18 Can I Stay?

Xue Guangli walked from Uncle Chen's home, signing some papers. She was officially the co-owner of Summer-Autumn along with her sisters.

She felt some relief as it was now it was, rightfully, restored to them.

Long Huojin's agency helped them exceptionally. But what puzzled her was when she received the bill from the agency she had to pay for, it said there were no charges or expenses. So she decided to call Xue Teegan as she walked home.

Xue Teegan had gone to one of the stores while Xue Guangli made her way home.

"Teegan, did you pay the bill?" she asked her. If it wasn't Teegan, she was afraid it was someone else...but why? She hoped that Teegan had done it already.

"Erm...Yes. Yes, I did." Xue Teegan responded over the phone; her voice changed, and she almost sounded unnatural.

"All right, that's all I needed to know." Xue Guangli hung up the call.

Xue Guangli kept walking, but she felt someone follow her. She paused and began to walk again. But the presence was persistent.

It was dark, and she whirled around to see the space around her. It was quiet, and no one was around. The streets lit with yellow lighting, and it was difficult to see anything.

Xue Guangli kept walking home, but her heart raced. She could feel it even though she couldn't see it.

She ended up around the corner of her neighbourhood. Large gates surrounded the community, so security let her in. The person managed to keep walking in behind her, as he was allowed through since the security guard got distracted. She then kept walking until she saw her house.

Her sisters weren't home.

Xue Guangli jogged into the house, the door opened without a key, and she let herself in, closing it shut behind her.

Inside, she saw Long Bolin stare at her, confused.

"Sorry for barging into your house unannounced. Is your brother home?"

Long Bolin nodded. He wore clothes for sleep, but he had a set of headphones resting over his shoulders. Long Bolin was quiet, but he looked like his brother. However, unlike Long Huojin, Long Bolin has beautiful curly hair swept over his eyes, making him look younger than he is; his blue eyes were also bright, not pale.

Soon after, Long Bolin returned with Long Huojin. Long Huojin was also wearing casual clothing. He wore a dark-blue long sleeve shirt that hugged the upper half of his body, and sweatpants that hung low, revealing some of his skin in between. He also wore his glasses, which he did not often wear in public.

Long Huojin approached her. "Is everything all right?" he asked.

"Wait. Are you two friends?" Long Bolin asked, interrupting; his jaw hung open. Long Huojin glared at him, and his younger brother retreated, going to the living room.

Xue Guangli rubbed her arms from the chill. "I'm okay, Long Huojin. Is your parents home?"

"They're sleeping," he said.

Xue Guangli sighed in relief. She didn't feel like intruding on his family. "You said if I needed anything to come see you...and I think someone was following me."

Long Huojin looked at her, worryingly. "Are your sisters home?"

Xue Guangli smiled grimly, shaking her head. She liked that he was worried about them too.

Long Huojin approached a window, pushing aside the blinds and saw nothing. "Come with me," he said.

Long Huojin led Xue Guangli up their grand staircase that parted ways at the top; there was an east and west wing of the house. Long Huojin's room was on the east wing whereas his parents were on the west.

They stepped into his bedroom; everything was the same, but it looked bigger than from what she remembered. His room was huge with a bed against the wall in the middle and a canopy with drapes.

He also had a couch, television, and three computer screens. He had three large windows in his room with curtains, but the one that looks directly into her room wasn't covered. Long Huojin turned on the lamps of his room, illuminating it dimly.

Long Huojin sat in front of his computer screens. He placed another chair next to him and gestured her to sit next to him.

Xue Guangli closed the bedroom door behind her, stepping in and settling herself.

Long Huojin logged into a program that had cameras. "I have access to the outdoor security cameras of our entire block. After all, it was Long Group that owns the security systems."

He was right. Long Group created the technology behind their home security, and it was one of the best.

He revealed the footage of the person following her. He was hooded and fully clothed, covering the features of the person's face and hair. Since it was dark, and the images were in greyscale, it didn't reveal much.

