INEBM fanfic

Silent War part 1

After coming back from the club that night Li Lanfeng started becoming more estranged from Ling Lan. For the past few days, he would always give her this fake smile throughout the day. This smile would look normal to anybody else, but to Ling Lan it was irritating. When they woke up, fake smile. Eating lunch, fake smile. Leaving the apartment, fake smile. Every smile she got was a mask. She could put up with it but she really didn't want to. After four days Ling Lan was tired of it, since he wants to do this she would return his so called 'smile'. She could be petty if she wanted to, that was her inherent right as a woman.

...

The next morning when Li Lanfeng woke up he smiled at her the on-cue fake smile. Ling Lan smiled back at him a standard amiable smile. But he felt something different about it, but that key factor disappeared in the next second. 'Was it just my imagination?'

Ling Lan got up first and went to wash up.

Li Lanfeng had to leave to continue his investigation. As he reached the door he saw Huang Xixia walk out of their room with regular day clothes on. She looked at him with a small smile and walked towards the couch. She didn't bother asking or saying anything.

That smile made him feel... weird. But he pushed down that feeling and walked out.

When he got back there wasn't much difference in the way they spent the day, but through out the day he would get the same off putting smile.

Why did he feel more distance than what he initially put up? She no longer acted as casual around him, but this was better for him. He couldn't stay so close to someone with so many secrets, especially with the secrets he had on himself.

...

The next day the same thing happened. But he didn't say anything and simply smiled back. This would be for the best.

Another two days passed, it was obvious that something was going on between them. And not in a good way.

That smile portrayed secret messages, and the meanings behind those smiles were never clear.

Day in, day out. Things progressed negatively. It seems like the smiles that were only meant to put a casual distance between them turned them into enemies.

Soon... it turned into an on going war. Morning after morning, day after day. Smiles became hidden daggers.

...

One evening, Ling Lan was sitting down on the sofa, minding her own business. Li Lanfeng come through the door and spotted Ling Lan who looked up at him from whatever she was doing. He gave her a practiced smile. Ling Lan could feel her eye lids twitching. She smiled back nevertheless.

Li Lanfeng was about to move forward when a pretty pillow kissed him in the face, harshly. He didn't even see when she threw it.

Ling Lan wasn't looking directly at him but she had an undisguised smirk on her face. He was trying so, so hard to keep a smile on his face, but he could still feel the veins in his head throbbing.

"Isn't this a bit childish?"

Ling Lan looked up at him and gave a mesmerizing yet slightly cold smile.

"I don't mind playing."

'Playing?' Li Lanfeng didn't believe she was shameless enough to call this 'playing'. Yet it seems he underestimated her. Li Lanfeng didn't want to explode from frustration so he simply walked off.

Ling Lan's smile disappeared the moment he left and a cold aura enveloped the room.

She understood precisely why he was trying to keep a distance, it was reasonable. His actions seemed normal and it would probably pass off as normal interactions for anyone.

Anyone but her, that is. She could always tell when Li Lanfeng was putting up a fake front and especially hated when he put one up in front of her. It seems she couldn't tolerate it while in disguise as well. Only this man could ever test her patients and get away with it.

...

Dinner came about. They still sat together like they normally would.

Ling Lan saw him smile fictitiously at her again. For once in her life, she thought his smile was disgusting. She suddenly lost her appetite. She placing her utensils down, Ling Lan crossed her arms and leaned back in the chair. Ling Lan looked at Li Lanfeng across from her.

Noticing her peculiar stare. He questioned her, "Did I do something wrong?"

Ling Lan didn't speak, but her eyes narrowed with sharp intensity. Li Lanfeng didn't move and kept his smile and gentle aura.

"Stop smiling like that." Ling Lan spoke coldly,"It annoying."

Li Lanfeng was taken aback. His face didn't show any changes but his eyes dimmed. The chilling aura was too sudden. Did she find out something? There was a fight going on within him. If she really found out something he may really have to kill her, even if he didn't want to.

Ling Lan read him like an open book. She could see the murderous intention but wasn't surprised by his thought. If anyone seemed suspicious in her eyes she would have similar thoughts, too. All this did was remind Ling Lan of how dangerous Li Lanfeng truly is. Her fake persona's existence became too suspicious for him to look past.

It seems that she got too relaxed. She should start keeping her distance.

Ling Lan sighed as she got up from her chair,"I don't care what you're thinking, I don't mind if you want to distance yourself from me." She looked him straight in the eye.

"That's your choice. But never show me that fake smile." She shot him a poisonous glare. "Don't come near me unless you feel like showing some type of genuine emotion or I'll come for you myself." Ling Lan walked out of the room.

Li Lanfeng was given no time to speak before she left. The place stayed silent for a while. Li Lanfeng smiled wearily, "It seems I overdid it." It became too obvious. He figured out long ago that she caught on. But he didn't think she would point it out so blatantly.

...

Ling Lan closed the door behind her. She felt a little sad. She would rather him not smile at her at all than see his fabricated smile.

If you really think about it, this is was the first fight that they've ever had, disguised or not.