In the end, I'm left in the screams of silence,
With a needle and a thread to mend my own self.

-----------------------------------------

Damn... That was one heck of a sleep.

When I open my eyes and look around, I know that I'm too late to college. I check the time on my phone. 10.25 AM.

I get down from the bed thinking of what happened the night before. I could still feel his lips on my temple. When I look at myself in the mirror showed a reddened face with a smile that spread from ear to ear. I really can't wait to see him again.

I change into some fresh clothes. I walk over to the bed again to take my phone. That's when I see the note on my bed stand. From the neatness of the handwriting, I immediately recognize from whom it is.

Wei Ying,

I had to leave early to attend my classes. I didn't wake you up because you didn't have much sleep last night. Sorry for leaving you alone.

Lan Zhan.

Of course, he left a note... This is so like you Lan Zhan.

I couldn't stop the smile that spreads across my face. Chuckling to myself, I carefully keep the note in my drawer.

I go out of my room to find the apartment still empty. Since I don't find Cheng anywhere, I send a text to Qing.

<Me>
Is Cheng still there?

I go to the kitchen reheat some leftover dinner. I'm halfway through my bowl of Ramen when my phone finally buzzes.

<Qing>
Yes, he is.
Still asleep

<Me>
Should I come to pick him up?

<Qing>
No need.
He can come when he's okay.

<Me>
Okaaay

<Qing>
What?

<Me>
Nothing

When I'm about to kill the screen, another message pops out. It was from Sang.

<Sang>
WEI WUXIAN!

<Me>
Whoa! What?

<Sang>
I'm sorry!!!! I'm sorry!!!! I'm sorry!!!! I really am!!!

<Me>
Why? What did you do?

<Sang>
When you said that Wangji is your old friend I thought he was from your old school.

Oh no! I don't like the sound of this.

<Me>
And?

<Me>
SPILL IT RIGHT NOW

<Sang>
I might have told him what happened

No! no! no! no! no! no! no! no! no! no! no!

<Me>
How much did you tell?

<Sang>
Only that you were accused of your girlfriend's murder. I couldn't say the rest. He had a class to go to

<Me>
Fuck you, Sang. You're so dead.

<Sang
I'm sorry!

<Sang>
Xian?

<Sang>
Please. Im sorry. I thought he knew about it already.
I'm sorry!!!

<Sang>
Shit, the professor saw me. I've gotta go

I almost throw my phone.

Why? Why now? Today? When we are this close to getting together. Holy shit! This should be a fucking nightmare. I want to wake up right now.

I take my phone to call him. Just before I hit call, a thought stops me in my tracks.

What am I going to say? What can I say?

I thought he'll see the real me if he doesn't know about my past. If he has to know about it, I wanted it to be me who said it. I wanted him to know my truth.

But as always, this cruel world takes it away from me.

Maybe this is what I deserve. To be misunderstood, to be alone.

My mind was too loud. As if all the thoughts that ran through it had voices to speak.

I wanted to be mad at Sang, to blame the whole thing on him. But I know, it's my fault, for putting myself in this mess back then. I should've been more careful.

This was my past, the past that I hated but something that I can't help but embrace. Because in the end, isn't that all that's left?

I needed to clear my mind. And there was only one place that I could think of.

I keep walking, remembering the excitement I had when I took this a few years back. I wish I could feel the same again.

I walk through the woods, climbing up, feeling my muscles flex. I find a ribbon on a large tree trunk that I tied back in the time I used to come here daily. And the words 'Wei Wuxian was here' carved under it. I smile at it. It's been such a long time since I last came here.

I continue walking. When I reach the top it was dark. I take a few moments to catch my breath and walk over to the same cliff I used to come to meet him.

The city view is different now. New buildings, broader roads, more vehicles. And...

He is here.

Lan Zhan was standing there, his smooth hair ruffled by the wind, looking up at the starry sky, solemn as ever.

Although I wanted to talk to him so badly throughout the day, now when I finally see him here, I didn't know what to say. It all came down to three words. But I don't know how much sense it would make right now.

So I silently stand next to him. He looks at me, with a bit of a surprise. "Hey," I say.

"Hey." He replies, with no emotion in his voice.

"I didn't know that you were coming here again."

"Today is the first day." He says. He looked distressed.

I nod.

"Did you come here often?" he asks.

"Yeah, once in a while. To calm down."

"Is that why you're here today?" he asks. Something that I like about him. His directness.

I sigh. "I know that you heard about it."

"I did." He replies.

"So..."

"So, you dated a girl?" he asks.

I heart sinks like an anchor released into the sea.

He believes it.

Extra:

The next Chapter will be up on Saturdayas usual.
Till next time...