Behind The Red Curtain | YiZhan ✓

62-The Unexpected Visit

"You seem lonely." Those words hadn't been told to him for the first time today. 

It had already been 3 days since Yibo left, and people seemed to realise his lonesome eyes due to him not putting any effort into hiding his feelings. He did hide them at the beginning, but as time passed it was just tiring to keep it up. He had already been without him before, and it had not been any more pleasant than it already was. "...maybe i should just look happy, that should do it." Hu Li shook his head. "That won't make your mood better, just worsen it." 

Zhan heaved a loud sigh, making some turn their heads towards him. Hu Li frowned, leaning down behind the counter to grab his knives, now sharpening them in an attempt to scare the eyes off. "...then what am i supposed to do?" Hu Li raised his brows in amazement. "Can't believe you'd ask me that." 

"Instead of plotting for ways to create a facade, why don't you go and take your mind off of things? Like meet a friend or-...well, nothing else is coming to mind." Zhan furrowed his brows, wanting to say something. But just then, he got a message from someone, turning his expression into an awkward one. "What?" 

Zhan shook his head, now standing up. "No- no, you're right. I'll just go do that..." Hu Li shrugged his brows before going back to work. 

Meanwhile, Zhan made his way down a long road before arriving at a luxurious restaurant. Yet when he entered he saw that it was completely empty. It must've been because it was still morning, he thought, as he made his way down to the only table that was occupied. 

"...you said you had something important to say?" Zixin sipped from his wine before awkwardly placing it on the table. "Yeah- actually, i don't. I was just bored and everyone else is at work." Zhan oh'ed, looking around thoughtlessly. "...so are we friends now?" 

Zixin raised his hand for the server to come before glancing back at him. "I don't give a shit, you came anyways so just sit." The latter shrugged before taking a seat before him, both soon ordering some things to eat. 

"Are you lonely too?" 

"...well, i haven't had the chance to talk things with Yibo yet." Zhan nodded, understanding. He didn't want to cross the line with him due to his anger issues, but decided today was different, and went for the questions he had been meaning to ask anyway. "Tell me things." 

Zixin sighed. "What things?" 

"For example why you haven't talked to Yibo yet." The younger seemed uncomfortable, yet when he saw Zhan taking on a shameless act, he stopped pondering purposely and told him anyways. "Fucking hell- because i know how he is! Believe me, i have tried all ways to get him to forgive me back in the past, yet none worked. They all ended up backfiring with his awful personality-" 

Zhan shook his head. "Don't say that-" 

"But it was just so. You don't know how he was in the past. Just... awful." Zhan raised his brows, curious. "How was he?" Zixin furrowed his brows. "Definitely not as nice as he is to you. The way he protected you when i tried to talk him out of his feelings... ugh- ridiculous-" 

"So he has never been like this to anyone me?" Zixin shook his head, arms crossed. "No- definitely not. He was very... experimentative. He could never connect to someone, but simply got into a relationship for the knowledge he would gain from its experience." Zhan smiled to himself. "Much of a heartbreaker?" Zixin scoffed. 

"Which actually makes me wonder how come the two of you have this weird... but close connection. I know he is hard to get close to, you would just have to pique his interest. So what did he find interesting about you...." Zixin looked at him wide eyed, wondering it just as much. "Actually- now i'm curious too. But i bet it was because i would follow him around no matter how much he tried to push me away."