Tang Hao was sitting on the ground in the garden. He was drinking continuously. There were a lot of beer cans kept beside him which was filled with beer and on the other side, there were a lot of empty cans of beer.
Ting Hao(thinking) - Why did I drink beer at that time? Why did I not let Bai Cao answer Ting Yi's question?
FLASHBACK
Ting Yi - Who do you love the most, Bai Cao?
Bai Cao's eyes went wide after hearing that question.
Bai Cao was in deep thinking.
Ting Hao stopped drinking while he was looking at Bai Cao's face.
Bai Cao was saying nothing. It felt like she is thinking something.
Bai Cao said nothing for a long time and Ting Hao was looking at her all this time.
On the other side, Chang An was looking at Ting Hao and Bai Cao both.
He could see Ting Hao's pain in his eyes.
Then Ting Hao lowered down his face and smiled.
Ting Hao - Chang An, pass me a can of beer.
Chang An didn't make a move. Then Ting Hao got up and picked up a can and drank the whole beer at once.
Ting Yi - Brother, why did you drink beer? I wanted to know who Bai Cao love the most.
Ting Hao - Ting Yi, everything has the right timing. We will get to know about it at the right time. Right, Bai Cao?
Ting Hao turned his face towards Bai Cao. Bai Cao kept looking at Ting Hao's face and he smiled.
Ting Hao - I am going out in the garden for a while. You guys go to your rooms and take them too.
Saying that, Ting Hao went out in the garden.
FLASHBACK ENDED
Ting Hao - Why did I do that?
Saying that, Ting Hao again starts drinking.
On the other hand, Bai Cao was lying on her bed looking at the ceiling.
Bai Cao - Should I have answered Ting Yi's question? No, I did the right thing by not telling the truth. Then why did I feel like that when Senior Ting Hao looked at me?
FLASHBACK
Ting Yi - Who do you love the most?
Bai Cao was shocked after hearing that question.
Bai Cao(thinking) - Should I answer this question or should I not?
Bai Cao was asking this question to herself again and again when suddenly, she heard Ting Hao saying...
Ting Hao - Chang An, pass me a can of beer.
Hearing Ting Hao's voice, she was taken out of her thoughts. She turns her face towards Ting Hao when suddenly he got up, he picked up a can of beer and drank the whole thing in just one gulp.
Bai Cao kept looking at Ting Hao when Ting Yi said...
Ting Yi - Brother, why did you drink beer? I wanted to know who Bai Cao love the most.
Hearing that, Bai Cao started looking at Ting Hao.
Ting Hao - Ting Yi, everything has the right timing. We will get to know about it at the right time. Right, Bai Cao?
Ting Hao turns his face towards Bai Cao and Bai Cao kept looking at him.
Bai Cao(thinking) - Am I making a mistake? Should I tell him the truth?
Bai Cao was about to say something when Ting Hao said...
Ting Hao - I am going out in the garden for a while. You guys go to your rooms and take them too.
Saying that, Ting Hao went out into the garden but Bai Cao still kept looking at him.
Chang An - Bai Cao, you take Xiao Ying and Li Na with you. I will take Ting Yi and Yi Feng with me.
Bai Cao - Ok.
Then Chang An picked Ting Yi up in his arms and took her to her room. Bai Cao took Li Na with her to a guest room first.
She made her lie down on the bed and went back towards the drawing-room.
There she saw that Xiao Ying was lying on the sofa alone.
She went towards her.
Bai Cao - Xiao Ying, let's go to your room. Don't sleep here.
Xiao Ying - Bai Cao, are you still angry with me? I am sorry but I just wanted to see you happy.
Xiao Ying said that with a puppy face.
Bai Cao - I know, Xiao Ying and I am sorry too. I should not have yelled at you... I should not have blamed you. I am sorry.
Xiao Ying - Does this mean that we are back friends?
Bai Cao - Yeah. Now, let's go to your room.
Xiao Ying - Yes, ma'am.
Xiao Ying said that while standing up but she could not stand straight as she was really drunk.
Then Bai Cao holds her from the side and Xiao Ying puts her hand on Bai Cao's shoulder.
Bai Cao - Let's go, Xiao Ying.
Xiao Ying - Yeah
Then both of them started walking.
Soon they reached Xiao Ying's room. Bai Cao made her lie down on her bed.
She was about to go but before she could, Xiao Ying shouted.
Bai Cao was scared to hear Xiao Ying shouting.
