Magical Abilities

The next stop that Dong Xu and Lin Xiao headed to after their drinking session was the new branch office. The two men were matched in their alcohol tolerance, but this didn't give them a reason to drive after they had consumed a considerable amount of alcohol without their vision going blurry. Dong Xu resolved to give Mickey a break and called for a cab instead.

The driver professionally let them off at the address given and didn't question why they were at an office at wee hours. Lin Xiao gladly swiped his card to pay for the ride.

"Next round, I'll pay for it," Dong Xu laughed gleefully, his cheeks a light shade of red from the alcohol rushing inside his bloodstream. The colouration of his cheeks was in fact misleading - it didn't reflect his level of awareness right now.

Lin Xiao smirked. He knew everything about what happened that day between Dong Xu and Feng Yiren, and how they had gotten drunk together although nothing out of character had occurred that second night at the hotel. While Dong Xu held his alcohol well with Lin Xiao, it had a paradoxical effect when he was with Feng Yiren. How Dong Xu had managed to get drunk on both occasions was well beyond Lin Xiao's knowledge. Hence, this aroused Lin Xiao's inquisitiveness about Feng Yiren's identity. She didn't seem to be an ordinary woman.

It was not like Dong Xu at all to even get drunk. It had happened on two notes - the first being the night before the time they had woken up lying next to each other in the hotel. Lin Xiao was entranced by what he didn't know about this woman who he perceived to have the ability to 'undo' Dong Xu. And the drafting of the terms contract that Dong Xu planned for the woman further confirmed his suspicions - he wanted her for himself. The contract was just a facade for him to trap her!

From the information Lin Xiao collected with his personal investigators aka spies, he didn't need to think further. Feng Yiren was totally distinct from the women Dong Xu had rejected since his adolescence. Regarding his teen idols, Ziming provided Lin Xiao with more than enough information. And the rest, Lin Xiao uncovered himself.

Aside from the information from the spies, Lin Xiao had his own ways of discovering, that was one of the secrets he was born with. It would complicate things for his best friend to know. Some secrets were meant to be kept hidden. Exposing them would do nobody any good, regardless if anyone believed them or not.

The truth was that he had a hidden ability that could achieve more than entering Feng Yiren's dreams as Dong Xu. Lin Xiao lived with this mystery ever since he was born. It was far too complex for anyone to understand.

They entered the elevator and Dong Xu walked like a sober person, flanked by Lin Xiao who took calm, big strides. Without Dong Xu showing him, Lin Xiao knew where to go and which was to enter Dong Xu's office, amusing his friend.

"It seems you know my taste too well," Dong Xu chuckled. Lin Xiao didn't reply.

They entered the CEO's semi-furnished office and sunk into the two ergonomic chairs located in the room. Lin Xiao's eyes darted about the room, as if seeking for any weaknesses of the CEO. Some glass jars containing ground coffee beans adorned the empty tables adjacent to the CEO's majestic desk.

As he had expected. The CEO could not live a day without his dark Kenyan roasts. Lin Xiao chuckled again. Soon, he would have another item to add to his list of things he couldn't go without. And that would be Feng Yiren. He laughed again to himself.

Dong Xu smote him with a cold remark. "You must be going insane to be laughing at yourself. Perhaps it's time you should see Dr Anderson."

Dr Anderson was Dong Xu's psychologist and also one of his friends. Lin Xiao hurriedly wiped the smile off his face.

"Sorry, I got distracted. So, where are we? What is that matter that you needed help with?"

"Investigate this man. All I can get about him is that he is a classmate of Feng Yiren. His name is Lan Ning."

Lin Xiao astounded Dong Xu abruptly with a playful punch on the arm when he was least expecting it. But Dong Xu appeared to be made of metal, and the hard punch didn't bother him at the least.

"Ah, friend. Got a love rival so quickly?"

Dong Xu just penetrated Lin Xiao with a supreme icy gaze.

Lin Xiao added, "You know I can't without knowing the actual story. I have principles. I can't just go spying on people without any reason!"

Dong Xu just batted an eye at his friend. Five seconds of silence ensued, and he appeared lost in his thoughts during that period. He was persevering, Lin Xiao thought.

Dong Xu then relayed to Lin Xiao what had occurred yesterday. He began with how he had arrived at the restaurant which his late parents owned, to be told that a wealthy young man had paid an ultimate sum of money to book the entire premises. Out of curiosity, he loitered around to find out the identity of the man. He then ran into Feng Yiren and just before he could strike a conversation with her about the contract, she vanished with the man.

He asserted his dominance over Feng Yiren.

"So dude, you admit your feelings for her now?"

"That is my secret, Lin Xiao. Whether I have feelings for her or not, she will be mine." He grinned confidently.

Lin Xiao placed his palms together and applauded him ceremoniously. Then he stiffened for a second as he felt a surge of energy drift through his body.

"Are you okay?" Dong Xu's worried voice alerted him, bringing to his attention that Dong Xu was peering at him concernedly.

He struggled to stand up, wiping away his sweat with his long sleeve. "Just an old ailment. I'll be fine after taking a breather outside."

His unexplained abilities came with a price. Lin Xiao struggled to return to reality, casting aside the series of images that were clouding his head. Why had this happened now? Pushing him into such pain while he was spending some time with his friend?

"I am Lin Xiao, not Linsheng. Everything that appeared in my mind just now is fake! I will prevail!" he yelled as loudly as he could, knowing he was far enough to be heard by Dong Xu.

Pain shot through his body, as if a punishment for using his powers. Right now, he didn't quite understand the abilities he had and the new images that he had just seen. For the past decade, he was able to perform things that couldn't be explained. But he had to be meticulous when using his abilities. He had used a small amount of what one called a life force when he attempted to make contact with Feng Yiren and entered her dreams magically transformed into Dong Xu's likeness. This life force was made up of his spiritual energy. Use too much of it and it could cost him his power. It might even be fatal.

It was a dumb move and caused him so much affliction. But this was linked to him discovering the entire truth about Dong Xu's past life. This included his own. As a child, Lin Xiao retained some fragments of the memories of his past identity. No amount of pain would keep him from sourcing for the truth.

Feng Yiren. He mumbled that name to himself under his breath. She had to have a connection with Dong Xu. Perhaps she was the key to the unknown truth. Right now, there was no exact way of knowing.