Miscommunication Array

The Reasonable Suspicion

Xie Lian eyed the glass of iced coffee in his grip, watching the perspiration drip down its sides. However, it couldn't compare to the sweat dripping down his back as his best friend of four years stared him down. He continued to fidget before finally sliding his hands under his legs, trying to remain as inconspicuous as possible.

"Tell me," Shi Qingxuan said stiffly, tapping a finger against the table. Xie Lian glanced aside, an awkward laugh half leaving his throat.

"Tell you what, Qingxuan?"

"Don't be coy with me. He Xuan has been spending an awful lot of time with that boyfriend of yours. What are they plotting? It's suspicious."

"Well, they are friends?"

Qingxuan couldn't suppress the visible doubt that crawled onto her face. There couldn't be a pair of "friends" alive that hated each other more than He Xuan and Hua Cheng. In fact, if it didn't involve fish, food, or both, He Xuan was most certainly not interested. Hua Cheng's hobbies definitely didn't include either of those considering his insistence on eating his boyfriend's gourmet garbage-....cooking.

Xie Lian struggled to continue the conversation. He wished truthfully that Hua Cheng hadn't told him anything in the first place. Lying, even if for a good purpose, to his friend felt terrible. Slowly, he began to pull his hands back up, unable to resist the urge to fidget.

"Th-they've also been pretty busy with work, from what I understand?"

"Hua Cheng talks to you about work?" Shi Qingxuan's eyes widened in surprise as she folded her arms together, a thoughtful pout crossing her lips. "He Xuan won't tell me anything he says it's too boring."

"A-ah, well, lately, he's told me just a bit." Xie Lian looked hopeful, glad for the potential change of subject, but Shi Qingxuan wasn't taking the bait as she leaned closer to her friend, her green eyes sparkling with mischief.

"Recently...he smiled at me. He Xuan smiled. It's...weird."

"Isn't that...a good thing?"

"We've dated for years, and not once has He Xuan smiled at me! I'm second to fish. Animal Planet has captured his smile sooner than I have."

Shi Qingxuan sighed and melted into her seat, her gaze falling to her coffee, now watered down from going untouched. Truthfully there was little stopping her from dialing up her old psychiatrist and having her boyfriend assessed for a mental breakdown.

"Qingxuan," Xie Lian interrupted her stressed thoughts gently. "I'm sure you're over-exaggerating. He's probably just happy to be around you."

"Yeah, so happy he's been leaving every day for two weeks to go hang out with your spouse instead of me," she scoffed, scrunching her nose. Perhaps Hua Cheng and He Xuan were becoming friends at last, but it didn't make her feel any less lonely.

"Have you perhaps asked him what he's been up to?" Xie Lian pressed. Perhaps if the two learned to communicate better, he wouldn't be in this situation, to begin with. Shi Qingxuan shook her head guilty. Of course, she hadn't asked He Xuan. The last thing she wanted was to appear as a clingy obsessive girlfriend.

"I didn't, but...he told me Hua Cheng needed help setting things up in your apartment. But I know that Yin Yu already did so...." She frowned deeper. "It's fish, isn't it? He's building another fish tank in your apartment. Be honest with me, Dianxia." She probed at him, teasing him with the nickname she had long since appointed him. Xie Lian, as she had predicted, became flustered, shaking his hands back and forth in denial. Shi Qingxuan just sighed, scooting out of her seat.

"Grab your coffee Xie Lian, I'll have him take it down immediately."

"N-no! We don't mind it, truly! The fish are so....lovely and colorful!"