It Was Only One Night [LingOrm]

29-The Parents

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We decided to head to my mom's house, though, to be honest, I was the one who made the decision. Ling practically begged me to come along.

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"My father will be there," I said, trying to dissuade her, but she just grabbed the car keys without hesitation.

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"I don't care," she replied confidently.

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"You don't like him, right?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

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"It's not that I don't like him," she said with a sigh, "but he literally said I was ruining your life because I'm an older woman and you're just a recent graduate."

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I laughed. "Well, it's true, though."

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"Oh, so now I'm ruining your life?" Ling teased, looking at me with a playful smirk.

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I couldn't help but chuckle. "I don't mean it like that. I mean you are older, and I am a recent graduate. But it's not a big deal."

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Ling rolled her eyes. "I'm not that old, you know."

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I smirked. "You're not old; you're just a little older than me. Like, when I was 17, you were in university. So, yeah, there's a bit of an age gap, but it's really not much."

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Ling laughed softly, and I noticed the slightest hint of discomfort in her voice as she pondered for a second. "Actually, thinking like that, I guess I'm very much older than you. Does that bother you?"

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I smiled warmly at her, shaking my head. "Not even a little. In fact, I like having my sugar daddy."

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Ling blinked, a bit taken aback, before laughing. "Am I your sugar daddy?"

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I grinned, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. "Yes."

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—-

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We finally arrived at my parents' house, and I was feeling a bit uneasy. I knocked on the door and turned to Ling, who was already adjusting herself in the seat.

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"Ready to face my dad, saying I'm your girlfriend?" I asked, half-joking.

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She didn't miss a beat and pulled me close by my waist, pressing her lips gently against mine. "More than ever," she said, her voice low with a playful tone.

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But before we could do anything more, the door opened, and we quickly pulled away.

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"Hey, Mom," I greeted as I saw her standing in the doorway.

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"Hi, Orm!" she exclaimed, pulling me into a warm hug. Then, she turned to Ling with a kind smile. "Is she your new friend?"

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I chuckled nervously. "Actually, can we come inside?" I asked, gesturing to the awkward tension in the air. Mom nodded, stepping aside to let us in.

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We waited in the living room, standing near the door, both of us silently anticipating my father's arrival. As soon as he walked in, he locked eyes with Ling, and I could already feel the weight of the situation.

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"You repeated this mistake again?" he said, his brows furrowing as his gaze shifted between me and Ling.

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Ling didn't back down and met his stare with confidence. "First of all, I'm not a mistake. And second, good afternoon, Mr. Sethratanaphong."

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"Dear, do you know Orm's friend?" my mom asked, looking from my father to Ling.

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"We're dating," I said, stepping forward to claim my ground, and my father's eyes widened in disbelief.

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He shook his head. "How could you date someone like her?"

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"Come on, you don't even know Ling. She treats me well, always takes care of me, and she's been nothing but supportive," I said, trying to stand up for her, but my dad still looked unconvinced.

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"Orm, you're too young to make decisions like this. Look at her, she's older. She's been living in Hong Kong, and you're just starting your life here. How is this relationship going to develop? Do you really think she won't cheat on you the moment she steps out of this place?" My father's voice rose with frustration.

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Ling remained calm, unfazed. "With all due respect, I know that Orm and I skipped some steps in the beginning, but now we're happy together. We complement each other, and I feel comfortable with her. I love Orm, and yes, I live in Hong Kong, but I'm doing everything I can to move back to Bangkok as soon as possible."

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My father didn't seem to like what she was saying, but before he could respond, she pressed on. "And how's your effort going, huh?" she asked, bitterness creeping into her tone.

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"Perfectly fine, except for the fact that I'm stuck negotiating with a hellish company owner," Ling added, her frustration evident.

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I pulled her to me then, trying to calm the situation.

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My mom finally spoke up, her voice warm and gentle. "Do you love her?" she asked, looking at me with a curious gaze. Ling and my father both turned to face me.

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I nodded without hesitation. "I love her so much, and I'm certain that I want her to be my girlfriend. I want us to live together. But she has some things to work out, and I'm respecting her time. She's always with me, very caring. She makes me feel confident and comfortable."

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Ling smiled softly at me, and my mom turned toward my father, speaking to him firmly. "You're a grown man, and if they've worked things out and she's happy with her, that's all that matters. It's about her happiness, not about age or anything else."

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My father looked at her but didn't say anything, finally nodding his head reluctantly.

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I turned to Ling with a playful smirk. "And you need to stop arguing with my parents. Do you want him to like you, or do you want him to hate you?"

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She pulled me into a tight hug. "I'm sorry. Do you forgive me?" she asked, her voice full of sincerity as she kissed my forehead.

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I chuckled. "Maybe."

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We both separated, and as I looked back at my mom, she caught my eye and smiled warmly at me.

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"Mom, do you know where Uni is?" I asked, curious about where my younger sister might be.

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"Oh, yes," my mom replied, "she's out in the garden, running around like crazy."

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Ling sighed. "My fault."

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We followed my mom outside, where we found Uni, completely immersed in her running, oblivious to our arrival.

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"Uni?" I called out, and she stopped abruptly, turning to us.

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"Where's the baby?" Ling asked, her voice teasing, and Uni's face lit up with recognition. Without missing a beat, she ran toward us with a burst of energy, her tiny legs moving like she was racing against time.

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Uni leaped into Ling's arms as if she had been waiting for this moment all along. "How was your day with Mom and Dad?" I asked, reaching out to gently caress her little head.

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"Uni was really easy to take care of," mom said with a mischievous grin. "She just wanted to keep running around the garden all day. But aside from that, she's been a bit more relaxed."

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I smiled and kissed Uni's head. "That's good. I'm glad she's calming down."

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We all hugged for a while, just soaking in the warmth of the moment before it was time to say goodbye.

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Later, as Ling was adjusting Uni's seat in the car, I turned to my mom.

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"So, did you like Ling?" I asked nervously, hoping for a good answer.

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My mom chuckled softly. "Of course. Why are you asking me that?"

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"I just want to make sure you don't hate my girlfriend," I said with a half-smile.

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My mom wrapped her arms around me, pulling me into a gentle hug. "Relax, I love her. She's very gentle, attentive, and caring. I can see how much you two love each other."

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I smiled, relieved by her words. Just then, I noticed my father walking past us. He went to help Ling with Uni in the car, and I couldn't help but feel a bit of tension still lingering in the air.

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"Goodbye, Mom," I said, giving her one last hug before walking toward the car.

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"Goodbye, Orm," she said with a warm smile.

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As we left my parents' house, I felt a sense of peace. There were still challenges ahead, but as long as Ling and I were together, I knew everything would work out in the end.

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