Light Years Away

Story of best friends, Kang Sola and Xue Guangxi, as they traverse their journey through adulthood, amidst conflicting choices and internal issues within themselves and from their past. Will they be able to resolve their personal struggles and find a common ground towards happiness? Will they have to compromise to achieve it? Will they end up together and overcome the threshold of their friendship into lovers or remain as platonic friends and each other's family? ---- She balled her fists, getting ready to punch the man in the face if the situation requires. They are, after all, alone in the room. Sometimes she forgets that Xue Guangxi was of the opposite gender – a man more than capable of beguiling innocent women when he sets his mind to the task. ‘Perhaps he had been gone for too long that I had forgotten how his charms work. That fact never left my head, but experiencing it firsthand… Well, Nah!!!’ She tried to shake whatever silliness her mind entertains despite her prudence. But what her neutral poker face could hide, her berserkly widened eyes could not conceal. Nevertheless, even if he noticed, the young man did not point it out. He was more concerned and occupied by other matters. Matters of far greater importance… …For example, her safety. She blinked several times, trying to disrupt the connection their locked gazes somehow managed to forge. She bowed her head, still blinking, and darted her lowered gaze to the floor. She straightened up her sitting position and swatted both of the man’s hands on her shoulders without force. But Xue Guangxi held her in place. “Look at me.” “What is it now, Guangxi?” She whispered. Her voice, thin and fragile and barely audible. Perhaps more from the earlier adrenaline pushed a blush on her face. Perhaps, it wasn’t the adrenaline to be blamed. She tried to swat his hands for the second time, but his grip only tightened, making his point more pronounced. Either he obeys or she does. Most of the time, Xue Guangxi always gave in to Kang Sola’s whims. Even when his temper wasn’t too great to be proud of, at the end of every argument, he lets the girl win. But in this instance, he wanted to be more assertive. “You always make me worry, Sola.” He breathed with all solemnity, like a prayer. The clasp of his hands on her shoulders tightened. She could feel it. She winced. Then, without further ceremony or introduction, he pressed her into a tight embrace, full of concern. Any person would be able to discern if a form of skinship was of sincere nature or not. Kang Sola could tell his was of genuine care and concern for her. “You are far more delicate than you think. God, Sola!” He cradled her head with his right hand placed just above her nape. Some of her balayage locks laced his manly fingers. ---- Other Info: Light story about friendship, family, love, and adulting. No offensive, dark themes (just the backstory, hehe), **Can be considered the second book after Milady's Fine Gentleman, but the story is stand-alone. Reference to the first novel is minimal if not only shown in the backstory. BUT THERE WILL BE SPOILER FOR MILADY'S FINE GENTLEMAN (It's inevitable, sorry)** "You are my sun, my moon, and all of my stars" -E.E. Cummings "Just like the moon, I go through phases." -Angie Weiland Crosby "Only in the darkness can you see the stars." -Martin Luther King Jr. ----- The author has a discord server and Instagram! Follow, connect, and share your thoughts. IG : author_midnight_bloom email : authormidnightbloom@gmail.com For kind appreciation efforts to the aspiring writer, please go to the following sites: https://www.patreon.com/midnight_bloom Ko-fi.com/midnight_bloom Disclaimer : Cover credits to Pinterest

midnight_bloom · perkotaan

Peringkat tidak cukup

233 Chs

HANSY AND GRITTY

"He's just apologizing. That's all." Kang Sola berated Xue Guangxi. "It was an accident."

"Can you blame me if I act this way? Just a few minutes ago you were standing near me. The moment I turned my head and searched for you, I found you seating on the grandstand, injured." He was pissed. His muscles were taut and a scowl adorned his charming but sweaty, flushed face.

He had laid Chen Lihua down on his lap as he sat beside the lady. Chen Lingtian stood nearby, accompanied by one of the nannies. The other nanny stayed with the Chen elders who were discussing the incident not so far away.

They were seated at the fourth level of bleachers at the grandstand when they saw how the man had bumped onto Kang Sola. The two elders sprung to their feet when the incident happened. However, seeing that the lady did not fully tumble on the ground and was even able to walk back to the crowd, they thought they shouldn't cause much more ruckus about it.

Kang Sola acted tough to brush it as something casual, so they decided to give her face by acting cool, too. However, they sprung to their feet and reached her in no time as soon as she made it back. They pestered her with concerned queries while the medic tended to her.

