Reaching the isolated place, Wen Zac and Ming Rusheng stopped and stood facing each other.
"What are you doing, Wen Zac?" Ming Rusheng asked as he looked serious.
"If you talk a bit clearer then I will know what you are referring to," Wen Zac replied, as he looked calm.
"I am talking about Lu Lian."
"What about her?" he asked nonchalantly.
"Don't take things too far with her. She is just being impulsive and agreeing to what you are asking for."
"How can you say that and why can't I do it?"
"Because she doesn't like you in that way.. She is just being stubborn," Ming Rusheng replied firmly.
"I know she doesn't like me at the moment but soon she will and once we get married, she will learn to love me."
"She won't, Wen Zac. By taking things further you will just hurt both of yourselves."
"You don't need to worry about it. We will manage ourselves."
Ming Rusheng sighed as the guy in front of him didn't wish to understand what he was implying.
"Don't go on dates with her," Ming Rusheng instructed.
"Though we are friends, you have no right to decide for me or order me," Wen Zac countered as the two talked straight looking into each other's eyes.
"I am deciding for her," Ming Rusheng commented.
Wen Zac smirked, "Decide for her? And who are you to do so?"
"Because I am the one she loves," Ming Rusheng replied.
Wen Zac chuckled. "Now I get it. You know she loves you but you rejected her and she came to me. Though you can't love her back, you can't bear to see her going to someone else. Right? Is your pride hurt, Ming Rusheng?"
"It's not like that."
"Then what?"
"It's because I love her too."
Wen Zac laughed a little and said, "So why is she with me and not with you?"
"I can't tell the reason but you should stop this dating thing with her."
"I can't and I won't."
"Wen Zac…."
"Listen to me carefully, Ming Rusheng."
Ming Rusheng tried to be calm and waited for him to say.
So many times I asked you before if you liked her but all the time you acted almighty as if nothing mattered to you. I even warned you saying don't come to me crying when I will end up marrying her. Were you taking it as a joke or you are just too confident to think once a woman falls for you, she would never go to anyone else ever? Or you trusted me so much thinking your friend would not go for her if he thinks you like her which you never admitted. Do I have any hidden power to know what you think and feel when you don't tell me. Don't you know how I am? When I decide on something, I always make it happen."
"She is a person and not a thing you would want to make happen," Ming Rusheng's voice held the warning.
"If you care for her that much then why did you let her come to me? Did you give up on her so easily and when you saw her with someone else your pride couldn't handle it."
"It's not the case. We fought over something and ended up like this," Ming Rusheng explained.
Wen Zac nodded lightly as if he understood his friend and said, "Fine but when she called me offering to date her and later I asked you about it, why didn't you tell me to not accept it. Why did you act like you had given up on her? If you loved her that much, you should have kept pursuing her no matter what. You shouldn't have allowed me to even think about dating her but you just permitted her. Now you get what you want."
Ming Rusheng raised his voice, "Are you talking about me giving up on her? What about you, huh?"
"What about me?" Wen Zac asked nonchalantly.
"The one you loved for so many years, you gave up on her only after confessing ones. You are talking about how I gave up on Lu Lian so easily but what about you? Why didn't you keep pursuing her? And you dare lecture me."
"You are right. I didn't force myself to pursue her because my love and confession meant nothing to her. It was not even worth it for her to waste her precious time on replying to me. She didn't even find it worth it to reject me. Even if she had rejected me, I would have kept waiting for her but she said nothing. What can be worse than this? Don't I look pathetic to you that I can't even ask her a reason for that wordless rejection?" Wen Zac asked as he raised his voice in frustration that showed how he felt all these years.
Ming Rusheng had nothing to say about it because Wen Zac looked hurt. Wen Zac never showed it before and said nothing about it but today he said it and Ming Rusheng could see how hurt he was.
"I know you are hurt but that doesn't mean you will take the wrong step. I understand your pain…." Ming Rusheng said in a consoling voice.
"You don't understand anything, not even my pain. But this time I will just let you know the pain I am going through. Just because we are good friends, don't think I will back down."
