My Best Friend (complete)

Chapter 3

Yang Zi pouted and Xiao Zhan could tell from the other side of the phone that she wasn't really upset even though she claimed to be.

"I'm sorry. I was carried away. I hadn't heard from Yibo since we parted ways yesterday, I was worried something had happened to him. Also, I had to stop by the market to do our groceries, my phone was put on silent last night so I didn't hear it ring".

Yang Zi listened to his explanation. In her heart she wasn't upset but she felt his relationship with Yibo was a lot closer than she understood. She also had a close friend but their friendship didn't come close to Zhan's and Yibo's.

She sighed and offered to matchmake her friend with Yibo and asked Xiao Zhan to make it happen.

Xiao Zhan knew Yibo was gay but the idea of matchmaking him with someone didn't sound pleasant to his ears. As for the reason, he blamed it on the fact that he understood Yibo's preferences so being with a woman wasn't for him.

Yang Zi asked for them to meet the next day but Xiao Zhan told her his weekends were already taken. He had to spend every weekend here. He asked her to pick a day during the week for them to hang out.

If they were to hang out only during the week, they would end up not getting to spend quality time together as their time would be limited because of work. Weekend was perfect but no matter how she tried to convince Xiao Zhan, he only considered it if Yibo was to come along or if Yibo was to approve of it.

"Your relationship is doomed to fail!"

Yang Zi had casually mentioned it, he had thought of it and now Yibo was saying it. Three people in the space of one day, was this some kind of jinx?

"When you put your friends above your relationship, I don't see it ending well except you have an extremely understanding partner. You should go hang out with her".

Yibo said all this but in his heart, he hoped Xiao Zhan would choose to stay with him.

After considering it for some time, Xiao Zhan still chose to stay saying he would make out time the next weekend. He opened a can of beer and they both toasted to his new relationship; Yibo to its success while Xiao Zhan to its imminent failure except by some miracle, Yang Zi chose to be understanding.

After a few rounds, Xiao Zhan was now tipsy. He hardly drank so much but since the previous day, he had been under a bit of pressure. Yibo was indeed happy for him but he felt something was not right.

They both lived in their little world and the first time Yibo had gone without answering his messages was when he started to hang out with Yang Zi. Over time, they both got used to each other.

The previous day, Yibo congratulated him but the look in Yibo's eyes, Xiao Zhan could not quite grasp. Was it that he felt Yang Zi would not make a good girlfriend but he couldn't bring himself to say it? It couldn't be that he liked Yang Zi, that was impossible. What then was his reason for not replying his messages last night? This morning, Yibo seemed fine, almost as if he was a different person from yesterday.

"What are you thinking?", Yibo interrupted his thoughts.

"Nothing...just that I'm dating again, after so many years. I just don't want to ruin it like the previous one".

Yibo felt his heart tighten but he still managed to voice out a "congratulations, I'm sure you won't ruin this one".

"I hope so too but enough about me. Yibo, why aren't you dating anyone till date?", Xiao Zhan had only heard about Yibo's preferences from him but he had never seen Yibo go on a date. Even when people approached him, he was never interested.

"It's just that...I don't fall in love easily, and I'm not one to date casually".

Xiao Zhan was silent for a while. "Yeah, I also don't fall in love easily but if you don't put yourself out there, you won't ever find someone".

"Hmm. You don't fall in love easily, that I agree. Good thing you've fallen in love with Yang Zi". Yibo wanted to stop there but his mouth spoke before his brain could stop him. "You love her, don't you?"

Did he really love her?

"I like Yang Zi. She's a good girl, every man's dreams and she seems to care about me a lot. Dating her is in no way a loss on my side. I think it's a good thing".

Yibo went to the fridge to get them more beer. "But...you never did say you love her. You only admitted to liking her".

"Ha-ha. I'm not seeing anyone anyway so it's not like I'm doing something wrong. Besides, for some, love takes time. Take my parents for example. They were married for 6 years before my mother realized she was already in love with my father. Maybe one day I'd fall in love with her. I honestly see that happening in the future...that's of she sticks with me till then".

"I'm a believer of love before marriage..."

"So am I but not everyone finds it that easily. Love after marriage isn't so bad as long as both parties are respectful towards each other. I'm always loyal, and I'm sure Yang Zi loves me. If she doesn't betray me, she can be rest assured that I won't betray her. It's a win-win situation".

Being tipsy has made Xiao Zhan a lot more honest.

"Say...if you find someone who loves you, much more than Yang Zi does, what would then happen? Would you date them?"

"It's not just them loving me, I also need to be fond of them. Apart from Yang Zi and my parents, no one else falls in that category". He was quiet for a while then he chuckled. "Apart from my parents and you, no one else falls in that category. I know you the love you have for me is different from the one Yang Zi has for me but it's love all the same. Too bad you're a man. I would have snatched you up long ago".

This discussion was heading towards a place Yibo liked but the 'too bad you're a man' made his heart beat uncontrollably. He tried to talk but nothing came out of his mouth, his lips only moved a couple of times.

Xiao Zhan noticed his lips twitching and quickly realized what he had said. "I'm sorry Yibo, I didn't mean it that way. You know I have nothing against your preferences, it just that..."

"I understand...no need to apologise". Yibo finally gathered the courage to speak. It was now or never.

"You're wrong though. Yes I love you but not as a best friend. I love you Xiao Zhan, I loved you for a very very long time". As he spoke, his hands started to tremble. He was also tipsy, probably why he was able to finally confess, who knew Xiao Zhan was going to respond the way he did.

Xiao Zhan burst out laughing. He went to the fridge and this time, he brought a pack of 12 cans of beer. Laughing all the way to and from the fridge.

"Yibo, you never fail to amuse you. You almost had me there....", he finished one whole can of beer at a go."... I almost freaked out". Xiao Zhan knew Yibo more than anyone in the world and he knew what Yibo said just now, he meant every word but... it had to be a joke right?

"I'm serious Xiao Zhan. I do love you. That's the reason I haven't dated anyone, that the reason for....everything".

Xiao Zhan had realized Yibo wasn't joking. He was now drunk, he took another can and finished it in one go, and another...in the space of 1 minute, he had taken 4 cans. Yibo had to take away the rest before Zhan drank himself to a stupor.

In his heart, he began to think. Yibo liked him, but he didn't hate it. If he was asked to choose between Yibo and Yang Zi... As Xiao Zhan thought about this, his thoughts became blurry. He couldn't think properly but his mouth was still as sharp.

"If you love me, you have to prove it!", he praised himself inwardly, thinking he had said something groundbreaking.

"How?"

"Well, you think of a way", he burped and had a hiccup. "You were the one who said you loved me. Well, Wang Yibo, you have to prove it"

Yibo wanted to stall but if he was no longer drunk, he would lose all his nerve so he replied.

"Okay then, don't regret it", he moved closer to Xiao Zhan and pulled him over by the waist, taking his lips in a kiss.