The Inconceivable Flame: A Fallen Angel“s Disguise

"Never took you for a smoker." Ji Syaoran commented as they both walked towards his car.

"Never took you for a gamer either," Ru replied with a wink. With that lopsided grin, her forest green enchanting eyes Ji Syaoran felt he was in a dream. Why was everything so cool about this fellow? He really couldn’t tell. It was almost surreal. "Anyway, I’m not a habitual smoker. Just like taking a puff of a fag[1] or two once in a while. It helps me in focusing."

"I still think you shouldn’t smoke on an empty stomach. That’s even more dangerous." Ji Syaoran remarked as he placed the food containers in the back seat of his car.

Ru gave a slight smile as she said, "Well, someone forgot to bring my breakfast. Sigh! I had to work it up with just a fag." Her disappointed tone and words reminded Ji Syaoran of what he had promised her last night.

He facepalmed himself saying guiltily, "I’m so sorry. I was trying to feed brother and forgot that half the potion was for you."

Ru gave him a chuckle as he patted his shoulder, "Listen, mate[2], that much of the food would have never been able to do justice to my appetite. It’s fine as long as your brother ate his fill. He needs to refill his energy. I’m already a very healthy person."

"Healthy? I’d say you have an insane strength." Ji Syaoran grumbled as he rubbed his shoulder which she had bumped into earlier when he came.

"Don’t act like a delicate young master. Even though Ji Family is an aristocratic family, every descendant is still taught the basics of martial arts. You are no exception and I can bet my everything on that." Ru replied in an all-knowing manner.

"Are you really a ghost? How do you know everything?" Ji Syaoran asked in surprise. It wasn’t every day that you’d find someone who could tell you about your own family with such ease.

"I’m not a ghost. But I do love knowing things." Ru replied honestly and continued in a doubtful manner, "That’s why I’m so curious about that woman in Ji mansion."

"What?" Ji Syaoran had heard her but he thought he had misheard. So, he had to question again just for confirmation.

"Don’t act clueless. She lives in your father’s courtyard, there is no way that you don’t know about her." Ru might have her doubts before but now she was certain that Ji Syaoran knew more than he was allowed to.

"I do. But I won’t talk about it." Ji Syaoran replied in a low voice and a defeated manner.

"And I won’t ask either. It won’t be fun this way." Ru replied.

They both stood silent with their own thoughts. Ji Syaoran with the curiosity of how Ru knew about someone his father protected the most and Ru with a feeling that her initial doubts might turn out to be the truth. And if they did, then Ji Yifeng was right. His sons’ life would change.

"By the way, are you from a martial practitioner family?" Ji Syaoran asked curiously.

"What gave that away?" Ru asked and Ji Syaoran gave her a look that said, ’Are you serious?’

"Your violent nature is enough to give you away."

"Thugs are also violent." Ru pointed out.

Ji Syaoran smiled in return and said, "Yes, but they don’t carry the aura of a distinguished, elegant and eloquent master like yourself."

"Fair enough." Ru shrugged her shoulders. "I just remembered, we still have that football match on pending."

Ji Syaoran took a step back gingerly. "Not playing with you. No way."

"Why not?" Ru wasn’t pleased to hear that.

"My Great Grand Master! Your hands are already enough to beat me to a pulp. Who knows what can you do with a football in hand? I can’t take any risk. My poor heart won’t allow me to." Ji Syaoran was bowing to her as if acknowledging her as his master.

He lifted his eyes to observe her reaction and as their eyes met, both of them couldn’t help the peal of laughter that engulfed them.

"I promise it’d be a friendly match. I just have no one to play with. I look like a bloody jerk playing all on my own." Ru spoke with a sad tone.

"Then I shall be your good mate and accompany you for a match."

"Yes, you should!" Ru agreed solemnly. "Now, leave. I have to deal with your brother’s discharge papers. Argh! I hate that paperwork."

Ji Syaoran laughed at her reaction and shook his head, "Well, you need to take full responsibility. You admitted him here. You should be the one to discharge him from here as well."

"Traitor!" Ru scrunched up her nose at him while giving him a pointed look. He just smiled at her reaction and drove away.

From his room’s window, Xiao Zhiren had seen their interaction from the very start. He hated it that Ru was acting so comfortable around Ji Syaoran even though the latter was his own brother. His blood boiled when he saw Ru touching his shoulder to give him a pat and he almost punched someone when he saw them laughing so freely with each other.

Why wasn’t she this easy around him? Even now, she would find excuses to stay away from him! Fine! I won’t touch you either now. I’m being pushy and clingy. I should stop with this nonsense. Xiao Zhiren decided on his own.

But when Ru entered back to his room, he couldn’t stop his traitor eyes from looking at her. Still, seeing her easygoing look, he fumed and didn’t say a word.

"Your tests are all clear. The doctor said that you’re free to go." Ru spoke happily as she strode towards him. "Now, get dressed. I’ve dealt with your paperwork. We are leaving this hospital. Good riddance!"

Xiao Zhiren neither moved an inch nor said a single word. Not even a nod of affirmation. He was just being broody.

Ru wasn’t oblivious to his odd behavior but she had no mood of entertaining him right now. "Get up already. Ran Zi left some clothes for you to change into." She didn’t even realize that her intimate way of calling Ji Syaoran had ticked something off in Xiao Zhiren.

He abruptly came down from his bed and held her arms in a tight grip. "What are you doing?" Ru asked in confusion, not caring that he was holding her.

"I should ask you, what the hell are you doing?" He retorted back.

"What did I do? I’m the most innocent person between the two of us." Ru replied without feeling a hint of shame. But then again, she was talking about the way he was always touching her at every given chance or more like stolen chance.

"Why are you like this?" He shook her a little.

"I don’t know. I was born this way." She said thoughtfully and added, "By the way, what am I like?"

Xiao Zhiren had the urge to knock his own head against the wall. She truly was infuriating to talk to. But he chose to press his forehead against hers gently and cupped her face as he said, "I don’t know what you’re like either. I just know, you’re hell-bent on undoing me, love."

"Undoing you?" Ru stared back at his eyes that were enlarged because of the lack of distance between them. "But I don’t want to ruin you. I have no such desire as of yet."

Xiao Zhiren stroked her cheeks with his thumb and said, "Yes, you are undoing me. Because you are my undoing yourself. My Achilles heel!" Ru didn’t want to reply to that. She just didn’t want to. She felt that she’d end up saying something wrong so her silence was better. "I don’t like it when you smile with other men. Even if it’s my own brother."

Ru and Xiao Zhiren both had a sense of deja vu. What was it?

"I don’t like it when she laughs with other kids." the voice echoed in Xiao Zhiren’s mind.

"Don’t give that smile to other boys," Ru remembered a distant memory from a very young age. Probably, she was only nine or ten.

"Why can’t I?" She had asked looking at that weak looking kid.

"Because my heart hurts when you show your beautiful smile to others." That small boy had replied.

"Then go to a doctor. This young master will always do what he wants to do!" Ru had replied back in her usual haughty manner. And she still could remember how that the boy had looked upset because of her words.

Hell! His expression even made her feel guilty at that age. And Ru wasn’t someone who would feel guilty over anything! She had yet to know how he knew she was a girl when even she was clueless at that age.

Presently, both of them stared back at each other. Xiao Zhiren biting his lip in guilt and Ru in confusion at how much resemblance Xiao Zhiren had with that annoying kid from her childhood. What a strange coincidence!

[1] "fag": Cigarette

[2] "mate": A friend or companion