Zheng Jiao smiled. "Aw, that's so sweet. As expected of Sir Zixin, you never fail to amaze me."
She ever so slightly craned her neck watching 'Guiying's' face who showed no hint of emotion or expression. But she did see a flicker of something unreadable flash in her eyes.
Zheng Jiao raised her palms in defeat. "I got it. I got it. I could never rival Sir Zixin anyway. I already figured there was something going between you two. I have no intention of pursuing her when she is already taken. I was just doing some teasing~ It turns out that Sir is quite easy to bully."
"You sure you should bully the CEO?" He plainly asked.
"Will I be fired?" Tʜe source of this ᴄontent ɪs novel(ꜰ)ire.net
"You are a capable employee, so no," he shook his head.
"Then the bullying continues.*
"But your beer bills sponsorship won't."
She paused with surprise but soon burst into a hearty laughter. "Oh my. You are so adorable Sir that I cannot even hate you for snatching my chance with Guiying. And 'her' too. Since it's you, I definitely give you both my best wishes. You are perfect for each other."
Zixin read her gaze glittering with fun and mischief. He figured she was hiding her lament and loss behind her laughter. The unspoken one-sided feelings burdened his shoulders with sadness. He cherished her as a good employee and friend so standing himself in the way of her happiness filled his heart with regret.
"Thank you," he sincerely and warmly replied.
Zheng Jiao nodded and turned them on their backs. Pressing her palms, she pushed them outside. "You should be out celebrating your birthday, not here."
"You should be out joining in the celebration too," he said.
"I am the CEO. There is no work to be done today."
She rolled her eyes. "You are the dream boss everybody wants, don't they? Keep moving. I will join a few minutes later. Now hop out you two."
Together, they walked alongside 'Guiying' as she had her arms folded and not paying any particular attention to anything. Zixin watched her nervously. 'Her' silence was terrifying as if he just stepped on a landmine back there.
"Do 'you' mind what I said?"
He asked when he wasn't able to bear the deafening silence any longer.
'She' shrugged. "I am glad you think so highly of me. But you really don't have to force yourself."
"I am not forcing myself."
'Guiying' smiled. "What if I think about you just as a friend?"
Zixin felt his heart crush as if a bulldozer was speeding right on top of it. "I will do my best to win your heart."
"What if I still don't want you romantically?"
"I will definitely respect your wishes," he solemnly said.
"But how will you respect my wishes? I share the same body as Guiying. You definitely would want to get all chummy and cuddly with Guiying which is fair too but what about me? I might not want you to get close to me physically in that way."
Zixin paled. The color from his face rapidly drained as if somebody was just squeezing his neck hard and fast.
"This…this is about the night before, right? With what happened between Guiying and me sleeping on the same bed."
I knew it. I shouldn't have screwed up like that. Why…Why do I always keep being insensitive?
He bowed his head deeply, his body trembling with uncertainty mixed with dread. He had crossed a line. He definitely felt it in his very bones as 'Guiying' stood before him.
"I am extremely and sincerely sorry. Please…Please forgive me. I…" his voice gave up on him as tears began pooling in his eyes. "I never intend to make you feel uncomfortable or to force myself on you. I am really sorry that you felt that way. I won't ever cross that boundary again."
'Guiying' widened her eyes in shock. 'She' didn't expect such a massive reaction from Zixin. 'She' wasn't even referring to the night in question. 'She' was simply trying to figure things out.
"Wait, wait you are getting it all wrong. I am not talking about what happened the night before."
But it was all too late. His guilt registered in his heart as if a molten glass taking its final and sturdy form. There was nothing else to be said and done.
He bit his lower lip hard, his eyelashes trembling. "I am really sorry."
The last of his voice that spoke escaped only as a tiny and broken whisper, mirroring the state of his heart at this moment. He mechanically straightened himself as if he was a robot and somebody else was commanding it. He turned to leave when he felt an aggressive tug to his wrist.
He looked back and instantly recognized that it was Guiying. Her gaze hinted at the desperation that wanted him to understand how wrong his understanding was.
"Zixin, it's not like that!"
Tears fell from her eyes. She clutched onto his wrist as if letting him go now would be the last that she would see of him. The sinking feeling courses through her veins as she stepped up to salvage the situation.
"'She' doesn't mean anything like that. Trust me, 'she' is not offended over that night or blaming you for anything. You know how straightforward 'she' is right? 'She' wouldn't have hidden her displeasure at all if 'she' was pissed off."
"But it doesn't wash away my mistake that I should have been considerate of 'her' wishes. I say it myself and respect that you two are different yet I keep missing 'her' wishes and opinions."
"No! You have never done that. Every…every single step of the way, you have treated us both equally and preciously, never forgetting either of us. You have no idea how truly that has made us happy…" her voice choked. "I vouch for 'her' too, please believe me. You didn't and have never hurt 'her' ever since you realized 'her' existence, including that night."
Zixin didn't respond. He slowly and gently removed her hand from his wrist. She stiffened and paled.
"I want to believe you, Guiying. I really do. Maybe I will. But I need some time to process everything. Sorry, but I will take my leave now."
He couldn't meet her gaze any further and left straightaway, leaving her alone.
Through her blurry gaze, Guiying watched Zixin leave, his shoulders drooped with misery and tremors. She clenched her fists, fury blazing in her eyes.
"'You…' 'you' very well know and understand that Zixin isn't wrong. 'You' were never hurt with what happened between us because 'you' had sneakily taken over me for sometime that night, right? He didn't realize it was 'you' because 'you' didn't want him to."
Guiying didn't hear any response from 'her.'
"Yet 'you' selfishly went ahead and planted a seed of suspicion and guilt in him that never had any basis to it! Much less on his birthday…It is supposed to be a happy day for him, but 'you' ruined it for him! 'You' made that man sad who never once disrespected us. Who always walked with both of us hand in hand. Who did his very best to understand us at every step of the way. 'You' had no right to break his spirit like that. I will never forgive 'you' for this!"