Chapter 6: Trial Relationship

"No way!" Chang Wu exhaled. He felt like he had the key to a hidden treasure chest at the bottom of a deep ocean. Words couldn't describe how happy and excited he felt holding Lijuan's card. 

Xin exhaled the smoke before asking his friend what he plans to do next.

"So what now? Want to call her yet?" 

Wu switched his gaze from the card to the glass in front of him "Well I will. Although it's still strange, she came looking for me. Did she say anything?" 

"No. But, she was in a hurry and she kinda looked sad." 

"Did anything important fall from her wallet? Her ring?" Wu's eyes took a haunted look and his hands shook "What if it's for something bad?" His lips twitched, and he got a hard smack from Xin. 

"Calm down, okay. Sheesh. Just call her and maybe she'd explain why she wants to meet with you." 

"Yeah, maybe you're right," He exhaled to calm himself then took a shot from his glass "I just need to remain calm. Hopefully, she doesn't want to see me because something went missing from her wallet. Especially if it's something special like her engagement ring." 

Chang Wu pulled out his phone from his pocket and dialed the number on the card. The first time there was no answer, but the second time he tried calling, someone that wasn't Lijuan picked up.

"Hi~" From the person's tone, Chang Wu could tell it was a toddler. 

"Hello, I'm Chang Wu and—" 

"Who do you want to speak to Mr stranger? Grandpa? Grandma? Aunt Lijuan?" 

"Who are you talking to, Yuna?" Chang Wu could hear a distant voice and the child he was speaking to went quiet for a second. 

"Oh, oh. Gotta go," The child said then hung up. 

Chang Wu turned to look at Xin, who was just as confused. 

"Well, I think her niece picked up the phone."

A few seconds later Chang Wu got a call and, as expected, it was Lijuan. 

Xin turned his attention to his customers while his friend went out to talk to her because the bar was awfully too loud that night.

"Am I speaking to Chang Wu?"

"Yes. You are Miss Qin if I'm not mistaken by the voice."

"Yes, I am Qin Lijuan." 

"I didn't doubt such a beautiful voice could be yours." 

"When will you be free?" 

Chang Wu's confidence flopped. She completely shunned his attempt to flirt. He never knew talking to a woman like her will be that difficult. 

"I'm free anytime. Pardon if I ask why?" He was currently unemployed, so he wasn't busy with any shifts at all.

"I would like us to meet somewhere to discuss an important issue. I will decide on the venue." 

"Okay, where?"

"Bai vine lounge." 

Chang Wu titled his head, but he pretended to understand that by agreeing, "Sure, no problem. Will friday be okay?" 

"Yes. Six pm." 

"I'll see you there." 

She hung up before he could get the chance to say goodbye.

Chang Wu trudged back into the bar and slumped in his seat. 

"What happened this time?"

"Nothing, really. I'm just nervous. If this doesn't work out, maybe I'm just not cut out for women." 

Xin cleared his throat "Maybe you should try out men for a change." 

Chang Wu's face wrinkled "Why do I have a feeling you've been crushing on me?" 

"Sorry you're not my type." 

"I even got rejected by a man. What's wrong with me?" He wailed. 

"Anyway, are you going back there?" 

"Yeah. I'll stay there as long as they're away. It doesn't seem like they'll be coming back soon, so I have plenty of time." 

"I see." 

"Well, this is goodbye. See you after my date with a rich woman. And this is the part where I rub it in your face that I will not be single forever unlike you that's anti-relationships." 

"Relationships are complicated, not to mention women." 

"Huh? I thought you were gay!"

"Dead ass. Get out of here" Xin laughed as his friend exited right after. 

"Women must be really evil if they don't see how great this guy is but see him as a rug they can wipe their feet on." He shook his cigarette box that was now empty. It only lasted for two days. "New record" he said, tongue in cheek. 

He shoved a well-known fact he couldn't bring himself to tell Wu. One, because he didn't want to scare him, and two, he didn't care anymore about what did or did not harm him. Living was something he wouldn't have looked forward to if he had a chance to decide.

***

"After so many years" His hand turned the knob to the house he ran away from a long time ago. He stepped into the dark hall and closed the door behind him. He turned on his flashlight and proceeded to the light switch that hadn't been used for who knows how long. 

The chandelier didn't flicker for a millisecond. It was still as bright as ever, bringing life to a place that had known darkness for a while. Chang Wu's eyes darted to a large painting closely. His nose flared, and he breathed slowly with balled fists "Never did I think your ugly face would be the first thing I'd see here" He scoffed at the painting before advancing towards the hallway. 

It ruined his mood. As if the damn painting of his old man wasn't enough, he found a lot of frames with the other people he hated the most in the world. Staring at the old paintings that dominated the cream walls brought back bad memories of his past. 

He placed a hand unconsciously on one frame, anger in his eyes "These people shamelessly erased me. They deserve ten folds of what they made me pass through, but God barely does anything to the wicked, and he watches innocent people like me suffer." He brought down all the paintings and tossed them into an old room he was familiar with. His room.

They turned it to a closet. They threw all his things out, but he didn't mind that. It'd been ten years already. Some wounds had healed over time, but the scars would always remain to remind him of the people that ruined his life and his mother's.

"The doors are still open, and everything's not so dusty." He was done inspecting the place, and it was still in condition for him to live in. It was also on a hill and a bit far from other residences. He could live there with no one knowing. Moreover, It wasn't breaking in. He didn't commit any crime. As far as he knew, it was a family home, and he could stay in it for as long as he wanted. Well, until the devils come back because they'd make living uncomfortable for him like they always do.

From what he heard, a couple of years back, they were abroad, Australia precisely, and they wouldn't be coming back soon. 

He had the time to carry out his plans, and the wealth he could get was in the house. Most of the statues and artifacts cost a ton. "They wouldn't realise a thing or two is gone now, would they?" 

He moved to the wardrobe In search of clothes and he found a lot. He sniffed it and for some reason, it still had the scent of someone's Cologne "Probably my old man's" He said "He had good preferences" he picked out the best suit from the wardrobe and set it outside. Shoes were next, and the last, but not the least was a watch with enough ice to blind. 

"Already looking like a rich man Chang Wu" He praised himself before he plopped on the bed at the centre of the master bedroom "When last did I lay on a bed this soft" He rolled over continuously and chuckled remembering when he was younger and how he used to bounce on all the beds while playing with his airplane. He frowned after his flashback and he sighed before sitting up.

He switched his thoughts back to the situation at hand and concluded that he couldn't afford to mess up on Friday.

He had an entire day to come up with an impressive strategy to leave a mark on the only opportunity he had. 

"Rich people have a particular behavior. Maybe if I watch a few videos of a couple of young and handsome prominent men here, I could learn a thing or two about their behavior." He nodded "I'll do that. For it is the only solution."

He opened up Yuutyube and searched up award speech videos and he found a lot about a particular person, Fu Hong and they were recent. 

That night Wu was wowed by the man's composure, his achievements, his net worth and the plans he had for himself. 

Over at the comment section, Wu could see how the women showered him with lovely messages, and the men admitted they were jealous and aspired to walk in his footsteps. Chang Wu also found out he appeared on lunar tv about a few days ago, and he remembered he was watching that episode the day his girlfriend left him. No wonder he looked so familiar.

"If I practice to be like Fu Hong, I'll definitely stand a chance because it's clear that this man is a flawless icon. I just need a day, and I'm sure after my date with Miss Qin, she'd never forget me."