14 - Fang Takes Action

Fang remained silent and withdrawn for the rest of evening. He hardly ate any dinner, despite the urging from Ren.

Ren apologised profusely once again after dinner, when he went to wish Fang a good night.

"It's the truth, Master Ren," Fang said finally. "I did seduce rich men for money and I am dirty. There really is no need for you to apologise."

Ren was horrified. All the progress they'd made...the brightness, the confidence that Fang had gained...could it all be destroyed by Wade in a single evening?! Fang had finally been calling him Ren...

"No," Ren said firmly. "You know that's not the truth. If it was, would you have suffered so much?"

Fang remained silent and hung his head.

Ren knelt before him and peered up at his hidden face. "Fang... please look at me," he said earnestly. "Please."

The teenager's face was eerily blank and his eyes were frighteningly dull.

"You should send me back," Fang said softly. "I have no right to be here. Even more so of it offends your brother."

"Wade is a spoilt brat who I've indulged far too much for far too long. He had absolutely no right to speak to you like that and what he said was utter rubbish," Ren said quietly. "It is partly my fault that he's like that. I have no excuses for his abysmal behaviour. But I promise that you will have justice. You are completely innocent and I won't let anyone harm you. Give me a chance to make it right, Fang, please," Ren begged.

"I don't want to drive a wedge between you and your brother," Fang whispered.

"It wasn't you that drove the wedge," Ren replied.

Fang shook his head. "But it was because of me."

"No, it wasn't," Ren said firmly. "This was bound to happen sooner or later...now, I know that you like Wade...but Fang, this may not be the right time for you to consider dating him. Wade is a little... immature and selfish and insensitive. I believe he will grow out of it...but as he is now, I'm afraid it'll be harmful for you."

Fang stared at Ren, his mouth falling open in shock. "You...you think I like Wade?"

Ren frowned. "Er...don't you?"

"And... assuming I did like Wade...you'd let me date your precious little brother? Knowing my background...?" Fang asked.

"Well, of course," Ren said. "Wade would be lucky to date you. Anyone would be; you're an excellent young man!" He frowned again. "Fang...are you unaware that I think very, very highly of you?"

"I'm aware that you appreciate my brains," Fang said bitterly.

Ren chuckled. "Your brains are a part of you, you know? And I really do admire your brains very much. But there's so much more to you as well...and I honestly can't think of a single person in this world I'd rank higher than you in my eyes. And that's why I say that the person who wins your heart would be luckiest person in this world." Naturally, the Male Lead's heart was the biggest prize! However, as Ren thought of Wade and Fang together, something throbbed I'm his chest...as if his precious white cabbage was being dug up by a pig. He remembered Dr. Gordon's words and was inclined to agree... Fang really did deserve a better person than Wade.

Fang looked away. "Is that what you really think...?" he whispered.

"Of course," Ren said firmly.

"You don't think I'm dirty? That I'm damaged goods?" Fang refused to look at him.

A sharp pain pierced through Ren's heart.

"If you're dirty, then there's no one clean in the world," Ren told him. "Look at me and see for yourself if I'm lying."

When Fang finally looked at him, his purple eyes were glistening with moisture. and his thin figure was trembling.

Ren leaped up and hugged him. Fang buried his face on Ren's shoulder and cried silently while Ren rubbed soothing circles on his back to comfort him.

Finally, when Fang calmed down, he said hoarsely, "I don't like Wade."

A wave of relief washed over Ren.

"But I do like someone else," Fang continued.

Ren's heart clenched again. "Who?" he asked.

Fang evaded his eyes.

"Have you told them yet? Is it one of your classmates?" Ren pressed.

"I...I'm afraid to tell him..." Fang murmured.

"Give me his name, then. I'll have him investigated," Ren offered. And if this person turned out to have undesirable characteristics, well...it was not for nothing that Ren was a tyrannical CEO, was it?

Fang was startled. "... What?" he asked blankly, as if he couldn't believe what Ren had just said.

Ren's brow furrowed. "If you don't want me to interfere, I won't...but I think we should at least look into the person you're interested in. What of there's something wrong? I'll keep the investigation secret and non-invasive."

Fang gaped at him. "Why?"

"Because I don't want you to be hurt, of course," Ren said simply.

"You care about me that much?" Fang asked shakily

It was Ren's turn to look blank. "Fang...it can't possibly be news to you that I care about you...?"

The two young men stared at each other in silence.

Fang licked his lips nervously. "Ren...do you think I'm attractive?"

"Very much so," Ren replied honestly, unable to bear the doubt in the young man. "Once you grow a little taller and fill out a bit more, you'd have people mooning over you when you walk down a street." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm...in fact, when Dr. Gordon gives you a clean bill of health, would you consider modelling for Sirocco for a while? I don't think any of the models Pax showed me were as good as you. I'll pay you the standard market rates."

Fang stared at Ren with a strange expression. Then he strode forward, grabbed Ren's collar to pull his head down and kissed him.