Xue Guangli went to his company first to see him. But his secretary had said he was too busy to see her and turned her away.
The next day, Xue Guangli visited,, and the day after that: he kept refusing to see her, though he never admitted it. He also dodged her calls, and she began to feel fed up. But she didn't want to give up.
Did something happen?
She couldn't help but feel worried.
He had said he would help her days ago, and to not see her now, it was unlike him to go back on his word.
Xue Guangli decided to follow Long Bolin's advice.
She took Xue Teegan's car and drove to Long Huojin's new address.
When she drove in the neighbourhood, she half-expected the block to be piled up with security, but it wasn't. It was an ordinary street, like all the others.
When she found the house, it surprised her. She arrived at an old-styled, white-brick home with a roof that had two curved ends. There were red rims and black pillars; it a traditional home with a contemporary touch. The front part of the house looked like a courtyard as the house extended around.
There was a history behind the house, she could tell. But she didn't expect Long Huojin to choose this one. It seemed to be out of his character. But then again, she was beginning to learn and discover more things about him.
She walked up to the front porch, and it was quiet. What if he wasn't alone? Could he have finally found a match, and therefore, he felt the need to take his woman here?
Xue Guangli shook the thoughts and excuses away. She was stalling, but she needed to see him; she needed to at least know if he was doing well.
She knocked on the door, and the sound boomed.
Moments later, she heard the hinges unlock; the door creaked open.
Long Huojin appeared at the doorway; he wore casual clothing, his face tiredly worn. When he caught her eye, his eyes widened in surprise. He did not expect her to be on his doorstep. It seemed like he expected someone else.
She studied his facial expressions and found his cheek with a slight cut, faintly bruised. She felt like reaching out but fought the urge. She looked at him.
Long Huojin stared back at her, "..."
"..." Xue Guangli was suddenly at a loss for words. She felt embarrassed for impulsively showing up. Perhaps he did expect someone else to show up.
"How did you find me?" he asked her.
"Long Bolin," she responded.
Long Huojin crossed his arms and leaned lazily against the doorframe. "Is everything all right?" he asked her.
"Mhm," she responded. "I was wondering if..." she didn't know what to say. Flustered, she blurted out, "Are you okay? It's not like you to not come and bombard me; I have come to invade your personal life, as you did mine."
Long Huojin's face was composed. But he couldn't hold it in, within the next moment, he burst out a laugh. He held his stomach, trying hard to stop.
Xue Guangli's face flushed red. "Stop laughing!" she said and pouted. And as if by command, he listened. He stopped, but his expression still held a hint of amusement.
He stepped away from the doorframe, allowing a gap for her to follow through. She stepped into the house, and Long Huojin closed the door behind them.
She observed the space around them. It was quiet, and the inside was not how she imagined. Everything indoors was newly renovated, fresh, and modern, with the touches of traditional roots.
"How do you have this place?" she asked him.
Long Huojin led her through a short hall before entering a bigger one. "It was an investment I earned years ago," he began. "I wasn't initially interested in buying this house, but I heard that some of the buyers wanted to demolish the house because it was old," he said.
"But that would have lost its history!" she exclaimed, worried.
Long Huojin smiled. "Precisely." He then glanced around the house. "I didn't want them to tear it down. So I bought it. It just needed a fix, and it was a home again."
Xue Guangli didn't think that Long Huojin would have cared about something like this. Many people of his status were looking for more modern homes. But it was as if he didn't want that.
"So you had this place for years?" she asked, wondering why he didn't move in sooner.
He stilled, keeping silent.
Then a moment later, he said, "I invested in this home. Now it's worth more than it was years ago, so I didn't want to sell it. But now I decided to live in it." It's half the truth. Long Huojin didn't want to move into the home, but because of his circumstances, he left. But he has grown accustomed, and he liked it. The air around him felt more freeing.
Xue Guangli nodded after he spoke. They entered a living room, an ample space, but there was a lot of furniture meant for guests, lots of them; it looked intimate, truly like a home, made for a family.
Long Huojin took a seat on one of the couches. Xue Guangli followed, sitting next to him.
When Long Huojin was about to sit up again to get some refreshments, Xue Guangli grabbed his wrist, pushing him down on his seat again. She grabbed his chin gently, facing her. Long Huojin reddened instantly, but she didn't notice. Xue Guangli tilted his chin to the side to observe the mark on his face.
"What happened?" she asked with half curiosity and half concern.
Long Huojin sighed. "It does not concern you," he said bitterly. He didn't want to come off rude, but he wasn't entirely sure if he should tell her the truth.
He felt her turn his chin to face her again; her deep precious brown eyes glistened, meeting his blue ones. "It's one thing if you don't want to tell me," she began. "But if you need to, I will listen."
Long Huojin's eyes opened. He met her, and she looked at him unwaveringly.
He surrendered, wanting to confess anyways. Within a moment, he told her everything, spilling the details of his childhood, how his mother doesn't like his face, and how his father was an abusive, absent figure.
The only reason why Long Huojin inherited the company now was because his father's reputation was about to be tarnished. Some of the media have found evidence of Long Yuntian's alcoholism and domestic abusiveness. Had that information gone out, Long Group would have met with endless questions.
