Fated Encounter (BJYX Fanfic) - Completed

19: His Revenge

Zhan felt trapped in a time warp he can't escape from. His misery, an absolute spectacle for everyone to see. The once cheerful lad became a person just trying to live away his hollow days. He was like a candle burning out it's last flames. His broken heart sinking deeper into the deepest sea with the only person who can rescue him had vanished into thin air.

He was in that state of deep longing for someone he once had, but might never be able to have again. This is saudade, as they describe in Portugese.

When he woke up alone in Yibo's bed with the necklace he had given him way back 10 years time in his hand, he knew Yibo's goodbye is the last one. He had said that they will meet again, but those words yield no assurance that they could salvage whatever it is that had passed between them the previous night, neither of their previous lifetime.

Zhan understood, Yibo's promise only meant another encounter of no emotional attachment.

The warmth, the kiss, the smiles and tears will just be memories from that one night. That night of separation which made Zhan felt he had rather died than live on bearing the pain of his hopeless pursuit for a happy ending which will never come true.

From that day on until now, he can neither reminisce the past as it gives him heartaches nor look at the future without the presence of the younger. Thus, his body and mind is trapped at his current state of emptiness and woe.

Zhan doesn't know where to stand anymore.

"There's no use holding onto the hope of meeting him again! You had hold onto him for a decade, Zhan. But every single time, he just slips away from your life! It only means you better let go of your futile feelings." Zhuo Cheng reminded him with the hard truth, hitting the still sore spot in Zhan's chest.

"Let go?" Zhan was stunned by Cheng's suggestion while his face can hardly show anymore pain than what he is devastatedly showing right now.

Let go?

It was ridiculous.

How can he? When the only thing Zhan knew is how to love Yibo. And living means loving him and only him.

"Moving on would be easier if someone is there to console your broken heart. I have a wide range of friends I can recommend. I'll set you up with them until you find a match." Cheng uttered, feeling triumphant with his self-proclaimed wise love talk.

"I-I can't." Zhan shook his head, stammering with the idea. "I won't!" He eagerly spat back after the thought fully dawned on him.

Cheng rolled his eyes and clicked his tongue, seeing how pessimistic Zhan is with the idea. He landed his black coffee on the table, crossing his arms as he intimidate his cousin with his annoyed state. "Your madness has to stop! It's ruining you!" He said without missing a beat. "He has left you! Again. For the nth time! What else do you want him to do to start moving on?! There are plenty of fish in the sea, why settle for someone who cannot love you back?!"

This outburst affected Zhan like a ton of heavy weight crushing his already wrecked heart. Tears brimmed on his lids and his lips formed a thin line, closing his eyes to suppress pouring his grief and heaping sobs in a public place where they are at.

Cheng did the same, dropping the topic, slumping back on his chair and sighing a long and heavy one. He knew he had been over the top, trampling on Zhan's weakness at the time. But all he wanted to do was to help him. He had tried the gentle consoling way last time, yet it was ineffective. And now, even the frank and aggressive discussion fails?!

What else can he do? Cheng felt drained. For man who has never fallen in love, it seems love sickness is something a bright doctor like him cannot even understand.