Forced by fate – Destined to be his Wife

“I know you don’t think this is the best idea, but what YuZhi an ZhengLi said made sense, baby girl. This is where the public expect you to be and the place YuZhi can keep you safe now they’ve arrested Rong Cai. My parents don’t exactly run a tight ship in terms of security at home and with them coming back soon you won’t get space the way you can here. YuZhi will look after you in ways I can’t.” Linlin felt like she was deserting her and throwing her back into YuZhi’s arms after everything even though this was furthest from the truth. This just made more sense for her.

“I know.” TangShi answered quietly, her eyes straying around the apartment that she once loved as home and yet it now felt cold and sterile. Unsure she had made the right decision.

“Excuse me, ladies.” ZhengLi came in behind them wheeling TangShi’s largest suitcase with balanced boxes on top and one under his arm as he slid past them towards her old room. YuZhi was close behind him with a similar load and they both offloaded her things back where they once came from. Everything she owned and had moved out two weeks or so ago was being brought back again by them.

“My grandfather wants us to go see him in a couple of days when you’re settled again.” YuZhi smiled her way, still walking on eggshells around her, still shocked he had managed to convince her to move back here finally and afraid of upsetting her. He was seeing it as a ray of hope, a light in the dark, and clinging onto the possibility that in time she might forgive him. Having her back here was a start and if he had managed to salvage friendship and love from the train wreck of their beginning then he was sure he could earn forgiveness and trust this time around.

This was the best place for her. A closed and secure complex with high security as standard. Closed parking, closed access for nonresidents, and fitted with the best security cameras and gadgets throughout the entire building. Only rich people lived here and guests were made to sign in at the first-floor security desk. He would be here in the evenings and during the day she was not planning on leaving until the case against Cai was resolved.

“I’m tired. I might unpack, take a bath and go to bed. You don’t need to stay with me, I’ll be fine.” TangShi turned to Linlin, still not properly communicating with YuZhi a whole lot yet. She didn’t feel ready to interact with him and had been avoiding it all together and knew she couldn’t keep Linlin hanging on as third wheel.

“I can stay and help.” Linlin offered but TangShi shook her head and pushed her towards the door with a soft sigh.

“The sooner I start trying to go back to normal the better. I have things to sort out.” TangShi wanted head space. Rong Cai had been arrested yesterday morning and was detained for now, but it wouldn’t be long before he was out on bail. That thought scared her enough to agree to coming back here because despite her feelings about how YuZhi treated her, she still felt safest with him and knew he wouldn’t let anything else happen to her. She didn’t trust Rong’s mental state at all anymore and knew he was a man who would stoop to inhumane levels.

“I can help her.” YuZhi wandered back out of her room, free of the baggage and ZhengLi followed behind.

“Come on, princess. I’ll buy you dinner and take you on a date. Leave these two to unwind and reacquaint themselves.” ZhengLi wandered by Linlin, hooking an arm around her waist as he passed and was met with defiance and struggle as he tried to pull her. Wriggling and trying to shove him off as she was not too big on forgive and forget just yet. ZhengLi ignored her futile attempts, bent down and hoisted her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, laying claim to his wild woman before waving their way and marching off with her. Linlin cursed him out loudly and slapped his shoulder and back yet she didn’t really fight to be free. She was enjoying how hard he had been chasing her again these past few days and she was softening slowly to all the charms and sweetness that made her fall for him in the first place.

“I don’t need help.” TangShi turned away from YuZhi when the apartment door closed, leaving them alone. She had been dreading this moment of just the two of them together, afraid she would weaken and cave.

“It’s a lot to unpack, two of us will make it faster.” He offered and was met with a blank expression and a stubborn shake of her head.

“You said you had work to do. I want alone time. I don’t want help.” She turned away from him to go to her room but YuZhi caught her by the wrist and stopped her mid step.Please check at N/ôvel(D)rama.Org.

“Is this how we’re going to be from now on? Living in one space but dodging one another? I miss you, tang. I miss the way we used to cohabit effortlessly and life felt right.” YuZhi’s tone was strained yet soft and he was overjoyed about her being here even if it also pained him that she was close but so distant now.

“I don’t know. I can only go with how I feel. Right now, I feel like I want to be alone, that’s all.” She slid her arm out of his hand and turned to him with a slight side glance. “I’m sorry if you think I’m being ungrateful. I don’t know what else to say.” She couldn’t explain the feelings inside because she didn’t even understand them herself.

“I don’t. I understand why it’s like this and I’m grateful that you came home. Honestly. You have no idea how ecstatic I am to have you here, even if it’s sleeping apart and we start again as friends. I just hoped you would give me a chance to try and fix things.” YuZhi dropped his gaze to his feet knowing that he was pushing her after promising he wouldn’t but he badly wanted to be able to walk over to her and wrap his arms around her like before. He missed being able to touch her, hold her. He missed everything about her. Being this close again reminded him of how much he lost and he had no one to blame but himself.

TangShi stood for a moment, unsure what to say or how to act when he seemed to be trying so hard but she couldn’t put her wall down no matter how she tried. It wasn’t just him but everything right now and it felt like her life was in stasis and everything was up in the air. Her floor had bene ripped out and yet she didn’t know how to fly.

No more school, the impending trial against Rong, their relationship being over. Her ability to paint had died during all of this because stress had killed her love of drawing. It felt like nothing was permanent and she had no stability. Her security shattered and what she thought was all mapped out in her future had all turned to dust. She wasn’t even sure what would happen with their contract now or the baby she was meant to conceive.

“I really didn’t want to bring this up because it’s not appropriate timing but, the Leng Group annual ball is next weekend and I have to go. As my very famous fiancée they’ll expect you to be there but I can go solo if you don’t want to.” YuZhi rubbed a hand across the back of his neck and hairline, feeling awkward for even suggesting this but he couldn’t keep ignoring it while his aunt was breathing down his neck about it. The PR schedule had already been messed up with their two weeks of being apart.

“I’ll think about it.” TangShi shrugged, not wanting to let him down but neither in the mood for it. It felt like unimportant details compared to her current life problems.

“You hungry? I could cook something. If you don’t want help to unpack then maybe I can feed you.”

They both stood motionless and silent for a second, staring at one another as TangShi seemed to be thinking it through and eventually she nodded. Knowing she needed to try and give a little or this would be hard to deal with as a living situation. “Do you have any wontons? I could handle some soup and wontons.” TangShi hadn’t had much of an appetite lately. Nausea plaguing her constantly and anything strong tasting or smelling had been making her gag. Her palette could only deal with light tastes and no spice while being this way and she put it down to her emotional state.

“I can go get some wantons from that place you like. Will take me twenty minutes tops. May as well order soup there too. Anything else?”

“Red bean paste rice cakes? I have such a craving for them the last couple of days. I don’t know why.” TangShi blushed, feeling like she was being demanding but it was the first time in a fortnight she had wanted real food without forcing it.

“Sure. I won’t be long. Can you set the table and we can eat together?” YuZhi hoped the chat about food was loosening her up, not liking her shyness, and that if he kept on being normal maybe in time she would relax around him again. He knew she didn’t trust him anymore and he got why, it just sucked. Seeing her this way as though they were strangers skirting around each other.

TangShi stood still and watched him leave, in two minds about sitting together but knew it wasn’t an unreasonable request. She had to stop being angry at him at some point but it didn’t mean she was going to jump back to being his girlfriend or sharing his bed. It was just dinner in their shared space. It didn’t mean anything.