Nobody Like You

A Doctorate Tastes Good

A/N: This chapter gets steamy in the second part after the chapter break. If you want to skip the steam, stop reading after the next *** in the middle of this chapter.

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Lia

My cheeks are still scorching as I leave the lecture hall. I know Yeju can be very sweet, but to see her get all mushy in front of so many people is another experience.

I follow the crowd into a spacious function room next to the lecture hall. Yeju's lab members are setting up a celebration party, and I decide to help them out. But as I tape a balloon to the wall, Yuna jumps on my back.

"Lia!" she exclaims, squeezing her arms around my neck. "You look so cute in the photos Yeju showed!"

Once again, my cheeks burst into flames. "Oh, t- thank you."

"And the two of you look so cute together." She lets go of me—I can breathe again—and gives me a knowing smile. "Yeju looks really happy, Lia."

I smile too. "Yeah. I am too."

"So I'm guessing the two of you made up?"

"Well, yeah. We—"

"Oh!" Yuna cuts me off. Someone must have caught her eyes, and she grabs me along to run to them. "Jade! Hello!"

"Yuna!" a tall, older woman greets. She is wearing a blue sheath dress and a beautiful pearl necklace, an outfit that screams elegance and maturity. As she beams at us, there is a vague familiarity in her features I can't quite pinpoint.

"I haven't seen you in a while, my dear," Jade says. "I missed you."

"Same! I'm so happy to see you again. Yeju did such a great job in her presentation. Oh, by the way,"—Yuna gestures to me—"have you met Lia yet?"

Jade's eyes light up as she scans me. "My oh my, I'm finally meeting you in the flesh after hearing so much about you."

The realization strikes me, and I gasp. "Wait, are you Yeju's mother?"

"Yes, I am. Nice to meet you, Lia. My name is Jade Pei. Or Pei Yu, if you speak Mandarin. But honestly, just call me Jade." She takes my hands into hers, cradling it like it's a precious jade bracelet. "Thank you for taking care of Yeju for the last couple of months."

I didn't think my face could get any hotter, but it is burning even more now. "Oh, we- we take care of each other."

"And that's perfect." She extends both her arms and pulls Yuna and me into a giant embrace. "Oh, I am so happy right now. I got to reunite with Yuna and meet Lia."

Yuna laughs and tightens the hug. "And your daughter is graduating!"

"I know, right? Best day ever!"

When we break out of the hug, the three of us chat like we are best friends. It is so easy to talk to them—Yuna is outgoing as usual, while Jade is so charming and warm. We talk about Yeju's shenanigans, from childhood to graduate school, before Jade prods me to talk about myself. I tell her about the grant writing work I've been doing for Professor Song, the classes I'll be taking next semester, and what I did over winter break.

Jade is asking all the questions I've always wanted my mother to ask me. She listens and responds enthusiastically. She makes me feel so... seen. Suddenly, I want to tell this woman my entire life story.

No wonder Yeju is so close to her. I've only just met her and I want to be close to her too.

Our conversations halt when the door opens.