Things of the past and the present (Part I)

Eric Wu stifled a laugh, "No one is saying anything," he said as he got up from the sofa and grabbed the notebook beside him, returning it to its original place. He remained standing near the desk as his eyes were transfixed on Bella Lim who was in a dazed. He sighed, thinking that his action earlier might be inappropriate. Although it was one of that spur-at-the-moment kind of thing, something he really had no control over, the thought that he took advantage of her began to swamp his mind.

Indeed, this kind of feeling was troublesome. Eric Wu sighed again.

Lu Fei frowned as he shifted gaze between Eric Wu and Bella Lim, he could feel the awkward atmosphere in the room. The corner of his lips rose to a knowing smile as he touched the hinge of his eyeglasses. Later, when everything was settled, he would make sure to tease him.

He stared at Bella Lim and recalled why he came here. He breathed out as he sat on the stool that once was the resting place for Bella Lim's sprained ankle.

"Bella, it must've been tough," Lu Fei spoke. A tender smile was on his face. He saw her smiled in return and said, "It was," she shook her head, admitting the hard time she had gone through. "But, rather than drowning in that uncertainty, I'd rather be hurt with the truth," a condescending smirk upon her face before she continued, "I've been given a second chance, I'll prove that even a sinful person could reverse her own doom," she took a deep breath and exhaled.

She knew Lu Fei didn't understand what she talked about so she just looked at him, smiling.

A smile that dazzled both the men.

Lu Fei especially was taken aback. For sure, it hadn't been long since they meet, so why did she look so different right now? Even her swollen eyes and her pale face couldn't ruin her beauty. He glanced at Eric Wu. When he saw his approving smile, he twitched. Although it may seem a bit far-fetched to say that he had something to do with the transformation, Lu Fei was certain that this man was the reason. Whatever, this was all good things.

"Awesome!" Lu Fei praised as he took out his laptop. "I need that kind of spirit because the thing I'm going to explain next is something none of you might have thought about," he flipped the laptop open only to feel a hand was stopping him from doing so. He frowned when he realized that it was Bella Lim who had stopped her.

"Can we do it at night? Little pumpkin must've finished his lesson by now. I don't want him to be alone," she explained.

"But--" Lu Fei was confused. He began to think that she was actually afraid to know the truth.

"Let's do that. We'll discuss once little pumpkin is asleep," a firm voice suddenly came from behind Lu Fei. He turned his head and saw Eric Wu was walking towards them. He stopped right in front of Bella Lim.

"Tao is accompanying little pumpkin in the garden. Let me help you, we'll head there too," Eric Wu told her as he also helped her to stand up. Although Bella Lim was hesitant, she couldn't deny that she needed a hand. So, she let Eric Wu held her shoulders to help her walk better.

Lu Fei lifted an eyebrow when he saw the scene in front of him. He stared at the laptop on the table and went back to the perfect view of their backs. Really, he was excited to tell them the news...

"Lu Fei, it has been a tough day. Let's cool down and enjoy some afternoon tea," Lu Fei looked at Eric Wu who was now at the door. Seeing his non-negotiable gaze, a realization came to her.

"Coming!" he said as he chased after them. He had forgotten that Bella Lim's issue was related to little pumpkin as well. Knowing that little pumpkin was very close to her big sis, not seeing her for quite some time would make him suspicious of something. These two were trying to hide the truth from the little boy. A sensible move befitting the situation. Lu Fei finally understood.

And just like that, the day was spent with little pumpkin. Since Bella Lim couldn't run around with her sprained ankle, the two men were the one entertaining the adorable demand of the little boy. The three played in the garden till dawn. If Bella Lim didn't scold them for playing too much, they probably skipped dinner just to play.

***

"Big sis, little pumpkin is so happy today," little pumpkin spoke as he climbed his bed. Bella Lim smiled as she helped the little boy with the blanket.

"That's good," she responded, stroking little pumpkin's hair with her fingers. Her movement was gentle, a soothing gesture that brought a yawn to little pumpkin's sleepy face.

"Hehe... little pumpkin is happy to have big sis, big brother Eric and big brother Lu Fei. If big brother Sun Nan is here... there'll be mo...re...fun," the little boy spoke as he mumbled at the end of the sentence.

Bella Lim continued to stroke the little boy's hair with a loyal smile on her face. She didn't move until she was certain that little pumpkin was asleep. She spent thirty minutes listening to his familiar soft breath.

'You're always my little pumpkin no matter what happened,' she whispered.

Meanwhile, in the living room, Eric Wu was listening to a brief overview of the good and bad news that Lu Fei had told him during their phone call before. His particularly luminous brown eyes glare fiercely at Lu Fei who was already expecting him to react so. In fact, he too had the same response as him when he first found out.

"Is it okay to tell Bella this? Once we do, there will be no turning back. Whether we like it or not, she cannot run away from the political war between the powerful clans of the four countries. And once those people realized that she is one of us, they'll target her to get to you, or me or Sun Nan," Lu Fei explained. A worried look on his face.

Eric Wu didn't say anything as he reclined on the couch, fingers massaging his temple.

"Tell her," he said in a well-modulated voice. Lu Fei felt a chill on his spine when he heard the calm voice of his. He knew that man was beyond angry and barely hiding the killing intent that began to envelop his entire being.

Lu Fei had known Eric Wu for many years and had seen many types of angry emotions showed by him. This by far toppled all his records so far. Right now, the proverb 'calm before the storm' was the perfect sentence to describe his demeanor.

Was it because of Bella Lim?

Lu Fei was certain that she was the reason. So far, Eric Wu had approached the conspiracies between the four countries as amusement. Ruining the Yang clan was probably something he viewed as entertainment, just another reference for his nth book. To other eyes, he was a formidable force, a hero to avoid calamities from happening, yet the truth was, this man was never that serious.

Until tonight...

He thought that the Yang clan better up their game before he came for their heads.

"My sentiment too. Besides, little Ryan is already involved," Lu Fei spoke after calming down.

And right at that moment, Bella Lim came out of little pumpkin's room. At the same time, the man who saw only death a while ago suddenly became human again, showing a cool composure that deserving of an eye-roll. His acting was even better and top-notch compared to Sun Nan.

"Tell me everything," Bella Lim spoke as she walked towards them. "It's okay," she said when she saw both the men were about to get up to help her. Just now, she had heard what they were talking about from the ajar door. She waited until the appropriate time to come out.

In her past life, she knew that the three men became friends because of the common goal they were pursuing. It was only today did she know that they were grouping together to bring the Yang clan down. She didn't know what sinister thing the Yang clan was plotting, however, it was clear now why Karen Yang wanted to kill Eric Wu in the past.

Who would have known that she and little pumpkin have a role in this war... this twist truly deserved a standing ovation.