Ru's forgot all about her hunger as she abruptly stood up with her eyes stuck on that very familiar face. Before she could feel the happiness of this reunion, a sudden flash of memory made her whole body tremble.
While she was going through an emotional breakdown, the person staring back at her held the look of disbelief mixed with happiness. As soon as he got over his surprise, he practically just jumped down and landed right before Ru.
"Ru?" his emotions were mixed up along with his feelings when he softly said her name and tears pooled into his clear blue eyes.
Ru's hands clenched into fists as she stared blankly at him and said, "Rong."
Yes, the person standing before her was the real Rong. He was the reason behind why she took the identity of Xie Rong. It was a reminder of him.
A smile bloomed on Rong's face when she called out his name and as he lifted his arms to hug her, he heard a voice which made him halt.
"Ru? What are you doing here?"
Instinctively, Ru turned around to look at the person who called her and so did Rong. But as soon as Xiao Zhiren came in view, Ru lost her look of anger while Rong's eyes raged with fury.
"Not him again!" Ru heard from Rong and turned to look at him questioningly. But while she was turning, Rong had already moved with a swoosh and ended up throwing a punch at Xiao Zhiren's face without holding back.
Seeing the blood coming out of Xiao Zhiren's mouth, Ru was stuck for a moment but just as Rong lifted his hand to throw another punch, Ru held his fist in her hand and glared at him.
"Let go!" said Rong in a warning tone.
"Touch him again and I'll kill you right here without even thinking," replied Ru without hesitation.
Rong dropped his hand by his side and looked at her with a strange expression. He looked hurt but not surprised at he said in a language that only Ru could understand there, "It's been a decade and you're still protecting him? I thought you acted like a fool on the spur of the moment back then but it seems like you have really turned into a fool."
"The person who pulled the triggered at my heart doesn't deserve to judge my actions," replied Ru in the same way.
Rong's brows furrowed together as he heard her words. He looked confused. But the memory she got back was from the same moment when she was shot. For the very first time, she finally saw whose hand it was that pulled the trigger of that gun. But it wouldn't be wrong to say that she truly felt betrayed and hurt when that hand turned out to be of the person standing right before her eyes.
Before Rong could make sense of what she was saying, Ru had already dropped all her facade and turned into the devil she was known for. Without thinking, she took off her shoes and ran towards Rong to attack. Any normal person would have never avoided her attack. One could barely see her moving with her nimble movements. However, Rong avoided every single strike of hers with ease.
While they both were immersed in their own fight, a huge crowd had gathered at the side to look at them.
"Ren Ge, ask your girlfriend to stop. She'll hurt my fiance," Xiao Zhiren who was trying to keep up with their fight heard Ji Caihong's pleading.
"I would if I knew what's really going on," said Xiao Zhiren.
"She looks like a pro," remarked Ji Syaoran in appreciation as he leisurely munched on the snacks. He was the only person who wasn't feeling apprehensive. "Actually, they both look like perfect partners with each of them knowing the style of fighting each of them had. How amazing!"
Meanwhile, in between exchanging the blows, Rong said, "You do know that this fight is pointless, right?"
"Pointless? I don't think so. I should get to push you to the edge of death like you did to me!" Ru's voice raised without her even realizing it at all.
Hearing her words, Rong stopped resisting her attacks and let her punch her like she wanted to. But when he didn't resist, it annoyed Ru even more as she held his collar and glared at him saying, "Why aren't you fighting back?!"
"You said it yourself that I should go through exactly what you went through," saying that he pulled out a gun from somewhere and pushed it into her hand and went on, "Go on, shoot it right at my heart. At this point, I don't give a damn about my life. The only thing I've been living for was to know that you're alive and well. Since I know now, let's end this. Please, I beg you. Just do me this favor already."
Ru pointed the gun at his chest but even with all her will power, she couldn't bring herself to pull that damn trigger. It was like all of her body was resisting. In annoyance, she threw the gun to the sea.
This time, Rong held the back of her neck and said, "If you the mighty, ruthless Young Master Ru can't bring herself to pull that trigger. How can you even believe that I, Xia Rong will have the courage to shoot you?" He shook her arms and added, "I don't know why do you think that I tried to kill you but..." he pointed in the direction of Xiao Zhiren and went on, "I'm never letting that trouble walk back into your life. Not now, not ever! Even if I have to die myself, I'll keep you away from him to keep you alive."
"What nonsense are you spouting? What does Zhiren have to do with this all?" Ru's mind was feeling a serious headache now from his words. She had never felt this confused before in her life ever.
Rong was exasperated as he looked into Ru's eyes and asked, "Ru, don't you dare say that you don't remember why I got to the point of holding that gun?"
"What if I say, I really don't?" retorted Ru blankly.
"So you don't even remember that the start of our misery was him?"
Ru's eyes widened again as she looked at Rong and shifted her eyes to Xiao Zhiren who stood at a distance with an ice pack against his cheek. Ru might not know where all of this was going but she did know that she didn't like it one bit.