Walking Through Open Doors

Chapter 13 - Delicate hearts are laced with scars

Author's Notes:

When I was editing, I decided to split the last chapter in two - so this is the second to last chapter. It does. however, mean that you might need to wait a little longer for the last chapter (since I'm writing it now).

Happy reading!

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At least Gu Xiang knows him well enough to stay away from his office until lunch. The only trace of her existence is a large taro bubble tea getting delivered to his office around fifteen minutes after Zhou Zi Shu has left. And when she does show up, she hugs him against his will-well, maybe not really-and brings him one of his favorite comfort foods-Mapu Doufu (1). It's hard to stay angry with family, at least when they know you the best and love you the most. And vice versa.

"You let him in," he says, accusingly and opens the lids on the takeaway containers on his side of the table. It's the one without the extra chili oil drizzled over the steamed rice, but with an extra serving of tofu.

"I did," Gu Xiang replies and hands him a set of disposable chopsticks. "He's cute."

Wen Ke Xing snaps them in two and contemplates smacking her at the top of her head like he used to do when they were young and she was being a brat. She's still a brat, but she's quite strong these days and she hits back. And he's hungry.

"Don't insult him. He's the most gorgeous man alive," he says and savors his first bite of soft tofu. "But just because he's fuckable doesn't mean he's lovable."

"True, but just because he knows who Zhen Yan is, doesn't mean he targeted you."

"A'Xiang-" he closes his eyes and tries to swallow the food around the lump in his throat. He doesn't want to fight with her.

"Fine, we can eat first." And they do. He ignores the impatient tapping of her left foot, and she ignores the single, frustrating tear running down his left cheek. Instead, they eat their lunch and discuss the latest diagnostic test of Corpse-Eating Ghost. It's been running like Swizz clockwork ever since it went live a week ago and he's not worried. This is just part of the ongoing maintenance checks and this conversation is one that they have every day. It's routine and he doesn't have to think much.

He's barely placed his chopsticks on top of the container before Gu Xiang's posture changes, leaning forward and now there is worry in her eyes. "Da Ge-"

He cuts her off, "I don't want to talk about it," because he really, really doesn't.

"You never want to talk about it," she continues, worrying her eyebrows.

"It's my choice," he responds, simply, because it is. It's his life, his feelings, his process-or lack thereof. It is within his rights to refuse to face his eight year old trauma, no matter if it's reasonable or not.

"Yes, it is. But that doesn't mean you can treat him, or anyone, the way you did. Or that it's healthy to keep all your feelings inside," she says and stands to walk around the small table to crouch beside him. "What happened back then wasn't your fault."

"Stop-" he doesn't want to listen to this. They have only had this conversation once before, it was how he got her to open up and finally start talking to him when they met. They were children back then. Two orphans in a terrible situation bonding over the loss of their parents and sharing their survival stories.

"Ge, it's not your fault they died," she says with a soft voice. It's her understanding voice, her adult voice, the voice she uses talking with or about her fiancé, and the voice she uses to tell him that she loves him. It makes his skin crawl, heart warm and his eyes sting all at once.