THE PEOPLE IN HIS PRESENT LIFE SEEM TO BE HIS KARMA FROM HIS PREVIOUS LIFE

Su Yang sat at a bus stop opposite The French Red Wine Pub, chewing gum and staring into space. Her attire was the same as earlier. With sunglasses and headset still intact. The only difference from earlier was that she has ditched the baseball cap.

"Hey," A voice called out to her.

"Shit!" She cursed. "What do you want now?" Su Yang asked without looking up at Xuan Tianmei.

Without being asked, Xuan Tianmei sat herself down beside Su Yang. "When I returned home, Xuan Tianyi was in a very bad mood. When he left, I guessed he came here. Considering what happened the last time he was here, I thought he might need my protection..."

Su Yang shook her head. Waiting for Xuan Tianmei to finish.

Xuan Tianmei laughed nervously. "You're already here though. So I guess he doesn't need me."

"No, he doesn't." Su Yang's words were forceful but spoken calmly. "He doesn't need your protection, sweetheart. See? With me, I'm a professional bodyguard and he does need me but you; you're only his sister. It isn't your job to protect him, it's your job to love him unconditionally."

Xuan Tianmei opened her mouth to speak but Su Yang immediately shunned her. "Shut up and don't say a word."

Xuan Tianmei dropped her head in sobriety.

"Look at how much he's hurting. Because of your so-called protection."

"I messed up, didn't I?"

"Yes, you did." Su Yang suddenly chuckled. Then continued. "But I don't think it's your fault. Your whole family is messed up. Scheming, lying and manipulating. The only exception seems to be Xuan Tianyi. He has a heart of gold."

Xuan Tianmei looked at Su Yang but said nothing.

Su Yang continued. "Well, Hua Zhendan is okay too. But he seems to be one of those people who trouble looks for."

Xuan Tianmei finally spoke. "How?"

"Well, I'm not supposed to be a secret from your brother. And he didn't intend for me to be. But somehow, it winded up that way. That's just one example."

Both parties fell silent for a minute.

"Shit!" Su Yang cursed, then laughed. As if something unbelievable had just happened.

"Shit!" Su Yang cursed again.

"What happened?" Xuan Tianmei asked. Curious.

"Your fucking brother with the heart of gold. He just stole someone's phone."

"What? Why? You can see him?"

"Of course, I can see him." Su Yang rolled her eyes under the eyeglasses. Suddenly, she took off the shade and handed it over to Xuan Tianmei. "Here. Look."

Xuan Tianmei placed the sunglasses over her eyes and laughed in astonishment. "Wow! This is amazing. You can clearly see the inside of the pub."

"Of course." Su Yang muttered. "What did you think? That I was wearing Sunglasses at this time of the night because of the moon?"

Xuan Tianmei took off the glasses and gave them back to Su Yang. "They're amazing."

Su Yang chuckled. "I know."

"So, is it like a binocular or something?"

"You're silly." Su Yang chuckled. "I placed several cameras inside the bar the first time Xuan Tianyi came here so I can see him properly from outside." She tapped a circle on the left frame of the shade that could have been easily mistaken for an ordinary design. "I use this button to switch between cameras." Su Yang tapped a similar button on the other side. "I use this to switch to the camera on his phone."

"Amazing."

Xuan Tianmei's smile was so broad, Su Yang thought her mouth could break from it. She continued. "This bar isn't the only place I have cameras. When I press the left button at any location, if I have cameras there, using its inbuilt Wi-Fi, the glasses automatically connect to the cameras there when I'm within a certain distance."

"Do you have cameras at our house?"

Su Yang threw her a glance. "There's one outside your apartment."

"And inside?" Xuan Tianmei asked inquisitively.

Su Yang replied. "There are certain places I regard as a safe zone. Those are places I'm almost completely sure he can't be physically harmed. They are your apartment, Boss's apartment and certain places in the company. For example, the Boss's office. These zones don't have cameras fixed in them. I hardly even ever use his phone camera when he's in any of those places. I just listen to voices through his microphone when it's important."

"Wow! You're amazing." Xuan Tianmei's eyes sparkled in admiration for Su Yang.

Su Yang laughed, then replied, "I know."

They both fell into silence for a minute.

Xuan Tianmei broke the silence. In a sober voice, she asked, "President Hua really cares for my brother, doesn't he?"

"He does." Su Yang nodded. "And your brother really cares for him as well."

Xuan Tianmei sighed. After a short silence, she asked, "Do you think they would both be okay?"

Su Yang shrugged. "I don't know. But I pity them. Love can be hard sometimes."

"Tell me, do you have a boyfriend?"

Su Yang shook her head. "No."

"So, are you attracted to men or women?"

"None."

"Huh?"

