I have no excuse for this disgustingly long delay except for my lack of motivation.😢 Every now and then I face this block and I take some time off writing because I believe you can't force your creativity. It should always be spontaneous. Which is why the quality of this chapter may leave you disappointed.🙏 Anyway, I hope those who were following the story will still read this.

As for now, I am taking a small break in which I'm going on a trip and trying to improve my photography skills but I will always come back to my writing. This is the only thing that makes me feel complete. I just need to reorganize my life a bit.😅

As this is the last chapter of this story, I thank all those who have read, voted and left comments. Honestly, nothing motivates me more than your positive comments. So, I thank you all from my heart.💖💕🙏

Also, to all the silent readers, don't be shy and leave a goodbye for we may not meet ever again!😍

And those who have been with me in my every story, we will meet soon in another fiction.😘😍💕

Now, off with the read.

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Chapter- 7

Mr. Huang JingYu

As you are reading this it is safe to presume that you have come to know about my departure. Forgive me for being rather sudden but something occurred which could not be delayed and I had to leave in haste. Also, considering everything, there was no necessity for me to prolong my stay either way. In short, I am terminating our contract. A better opportunity has come along that would be more profitable than our current arrangement. But fear not. As you have held commendably your side of the deal, the rewards you were promised with will be given to you after you finish your vacation and rejoin the office. I have contacted the concerning department to finalize your promotion and it will be done before the week is over. Congratulations are in order, I believe. You will do remarkably well in your new position. You have always been a dedicated person.

Also, please, apologize for me to your family. Not for just this abrupt leave but for everything I have put you all through. You have my explicit permission to tell them how I have had forced you to accept this deal; how I threatened to ruin your career if you refused my proposal. Tell them that this entire idea of involving your family into this tactless and seemingly cruel plot was all mine. Tell them how I have always held my own selfishness above all and anyone else's wellbeing. (You may read the above part aloud to them to make explanation easier).

And if, after everything, you can still spare me some kindness, tell them that they have given me some of the most prized moments of my life which I will cherish for a long time, if not forever. Within a week they have taught me more than I have been taught all my life. They have taught me what being a part of a family meant and I am eternally thankful to them, to all of you, for I have never known how that felt before.

Tell Mama that I could not take the invaluable gift she had given me in good conscience. Not only I am the most undeserving to receive it but also, it is meant for someone else, someone who will actually be a part of your family, not me.

Lastly, I thank you for supporting me in this plan and I hope I was able to give you what you wanted.

Sincerely,

Xu WeiZhou

XOXOXOX

JingYu stared at the letter. Stared for good long minutes. Nothing changed, though. No extra line popped up; no new meaning suddenly reared its head in between the creases of the paper, nor did it provided JingYu with any clue as to what the fuck he should do now!

This bastard not only fled like the spineless vermin he was but had left JingYu to deal with his family all by himself.

In short, he was truly screwed.

He stared at the letter some more.

XOXOXOX

"You.....lied to us?"

Amidst all the cacophony that had erupted after the news of WeiZhou's departure and the reason behind it had come out, this softly spoken incredulous and incredibly disappointed tone of JingYu's father was what had hit him the most.

The relationship between him and his father was not what JingYu would have called overtly friendly but that must not be mistaken as distant either. As early as JingYu's memories could go back, he had always in awe of his father. The man was not a social role model, nor was a popular one in his own professional field, but something in that mild and wise man had always inspired honesty in JingYu. And that was what his father was- a thoroughly honest man. He might not have been a brilliant, finely refined, highly educated and polished example of a man but JingYu's short yet brutal exposure to the so called 'refined' world had taught him that those 'qualities' were, in fact, some urbanized bullshit that rich people fed to the poor ones to set the parameters on their liking. And so, as he grew up, he had come to appreciate more and more how his father was the man of his word; how he never shied away from walking the talk. How he treasured truth, familial loyalty and self respect above everything.

And seeing the eyes of that man looking at him with so much hopelessness almost wrenched JingYu's heart open.

