thin line; daoming si

Chapter 17

As you begin to nod off against Si's shoulder, he flicks your forehead lightly. "Wake up, sleepyhead."

You jump, startled and your eyes pop open. You rub at them with a small yawn. "I'm not sleeping." You mumble.

"C'mon, this is the good part." He mumbles, his eyes returning to the fluorescent screen. He asked you to watch one of his favorite movies of all time with him and you are trying to stay away, really. But you had to stay up late last night to finish an assignment so it's not exactly working out.

"I'm watching." You assure Si, focusing on the movie in front of you. A few moments later, his phone buzzes next to him and he picks it up, reading a message.

"Oh shit." He gasps, suddenly sitting up straight on the couch.

"What happened?" You ask, pressing pause on the movie.

"Huaze Lei thinks he found his soulmate."

"That's great, why are you panicking?" You furrow your eyebrows.

"He found her but she ran away. And he didn't get a good look at her face. It's a lot to explain, but I have to go help him." He gets up from the couch, heading to his closet and grabbing his coat. "You'll be fine here alone, right?"

"I'll come with you, I want to help too."

"Alright, let's go then. But we have to hurry."

You get up, throwing on your jacket before the two of you head downstairs, leaving through the front door.

"Where are we meeting him?" You ask as Si begins to drive.

"At his apartment. Meizuo and Ximen are also on their way."

You nod.

"The reason why I'm so worried is because I know Huaze Lei is...sensitive. He's been really looking forward to finding his soulmate. And he finally did, but now she's gone and he doesn't know how to find her. He must be heartbroken."

You frown slightly, leaning your head against the window.

______

When the two of you arrive at Huaze Lei's apartment, Meizuo and Ximen are already there. The five of you get settled in his living room, the atmosphere of the room very tense.

"How are you feeling?" Meizuo breaks the silence.

Everyone turns to Huaze Lei who looks drained, to say the least. "I'm disappointed and hurt. But physically, I'm fine..at least for now."

That's when you remember the price you had to pay when you and Si tried to avoid each other after discovering that you were soulmates. If Huaze Lei doesn't find his soulmate soon, the same thing will happen to him. And worse.

"Why don't you tell us what happened?" You say softly.

The fluffy haired man nods, swallowing harshly. "I was at the bookstore today, just browsing. And I saw this short girl trying to pick up a book from the higher shelf, but she couldn't quite reach it. So I walked over, picked up the book and handed it to her. Our fingers brushed against each other's and we both jumped away from each other like we had been shocked. I looked down at my wrist to see that my timer had disappeared and by then, she had dropped the book and ran off."

"And you didn't see her face?" Ximen asks.

He shakes his head sadly. "She had her hood pulled over her head and we were only facing each other for a few moments. I tried looking all around the store for her, but it seems that she left."

I really don't want to worry you, Lei. But you need to find her quickly before the effects start to kick in." Si says gently.

"I know." He sighs heavily, holding his head in his hands. "I just don't know what to do."

"I think you should go back to the bookstore tomorrow. Maybe ask them if they know the names of any frequent customers." You suggest.

"That's a good idea." Meizuo says. "You can also ask surrounding stores if they saw a woman with her description. One of them might have caught her name." He shrugs.

"Thanks guys." Huaze Lei smiles half heartedly. "Your help means a lot."

"Of course, that's what friends are for." Ximen grins.

"We can't go looking for her now since it's getting late and the shops are definitely closed by now." Si says. "But what we can do is cheer you up."

"And how do you plan on doing that?" Huaze Lei raises an eyebrow.

"How about we play charades?" You suggest and everyone shrugs in agreement. You stand up. "I'll go first."

You stand up, walking to the front of the room as everyone gives you amused looks. Immediately, you cross your arms in front of your chest. You turn your face into a scowl and you glare harshly at them.

"Uh..a bodyguard?" Huaze Lei guesses and you shake your head.

"Oh! A bouncer?" Meizuo says excitedly and you shake your head once more. It was a good guess though.

"Is it Si?" Ximen asks with a wicked grin and you burst into laughter, giving him a thumbs up. Correct.

Everyone begins to laugh hysterically except for Si, who shakes his head with a small smile.

"Good one." Huaze Lei gives you a high five as you sit back down next to Si.

"You'll regret that later." Si whispers to you and you smile.

"Bring it on."