Dylan stared at the girl's tears and realized he was being too harsh, everyone could clearly see that he was overreacting, it wasn't forbidden to leave the Duan Base, especially if the left with Li Chen…he didn't need permission from Dylan to go in or out.
"J...just remember to tell me next time when you are going out" Dylan said before turning around to leave, now he couldn't get the image of Anna crying out of his head now.
He felt guilty, 'I shouldn't have yelled at her like that, why was I acting so stupid?' he though to himself, with a deep sigh he increased his pace. He couldn't stay close to the girl any longer.
.....
"Anna, just ignore him okay?" Li Chen consoled the girl.
"Huh?" Anna brought out her handkerchief and dabbed her eyes.
"Gosh, how could I forget to blink?"
She complained to herself, Li Chen heard her and was trying really hard to hold his laughter. So she wasn't crying but forgot to blink?
He noticed the guilty look on Dylan's face when he walked away, so this means Dylan was feeling guilty for absolutely no reason at all.The man does have a heart after all. Li Chen smiled inwardly.
"Who forgets to blink?" Li Chen teased as he crouched down and blew on her eyes.
Anna looked straight into his eyes and both their eyes met.
Anna didn't know how long she had been staring into those eyes but she knew that the feelings she saw there wasn't just friendship and it scared her to no end because the emotions she saw in his eyes were the same she saw when she looked in the mirror and thought about…
He looking at her with so much affection she thought she would drown in it.
'Does he like me?'
"Anna I....." Li Chen took a deep breath, ready to tell her how he felt at that moment, she needed to know so that he would know where he stood.
"Dolly Anna! Li Chen!" Su Chen ran over to them interrupting...whatever that was.....
Su Chen smirked when he saw his brother's angry face.
'That's what you get for eating without waiting for me' he thought to himself glaring back at his brother.
"Oh well, I have to go now.....Bye Li Chen" Anna said not sparing a glance at Su Chen. He still kept calling her a doll, if that name sticks, she will kill him! Anna sighed as she made her way back to the dorm. She hoped she had not given Kids Chen the wrong idea.
'Maybe I'm just overthinking' because there was no way a man like Li Chen or Dylan would ever like a girl like her…what was there to like?
"Wow! she totally treated me like I didn't exist! " Su Chen exclaimed
"This means she only sees you in her eyes" Su Chen poked his brother's shoulder.
Li Chen caught his finger and bent it painfully, Su Chen screamed trying to pull his finger out of his brother's grip.
"And she would have been mine by now if you didn't come over to interrupt you idiot!"
"Ow! Ow ! Ow! I was wrong....sorry, sorry"
Su Chen begged but he was still shamelessly smiling. Mission Accomplished!
...
Later that night, Anna found herself feeling unsettled. She had thought that she would just ignore if and it will pass but it seems that wasn't the case
"Sis Chesa?"
"Hmm?, Why are you not sleeping?" Chesa put her head and the edge of her bed so that she could see the girl below her clearly.
"Is there something bothering you?" Chesa asked again noticing the girl's furrowed brows.
"Does Li Chen have a girlfriend?"
Her sudden question took Chesa by surprise, she gave Anna a strange look…was she?...
"Are you two timing? " Chesa asked looking at the girl with utmost surprise and seriousness.
"T...two timing?...." Now Anna was confused, what the heck does she mean by two timing?
"What I mean is, not long ago you were like....Dylan this, Dylan that. Now you are asking if Li Chen has a girlfriend?"
Anna's eyes widened "You have got it all wrong sis Chesa!.....it is definitely not what you think!" why was her imagination so wild?
Anna was beginning to regret asking that question in the first place.
"So.....then why do you want to know if Li Chen has a girlfriend?"
"Er.....I am just curious" Anna replied
"Well, as far as I know, Li Chen…he hasn't been dating for a while, he wants to focus on his future"
"Oh...." Anna said scratching her chin, she felt bothered by that gaze he was giving her. She wasn't experienced in romance or relationships but she wasn't stupid not to notice the kind of affection that gaze showed, it was just too hard to ignore.
"But just like Dylan, Li Chen is a no go area"
"Why not?"
Chesa raised a brown and Anna coughs lightly "I mean…why?"
Chesa looked at the rows of bunk beds in the room and her eyes stopped at the brightly colored one
"Efya" she sneered.
Anna blinked, confused. 'I thought you just said he doesn't have a girlfriend?'
As if Chesa read her thoughts, she quickly added "She is not his girlfriend or anything!"
"Oh" Anna replies.
"She just likes going around and telling everyone that she is and meanwhile, Li Chen only sees her as his sister" Chesa struggled to hold her laughter, Efya was thick skinned. Despite the fact that every one knew Li Chen didn't see her that way, she still kept lying about it and saying they were dating and she used everything opportunity she had to oppress everyone with the Duan surname like she was married to Li Chen.
"Is she related to the Duan brothers?" Anna asked not quite clear on their relationship.
"Ah.....not exactly.....obviously!" Chesa almost yelled out, Everyone in base knew that Efya was an African. 'Such a stupid question' she thought to herself.
"When the Duan brother's went to Africa for a mission a few years back, Li Chen met her and he felt that she had a lot of potential. Kind of like yours and Dylan's romantic story" Chesa said smiling and winking at Anna.
Anna rolled her eyes and decided to ignore it.
"So he brought her here and now she thinks she's that queen of the world?" Anna said annoyed, there hasn't been a single day that passed that Efya wouldn't come up with one reason or another to make living in base hell for her. Luckily Anna didn't let most of her words get to her and besides she has better things to think about.
Once she even said Anna was pretending and she could walk normally, dared her to stand in front of all the girls.
"Yeah...just because general Duan owns the base, she feels like she is untouchable. One day I'm sure!, someone will put her in her right place!" Chesa said but it sounded more like she was making a vow.
"That would be great!" Anna said, just imagining it made her feel alive.
Unfortunately for both of them, that day didn't come for a very very long time.
"I hope one day Li Chen decides to throw her in a river" Anna giggles, the thought brightening up her mood.
Chesa smacks her playfully "You're so evil…"
Efya walks in almost immediately, she doesn't waste time glaring at Anna before walking to her space.
"I still don't know what I did that is so wrong" Anna whispers under her breath. Chesa heard her and sighs, even though Anna says Efya's hostile didn't bother her, not everyone could handle being a punching bag for a b*tch.