"Oh, he did more than lying!" Shrieked his grandmother. "He betrayed us! Tricked us!" Apparently, his grandmother had been bragging to her friends about her would be grandson-in-law and how he was a big shot in the city. Now this sudden revelation had jeopardized her situation and status to her old buddies, who, even though old enough to be casket ready, had a cut throat competition to win bragging rights among themselves.

"What were you thinking, JingYu? How could-" His mother could not finish and pressed a tissue against her mouth, trying to suppression her welling emotions.

JingYu felt like shit, wanted to beat the shit out of that little shit that had left him in this mess. Alone.

"Was it because the watch was old?" Came Mama's soft frail voice. She was relatively the most composed one- although that could be contributed to her age and forgetfulness- and instead of worrying about this elaborate scam that her beloved great grandchild had planned, she was concerned about why WeiZhou left.

"What? No, Mama! It wasn't because-" JingYu and his sister protested together but got cut off when their grandfather said, "Who told you to give him that old junk?"

Mama's lips trembled and eyes teared up. Another kind of hell broke loose after that.

When everyone was busy at yelling at his grandpa, JingYu slinked away. He needed some quiet. Needed to think. Needed to face the disgusting fact that even after everything, the thing that pained him most was the absence of that bastard boss of his.

How fucked up could he be!

XOXOXOX

When JingYu agreed to assist WeiZhou in his evil plan, he really only thought of his career because selflessly helping the Devil was not on his planner back then; it was not even a remote possibility.

But along the line, through the chaotic, mad days spend in his family home changed some things in a way that that Devil became a desired entity. However shocking this maybe, this was the truth and JingYu grudgingly accepted that.

But now what? WeiZhou was gone for good and he was not someone JingYu could reach if he wished. Then what would he do with all these messed up emotions of his? And even if there was a way, how could he betray his family for a second time and side with WeiZhou?

JingYu thumped his fist over his heart. Bloody traitor of an organ.

In his letter WeiZhou had stated that JingYu's job would not be jeopardized because of this sudden change of plans but there was no reason for him to believe it. What if the moment he showed up he would be handed a termination letter and kicked out of his job? Who knew what that Grandmother-Grandson due had in plan for him? And who knew WeiZhou would still be in the country when JingYu went back?

JingYu was not prepared for the wave of unpleasantness that coursed through his body at the last thought. The possibility that WeiZhou might not be in the same continent at this moment made him so disturbed and alarmed that he sprang up to go to the city and verify this theory immediately. However, the appearance of his father just outside his room worked as a bucket of cold water to bring him to his senses.

What was wrong with him!

"Dad-"

"May I come in?"

"Please." He emptied the only chair in his room of his discarded clothes for his father to sit on.

Once both sat down, a tense silence filled the small space.

"Dad, I'm-"

But he had to stop when his father held up a hand to quiet him.

"As you can realize, I am utterly disappointed in you."

JingYu stared at his toes. He never felt so guilty in his life before.

"But I refuse to believe that I have raised a child that would deceive his own family for the sake of his job."

How would JingYu tell him that he was right? That he did not raise such a son; that at that time he was so conditioned to obey his tyrannical boss that he agreed; that everything happened so fast and he was so confused that he thought there was no other way?

"So there must have been a viable reason" his father kept speaking, "behind your actions." The man paused, visibly hesitating to say what he did next, "But I must say that Xu WeiZhou is not a bad kid. I am not as educated or smart as you city people but there are certain experiences that come with age, with fatherhood and I believe I am not wrong in evaluating him." He looked at his son and forced him with his silence to make eye contact. "And I want to believe I was not wrong in thinking that there were real emotions behind your so called staged behaviour."

It was extremely awkward for a son, in an Asian household, to verbalise his romantic endeavours to his father. So, JingYu let his quietness speak for him.

Mr. Huang nodded after a moment. "I presume you did not know that he would leave this suddenly?"

"No."

"And you must want answers for yourself too?"

"Yes."

"And....closure?"

JingYu nodded, eyes on the toes again.

"Then you should go and seek it."

"Dad?" He looked at him with surprised eyes; unable to believe that his own father, whom he had lied to, was telling him to go to the person that had deceived them.

"Since your sister and you were born, I had only wanted you two to have a happy and honest life. Don't let this old man believe that his son had grown up to be a selfish, scheming person."

