Chapter 126 - Anxiety

"Let's go," Li Chen ordered his driver, smiling to himself. He felt happy and satisfied with the elaborate preparations that he made for his brother. Anyway, the credit went not only to him alone but to somebody else who helped him behind the shadows.

Inside the VIP's room, Yang Zi carried the menu book and checked the list of dishes that the restaurant served. Since she didn't eat the entire day, she was starving. She found it hard to believe that her tummy wasn't making rumbling noises despite how hungry she was. After choosing the dishes she wanted, she patiently waited for the waiter to arrive to take their orders. After ten minutes of waiting, she lost her cool.

"Despite how huge and beautiful this restaurant is, why is their customer service so poor?" Yang Zi asked irritatedly, rubbing her tummy. Yifeng who was watching her all this while smiled, seeing how impatient Yang Zi has become. The one thing he did not understand was why she kept on rubbing her tummy. He decided to find out the reason from her.

"You have been rubbing your stomach for a while now, do you have stomach ache?" Yifeng asked out of pure concern. Yang Zi turned to stare at him, contemplating whether to tell him that the reason she has been rubbing her tummy was because she was famished.

"No, I don't have any stomachache," Yang Zi replied care-freely. Although she didn't let it show, she was so happy that Yifeng started talking to her. She was thrilled. 

"If that is not the case then what is wrong with your stomach?" Yifeng probed further.

"I am hungry," Yang Zi replied bluntly.

".....," Her bluntness left Yifeng speechless. 

"You wanted to know the reason right so I am telling you I am damn hungry. I might collapse here if I don't eat," Yang Zi said. Her expression showed she was dead serious.

"Does that mean you ate nothing throughout the day?" Yifeng asked, still in disbelief. From what he knew, Yang Zi hardly missed her lunch. In fact, he always made sure he doesn't give her any work during lunch time so she won't have an excuse why she didn't eat lunch. He was surprised to know that she starved herself the entire day. "I know you might use the excuse that you were in a hurry when you left home, that is why you didn't have your breakfast but what about lunch? I didn't give you any task, so why did you skip your lunch?" Yifeng asked not willing to let the matter go just like that.

"I wasn't in my right frame of mind and I had zero appetite back then, that is why?" Yang Zi replied softly.

"Do you think it is everyone who eats that has appetite? If you don't care about your health, at least have pity on those who will get affected if you were to fall ill. Many people care about you so don't let them worry about you, Ok?" Yifeng said, sounding pissed off. "And if I may ask why on earth were you not in your right frame of mind? If you have any problem, you know you can always tell me instead of keeping it to yourself. A problem shared I heard is a problem half-solved or don't you know that," Yifeng gulped down the glass of water on the table to calm his anger. Hearing that the woman he likes starved herself because of some flimsy excuses provokes him. He wasn't in the office for just a day and she was like that? What would happen if he disappears from her life like she wants?

"Why are you getting upset with me right now? If you had not been avoiding me, this wouldn't have happened. I wouldn't have cracked my brain thinking of how to resolve the problem we have, so what is my wrong in this?" Yang Zi blurted out angrily too. "This wouldn't have happened if you had told me what I did wrong." Yang Zi looked away, avoiding his gaze. Puzzled, Yifeng could not believe what he just heard. He thought he was dreaming. He pinched his thighs to confirm whether he was dreaming.

"Did Yang Zi just say I was the reason she forgot to eat? Wow, this is so unbelievable," Yifeng thought, staring at her. Because of her indifferent attitude, he didn't know that his avoidance was affecting her. She didn't make any attempts to talk to him for the past one month, so he thought she was fine with the way he was acting. He wouldn't have kept up with the pretense if she had shown any signs.

"You should have still eaten despite all the reasons you gave me," Yifeng said calmly, but to Yang Zi his voice sounded cold.

"I have wanted to ask you this for a long time so let me ask you once and for all," Yang Zi said, turning to face him again.

"Go on, I am all ears," Yifeng replied unbothered.

"Did I do something wrong? Is that why you are punishing me?" Yang Zi asked, staring into his blank face. "You said you like me very much and that you will do everything to make sure I overcome my love trauma, am I correct? Were those words all lies? If you hate me, just tell me and I will hand over my resignation letter to you tomorrow. You don't have to inconvenience yourself because of me," Yang Zi spoke her mind fearlessly. Thinking about it now, she really liked the time Yifeng followed her about telling about how he felt towards her. She hasn't thought about how she will feel if peradventure Yifeng says he doesn't like her anymore. Will she be happy, disappointed or sad? She hasn't thought about it.

"Every cruel word you threw at me felt like my heart was stabbed me with a thousand daggers. The pain was heart-wrenching but I am not punishing you for anything, I am just giving you some space because I thought you desperately needed it," Yifeng said coolly, his gaze on her.

"I was not lying when I told you I like you and that I will do everything possible to help you overcome your trauma and one more thing I don't hate you so you don't have any reason to quit," Yifeng said seriously.

"Although I don't know what I said that hurt you, I am so sorry. I am sorry for hurting you. That is just the way I am, I sometimes speak without thinking much about the affects that my words might have on people and I recently found out that I often do that when I am with you," Yang Zi said apologetically.

"And why do you think you are always like that with me? Does the problem lie within me?" Yifeng asked, paying rapt attention to what Yang Zi's reply will be.

"I don't know where the problem lies. I don't know why, but my guard is always up whenever you are around me. It is as if my instincts are trying to protect me. It is as if my instincts predict that I will eventually get hurt if I get close to you. If you think I am making excuses, then you can compare how I relate with others and how I relate with you," Yang Zi said seriously. Talking to Yifeng about how she feels gave her peace of mind. She was no longer disturbed. "Talking to him cool-headedly is not a bad thing after all," Yang Zi thought, staring at Yifeng. She completely forgot that she was so famished some moment ago.

"Yang Zi, I can't promise you you will not be hurt if you date me. Relationships are always full of trials so I can't promise you I will not hurt you unintentionally but even though I don't hurt you emotionally our haters will, so I don't know why your instincts are portraying me as a bad person," Yifeng said honestly. Although he hasn't been in a romantic relationship before but he has seen so many people go through so much in their relationships.

"Although I haven't been in a serious relationship but I know many issues arise in relationships, ranging from minor ones to serious ones. My mum always educated me about relationships when I was young. She said every problem that arises in relationships is to test how strong the couple's love is, but I don't believe in that bullshit," Yang Zi said smiling. "Anyway, where we are heading to in our conversation is not what I intended to happen but I like our conversation," Yang Zi said, still smiling.

"I never even expected that we would ever meet here not to mention speaking with you so I am glad we got to speak after a month plus of not having any meaningful discussion with each other," Yifeng said smiling at her too.

"So are we on good terms again?" Yang Zi asked, bitting her lower lips nervously.