Ru was left awfully irked by Ye Jie's call; not because of his words but rather his call itself that came as a bucket of cold water to sabotage her sleep. She was exasperatingly ruffling her short hair when her phone rang again. Her hand tightened around her cell phone as she stared at the caller id.
She attended the call and said in a courteous and professional tone, "Dear customer, your subscription to this channel has expired. Kindly, look for another channel to share your issues. Thank you!" She was very pleased with herself when she hung the call up again.
But the phone rang again in a minute making her scowl. Before she could say anything, she heard Ye Jie's strained voice, "If you went about the same bullsh*t again, I'm going to murder you."
Ru humphed at the other end. "What? What do you want now?" She asked in an enraged manner.
"Can't you keep your mood swings in check?" He asked politely.
"I can until people like you ruin my sleep." She retorted with a straight face. "Now, please do tell me what was left to tell me? Wasn't the dog food you served earlier enough?"
Ye Jie chuckled when she mentioned 'dog food'. "Aiyo! Our Ru'er is feeling jealous. That's a first." He conjured.
"Ha... Ha... Ha..." She gave a dry laugh making him roll his eyes. "First, I can't possibly be jealous. At least, not from you. Second, you very well know that these endearing acts or names annoy me and yet you said all that to make me feel obnoxious. Third, I do know that you're gonna ask for something. Therefore, don't waste your own and my time."
In fact, Ye Jie was more than familiar with the fact that Ru was raised in an atmosphere where feelings like jealousy were not allowed and she never learned it as well. As for love, it was something she only researched about but never got to experience it herself.
"Fine! I want your specially brewed Peach wine."
"Have you lost your mind? What gave it away that I'll actually share it with you?" She asked as if she was talking to an idiot.
"Well, it's not like you're going to drink it yourself. You said it yourself that you're bored of alcohol." Ye Jie reminded her.
"I'm bored of alcohol, not my peach wine." She argued.
"Don't try to wiggle your way out by playing the word game. Just give me some."
"Fine!" She grumbled. "But now if you disturbed me, I'll kill you."
"Wait!" She heard Ye Jie's hurried voice.
"Now what?" She asked.
"I'm at the First Emperor Hospital and Xu Mey asked her best friend, Lin Shen for help... You know about Azalea... He's inside her room checking her vitals and reports. It doesn't look good." Ye Jie informed her in a forlorn way.
"Huh! That's not fair. You never asked me for help. Even when you know that I'm unbeatable at tradition medicine." She complained in a dramatic way.
"If I asked would you have come back to the country? You don't even want to set your foot back here. How was I supposed to ask for help?"
"If you as my best friend had asked, I'd have come back no matter how much it killed me inside, I'd have come to help." She said.
"Then I'm asking you now... Ru'er please come back and help me wake up my sister... Because I know you can do that. And because you know how much I want her to wake up."
"Let's talk some other time." He heard her distant voice before she hung up the call.
"See! You avoided this matter. At least, tell me what did this place have done to you?" Ye Jie was talking to no one in particular.
Meanwhile...
"Aiya! Did he really had to request this?" Ru raked her fingers through her hair and chuckled, "Looks like I'll have to see that country all over again." She sighed loudly.
While she was still immersed in pondering about her next course of action, her phone rang again making her grown. She glanced at the phone screen and couldn't help saying, "This husband and wife are really hellbent on annoying me today."
"Hello!" She changed her voice texture and answered the phone.
"How are you Sensei?" Xu Mey asked in a soft voice.
'I'm pissed off!' Of course, she couldn't say it out loud to her. She clenched her hands into tight fists to bridle her anger. "I'm absolutely fine but I'm sure, you didn't call to ask about my well-being."
"Sensei..." Xu Mey's voice turned gentler as if she was hesitating. On the other end, Ru kept her patience and waited for Xu Mey to continue. "I think I'm falling in love with Ah Jie..."
When Ru heard 'Ah Jie' from Xu Mey she realized the reason for Ye Jie's hyperbole. He wasn't being an extrovert. The way Xu Mey said 'Ah Jie' really felt like she had deposited all her affection, love and trust into that one name. "Is it a bad thing?" Ru asked in her languid tone.
"I'm not sure... I'm really confused." Xu Mey replied.
"Does he bring you peace?" Ru asked.
"He does... He makes me feel at ease. It's almost like I can be myself, throwing away all the facades."
"You must have heard that when you feel confused, look for peace. Right now, you only need to focus on the fact that even if Ye Jie confuse you, he is also the one to bring peace to you. So, keep that in mind and just walk ahead." Ru took a pause and said, "If it's unknown whether this fall breaks you or not, then why not just jump with the belief that maybe... Just maybe, it will be an endless abyss that won't be able to break you."
Xu Mey contemplated the words for a while and said, "Sensei, did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed?"
Ru had a deja vu moment. 'Do they have to be so in sync?' She thought to herself. "Let's just say that I did."
"I am such a nuisance, right? I always end up troubling you with my worries when they have nothing to do with you. But Sensei, I have a favor to ask." Xu Mey was reflecting on the fact that she had to disturb her Sensei all the time.
"What's the favor?" Ru asked with interest disregarding her other words.
"I need you to come back to the country for that. Please, Sensei! Azalea... I'm sure you know about Azalea... She needs your help." Xu Mey pleaded.
"Didn't you ask your best friend, Lin Shen for help?" Ru asked with amusement.
"I know Shen-Ge's reply. I have done my research very well. I just didn't want Ah Jie to feel disappointed."
"What gives you the courage that I'll be able to help her?"
"Sensei, you brought me back to life when you're just 12 years old. If your talent in traditional medicine was at that level during that period then I hardly need to think twice about your monstrous talent now." Xu Mey remembered clearly when she met her Sensei, she was heavily injured and even had poison in her body but still, her Sensei managed to save her.
"Let's see about that. Mey-Ai..." There was a pause before Ru spoke again. "Look inside your heart and if you can't find your husband in there then don't bother looking anywhere else." The call disconnected after that.
"I can't even say no to my best friend, how can I say no to the person he loves the most? His precious Junior, I'll listen to you. This friendship is really expensive." Ru was talking to herself. Sitting at the hard and cold floor, she looked around and finally, picked up her jacket to leave to leave the room.