93 The reason

"Wanqiu, your dress is really pretty..."

Hu Qiang spoke while the snooze on his nose fluttered in the room. Both Naruto and Wanqiu Xia stood in his respective side with different expression held in their face.

"Wow, he even has the dream, he must have so much crush on you..." Naruto glanced at her and teased her with a smirk.

"Yeah, too bad for him though, cos I still don't like him..." Wanqiu Xia lifted her shoulder half-way.

"Why? Because he broke up with his girlfriend?"

"Girlfriends, he had broken so many women's heart."

"Wow, this guy is such a player?! Awesome!"

"Don't admired him!"

Naruto stared at the man before him, his face might be handsome and had a manly figure, but the way he behave was rather goofy and childish, this kind of person actually had the guts to play with women? Maybe he didn't learn a proper manner to treat one lady? Many men only knew how to flirt and get a woman's heart, maybe their body along the way, but hardly there is men that can keep one around. Well, sometimes the fault happened on both sides so no one can judge whether the man just had some bad luck with women or for other reason.

Naruto raised his right hand and carelessly slapped Hu Qiang's left cheek, he did the left one since his right cheek had some drool on it. The force enough to send his head to the side but not letting him fell from the chair.

Wanqiu Xia gasped, Naruto harsh way to wake the man's up is rather shocking to her.

"Pick me! Pick me! I am the only qualified!" the bear-like man immediately stood up from his chair the moment he awake from his slumber, the trail of liquid from the corner of his mouth dripped down onto the floor.

There was a long silent after his uproar and he startled,a calloused hand brushed a pair of eyes and looked around only to find two people left exist in the room.

"Where the other people go?!" he dropped his squared jaw.

"Work," Naruto said with a light smile.

"Break time's over already?!"

The pair of man and woman nodded their head.

"Well whatever, thankfully I am security director, I don't have to be in office all the time," he shrugged.

Naruto chuckled at the man's manner while Wanqiu Xia twitched her lips in disgust.

She hated a slacker type like this, especially when they had no responsibility at all toward their position. A director might not have the same obligation to obey the rule like a normal worker, but it will make a good impression and example for them, it also will lessen the gap of distance between the position thus create less awkward situation when the director required something to fulfill from the worker, or with more simple words, order them around.

If this was a normal circumstances, Wanqiu Xia perhaps already dashed off back to her office, after all, there were many things she had to do and client she needed to meet, but since the CEO had told her to accompany Naruto, therefore she remained obedient at his side.

"Oh!" Hu Qiang's face turned excited, "elder brother! Did I pass your discernment?"

Wow, he even directly call me elder brother!

Naruto almost wanted to burst out a laughter but he sensed a great amount of anger stacked up beside him, thus he forcefully swallowed the expression.

"Un, un, you are the sole survivor of this challenge to be able to court little minx!"

"Really?!" no one can imagined how happy the way he looked the moment he heard Naruto's approval for him to chase his beloved one, then he shifted his glance to Wanqiu Xia, his eyes sparkled a passion that reached the infinity and beyond.

The object of adoration gritted her teeth in annoyance, then she glared at Naruto dangerously.

Naruto trailed down one cold sweat, with a smile still hung on his face, he said slowly, "Only... if you can beat me in an Arm Wrestling..."

The two person startled, Hu Qiang said in doubtful tone, "Arm Wrestling?"

"Yeah, you do know Arm Wrestling, right?"

"Of course, of course, elder brother! But..." Hu Qiang looked at Naruto's slender like arm then he compared it with his own which almost twice in size, "are you sure about this, elder brother?"

"What? You doubt my strength?" Naruto chuckled, "also isn't it good if I am weak? You can easily carry little minx to go to home. Yeah, you heard me right, beat me in Arm Wrestling then you don't need to court her, you don't need to flirt with her anymore, you can directly carry her into the nuptial bed if you desire."

Both person had their body shivered with different reason, Hu Qiang inner desire suddenly flared up at the thought of picking up the lady of his heart with his both hands then throwing her into the soft bed, as her body juggled at the bouncy mattress, he immediately pounced at her and the night of romance began. Wanqiu Xia inner desire also flared up, but not in the same way as Hu Qiang, but more like, she wanted to walk up to the blonde man ahead and kicked him out to the endless horizon.

Seriously what the heck is he thinking?! Treating her like an object that anyone can bet...

Oh, wait, someone usually bet on something precious on them or worth the gold.

Is it possible that he thought of her as something precious...?

The small waist woman glanced up to the ceiling, the deeper she gave it a thought, the darker the blush she had on her face.

