CHANCES ARE SLIM

Liu Yang feels something strange in her stomach. She pauses, tilts her head, and thinks it over – did she eat something spoiled last night? She hadn't had breakfast therefore; it is probably last night but she couldn't think of anything. Or is it because she had not had breakfast?

She gasps. Is it her period? But it's not due yet, isn't it?

Her periods are irregular and it is hard to rely on those menstrual cycle apps.

"Editor, are you okay?"

Liu Yang snaps out of her thoughts, startled at Qiao Lan lightly tapping on her shoulder. His unruly curly hair and black-rimmed glasses greet her.

"Oh? Ah, yeah."

Qiao Lan gets himself a mug from the cupboard while peeking at her from time to time. "You have been standing there in a daze. Are you sure you're okay?"

They are standing side by side – just a few centimeters from each other, and Qiao Lan stops the urge to 'accidentally' brush his arm from hers. He swallows a lump, fully aware of her being beside him.

A crease forms on her forehead, "Really?" She waves a hand, "It's nothing." and takes a sip on the mug.

Liu Yang clears her throat and decided to change the subject to work. "How was the manuscript from the new Author? Are they done yet?"

Qiao Lan pauses for a moment, then went back to pouring the hot water. "Yes, Editor. I've already emailed the file to your secretary earlier."

"Okay. Thank you."

"You are always wel—"

*thud!*

Qiao Lan turns his head only to find Liu Yang already left the pantry without waiting for his reply. A heavy sigh involuntarily escapes out of his mouth. He trudges back to his desk, slamming his body on the chair.

"Hey, what's wrong? You look…beat." A colleague asks from across him.

"Nothing," he simply answers and sips on his coffee, continuing the work assigned to him.

----

Time to go!

Liu Yang gathers her things and clocks out. The day ended with no hassle, and the tingling sensation on her stomach is already gone – thank the gods. She decided it was probably because she had not eaten breakfast as it disappeared around lunchtime.

Anyway, Wan Li invited her for coffee from the café just across from their workplace. It is their go-to coffee. They also love the ambiance of the place – they even befriended one of the baristas.

When Liu Yang arrived, Wan Li is already waiting for her in their favorite spot – the innermost corner table near the window – sipping on an iced americano.

"Where's mine?" she asks, sitting on the chair across from him, and putting her bag on the other chair.

"I didn't order for you," he casually replies without glancing her way.

He is staring at something outside.

'Well, probably a handsome guy,' Liu Yang thought.

"I hate you!" she mumbles, grimacing before queueing at the register.

Wan Li ignores her and proceeds to answer a phone call. "Oh, you're here? Okay, you can easily spot us. Yeah."

"Who was that?" Liu Yang enquires, putting the timer on the table.

"Lili. She said she would check this café out."

"What?" she chuckles in disbelief. "Is she café-hopping or something?"

"I know right." Wan Li doesn't also understand her sister sometimes. "It's her excuse for slacking off all the time. I don't even know how she was able to proceed as a senior. It still bewilders me."

They are still giggling when Xu Lili arrived. She looks gorgeous in her knitted long-sleeves and skinny jeans. The color blue accentuated her skin more. Her small round face is all smiling while greeting them – well, more likely just Liu Yang – Lili totally ignored her brother just to annoy him.

Oh, these siblings and their silly little jokes.

"Sister Yang!" Xu Lili hugs Liu Yang and sits next to her instead of her brother.

Liu Yang hugs her back. "How are you? How was school?"

"Fine. Everything is hectic right now, now that I'm in my last year. But anyway, I'm not here to talk about school or anything; I'm here to check their coffee. The cafés around our university are not that good."

Liu Yang gives her a wink. "You've come to the right place."

"Yiee! I'm excited!" Xu Lili squealed in excitement, making the other patrons start to look their way.

Wan Li gawks at his sister, telling her to start queueing at the counter.

----

It is 5 in the afternoon and the beautiful sun is just getting ready to set. With the employees clocking out from their work, the café is slowly crowding. From the other corner of the café, Guan inconspicuously watches Liu Yang's every move - the way she smiles and laughs with her friends.

From casually sipping the iced latte, he sensed something strange. He is starting to like drinking coffee lately. He never really liked the bitterness, but this one is an exception.

Now, back to Liu Yang.

Liu Yang.

Her name has a nice ring to it.

From the moment she entered the café, Guan spotted her immediately. As she saunters in her khaki pants and white top with three-fourth sleeves, black wavy hair hanging down her shoulders, it was easy to recognize her.

He laughed at himself. Should he introduce himself to her? What if this curiosity dies down the moment they get to know each other?

Damn!

When did he feel like this? He was in his teens when he last felt curious about a girl. Does he look like a stalker? Or worse, a pervert. However, he could not take her off his mind.

Why was he drawn to her? And, they just keep on coincidentally meeting each other at random places.

"Uhm, excuse me?"

He was cut off from his train of thoughts when a womanly voice calls him out of nowhere – knocking on the table twice as she does. He looks up and his eyes waver for a bit – it is the woman Liu Yang was with earlier. Guan looks at Liu Yang and then at the woman standing in front of her, grinning from ear to ear.

What is this situation?

Puzzled, he asks, "May I help you?"

"Um, I don't mean to be rude but," she glances at her previous table before continuing, "are you a stalker?"

Dumfounded by the question, Guan lets out a light cough.

Ha!

He is expecting this, isn't he?

Guan tilts his head to the side, chuckling.

The woman frowns, monitoring his every move and expression. Unexpectedly, she pulls the chair and sits across which surprised him.

'Woah! What kind of situation is this?'

This woman seems like in her early twenties or maybe younger.

"You think I didn't notice?" she says with her suspicious eyes.

He raises a brow, "Notice what?"

She leans her body on the table. There is a table between them – thankfully – but Guan still backs away, seeing her leaning forward – her face a few inches away from his.

"That you have been taking glances at Sister Yang. You're a stalker, aren't you? Or are you just a pervert?"

Guan chuckles once again – this time louder – at her accusations. "You know I could sue you for oral defamation, right?"

The woman sits up straight. With arms crossed, she says, "It's not defamation if it is true."

This time Guan laughed through his stomach. She is making him speechless "I know her. And…she kinds of knew me, too."

"What?" the woman's shoulders drop. "You're lying."

"Oh, try me," he challenges her gaze.

…and Guan thinks he might be digging his own grave. Why the hell did he say that?!

Shit!

He is already taking his chances in coming up here, and now is the only chance he might see her face to face (again).

"Aren't you missing from your table for a long time? They are already looking for you, see?" he signals with his chin, picking up the drink in front of him, and bringing it to his lips.

On the outside, Guan may look calm, but on the inside, his heart is erratically beating.

Why is he nervous?

'It's probably the coffee,' he is trying to calm himself down.

Xu Lili glances at her table with Liu Yang and her brother, only to see they are also looking their way. She turns back to the man in front of her.

She narrows her already narrow eyes at him. "We'll see about that," and walks back to her table.

Guan lets a heavy breath that he did not know he had been holding for a while now. Pissed, he sips the drink in one go.

Things are not going his way.

Why is it so hard to woo a woman?

And where is that brat?!

He irritably looks at his wristwatch.

"Damn! Why is she always running late?" he mutters while puckering his lips.

Guan twists his head in the opposite direction from where Liu Yang is. He is afraid and ashamed to glance in her direction right now.

That woman from earlier might have told her everything!

Amy is his only chance to patch things up.

…and speaking of the little devil.