He Lives In You (COMP.)

30th Chapter: THE RIFT (Pt. 2 of 2)

10:30 am and Zhan was still on the rooftop, admiring the weather and chatting with his friend Zi Yi when his phone rang, again. It was Yibo, who kept calling him for the last 30 minutes but continues to ignore it, simply because he wants to, and he can. What would he tell him if he answers it? Nothing. Why bother responding to a man who doesn't even care about someone else's feeling except for him? Zhan thought while glaring at the name flashed on his screen. He had all the reasons now not to go back to that place, not to go back to that unhappy life he was living in and somehow, it made him feel like a winner. He knows very well how much love and effort he had poured into their relationship but now, he realized that everything was just an illusion.

He didn't lessen the ringtone, nor switched off his phone and just let the call come. In his mind, he had hurt Yibo's pride and so now, he is trying to repeatedly call him to make him go home and torment him with his words and actions, again. Zhan had grown tired of it and his weakening heart can't take it anymore. When he went to Shanghai, his doctor dropped the news to him that his new heart is not functioning well with his body. It has only been 2 years since he had the transplant and despite all the medications he is taking, the healthy food he is eating, the stress and anxiety ultimately made his heart resistant to operate adequately. He could die, even before he can walk away completely and Yibo doesn't even have the slightest idea. Yubin almost kneels for him to leave Yibo and just return to his family in Chongqing to regain his strength but he declined, thinking that he could still amend Yibo's feelings towards him. But, of course, he was wrong.

Zi Yi noticed Zhan becoming lost in his thoughts again while looking blankly at his phone and so yanked it away from the man's hand, making him flinch and his senses return to reality.

Once and for all, she turned it off right before Zhan's eyes while it rings and returned it to him as nothing happens.

"Thank me later.."

She asserted, pulling out a pack of cigarette from her pocket. Zhan can only heave a sigh and shook his head as the woman walks away from him like she always does whenever she needs a break. As Zhan waits for her to finish, he goes to the railing and looks at the busy street below them. It was crowded, with nothing much to see except for the usual.  When his eyes got bored with the sight, he looked up to the buildings lined up the horizon and hopelessly looks for his home. Right there, he realised how much he misses his family, Yubin, and especially, his old self. He rests his face on his palm while reminiscing on the past, thinking that if only he could take it back, he would.

A tap on his shoulder woke him from daydreaming. It was his friend, looking at him like she had seen a ghost or something with her phone in her hand. Zhan instantly puckered, it made him confuse and for some reasons, nervous. He smiled it out and turned to her to ask but, the woman, without second thoughts, spoke.

"My secretary called me. Wang Yibo is here and is looking for you.."

When Zhan heard Yibo's name, he wanted to jump off the building and just be done with it, but, he can't. He took a deep breath and nodded without a word at the cynical woman staring at him. Her eyes were worried, she doesn't want Zhan to go. For a moment, she had him back, he was relaxed and optimistic but when she mentioned Yibo's name, the same anxious look on the man's face when she saw him earlier, reappeared. She held Zhan's hand and squeezed it filled with comfort and tenderness and that made Zhan a little bit more, spirited. 

"What do you want to do now, Zhan..?"

Zhan smiled sweetly, he knows what he needs to do and the woman didn't need to ask anymore.

"Very well, let's go meet him together.."

"Thank you.."

The woman smiled affectionately then wrapped her arm into Zhan's and walked side by side. Zi Yi intentionally dragged the man to use the stairs rather than the elevator and started to talk about work and other stuff to help reduce his uneasiness. They began to laugh and chat non-stop making them ignore the fact they have already arrived at Zi Yi's office where Yibo was waiting, standing by the door with arms crossed, and glaring at the two who haven't even noticed his presence yet. He felt irritated witnessing the woman being super close to Zhan and Zhan who was looking at her, gleaming and cackling, acting like a married couple rather than friends. Yibo looked away, readying himself to pull out Zhan anytime but the woman called him first, stressing out the name as if deriding the man who owns it.