154 Moving On (1/2)
One and a half years ago.
”Well, I can't say this is a pleasant surprise.” Li Chenyang sighed, welcoming Wen Jinkai into the foyer room. Strong tea was served as the two men settled in opposite couches.
”At the least, you can pretend to be just a little bit more joyous to see me,” Wen Jinkai muttered, taking a gulp of his tea. Black oolong, bitter and strong, one of his favorites—at least Chenyang hadn't forgotten his tea preference, even if it was a force of habit.
”You know I can never be happy to see you.”
Wen Jinkai's rigid expression softened. ”You knew, didn't you?”
”Depends on what you're talking about.”
”I've always wondered, if it wasn't for that young lady's persistence, would you have saved me? Or would you have left me there to rot to my death?”
Li Chenyang didn't respond. He merely glanced past Wen Jinkai's shoulders, focusing on anything but his close friend.
Wen Jinkai took his silence as the answer. ”Why wouldn't you save me?”
”What did you do to Minghua in the Palace?”
Wen Jinkai's face toughened. ”I'd never hurt her, you know that.”
Li Chenyang sipped his tea, peeking at his peer through the rim of the cup. ”I wouldn't have saved you. I would've left you to die and become fertilizer for grass.”
Wen Jinkai let out a humorless chuckle. ”That hurts, my friend.”
Li Chenyang's jaw tightened, his eyes darkened in disgust. ”After what happened to Minghua, are we even considered friends?”
Wen Jinkai let out a loud and heavy sigh. ”How many times must I say it? I would never hurt her.”
”Why do you have to continue repeating that? Unless, you feel guilty or you did hurt her, just not physically.”
”Since when did you care about her? You despised her. Called her a spoilt brat who was too naive and ignorant.”
Li Chenyang hurled the teacup at Wen Jinkai, his eyes set ablaze.
Wen Jinkai easily tilted his head to one side, the teacup whirling past his neck. ”You missed.”
”Shut up,” Li Chenyang snarled, his lips curled. ”Get out of my house.”
”Since you obviously can't hold a proper conversation with me, bring me your father.”
”As if he'd want to see the likes of you,” Li Chenyang spat out, his blood boiling. He curled his fingers together.
”We were such good friends,” Wen Jinkai murmured, ”It's a pity you allowed a woman to get in the way.”
”She was my sister!”
”She was my lover,” Wen Jinkai seethed, shooting out of his chair. ”I did what I could to keep her safe in that Palace!”
”YOU KEPT HER SAFE?!” Li Chenyang roared.
”Yes, she was fed and taken care of—”
”Then explain her heartbreak! Explain why she came back thin and ghastly as if the entire world had wronged her! Explain why her eyes were reddened by tears! Whatever the hell you think you did to keep her safe obviously failed.”
Wen Jinkai squeezed his eyes shut, forcing the image out of his mind. Her bright smiles, her innocent laughter, the twinkle in her eyes when she looked up at him. He wanted to forget it all. The memories they shared, the trust she had for him, the hope for their future. He didn't want to remember it.
”I didn't come here to argue.”