After a long, long time JingYu had the sudden and irrepressible urge to hug his father. So, he did.

XOXOXOX

"He's going where? Back to that brat? Has he no shame?!" Nana's voice reached a new decibel level with that yell.

"I told him to go. Don't stop him, Ma," JingYu's father answered for his son.

Everyone's shocked face turned to the man.

"You told him to?" Nana's voice got less loud but the intensity deepened, "But why? Why does he have to go back? Wait!" Her eyes went huge with alarm. "Did that brat steal anything? My pickled radishes!"

Mr. Huang pinched the bridge of his nose with a sigh. "Your radishes are fine, Mother. No one is going to steal them, trust me, I eat them, hence, I know." The old lady opened her mouth to protest but he did not stop. "And he needs to go."

"Of course, he does."

Mama's small voice stopped everyone. "Of course, JinJin needs to go to ZhouZhou, so that, he can tell him that he loves him."

"What? Who loves whom?" Asked a puzzled grandpa.

"Our JingYu loves WeiZhou," answered JingYu's mum and wiped her nose.

"No no, ZhouZhou loves JinJin," Mama sat up a little straighter in order to correct her.

"I thought it was the other way round!" Voiced Nana and JingYu sister nodded her agreement.

"Huh?" Grandpa looked at all the ladies one by one, still as puzzled as he was before. "They love each other? But WeiZhou just left and JingYu said it was all a sham!"

"If WeiZhou did not love him he would not have left," Mama said.

"And would not have written that letter," added her grandson, JingYu's father.

"What on earth are you all saying? Am I the only one who can't understand a damned thing?"

"Oh, you senile, old man! You don't have to understand anything! Go, feed the chickens," Nana barked at her husband who huffed and scowled at her but did not open his mouth again.

XOXOXOX

That was how JingYu found himself inside the lift of his office floor, going down towards the exit of the building. He had come here with fast beating heart and hoping against hope that he would be able to catch the man. Turned out his fear was true and WeiZhou was not in the office.

If the rumour was to be believed, he had resigned.

And now JingYu was going to the Devil's Den to find that little shit. He was not sure whether he would find the man there because nobody in the office could give him any confirmed news, or would be jailed for invading the property as no employee was heard to ever have entered that house before. Still he thanked his stars for small mercies as that old hag of that owner, aka, WeiZhou's grandmother, was not in the country at the moment.

It took a bit of convincing on his part to make the guards agree to 'disturb' their Young Master of his arrival. When asked what name should they give, he said, "Tell him someone has come from the in-laws."

When the guards looked at him with confusion, he gave them a dazzling smile and say, "He'll understand at once. Please, just tell him."

He was brought in sitting room which had its doors opened to another larger room. He sat facing that door, so, when WeiZhou appeared JingYu did not miss his hurried footsteps and anxious face, which was channelled into a cold mask in a blink.

"What are you doing here?"

"Looking for explanation."

They stood facing each other. JingYu with his hands inside the pockets, WeiZhou with his balled beside him.

"I have written down everything what needed to be explained in that letter. I don't see why-"

"Bullshit," that cold vulgarity rang inside that luxurious room and clashed, making WeiZhou's jaw harden. "A load of bullshit is what that letter was."

"I have explained everything that I deemed worthy of explaining in that letter," WeiZhou repeated after staring hard for a moment, "I cannot help if that is not enough for you."

"No, it's not enough," JingYu replied without missing a beat, "I need answers."

"Answers?"

"Yes."

The tension between them rose and intensified so much that it almost crackled like electricity.

When nothing voluntarily came from the other man JingYu asked, "Why did you leave?"

"As I have written, I found a better opportunity."

"What better opportunity?"

WeiZhou faltered and the sign confirmed JingYu's suspicion.

"I am not obliged to tell you!"

If JingYu had a stick he would have beaten the shit out of this self entitled git. Unfortunately, he didn't have one handy at the moment.

"You should have thought that before dragging my family into this. They need better answers than that joke of a letter," he hesitated for a moment and added, "I need answers."

He could see argument brewing on WeiZhou's tongue tip. However, what came out was not another dodging reply.

"Grandma has agreed to send me overseas."

