Chapter Eight

Gu Yang smiled showing his cute dimple that restricted An An’s heartbeat.

‘An An…’ Gu Yang whispered and rubbed her lips with a long finger. ‘Are you going to ask me if I’ll love you?’

It was typical of him to turn the tables on her. What else did she expect from a lawyer that didn’t blink at difficult court cases that would make a regular person coil? How would she ever manage to wiggle out sincere answers from him?

‘Well, have you ever loved someone?’ she asked and forced a smile. ‘Gu Yang, have you ever truly loved one person… to the point one smile from them brightens your whole day… each of their words are treasured in your heart… love them more than you love yourself?’

Even if someone attempted to kill her on the spot she wouldn’t allow herself to shed tears in front of him in that moment.

His eyes were an enigma like night shadows. Complex, cold and apathetic eyes stared at her. What was he doing staring at her for? It wasn’t as if she was the one person he truly loved. In the world there wasn’t his kind of love that existed where mocking someone was a novelty to him. He had a cold persona, but he wouldn’t be like her dad after marrying her mum completely shedding his coldness in front of the person he’d love for life. She’d known Gu Yang her whole life and felt that Gu Yang didn’t love her.

‘Let’s go home,’ Gu Yang said.

He looked away from her and ignited the car engine and kept his enigma mask on. She kept her eyes on the street lights outside the window. Her heart was drained empty… It was so like Gu Yang to play mind games with her. Yet… in that moment a tiny hope surfaced in her heart that he wasn’t toying with her.

When An An went to visit Li Mu, he was busy packing his suitcase. Li Mu’s back was facing An An at the door, but she got the feeling that his stiff movements were that of a lonely person.

‘Li Mu,’ she said.

Li Mu turned to face her and there was a slight look of surprise from seeing her standing at the door. Li Mu’s surprise was wiped away with a tender smile.

‘Bao Bao,’ Li Mu said.

She wanted to cry each time she heard Li Mu call her Bao Bao.

‘Where are you going?’ she asked.

Li Mu kept silent.

‘Are you leaving with Liang Xing?’ she asked.

‘Bao Bao,’ Li Mu said after a long time. ‘Whatever you want to say to me, go ahead and say it.’

She realised Li Mu knew her intentions.

‘Li Mu, I made a bet with Gu Yang. If I lose I have to marry him,’ she said in the calmest voice she could master.

Inside she was crumbling and fearful.

‘What’s the bet?’ Li Mu asked, he released the items in his hand and stood up.

Li Mu calmly focused on her. ‘Bao Bao, you’re complexion isn’t good. Why is it that you and Gu Yang need to drag another person into your bet?’

‘You’re not an outsider. You’ve always been in the loop. Li Mu, don’t tell me that you don’t know my heart,’ she confessed.

Li Mu contemplated for a long time. The way Li Mu looked at her solemnly showed no signs of distress or happiness. Instead all she saw was distant eyes that scared her. The distance between them were only a few footsteps, but she felt Li Mu was completely out of her reach. Like how being by Li Mu’s side since young there was something lacking, an invisible barrier that stopped her from getting too close to Li Mu.

‘Bao Bao,’ Li Mu said gently. ‘It’s not that I don’t know, but I know too well. Me, you and Gu Yang all know too well. From past to present there’s only one person in your heart.’

End of chapter eight.