Billion to One

Things We Can Accept

16 months ago (Episode 20.)

"So just like that, huh?" Zhào Yúnlán asked.

"Yeah, pretty much, just like that. I made him my friend faster than he could magician his way out of there." Chéng Xīnyán chuckles. "Funny though, for a military man, Wēi gege didn't seem to take well to high school."

"You've seen my Wife in uniform?" Zhào Yúnlán asked. His interest... and slightly perverted mind piqued.

"Um, no, but one of the graves he used to visit is for a military officer." Chéng Xīnyán shrugs. "On top of that, he is so authoritative, I just assumed."

"Wifey, in uniform," Zhào Yúnlán hums under his breath, "that would be a sight. And with a BFF, bias list must have one hell of an algorithm."

"Why, hoping to make Honourable Mention?"

"Aiyo, Chéng yisheng, you wound me!"

"Oh, it's okay. I am sure I have a Hello Kitty Boo-Boo kit around here somewhere."

The office fills with the sound of Zhào Yúnlán's laughter. Sobered, Chéng Xīnyán continues, "In this regard, literally and quite figuratively, Shěn Wēi keeps much close to his vest. He has always been that way." She shrugs slightly, "I have and will always respect his choice to share or to not share what is important to him."

Zhào Yúnlán's face was purposefully relaxed as he stared at her, but his gaze deliberate and focused. Chéng Xīnyán does not allow her smile to waver and endures the scrutiny. She had the sense that he was looking directly into her soul. It felt oddly familiar.

When Zhào Yúnlán spoke again, his tone was light but his statement quite laden. "There are not many who would be willing to do such things for a person like Shěn Wēi without recompense. Especially one they admittedly, barely know."

"One of my favorite authors, LuvLaws wrote, 'Soul meiteuneun yeon-in il pil-yoneun eobs-seubnida.' One can be soulmates without being lovers. I find it to be a truth often ignored for the sake of archaic social nomenclature." Chéng Xīnyán's eyes challenged the unseeing ones of Zhào Yúnlán. "Zhào xiansheng, you are a police officer. Believing everyone has an ulterior motive is to be expected. From a psychological standpoint, all of us do. However, please don't let that fact jade how you view my relationship with Shěn Wēi. That isn't something I would want."

His eyebrow arched and then he gave a slow nod. "So what is it that you want?"

Chéng Xīnyán stares at him for a moment. Her mind screams, 'Get it right this time!' But she refrains from speaking those. With him, she needs to choose wisely.

"I want..." she starts, leaning forward, "I want to go back and take the blue pill because there has obviously been a change in the Matrix."

"A change in the..." Zhào Yúnlán chuckles. The unknown emotion gripping his heart eases and he once again relaxes. "Not likely Chéng yisheng, if you could go back, you would most definitely choose the same. Besides, don't let that Dead Fatty fool you into thinking the conspiracy is real. It's his favorite scene from the movie."

"Who? Uh, or what?"

"Ah, never mind, just referring to an old friend," as Zhào Yúnlán waves away the question, there is knock at the door.

"Chéng yisheng?" said one of the young nurses from earlier as he sticks his head in. "There is a Da Qing here for Zhào juzheng. He is in the family room, shall I escort him over?"

"Speaking of the Dead Fatty..."

"Ah yes, please." Chéng Xīnyán ignores the odd comment. "Zhào xiansheng, you leave first and I will come to find you a bit later?"