Soon she declined her face and found Naruto was looking at her with wrinkled eyebrows, steamed as if blow up from her head, she immediately shook her head and waved her hands in denial.

Naruto thought this woman had of lot weird things going on with her today, perhaps she should check up with doctor soon... or therapist....

"Elder brother! Let's get on with it, NOW!!!" Hu Qiang roared, it scared both Naruto and Wanqiu Xia.

They walked up to one of the table, placed two seats on different sides. Hu Qiang unclasped his wrist button then raising up the sleeve up to several inches above his elbow. But he found Naruto didn't do the same thing, instead he just leisurely sat on the chair and rested his elbow on the top of the table. Of course it's not necessary to do what he did, but it showed at least a bit preparation for the duel, and most of the time your forearm muscle will bulge as the wrestling on progress, it can be quite uncomfortable with a thigh clothes wrapped it up at that time.

Oh whatever, perhaps elder brother didn't really serious on doing this, maybe he just want to test my consideration toward my opponent that smaller than me.

Yes! That's maybe what elder brother real intention is!

To make me show my gentle side despite facing against my enemy in front of Wanqiu!

Huum, elder brother, you really care about my love life!

At this moment, Wanqiu Xia minced at Naruto's side, her face was somehow smiling but Naruto knew there was a deep danger held in that tone. She bent down her body, her red lips closed to Naruto's ear vicinity. He could taste her hot breath tickled his sense, but it gave his heart a cold instead.

"You dare to lose, I feed you with cakes for your entire life~" then she raised her body and retreated with a swaying hips.

"Haha..." Naruto bitterly laughed, Why she sounds like an angry wife?

Hu Qiang already occupied the seat across the table, his hand stretched out and readied on the table, he noticed there was still a distance between his hand and Naruto's, a frown pulled his face down, "Elder brother, can you extend your hand a little bit, this way we couldn't get the wrestling to start."

"Oh?" Naruto smiled, "but you are the challenger, wasn't it you who suppose to be do that?"

Hu Qiang startled, then he frowned again before nodding his head, "Elder brother is right! How foolish am I for asking you such a thing, please forgive me elder brother!"

He shouldn't ask disrespect the blonde man before him, after all, he is going to be his brother-in-law in future, moreover, Wanqiu Xia's happy marriage life decided by his hand, thus he needed to treat him well!

"It's fine, your behavior is good, me likey!"

Hu Qiang started feeling bashful, even when he is a man again, getting such compliment enough to flutter one heart.

Wanqiu Xia stared with half-lidded eyes as if she was bored by the charade that being displayed.

Hu Qiang fixed his position and extended his own hand, now by the portion of the table's length, he most likely covered 60% of it.

They both crossover each arms and grasped the opposite party's hand, Naruto's expression never change one bit and Hu Qiang also appeared relaxed, but one could see a light shiver on his eyebrows.

"Well, we need a judge to oversee the duel," Naruto tilted his face to the side, "little minx, my dear little sister, why don't you take the position? You be more useful that way than being a bystander."

Wanqiu Xia snorted but it's not like she got other thing to do anyway, "Both parties ready?"

Naruto nodded but Hu Qiang bellowed instead, "Wanqiu, you wait for me! I am going to make you my bride!"

The small waist woman twitched her lips, her small hand already turned into a fist and readied to pummel this blockhead bastard, if she had the power.

Oh, if Naruto lose, I am just going to expose the truth, better be called as a liar than being with him.

"1... 2... 3... go!"

As soon as Wanqiu Xia's crisp voice finished the cue, both person immediately strengthening the grip on their opponent's hand. Hu Qiang had some trouble in positioning his hand since it went unbalance with the length he supposed to assume but he still had the confidence to defeat Naruto. He went to the gym to build his arm and body not for without reason.

In fact, he decided to be lenient and lessening his effort in order to let Naruto had the sense of equality, it would created an awkward winning if the person himself lose badly.

At least until he realized that no matter how he tried to bring down Naruto's hand, that part of limb stay firm on the table.

It's like trying to move away a statue

"Huuugh!" Hu Qiang groaned, he could feel the tense in his muscle as he increased the output of his strength and successfully made Naruto's hand slightly move to the side. His eyes turned brighter at the sight and with a great resolve, he put more some effort on it.

Bit by bit Naruto's hand tilted until it reached below 30 degree, but at the moment he reached that point, Hu Qiang whole body already went red while perspiration soaked his attire.

