DIFFERENT WORLD

Chapter 16: KISS

Chapter
XIV
Kiss

***

Huo Dao Fu had been called home for the weekend. His relative had come to collect him early on Friday afternoon and Wu Xie would have his dorm to himself until early Monday morning.

It was now late on Friday night and Zhang Qi Ling was watching Wu Xie and Ah Ning doing some project. Wu Xie cross-legged on the brown couch, dressed in a white hoodie and gray sweats. Ah Ning was on the other side of the couch, dressed similarly in his pink hoodie and black shorts. Her right leg was stretched across the couch though, resting in Wu Xie's lap. Her ankle was wrapped tightly because earlier in the day, she had twisted it during dance practice.

Zhang Qi Ling hardly listened to what the two of them talked about. Wu Xie nagged his friend about her clumsiness and Ah Ning asked Wu Xie if his doing the research this time. Zhang Qi Ling leaned against the wall and closed his eyes, listening to Wu Xie laugh and talk, and reminding himself that this was what everything he did was for. Just to hear Wu Xie laugh.

"Hey." Ah Ning said, without removing her eyes from her laptop. "Can we talk?"

"Sure, what is it?" Wu Xie stopped writing and focused his attention to Ah Ning.

The telltale of bing of the laptop being put off made Zhang Qi Ling look up and Ah Ning turned to Wu Xie.

"Have you ever been in love?"

Wu Xie turned his face away from Ah Ning and move allowed Zhang Qi Ling to see it perfectly. His eyes were closed tightly, almost like he was in pain. He took a deep breath and when he looked at his friend, whatever look Zhang Qi Ling had seen was replaced with a cocky grin.

"Hey! Have you kissed PangZi?" Ah Ning growled and Wu Xie continued. "See, I can be ridiculously random, too. Let just go back to work." He turned back to his writing.

Ah Ning tossed her notebook onto the cluttered coffee table and an empty can toppled to the carpet with barely a sound.

"That better not leave a stain or Huo Dao Fu will be pissed," Wu Xie warned, carefully leaning forward over Ah Ning's ankle and tossing his pen to the table as well.

When he was finished, he leaned back, twisting slightly so that he sat in the corner facing Ah Ning. He adjusted Ah Ning's ankle in his lap and looked up, a question in his eyes.

"It's good," Ah Ning answered. Wu Xie nodded and gently rested his hands in his lap and over Ah Ning's ankle.

"Alright, so I know you secretly like Wang PangZi. I won't make you say it. Now, what's this about?"

Ah Ning was suddenly nervous, she had this urge to argue but Wu Xie was waiting for the answer.

Wu Xie sighed when Ah Ning's black eyes were hard and serious. "Wu Xie, I have known you since we were, what? Fourteen?"

Wu Xie nodded, and Zhang Qi Ling watched tension creep slowly into the way Wu Xie held himself.

"At first, I thought that your lack of interest in other people was because of all the things you had to deal with. Losing your mom and dad, and then your grandfather."

Wu Xie nodded again, but Zhang Qi Ling could tell it was controlled move, like he was forcing himself. His mouth was tipped into a thin-lipped smile. The way Ah Ning's eyebrows furrowed let Zhang Qi Ling know that he noticed it too, but he pushed on.

"When we got to college, I hoped it would get better, but then the hospital and your..."

Wu Xie closed his eyes and turned away. "Your point?"