45.

AMBER'S POV. "Be careful when you sit down, you need to rest after our tiring day." Benny supported Asleena's body to sit on the living room sofa. Asleena gave Benny an awkward smile. Her face already looked exhausted. Since yesterday, it felt like Asleena's energy and mind had been drained just to pursue the perpetrator behind the spread of her photo. Now Asleena felt a tremendous relief. The thing that had been bothering her and disturbing her daily life had been resolved properly. Rssanya Asleena's struggle paid off without in vain. Asleena let out a long sigh of relief. She closed her eyes to rest the dizziness in her head. "Would you like a drink?" Benny asked in a soft voice. Asleena shook her head. She opened her eyes again and looked at Benny with a gentle gaze. During that time Asleena felt that Benny was as tired as she was. Without further ado, Asleena reached out her hand to hold Benny's face. Asleena imagined Benny's struggles that helped her get to where she was now. All of this made her feel touched, she now realized that she did not lack people who cared about her. All this time Asleena had always faced people who tried to bring her down. But because she had Benny by her side, Asleena never felt afraid to face them all. Whenever Asleena felt like she couldn't face something, Benny would be there for her. "Benny," Asleena called, her voice soft, no longer sharp and snappy as usual. "Hm?" Benny raised both eyebrows. He looked at Asleena with intense beady eyes. Benny immediately knew there was something Asleena was seriously thinking about. His curiosity was aroused right away. Benny just kept quiet and didn't want to make any comments. He let Asleena think about anything. "Aren't you tired?" Asleena asked without removing her hand from Benny's cheek. Benny was a little confused by Asleena who suddenly asked him that. Benny didn't know why Asleena suddenly thought of something unexpected. "I didn't expect you to ask something like that," Benny said with a joking laugh. "Whereas you're usually rude and annoying to me, now you seem to pity me." Asleena let out a rude sigh as Benny mocked her. Asleena didn't expect Benny to respond with a joke. Even though she had tried to be friendly to Benny. "I've lowered my ego to you by being gentle, but you're just annoying, Benny," Asleena said in a grumbling tone. Benny immediately laughed amusedly at Asleena's reaction to him. Benny was just trying to tease Asleena. "I didn't mean it when I said it, don't get angry," Benny said with a chuckle. Asleena then sighed heavily. Meanwhile, Benny changed his sitting position to be more comfortable and looked at Asleena seriously. "Why are you asking me that? I'm honestly tired, but you seem to be more tired than me," Benny replied. Asleena turned to Benny with a confused look. Her hands were folded in front of her chest. "What do you mean?" Asleena asked confused. Benny replied, "I mean, every time I feel tired, I think of you who I feel is more tired than I am. That's what makes me not want to stop protecting you." Hearing Benny's words actually made Asleena's heart warm. But Asleena was too proud to show her feelings to Benny, as a result she just rolled her eyes in disgust and looked the other way. Beside Asleena, Benny laughed again after knowing the woman's reaction. Benny didn't know why Asleena was so strange today. "What kind of answer do you want to hear? Am I wrong?" Benny asked between laughs. Asleena shook her head. "Not wrong, but... I don't know why your answer is so ridiculous, Benny. I don't know why you're answering with such a sad sentence." Benny couldn't stop laughing after hearing Asleena's words. The more Asleena looked annoyed at him, the more Benny didn't feel satisfied teasing the woman. Without feeling guilty, Benny immediately stroked Asleena's head while slightly ruffling her hair. Benny couldn't help being amused when Asleena just scowled at him. "Am I not fit to say that sentence?" asked Benny, who again nosily asked Asleena. "Of course. You're so unsuitable that I'm a bit nauseous," Asleena teased while modeling someone who wanted to vomit something. Benny glared with an amused smile. He had not expected Asleena to tease him like that. He didn't feel offended at all. "Oh, you're getting better at mocking me, huh?" asked Benny with the same mocking expression as Asleena. Benny's hand then went back to Asleena's head to mess up her hair even more. Benny did not let Asleena let go of his hand that was still busy messing up her hair. "Argh! Get your hands out of my hair!" Asleena grumbled while trying to get rid of Benny's hand. Asleena repeatedly removed herself as well as Benny's hands. But Benny didn't stop his actions at all. Even when Asleena changed positions, Benny continued to ruffle her hair. "Hey, you can't keep doing this to me!" Asleena grumbled even louder. Her hand jerked Benny even more. The more Asleena grumbled, the more Benny got excited to ruffle her hair. That made the annoyed Asleena immediately jerked both her hands to make Benny's hands come off. "Argh! Shut up, Benny! Gosh, I was just about to take a break but you're bothering me!" Asleena said in an exasperated tone. Not long after, from behind them and a few meters away, Katherine appeared. Katherine's steps immediately slowed down after seeing the sight of Benny and Asleena joking around. Katherine immediately shook her head while sighing heavily. Katherine took another normal step to approach Benny and Asleena. "Oh my. You two are really acting like children," Katherine retorted, instantly stopping Benny and Asleena's movement. Benny and Asleena flinched with shocked expressions. They almost didn't remember that they were at Benny's parents' house, where Katherine must have seen their behavior. Soon Katherine had arrived near Benny and Asleena. Katherine stopped walking and looked at the two of them with a look as if she had just seen the children's behavior. Meanwhile, Benny and Asleena grinned at Katherine. They suddenly felt awkward. "Mama, why did you have to show up so suddenly?" Benny grumbled. Katherine furrowed her eyebrows in astonishment. "Why are you protecting me like that? This is my house and I can walk by anytime," she replied, ending with a nosy smile at Benny and Asleena. Asleena immediately smacked Benny's hand lightly to reprimand him. But he only grinned at her. "I don't know why Benny always likes to tease me, Mama. I only ask nicely but he's really ignorant!" Asleena replied in a childlike complaining manner. In front of Asleena, Benny just sighed heavily. Benny was a bit surprised because Asleena seemed to be childishly complaining to Katherine. But Benny did not feel offended or objected to it at all. "Because Asleena was made to be teased. Ma, she's asking something strange. I've helped her through a lot of hard things, and she's questioning why I don't stop and don't get tired." Katherine couldn't help but smile after hearing Asleena and Benny's answer. Katherine was no longer as annoyed as she had been a while ago when she first met Asleena. If taken seriously, Katherine felt that Asleena was acting very funny. Katherine even blamed herself for thinking that Asleena had bad intentions towards Benny. "You two really look like a brother and sister who fight non-stop," Katherine said between giggles. Asleena and Benny looked at each other. But it was Asleena's gaze that was sharpest and most annoyed with Benny. It was as if she blamed Benny for the childish behavior Katherine was referring to. "Benny started it first! I had no intention of acting childish, Mama. Look at my hair..." Asleena pointed to her own hair. Katheirne laughed even more at Asleena's scowl as she smoothed her hair back. Katherine didn't know why Asleena now looked like her own biological daughter. "It's your fault. Why do you look so cute that I can't stop teasing you?" Benny asked with a mocking tone. Katherine immediately intervened. "Never mind, don't continue, Benny. Can't you see that your wife is already frowning? She's very upset with you." Benny turned his gaze to Asleena. He immediately curved an ignorant smile wider than before. "It's okay. It's not much, maybe later I'll tease her more intensely." Benny deliberately teased Asleena again. Asleena glared and just wanted to reply to Benny's words. But soon the sound of the bell echoed. Someone was at the door. Just arrived. Katherine, Asleena and Benny looked away in unison. The three of them seemed to be wondering who was coming today as none of them had any appointments with friends or anyone else. "Who?"