So Long Yuntian forfeited his position to his eldest son, but that only worsened his anger. His father has nothing to do now. His mother still loves her husband, he knew, but like some others, she was naive enough to believe he'll change.
Regardless, he had to leave that environment.
Xue Guangli listened diligently as he spoke.
"You know...I was always envious of you," he said.
Xue Guangli looked at him, shocked. "What? Why me?"
"Because when your parents looked at you, and it was full of love and appreciation," he said.
Xue Guangli felt as if her throat was about to choke up. She had no idea that what he had gone through for most of his life.
Most of the time, she remembered him coming over to her house. He spoke to her parents like they were his own, and they treated him like he was a son of theirs.
Indeed, their fathers were friends, but Xue Guangli was sure that his father wouldn't have known what Long Yuntian did to him. Or did he? And that's why he welcomed him with opened arms.
"You see," he continued. "That's why I believe your father didn't do what he was blamed for."
Xue Guangli watched him. "Why?" she asked desperately.
"Because it's not like him. He loved her, your mother. I've seen the five of you, a picture-perfect family," he said. "But I'm sorry, truly, about what happened. I wished it didn't happen. I loved them too." he finished.
Xue Guangli frowned. Some part of her wanted it to be her father, not because she hated him, no. But because she wanted that confirmation, to know who did it and be done with. But now it leads to more questions and fear.
Who did it? Why did they do it? Those were the questions she was trying to avoid.
And if her father were truly innocent, then she would hate herself for ignoring him, for treating him cruelly, and for giving up so early.
Xue Guangli now realized why Long Huojin was determined to help. Because he grieved them, too, he loved them, also.
They used never to get along. Xue Guangli was jealous that he stole the attention away from her whenever he was around. Still, he was jealous of her because they loved her unconditionally, not because of some obligation. Long Houjin was a product for succession, heirs. Xue Guangli and her sisters weren't. And their father was never disappointed when he had three daughters and no more. He loved them.
Xue Guangli didn't realize she was crying, but tears had escaped from her eyes; she yielded her guard.
For years, for so long, she kept her guard up, hard and firm. She was afraid, so afraid of getting hurt. She never revealed her vulnerability, not even in front of Wang Weimin. But in front of Long Huojin, it was as if she could. Around him, she didn't need to hold back.
He felt as she did. Alone, carrying the world on their backs with many obligations. She used to share that with Wang Weimin, but she realized now, he was selfish and never wanted her to grow. And within the last month, Long Huojin had given her more than what she expected.
For once, she wasn't alone. They both shared their grief, their broken families. But they held on the thread and hope of becoming better people, not dwelling on those issues, but rising and thriving, that was the difference.
Long Huojin had reached out to wipe the tears from her face with his thumb; he looked at her gently. Xue Guangli let him, not flinching away. It felt like a caress as if it was something natural between them.
It hadn't occurred just how much she had lowered her guard for him.
"It hadn't occurred to me that you can be tolerable," she admitted.
Long Huojin smiled.
"I could say the same thing about you," he began, teasing. "That I didn't expect you to do well to crawl beneath my skin."
Xue Guangli smirked.
Long Huojin knew that she interpreted 'Crawl beneath my skin,' meaning as she had gotten on his nerves. But what he actually meant by it was that she had etched herself in him, unknowingly. That in his heart and skin, her name was practically inked like a tattoo, unfading, never going away.
Long Huojin stared at her intensely. Xue Guangli caught onto his expression. For a moment, she was lost. She hated the fact that he was handsome and that he knew it confidently. If he wanted to seduce her, she might let him, and she wasn't sure how she felt about it.
Xue Guangli reached out to touch his cheek, over the split skin. It was the mark of his mother and father. He was enduring this entire time, as she had as well.
She felt his smooth, warm skin with her fingertips. They were close, overstepping their typical boundaries. She was lost into his eyes, the colour of winter flowers. But she retreated her hand when she heard someone barge in.
"Yo, Jin. I brought the—" Yin Shou began.
Xue Guangli and Long Huojin were sitting firmly to each other, awkwardly staring at him.
Yin Shou's eyes gaped, and his mouth opened. He looked at Long Huojin for an answer, but he shook his head. Yin Shou then approached them, clearing his throat. "Nice to see you, Xue Li," he said.
Xue Guangli smirked, "Likewise."
"What are you doing here?" he asked her.
Xue Guangli smiled. "I came for a visit," she said.
Yin Shou nodded. She then asked him curiously, "What are YOU doing here?"
Yin Shou smiled, he then approached Long Huojin, swinging an arm over him. "I'm his new lover," he said.
Long Huojin rolled his eyes. Xue Guangli laughed. Long Huojin swatted his best friend's arm again, and Yin Shou said, "I'm Jin's roommate," he said.
After explaining himself correctly, Yin Shou went straight to the kitchen and didn't come out, leaving the two of them alone.
Xue Guangli felt awkward about their moment earlier, now that she was feeling conscious about it. But Long Huojin recovered for her.
"Why don't we start working on it now?" he suggested.