Chapter 256 - Nerdy

The couple went back to Qing Chen's room. "By the way, why did you get out of the room?"

"I was going to look for you," she answered.

"What?" he asked, putting her in between his knees. "Being in my childhood bedroom is too much?"

Feng Xuan looked around the place. "We still have a lot we haven't told each other. Being here on my own, I felt like I was reading your diary of some sort."

Qing Chen's eyes darted around the palce, wondering what was it that made her feel like a stranger. "What do you think?"

"It's so you," she laughed. "A little more nerdy, but still you."

"Nerdy?"

"I mean, look at all the thick accounting books on your shelf."

Qing Chen looked at the books that lined his walls. "I told myself, if I wasn't going to be a pilot, I was going to be a lawyer."

"A lawyer," she said, amused. She pushed him down the bed and got on top of him—nothing lewd in her mind. She just wanted to be close to him. "Funny how you're raised to be on the wrong side of the fence."

"Well, I just thought about that because in Accounting, we also discussed the law so I thought since I have a slight advantage, why don't I pursue that too? I don't plan to practice. I just want the license."

"You're greedy."

"Only on the nerdy stuff," he smiled up at her but it immediately vanished when he remembered he had a riddle to crack. "We should rest. It had been a long day."

It was as if Feng Xuan also just remembered that they were not supposed to be fooling around right now. "Okay."

She got off him and they both settled on the bed. Qing Chen raised the covers up to their chins. "Are you tired?"

"Hmm," Qing Chen said. "As much as I want to keep on working on the riddle, my mind's no longer functioning as much. We already called it a night."

She reached his hair and fiddled with it. "I wonder what would happen if I had regained my memories and The Zookeeper came and you're not my husband."

Qing Chen smiled at her. "I'm sure you'll figure it out. You're a smart girl. Besides, if I wasn't your husband, I figure he won't be sending these mind games. He'll probably just kidnap you again and then you can kill him."

He pulled her close to his chest, almost like he was swaddling her, pulling her arms and legs around him. "You should sleep already."

"I'm not tired."

"Just close your eyes."

Then it hadn't been five minutes later, Feng Xuan felt sleep tugging at her. But there was something different about tonight. No matter how much sleep tried to pull her, her consciousness was fighting it.

Damn, she cursed in her head. Was she afraid to fall asleep? Was she afraid she would no longer wake up?

Of course I will wake up! she chastised her mind. 

She tried clearing her mind, imagining that she was pushing things out of her brain.

But it didn't work.

She didn't know how much time had passed but she guessed it was already two in the morning because there were two knocks on the door and Qing Chen ever so carefully detangled himself from her to speak to his father, leaving Feng Xuan on the bed and the dark.

**

"Thank you, Clown," he said as he was handed a cordless phone. He pressed the phone to his ear and was showered in relief when he heard his father's voice.

"Chen?"

"Father, how are you doing?"

"Never better. I don't even feel like I have cancer." He laughed heartily. "Now, I am on vacation and you are disturbing my sweet peace. What is it?"

"The Zookeeper sent a new message—a riddle actually. Qing Lok and I decoded a part of it and it said that you're going to die on the twentieth next month."

There was silence on the other end.

"Father?"

"Yes, I heard you." It was as if his father had not as his tone still remained cheery. "It's good to know that he thinks I would last that long. Some doctors told me it MIGHT be any day now."

Qing Chen closed his eyes hard, wishing he had not heard that. "He knows where you are."

"I suppose. If he was going to make a threat to my life, he better know where the hell on the world I am."

"Is it morning there?"

His father laughed. "Nice try, Chen. I'm not going to tell you."

"The Zookeeper knows where you are but I don't."

"Don't worry, I think he would be nice enough to send my body in a casket to you."

"Father," Qing Chen sighed.

"Yes, yes. I was just kidding." He heard his father drinking something. "Listen, kid. You have nothing to worry about. I'm not even going to blame you if you're not going to be able to end that little shit of a zookeeper by next month. I've lived a great life. It's all good, son."

Qing Chen squeezed on the bridge of his nose, hard enough that it was painful, to stop the tears from coming. "I'm not going to let you die on the twentieth."

"What's the point, son? I'll die anyway."

His father was trying to cheer him up in the worst way possible but it was not working. It not working made Qing Chen laughed. Yeah, that was his father. He didn't know how to make them feel better.

There was only one way with him and it was by being brutally honest.

"If I'm alive after the twentieth, I'll let you pay me a visit."

Qing Chen was in relief, like a knot untwisted in him. "Okay, we'll be on the next flight out."

"Good night, son."

"Stay well."

Qing Chen went back to bed after the call. He didn't sleep.