Utter Defeat

11. Broken Promise

"And now the most awaited moment!" the third-year student announced, "the heartthrob of our faculty, XIAO YANG!"

Trying to hide his nervousness, Xiao Yang checked his gelled hair and adjusted his dark blue silk shirt. Then taking a deep breath, he stepped up to the stage with a smile.

"Sooo ladiesss," the speaker shouted through the mic, "who will have this eye candy for a whole afternoon?"

"50!"

"100!"

"150!"

As the bid started to go up, Xiao Yang's gaze swept across the crowd to find Zheng Hao.

"200!"

"300!"

Where is he? He said inwardly while he started to sweat with anxiety. As he reminded him about the event, there was no way he would forget about it, right?

Then where was he?

"350!"

Silence...

Ge, please...

"Sooooo.... I am selling.... I am selling... I sold him to the girl with the blue dress! Congratulations!"

Xiao Yang felt the ground taken away under his feet. His helpless eyes checked the crowd one more time and he left the stage with his broken heart.

.

.

Zheng Hao reluctantly put a reminder on his phone for the campus event before going to work. Throughout the morning, he even checked the time a few times to be sure he would be there on time. Not that he was looking forward to it, but rather he didn't want to listen to Xiao Yang's nagging afterwards. Hmm...

Still, as plans are always meant to be spoiled, when there was only an hour left to the event, a young man barged into the store and put a beige jacket on the counter with a panic-stricken face.

"I have a job interview in two hours, but someone spilled a drink on me."

You tell me, how could Zheng Hao ignore such a poor soul? He immediately grabbed the jacket and rushed in. He diligently worked on the jacket and managed to get rid of the nasty stain. Then he dry cleaned it and sent the happy man to his interview. However, while saving the young man's day, he forgot, and as a result, sacrificed Xiao Yang's event.

Finishing the day's work, Zheng Hao collected his stuff and only after seeing the note, he remembered about Xiao Yang. Cursing and hoping the younger man would be mature enough not to create a drama, he went home after buying some ingredients for dinner. The apology dinner, happy?

Taking a deep breath, Zheng Hao opened the door with his free hand, and was instantly welcomed by Xiao Yao's interrogation.

"Where were you?"

Heaving a sigh, Zheng Hao closed the door and left the shopping bags on the floor. While untying his converse, he said "an emergency happened, so I couldn't leave." Okay, that wasn't a lie, he just omitted the part that he forgot about it altogether.

"An emergency?" Xiao Yang asked sardonically, "what are you, a doctor?" He was waiting for his husband for hours in the same spot for an apology, yet the latter just gave him a lame excuse without even looking at him.

Although Zheng Hao knew he was at fault, Xiao Yang's remark angered him. Glaring at him, he said "yes, you may despise my job, but it also has emergencies."

"I have never despised your job and you know it!" Xiao Yang shouted, "don't try to victimise yourself!"

Zheng Hao huffed, "now you are the victim, ha?Just because of an stupid event?!"

Xiao Yang flinched visibly, hurt flashing across his eyes, "a stupid event? Look at my arm! Am I a joke to you?!" he exclaimed and harshly folded his left sleeve up.

Seeing the deep bloody itching marks decorating his porcelain-like skin, Zheng Hao's eyes widened, "what are-"

Xiao Yang raised his hand and shushed him, "like an idiot, I dressed up and waited for you. Do you know how I felt when you didn't appear? The winning girl literally jumped on me, her hands randomly touching me! You knew how much I dislike being around girls, yet... Nevermind, it was my mistake to trust you. In the end, everything is more important than me," he said dejectedly and rushed to his room, slamming the door behind him.

Zheng Hao kept standing there, not knowing what to do. He felt like a bastard and his heart was besieged by a heavy feeling. The image of the itching marks haunted his mind and Xiao Yang's painful words echoed in his ears. He wanted to apologise to him and beg for forgiveness, but he knew it was too late or maybe too early. Xiao Yang was deservedly very angry and disappointed, so maybe it was wiser to let him cool down first.

Dragging his heavy feet, Zheng Hao went to the kitchen to cook dinner. He couldn't break his promise two times in a day, right? When he was done with the soup, he went to Xiao Yang's room.

"The dinner is ready," he called out to Xiao Yang through the closed door.

"Then eat."

"But...we said we would eat together." Oh God, he was almost begging to the little devil.

"As if you care about your promises..."

Zheng Hao grimaced as Xiao Yang was right. Leaning on the door, he asked "I am so sorry, okay? I really planned to come, but a young man-"

"I don't care! Just leave me alone!"

"Okay, can I at least bring you a bowl of soup?"

"No need!"

Zheng Hao heaved a sigh, "did you at least clean the marks?"

"JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Helpless, Zheng Hao went to his room as he also lost his appetite. Whom he was deceiving? He failed Xiao Yang miserably, so his sudden caring attitude of course seemed so fake.

Feeling very guilty, Zheng Hao threw himself on the bed, not even changing his clothes, and wished to sleep the cursed day away.

However, as they say, sleep does not claim the guilty ones. Tossing and turning, it became midnight, and Zheng Hao kicked the blanket off angrily. He grabbed the first-aid box and went to Xiao Yang's room with determination.

One knock... two knocks... calling out his name...

As there was no reply, Zheng Hao slowly opened the door and entered the room. As he expected, Xiao Yang was sleeping on the bed, his hurt arm resting on the blanket. With soundless steps, the concerned man walked to the bed and checked the swollen marks. His eyebrows got knitted when he noticed the younger man didn't apply any ointment.

Exhaling an annoyed breath, Zheng Hao took out the small ointment bottle and poured some into his palm. He heated the liquid in between his palms before rubbing it on the marks gently.

"You must have felt very agitated, I am so sorry," he whispered when he finished patching him up and left the room.