Wanqiu Xia saw his entire arm filled with vein, even his temple also popped out with one. He hold his breath and gave all of his might to give the last touch to finish the game, sweats from his forehead slipped inside his eyes and made it ache.

On the other hand, despite in the losing side, Naruto didn't lose the smile on his face, his hand barely shivered while the offender trembled all over.

"You could have just give up you know..." Naruto said, his tone creep with a small malice.

"If you keep going like this, your hand might get an injury..." his lips curled to the side.

"Little minx indeed is a remarkable woman, if I am not her elder brother, I don't mind get a piece of her myself..." he didn't realize the words he spoke actually cause a thunderbolt to struck the small waist woman on the side, "but is it all worth? to hurt your own arm like this, perhaps it could cause you a permanent injury, all for the sake of picking up women?"

"Not just any woman..." Hu Qiang spoke in the midst of rough breath, "Wanqiu Xia is not an ordinary woman..."

Both people got surprised by his response, Wanqiu Xia's face turned absentminded for a while.

"You seemed know something about little minx..." Naruto tilted his head to the side and smirking a little.

"It was few months ago, I was on my way back from the date with my old girlfriend, it was already evening so the road is not crowded. I was stopping my car in the traffic light, went I look to the side, I saw three people played a simple instrument from the food can leftover and sing 'the reason' by hoobastank. Two of them still a teenager, and the other one is..." he opened his eyes to force himself to look at the woman at the side, Wanqiu Xia eyes turned confuse for a while then she frowned as if trying to remember the same event. It wasn't long for her to finally receive the revelation.

"It's normal of me to recognize her, after all, we practically a coworker, in the same level of management at that. I was confused at first why she joined along with them and singing together. Then I realized it as I noticed the half filled casket in front of them, her voice... was not that bad but also not that good and coupled with the loud clanking sounds, it completely ruin the song itself. but people still threw away their money, perhaps because she was a beauty thus they took a pity on her. "

Naruto almost blurted out a laugh and Wanqiu Xia face filled with shame, Yeah is not the best way for her to help them at that time by singing together, she's quiet a bad singer after all, but looking attheir empty casket back then she didn't have the heart to just leave them there, moreover she also forgot to bring her wallet, thus it's the only way for her to help them.

"But what made me entranced until the car behind me honked their alarm as if they wanted to kill me, it was her face that was glistening by joy despite the weariness on her forehead. Whether you knew it or not, Wanqiu Xia had quite many client and she was popular among the coworker, but she didn't hold any embarrassment from doing such a petty job. Didn't fear of her own reputation to drop because of dirty occupation she temporary did.

I had been living my life without care of other, I don't care what the people next to me eat tomorrow, or they had anything to eat at all. I don't care about many women's heart that I had been dumped, because I was selfish, it was the first time... that I actually hate looking at my own appearance in the mirror."

"Wanqiu Xia... changed my life... and so did opened my eyes to the world, open my heart for the love at the first sight."

Naruto and Wanqiu Xia already went silent, especially Wanqiu Xia. At first she thought the big man ahead actually just another of those who after her figure and trying to get inside her clothes, but after hearing his confession, she realized how wrong she had been. True enough, data was just data, information was just information, no matter how valid those are, doesn't mean it was enough to reveal the truth.

Because human was a complex creature, they easily can changed, far more easier than a form of water, but sometimes they also hard to change, far harder than a diamond.

"Why you didn't tell me before?" Wanqiu Xia said with a soft tone.

"I... was embarrassed..." Hu Qiang's face turned red, "I didn't have the guts to tell you about it."

"So a loud public confession is your brightest idea?" she sighed in helpless manner.

"..." he kept his mouth shut while kept trying to push down Naruto hand that only several inches away from the table.

"Hu Qiang..." Wanqiu Xia smiled, this was the first time she ever smiled to him, "I am sorry because I have been wrong about you, after reading your track record of past love live, I simply thought you just a playboy who like to play with women's heart."

"No, you are not wrong... I am that person... or at least what I used to be... until you changed me Wanqiu, at that evening, at the side of the road, your voice reached up to my heart, you waked me up from the blindness of the cruelty of the words, you had restored the sympathy that had been long lost to me decades ago, Wanqiu, you are the reason for me, and you are my first love..."

Wanqiu Xia widened her eyes, then she declined her head. She looked at her feet for a long time, before braving a smile toward him again, the smile was so pretty, dazzling akin to flower in the middle of summer field.

"Un, I receive your confession and I am so glad there is someone who love me like that..." she spoke slowly, each words was careful and meaningful, "but I am sorry, I can't reciprocate the same feeling toward you."

