, you're not home yet?"
"Still running! I'll be back soon," he answered casually.
"I'm working super late tonight, probably won't be home till really late. Don't wait up, just go to sleep early, okay?"
"Got it, Mom. Don't work too hard!"
Call ended.
Lian rolled over, shrugged at Maisie with a cheeky grin, and said, "See? You told me my mom was a good person. Good people can lie without even blinking!"
Maisie didn't know what to say to that.
"She's 'working late,' which means I'm probably staying out tonight too." Lian's grin grew even bigger. "Hey, since you've got nowhere to go… want to hang out with friends or something?"
"It's almost ten o'clock! What friends are still awake?"
Lian thought for a second, then called his aunt.
The moment the call connected, his aunt's voice was icy cold. "Ring Ring… Are you trying to get in trouble, little man?"
Lian quickly walked a few steps away from Maisie and whispered, "Auntie, my dear, sweet, favorite auntie, please don't be mad! I've got a tiny problem. There's a female classmate with me right now… I don't know what to do with her."
"What kind of problem? What do you mean 'do with her'? Lian, what are you talking about? Just take her home!"
"The thing is… she can't go home tonight…"
His aunt burst out laughing on the other end. "Wow, you've got some nerve! Back at school one week and you've already convinced a girl to run away with you? My little man grows up so fast!"
"Auntie, it's not like that at all! I swear! Can we explain when you get here?"
"Fine, fine, Auntie believes you. Where are you? I'll come pick you both up right now."
Fifteen minutes later, a familiar white car pulled up smoothly beside them.
The moment his aunt stepped out and saw Maisie, her face lit up with a bright, friendly smile. "Hey there, little girl! We meet again!"
Maisie lowered her head, cheeks burning red. She obviously recognized the woman as the same one from the park that night.
Lian opened his mouth. "Um, Ana"
His aunt cut him off with a playful wink and said cheerfully, "Everybody in the car! Come on, come on!"
Lian started following Maisie toward the back seat, but his aunt ordered, "Lian, you sit up front with me."
He was totally confused but obeyed.
Then he saw his aunt flash Maisie a teasing smile. "This boy is super perverted. If he sits back there with you, he'll definitely try to grope you with his naughty hands. Much safer if you sit alone in the back, I can keep a close eye on him from up here."
Lian's cheeks puffed out in the cutest pout.
His aunt reached over and playfully patted his cheek, pop! making the funniest sound.
Maisie giggled and obediently climbed into the back seat.
Lian leaned close and whispered, "Is it really okay to talk about your own nephew like that?"
His aunt whispered back with a sly smile, "In private you call yourself my little man, but the second a pretty girl shows up, suddenly I'm just Ana? You switch sides faster than lightning!"
Lian grinned mischievously, suddenly leaned in, gently took his aunt's earlobe between his teeth, and gave it a tiny, teasing lick.
His aunt squeaked in shock, he actually did that in front of another girl! and playfully shoved him away.
When she turned around, Maisie was staring with her mouth wide open in total shock.
Once his aunt started driving, Lian said quietly, "Mom just called. Looks like I'm staying out tonight too."
His aunt's expression stayed perfectly calm and unbothered.
"This is my classmate Maisie. She just transferred to our school. She's got some family stuff going on, so she can't go home tonight. And just to be super clear, it's not what you think! I definitely didn't kidnap her or anything! I'm not that kind of guy!"
He had no idea how to introduce his aunt to Maisie.
His aunt took care of it herself with a warm smile. "Just call me Sister Ana. As for my relationship with Lian… well, how should I explain it?"
Maisie lowered her head and whispered almost shyly, "I know… I saw everything that night in the park."
His aunt glanced at her in the rearview mirror and laughed softly. "Perfect! That saves so much explaining. You can crash at my place tonight. But it's still early for me, so first you two are coming out to have some fun!"
Maisie looked up, totally blank and confused.
Lian, however, immediately guessed. "Karaoke again?"
"It's the weekend! Of course we're going to have fun! We can sleep in late and be lazy all morning!" his aunt said excitedly, practically bouncing in her seat.
Lian's eyes lit up like fireworks. "So no morning run?!"
"Absolutely not!" His aunt lifted her chin proudly. "Maisie and I get to sleep in as long as we want, but you still have to get up and run, or else you know what I'll do to you!"
Lian slumped dramatically in defeat. He had been tricked by his aunt once again.
The whole drive, his aunt chatted nonstop with Maisie. Women are absolute naturals at making friends, within minutes they were laughing like old sisters, calling each other "big sis" and "little sis," completely inseparable.
Lian started panicking and whispered in his aunt's ear, "You're my aunt, and now you're calling her sister? What am I supposed to call her, Great-Aunt?! Auntie, don't take it too far!"
His aunt didn't even look, just reached down and pinched him hard right on the most sensitive spot.
Lian doubled over in silent agony, face turning red.
Maisie had no clue what was going on, but seeing Lian's funny pained expression, she burst out laughing along with his aunt, the sound bright and carefree under the city lights.
***
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