To Love You Again

Ding.

The elevator opened and Xiong Zhi stepped out of it. Butler Zhou Min stayed behind, pressed the 'close' button, and bowed his head in farewell.

Xiong Zhi looked back at the closing doors, stunned that Butler Zhou Min was leaving her here on this floor alone. For a moment, Xiong Zhi doubted Butler Zhou Min's sincerity. 

But then her doubt was quickly erased, as she believed that Linfeng would not allow his father to harm her. Butler Zhou Min has been protecting her over these years. 

She calmed down. Butler Zhou Min must have confirmed that this floor was safe before leaving her. She was about to take a step towards the longue, when the general elevator next to where she got off sounded with a ding.

She turned to look back.

Was it the man who called her here? Was it someone who got a whiff of her investigations? But which of her investigations?

Xiong Zhi had many questions.

However, what met her was a familiar set of eyes which flickered in surprise the moment they looked up.

Xiong Zhi was stunned too. What was Lu Yin Ze doing here?

Her face then showed a look of understanding. Butler Zhou Min obliged to this guy's pleas? 

Although Lu Yin Ze would likely not put her in danger, but how could Butler Zhou Min be so assured to leave?

She thought that it must be Lu Yin Ze who called her up here.

With a frown, she walked up and pressed the close button outside the elevator before the frozen Lu Yin Ze stepped out of it. Lu Yin Ze quickly woke up from his stupor and stopped the closing doors with an arm.

Xiong Zhi was a few steps in front of him. Their eyes met.

"Zhi'er—" He started pleadingly.

"Don't call me that."

Xiong Zhi was still mad at him. She tried to press the button again.

But this time Lu Yin Ze quickly jumped off.

In a split moment, he was close right in front of her.

Xiong Zhi's brow furrowed. She did not want to talk to him right now. If he was going to apologize—

"I am sorry." 

Xiong Zhi looked up at him. Those silver-blue eyes were remorseful, apologetic, and sincere.

"It's my mistake. I am truly sorry," Lu Yin Ze bowed his head.

"Did you know that what you've done was something that cannot be undone?" 

Xiong Zhi could not erase that memory, but she could choose to forget it. However, with this, it was difficult for her to stay alone with him any longer. 

Lu Yin Ze bit his lips. Under his eyes were two dark circles. After that day, he could not sleep well. He was afraid that their precious friendship would be instantly gone just like that. He could not let that happen. 

Before, he could afford to wait for a long time until he softened her heart. But not this, where he could not come near her at all. 

He sent her messages online, tried to call her, and sent her letters, but he was blacklisted and got no response. He tried to talk to her in the Xiong Empire's building, but he was blocked by Xiong Zhi's men. 

This made him very frustrated that he even followed her here.

He clearly did not want to lose her.

Not his only friend.

Lu Yin Ze became a desperate man.

"Please, Zhi'er. I can't lose the only friend I have."

"..."

"I know you can't forgive me easily, because I really was wrong." 'But please... don't hate me.'

"..."

"I promise I won't do it again. Unless you've given me permiss—"

"Give up."

"..." Lu Yin Ze stared at her. His silver-blue eyes were sorrowful, but there was also a hint of stubbornness deep within. He knew he could not give up so easily.

His chest tightened.

"I..."

"If you promise me that you will give up, I will forgive you. Just this once." 

Xiong Zhi knew she was merciless. 

But Lu Yin Ze was still young. The earlier he could give up on her, the better. He could still find the right girl that he could love freely and would love him back. Harboring feelings for her who loved someone else would be only be painful for him. There were so many facets of love, not only this unreciprocated and unrequited love where one has to endure and get hurt all the time. 

He should love someone from whom he could feel the same wonderful feeling of being cherished, like what she felt whenever she and Linfeng kissed, hugged, and held hands.

Xiong Zhi knew she was not the person that could give Lu Yin Ze that.

