Pandora's Heart | d.cx ✓

CHAPTER 37

Pandora was awakened by a loud knocking on her door – rather a loud banging on her door. She looked out the window, the sun was already out, but whoever was knocking so loudly was disturbing her sleep.

'What!?' Pandora shouted.

'Open the damn door Pandora!' Haoxiang's familiar voice answered from outside.

Pandora wondered why he would be there that early, and what exactly had made him knock like that. She grudgingly got off her bed then opened the door.

'What the hell were you doing with Chengxin last night?' he asked furiously. He seemed very angry, incredibly angrily.

'What do you mean?' Pandora twisted her lip in confusion.

'What were you doing with Chengxin at your door last night!?' he repeated. 'Wasn't Chengxin here last night?'

'Who told you that?' Pandora wondered.

'Junlin told me, he said he saw you with his own eyes. Now care to tell me what happened!?' he leaned on the door frame, seeming quite imposing at this moment to Pandora.

'Is Junlin your little spy or something?' She rolled her eyes.

'Can you just answer my question!? Answer me right now, I'm not joking.'

He surely wasn't joking, Pandora had never seen him this angry.

'Okay, okay, let me explain.' She raised her arms in surrender. 'Chengxin came here to ask me if everything that happened between us didn't mean anything, and he was crying so he made me cry.'

'Why'd you cry?' Haoxiang narrowed his eyes angrily. 'I don't understand why you should cry just because he is. He's nothing to you.'

'He's my friend.' She shrugged.

'A friend who has a crush on you?'

'That's his business.' She was feeling uncomfortable with Haoxiang's aggressiveness, but that was probably because she had never made him this angry before. It's not like there was a Chengxin in her past as well.

Haoxiang moved away from Pandora, now no longer leaning on the door frame. 'I don't mean to seem controlling, but I don't want you talking to Chengxin again. Ever.'

Pandora looked at him with surprise for a while. 'Excuse me Haoxiang? Me and Chengxin are in the same building and we're participating in the same show, how can you say we shouldn't be speaking? That will just be really dramatic.'

'You know what else will be dramatic? If you cheat on me with Chengxin and I beat him to a pulp.' Haoxiang dared her, slamming his fist into an open palm.

'Didn't you get beat up by Chengxin?' Pandora joked, but was met with no smile from Haoxiang. 'Anyway, I wouldn't cheat on you. So don't think like that.'

'Well I don't trust you. So I don't want you speaking.'

'Haoxiang...'

'I freaking mean It.' he cut her off.

He didn't look like he was joking at all. She looked at his aggressive face which seemed to back up every word he had said. 'Okay, okay. I won't talk to Chengxin again.'

'Give me your phone.' Haoxiang continued to give more demands.

'What!? Why!?' Pandora screamed. 'What's all this about? I'm sure Junlin twisted the story, this is why you're acting like I was caught kissing Chengxin or something.'

'Just give me the phone.' Haoxiang demanded.

Pandora hesitated for a while, still looking at Haoxiang as if he was crazy. Finally, she walked back into the room and grabbed her cellphone from off the bed. She handed it over to Haoxiang.

Haoxiang took the phone and tapped a few things, before handing it over to her. 'I blocked and deleted Chengxin's contact, but that shouldn't be a big deal since this is someone you're not talking to.'

Pandora wanted to react, but she figured it was best if she didn't. She hadn't texted Chengxin and neither had he texted her, but having his contact blocked and deleted made her feel like they wouldn't be able to contact each other again after the show. But maybe that's how things had to be. She had made a decision to choose Haoxiang, and she had to stand by it no matter what.

'Okay.' Pandora nodded.

...

Chengxin was sitting in the living room that morning, having simply had an energy bar for breakfast. He wasn't in the mood of a meal for breakfast.

'How are you feeling?' Rio asked and put a glass of juice in front of him. He could have easily told her he didn't feel like drinking it, but he decided to be polite.

'I'm okay.' Chengxin said as he lifted the glass to his lips and took a sip.

'So what are we doing today babe!?' Rio asked excitedly as she sat next to him.

'Oh, I thought Jiaqi already told you that the game is over.' Chengxin answered her. 'Yeah, I kinda decided it's a waste of time. So it's okay, no more "dating" between us.'

'Oh, okay.' She nodded. Chengxin could have sworn he heard a hint of disappointment in her voice, but he was sure he was wrong.

He finished his glass of juice and decided to get into his room and have some time alone, just like he enjoyed it nowadays.

'Chengxin wait.' Rio finally said after she noticed him about to leave the couch. 'Are you sure you want to quit? Maybe it will work.'

'No I have a feeling it won't.'

She sighed. 'Anyway, Chengxin, it was really fun acting with you and I actually think we work for each other.'

Chengxin was hoping he had misunderstood her, if he hadn't, it was too much for him to take in at the moment. 'What?'

'Yeah, I mean...I feel like you really understand me. Don't you? And I understand you too,' She grabbed Chengxin's arm. 'We should try dating for real.'

'Noooo,' Chengxin pushed her softly, 'you know what I think? I think you're just confused. And it's normal to be confused. I guess this was a bad idea...'

'It's not that I'm confused Chengxin! I liked you since I saw you too but Nikita and Pandora were all over you. Now that we acted as a couple, it made me realize that I actually have a chance.' She pleaded with a pouty face.

Chengxin was still feeling uncomfortable, moving away from her and trying to create as much space between them as possible. 'No, Rio...I don't know how to say this but I don't like you in that way. And I'm really sorry.'

'I tried to help you but you're just acting like Pandora!' Tears lined her eyes.

'What do you mean I'm acting like Pandora!?' Chengxin raised his eyebrow.

'You know...just like how she left someone who loves her in favor of someone who doesn't really love her. You don't wanna get with me because of Pandora yet I'm the one who loves you.'

'You are clearly confused,' Chengxin got up from the couch finally.

'And you're gonna let me cry like this just like Pandora let you cry huh?' Tears now started falling out of her eyes. Chengxin was baffled for a moment as he took in the scene, all he could think about was how this girl didn't know what she was doing.

'Don't cry,' Chengxin said, still standing in his position.

'No you're just like her,' she wiped her tears. 'You should never complain about Pandora again!'

Awkwardly, Chengxin walked off the scene. He started to feel to uncomfortable having such a conversation and the scene of the girl crying because of him made him feel perplexed. He didn't wish for things to go this far, and he didn't expect them to.

He closed his door and leaned on it, trying to recover from the overwhelming situation.