"He's long gone," Long Huojin said. "But that doesn't mean I won't look into it," he took out his phone and called someone. After he finished, he said, "Someone is going to come over within the next few days and update your security system. The company will cover it, so don't worry about it."

Xue Guangli wasn't sure how to accept his kindness, so she nodded instead.

"Do you think this has anything to do with my father?" she asked.

Long Huojin sighed. "I think so," he said. "Do you want me to walk you inside your home?"

Xue Guangli thought for a moment. "Can I stay here?" she asked.

Long Huojin stilled.

Xue Guangli flushed at what she said. "I...I mean until my sisters get home," she said.

Long Huojin nodded. "I don't mind," he responded. "Do you like card games?"

"I'm not very good at them," she said. "But I would like to try."

Soon after, Long Huojin rose and grabbed a deck of cards from his desk. He then sat on empty space of the soft rug, Xue Guangli followed and sat across him.

He laid out the desk on the rug, and he slowly taught her the rules of the game. They tested the first round to see if she caught along. When she was confused, he re-explained the rules patiently. As the game progressed, they became more competitive, but Xue Guangli was catching up quickly, and she felt thrilled.

Long Huojin laughed as they reached the climax of the game, but not in a teasing manner; he was enjoying himself. Xue Guangli's breath caught at his smile. She was wondering why she felt so conscious of him all of a sudden. But she shook the thoughts away.

After a few rounds of the game, Xue Guangli slumped onto the rug, laughing. They ended up having a tie throughout the rounds until she gave up.

"You're a quick learner," he said.

Xue Guangli propped herself up with an elbow, smiling. "And you're quite the competitor," she responded.

Something from behind Long Huojin caught her eye. It was his violin in a glass case. "Do you still play often?" she asked him.

Long Huojin shook his head. "I still practice, but not as often. It had always been a hobby," he admitted.

Xue Guangli rose and approached it, looking at the string instrument hang in the glass case. Long Huojin had stepped ahead of her, unlatching it, taking it out. He lifted it and handed it to her.

As she held it, she used one of her hands to slide her fingers over the smooth polished wood. She looked at it, mesmerized. "It's so beautiful," she said aloud.

Xue Guangli admired anyone who could play an instrument well. It required years of practice, memory, and commitment.

She passed it back to Long Huojin. He hung it in the case again. Long Huojin would have played for her if his parents weren't home.

Afterward, Long Huojin sat on his couch and flipped on the television screen. Xue Guangli awkwardly walked and sat next to him, inches apart.

He placed on a historical drama, one that she liked.

"I haven't seen the lastest episode yet!" she said.

Long Huojin looked at her astonishingly. "You watch this one?"

Xue Guangli nodded. "Mhm."

Xue Guangli was watching the latest episode of her favourite drama with Long Huojin when ten minutes in, she heard a car pull up in the driveway next door: her sisters were home.

Xue Guangli could go home, but she didn't want to leave in the middle of the episode. So she took the remote and turned up the volume, continuing to watch.

Long Huojin had to calm his pounding chest. Xue Guangli had casually taken his remote, using it.

Afterward, she stretched out her legs and laid down, into a comfortable position without touching him. Her relaxation made him feel a burst of joy. She had ignored the fact that her sisters were home to finish the drama with him.

Half an hour later, when the episode finished, he said to her, "I'll walk you outside."

Xue Guangli rose and followed him outside. He walked her to the front porch of her home.

"Thank you for tonight," Xue Guangli said to him.

Long Huojin smiled. Xue Guangli faced him, and unconsciously, she reached up and took his glasses from his face.

Long Huojin looked down at her, his eyes deepening. Xue Guangli smiled. "You look better without them," she said casually. "But you don't look too bad with them." She placed it back on the bridge of his nose. Afterward, she went back inside.

Damn this woman! Long Huojin felt like Xue Guangli was purposefully stirring his heart, but he knew, she wasn't. It was Xue Guangli being Xue Guangli, but it's as if every little thing she does, is enough to make him want her, more and more.