Rain Clouds (WE BEST LOVE FF)

Jiyuna (自由な) - Unfettered

"I'm sorry, Mr. Zhou is busy right now," Shi De was stopped by the assistant.

"Doing what?" Shi De asked, impatient.

The peoples working in the main office was somewhat familiar with the man. Afterall, Shi De had been going in and out of the boss's office on the everyday basis. Often times, more than once a day. They had even thought he was the mysterious heir Mr. Zhou had been talking about in interviews.

Due to that, Shi De had received many looks, both of envy and seduction. It was not so easy to disperse the ongoing talks despite Shi De's firm explanations. Shi De was still buggered with the perpetual advancements and side-eyeing. The gossips eventually went from him being Mr. Zhou's son, to his nephew and currently to his future son-in-law. Mr. Zhou was not so helpful in the matter either. He neither refutes nor agree to the false news, not that anybody dared to ask him directly.

"He's in a meeting," the woman answered carefully, not wanting to anger the man she knew was someone very close to her boss.

Shi De went ahead towards Mr. Zhou's office anyway. He turned the dragon carved door handle. To his disappointment, the door was locked.

He lifted his hand to knock on the door.

"Please, Mr. Zhou would have me fired," the woman pleaded, using her two hands to pull on Shi De's arm. The man was too tall and substantial in her eyes. Shi De's warning eyes were also not helping her current deposition. She was torn between letting Shi De have his way and risked getting fired, and kneeling on the floor right then to beg Shi De to back away. She didn't mind it at the time, the main office was arranged in such a way that Mr. Zhou's room would be out of the workers' eyes. She almost when down on her knees, when they suddenly heard glass shattering behind the closed doors.

Out of patience, Shi De started knocking aggressively while his other hand was still turning the knob. Aside from the sharp noise, he can hear nothing else. The thick door was designed to not let out most sound. Afterall, business worth billions between the giants were discussed in that particular room.

He was slightly pulled in when the door suddenly opened from the inside. There were pieces of porcelain ware on the foor, by the long table he always had tea on. Tea splattered everywhere.

"Shi De," It was that face. The face he had been longing for, the face he had seen in his sleepless nights and agonizing days. The face he sweared he'd cherish all his life, put smiles and kisses on. There's a silent ache in his heart. Adding to the three years they were separated before, the last 5 months were insufferable.

Shi De wanted to say something but decided not to for fear his voice might crack. But what was the point? His choppy breathing already gave him away.

"So soon huh?" Shu Yi asked, giving him a dirty look.

Shi De saw the assistant was still holding on to his upper arm. He pushed the woman away before brushing off the invisible dust on his sleeve.

Shi De was about to open his mouth when he saw the bleak face of Shu Yi's dad, "You shouldn't have come here."

"You don't need to worry dad, it's over between us," Shi De realized Mr. Zhou were not talking to him just now.

"What are you talking about? Nothing is over," Shi De clutched onto Shu Yi's arm as the other tried to walk away.

"What are you doing?" Shu Yi snapped his arm off Shi De's grip.

"Didn't you get the message?" Shi De recalled the pink sticky note Shu Yi left him that day. The day he went ballistic, grabbing Mr. Zhou in the collar demanding to know where Shu Yi had gone to, the day he first time slept on the cold hard surface behind barred metals.

"Do you need me to remind you Gao Shi De?" Shi De knew that face. He had witnessed it before, in Japan. It's a mask. Shu Yi was trying to hurt him on purpose.

"I wrote, you left me, so i'm leaving you. Can you not read? I left you! Get a grip!" Shu Yi was brimming with madness. Shi De almost believed him.

"Then we're even."

"What?"

"We're even now so let's start again," Shu Yi was gaping, obviously not impressed with Shi De's interjection. Mr. Zhou's frown gone deeper as he heard the rather absurd yet plausible logic.

"Are you out of your mind?" Shi De was about to come up with another witty respond but he heard Mr. Zhou's voice from inside the room.

"You both are out of your minds. Get in here before everyone in the building heard all this fuss."

"Don't bother, I'm leaving," taking that as a cue, Shi De once again grabbed Shu Yi, this time by the collar. Shu Yi was dragged and thrown on the sofa before Mr. Zhou's eyes.

"Have you been treating my son this way Shi De?!"

"I've treated him in a lot of ways, uncle, you don't want to know," the father and son grown stiff. Mr. Zhou can feel the muscle behind his neck gone rigid.

Growing confused of the interaction between his dad and his ex-lover, Shu Yi slowly got up, trying to leave again. He was curious but he can't be bothered to ask further.

"Sit!" Shi De's voice echoed within the large office room.

Shu Yi was now at standing in front of the left side sofas that were arranged in U-shape. Mr. Zhou was standing and leaning by his work desk while Shi De was standing at the edge of the sofa Shu Yi was pushed on.

Shu Yi fixed his blazer not intending to listen to Shi De.

Mr. Zhou sighed, "Just sit."

Baffled, Shu Yi knotted his brows and folded his arm out of defiance.

In all honesty, Mr. Zhou was reminded by the angry outburst of Shi De a few months back. That man almost swallowed him whole. He shivered at the thought.

"I'll leave. You guys talk, and that's talking only. No funny business. Ask Ms. Foo to call me when you're done."

Ms. Foo as he called her, was still there. Her eyes round and wide, cursing gratitude in her mind for the unravelling of the scene she had been bestowed upon.

Ms. Foo closed the doors as Mr. Zhou walked out the room.

Shi De twisted the lock to the door, the four eyes met again.