She dreamt that she was tossed into a blazing fire while being tied up from head to toe. That rendered her utterly helpless as she was immobilized.
She used all her might to scream but no sound came out.
To say she was petrified was an understatement.
After she finished washing her hands, Sorn asked Tawan about Zong Yanxi.
Tawan said she was sleeping.
“I’ll go have a look.”
“Don’t,” Tawan insisted. “You’ll wake her up.”
“I’m just going to have a look. I won’t make any noise, don’t worry. Or you could come with me,” Sorn replied as she dragged her father along.
Sensing Tawan’s apprehension, Sorn added, “She’s already asleep. She won’t know!”
Without waiting for his reaction, she nudged him along the direction of Zong Yanxi’s room.
Tawan could not argue against her and just went along with her.
As she gently opened the door, Sorn gestured for Tawan to be quiet.
They gently tip-toed over to Zong Yanxi’s bedside. She was curled up into a ball and sleeping in what looked like an extremely uncomfortable position. Sweat could be seen dripping down her face profusely.
Her face looked like she was in immense agony.
A look of concern furrowed Sorn’s brows. Was she hot? It isn’t hot in here though. Why is she perspiring so much?
Zong Yanxi, still struggling in her nightmare, faintly saw a shadow through the light emanating from the fire. It was difficult to make out the person’s profile. All she could see was that he had a lanky build.
Using all the strength she could muster to get a firm grip on the person, she yelled as loudly as she could. “Save me! Please! Help me!”
Sorn stared blankly at her and turned to ask her father. “What is she saying?”
Tawan then registered that Zong Yanxi may be having a nightmare. Gently tapping her shoulders, he called out, “Ms. Zong.”
“Save me…”
All Zong Yanxi could see was the person nearing. His facial features were gradually becoming clearer. All she had to do was reach out and grab him…
Then her eyes flew open. Still panting, she finally woke up from her nightmare.
The first thing that she saw was Tawan’s chiseled visage studying her face earnestly, a look of concern etched on his face.
That definitely woke her up.
“You had a nightmare?” Tawan asked, with concern noticeable in his tone.
Zong Yanxi started to sit up, before realizing her hand was still tightly wrapped around his wrist. She hurriedly released her grasp before apologizing profusely.
“It’s fine.” Tawan fished out a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to her. “Here you go, use it to wipe your sweat.”
As Zong Yanxi held the handkerchief in her hand, she mulled over the nightmare she just woke up from. It had been a long time since she’s had such an intense dream.
The events in that unpleasant dream felt so genuine to the point it made her feel like she could still feel the burns left by the inferno.
Noticing that she was still stationary, Tawan reached out in an attempt to wipe the sweat on her forehead. The moment his finger came into contact with her forehead, Zong Yanxi recoiled in shock.
Taking in her reaction, Tawan’s hand froze in mid-air.
At that moment, their eyes met. Both of them were still recovering from that electrifying moment they just had.
The atmosphere was tense.
Upon realizing that his actions were rather abrupt, Tawan immediately pulled his hand back. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you.”
“It’s fine,” Zong Yanxi stated as she did her best to avoid eye contact. She wiped her sweat in a flustered manner in an attempt to conceal the commotion she felt on the inside. What the commotion was about, she too had no clue.
“I plucked some fruits. Sally went to rinse them. Come and join us!” Sorn declared.
Zong Yanxi instantaneously turned to look at her, all the while deliberately avoiding eye contact with Tawan. “Sure.”
Sorn beamed with pleasure and said, “We’ll wait for you outside.”
As soon as she finished her sentence, she took off, leaving Tawan and Zong Yanxi all alone in the room.
Silence ensued.
A wave of an inexplicable feeling came over the both of them.
Without having to vocalize their thoughts, it was as though they knew what to say.
Yet, it seemed like they were intentionally evading the situation.
“I…”
“You…”
Simultaneously, the two of them spoke, then paused, then spoke again.
“You go first…”
“You go first…”
Once again, they spoke at the same time.
Zong Yanxi took the liberty of breaking the ice first. She chuckled dryly, “Sorn is just too adorable.”
It was evident she was just trying to force a conversation.
Even though his expression was grim, Tawan lightly nodded.
All of a sudden, Zong Yanxi’s phone started to ring. “I’ll go and get that.”
Tawan motioned for her to go ahead and promptly left the room.
The call was from Gu Xian.
“You’re no longer in B City?” he began.
“Yes,” Zong Yanxi replied.
“No wonder I couldn’t locate you.”
“When did you return?” she asked.
“I just got back. I’m here to tender my resignation.”
Sensing the melancholy in his voice, she probed further. “Why?”
“My mom found out I was looking for him. She has since prohibited me from coming back.”
“Then…”
“Save it, please. She’s resolute about never mentioning this again. I don’t want to upset her.”
Zong Yanxi was not the kind to pressure Gu Xian into such things.
“Alright. If I get the chance, I’ll come and visit,” Zong Yanxi mumbled.
“Alright.”
They chatted for a while more before wrapping up the conversation.
Zong Yanxi had this nagging feeling that Gu Xian’s mom and Guan Jing probably had a dispute of some sort. Otherwise, why was she so against Gu Xian looking for his own father?
Since Gu Xian already made up his mind about it, there was no point in trying to reverse his decision. Just leave it up to fate, I guess. Besides, Guan Jing has a family of his own. Keeping him in the dark was not a bad idea.
After composing herself, she put on her shoes and stepped out of the room.
Sally was done preparing the fruits. Sorn was about to give Tawan a piece when she saw Zong Yanxi walking over. “Come quick! I want you to try the fruits that I plucked.” Sorn called out in excitement.
Zong Yanxi could not help but smile. “Are they sweet?”
“That goes without saying!” Sorn responded.
Zong Yanxi plopped herself down on the sofa and reached out to accept a piece from Sorn.
The flesh of the fruit was sweet and juicy.
“Wow, the fruits that are hand-picked by you truly taste sweeter than the store-bought ones!” she exclaimed after a taste.
Her comment made Sorn so happy she was grinning from ear to ear.
A child with such an infectious enthusiasm was bound to make those around her happy. Everyone could be seen smiling at her innocence.
Staring at a grinning Zong Yanxi from the side, a smile too surfaced on Tawan’s face. He reached out to tuck her hair behind her ear.
