Chapter 23: A Stranger's Idea Of Love & Life
'Haven't confronted her heart?' Her thick brows furrowed in thought. 'Has she confronted her heart? No! Everyone always said that she was heartless. And she believed it! No-one has ever asked her to look inside her own self and confront her heart. It's weird that a stranger was the one telling her to look for her heart.' Then her brows eased up as she gave a brittle smile. 'You came too late with that advice, Mr. Xiao. This young master has already given up looking for something pointless like a heart. It's enough that it's beating to keep me going.'
She heaved a long sigh and picked up her second cup of tea. "I guess Mr. Xie hasn't found that special someone who could make him want to explore his heart inside out." Ru heard his charismatic voice making her look back into his black eyes.
"Is it necessary to find that special someone?" Ru asked with amusement swimming in her eyes.
Xiao Zhi-Ren gave her a sad smile as he said, "People often find the true meaning of life after they learn the meaning of love." Ru thought she saw a strange yearning and longing in his eyes as he talked, "Life is actually very beautiful and one can only see it when they are in love."
Ru rubbed her bottom lip as she said, "Mr. Xiao, the real meaning and importance of something can only be learned after we lose that thing. Love and life are also that way. Love teaches to live and life teaches you to love. But in reality, it's actually a heartbreak that gives us the lesson of love and it's the death that teaches the value of life."
Oh, how Xiao Zhi-Ren wished to argue. But he knew he couldn't. No matter what, Ru's words were the reality of his life. He learned to live after watching the death of his mother and he learned to love after losing a certain someone.
"Has anyone ever told you that you're brutally honest with words? Like every word cuts deeper than a knife." Xiao Zhi-Ren questioned as Ru's words brought too much of his buried memories back.
"I have been told. But I can't change that habit. I was raised this way." Ru answered honestly and changed the discussion. "I'm sure, you're a busy person. Would you mind telling the reason for this meeting?"
Xiao Zhi-Ren nodded his head saying, "Sorry for wasting your precious time. But... The reason I wanted to see you is that chess-set."
Ru frowned. "What chess-set?" She wasn't being ignorant, she really never bothered remembering such small details. At least, not unless those trivial details were important or something.
"The Han Dynasty Chess-set." Xiao Zhi-Ren tried to remind her, "The one, you used as a compensation for breaking my gift."
"Oh, that?" Realization dawned on her as she bobbed her head up and down. "What about it?" Her reaction was unexpected for Xiao Zhi-Ren. "Was it not good enough? Or did I forget to apologize for my mistake? No, no. I definitely apologized." At this point, she was more of like having a conversation with her own self leaving Xiao Zhi-Ren to sit awkwardly before her.
"Mr. Xie?" He called out to get her attention and as she looked up, he said, "You've apologized. Also, that chess set was more than just enough."
Ru furrowed her brows again, "If it was enough then why are we having this conversation, exactly?"
"Because of the fact that it was more than just enough!" Xiao Zhi-Ren enunciated each word with force. Before Ru could argue back and don't even think for a second that she wouldn't, Xiao Zhi-Ren added, "Your compensation was like a person broke a glass of water and compensated it by buying the entire hotel. And that's me being humble with my example."
'Is he saying that his Ming Dynasty's porcelain set was like a glass of water that I broke and my Han Dynasty Chess-set was like buying a hotel? Does that even make sense?' Ru thought.
"I can't really give that set, back to you but how about we compromise in some other way?" Xiao Zhi-Ren suggested disregarding Ru's dumbfounded look.
"Compromise?" Ru asked with confusion visible on her face.
"Yes, compromise. Like I can find you something of equal value or something," Xiao Zhi-Ren wasn't paying attention but Ru was quite surprised to hear his suggestion. She had always given people more than they asked for but no-one had ever said to her that her compensation was too much. If anything, for people, it was never enough.
"Mr. Xiao, I don't need anything. And I gave you that set as an apology." Ru said to him straightforwardly with a weird feeling in her heart.
"But I won't be at ease. That apology wasn't even needed. Please, just to let my heart be at peace can't you think of something that I can offer?" Xiao Zhi-Ren was imploring with his eyes. He really had been living with a burden on his heart for the past month. He never liked taking advantage of people and accepting that expensive chess-set was akin to taking advantage of someone's good intentions and Xiao Zhi-Ren never liked the idea of manipulating one's good intentions.
Ru fell into deep thought. She couldn't decide what to say. Did she need anything? Yes! She needed her memories. But could he give her that? No! How could he? Did she need anything else? Couldn't think of anything at the moment. She was The Lord Alev Knight for goodness sake! Entire Europe was wrapped around her fingers. How could she need anything when she could get everything on her own?
Ru kneaded her temples as she took a deep breath. "Mr. Xiao, I really can't think of anything but seeing your sincere actions, I can only think of one thing."
Xiao Zhi-Ren's eyes brightened up as he questioned, "What is it? You can tell me. As long as it's within my power, I'll help you get it."
Ru looked into his sincere eyes and felt quite weird. She had never seen a person who had a more sincerest look than the one before him. "Um... How about a promise?" Xiao Zhi-Ren knitted his brows in confusion. "I mean just because I don't need anything now, doesn't mean that I might not need anything in the future. How about you give me a promise that you'll help me get something when I want you to?"
Xiao Zhi-Ren thought for a moment. It wasn't the original plan but it wasn't bad either. He already was aware that the person who could have the influence to buy Han Dynasty Chess-set must be someone who wouldn't need his help in getting anything. But his conscience didn't allow him to back away. This promise was the only way to help his conscience feel at ease.
"Okay! Deal!" Xiao Zhi-Ren replied without any hesitation and Ru heaved a sigh of relief that finally, she got herself out of this.
"I should get going now," Ru said as she got up from the chair.
"Yeah, me too!" Xiao Zhi-Ren replied and after paying for their respective drinks, they walked out of the cafe. "Do you need a ride?" Xiao Zhi-Ren didn't know why he asked that question but since he hasn't seen Ru with a car or any ride before, he just blurted out the offer.
"Thanks but no thanks! I have my ride." Ru answered and turned to leave.
Xiao Zhi-Ren stared at her back before walking up to his car parked at the corner. He drove out of there with still Ru's words about love and life ringing in his mind. His hands itched to pick up a pen write down the words running in his mind.
When he stopped the car at the red signal, he immediately looked for a notepad and wrote a rough sketch of his words:
"I often thought love taught me to live,
But walking her fade away from my life,
I realized that heartbreak taught me the lesson for life
Life might have taught me to love
But it was the idea of death that taught me to cherish this song of life
Life was beautiful with her love by my side
But it was words of a stranger that became my guide."
He was smiling at those words when suddenly his gaze fell out of the window pane at a certain someone, stunning him at his spot.
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