Chapter 51 - Good Friends
After walking for half an hour, Zhao Luo, Brother Sang, and Yan had only reached the TPC Building.
They passed the TPC building while talking about different stuff.
'Yan talks so much.'
Zhao Luo thought while looking at the still talking Yan.
It was because of how much Yan had to tell them or ask Zhao Luo. Zhao Luo didn't mind it as it looked nice to see Yan being so enthusiastic about sharing personal things with him and Brother Sang or knowing them.
The problem was that Brother Sang and Yan, both would almost every time had questions for Zhao Luo and not each other.
'Brother Luo What is your....'
'Brother Zhao Luo what do you think about...'
'Brother Luo when did you do...'
'Brother Zhao Luo what is your...'
These lines were echoing in his mind as Brother Sang and Yan would always just single him out.
'It's hard being so popular.'
Zhao Luo thought.
There was still some way left before they reach the hotel and it looked like the questions will continue, Zhao Luo had an idea.
"Why don't we each take a turn to ask a question? I will ask first then Yan, you will and the last one asking will be Brother Sang."
Zhao Luo said to them.
This way he will just ask them a question before they can ask him.
Zhao Luo looked at Yan as he threw a question at him.
"Why did you blush when I touched you before in the robe shop?"
Zhao Luo still had this question in his mind.
He couldn't forget the feeling he got when he saw the blushing Yan say the three words that had put a curse on him.
'Well it wasn't too bad but he should still clear things if he swings that way.'
Zhao Luo nodded as he thought that Yan clearing things with them would be the best thing to do.
"Brother Luo I don't know why I blush but my heart starts beating rapidly whenever you are close. Like now."
Yan grabbed Zhao Luo's hands suddenly showing the truth in what he was telling Zhao Luo.
"Just like now I feel like this is the happiest time of my life. I like it when you are looking at me. It feels nice."
Yan was going fast and precise. If it was any other guy, they would have sent their straight self to doom without any debate.
Zhao Luo felt his heart tingling as if Yan's soft words and his enchanting beauty had cast a spell on him.
Zhao Luo was looking straight into Yan's eyes while listening to him.
"I can't help it. Sorry to break your heart, Yan."
Zhao Luo refused Yan even before he asked him.
Zhao Luo knew what Yan meant as what he was saying sounded more like a confession but he couldn't go with it.
'Sleeping for 100 years after being a virgin and finally finding a girl that I like, I can't just swing that way.'
Zhao Luo thought as he remembered Rose.
"Brother I have to hide my real self because of my Father. I can't bring shame to his name."
Yan started explaining. Yan meant something else when he said this to Zhao Luo. But Zhao Luo misunderstood his word.
Brother Sang who was being part of the conversation by being silent had a realization as he looked at Yan.
"You fool. Being true to yourself and your feelings isn't something to be ashamed about."
Zhao Luo shouted at Yan.
What was there to be feeling shame about?
Zhao Luo tried to cheer Yan.
"Don't worry. You will find a way better guy than me."
Zhao Luo patted Yan's head as he told him.
Instead of feeling happy, Yan pouted as he looked at the smiling Zhao Luo.
"Brother you are STUPID."
Yan said to Zhao Luo as he couldn't understand what Yan meant.
'I will have to tell him if I want to get close to him.'
Yan thought as Zhao Luo was quietly looking at Yan digesting the new title that Yan had given him.
"Brother Zhao Luo."
Yan said.
"Can't you still see that I am a GIRL?"
Yan asked Zhao Luo. As Yan got closer to Zhao Luo.
"I can see that too."
Brother Sang interrupted.
'Yeah, it's clear now.'
Brother Sang thought while looking at Yan.
'WTF, Where am I supposed to see to tell that Yan is a girl.'
Zhao Luo was looking at Brother Sang with inn his eyes as Yan was closing in on Zhao Luo.
"But your voice....it is so manly."
Zhao Luo said to Yan as he had never seen a girl with such a manly voice. But he forgot that he had never seen a guy who looked like a girl so much either.
"Hahaha, brother you are simple and innocent. Have you never heard of voice-altering techniques?"
Yan said as Yan proceeded to hit his neck at three places with his index finger.
'Tap, tap, tap.'
Yan waited for a moment before continuing what he was saying.
"This is technique is called Bird Mouth. By pinning three points in the neck you can alter your voice to a heavy one."
Yan explained as her voice had returned.
'So melodious.'
Zhao Luo thought as he heard Yan's real voice in which she was giving Zhao Luo a hard lesson as of she was his senior but Zhao Luo felt mesmerized instead of feeling weird or bad about it.
"It is because I am so weak that I have to hide my real identity before joining the Xin Sect otherwise you wouldn't have declined me. I can't let my father down because of my weakness."
Yan said with a confident tone. There was some sadness lingering in her voice.
She knew that Zhao Luo would still have rejected her. For now, that is.
"I understand. Let's get stronger together."
Zhao Luo grabbed her hands as he said to her.
Zhao Luo had the same goal as he wanted to become strong too. If Yan was stronger then she wouldn't have to hide her identity.
"Brother don't tell about this to anyone."
Yan said to Zhao Luo as she proceeded to use the bird mouth technique again.
'Tap, tap, tap.'
Yan hit the same three points in her neck with her index finger again and looked at Brother Sang.
"You too, brother. It's our little secret."
Yan said in the manly voice she had before as it had returned while smiling at Brother Sang.
Thus the question that Zhao Luo had asked Yan ended with a new secret they will be keeping for a while till Yan gets strong enough so she does not have to hide her identity.
Now it was Yan's turn to ask Zhao Luo.
She was looking at Zhao Luo.
"What should I ask you, brother? Mmm. Hmmm. Mhmmm."
Yan said to Zhao Luo as if asking him to give her a question for him.
"Nothing."
Zhao Luo suddenly replied with a grin.
"Well, that ends your chance."
Zhao Luo told her as he started laughing.
"Not fair Brother Zhao Luo. That doesn't count as a question."
Yan cried as Zhao Luo and Brother Sang were laughing as Zhao Luo teased him.
"Okay go ahead and ask me."
Zhao Luo told her as he couldn't bear to tease Yan anymore.
"Hmmm."
Yan was still thinking about what her question should be. Thus she went with a one she could relate to.
The person she loved the most was he father as her father's image appeared in her head she looked at Zhao Luo and asked her question.
"How is your family like?"
Yan asked Zhao Luo.
This question shocked Brother Sang more than Zhao Luo. He knew that Zhao Luo had been sleeping for the last century so he would have lost his family.
Brother Sang looked at Zhao Luo feeling concerned about how Zhao Luo would answer such a devastating question. But to his surprise, Zhao Luo didn't even look a little fazed.
"I was sick as a kid. That sickness overwhelmed my childhood. My childhood memory are filled with days spent with my sickness at that time instead of memories of being together with my mother and father."
Zhao Luo said as he looked a little sad when he remembered those days when he was laying on the ICU bed 24/7 of every month.
Just living like a dead person. But then his condition stabilized somewhat.
Yan and Brother Sang were also saddened as they listened to Zhao Luo.
"Brother Zhao Luo."
Yan and Brother Sang said together as of showing him that they were with him.
Zhao Luo looked at them and showed them a radiant smile.
"Look at me now. I am completely fine and lucky enough to have such good friends who feel sad even when I am just telling them about my past."
Zhao Luo felt grateful. Some of this was directed towards Takuma and the old man as he looked up in the evening sky and could see the faces of Takuma and his master.
Brother Sang and Yan smiled as they listened to Zhao Luo who had ended his answer with a beautiful ending.