Hu Qiang widened his eyes, his face looked infuriate, "Why?! Why couldn't you accept me?!"

She tilted her head, her smile never lost from her face, "Will you accept, if I say I don't know?"

"Huh?!" the man's anger rose to several degree, "are you kidding me? What kind of reason is that?"

"I wanted to say because I am chasing my career, but after hearing your true confession, I still... don't get the feeling about you. You are sweet, I truly tried to get the feeling but... I just couldn't..." she apologetically smiled, "if I am truly meaningful for you, then I hope you accept that I just simply couldn't love you."

"..." Hu Qiang finally went silent, a last bitter smile appeared on his face, "is there a hope, for me in the future?"

"Maybe..." she nodded, "but at the moment, there is none."

"I see..."

After both of them concluded their feeling, the third person who had taken the mantle of an audience punched out the last line with a faint smile on his face, "Then let's conclude this game shall we?"

Naruto easily lifted Hu Qiang's hand and gently tapped down the back of his palm at the surface of the table.

(***)

"Such a good boy, you are rather cruel for rejecting him like that..."

Naruto watched the fading figure of the bear like man before it completely disappeared beyond the double gates.

"Really? I guess I am not as good as he think I am..." Wanqiu Xia chuckled as she sat on the chair.

"Seriously though, what's your reason for not liking him?"

"I like him!" she retorted, "I just couldn't love him!"

"You do realize that love is sometimes not instant, right? You should have give it chance to grow..." Naruto stood up from his chair and walked up to her, sitting atop the table on the side.

"I know," she nodded cleverly, "But somehow, deep inside me, I don't want it to grow..."

"Hah, you are one complicated woman, it will be hard for you to find a significant one if you behave like this..." Naruto twirled around his finger.

"Humph, my love life is not for you to care!" she crossed her arm and threw her face away from him.

"What?! How can that be?! But our daddy had told me to look for you a qualified candidate husband!" he said with righteous manner.

"OK, quit the act, it's getting disgusting now..."

Naruto shrugged then he somehow let out a chuckle, "I could think of two reason why you are incapable to accept him..."

"Do enlighten me, O expert in relationship..." she put her hand on her monte carlo lips and giggled.

Naruto fixed his posture and cleared his throat, he raised one finger to the air, "One, is that you are gay..."

"Pffft, what a terrible guess, I don't get the feeling either toward the same gender..."she chortled until her body trembled.

"Or two, someone already inside your heart," Naruto carelessly put up a second finger.

"Eh, come again?" as fast as wind blew, her expression instantly changed from the joy full of laugh to confuse and bewilder.

"You already interested at someone, thus until you receive the confirmation of their feeling or at least knew what they thought about you, in sexual attraction of course, you won't capable to move on to other people," Naruto explained slowly.

"..." her eyes immediately widened, she stayed her gaze for a long time to the blonde man on the side.

"Well, that's just a guess anyway, maybe you had other problem that we don't know of, I suggest you see a therapist, do you want me to introduce you with one? She is amazing!" Naruto nodded his head before pondering out loud.

"No need..." she said while eyes glued into him, "hey, Naruto..."

"Um?"

"Is it possible, that I am intere-"

*Bzzzt* *Bzzzt*

At the nick of time, Naruto felt a buzz inside his pocket, he raised his hand to cease her from talking and he picked up his phone, after looking at the Id of the caller, he said with wryly smile, "Oh, I am sorry, this is my chief, I got to take this one..."

"Oh yeah, oh yeah, please, go on..." Wanqiu Xia quickly said.

Naruto pressed the green icon and put the phone into his ear, "Chief Mo."

"Ah, yes, Mingyu mentioned it to you? Ah wait, wait, don't get mad at me, is not like I forgot mentioning it to you-" then Naruto sighed, "yes, chief Mo... I'll be back right away..."

Naruto put down his phone with bitter face, then he looked at Wanqiu Xia, "Ms. Wanqiu, I am sorry, I gotta go, I see you... later?"

The small waist woman turned a bit sad, then she flashed out a smile to him, "OK, you have a job to do, and I also have mine... but Naruto?"

"Yup?"

"Do you mind... if we go out sometimes later?" she asked while hesitated.

"Go out?" Naruto dropped his jaw, then he chuckled, "did you just ask me for a date?"

"I don't know..." she shook her head, but her eyes somehow filled with hope.

Naruto went silent, then he nodded, "Sure, I don't mind, but my schedule is rather tight this weekend, how about next week?"

"Un, I can make it!"

"Alright, I see you then!"