The pitch-black darkness of the night wrapped around Yue Ling and Lu Tian's house like a blanket. Due to the renovations, Liu Shan and the other three men decided to keep only the front door light on as the other lights will give away the parts of the house that can be easily entered.
Outside in the front courtyard, Lin Hui and Xu Long had made their way down the driveway. The two men looked like friends casually taking a night stroll in the park.
Lin Hui lit a cigarette and inhales a puff of the tobacco with his shoulder swinging from side to side like a dangerous gangster. Next to him, Xu Long walked with careful steps as his head was tilted back, and he stares up at the night sky like he was counting stars.
"Bro, do you think I have a chance with Zhao Ya'Er?"
Xu Long asked without thinking. Since they were to act naturally, it was only natural for him to start a conversation.
However, he didn't know that his question took Lin Hui by surprise, causing him (Lin Hui) to stumble in his act of a gangster.
Lin Hui turns his head to look at the man staring into space, and his eyebrows wrinkle into a frown. He did tell Xu Long for them to act natural, but was this really the right time to ask such a serious question?
He sighs inside, then thought about what the man had asked. His free hand raises to stroke his chin, and he nods his head like an elderly man.
"Honestly, you aren't that bad of a man, but do you have a chance with Miss Zhao? Hm, it's hard to say."
Xu Long's eyes turned heavy like someone was trying to glue his eyes closed. He tilts his head forward, away from the sky, and in the darkness, he glares with daggers at Lin Hui.
"What do you mean, it's hard to say? If I am a good man, what's hard then?"
He folds his arms over his chest and turns to face the man belittling him.
"Seriously, my looks aren't too bad. I can be mistaken for a model. Not only that, but I'm also smart, brave, funny, romantic, and most of all."
He pauses in his words to lean closer to Lin Hui before continuing his words.
"I have a good-paying job."
Lin Hui didn't expect Xu Long to describe himself with such words. He nearly chokes on his cigarette but steadied himself and meet the man in the eyes.
Although it was dark, the light from the front door was bright enough to let him see the assistant's face.
He scoffs a sarcastic chuckle and raises his hand, holding the cigarette to take another puff before answering.
"Yes, yes, you are everything you claim to be. After all, you are James Long Bond. How can you not have a chance?"
Xu Long's mouth opened agape at the mockery behind Lin Hui's words. He wanted to strangle the man to death, but before he could make a move, Lin Hui's voice continues.
"But you're forgetting one thing. Miss Zhao seems to be interested in you, but she is still your boss's cousin. The real question you should be asking is, will your boss let you be with her if things become serious."
"…"
Xu Ling's jaw dropped to the ground, and his eyes fell from their sockets. He had been having such a good time going on dates with Zhao Ya'Er that he forgot all about his coldblooded boss.
He was quickly reminded of the day Lu Tian ordered him to find a man from the footage captured from the nightclub, Spring. Turned out he was the man and had to turn himself in.
Remembering the tear breaking incident, a chill ran down his spine, and he shivers.
His boss may have kept a calm and indifferent expression at the time, but who knows what he (Lu Tian) was actually thinking.
Xu Long couldn't help but shiver again and stroke his arms as if to soothe away the tiny bumps on his arms.
However, his head drooped down, and he felt his heart slowly sank to his stomach like a ship sinking at sea.
"Man… I really got ahead of myself for thinking I have a chance…"
Lin Hui was about to take another puff of his cigarette when his hand paused midway at the assistant's words.
He cast a side glance to the now depressed man and heaves a long sigh at oblivious Xu Long is.
"Bro, why are you making yourself feel miserable?"
He inhales a puff of the tobacco then continues his words after exhaling the smoke.
"So what if she is your boss's cousin or her family background is above yours. If you like her and she likes you, that's all that matters. It's not like you're trying to get a chance with your boss or her family."
He finished the cigarette in his hand and tossed it away to grab a new one. However, seeing that his words seem to only make Xu Long even more depressed, he could only sigh again with slight frustration.
"Dude, stop being so depressed. I'm sure that by now, your boss knows that you are seeing his cousin."
He takes the new cigarette out and places it in his mouth but doesn't light it right away.
"Has he told you not to see his cousin? If he hasn't, then that means he approves."
From what he can see, Xu Long and Zhao Ya'Er are not only neighbors but have been seeing each other. Lu Tian is a smart man and quick to grasp any situation, whether near or far. If he didn't approve of what is happening or finds Xu Long unworthy, he (Lu Tian) would have intervened by now.
Xu Long was truly feeling down and doubted whether he was good enough for Zhao Ya'Er. However, listening to Lin Hui's bro talk, he began to feel his mood lift inch by inch.
He parts his lips to thank the man's good words, but before he could utter a word, quick rustling sounds came from either side of them then disappears.
The sounds were extremely quiet that one would mistake it for the wind passing by, causing the trees and bushes nearby to sway. However, Lin Hui and Xu Long knew that was not the case.
Both men's eyes glisten with a dangerous light as they could make our one dark figure on either side of the driveway darts back into hiding behind the bushes.
Xu Long slightly lowers his head like he was looking at the ground to make sure he doesn't trip over anything. However, his eyes scan every inch of the right in the full alert.
"I'm sure that my boss knows that his cousin is interested in me, but I don't think he knows that I feel the same way about her."
On the left side, Lin Hui places the unlit cigarette in his mouth. As he lit the end of it, the fire that burned from the lighter reveals his calm expression. His eyes were focused on the cigarette in making sure he blazed the correct place. However, the second the fire turned off, everything returned to darkness.
In full alert mode, he scans the driveway's left side and replies to Xu Long in a composed voice.
"I'm sure he knows. He's just waiting to see how serious you are."
