The Assassin's Enemy Lover

The shadow puppets were being created by his mother with her hands as she told the most nonsensical story but Zi Han was very attentive.

The story lacked any theatrics but Zi Han was hooked on the story. When he was a kid his mother would occasionally tell him these shadow puppet stories and he enjoyed them very much.

As the story reached the end Zi Han pursed his lips with a smile that reached the corners of his eyes. “You do realise that there are a lot of plot holes in the narrative?” he asked while turning to look at his mother.

Zi Xingxi was slightly offended. She gasped with her hand lightly resting on her chest while saying, “Ha, how dare you? This is a classic masterpiece that you enjoyed gleefully as a child. Now there are suddenly plot holes? How ungrateful.”

Zi Han chuckled as he closed his eyes lightly. He was exhausted and wanted to go back to sleep but he also wanted to talk to his mother.

Just as his eyelids lightly pressed together, Zi Xingxi turned to her side and spoke softly, “Did anyone make fun of you at school for the whole skirt thing?” She reached out and pushed back the strands of hair on Zi Han’s face with a little worry in her eyes.

Zi Han who was half asleep right now opened his eyes till they were half-lidded and shook his head. “We live in a progressive society and besides no one would dare,” he replied only to recall those two messages from earlier. He vowed to find out who had the balls to tell him what to do and return it two fold.

“I have even bigger problems. I am very terrible at mech repair and I need seventy per cent for me to pass... Someone suggested I get a mech and it would help improve my repair skills,” he said his eyes closing sluggishly.

.....

“Who?” asked Zi Xingxi only for Zi Han to open his eyes his body frozen stiff.

“Huh?” he asked buying time to throw the pot at someone else. He knew if he mentioned Yi Chen’s name then she would find trouble with the class president. He still remembered her attitude towards Yi Chen and how she had repeatedly warned him to stay away from him.

Zi Xingxi’s eye twitched a little suspicious. She repeated the question again, “Who told you that being in a mech would help?”

“Professor Quinn,” he lied without hesitation. He would rather throw the pot over the lecturer’s head to spare himself the grief of having to explain.

Zi Xingxi was still a little suspicious. That’s because she was also taught by Professor Quinn and that didn’t look like something he would suggest. She was terrible at mech repair as well but not once did he give such meaningful advice. She was sceptical but she let it go.

“I will talk to your grandfather tomorrow about getting you a mech. I don’t want to get you just any mech,” she said before turning to lay on her back.

Zi Han smiled as his eyelid drooped drifting off to sleep. “Thanks, mum,” he whispered. The corner of Zi Xingxi’s lips quirked up as she gently ruffled his hair. After that, the room fell into silence as the two drifted off to sleep.

***

As the bright sun rose with a golden light, Zi Feiji who was in a great mood knocked on Zi Han’s bedroom door before he pushed it open. His expression was like that of a sly fox up to no good. That’s because he was.

“Wakey wakey little Han Han,” he said only to find a bundle lying on the floor wrapped with a quilt. On the bed was his daughter who was selfishly occupying the entire bed.

Zi Xingxi jolted awake and grabbed a smart pistol from who knows where and aimed it at the door. Zi Feiji’s brow arched upwards before saying, “Put that thing away... When did you get here?”

Zi Xingxi placed the smart pistol on the bedside pedestal as she rubbed her eyes sheepishly. She lay back down and said, “Last night..... just let me sleep a little longer.” After saying this she lay back down like she was going to get back to sleep.

“Uh, that’s fine. I am not here for you anyway. I am here for him,” he said as he walked over towards the bundle curled up on the floor. It’s a good thing the entire room was carpeted and the housekeeping AI would maintain the temperature based on the body response of the occupants in the room. If it weren’t for that Zi Han would most definitely fall sick.

Zi Xingxi pulled up the quilt covering half her face while asking, “What do you want with him?”

“To go to a wedding. I need him to have a makeover before we go,” said Zi Feiji the smile on his face growing bigger.

Zi Xingxi, “WTF”

“Did you place another bet?” she said fully aware of her father’s addiction to betting with his friends. These people would bet on anyone and anything as long as it wasn’t hurting anyone. That is to say, they were that bored.

“Uh-huh. Han Han, it’s time to wake up,” he said trying to be as gentle as possible. He didn’t want his grandson in a bad mood. Zi Han curled into a ball while mumbling something incoherent before he stopped moving.

Feeling rather defeated Zi Feiji looked at his daughter with an ‘are you going to continue watching me or are you going to help’ kind of look.

Zi Xingxi sighed and sat up before yelling, “Zi Han! Get up.”

Zi Han who had been dreaming about operating Chronos got up with a start and sat up straight with squinted eyes. Coupled with his dishevelled bed hair he looked especially comical. With a dazed look on his face, he glanced in his mother’s direction then at his grandfather.