Just A Step Away From You

CHAPTER V: What You're Concealing Would Be Revealed

"Stop saying the word friend..." "... Why aren't you together with me?"

"... I can't hurt you" "Then let's use (my love) it now."

"I love you, even if..."[1]

"Hah!" An Ziyan awakened in his room startled. His whole body is full of sweat and his breathing has become strenuous. 'Who am I talking to, anyway?' He brushed his hair back with his hand full of frustration.

For the past five years he keeps having those same repetitive dreams; of a blurred image of a person and having these vague conversations with one another.

An Ziyan remembered it started back when he was at a hospital at China.

*"What happened to me...?" After he gained consciousness, he felt a sudden dull pain on his body severely.

"You got in a car accident, don't you remember?" An Suo, his sister was there at the side of his bed asking him.

"No... I don't." He touched his head and noticed it was bandaged; he was full of bruises, as well.

An Ziyan realized that... he can't remember anything.

Afterwards, He was surprised to see his own parents to be there. He started to have a huge argument with his father. They prepared his hospital transfer overseas without consulting him.

Yet, he didn't want to. He wants to stay in China and live there on his own.

"We're going back to America together with your sister; you'll be continuing your studies there after you have fully recovered." He doesn't know why but his father was frowning when saying it.

"No, could you stop being this unreasonable?" An Ziyan said, his mother move forward and caressed his face like a little child to comfort him.

"Then why did you let yourself be seduced by a wretch who only loves our reputation!" His father shouted.

"What...are you saying?" He was shocked and doesn't know what's happening anymore. His head began to ache again and pass out. After a while when he woke up the conversation continued again.

"Our decision is final; you'll never come back here again." They give him an ultimatum to be of the same opinion with what they want.*

An Ziyan wants to find the girl but he doesn't know where to start. He even asked Bai Xiaosi if that story was really true or not but she just always stretches a point [2]and so were Zhou Ge and Ellen; all of them were tight-lipped.

Yet, he can really see that they were in a disheartening state every time the topic was asked.

***

"You're not telling something from me." The moment An Ziyan saw this company representative at the party, a sense of familiarity rouse in him.

"An Ziyan, all I can say is that boy is a significant part in your lif..." Zhou Ge recalled the promise they made with Mai Ding.

*", Please continue to not say a word about me to An Ziyan, keep him away from the truth for a bit longer. Until I straightened up my feelings about this situation, then I'll be the one to say it to him".*

He just smiled at An Ziyan sourly then kept himself busy with the documents at his office.

"If he is then why can't I remember him?" He's confused about what he heard.

He's just a guy who wears glasses, simple and reserved; an ordinary person. Yet, Mai Ding piques his attention. There's something particular, something special about him.

"That's why we brought him here to make the two of you have a discussion." An Ziyan doesn't know what Zhou Ge's planning but he knows for a fact that this project can still continue without his help.

"Then we should converse about the "(ex) girlfriend" back there." This is the only matter all of them are evading to tell him.

***

The meeting was going smoothly inside the conference room. However, while he was listening to the presenter, Mai Ding noticed that one of their fellow workers, a woman who is very attractive was obviously making the moves on An Ziyan by passing him the documents.

The other man was oblivious about this and just went on reading the contents of the file in front of him. An Ziyan without doing anything can have any girl he wants but him on the other hand, the more he does something, no one dares to be with him. 'Yet, this jerk is an exception' he reflected.

But for some reason, as soon as he bowed his head to hide his delight, Mai Ding could sense someone was always giving fleeting looks. He realized that it was from no other than the arrogant man he knew in every aspect that an abrupt nervousness seethes through.

All of the people involved in the conference room are now preparing to leave and so was he. "Hey, can we talk for a bit?" Suddenly, he was called by An Ziyan.

"Uh...uhmm, sure. I mean why not?" Mai Ding moves his gaze away from him as he stuttered.

***

They went to the pantry so that they can have a conversation...yet half an hour had pass no one's starting to talk, the mood's becoming uncomfortable. "How did the two of us met?" An Ziyan asked him first.

"My room's just next to yours in the dormitory. That's why I know you. Of course, everyone knows you. We both attended the same military exercise and we became friends. When Bai Xiaosi went there for a vacation, you introduce me to her. Then when I went to your house to visit, I met Zhou Ge and Ellen there too." He just stated the safest answer to this.

"It seems you're the persistent type... that I can't bear the most." An Ziyan made fun of him. ' Aiya' At that moment, Mai Ding really wanted to throw something at this person's head, this man's superior side is getting to his nerves now..

Mai Ding knows the truth. Even without batting an eyelash. They were now engaged but the sentiment is not close to affection. He saw again the ring at this man's hand, " Bai Xiaosi, do you love her?" Mai Ding began to ask.

"Do you know about my lover back at home?" An Ziyan just answered him with a question.

"Why do you ask?" Mai Ding gulped; he became nervous.

"So there is one." An Ziyan scoffed, he confirmed it from him just like that.

"..." Mai Ding didn't say a word again.

"I believe that you already know about my mishap. Bringing you here, Is what I can't seem to figure out." The haughty man spoke again.

Unexpectedly, they both hear footsteps coming from their direction. "Ah, you're both here. I was looking back and forth, I thought you left." It was Zhou Ge. "Hey, what happened to him, did you tease him while I was away?" Zhou Ge looked at his best friend.

"Nothing, just asked a few things. By the way, the meeting ended an hour ago you know." An Ziyan tapped his shoulder and looked at the bespectacled man again; he was still remained hushed.

'Mai Ding... what you're concealing would be revealed, at any rate.' An Ziyan thought profoundly. TBC

[1] Partial words in reference to infamous conversations of An Ziyan and Mai Ding

[2] Turn a blind eye