The Truth That Lies (WangXian Modern AU)

18

Again and again, I find myself on a road that leads away from you. Is this a sign of the times?

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Wei Ying

I drive to the city by noon, leaving the house with a guilty heart. On another day, I would've done anything to stay home on a weekend, but if Lan Zhan asks me if I'm okay one more time, I'm sure I'll end up spilling it all to him.

I don't know why I'm doing this. I don't know how long I can continue doing this. All I know is that I've been doing the cheapest things to avoid conversations. I've never hated myself more. Lying to Lan Zhan . . . has been driving me crazy.

I reach Cheng's house and ring the doorbell.

"What are you doing here?" he barks, opening the door.

"Hello to you too," I smile.

Cheng scoffs. "That's what you want? Hello, how have you been? I'm fucking good too. Buy the way the boyfriend of yours must've disappeared from Earth for you to come to see me all of a sudden."

I blink. "Someone is on edge."

Cheng rolls his eyes and I push past him into the house. It didn't take long to realize the lack of Qing's presence. "She didn't come back yet?" I ask, following Cheng who slumps to the sofa in the living room.

"She won't," he mumbles. "Except to pack her things."

Something hits hard. A remembrance of that old heartache. "What do you mean?"

"Exactly what you're thinking. She won't come back."

I join him on the sofa. "What happened?"

He keeps on staring at the ceiling blankly. "Did you know that she wanted to go to med school?"

"No."

"Well, she did. Got in this year. Her college is far away. She moved out." He says, monotonously. "She'll probably get a job there."

Before I could ask, he adds. "She gave me the option. I ended it"

A question that's been stuck inside me all this time, forms into words and comes out of my mouth without any filters. "Was that enough for you to end it?"

I immediately regret asking it. But Cheng shakes his head. "I knew that this was going to happen when we . . . started. She told me she's leaving one day. It's just . . . hard to get used to."

"Why did you get engaged then?" I think I already knew the answer. Isn't that the same as why I got back with Lan Zhan? The stubborn hope of the unknown? I guess that's the thing about love.

"At first I thought I could move there with her. Give up my job if that's what it takes. But . . . Jiang Corp is all my life's work. And that's her dream. I—I realized that this is not what I should let go."

I couldn't help but recall the unmistakable thrill Lan Zhan has in his voice whenever Jade Industries is mentioned. That's his life's work too, something in me says. That's his dream.

I open my mouth, close it back, and Cheng says, "Please don't do monologues. I'll jump off the roof."

I laugh. "No, I won't."

A weak smile tweaks on his lips. Monologues don't help him, being with him does. Changing the topic does. "But, seriously. What you said earlier. Is that how you feel? That I'm neglecting you."