"I was wondering why are you here alone? Aren't you gonna join us in the living room?" Wu Wang came to question Jie after a while.
"Don't want to." He grumbled.
"Why?"
"There is not a single person in the hall who would take my side. Even my own wife turns against me whenever you jerks show up. If I'm gonna feel like a lonely soul there I would rather feel that right here in my comfortable silence." Jie's blatant answer really stunned Jun Li Na but not Wu Wang. "Gosh! I miss my bloody best friends."
"Why don't you call them over?" Jun Li Na suggested seeing how down he looked.
"I can't." Jun Li Na gave him an inquiring look and he had to explain in detail, "Ming Qu went to France with his wife." He eyed Wu Wang since Ming Qu's wife was his younger sister. "Wayne is trying to woo some girl or something like that. Anyway, the last of my friends and the one I need the most right now had left me with no way to contact her. All my friends are traitors!" Jun Li Na really felt the depressing vibes emanating from his body.
"Oi! If it wasn't for Ming Qu's wedding with my Xiao Xia, how else would you meet Xiao Mey? Don't call him a traitor." Surprisingly, Wu Wang took his brother-in-law's side.
"No! He's still a traitor. He ran away when I need his company the most." Jie answered stubbornly
"Staying here is not an option though. You can try to blend in." Jun Li Na added from the side.
Jie gave her a small smile saying, "It's not that I have any problem with them. But it's also true that their nature is far apart from mine. Wu Wang can tell you all about that, We can never blend in." 'I can fake it like I had been doing but it won't change anything.' He left his last words unsaid.
Jun Li Na didn't know what to say and seeing that he had put her in an awkward position, Jie said, "You both should go back. I'm fine. I have a video conference to get to." He was about to leave when he halted and turned back to say, "Since you listened to my babbling so patiently, I'll give a piece of advice. Don't wait for Jun to come around, he can be pretty childish when he wants to be. Take the initiative and topple him down."
"That sounds like a battle strategy."
"Duh! Love is also a battle. And you and I both know until now, Jun had been losing this battle because the one who loves more always have to lose." Saying that he walked towards his study room to bury himself in work.
"Are you losing as well?" His hand had just twisted the doorknob when he heard Wu Wang's voice and it halted him. But he didn't answer, he just tilted his face to show his enchanting smile and entered the room.
As for the two people who went to look for Xiamu...
"Kaden, why didn't you follow me inside?" Azalea asked as she saw him pacing around in the garden as if appreciating the flowers.
"I was just looking around," he answered with a shrug of his shoulders nonchalantly. He didn't mention that he was on a phone call with his mother.
"Okay, come inside before sis Mey kill both of us." Ye Jun urged him to walk ahead.
"So... Kaden, do you have a girlfriend or anyone whom you're interested in? If not, I can introduce you," Ye Jun took the initiative to start a casual conversation with Xiamu which took him by surprise.
"Thank you for your kind gesture but I'm not looking for a relationship," Xiamu answered calmly and sincerely. Azalea's steps slowed down as she heard his voice.
"Why not?" Ye Jun asked again.
"Because I'm not ready for commitment." He answered straightforwardly.
"You know, we have a tradition of arranging marriages here. Would you rather like that kind of life?"
Xiamu gave Ye Jun a passing look and said, "Even my sister and your brother were paired up. I don't see anything wrong in arranged marriages. If my parents do have an appropriate candidate for me, I don't think I'll say no to them."
Xiamu walked ahead while Ye Jun and Azalea were left behind.
"Zelie, get over him." Ye Jun said with a pensive look.
"Huh? Why?"
"Because he's telling the truth. Call it men's instinct but I can tell that he's really not looking for a relationship. Especially not with you. You'll only be a part of his sister's in-laws. Nothing more." Ye Jun didn't want to hurt Azalea but he saw it very clearly on Xiamu's face. He was just like his sister. Steadfast and stubborn.