In Havana, Cuba…Inside a popular pub, Chen Linyun and Xue Minhe, both holding a can of beer, spent some leisurely time bonding without the ladies.
Xue Minhe leaned on the railings on his forearms, and gazed at the changing light from distant houses and buildings, as it flickers and disrupts the darkness of the night.
Chen Linyun, on the other hand, leaned his back on the railings cautiously and turned partially towards his left, facing Xue Minhe.
Most of the time, they drank in silence, as both preferred to pa.s.s the time like that. Occasionally, the other started a conversation.
"My staff told me that you could not leave the place at that time." Chen Linyun started.
"Hmm, yeah. I couldn"t leave if for too long, and for good because the people still need me, although you"ve helped that place a lot already."
"What are your plans now? Will you return to your family and to the world you belong to?"
Xue Minhe"s lips curled up. "She sent you, didn"t she? You aren"t such a busybody."
Chen Linyun chuckled heartily. "You"re sharp. You can say that. I"m on an errand."
"Haha." Xue Minhe gulped his beer. "Not yet. Maybe, after I set the groundworks for my return, but the time isn"t ripe yet."
"I see." Chen Linyun finished his can of beer and ordered another one. "Did you tell her everything?"
"No. I left some parts - the important ones. It just told her a brief overview of what happened - I was trapped in a storm, my navigational skills saved me, couldn"t leave the place, etcetera, etcetera. She was flabbergasted and perhaps my retelling had not sunk in yet so she didn"t quite ask a lot of questions."
"Did you tell her that you"ve become a -"
"Not yet. You can disclose that particular fact to her yourself. That latter part on the story concerns you anyway."
"You saved me. If you didn"t find me on time I don"t think I will be able to survive that accident on my own."
"You saved me too, and all the people in that place. You"ve returned the hope in that desolate place, and the forsaken future of the children there." Xue Minhe paused to indulge in his beer and the night view. After a while, he added, "Do you believe that what happened to you is an accident?"
"No." Chen Linyun smirked. "I think someone is aware that I have been prying my nose onto something that shouldn"t be my business. Before I left I was able to retrieve the conversation history under your old mobile phone number. The telecommunications company gave my team a hard time but relented at the very end. I was supposed to deliver the news to you when we meet face-to-face on the island, but I had been intercepted. Anyway, they were not able to silence me so they failed. Most importantly, even if I"m not on earth anymore, the copy isn"t solely with me. Perhaps they think that I carry it with me at that time. Well, it"s protected in a secured warehouse. I"ll give you the details so that you can retrieve it yourself."
"Thanks."
The two drank in tranquility for a short while. Between them, the silence was never awkward. It was somewhat relaxing to these two men who value their peace.
"She…" Chen Linyun hesitated, yet he couldn"t put it off any longer. "Your sister specifically sent me out on mission tonight to ask you about Teng Man Rui."
Xue Minhe"s features were filled with amus.e.m.e.nt.
"She continuously bugged me to find out more about it. I had a good unreasonable scolding from her when I didn"t ask Teng Man Rui about it the last time you two took a walk and we were left behind at your apartment. Well, why would I ask about it? I wasn"t concerned at the time."
"And you are now." Xue Minhe chuckled. "Are you scared of my sister?"
Chen Linyun scratched his head. "No, but I would want our days living in harmony."
"So? What"s the real score between you and Teng Man Rui? I feel like a talk show host right now." Chen Linyun"s face scrunched in torture as his blood rushed to his head.
"We share a partners.h.i.+p. That"s all that can be shared for now."
Chen Linyun sighed. "I"ll tell her that. But I can surmise that I would get a las.h.i.+ng for not pressing further."
"Just tell her to ask me about it directly."
"I already did that." He retorted in his defense.
"But even if she does ask, my answer will be the same." Xue Minhe stood firm.
"I know."
They drank their silence again.
"Should I be calling you Ge-ge from now on?" Chen Linyun blurted out all of a sudden out of good-humored contemplation.
Xue Minhe was caught off-guard by the question and nearly choked. He coughed until his airway cleared of any liquid remnants.
"There"s no need for that."
"Okay."
"We will be returning to Beijing in a couple of days." Chen Linyun informed.
"Have a safe flight, then. Xiao Rui and I will be staying here for a while longer. Perhaps we will transfer to another more convenient location. I don"t know yet."
"Don"t worry about Xue s.h.i.+pping and the family. I will take care of it until you return to take all the responsibilities back." Chen Linyun chortled teasingly.
"It won"t be for long, brother-in-law. Till then. See you in Beijing."
They went on their separate ways after calling it a night.
---
The other night, the Chen couple had decided how they would be spending the coming days ahead. Truth be told, they had several options, one that was most favored was living a peaceful married life abroad.
The wife preferred that, and even tried to convince Chen Linyun for it. However, something must have happened to change her mind and turn a hundred-and-eighty-degrees turn.
"It seems that it"s time to go home, love." Xue Jinxu joined her husband on the couch one night after taking an overseas call in a corner of their rented apartment.
Chen Linyun"s one brow arched infinitesimally. "What happened to your plea of living abroad permanently?" He asked teasingly and broodingly, although at the back of his mind he could sense that there could have been off, and it must be impactful to make the wife change course.
Xue Jinxu lightly spanked Chen Linyun"s thigh to reprimand his joking manner. Chen Linyun hooked one arm across her shoulders as she settled beside him. She reciprocated the gesture by intertwining her hand onto his hand from the hooked arm. The television rambled some world business news, unperturbed.
"There"s been some action back home, which, I think, we shouldn"t miss. It"s getting a little dull here, even if my twin brother is here."
"Is it that important to exchange our peaceful life here for it?"
"Yes, it is."
Chen Linyun grew silent for a while. "I thought you"re tired of our way of living back home."
"Not anymore. I have recharged my energies. I"m good as new." She popped some popcorn onto her mouth as she glued her eyes on the television screen. "I"m ready to face the challenges we left at home and kick some a.s.s, and make a difference, or whatever."
"So tell me, what could happen that made you end our vacation?"
"Nah… Just some business matters in Xue s.h.i.+pping… Some complaints…"
"And?"
"And… some matters with our younger siblings."
"I knew it."