When Kasey unlocked the door, it was nearing four AM. Considering the fact that she was going to return home even later, she should have gotten used to the darkness. Unlike what she lied to Tess, Henry didn't even know when she was returning home and he probably was having his sixth dream by now.

She sighed, dropping the keys into the bowl, and sauntering into her room without a sound. However, she paused, while passing through the kitchen, because she noticed a shadow inside. That was her mother sitting when she turned the light on. "Mom," she whispered gently, "why are you still up?"

"Couldn't sleep," her mother replied, smiling, but from her tired eyes, it was obvious she actually stayed up to wait for her daughter. "How was your day, baby?" She asked, getting up by propping herself with the edge of the table. "Do you want something warm?"

"Nice," Kasey murmured because it was the truth until Jian arrived. "I'm tired though, thanks, mom. I'll just sleep it off—gotta wake up in three hours."

"Are you sure you can pull this off?" Her mother asked with worried eyes. "You come home so late."

Looking into her mother's eyes before she pulled her for a hug, she murmured, "I'll be fine, don't worry." And we need this, Kasey thought but she knew how sad her mother would be if she heard it. Even though her parents never left her under pressure, Kasey always felt like she had to help them in a way after the bankrupt. "Good night, Ma."

"Sleep well, baby," her mother replied, planting a kiss on her cheek. Kasey walked to her room and shut the door afterwards. Quickly getting rid of her daily clothes, she pulled on her pajamas and checked her phone. No one called or texted except Tess.

Are you home? She'd said.

Yep.

Tess was quick to reply. Yay! Up for a call?

Instead of replying, Kasey called her friend. "Hey."

"Hi," Tess replied. "So did you meet Jian?" She should have guessed she was dying to know about the details.

"Yes," Kasey said, yawning. "I did."

"And?" Tess hissed. "You can't hang up on me like this. Keep on."

"Tess, I'm dying—let's sleep."

"Whitton, promise you'll tell me everything without missing any details tomorrow, okay?" Kasey was immune to Tess' threats whenever something happened.

"Fine, m'lady. Pinky promise."

"Good night."

"Bye."

She actually wasn't as sleepy as she faked. However, she wasn't feeling so energetic to keep up with Tess' questions and her demands. Besides, she didn't really feel like remembering what'd happened with Jian because the thoughts alone were enough to drive her crazy.

What could he have experienced to act like a total jerk to her? He was a heartless robot, she concluded in her mind, or there was no explanation to his reckless, cold behavior. If she was going to work there, she had to get used to his mood, but it wasn't easy. Kasey loved talking and she talked, even more, when someone didn't. She didn't like the silence at all and did everything to fill it up.

With Jian, it was always silent—and it didn't get filled no matter how much she tried.

Pulling her mind off that jerk, her thoughts landed on Henry again when she lay on her bed. Covering herself up with her comforter, she sighed and looked out of the window. Her bed was against the window and from where she was, the sky was clearly spotted. She thought of their relationship's progress in a few months. It'd definitely changed and in a really bad way. She couldn't feel the same vibes from them anymore.

It was her fault to raincheck on him but it was her first work day and he could understand what this meant to her. Henry knew how much she tried to find a decent night job and she thought he also wanted her to find one. She was busy and he got to understand that she didn't have time to spare for him as much as before.

At last, she decided to wait for the first move from him this time. If he really loved her, he would try to gain her heart back. If not...she didn't know. She never thought of that possibility.

Life is tough, Kasey thought when her eyes finally started closing down.

When Tess poked her on the shoulder, she was sleeping. She startled, and tilted her head slowly, her eyes half open and laid her head back on the table after she realized it was just Tess. "Hello sunshine," Tess whispered a bit too loudly to her ear, making her jump from her seat.

Kasey's eyes opened in shock, and she coughed a little to gain her balance back. Tess, meanwhile, was busy smirking at her with her arms folded. "I hate you," Kasey groaned, suddenly feeling so sober that she hated it. She liked the way sleep felt, especially since last night she couldn't sleep.

"Bet you do," Tess said, sitting beside her seat and waiting till Kasey sat down. "So tell me about last night."

"What about it?"

"Jian," Tess said matter-of-factly. "Tell me about his handsome face."

"You meant grumpy, I suppose," Kasey scoffed, rolling her eyes while the flashbacks of last night replayed in her mind. She still got so annoyed when she thought how humiliating it was for her to call him sir, Mr. Li or show him the respect that he didn't deserve at all. "He doesn't talk much."

"Typical Jian."

"And I call him sir or Mr. Li. And he doesn't tell me not to."

Tess threw loud laughter, then settled down when she noticed gazes upon them. "Sir? Wow. He's only two years older."

"I know," Kasey whispered. "But it slipped off my tongue and he never corrected me. What did you expect me to do? I can't call him Jian right away."

"Is he really that grumpy?"

"You have no idea, Tess. He's a walking stone. He hardly smiles, or react, and the longest sentence he's ever formed was I know you. I didn't even know what to say."

"But he knows you," Tess said matter-of-factly, despite her friend's glare. "Okay, he's really a dick but what about the baby? Did he exhaust you?"

"No, he's amazing. It makes me so happy to be around him. That's why I'm not bothered by Jian—besides, I won't see him around so he's not a problem." Kasey genuinely didn't consider Jian Li as a problem but if he were a nice person, it'd be a plus.

"Did you tell Henry? What does he think?" Kasey didn't talk to him since last night. She figured out no apology would make it up for him so she was trying to come up with another apology in the form of a surprise—a dinner, maybe. She really loved Henry, but sometimes she thought he and she were too different and this relationship was going to hit an iceberg if she didn't humor him. As the time went, she started to get tired of being the one who held this together. Sometimes she questioned if love was enough or Henry really loved her at all.