That genuinely surprised JingYu. That tyrannical lady had granted WeiZhou's wish? Suddenly? Without any... Then something struck him.

"Is that in exchange for your agreement to her conditions?" He did not really need any confirmation to his suspicion but WeiZhou's stony face gave him one anyway.

His temples throbbed.

"And you agreed? Why?"

WeiZhou looked at him as thought he had suddenly sprouted anther head. "Are you high? Why wouldn't I agree? Isn't that what I wanted all along?"

Two things registered to JingYu with needle sharp clarity. One, WeiZhou did not really answer him; he dodged again. Two, he would not get any straight answer from this idiot in this way.

But today he had come prepared. So, instead of pointing out that if he wanted it all along then why did he planned this whole fake engagement thing, JingYu asked something else.

"Why are you still wearing the band?"

The question predictably and successfully caught WeiZhou off guard and he followed JingYu's eyes to look at the plain, woollen band that had a dark bead on it tied around his wrist.

Instantly WeiZhou's face went crimson and he tried to pull down his shirt sleeve, but the deed was done. When he looked up, his eyes had the same look as that of a kid who got caught with its hand in the cookie jar.

But if anything, WeiZhou was annoyingly competitive. That initial falter soon morphed into a make belief arrogance.

"I forgot to take it off," he said with a tilt of his chin, as though challenging JingYu to refute him.

Well, too bad because JingYu had come here today for that sole purpose. He nodded his head in contemplation. "Mmhm, right, you forgot," he nodded again. "But you remembered to shave, trim your hair and even clip your nails. That's quite selective forgetfulness there, no?"

Panic rose in WeiZhou's eyes. "How do you know that? Are you spying on me?! You! How dare you?!"

JingYu gave a calm smile in reply. "You must have forgotten that all your appointments used to be booked by me. Your salon sent the confirmation text to my phone. That's how I knew."

JingYu expected more accusation or negation but WeiZhou just stood there with a defeated face. JingYu did not want that either.

"You didn't take it off because the wish is yet to come true." It was not a question because both of them knew the truth. They just stood and stared at each other, letting the unvoiced thoughts fill the silence. "I haven't taken off mine too."

"Why are you here?" WeiZhou asked. All the previous haughty superiority had vanished from his voice. What remained was something that tugged at JingYu's heart. It was time to bare it all.

"They are waiting for you at home."

After half a beat, WeiZhou clurled his lips inward but could not stop the slight tremble of his chin. He shook his head in denial. "They can't be."

The longer JingYu remained quietr the more desperate WeiZhou's face became and he kept shaking his head. "Don't they know what I did? Haven't you told them?"

"They know everything."

"Then why? Why are they still..." This time WeiZhou could not keep the frustrated pain from seeping into his voice.

Seeing this man's snobbery for years then watching him reduced to an emotional, helpless crumble was not an easy thing to tolerate, especially when the matter of heart was involved. Thus JingYu really wanted everything get sorted as quickly as possible. He did not delay in replying, "Because they think, we think," he had to include himself, "that family should remain together in a place when in distress."

The implication behind those words, the weight of those words were not lost on WeiZhou as his head hung low.

"Go away."

The words were harsh, maybe they even meant to hurt, but spoken with that shaky voice and the severe lip biting afterwards completely obliterated the rudeness; so much so that JingYu took a couple of involuntary steps towards the man.

"Please, go away."

When WeiZhou lifted his head to throw the repeated words, JingYu could see his reddened eyes filled with despair. They were young but not teenagers and this world of cunning and cut throat competition had groomed them into hardened adults. He knew what immense amount of pain could make WeiZhou look like that.

"Come with me," JingYu said, simply, just as his emotions.

WeiZhou stared at him with clouds in his eyes.

"Then I will go away," JingYu added because he felt that need to re-establish his resolve.

WeiZhou shook his head, "I can't."

Another spell of stormy silence whirled between them.

"You know how Nana throws a tantrum when we don't eat together at dinner; and you have already missed a few of them."

A choked inhale followed JingYu's words.

"And you know how Mama needs to take her meds right after dinner."

The clouds were raining now.

