There are different kinds of worst moments in a person"s life but if Ru had to choose one, she might end up choosing this very moment. Why?
Because her mind was playing a joke with her. She could vividly see snippets of her memory and yet she wasn"t able to link any of those together. Whether everything was a hallucination or reality, she wasn"t sure anymore. And that sudden invasion of memories ended up giving her a headache. She felt like someone was splitting her apart.
Just when she was about to lose her footing, Xiao Zhiren moved to hold her but since Rong was closer to her, he held her in his arms and supported her body as he let her lean on himself. The familiarity of his presence made Ru look up into his eyes trying to search for something. However, the way she didn"t resist Rong"s touch brought an uncomfortable feeling to resurface within Xiao Zhiren.
"What are you looking at?" Even when she was feeling down, she didn"t forget to shout at Rong for staring at her earnestly.
He pointed at her eyes and said, "I don"t like that color. It"s not yours." Then he touched her hair and added, "And these long hairs are making me feel weird. Am I supposed to look at you as a woman?" He cringed at his own words and went on, "Please, my dearest cousin, that"s like a big no-no!"
Ru pushed him away and held her head in her hands as she said, "Do you think big brother that my look is important right now?"
"All that matters is that you"re alive. I can finally go back home," said Rong in a relieved tone making Ru look at him again.
While both of them continued to talk civilly after their intense fight, the people around them were still reeling from the shock.
"Why does it seem like they know each other?" asked Ji Syaoran as he looked at his elder brother questioningly.
Xiao Zhiren wasn"t sure about the situation himself as he replied softly, "I also think they know each other. The real question is how? I can clearly hear them but can"t understand a single word."
"Actually, even I can"t recognize the language. But whatever they are talking about, it"s sounding really good." Xiao Zhiren glared at his brother who was still enjoying this situation.
Meanwhile, on Ru"s side, she was really gonna have a mental breakdown if Rong didn"t press her acupuncture point to calm her nerves. "Are you freaking out? Since when did that start?" He asked with a strange feeling running through him.
"You also didn"t go home all this while?" Ru decided not to comment on his silly questions and asked her own instead.
Rong finally lost his calm expression as he replied, "Didn"t know how to go back."
"What? Forgot the way back home?"
"Why is it that your jokes are still not funny?" he retorted making her roll her eyes at him childishly.
They stayed silent for a minute before Ru said, "You hurt me." Rong was startled as he raised his brows at her in question. Ru showed him her wrist and added, "See, there is a scratch from your nail."
Seeing her like this, Rong ended up smiling which turned into a burst of full-blown laughter. He felt like even after years she was still the same. His laughter turned into tears as he hugged her tightly in his arms and said, "I"m sorry."
"Why are you apologizing? If anyone should apologize that should be me. If you hadn"t followed me back then, we wouldn"t end up here," replied Ru with anguish burning in her heart. She truly felt like she was the one who did wrong. Even if her mind could convince her that he was the one who shot her back then, her heart would never believe it. Just like what her grandfather taught her, "We don"t doubt our own. Just like we don"t betray our own."
Her second reason for not doubting was also simple. It was a rule in Xia Family that if anyone betrayed their own, the penalty is being shunned from the family. If you can"t even be sincere with your own blood, what values can you possibly have?
Rong slightly pulled away and looked at her face as he asked, "You"re gonna apologize? Go ahead, I am waiting to hear the very first apology of Young Master Ru." Ru opened her mouth to say something when he interrupted her by saying, "No, wait! Don"t apologize, I might not be able to take it."
Ru punched him in the stomach and said, "Big brother, just because I"m being polite, don"t mistake me for being nice. I"m still the very same as I used to be or worse maybe. But definitely not nice."
Rong touched her head affectionately, "Like I don"t know that already. You can be anything except for two things..." Ru waited for him to continue as he took a dramatic pause before saying, "You can"t be nice and you can never be a real woman."
Ru lifted her hand to hit him and he took a step back but Ru stopped midway as she felt her cellphone vibrating. She rummaged out her phone and took the call with an annoyed tone said, "This better be good, Wu Dis.h.i.+. Or I"ll forget all the goodness I learned in my life"
Whatever Wu Dis.h.i.+ said from the other side of the line made Ru"s expression changed drastically as she shouted, "What? How long has it been? And why didn"t you tell me sooner?" She heard the answer and ran a hand through her hair in exasperation before saying, "Get me out of here." She had just spoken those words when she heard the sound of a helicopter and looked up. "You"re getting efficient."
She hung up the call but her eyes didn"t move away from the helicopter that was getting closer and closer. Suddenly recalling something she looked at Rong and said, "Big bro, you"re coming with me. I think I"ll need your help."
Rong also looked up at her ride and without asking a single question he nodded in agreement. Just as Ru saw the rope ladder, without hesitation she ran towards the edge of the deck and jumped off earning more than just a few gasps.
"Still a show-off," Rong shook his head at her but soon followed suit.