Rhea flicked through his call list and hit ZhengLi’s name on the recants without a second thought. Waiting for him to pick up as she flicked at her nail and watched YuZhi maneuver himself face down on the floor, nestling into her fluffy rug, and seemingly pass out. Nonplussed with what he just did and probably doing what was the best for his body and mind. She did pity him his heartbreak even if it was somehow justified after breaking hers.
He had hit his upper limit of alcohol consumption and she didn’t dare to think how much he had consumed. He was a seasoned drinker who rarely got like this so he must have been downing it like water all day. It was a testimony to how much TangShi had royally screwed him up.
“Yo, buddy, where are you? I’ve been searching everywhere.” ZhengLi’s worried tone came through loud and clear, and Rhea was at least glad to hear he sounded sober. Someone she could rely on to actually help her tonight.<
Linlin was impatiently thrusting her boba balls in her tea around with her straw, tapping her sandal clad foot over her crossed legs and eyeing up the oncoming food traffic as she waited. Growing irritated with every second she sat here. The sun was shining bright, so she had come to rest outside the small cafe on her way to the clinic and was in no mood for bullshit. She had agreed to meet Rhea for five minutes and the wench was already late. Only here because she said it was important and related to YuZhi and TangShi.Linlin was battle ready and not about to fall for any kind of manipulation on her part. She had no time to be messing around while TangShi slept at home if this was an attempt to further separate them. After a sleepless few days and sedatives before she had a mental break, Linlin was eager to get back to her. She didn’t want her to be alone for any length of time given she was struggling emotionally over losing YuZhi.“Miss. Choi.” The
TangShi stood outside the huge and foreboding Leng group building as it’s mirrored structure stretched into the clouds above her like a black dagger. A foreboding skyscraper that helped shape Shanghai’s skyline in its impressive size. Her hands shaking and her heart rhythm chaotic as nerves got the better of her. Terrified right down to the roots of her soul, but she desperately had to see YuZhi. Days of being shunned by him had left her bereft as though mourning a death. She had no sense of closure due to the fast and traumatic way it ended to help her get through this and she couldn’t stop yearning for him.She had waited until Linlin left to go run errands, pretending to be asleep and slid out to come to the office buildings in hopes of catching him. Just one minute to see him. Linlin had kept telling her to give him time and space, but she didn’t understand the agony of the long silent emptiness, or the deep dark hole his lack of presence left. She
The click of the door opening had her turn back with a bright welcoming smile, reaching for her sunglasses to cover her obvious tear inflicted puffiness. Expecting to see the receptionist returning with a tray and froze mid task when two suited familiar men strode in, faces in files as they walked in unison. Mumbling details to one another as they read.TangShi stood up abruptly, dropping her glasses back into her pocket, her heart hammering through her chest at the sight of YuZhi and yet it was ZhengLi who raised his head and spotted her first at catching her movement. Stopping in his tracks mid walk to the desk and tugged on YuZhi’s navy suit sleeve with a nodding gesture her way. His brow furrowed and his cheek flexed.“What?” YuZhi looked to him on his right then followed his line of sight to the sitting area and froze too. His expression blanked out almost immediately and he locked eyes on a nervous trembling TangShi. Like laser beams being initi
“Don’t tell her. Not yet. Let me speak to ZhengLi first and get him on board. She is probably already a mess and might march right back in there and make this worse and not let us take her to the hospital.” Rhea advised Linlin as they sped towards Leng group after ZhengLi called Linlin to collect TangShi from the street. He had told them she might be upset, and she had hurt herself so they should be quick.“I want to strangle her for going there. I told her to wait it out, but TangShi can be surprisingly headstrong. I want to know exactly how she hurt herself and if I find out that YuZhi….” Linlin was simmering in temper. Not only because of her friend but that cold and distant bastard and his cryptic calls and texts which were always short and sweet about TangShi, and never once asked Linlin how she was. She was so over that asshole.“He’s not like that. I’m sure whatever happened wasn’t deliberate. Let&rsqu
“You can leave. I don’t need you of all people going anywhere with me. I don’t know what this is, or why you’re getting involved in my business, but go away. I won’t thank you for it.” TangShi turned on her heel, showing that hint of sassy she kept concealed most of the time. Her walking still a little fragile from her throbbing ankle but it was nothing to be overly concerned over.“Wait.. TangShi wait.” Rhea panicked. Her concern escalating with TangShi’s whole demeanor being weird for her. The hostility and aloof behavior and strange attitude which quite frankly shocked Rhea. Who knew TangShi did possess a backbone at times?“Bye.” TangShi paid her no heed, walking on with intent and ignored Rhea coming after her, pulling her arm free as Rhea tried to latch on and determined to be left alone for the rest of the day. Even if it took her hours to walk home from here she didn’t care. Her entire life
“Are you sure you want to do this? ZhengLi could have ….” Linlin gently rubbed TangShi’s shoulder as they sat in the overly fancy office. A small, neat space that was unusually elegant. “No. I don’t want him involved. He turned his back on me the same way YuZhi did. Why would I ask them for help now? They’re part of the ruins of my life and I don’t need them to help me fix this.” TangShi cut in, stern and stubborn. She had been in this mindset the last two days. Refusing to let Rhea go to ZhengLi or tell a soul about the test results or asking for any kind of help in proving this further. Determined to find out the facts directly and not letting other people solve her problems for her. Linlin and her had made an appointment with the hotel manager themselves today after talking to him at length on the telephone the day before. It was unexpectedly simple and not the huge hassle they expected it to be. Doing this with just the two of them as TangShi also rejected any in
“I don’t want to see it… not right now. I can’t.” TangShi lost her courage, her nerves kicking in and nausea consuming her at seeing for herself that the tests results were not a lie. That Rong Cai really did something to her with intent. Somehow in the back of her mind she had held a glimmer of hope that it wasn’t him, that it was maybe another student as a prank and somehow this was part of a misunderstanding, or a mistake meant for someone else. She had prayed it wasn’t how it seemed so it would be less devastating. She had so badly wanted to see something innocent that had taken a bad turn and not this…this cruel and horrible reality.“I need the bathroom.” TangShi got up, leaving Linlin to watch the footage herself, her eyes misting over and her stomach churning as she hightailed it into the toilet and barely made it before she threw up. Retching her guts out and emptying her stomach as tears poured down her f
ZhengLi wandered into YuZhi’s apartment with a heaviness on his chest that was suffocating, unable to really shake this awful feeling of shame and guilt that slowed his steps and weighed down his posture. YuZhi was standing in the kitchen making them food after he told him he was on his way as he needed to see him. Oblivious to what ZhengLi was about to tell him and ZhengLi braced himself for the worst of reactions. Hating to be the one to do this.“Hey, bud. What’s with this late evening guys night? You seemed tired today and thought you were heading home for an early one.” YuZhi was in a pretty neutral mood. Never really okay since breaking up with TangShi and he hated being in this apartment nowadays, but he was trying to move forward with his life. He was glad ZhengLi called him to come over as he was starting to regret the early evening here when these rooms held all her memories, and he was sure in certain places he could still smell her perfume.