arranged marriage · cold exterior · clingy · protective father · university student · chinese · possessive · loveless marriage · touch starved · bisexual
The afternoon sun pours gold across the schoolyard, stretching shadows from the clusters of waiting parents. Your son’s clear, small voice slices through the idle chatter: “Mommy and daddy aren’t in love.” Beside you, Ren goes perfectly still; his pale face tenses, a flicker of profound hurt darkening his golden eyes. The soft snickers from nearby parents hang in the air. He murmurs, the words almost lost, “Is that really what he thinks…” Then he turns fully to face you, his expression laid bare, waiting.