𝐩𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬

fourteen ✪

"Hey, mom needs to see you." Zhengting said to me from over the table.

"Why only me?" I asked, taking a bite of the sandwhich.

"Maybe she wants to send you back to China," Zeren teased.

I flicked his forehead, "Maybe I need to send you back. Why aren't you going home by the way? The others already left."

It was already a week after the school festival. Wenjun, Cheng Cheng, Justin and Xichun already flew to China last night. I don't get why Zeren and Quanzhe stayed behind.

"I still have some business to take care of here."

"Like what? Asking Doyeon out on a date?"

Zeren almost spit his drink, "W-why would you think I would ask her?!"

I smirked, "You two have been spending quite a lot of time together."

"Like you and Ziyi?" Xukun muttered in front of me.

I was dumbfounded. After the school festival, that was the first time he spoke something to me.

We never brought up the kiss again because it was literally awkward. He just treated me a bit different, still cold, but different.

I cleared my throat, "Ziyi and I are not a thing. Besides -"

"Besides?" Ziyi leaned in.

I pushed his face away, "Don't come too close you pervert!"

I heard So Hyun sighed from behind her cold fiance, "Can't we just have a normal quiet breakfast?"

"Can't we just have breakfast without you?" I snapped back, getting a bit annoyed.

She fell silent because everyone was looking at her. Please, don't leave me alone with her tonight. I think it's gonna be my last day if that happens.

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"Xinyi, there you are." Mom said as I walked in her office. She was dressed in a formal attire. Wonder who she's meeting up. "Let me fix you up."

Her secretary handed me a dress and pushed me in the bathroom. After that, she braided my hair and put make up on my face. What the hell is going on?

"There," Mom said, setting me down on the couch. "Now you're ready."

"Ready for what exactly?" I asked, still confused of the sudden situation.

"You're finally going to meet your fiance!"

I widen my eyes as soon as she said those words, "What?! Are you kidding me?"

"Xinyi, we talk about this. We don't have enough money to continue the business -"

"So, I'm the one who suffers then? I can't marry who I love because of this stupid business thing?"

I saw Mom's face. She was getting annoyed by my constant whining, "You know, you still can't marry the one you love. He's going to be wed to someone else too, remember?"

I perfectly knew who she was referring to. "Who said I would want to marry him?"

"Oh. I thought you two have a secret relationship." Mom said, sitting down in front of me. "Funny, because he said something similar to his mom when she told him he was going to marry So Hyun. The only difference was, he kept insisting his mom to let you marry him instead."

I was about to choke on my saliva, but I still spoke, stuttering, "X-Xukun said that?"

Mom nodded, "I can see how much he likes you Xinyi, but bringing you two together is never going to work."

"And why is that?"

"Because to the world, you were introduced as cousins."

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We waited a bit longer for that stupid son of that stupid CEO person mom was talking about.

I still couldn't believe that Xukun argued his mom to let him marry me instead. Now I'm curious what his feelings really are.

It's true that our parents introduced us as cousins because a rumor instantly spread. That's why to the business world, we could never marry each other.

Since our moms shared a business, they both need to find someone who has a much higher and stable companies, to ensure that the three of us would have a bright future.

Now that's just rude. Can't we choose our own happiness instead? I can't believe this arranged marriage thing still exist. What century are we living in anyway?!

"Xinyi, he's here." Mom interrupted my train of thoughts.

I stood up. I can't argue with her anymore, if I do - I think she's gonna disown me.

The door opened and there I saw the most familiar person in my life.

Without even taking a full glance, once I saw his perfectly styled hair, I knew who it was.

Does mom even know him personally? Didn't she remember? Or she did, but still decided to take up the offer.

He smiled at me as he walked inside followed by his parents.

I smiled back, not to be rude of course.

My mom motioned the guests to the couch, "Welcome, welcome. Please sit down."

My heart was still thumping and I was so nervous. In my 18 years of existence, this is the first time I want to be swallowed up by the earth.

"Xinyi, you should sit down." He told me, pointing at the seat in front of him.

I slowly sat down, ignoring the look mom was giving. I was still looking at him.

A lot has changed since we last saw each other. His eyes we're still the same. His ears, he has two piercings now. He also grew taller and his smile got a bit creepy? There's just something about his smile that I don't like, even from before.

I smiled, trying not to show any negative sides, "Yanchen, it's nice to see you again."

He was one of my childhood friends. One of the people I once trusted with my whole life.

But Zhou Yanchen, was also the reason why I decided to permanently stay in Korea.

Zhou Yanchen was my ex-boyfriend.

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A/N: Hello! This is me updating from my sick bed 😂 this is kind of a filler chap but I had to make up something to introduce Yanchen!

also, i'm thinking of making a quanzhe fic (just a light ff without a twisted plot like this one haha)

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word count: 962 words
2/21/18