Looking at her book, she murmured, "I didn't tell him."

"Is everything okay?" Tess asked softly, and Kasey sensed Tess held herself back from saying something rude to him as she normally would. She probably sensed something was definitely wrong.

"I'm tired," Kasey said, tilting her head. "But I'm also in love. I don't know...I just...I don't feel like I used to." Instead of telling her something, Tess leaned for her hand. Kasey looked down at her book again, this time, her conscience demanding her that she should start studying soon or she'd fail the exam. "Let's study."

Flashing a smile at her, Tess opened her book, too, and they started revising.

She didn't expect to find Henry waiting for her in his car when she left the building. All-day, she checked her phone to receive a message, although she told herself to wait, and she was too glad to see him there before she would lose herself and send him a message. Gripping her bag tighter, she went and pulled the passenger door open. "Hey," he said when she settled in her seat and glanced at him. His face was shaven, and all she wanted was to just kiss him but she had to keep herself together until he actually apologized.

"Hi," she murmured, a hint of expectation in her tone, which she didn't really bother to hide. She was really wondering what he was doing here, if not for an apology.

"Thought it's better we talk face to face," he initiated. Kasey just waited; she didn't want to be the first one. She held her breath when his hand found hers. "I'm sorry." This was the words she rarely heard of his lips. So, she just leaned to kiss him but before their lips could meet, he held her chin. "Wait," he said.

She frowned. "Why?"

"Let me do it properly. I don't do this often." She chuckled against his lips before he pulled back to look into her eyes. "I shouldn't be so mad at you and have listened to you. I know you didn't purposefully forget me, and we can always go on another date. I just miss you so much and we should make up for it when you're free."

He's so understanding, Kasey thought, her heart sinking its barriers at his heart-to-heart apology.

"Now, you can kiss me." So she did.

After a few minutes spent by making up to each other, Henry took her to her favorite restaurant. They talked about his business and her studies, then her new job. She didn't tell him about Jian though and she also told him that there were two parents although she wasn't entirely sure it'd be much better if he thought so.

After dinner, Henry dropped her at Jian's house. "Call me when you need a lift home," he'd said before she left the car. Pulling him for another kiss, Kasey finally managed to leave her boyfriend and walked to Jian's. She hoped to see Mrs. Dawry instead of Jian, but her smile faded when Jian greeted her with a solid stone face.

She entered in, ignoring his look on her and walked to the living room to remove her coat and drop her bag on the couch. She sighed but froze still when Jian came after her. "I'll take a shower," he said in a flat tone and disappeared into the other parts of the house. Seconds later, she heard the door shut.

"Jerk," she muttered as she walked to his bedroom, where Carl slept and checked on him. His eyes were open actually, and he was staring around. When he saw Kasey, he started to chuckle. Kasey chuckled, too, uncontrollably. Cuddling him from his bed, she said, "How are you?" Another chuckle was his reply. Also, he seemed to be really interested in playing with her curls. "Oh, you like curly girls," Kasey cooed laughingly.

"Goo," Carl mumbled, his fist in his mouth.

"You hungry, little boy?"

With Carl in her arms, she walked out of the room—only to bump against something hard. She carefully elevated her gaze through a bare chest, flat and hard, no wonder what she bumped against, up until she came eye to eye with a half-naked Jian, only a towel effortlessly wrapped around his waist. "I—I..."

"Watch your step," he flatly said, his facial expression not once faltered. Kasey was shocked by how he could keep his patience, his calm yet still be so annoying. Then, Jian's eyes flickered onto his son. "你好吗我儿子?" It was the first time he'd talked in Chinese in front of Kasey and her first thought was that it was a different language but it totally fit his tongue. He leaned to kiss Carl's forehead, caressing his head gently, and his eyes softened at his son's face.

With him, Jian was totally different. Kasey couldn't believe her eyes when he even smiled at him. When he raised his gaze back to her, realization dawned on her. She was standing at his room, and cuddling his son, while he was naked—and she may have taken a glimpse of his well built body, too. But it wasn't the case.

"You bumped into me, sir," she said flatly.

He scoffed, running a hand through his wet hair, and she looked down not to watch him anymore. Then, before he could answer, she passed by him and took Carl to the kitchen. She wasn't going to watch her employer's bare chest all day. Placing him into his high chair, she pulled up her sleeves to prepare dinner for him.

"Watch your step," she mimicked him silently. "You wander around half-naked and ask me to watch my step."

"Did you say something?" Jian emerged from the door, looking at her warily.

"No."

"Good." Since she didn't spare a glance in his direction, he walked toward her and watched her cutting the ingredients for Carl's dinner. She could feel his gaze on her and it was making her nervous. Why was he watching her? Speak up. "I'm leaving," he said after a while as if he heard her prayers.

"Good."

"Write a shopping list and magnet on the fridge. I'll buy them later. You can list down anything Carl needs...and you need." Even though Kasey wasn't looking at him, she could tell by his tone that he was making an effort to be kind. Her lips tilted at her side at this thought. She kind of liked seeing him struggle with talking nicely—since he wasn't used to that.

"Your wish is my command, Mr. Li," she said, dropping the knife and leaning against the counter as she turned toward him. "Have a nice day."

He just looked into her eyes, analyzing her words and her face a bit too much before he went to kiss his son once more and walked away. When Kasey turned back to preparing dinner, she was smiling.

Jian Li was the biggest jerk ever but she was keen on finding out why.