"And..." JingYu swallowed. Clouds were forming in his eyes too. "And I really miss you."

The sound of a proud man breaking into pieces was very painful. JingYu tried to grasp the falling tears, wiping the watery tracks with his rough thumbs.

"You will get your promotions; I made sure."

"You really think I will choose my family over a promotion?"

"Your family won't be harmed, I swear! I made her promise me that, I swear, I did!"

"You are also a part of that family, silly."

WeiZhou's words were already slurring due to his crying. After what JingYu said they became completely illegible as the tears came down with doubling force. And JingYu realized that they were standing too close, with his arms around the man's waist, their chests squeezing WeiZhou's arms that were rested on JingYu's chest.

When did they come so close?

While they were busy composing a fake love story.

Maybe it happened in that week. Maybe it was a long drawn process that started the moment JingYu took this job. Maybe it was written in the stars.

"You are making a mistake," said WeiZhou's nasal, blocked nosed voice.

"I know," JingYu replied, unconcerned.

"We'll lose our jobs."

"Hmm."

"I'll be disowned."

"Do you want me to ask Dad to adopt you?" JingYu raised his eyebrows.

But WeiZhou did not take the bait. He was all serious and panicked.

"We'll be out of jobs! Penniless!"

"With our skills we'll get many others."

"You think after this she will let us work in the industry? No one will hire us."

"Then you can always get one in exchange for your company's secrets."

WeiZhou's head reared back like a snake's. "You want me to betray my family?"

"Of course not. I'm not asking you to actually do it but your grandmother doesn't need to know that."

"You want me to blackmail her?!"

"As if she didn't do the same to you?"

WeiZhou's open and ready to go mouth clamped shut and he looked disgruntled, not being able to deny his claim. "Still...this won't work out, never."

Sighing, JingYu slightly dipped his head to set their eyes on the same level and spoke softly, "If nothing works, we can always pluck cabbages."

That definitely earned him a shove; however, he did not budge.

"What about my mother? I can't leave her here or she'll get all the burn," WeiZhou asked, brows furrowed in anxiety.

"We'll take her with us. That goes without saying."

"What if she does not agree to come?"

"She will," JingYu assured, "I doubt she will want to stay here without you."

WeiZhou mulled over it while biting his lips. "And why would she want to stay in your house?"

"She probably won't but a week or two won't be a problem and we will figure something out by then," he decided and lifted WeiZhou's chin to bring their faces even closer, "Won't we?"

"Mmhm."

Even though it was not a confident affirmation, JingYu's heart was at peace. Both of them were standing at crossroads at the moment. No matter how many words of assurance were uttered, they both knew what waited ahead of them was a storm that might ruin their career and dreams forever. But there were something about love that gave people enough courage to face obstacles way bigger than them. And that was the case with these two.

Standing in the quiet, hugging each other, lost in palpable anxious thoughts when several moments were passed, JingYu broke the silence.

"So, we're still going to get engaged, right?"

WeiZhou's surprise was written all over his face as he looked up. "You still want to? Why?"

Swiping his thumb in a circle on that smooth, defined cheekbone, JingYu whispered, "Because I want to date you."

"You do know we can still date without being engaged, right?" WeiZhou's voice reflected just what he thought about JingYu's intelligence.

"I know but I would like to have some leverage in case you want to call things off...again."

Stunned by what he just heard, WeiZhou's eyes were impossibly large, "You really are one conniving bastard, aren't you?" When JingYu only laughed in reply, he added, somewhat petulantly, "I'm having an ominous feeling about this."

Not giving him any time to back off, JingYu quickly proposed, "So, may we seal the deal?"

"Seal the deal? Like how?"

"Like this."

And there was a kiss. Quick, dry, gentle and full of love.

They were trouble magnets, both of them. They knew it was only a matter of time before they had another crisis to face. And honestly, it would have been far better for them if they split their ways and live their lives less problematically. But when people were in love with the troubles they were in, nothing could be done except for congratulating them for their idiocy.

Love was stupid. So were these two.

And after all, they were yet to take off their wishing bands. So, there were still miles to go.

End Of The Story Not Of The Trouble

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Any thoughts?😶

Also, just out of curiosity, where are you guys from?