My Villain

Chapter Twenty

"Yes. AND it's a GOOD thing you like her. Intelligent. Headstrong. And kind."

"Exactly the reasons why I would never ask her out on a date."

This was one of the weirdest conversations they have ever had, DiDi decided.

He knows his friend and the way Xi Zi spoke now is the first time that he had spoken in such a defeated tone.

"What the hell are you talking about???"

"She was asked in the office whether she would ever date me."

"Ok..."

"She said that because I'm Li Xi Zi, she would NEVER date me."

"She said this right in front of you?"

Xi Zi made a "tsk" sound. "Of course not. I overheard it when I was about to get coffee from the executive pantry. She was talking to our Marketing Head and they were both laughing quite loudly. I decided I was just going to go to the coffee shop at the lobby so I didn't disturb them from the fun talk they were having but then I heard the question and that was how she responded."

"You didn't even know the context."

"Well... what kind of context would is there that would make it acceptable for me to hear her say she would never date me?"

"I am just thinking that you don't know the whole story. Don't be an idiot Xi Zi. Xiao Wen might just not be the type who is comfortable in sharing details about liking someone with another person so she just said no."

"DiDi, it wasn't just "no". She said NEVER. That is like... I don't know... full of conviction."

"Wait a minute. Does she even know you like her?"

"No."

The temptation to hit his best friend with a beer bottle was strong. "WHY ARE YOU ACTING UP WHEN SHE DOESN'T EVEN KNOW YOU LIKE HER! You should not be sulking because she said no to the idea of dating the "you" she doesn't know yet. Go and let her know you like her first!"

"How do I even tell her I like her if I know I won't have a chance at all?!?"

"Are we back in highschool? Idiot! You tell a woman you like her and then you court her EXACTLY because she doesn't like you. You are letting her get to know who you are."

"Bro, I've liked this girl since last year. And the more I know her, the more I like her. If I try and then fail, I won't be able to move on."

DiDi's initial reaction was to berate Xi Zi for his complete lack of confidence but he realized that this was a pretty big deal for his best friend, especially as he is the next biggest player after Wu Xi Ze.

At least, he, Kido, Xiao Tian, and Yi Fan had serious relationships before.

But not those two.

He took some time before answering because Xi Zi has always jumped from one girl to another and his admission now is made all the more significant by the fact that he hasn't been doing that in the past year.

On days like this, DiDi hates himself because he gets too focused on himself, he misses out on supporting his friends.

"Then she has to know YOU, Xi Zi. She has to see beyond your reputation and her prejudices about you... BUT you won't be able to show her that if you don't ask her out."

"I think you should punch me. Maybe that will help. This woman is driving me crazy. I lose all of my confidence just thinking about asking her out."

"Well, next time don't think at all. Just ask her. Remember five seconds of insane confidence?"

Xi Zi looked at him and slowly nodded.