"Oh my! Oh, dear!!" Jiang Biyu covered her mouth as she exclaimed her utter surprise.

"I'm okay!!! Hahaha!!! It's nothing, Mother, Father. Relax!! Breathe!!! Calm down!!!" It was odd that the person who was injured was the one to console her audience.

And now that the race ended, it was Xue Guangxi's turn to be consoled. "Hey, Guangxi, I wasn't really careful. It's my fault, too. At least I managed to protect Xiao Lingtian from getting dragged to the ground with me. I mitigated it."

"You want praise, huh?" Xue Guangxi fought the urge to roll his eyes. "It wasn't your fault. It was the fault of that man who bumped you. Do you have eyes behind your head? No! But he's behind you, and he has eyes in front of him, on his face. He saw you standing there. It's his fault, not yours!"

Kang Sola sighed, energy thinning out from her shaken up, tiny body. "It's useless arguing with you. I'm going to rest."

She prepared to stand up and limp away towards their accommodation.

"Xiao Lingtian, Xiao Lihua, go stay with Grampa and Gramma, for now, alright?" Xue Guangxi instructed them while patting them each on the head.

The two nodded.

Xue Guangxi called out the nannies who rushed to his bidding and assisted the twins up the bleachers.

Meanwhile, Xue Guangxi caught up with Kang Sola. He wrapped his right arm around her shoulders, and one fell swoop, he placed his left arm just behind her knees in a princess-style carry.

"Hey!!!" Kang Sola protested as she thrashed her legs and arms vigorously. "Put me down!!!"

"Stay still or I'll drop you." His voice wasn't impatient nor overbearing.

"Then drop me."

"He did what he was told. In an instant, he dropped her only to catch her in his arms again. He only lowered his arms, not really retrieving it away.

"Ahh!!" She felt her heart left suspended in the air while her body dropped as the force supporting her from below disappeared.

It seemed that the adrenaline was not cleanly wiped away from the lady's system completely.

When she realized that Xue Guangxi was fooling around, she smacked her palm on his shoulder blades. "Be serious!!!"

"Hehehe." The man only laughed, never relenting to her pleas. "Just stay still, Sola. We're nearly there."

Kang Sola sighed as she thought, 'Can't talk Guangxi out of it. He's one stubborn brat.'

She leaned her body closer to Xue Guangxi's chest, already giving up her protests. 'What else can I do?' She sighed again.

In a span of a week, he had carried her this way twice already. Embarrassment crossed her face as she face-palmed the rest of the way.

"How about the games?" She asked quietly. They had reached the elevator of the hotel at this point. Some of the guests threw them curious looks but nobody bothered to ask. They feigned their curiosity and even withdrew their gazes as soon as they turned to them.

"There are far more important things than games and winning." He answered. In a more hostile tone, he added, "which is why I cannot fathom how that man who bumped into you FINISHED the race first before going to your aid and helping you or apologizing to you."

"You did the same." She pointed out, playful mirth evident in her tone.

"Well, I didn't know what happened. If I knew, I would have dropped everything and rush to your side."

"Drop everything? Including Chen Lihua? She's tied onto you. She's relying on you."

"Shut it."

The elevator bell rang as the door shut open to their floor. He walked out, a bit of sweat building upon his back and down his neck. His ears were red but it wasn't from the exercise. It was a mere reaction from the lady's sound observation.

The lady laughed at his abashed face. "Am I heavy?"

"Yes, Sir!!!"

"Sir? Do I look like a man to you?"

"No, you weigh like a man, haha." He bantered. His feet were busy reaching their room.

Kang Sola smiled while shaking her head.

"Are we good now? You still mad at me, huh?"

The lady only scowled at him.

"Oh, come on, Sola. You can't possibly stay mad at me over something so trivial." He tried to coax her now that she wouldn't be able to run away from the confrontation.

"What's so trivial about trampling on my principles and beliefs?"

"What about MY beliefs?"

"Let's talk about it later, then."

"Sounds like a plan to me. Okay!"

When they arrived at their room, the man instructed Kang Sola to get the room card from his breast pocket. Her hand tickled, but he tried not to show it with his body language. 'Damn, it was hard!'

The door clicked before it opened.

Finally, Kang Sola was laid on the couch in the receiving area of the family room.

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