What Happened and What should have Been

Is this called Love?

I'm glad that Teng Teng is feeling better now. At least  physically. I hate myself for leaving him last night, I should have  stuck to my original plan and interfered. I'm just grateful that I got  there on time. Is he gonna be fine though? I hope he forgets everything  from last night...even everything that happened with me.

Li Cheng is still lost in his thoughts when the door opens and Mu Ren walks out to sit in front of him for dinner.

Dinner  is a quiet affair that night with everyone sheepishly focusing on the  food and not daring to look at Mu Ren or even each other. As soon as  he's done eating, Mu Ren gets up to leave but gives Li Cheng one last  wistful look before heading back to his room.

As if things are  not complicated enough in his mind already, this look from Mu Ren  throws Li Cheng off guard even more. He is now worried and confused and  just hopes to put this whole incident behind them and move on from the  nightmare.

Mu Ren sticks to him room for the remaining of the weekend. Li Cheng and Xing Si give him the space he needs to heal.

*****

It  is not only Mu Ren who has trouble sleeping, Li Cheng has also not been  sleeping properly the last two nights...although for very different  reasons. His mind keeps going back to that night... naked Mu Ren by the  tub...moaning Mu Ren in the tub. He is unable to control his thoughts or  feelings about his friend and is not sure what that actually means.

So  he comes up with the most brilliant plan he has ever had.... Okay, may be  the most brilliant was to lie about being a BL fan to get the girl of  his dreams, but this one just falls one short of his second most  brilliant plan of faking to be in love with this closest friend.  Whatever be the case, without any further thoughts, he decides that this  is the best he can do for now. If you can't understand it and can't  deal with it then just AVOID it.

  
That's it...that is what I have to do. I just need time  away from Teng Teng to forget about all this. And eventually everything  will go back to normal.

Ergo, when Monday comes, he leaves for work very early  avoiding any conversations with Mu Ren or even Xing Si. When Mu Ren  catches up with him in a Client meeting, he abruptly gets up to leave  and manages to avoid Mu Ren for rest of the day. He gets home very late  in the night again to steer clear of his roommate. He manages to keep  this ruse up successfully for another three days when Mu Ren finally  catches upto him and understands what's been happening.

The  next day Mu Ren tries to confront him in the office, but Li Cheng is  once again victorious in doling out every possible excuse available and  ignores him.

At lunch, he finds himself lying to Mei Fang that  Mu Ren has been shy lately and that he has been ignoring him. This only  intensifies his inner turmoil.

What is wrong with me?  I'm lying to everyone and I'm lying to myself. I have been avoiding him  for the whole week, how long can I keep this on? Why do I feel awkward  around Teng Teng now? Why can't we be friends like before? I miss  spending time with him but I can't get myself to look at his face.

He  is again jolted out of his thoughts when Mu Ren abruptly confronts him  in front of Mei Fang. He tries to avoid him again but gives in just to  please the girl.

"What's wrong with you lately?" Mu Ren accosts him.

   Aargh! I've been dreading this. How do I get out of this now?

"What do you mean?" Li Cheng says coldly

"I mean..this...you...you have been weird lately."

"No, not really. Nothing's wrong. I've been the same always"