"I'm open to either, I guess. But I don't think I'm a relationship person."

"Eish." Xuan Tianmei complained.

"What?"

"No-one would agree to go out with you as long as your hair is like this."

Su Yang rolled her eyes.

"Here. I brought a hairbrush in case I bumped into you again."

"What are you going to do with it?"

"Brush your hair."

Su Yang bit her tongue in annoyance. "Look," She pointed into the distance to Xuan Tianmei's 

Xuan Tianmei turned to the left to look.

Su Yang swiftly and accurately struck the pressure point in her neck to knock her out. Xuan Tianmei immediately lost consciousness.

***

"Hua Zhendan." Xuan Tianyi's speech was slurred as he spoke into the phone.

"Xuan Tianyi?" Hua Zhendan asked for the sake of clarity.

"Hua Zhendan, you asshole." Xuan Tianyi spat angrily into the phone. His speech still slurred.

Xuan Tianyi raised a brow in amusement. "Are you drunk?" He asked.

"No..." Xuan Tianyi muttered.

"Whose number is this?"

"Some person." Xuan Tianyi reduced his voice to a whisper. "I stole it."

"Why didn't you just call me with yours?"

"I don't have airtime. Plus, you're an asshole. Why would I waste my airtime on you?"

"What did I do?"

"Ask yourself. We didn't even break up officially yet and you're already back with your ex."

"I'm not... How did you... Are you drunk?"

"No. You broke my heart."

"You broke my heart." Hua Zhendan returned his accusation.

"How? What did I do?"

"At the canteen today, you acted like you didn't know me. Honestly, I was half-expecting you to walk over to my table and slap me dirty. That's what my Xuan Tianyi would do."

"Pffft. Why would I fight for you when you don't want me anymore?"

"Why would you think I don't want you anymore?"

"You didn't call me. Why didn't you call me?"

"Because you didn't call me. Why didn't you call me?"

"I called you alright."

Hua Zhendan's ears perked up. "When?"

"After the last time we saw. The very next day."

"I didn't see your call."

"I know. Your mum deleted it. She asked me not to call you again."

"And?"

"She told me you were sick. That you have a heart problem. She said that you can't handle this whole situation so I had to make a decision for both of us. I had to leave you and I had to be the one to break us up."

"My goodness." Hua Zhendan massaged his forehead. "And you let her into your head?"

"You didn't tell me you were sick."

Hua Zhendan sighed. "We can't discuss this on the phone. Can you come over to my place?"

"No."

"Why?"

"If I see you, I might not be able to control myself. I can't be with you anymore. You're my brother."

Hua Zhendan paused before speaking. "Come over, let's talk about it, okay?"

"No, I can't. It's so wrong."

"Where are you? I'll come meet you."

"No. Don't come."

"Why?"

"Because I told you I'm not drunk. But I'm dead drunk and I can't even walk."

"Why did you drink so much?"

"Because I miss you and wanted to hear your voice. I wouldn't have the courage to call you if I were sober."

"Where are you?"

The phone beeped in Xuan Tianyi's ears. "Oopsie. Low battery. I have to go. If I'm not sober when I get up from here, I'll steal another person's phone and call you."

Before Hua Zhendan could say another word, the call was disconnected from Xuan Tianyi's end. Cursing, he immediately dialed Su Yang's phone number. "Where's he?" He asked as soon as she picked up.

"At The French Red Wine Pub."

"Why did you let him drink so much?"

"How was I supposed to stop him?"

Hua Zhendan paused thoughtfully. He then said, "You know what, never mind. Try to keep him there. I'm coming."

"I have a problem." Su Yang muttered.

Hua Zhendan rubbed his temple. "What problem?"

"His sister is here."

"What?"

"It's a long story."

"Cut it short."

"Last night, Xuan Tianyi was drugged at this bar."

"Shit."

"I took him home. And she saw me."

"And you just told her who you are?"

"Of course not. But she overheard me having a conversation that exposed my identity. Since then, she hasn't given me any breathing space. It's almost like she's stalking me."

Hua Zhendan sighed. "And what makes you think she won't tell him?"

"I threatened her life."

"And you believe that would work?"

"She hasn't told him yet."

Hua Zhendan drew a deep breath. "Give her the phone. Let me speak to her."

"Actually, she was disturbing me so I knocked her out."

"You knocked her out." Hua Zhendan reiterated. So Su Yang would realize what her words actually meant.

"She didn't give me much of a choice. Not only was she talking my ear off, but she was also asking silly questions."

"Look, I'm in my car now. I'll be there in an hour. More or less. Keep an eye on both of them."

"Yes, sir." She said and disconnected the call.

Hua Zhendan shook his head sadly. The people in his present life seem to be his karma from his previous life.