"I might"ve left it in the car.", Rong Xinghe smiled apologetically. Xi Yuan stared at the girl for sometime before he stood up and took off his overcoat. He then slipped it around her shoulders. It was a little oversized for her, but he didn"t care. As long as she was warm, her fas.h.i.+on statements were of least concern to him. Rong Xinghe didn"t bother to protest either. She knew her efforts would go straight down the drain. Most importantly, she was too tired to have a squabble with him. Instead, she simply focussed her attention back on her cup of hazelnut latte. It was no more drinkable, no more hot. The girl groaned and got out of her seat. "I will be back soon.", she said, das.h.i.+ng towards the billing counter.
Xi Yuan grabbed this opportunity to talk to the man in front of him. "I suppose President Zhou is well-aware of my proposal to Xinghe.", he looked at Zhou Che, meaningfully.
"I must say. Of all the ways I thought I would meet Business King Xi Yuan, this possibility never popped up in my mind.", Zhou Che said, unfazed, "So now what? You will threaten me. Show her that you are the Alpha male, huh?"
"I won"t. I am not an idiot.", Xi Yuan chuckled, "Neither is Xinghe a possession of mine, to be proud of. I can"t flaunt her like some subsidiary company of Xi Corporations. She is a person. A living, breathing person.
"Most importantly, my powers or influence weren"t what she fell for. I don"t have to show anything to her. She knows me better than I know myself.
"And yes, I am the Alpha male. I don"t have to put on a pretense to act like one."
Zhou Che stared at the man with utter disbelief. No wonder Rong Xinghe chose him. He was better than him, in every aspect. He trusted her, respected her. Zhou Che could see that in his eyes. This was what he could never give to Rong Xinghe. For Xi Yuan, Rong Xinghe was his first priority, his first choice. She was his first love. He wors.h.i.+pped her like she was his G.o.d. Even when mentioning Rong Xinghe, love, and admiration radiated through his tone. When compared to this man, Zhou Che had never really made Rong Xinghe feel this special, this loved.
"Can I ask you something?", Zhou Che muttered under his breath, so that only Xi Yuan could hear him.
"Go ahead.", the man leaned back against the red leather couch, making himself comfortable.
"If you would"ve been in my shoes, if one of your siblings would"ve died in front of you, if the last word they"d said before they breathed their last would"ve been Xinghe"s name, what would you have done?", Zhou Che asked, his tone defeated, "Wouldn"t you"ve lashed out at her as well?"
As he listened to the man"s words, Xi Yuan"s eyes turned a few shades darker. The man tilted his head slightly before his lips curled up in a mixture of amus.e.m.e.nt and despondency.
"I wouldn"t dare to raise my voice at Xinghe, even if she is in the wrong. Because more than the outcomes of her actions, I believe in her intentions. I trust her heart, her subconscious, and her conscience. I love how beautiful she is, inside out.
"And as far as my family is concerned, I would"ve told myself that she loves them more than I do. You were an idiot to forget how big her heart could be. You forgot who her family was. It"s the Superfamily. None of those Six are connected by blood to her, and yet, they can kill and die for each other.
"A person hailing from such a background can open her arms to anyone as her family. I would"ve had held onto that. Because no one, not a single soul in this world, was worth losing her. She is precious."
"It"s easy for you to say.", Zhou Che laughed hysterically, as if he was laughing at himself, "When it comes to family..."
"I am not you.", Xi Yuan cut-in, his tone stern, "I am not irrational and partial like you. You had a c.r.a.ppy judgment. I don"t. The fact that I am sitting under the same roof as you, is because there was a time when she found you worthy of her love.
"I have been in the same shoes as you before. My sister, Xi Ying, was kidnapped along with Rong Xinghe, by one of my Business rivals once. We weren"t even dating then. Those psychos intended to defile Ying, humiliate her and throw her like some garbage.
"Not only did Xinghe protect her honor then, but she also drowned those b.a.s.t.a.r.ds into their own pool of blood. During that attack, she was injured pretty badly too. Yet, she fought like a lioness, as if she was protecting for her own. Even after that, she kept counseling and talking to Ying for months, so that she wouldn"t harm herself adversely.
"I never asked her for any of it. She was never responsible for my family either. But she still cared for them. More than I ever did.
"She is compa.s.sionate and sensitive, for the people around her. She never gave me a reason to doubt her intentions. I never had a right to, actually. I loved her. And I respected her decisions.
"She can fight for her nation, her family, and my family all she wants. But I will only fight for her. She might take care of the entire world. But at the end of the day, I will be there to take care of her. I don"t care about anyone else."
Zhou Che couldn"t help but let out a sigh. He could never win the girl"s heart again. With someone like Xi Yuan by her side, she wouldn"t even want to look at any other man ever again. This guy was crazy for her. Clearly. Only if he was as far-sighted and understanding towards her as him, back then.
"Here. I got you a Basil Tomato and Mozzarella Cheese Sandwich. And your regular Java Chip Frappuccino.", Rong Xinghe placed a green plastic tray in front of Xi Yuan, "I thought you must be starving."
"What about you?", Xi Yuan frowned, glancing at the cup in her right hand.
"Yeah. I was flirting with the Barista earlier, since I was bored. So he gave me this Caffe Mocha for free! Isn"t it amazing?!", Rong Xinghe laughed.
"..."