My Best Friend (complete)

Chapter 8

Xiao Zhan had wanted to ask where they went on a date but he couldn't bring himself to ask. Was he supposed to check every restaurant in the city? He took out his phone to call Yibo but he call was rejected immediately. What were they doing that Yibo had to reject the call? Whatever it was, they had to stop now.

Xiao Zhan tried to reach him a few more times to no avail. He decided to go wait at his apartment. He still had a key.

Upon arrival, he let himself in and found someone at home. This house had never had any guest apart from Xiao Zhan but this time, there was someone else.

"Hi", the stranger, seeing Xiao Zhan had a key, figured he must be Yibo's roommate.

"I'm Xu WeiZhou, I'm a friend to Wang Yibo", he stretched out his hand for a handshake and Xiao Zhan reluctantly accepted it. He didn't bother to introduce himself. For the first time, he wasn't polite.

"Where's Yibo?"

"He went to take a bath", sensing his hostility, Xu WeiZhou decided it was best if he stayed away from this grumpy fellow. At first, he didn't want to go out on this date but he was glad he did. Yibo turned out to be really fun to hang out with. Even if they didn't end up together, he hoped they could stay friends. As for how he ended up here, both men found the idea of going out annoying. They both preferred to stay indoors and play video games. Yibo just happened to have a console lying around. He let Xu WeiZhou set it up while he went to take a bath.

Yibo heard voices from the living room, he wasn't expecting anyone else. He was sure Xiao Zhan wasn't going to come over and that left him wondering who was in his living room with his guest.

He just got out of the bathroom and still had a towel tied around his waist. His body was dripping wet and wherever he stepped on, he left a wet footprint there. He opened the door to the bedroom, intending to look into the living room. Who knew he would directly bump into Xiao Zhan.

"What are you doing here?", he tried to calm his wildly beating heart as he spoke.

"I heard you were on a date, I came to see for myself. I wanted to meet the person who was able to capture the heart of my otherwise difficult friend". Yibo felt he sensed a certain emotion in Xiao Zhan's voice but he didn't dare to assume. Xiao Zhan continued, "He's so handsome. It's no wonder you fell for him".

Yibo wanted to refute his claims but he felt there was no need. That emotion he thought he sensed turned out to be his one sided hopeful imagination.

"You're welcome to crash our date, just try to stay quiet", Yibo turned around to dress up. He took the towel off his waist, totally ignoring the person standing behind him. The door to his room was still open but from where the guest was seated, he couldn't see inside. Xiao Zhan didn't intend to stare but he couldn't stop his eyes from taking in the sight before him. They had been friends for so long but Yibo had never gone completely naked in front of him, he figured it was because Yibo saw him as more than a friend. As for that drunken night, he couldn't recall if it happened. Could this...right now mean that Yibo no longer felt that way? Was he just a friend to him?

He knew he messed things up and if he wanted more, he had to make a move but there was someone else in the picture right now. He couldn't be unreasonable and ask Yibo not to date this person. After all, he recalled when Yibo asked him to let Yang Zi go, he had refused.

Thinking back, was this how Yibo felt when he started dating? This feeling is indeed suffocating. He had the urge to walk up to the stranger and lay claim to this man but he had no right to do so. Yibo had offered himself on a platter but he refused him.

Yibo, now fully dressed, walked past Xiao Zhan. He stopped beside Xiao Zhan, he wanted to say something but he had no idea what to say. His feelings were complicated at the moment, besides, he didn't want to be rejected one more time. He walked away.

Xiao Zhan remained in the room for hours. He couldn't bear to leave, to leave them alone. Wasn't that giving them the opportunity to deepen their feelings? At the same time, he couldn't show his face outside the room, he couldn't bear to see Yibo, he couldn't afford to expose his panic stricken appearance to Yibo. He ended up staying inside for a very long time and then he stopped hearing the chattering and giggling coming from the living room. When he stood up to look, there was no one in the living room. Shortly after, he heard the sound of a car zooming off.

......

Yibo loved to play video games but Xiao Zhan was the complete opposite. This was the first time he met someone who loved video games as much as he did, getting along with Xu WeiZhou was easier than he expected, probably because they both had a similar sexual orientation.

They were at it for a few hours but he had to leave. Yibo also had to walk a few blocks away to get some cash from the atm. He walked Xu WeiZhou to his car and walked to the next street.

Of course, he didn't forget Xiao Zhan was at his place. The game was a very good distraction but returning, he had to come face to face with Xiao Zhan. He wasn't sure he was ready for that. He liked hanging out with Xu WeiZhou but in both of their hearts, they were thinking the same thing, they felt they would be better off as just friends although none of them had said anything concerning that to the other.

After getting the cash he needed, Yibo sat at a nearby bus stop, just to while away time. He took out his phone. He had been searching for a new apartment in the city where his new job is located, the agent in charge hadn't found anything decent enough.

He was to resume work in 2weeks but he agreed to keep working at his present job, so as to hand over to the incoming teacher. Xiao Zhan was still unaware of this development. A part of him wanted to leave quietly but he still couldn't bear to do so. He decided to go back home and talk to Xiao Zhan about the recent development. By the time he arrived, Xiao Zhan was gone.

...

Xiao Zhan took advantage of the fact that the apartment was empty and took off. He wanted to go home but he found himself driving around. He realized he felt a little hungry so he stopped over at a fast food to get take out.

Just across the road was a place where people sat to eat barbecue. They also sold all sorts of drinks. This place had an outdoor sitting area for people who loved the open air, it was the kind of place Yibo loved to visit the most. Xiao Zhan found himself taking a seat. Not long after, a waiter came to take his order. He ordered for some food and also a bottle of beer but he ended up not touching the food at all.

It was now well past midnight and all the shops around had closed for the night, Xiao Zhan was the only person left, he was the reason the shop was yet to close. The manager walked up to him only to find out he was totally drunk. His speech slurred. Looking at the bottles of beer in front of him, they knew he wouldn't be able to drive.

Taking his phone, the manager put a call across to the number that was dialed the most, Yang Zi picked up and the manager explained the situation to her. She thought for a while and decided to pass this information over to Yibo.