19 THE SIMPLE THING TO DO (2/2)

”What? No, I didn't. What happened?”

”I don't know,” Xuan Tianmei answered with a crack in her voice. She was on the brink of tears.

Tan Yao frowned in sympathy and surprise. ”Come with me. I'll take you to the police station on my motorcycle.”

”Okay. Thank you.” Xuan Tianmei replied and went with him to the car park, not minding at all that he had grabbed her hand and held onto it tightly.

***

After closing from the office, Hua Zhendan went right home. The food he ordered had been delivered in his absence. After taking his bath, he sat down to eat and found that he had no appetite.

He tried to read but couldn't concentrate. Then he tried to watch TV but couldn't focus either.

With a sigh of resignation, he retired to his bedroom, got on the bed and turned off the light.

He closed his eyes and tried to sleep, but his mind drifted to the afternoon and thoughts of Xuan Tianyi. He hadn't let his emotions clouded his judgement, he could be said to have done the right thing, couldn't he?

After tossing and turning around on his bed for what seemed like an eternity, he sat up and looked at his wristwatch. It was just 7:30 pm. If Xuan Tianyi hadn't misbehaved, in two hours, he would've done the photoshoot for The Men Issue and in less than forty-eight hours, would havee had his first pay of a thousand dollars. Double what the Coca-Cola Ad would pay Tan Yao. He had given him the better job, right?

He sure had and wouldn't let it weigh on his conscience. He went to the kitchen, drank some warm milk and went back to bed. Still, sleep evaded him.

What if Xuan Tianyi's room was too cold? What if the mattress wasn't soft enough? Or hard enough? Would he really send Xuan Tianyi to jail? That would be the right thing to do after all.

As Hua Zhendan hugged his blanket tighter, he wondered if the police had given Xuan Tianyi a blanket? What if they hadn't? How would Xuan Tianyi sleep without a blanket?

What if he couldn't eat the food? What if one of the policemen tried to **** him? What if someone hit him?

As these thoughts endlessly ran through Hua Zhendan's mind, he felt a teardrop from his eyes. He sat up and cleaned it with his thumb of his right hand.

Unwittingly, he broke into a small, uncontrollable sob. This was all his fault. He was just so jealous after Su Yang had shown him the picture of Xuan Tianyi kissing Tan Yao, he decided to punish him with that humiliating job.

When Xuan Tianyi didn't take the job, he had punished him again by having him arrested. He was supposed to be satisfied but all he felt was emptiness and despair.

He wanted to make Xuan Tianyi suffer but he couldn't bear the thought of him suffering either. Because the more Xuan Tianyi suffer, the more he suffered.

Hua Zhendan sighed.

He would rather Xuan Tianyi kissed a thousand more people than have him cold, hungry and lonely in jail. He would let him go and not hurt him. Perhaps, that way, he could hurt a little less.

At this thought, Hua Zhendan wiped the tears from his eyes and got up from his bed. Yes, he had made a resolve, he was going to let Xuan Tianyi go. Like, release him from prison, let him do whatever he wanted with his stupid life, and just focus on getting over him. Maybe then, he could go back to pretending he's stoic and unfeeling and maybe then, he would eventually stop hurting. It could all be that simple.