"Sometimes I felt like taking my revenge by spoiling his birthday and throwing the bomb at him about the twins after 16 years and married to his best friend out of circumstances. Perhaps it would wreck his marriage too." She sniffed as she wipe her tears away while Qiu Wen try to pay attention.
"If that's he married, you know." She shrugged as she caught him staring at her in silence and decided not to pursue further on the topic.
"It's alright. I don't want to know either. He isn't worth it." Xue Ting said, wanting to leave when Qiu Wen stopped her.
"Ting Ting, I think there is something you need to know." Qiu Wen said in a serious manner. She stood in front of him with her arms crossed, beginning to be a little anxious while waiting for his explanation.
"James, was never married. Just like you, he regretted his mistakes and he did try to find you but to no avail as I believe you did it on purpose, hiding yourself well." Xue Ting shrugged at his explanation. It came to him as a surprise that she wasn't surprised.
"But do you really not considering to let him know after 16 years?" He asked, desperately hoping she did. She walked towards the window for a breather.
"I contemplated it many times but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. After that night I left you, I didn't know I was carrying the twins. Now after 16 years, to go back and tell their father his mistake of 16 years ago, it just seems so..." She paused swallowing her saliva, hesitating to finish the sentence.
"...too late." Xue Ting was guilty of partially lying straight into Qiu Wen's face but the thought of him being betrothed to Francesca and their contractual marriage bugged her again to not reveal the truth to him.
"What if I tell you, it will always be too late?" Qiu Wen took a deep breath.
Xue Ting was getting confused. "What do you mean?"
He took another long deep breath trying to calm himself and embrace himself for the worse reaction he would get from her.
"Ting Ting, I really wish I met you five years ago or earlier. I wish I could be the one who reunites both of you two love birds who had been crazily in love and waiting for each other all these years despite my feelings for you..." He shook his head in disbelief at the fact that James was no longer around.
It's been so long since he passed but it always felt like it was recently to Qiu Wen given all that they had both been through together in search of Xue Ting. He tried to control himself from breaking down in front of her.
Xue Ting held his arm, watching guiltily at him who struggles to continue. "Qiu Wen, it's alright. It's not your fault." Her eyes darted desperately at his reaction for clarification.
"No, Ting Ting." He couldn't continue as he squatted down in front of her.
"I don't get it… What are you trying to tell me?" Xue Ting was getting more confused as she held Qiu Wen over his shoulders in her squat in front of him.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
"He didn't survive an accident five years ago... His last words were crafted on his tomb as "Tell her she's beautiful." It was you, he meant." Qiu Wen managed to pull through his own emotions and explained to her calmly.
She stared straight into his gaze while slowly registering his words as he held her close to him.
Xue Ting was stunned. So lost and confused. She couldn't sustain her squat and sat on the ground instead, letting her tears flow uncontrollably. It was his turn to hold her through her soft sobs which turned heavier.
His heart ached at the sight of her sorrows over wasted time and love while hers ached with regret. Now that she found out James left loving her so much, it was too late. Despite his bad temper, he was gentle and loving when he want to and only to the ones he truly loved did he ever show his vulnerable side.
Despite knowing she had all along loved Qiu Wen, she would rather have James alive and hate them both instead of being dead and instilling guilt in them for good. Never did she expect the storm to approach her so forcefully that she felt her whole world had crumbled in front of her.
Qiu Wen cuddled her till she fell asleep in his arms thereafter. He carried her to his bed and let her sleep in. However, as he monitored her while working by her side in bed, he noticed she was breaking out in cold sweats. He hurriedly went to fetch a towel to wipe her and try to subside her fever.
Xue Ting was having a repetitive nightmare of a kidnap which the two brothers was with her when they were very young. Qiu Yeh and Qiu Wen were staying with their grandparents who were neighbours of Xue Ting's old house in Shan Feng, where Wen Kang and her mother still lived in. It wasn't after the kidnapping incident done by those who were illegally deforesting the jungle, that Mrs. Tang decided to shift the boys back to town.
Part of the reason was also because Xue Ting had not been able to get back up to the hill ever since the incident cause in order to protect Qiu Wen who was hidden and terrified as he sobbed silently, Xue Ting threw herself in the vicinity and tried to fight the kidnappers. However, knowing she was unable to fight those who were armed, she then ran away from the spot Qiu Wen was hiding and tried to lure them downhill where she could yell for help easily.
The kidnappers panicked as she would definitely be alerting a lot of the villagers. She screamed and kept running only to be captured when she fell halfway. Qiu Yeh was hiding behind a huge tree trunk all those times and approached his brother when it was deemed safe. He urged Qiu Wen to run along with him through another shortcut path to alert the villagers to rescue Xue Ting instead.
Qiu Wen then figured out later that Qiu Yeh trailed them along the way when they sneak out to have some fun that evening which ended up with Xue Ting being nearly beaten up to death. The villagers ambushed the kidnappers and brought them to justice thereafter. Xue Ting was left bedridden for nearly a month to recover as all medical expenses were covered by the Tangs.
However, before she could fully recover and let the boys thank her properly, they had already moved to Wai Tao. Seeing her being all upset and alone, Grandma didn't have the heart to break the news that she saved Qiu Yeh too, realising Qiu Wen was right about that point before he left. Instead, Grandma let her stay over at her place with Grandpa occasionally and treated her like their own granddaughter.
While she grew up, having such a strong bond with the boys, Grandma then persuaded Xue Ting's mother to shift her to finish up school in Wai Tao much later when she was older and more independent. The Tangs provided her with lodging only to be rejected. She stayed in the boarding school instead.
Xue Ting had never told anyone about her repeated nightmares as she didn't want to worry anyone. She kept it all to herself though everyone knew she was still fearing the hills. Hence, the reason for her heading back to her hometown is lesser and always avoiding high-rise areas.
She stirred from her nightmares as she sat up in bed. Shivering in terror. However, this time, she realised she saw another shadow behind a huge tree trunk that night right before she turned around to a sprint when she knew she couldn't fight those armed men.
While she was catching her breath, Qiu Wen quickly put away his laptop and rub her back to soothe her. He pulled her in his arms after realising how tense she was.
"It's alright. It's alright, I am here. You had a fever. Feeling better now?" He asked as she grasped onto his hand and met his gaze nearly in tears when she realise who it was.
"Wen Wen, was it Qiu Yeh with us when we were hiding in the dark jungle that night?" She questioned abruptly after thinking for a long while.
Her question struck Qiu Wen for a moment in surprise. He slowly nodded. "Do you still have nightmares from back then?" He asked concernedly as she combed her hair back, away from covering her face as though to enable her to think clearer.
"Sometimes… But why didn't anyone say anything about him being there? Why?" She questioned again as Qiu Wen put her into a more comfortable position in his arms.
"Grandma and Grandpa didn't want you to have more burden from your already bad trauma…" He comforted her as she teared up.
"But…" Xue Ting choked on her words out of guilt for not remembering only till now. Qiu Wen gently patted her arm to comfort her.
"I want to see him…Now… Is that alright?" She mumbled her pleas knowing it was unreasonable at the wee hours of the morning but the urge didn't stop her.
Qiu Wen knew he had no choice as it was long overdue. He nodded and helped her dress up before driving her to the nearby town's bar which Qiu Yeh owns with his friend and was his secret hideout.