Insomnia
Chapter 26: Insomnia.
"How was your day?" This was the first thing Li wei asked Ling Yue as soon he started the car. Ling Yue was quite for few seconds before telling him about her day and inquiring about his. This was the first time some one asked how her day went and she didn't know how to put it exactly, but her heart felt a weird tingle, as if something was soothing it. Whatever it was, for the moment she liked it.
"Are you attending the conference this Thursday?" Since there were not many things to talk about, Li Wei thought of this topic and know her schedule beforehand.
"Ah yes. I will attend it as the representative's assistant" Ling Yue was aware of the conference and also about the competing companies. Though Z Heights and Li corps were not among those competing companies, they were among the judging panel and were to decide which company to chose. She generally wouldn't attend these because they were not very important that the president has to attend, but there was a mental asylum in the construction area and this was her best opportunity to get her enemies out of their bill.
"Oh.. The Su corps is also competing.." Li Wei said somewhat dubiously. He thought she would be upset or angry but she seems not affected at all. Did she know about it or not?
"Hmm.. It doesn't matter. I no more care about them. Nor they care about me. And actually, they don't even recognize me now." Ling Yue was not going there to get a revenge on Su family. Su family was nothing compared to the power she currently held. She was there for a bigger target. Li Wei didn't need to get into that mess because of her so she kept mum.
"What do you feel about your parents?" Li Wei has been always pampered and showered with love. He never felt what it feels to be abandoned. Ling Yue thought for a moment before responding.
"Nothing. They are just my sperm donor and egg donor. They never played the role father and mother in life. So I just feel nothing. Initially I did feel anger, resentment and disgust, but slowly I learnt to let it go. Holding on to it will only make me suffer more" Ling Yue remembered that she just six when her parents finally thought of abandoning her than torturing her. Though the feeling of being unwanted was suffocating, she was happy that they abandoned her, or she wouldn't have been what she is today.
Li Wei gave her a side glance before focusing his gaze back on road. They didn't continue the talk any further. Though the car ride was silent, it was comfortable. Soon they reached home and Li Wei was again invited for dinner. Ling Yue was astounded perceiving that she could actually let someone into her house so often. But since she now felt comfortable with Li Wei she thought of embracing there new friendship instead of closing herself like she always did.
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"You read a lot." This was not a question, but a statement. Li Wei didn't see what's inside the second bedroom yesterday but today he got the chance and was benumbed to see another room full of books. How can someone read so much?
"I used to have severe insomnia before. These books kept me company." It was true. It was not like she was a bookworm. Her insomnia was so bad that she could barely sleep an hour or two. And those few hours too were haunted by nightmares. These books captivated her and even without sleep she was somehow able to manage.
"What about now? Is your insomnia gone now?" Li Wei didn't know a lot about her but he can guess that she must have gone through a lot after her parents abandoned her.
"No. But it is not as bad as before." Yes, it was not as bad as before. But she was still haunted by nightmares. Li Wei, didn't need to know about that so she didn't tell him much about it.
Li Wei didn't stay long and went to his flat after inviting her for breakfast the next morning. Ling Yue assented before bidding him good bye.
Li Wei entered is room and threw himself on bed as his mind went back to the mystical ring. He would soon know more about it.
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beep..beep...beep..
Liu Shan just came out of his bathroom after taking a shower when his phone beeped, indicating a notification. He wanted to smash the phone in his hand as he looked at the message. What the hell? The message was sent by his childhood 'friend' - Li Wei.
Message: 'Make sure the ring is safe and sound. Keep it close to you.' - Li Wei.
What on earth does this ring have that Li Wei was pressing so much on this matter. He looked at the ring on his finger. It was too old and has long lost it's lustre. The red ruby embedded was the only thing that was attractive. But that was just a ruby. There were many like that. He seriously doubted that so called 'reliable' source his friend talked about.
He took a deep breath to calm himself. His friend was more worried about a ramshackle ring than his friend. Sigh. He dried his hair before turning off the lights and going to bed.
Few hours into the night, the ring shone again. The faint red light cast a faint melancholic glow in the bedroom but the owner of the room did not wake up, neither was the light from the red ruby directed towards the owner. Rather the ring slowly turned itself towards the open window and red light slowly tone downed after shining for few seconds.
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"Rem, you b-believe me, right? I d-don't know how this happened." Xenxi's voice broke as she spoke. Tears filled her eyes and blurred her vision as she looked at Rem. But Rem looked at her with disdain and disgust. The sight of the woman he always wanted to hold in his arms, close to his heart now repelled him.
"Hah..do you even know how funny you are sounding right now? Believe you? No. I don't trust a shameless and despicable woman like you. Get out and don't appear in front of me ever again." Rem's dark tone reverberated through the room piercing Xenxi's heart akin to a sharpened sword aimed the enemies neck.
She stood there in disbelief as she looked into Rem's eyes. Those eyes which used to look at her tenderly now looked at with her with abhorrence and unconcealed hatred. Hatred. This was what everyone treated her with. Except him, her beloved. But at this moment he didn't feel like her beloved anymore.
"So you don't love me anymore. Huh?" Xenxi asked in a voice which she thought was steady.
"Love? Are capable of loving someone? I was a fool to love you before, but not anymore. Now I can see why people hate you. You deserve to be hated." Rem didn't not know the weight of his words, or perhaps he knew but didn't care. Words are like arrows. Once released, cannot be taken back.
His words broke Xenxi's heart and scarred her soul. She wasn't capable of loving someone? She deserved to be hated? Hah.. She chuckled dejectedly as she remembered of the time they spent together. What happened to those promises of cherishing each other, to love till the end of the time, to protect one another? Seems like those were now empty promises.
Fine. He wanted her out of his life. Then so be it. She will leave. She has lived alone before, she will survive alone again. She will not beg for anyone's love. She refused to give up on her self-respect and left his room.
Rem watched her lonely back as she disappeared from his sight. He wanted to go after her, but his ego didn't let him do it. Rem wasn't aware that this moment of hesitation, a decision taken under the influence of anger, ego and pride would cost him the life of his beloved.
This moment where he hurt his beloved, the woman who loved him with all her heart and soul, would bestow him with a life filled with, guilt, regret, and many sleepless nights haunted by the sight of Xenxi dying helplessly in fire.
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Li Wei jolted awake, his heart racing and his forehead drenched in sweat. He sat up in bed, panting heavily, trying to catch his breath. It took a moment for him to realize that it was just a dream—a vivid and haunting dream that left him with a heavy sense of sadness and regret.
He tried to remember the dream before it would slip away from his consciousness. But just like every other night, he couldn't remember their faces. They were all blurred and they spoke in a language he didn't know but somehow understood what they spoke. The only thing he could clearly see were Xenxi's light blue eyes filled with pain and disbelief.
Li Wei took a deep breathe to calm himself. With ring or without ring, these dreams still haunted him.
As Li Wei was struggling to get a hold of him he heard a delicate and enchanting melody which seems to hold the power to soothe his heart and soul.
Li Wei got down of his bed made his way into the balcony. There he saw Ling Yue seated on a swing in her balcony adjacent to his with her back facing him and playing the flute. Seems like she wasn't able to sleep too. He didn't disturb her and watched her play the flute.
The moonlight bathed Li Wei's face, casting a gentle glow on both the balconies. The full moon night was mesmerising, with it's zephyr brushing Ling Yue's face causing her hair strands to dance along the breeze, with Li Wei's affectionate gaze lingering on Ling Yue's figure.
The scene looked romantic, two people under the moon, one playing a flute, while the other bewitched, yet the distance between them made the night melancholic.