The Inconceivable Flame: A Fallen Angel's Disguise

"Not everyone can become like me. This young master is quite special." Ru’s narcissistic nature came out. "After all, it’s not easy to have a genius brain, with exceptional skills, otherworldly background, and much more."

"Are you done singing your praises? You sound like a salesperson. The difference is you seem to be selling yourself." Zhu Jie’s voice made her want to smack his head.

"Oi! How can one describe me in only this much? I still have a whole lot to add." With a haughty expression she added, "Also, do you think anyone can afford to buy this lord?"

"To be honest, I can define you in one sentence." Ru frowned at his answer. He completely disregarded her latter question since they both knew the answer.

"How?" She asked.

Zhu Jie smiled slightly as he said, "That I’ll tell you some other day." Ru rolled her eyes at him. "For now, let’s focus on your dream."

"What’s there to focus? Isn’t it obvious that my dream was warning me to stay away from Xiao Zhiren?" Ru replied almost immediately much to Zhu Jie’s distress.

"You fool! You might be forgetting that willow trees are often associated with loss along with the hope of future retrieval."

"Honestly speaking, instead of believing in revival theory of willow trees, I’d rather believe in the theory that states that willows are indiscriminate destroyers of anything unlucky to cross its path." Ru’s reply gave Zhu Jie a headache. It wasn’t an easy task to win a battle of words with her. But he wasn’t just anyone either.

Jie: "Aiyayaya! Can’t you focus on the simple versions like the tree itself symbolizes stability, balance, learning, and harmony?"

Ru: "Dear friend, don’t forget that willow trees are often found near the water and water itself is capable of giving birth and taking lives."

Jie: "Oh, then why are you forgetting that water represents the flow of life? It’s the basic necessity of life even if it causes people harm. Love is also like flowing water. It can make you feel alive and it can kill you in the next second. But it’ll still stay as the most precious thing in our lives."

"You talk too much." That’s all Ru could reply with since his logic was out of her brain. Just like her own logics did not get to other people. "Don’t forget that he took advantage of me and ran away."

Before Zhu Jie could say anything, he heard an unfamiliar voice from her side. "Who took advantage and who ran away?"

The cooking chopsticks in Ru’s hand fell down on the marble floor making a clinking sound while Ru stood rooted staring at Xiao Zhiren who had his eyebrows raised in an inquiring manner. Her mouth opened and closed like a goldfish as Xiao Zhiren strode towards her.

She pointed at him. "You! Why are you back?"

Xiao Zhiren lifted the lid of the black pot and the enticing aroma of sizzling beef noodles made him smile in contentment. "How did you know that I love beef noodles? You’re really thoughtful. And here I was having my own assumptions." He tut-ted as if he felt like he was in the wrong.

"What did you assume?" She asked forgetting all about her original question and the person on the phone who had conveniently chosen to stay silent.

Xiao Zhiren took a spoon and spooned a bit of noodle soup to taste. As the hot and delicious soup touched his taste buds, he really felt relaxed and refreshed. "Wow! This is damn good."

"Why are you not answering any of my questions?" Ru snatched the spoon from his head and pointed her chin at him in her effort of staring him down.

Xiao Zhiren straightened up and put his hands in the trouser pockets as he said, "Oh, I don’t know. Perhaps, because a certain someone is too much of a nincompoop!"

"Did you just call me an idiot?" Ru glared at him exasperatedly.

"Well, whoever answered is certainly the one." Xiao Zhiren answered casually.

"You! You!" Ru didn’t know what to say this jerk! "Just answer my damn question, what is your assumptions about me?"

Xiao Zhiren looked straight into her green eyes and said, "Simple. That you’re clueless."

Ru’s temper flared up at his reply. How dare he said that?!

"Hahahaha..." A peal of hearty laughter actually helped to make herself calm down as she came back to understand how she lost her temper yet again because of Xiao Zhiren. Why was it always him? She never raised her voice at anyone but this guy... Sigh! He was meant to be the death of her!

