Imperfect Desires

"Oi, fish! Come here!"

Ying gaped at this ex-friend of hers while Dr. Ling had raised her hand and was currently calling out to Han Bohai. Hearing her voice, he was confused as he looked around trying to see whom she was calling. There was no one else there except for him. And he really thought she was calling him but 'fish'? When did he become a fish?

"You! I'm talking to you!" Han Bohai pointed at himself and she nodded, "Yes, I'm definitely talking to you! Come here!" She beckoned him to come over.

"No, don't!" Ying hurriedly stopped him. "Just stay as far away from her as you possibly can." Obviously, he was more inclined to listen to his girlfriend and that's why he didn't move at all.

Dr. Ling squinted her eyes at Ying before she stood up and trudged over to Han Bohai's side. She had to drag him over to the couch saying, "Don't always just listen to your girlfriend, spend some time with your girlfriend's girlfriend as well."

"Ex-girlfriend," corrected Ying.

Dr. Ling smiled at Ying and said to Han Bohai, "Don't mind her. She means I'm her extra lovely girlfriend."

"I don't think she meant that though," said Han Bohai. 

Dr. Ling sighed out, "You just have to side with your girlfriend. I get it." Taking a pause, she added, "But I'm a bit curious, how did you both even meet?"

"How did you meet all the boys you dated?" Ying asked in return.

"They were either my patients or my colleagues, why?"

Ying cursed at her before saying, "Don't you know ethics as a doctor? How could you date someone from your workplace?"

"What does that have to do with you?" retorted Dr. Ling. "And I wasn't even asking you. I'm asking him how he met you. After all, your fields of work are poles apart!"

 "We met because it was meant to be," replied Han Bohai frankly.

"Fate?" asked Dr. Ling and he nodded his head. "So, you're fate guy. Wow! That came as a surprise."

Ying squinted her eyes at Han Bohai and said, "You! Come here!"

"Why can't he sit with me?" questioned Dr. Ling. "Is he your property? Do you have the exclusive rights?"

"Yes, I do!" 

"Show me the proof!" While Ying was gnashing her teeth at her, she continued, "If you really want to have the exclusive rights, put a ring on it!" She pointed at Ying's hand, "No ring, no exclusivity."

"If I don't have a ring doesn't mean he isn't mine!"

Dr. Ling laughed at Ying's reaction, "Mr. Film Emperor, go over there before she eats me alive."

Han Bohai silently moved to Ying's side. Seeing them both together Dr. Ling had a beautiful smile playing on her lips.

"It's weird. Your personalities don't match and yet I think you both look good together."

Han Bohai smiled back at Dr. Ling and said, "Who said personalities have to match?"

"That's true," replied Dr. Ling. "You still haven't told me, how did you both meet?" She took a pause before adding, "And don't give me that fate crap."

"We met at a hotel," answered Han Bohai.

"Hotel? Didn't we meet at the shopping mall?" questioned Ying.

"Was she drunk?" Han Bohai nodded in reply to Dr. Ling's question. "That explains it. She blacks out after getting drunk. I guess it didn't change even after all these years."

Ying looked up at him, "We really met at the hotel?"

"Do you think I'm lying? You even beat me that night."

While Ying pursed her lips, Dr. Ling burst out laughing. "That is also so like her. When we drank for the first time in high school, I was the first victim of that violent nature of hers. Even in her drunken stupor, she loves to show off her skills."

"I don't show off my skills," retorted Ying. "I don't even remember anything neither from your incident back then nor from your incident from now." She was telling this to both of them. The reason she didn't drink was also because of what Ling Wanwan told her back then. Although she knew Ling Wanwan must have exaggerated a little, she couldn't help accepting the reality of her words. So, she usually kept away from alcohol, her nemesis.

Covering her eyes, Ying said, "I'm definitely not going to drink ever again."

"As if that'd help," said Dr. Ling. "You don't even need liquid courage to do whatever you want."

"Are you jealous that you aren't that courageous?" retorted Ying.

"You both seem to be very close," remarked Han Bohai.

"We are," was what Dr. Ling said.

"We were," was what Ying said. Then she stared at Dr. Ling and went on, "There are a lot of years between us now."

"Years can't possibly change our friendship," said Dr. Ling.

"That's what you think," replied Ying. "Let's go back to my room. I came to see Xiu and Darren but I'll just come again in the morning."

Han Bohai silently helped her up while Dr. Ling continued to look at them with a smile. 

"Good night, Yingying! Have a good rest! I'll see you in the morning!"

"I hope I don't see you in the morning," Ying shot up.

"That's harsh but it's okay. I know you don't mean it."

"I mean every word of it," Ying's voice came from the stairs.

Dr. Ling stayed silent in reply. But wondered to herself, 'I would have been better if you meant those words.'

"Why don't you just tell her why you left back then?"

Dr. Ling was startled and clutched her chest before looking at Xiao Li, "Can't you make a sound? I almost got a heart attack!" She took a deep breath and added, "How long have you been standing there?"

"I just came," replied Xiao Li. "And don't try to change the topic. You should really tell her everything truthfully."

Dr. Ling stood and shook her head, "I can't do that."