"Wen Zac…"
"You lost the chance when I asked you and warned you. Now don't treat me like I am coveting your woman. I see a good woman in her who can be a good wife to me and I won't give up this time. I have a family and they have some expectations from me and I wish to fulfill them."
"Are you doing it because of your grandma?" Ming Rusheng asked.
"You are free to think what you want."
"I won't let it happen so you better not…."
"If you are that confident, go to her and tell her how much you love her and stop her from coming to me," Wen Zan said.
Ming Rusheng nodded confidently, "I will."
"Who stopped you then, but if she comes to me, don't expect me to back down. You will only see her getting married to me soon."
"We will see." Saying Ming Rusheng turned to leave and Wen Zac called him again, "Ming Rusheng."
Ming Rusheng stopped but didn't look at him.
Wen Zac continued, "If she ends up marrying me, just think that it was not meant to be between you two, If not me, she might marry someone else so I wish us to be friends the way we were."
Ming Rusheng didn't reply and left and Wen Zac turned to go to his car.
"Brother Wen."
Someone called him and Wen Zac stopped. He sure knew this voice and shock took over him.
"Brother Wen, I want to talk to you." he heard the feminine voice again.
Wen Zac turned to look at the person. The woman he loved for a long time and didn't care to reply to his confession was standing in front of him as if nothing had happened.
"I won't take much time brother Wen," she said, seeing him dazed.
She looked at him and thought he might not like to let her see himself in this condition when he had just fought with his best friend over the same woman.
"What is it?" he asked coldly.
To her, he looked different from how he used to always talk to her with his calm and gentle voice, but he looked cold and scary at this moment.
"I am sorry but I heard what brother Rusheng and you talked about," she replied, feeling a bit awkward.
The coldness in his eyes didn't change at all even though Ming Lan was shaking under his cold gaze and she was the one he always loved.
"So, are you here to beg me for your brother?" he asked, sounding even harsh.
It left her speechless. "Well, I…"
"I don't have much time to waste. You better follow your brother who will be heartbroken soon."
Ming Lan breathed deeply and said, "Brother Rusheng and Lu Lian really love each other. They are just having a lover's quarrel. I hope brother Wen would understand and help them instead."
"Do you take me as a god who keeps favoring everyone while sacrificing what I want?" Wen Zac countered coldly to her gentle request.
Ming Lan didn't let it affect her and said, "If Brother Wen is doing it for the sake of Grandma, then he can marry any other woman. One should not come in between the two who love each other.
"What if I say I like and find her best to be my wife? Do you still wish me to sacrifice the one I like?" he countered.
Ming Lan was taken aback a little but said, "She loves my brother and he loves her too. My brother…"
"If you care for your brother that much then why don't you marry me? I will leave her for your brother," Wen Zac interrupted her which left her shocked to her bones and she could only stare at him in disbelief.
"Brother Wen...I…." she stopped, not having any words to say.
"What happened now, huh? Do you expect me to sacrifice for your brother but when I asked you to do the same, you are hesitant. Do I look that easy to you?" He was getting colder and scarier with each passing moment and she could only shiver under his colder side. It was so unexpected for her to see him like this.
Seeing her still shocked he said, "I will let you do what you want; the work you do and travel around the world, I will never stop you from doing it."
It surprised her even more and she looked a bit softened but heard him again, "Not like I have any feelings for you now so it doesn't matter if you don't stay with me even after we get married."
"That…"
"Don't be in haste. Think about it and reply. It's late, you should go back home," he instructed.
Nodding lightly, while still in a shock, she turned to leave while Wen Zac stood there looking at her slowly retreating back. From the way she walked so slowly and in a daze, he could see she was shocked but he cared less and waited for her till she disappeared from his sight.
Getting inside the car, he sat there quietly for a while. 'What did I just do? Have I lost my mind? Did I just scare her? When I thought I will not think about her ever why did she have to return? Why did I even ask her to marry me when I know she will only reject me? Ahhh... I definitely have lost my mind. I hope she will just forget it thinking I was out of my mind."
Cursing himself over his impulsive action, Wen Zac started his car. He realized he acted like this because he was hurt and she was the reason. He couldn't help but get that buried frustration of so many years out on her.