Chapter 8: Awkward Silence
"Ughh." Yan Longwei woke up and stared at the roof. He couldn't move from his bed, just laying there motionless. Last night's incident went through his mind.
After asking her about being a painter, Cheng Lihua immediately closed the curtains! Her face was red from embarrassment.
And Yan Longwei could only stand there in shock! What was I doing?! He couldn't see, but he could feel it. His mouth was gaping wide.
But he couldn't help it.
He was too shocked to do anything.
"Xiao Wei! Wake up, or you're going to be late!" Downstairs, Pan Jiaying screamed.
"I know!" Yan Longwei sighed as he got up from his bed. As he came downstairs, Yan Changming sat at the dinner table.
"Good morning, son." Yan Changming smiled.
"Morning. Dad, don't you need to be at the company?" Yan Changming was the CEO of his company. He was diligent with his work. He would be the first one there and the last to leave.
"Nope. I can go there later." Yan Changming said, "Sometimes I need to take a break from being a CEO."
"Isn't that because you drank too much yesterday?" Pan Jiaying shouted from the kitchen.
"Uggh." Yan Changming groaned,
"But I won that battle." There was a hint of pride as he said this.
"If you mean drinking till you passed out: then yes, you won that battle." Pan Jiaying interjected again.
Yan Changming got hit again. He quickly changed the subject as he asked Yan Longwei,
"How are you doing at school?"
"Doing fine." Yan Longwei said as he took a bite out of his bread.
"That's good." Yan Changming didn't think about it too much as he looked down at the newspaper. The two weren't the talkative type. But it was more than enough for the two to understand each other.
"Here's more food." Pia Jiaying placed more food down. And she added, "Oh yeah. Xiao Wei, don't forget to wait for Cheng Lihua today."
"Huh?"
"Lihua is still unfamiliar here. I want you to be the one to show her around."
"...I don't think this is a good idea." Remembering what happened yesterday night, would Cheng Lihua even want to talk to him? That question didn't need to be answered.
It was asking for trouble.
"Relax. The two of you will become great friends. So look out for each other. If anything happens, protect her." Pan Jiaying added, not realizing the dark expression forming inside Yan Longwei.
"Good luck with that." Yan Changming added.
...
"..." In the end, Yan Longwei waited outside Cheng Lihua's house. He listened to his mother's words, but Yan Longwei was beginning to regret it. In the end, Yan Longwei knocked on the front door.
"Coming." A mellow voice called out. Cui Hualing was the one who opened the door,
"Ahh, Xiao Wei, you're here. I'll go and call Lihua down." Cui Hualing didn't wait as she called Cheng Lihua. It didn't take long before Cheng Lihua came down.
"Hi." "...Good morning." There was nothing that needed to be said. Yan Longwei could tell the girl was not ok with him.
Not with what happened yesterday!
"Well, the two of you have fun at school!" Cui Hualing didn't think much about what was going through the two's minds as she went back inside.
"..." "..." It was just an awkward silence between the two.
"Let's go." Yan Longwei said as he started to walk. Cheng Lihua followed suit behind him.
And as they walked, the two didn't talk with each other. This can't keep going,
"Sorry about before!" Yan Longwei apologized to her quickly! This is going to be a daily occurrence. He would be walking with Cheng Lihua to and from school every day from now on.
There was no way he could have this strange occurrence happening every day.
"No!" Cheng Lihua quickly waved her hand, "There was nothing wrong with what you did yesterday!"
"But you looked so surprised."
"I didn't realize someone else was watching me." Cheng Lihua wasn't surprised by the question. She was more embarrassed that someone was watching him.
Eventually, the two calmed down,
"So you're an artist?" Yan Longwei asked again.
Cheng Lihua nodded, "Mmhmm."
"For how long?"
"I've been painting for a couple of years now." Cheng Lihua looked up at the sky.
"That's cool. So which painter do you like the most?" Yan Longwei asked. And Cheng Lihua answered. Like that, the two were having a light banter.
As they talked,
"Hey, don't you think that beauty is super cute?"
"How about you go ask her out?"
"Idiot, do you not see her boyfriend next to her?"
"How can that nerd be her boyfriend! She's way out of his league!"
Oh yeah! Yan Longwei heard all of that. He forgot one thing! He needed to stay away from her.
But as Yan Longwei moved away, Cheng Lihua took the same number of steps to be next to him!
Are you trying to throw me into the fire pit?! Yan Longwei took a couple of steps away again. And that caused her to do the same thing!
The two kept doing this for a couple of minutes. Eventually, Yan Longwei whispered,
"Do you want me to die?!"
"But aunty told me that If I ever need help, then I should bother you." Cheng Lihua added.
"..." Why, mom?!
"Please help me out." Cheng Lihua pleaded.
"...Fine." Yan Longwei had no choice. There were two choices: act like a friend and die in flames. The second, be treated like a stalker and have those guys attack him.
The first option sounded the best...It was the only option.
"Then stick close to me." Yan Longwei sighed. He knew this was going to be a hassle.
"Thank you." Cheng Lihua sighed in relief.
"What do we do?"
"Let's get to school before we get mauled!" Yan Longwei held onto Cheng Lihua's hand and quickly dashed!