Vol 2 Chapter 14 (2/2)

That afternoon, while he was in An Ziyan’s room, Mai Ding secretly took his phone while he was busy doing something else. After he had found Bai Xiaosi’s number, he left the room quietly and once outside he ran as fast as he could, hoping to find a place he could call Bai Xiaosi. He did spend a few seconds considering if he should make that call. After all, he didn’t want to be like one of those girls, always breathing down the necks of their boyfriends, but the more he thought about it, the more he felt he couldn’t just let it go.In the end, he made the call.

“h.e.l.lo?” She sounded like she was still asleep. While it was day time in Asia, it was in the wee hours of the morning in the States. Xiaosi was about to scream at the idiot who dared to wake her up.

“Are you Miss Bai? I am Mai Ding.”

It took a while for Xiaosi to realize who Mai Ding was. “You? Why are you calling me?”

“I hope you aren’t busy right now. I have something to ask you.” Mai Ding was feeling a little awkward. She was An Ziyan’s ex-girlfriend, after all. However, despite the initial awkwardness, he had this feeling that she wasn’t that bad a person.

“Ok. Go ahead.”

“Erm…I…I would like to ask you…When you were with An Ziyan, did he tell you that he loved you?”

Bai Xiaosi was somewhat surprised by the idiocy of his question. “Tell me that he loves me?” Bai Xiaosi thought. She wanted to laugh. An Ziyan had never even given her a taste of what love was.

It was as if the two weren’t in any relations.h.i.+p at all. Bai Xiaosi had an evil thought suddenly. Clearing her throat, she began, “He was always so irritatingly romantic. Whenever we were alone, he would always tell me that he loved me. He would only give up when I am all red in the face. There was one time… I was making dinner. He suddenly hugged me from behind and whispered in my ear, telling me how much he loves me. To be honest, I was in total bliss at that time.” It was almost unbelievable. But for Mai Ding, a feeling of pain slowly spread across his heart, as if he were poisoned.

“Thanks. There’s nothing else then. Goodbye.” Mai Ding hung up. That scene that Bai Xiaosi described was on continuous replay in his mind. Why was it so easy for him to say it to her? And why was it so difficult to say it to me? These questions continued to bombard his mind. Is it because my love is not as great? He was thinking about it so much till his face went pale. At the start, he was still feeling somewhat alright, but now…

He marched right back to An Ziyan’s room, stood in front of him and demanded, “An Ziyan, do you love me all?”

An Ziyan smiled, wanting to laugh.

“What the f.u.c.k are you smiling for? I’m being serious!” Mai Ding hollered.

“Why are you asking these idiotic questions?”

Seeing how An Ziyan was still not prepared to say anything, Mai Ding felt even more disappointed. He never wanted to replace Bai Xiaosi’s place in An Ziyan’s heart, but at the very least he wanted to know that he was important to him. “Is it because I am a guy? Is that the reason why you can’t tell me that you love me?”

“No.” An Ziyan realized how important this was to his lover.

“Liar! You could obviously say it to Bai Xiaosi! Why is it that I am treated so differently? Does being a guy mean that there can be no romance, no affection? People say that when a person is in love, he would want to express how he feels. But you? I don’t even know whether you love me or not.”

“Bai Xiaosi?” An Ziyan frowned.

“An Ziyan, I need to know that you love me. Not just Bai Xiaosi.” And with that, he stormed out of the room.

“Come back here!” But it was to no avail.

Mai Ding was back in his own room. He couldn’t bear to continue the conversation.

An Ziyan called Bai Xiaosi. He was bewildered by the sudden turn of events. “Bai Xiaosi, what did you say to him?”

“I didn’t say much. I just recounted the good times we shared, how you told me that you love me everyday. No big deal, right? You mean, he’s upset? You can’t blame me. Furthermore, such minor squabbles would do a relations.h.i.+p some good. I’m actually making your relations.h.i.+p a little bit more exciting, don’t you think?”

“You did this on purpose, b.i.t.c.h.” An Ziyan was getting irritated.

“Why? Feeling irritated? When we were together, I never see you getting fl.u.s.tered at all. Last month when I was angry with you, you didn’t even realize that I was mad at you! And last Valentine’s Day, you sent me that face mask with the words: 'I hope you shuddap'? I think it’s time to settle those debts, don’t you think? And it will be Mai Ding who will help settle the score.”

An Ziyan hung up the phone, ma.s.saging his temples as they were starting to ache. He finally understood why his lover was so furious earlier.

In the other room, Li Ming could see how angry Mai Ding was. He could understand how Mai Ding felt. He thought it was better to put off the idea of finding a girlfriend for the time being. Being in a relations.h.i.+p had its own problems, had its own pain.

That night, Mai Ding couldn’t sleep. He was tossing and turning in bed, still thinking about what happened earlier. He heard his phone ring, and knew it was An Ziyan. He had half the mind to cancel the call, but he couldn’t bear to do so.

“Put your ear to the wall.” Mai Ding heard him say when he answered the call.

What was he up to this time? Mai Ding thought, but he did what he was told. Then he heard a loud knock from the other side. After about two seconds, there were three successive knocks. And after another two more seconds, one last one. Mai Ding was stunned by what An Ziyan had done, but he could feel his heart slowly melting; whatever hurt he felt, whatever anger… all those disappeared with a simple act from An Ziyan. Only he could calm the billows in Mai Ding’s heart. Mai Ding beamed.

From a distance, Li Ming could see Mai Ding’s expression. He had only one conclusion to make: People in love are obviously mad.

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To be continued...

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