Such an eloquent person like herself always turned into a street shrew because of him.

While Xiao Zhiren was confused about the laughter, Ru was scowling as she said, "Shut the bloody trap already! It wasn’t that funny."

It was getting hard for Zhu Jie to control his laughter. He already was becoming a fan of Xiao Zhiren but now that he had heard the way he treated Ru, Zhu Jie was certain that this was THE ONE for his Ru’er.

There had to be no doubt about that!

"Pardon me, Ru’er! But... Haha... I’m really getting entertained here. You guys can continue. Just treat me as thin air. I won’t mind." From his voice, Ru was sure that there wasn’t an ounce of guilt in him. He was getting the thrill at the expense of her. But since it was the first time, she didn’t want to push it.

However, our ocean of vinegar; Mr. Xiao Zhiren himself was stuck at ’Ru’er’? That simple ’Er’ showed the endearment which felt like a sharp knife penetrating his chest.

"Oh, cut it already before I come to beat the bloody hell out of you!" Ru gave him a warning in a stern voice as much as she could use with this best friend. It wasn’t like he’d be scared of her threats though. He never did.

"Who is that?" Xiao Zhiren asked in a small voice.

"Oh, Mr. Xiao! Let me introduce myself..."

"Goodbye!" Ru hung up the call without giving him any chance to say anything. Then she turned to Xiao Zhiren and said, "He’s no one!"

Xiao Zhiren noted her sour look and understood that she wasn’t in the mood to talk about it. So, he reluctantly had to let this matter rest. For now.

"Come let’s eat. I’m also starving." Xiao Zhiren held her shoulders and pushed her down on the stool. Then he brought two sets of chopsticks but served only a single bowl of beef noodles since she had only cooked for herself.

"Oi! I only did all this hard work for myself. I don’t have enough for both of us." Ru told him straightforwardly as she the cutlery before her on the kitchen island. Throwing all the courtesy for guest out the window.

Xiao Zhiren sat on the stool beside her and tapped her nose adoringly as he said, "It isn’t the matter that we have enough or not. The matter is whether we have the heart to share it with someone or not. So, my little chili, stop fussing unnecessarily."

Ru frowned at his answer but decided to not pursue this matter. "Then serve the noodles in two bowls. Why do we have to take only one bowl." She was about to get up to get another bowl when he held her wrist. Ru looked down at his slight rough hand around her wrist.

"Are you shy?" He asked making Ru’s frown to etch deeper.

"No. I’m not!" She denied it honestly. She didn’t know what shyness meant in the first place.

He pulled her down on the seat and said, "Then just eat. You’re not shy, I’m not shy then what’s the big deal?" Ru felt nothing wrong with his words until he spoke the next sentence, "Besides, we have already tasted each other. There is no shame in tasting a meal together."

For someone as clueless as Ru, it might be hard to understand but she still did. His meaning was crystal clear to her which seemed to be saying, "Since we have shared our saliva directly, there is nothing wrong in sharing it indirectly. It won’t make much difference."

But these words didn’t make her feel uncomfortable. Instead, she felt something burning inside her heart. What was that blazing itch? She really couldn’t tell!

Xiao Zhiren was focusing on blowing on the noodles when he felt her searing gaze at the side of his face, he didn’t turn his face to look. Since he was afraid that he might lose control and kiss her again or as she said, take advantage of her. Take note that he was rolling his eyes inwardly at those insinuations.

Nonetheless, he knew that if he kissed her now two things were certain; one that he would lose his rationality and wouldn’t want to let go. Two that she would get violent and aggressive. So, with a deep breath, he calmed the devil inside of him and said, "You might not be shy but I am a very shy person. So, please stop eye-rap-ing me."

Ru opened her mouth again in disbelief. What is wrong with this man? And what? Shy? Then who was the shameless person who kissed her? Say something that I can even believe!