Lu Yin Ze's dense eyelashes drooped down. There was a sour feeling inside his heart, making his eyes feel astringent.

At this moment, no one noticed the light steps that were coming their way. The person who had been waiting and wondering where his 'target' goes quietly approached and saw the man and the woman standing in front of the elevators. 

The steps halted for a moment, then continued.

"I...you... I don't want to lose you..." Lu Yin Ze said earnestly.

"You will lose me if you continue being like this," Xiong Zhi spoke harshly.

The pair of feet that was about to go there stopped.

Lu Yin Ze's head was in chaos. He knew himself, he could not give up. There was no way! But if he did not promise now, Xiong Zhi would hate him, forever. Even the title of a friend would be stripped away from him. 

That must not happen. He did not want that!

"But be rest assured. Even though we probably cannot return to close terms like before, I will still help you out with that file. That is a promise from me. However, during the meetings, you will meet my representative, not me. I will not meet you until my anger subsided. But I want to tell you in advance, I take grievances hard."

"..." 

Lu Yin Ze was not even the least bit comforted by this. The reason why he suggested to have meetings every month was to see her. Now, those chances would be gone as well.

"You can think about it. I'll give you time until the next meeting."

The shadow stepped back a few steps and hid in one corner.

Xiong Zhi was about to turn but Lu Yin Ze called out to her.

"Zhi'er."

"It is Xiong Zhi."

Lu Yin Ze felt a sharp pain on his chest. Even calling her nickname was stripped away from him. 

Xiong Zhi saw his hurt expression. She took a deep breath. 

"Lu Yin Ze. Open your eyes and look at the people around you. It is not yet the end of the world. I am not the only person by your side. You are no longer alone. There is Xuantin, Gu Zhen, your grandfather who especially loves you deep to his bones, and the people who support and believe in you in the Lu Empire. Think about it carefully." 

"..." 

Xong Zhi was about to press the elevator button, but she remembered something. 

"By the way, don't use Butler Zhou Min for things like this."

"...Ah?" 

The frozen man dazedly lifted his pained eyes, unable to comprehend her words. He was still overwhelmed by the numbing pain spreading in his chest.

Xiong Zhi became impatient. "If you try to meet me again like this, I will seriously cut off our friendship." 

Honestly, she really did not mean that. 

To her, Lu Yin Ze was a sensible and good boy, one of her people. She has always been tolerant of her people. 

She was truly angry at him right now because of what he has done, which reminded her of the past trauma. But that was his only mistake, his first terrible mistake that he committed against her.

But she could not deny that there were many things that Lu Yin Ze has done for her. He has truly been a good and sincere friend to Xiong Zhi. 

She has to admit that she sincerely treated him as a friend. But precisely because he was one of her few closest friends that she felt betrayed by his actions, and despite that, she still tried to patiently bring him back from the abyss. She just could not give him anymore hope.

Lu Yin Ze was a good friend that she did not want to lose. 

She repeated, "So don't use Butler Zhou Min again to call me out, or other people in that matter."

"...?"

The confused and hurt silver-blue eyes slowly cleared up in understanding. He whispered in a soft voice. "I didn't use Butler Zhou..."

"????" 

It was Xiong Zhi's turn to freeze. "You're not the one who wanted to meet me here?"

Lu Yin Ze shook his head with a bitter smile and a pale face. He just followed them here.

"..." Xiong Zhi glanced at his wan face before looking away firmly, determined to let him think clearly about what she told him.

She organized her thoughts and sighed. The real 'meeting' was probably still waiting in the longue. She was quite late.

She pressed the elevator button and gestured coolly at the depressed man.

"Hop on. Think about what I said."

Lu Yin Ze looked at her with hope. He was now like an obedient puppy as he went in submissively.

"It doesn't mean I forgive you. I am still mad at you," Xiong Zhi said before the elevator closed.

The hope in his eyes faded and his face paled even more, but he no longer said anything.