"Ziyu," Lin looked at him, expressionless.
"So you were here!"
"Yes."
Ugh, I feel there will be another round of a boxing match here...Shui was worried.
The tall and bulky man, Ziyu, lowered over Lin with a not-so-friendly expression.
"Um..." Shui intervened, hoping to diffuse the situation.
"You are here hanging out with a woman and I thought we will have a drinking party together!"
Ah?
"Not tonight, unfortunately. My brother is waiting for ."
"Well, so bring your brother too! Your girlfriend is also welcod!"
Girlfriend? Who?
Shui took a look around and then back at him.
"It’s you I’m talking about."
"..."
Lin clarified. "She is not my girlfriend."
"Well, clearly she ca to watch you and I saw her following you too! Well, whatever. You can be all secretive you want. But you cannot back out of our drinking party!"
Reading her apparent confusion, Lin said, "It’s just he who drinks. I have refreshnts."
"That’s too soft," he harrumphed.
Lin looked back at him. "Next ti for sure."
"Your brother is all grown up. Surely, he can be alone for a few hours."
"I have to buy so groceries and prep for tomorrow’s work."
Ziyu clicked his tongue. "Well next ti you cannot back off!"
"Of course!"
"And you will properly introduce to your girlfriend! I’m hurt that you have been hiding her from ! What about our years of friendship?"
Shui - "..."
"Miss. Han is not my girlfriend."
"Ah? You still speak so formally to each other?" Ziyu frowned.
"That’s because she is not my girlfriend."
"Whatever," he waved his hand in dismissal. "Introduce us properly. I will leave you alone for now! But next ti I will drag you to the bar if I have to!"
The boxer Ziyu left as brashly as he had entered.
Shui had quite a few things to say once they were left alone.
"I thought this was gonna get ugly."
Lin blinked. "Why?"
"He looked salty to ."
"Because I couldn’t accompany him for drinking."
"I...cannot imagine you going to a bar," she slowly said.
"It’s a place to hang out just like a cafe is," he tilted his head.
"The vibe is totally different, okay?" Her brow twitched. "Also, I didn’t think you were on good terms with your rival."
"We actually t in prison. He just got recently released. Since then, he is doing odd jobs here and there and cos to this underground ring now and then. We used to fight in prison too. Friendly gas," he nodded.
First Zhong Sihan and then now Ziyu...his life was quite colorful to say the least.
"Oh that reminds when you ntioned the fights. Can I co to see more of your matches? It was fun watching you in the ring."
He paused. "You enjoyed..that kind of atmosphere?"
"You take as so flowery princess who only loves shopping?" She folded her arms.
"No, but it’s a very brash and violent atmosphere."
"I had once visited the underground with Uncle Jinhai, just because I was curious. This much doesn’t faze ."
"I don’t mind if you don’t mind."
"Ooh, perfect! Then do call next ti!"
"I see...Although, don’t tell Cai. I’m not sure how he will take it."
Shui sighed. "You should trust your brother a little more. I’m sure he won’t take it the wrong way. He admires you a lot."
"I..."
Shui gave it a mont’s thought and pressed the cut on his cheek. "How are you going to explain these bruises to him?"
"I fell."
"..."
"Okay, I want you two to talk it out. Seriously. Cai didn’t tell you about Ru Yi and you are not talking about your boxing life. Such things make you grow more distant and distant, you know?"
She then slightly pressed his bruise more, causing his brows to furrow with a tingling pain. Then he gasped.
"Whenever you think sothing silly about going away or leaving Cai behind, then just rember this pain. And multiply it by 100x. That’s how much it will hurt both of you if you make the wrong decision."
By then the pain had numbed and he stared into her genuine eyes which shone with concern. She coughed and let him go.
"Sorry for doing that but we don’t understand so things till it gets a lot painful."
There was a mont of silence.
"Ah gotta go! I barely worked anything on my sketches today!"
She turned in a flash but retreated a mont later. "Don’t overthink about Ru Yi and Cai, okay? We will figure sothing out. If they like each other and want to be together, then we will definitely make that happen."
—
The door opened and Lin entered slowly, carrying the grocery bags with him.
"Bro!" Cai dashed and wrapped him in a tight hug. "I was so worried about you! I wasn’t able to reach you at all...You scared ! Don’t ever do that again!"
’And multiply it by 100x. That’s how much it will hurt both of you if you make the wrong decision.’
Lin smiled and patted his head. "I’m sorry. I just got busy sowhere."
"You could have picked up my calls."
"I’m sorry."
Cai harrumphed once and then gasped. "What happened to your face!?"
"I fell."
"..."
"...You got those bruises when you...fell?"
"Yes," this ti, there was a mont’s hesitation, but he remained firm.
Cai frowned and almost looked offended. "I have grown up now, Bro. You should increase the quality of your lies."
He slightly stiffened. "I’m not..."
Cai sighed and took the grocery bags from his hand. "Well, you can tell when you feel more comfortable, but don’t lie, okay? I’m not a brat anymore."
Maybe that’s why Miss. Han was looking at so judgntally...
Lin lowered his gaze. "I’m sorry. I won’t lie again."
He harrumphed. "Good. I will prep for tomorrow and you take rest. No ifs and buts!"
He hopped away and Lin stood still for a mont. His gaze fell on the three sketches that hung on the wall, which Shui had drawn. The sketch where the two brothers worked happily, joy beaming their faces.
Lin stared at the picture for a long mont and closed his eyes. Her face ca to his mind and his lips curved into a soft but sure smile.
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