She turned back and saw Xiao Ying laughing.
Bai Cao - What happened, Xiao Ying? Why did you shout?
Xiao Ying - Bai Cao, you are Ai Shu!
Bai Cao - I know that, Xiao Ying.
Xiao Ying - Bai Cao, you are Senior Ting Hao's Ai Shu! That Ai Shu whom Senior Ting Hao loved in his childhood.
Bai Cao could say nothing.
Xiao Ying - Bai Cao, you always said that Senior Ting Hao will move on when Ai Shu will come back. You always said that Senior Ting Hao will forget you when Ai Shu will come back but guess what... you are Ai Shu. You are Ai Shu whom Senior Ting Hao loved in childhood and you are Bai Cao too whom Senior Ting Hao loves unconditionally now. Senior Ting Hao always loved you, Bai Cao. Since childhood he loved you. You are really lucky, Bai Cao or should I say, You are really lucky, Ai Shu.
FLASHBACK ENDED
Bai Cao - Xiao Ying was right. Senior Ting Hao is never going to forget me.
On the other hand, Chang An was writing something when suddenly, he started feeling thirsty. He looked at the jug kept beside him but it was empty.
He picks up the jug and went towards the kitchen to fill it up.
Soon he reached the kitchen. He was filling the water in the jug when suddenly, he heard the noise of someone coughing. The noise was coming from the garden.
He went towards the garden and saw Ting Hao drinking. He was coughing but still, he kept drinking.
Chang An went towards Ting Hao.
Chang An - Ting Hao, what are you still doing here?
Ting Hao - Drinking. Do you want some?
Chang An - How much did you drink?
Ting Hao - I don't know. If you want, you can count the number of cans kept here.
Chang An - Ting Hao, come on go to your room and sleep.
Ting Hao - Chang An, you go. I want to stay here a little more.
Chang An - Why?
Ting Hao - Because I feel good here.
Chang An - Why do you feel good here?
Ting Hao - Because whenever I am here, I feel like I am with Bai Cao.
There was silence for a couple of seconds.
Then Chang An sat beside Ting Hao.
Chang An - Ting Hao, what happened?
Ting Hao - Nothing.
Tang Hao said that while shaking his head left and right with his head down.
Chang An - Ting Hao, you know you can't anything from me. I know you are sad but why are you sad? Aren't you happy that we found Ai Shu?
Ting Hao - It's nothing like that, Chang An. I am really happy that we found Ai Shu. But you know, since that day when you asked me that what if Ai Shu is still waiting for me. Since that day, I have been praying that Ai Shu should not wait for me. I always prayed that, but now... now I think that I should have never prayed that. But now I think, that it would have been better if I would have never prayed like that. Now I think that Ai Shu should have waited for me. Maybe then, I would have had a chance to live the rest of my life with my love. You know, Bai Cao never accepted me... she never did. She accepted Chu Yuan, Ruo Bai and she was even ok to be with you but she never accepted you because she wanted to wait for Ruo Bai. And on the other side, I was always friend-zoned by her. She never chose me even if I begged her to choose me... to give me a chance, she never loved me. I know she would have accepted me if I would have told her that I will die if you won't accept me... but I never wanted that. I want Bai Cao, but more than I want her, I want her love. I want her to love me. But she never loved me. She loved Ruo Bai, but not me. She liked Chu Yuan, but not me. She even liked you but never me. And on the other side, I could do nothing but love her. Why, Chang An... Why? Why did I fall in love with the same person twice? Why did Bai Cao never choose me? Why could she never love me? Can't she see how much I love her? You can see that I love her, right, Chang An? You can see it. Everyone can see it but not her. Why? Why I was never on her love list? Why? Why was I never an option for her, Chang An? You know what was I thinking while sitting here? I was thinking about why did I drink beer at that time when Ting Yi asked Bai Cao that question. At first, I thought that I did it for Bai Cao but then I realized that I did it for myself. I did it because I didn't wanted to hear someone else's name from her mouth as her love. I don't have that much courage, Chang An. I love Bai Cao a lot but still, I can't have her in my life.
Chang An - Ting Hao, please try to forget Bai Cao. Try to move on.
Ting Hao looked at Chang An with a WHAT reaction on his face.
Chang An - Ting Hao, I know you love Bai Cao a lot. And I want someone like you... someone who will love my sister unconditionally. But I want the same for you, Ting Hao. I want to see you happy, Ting Hao.
Ting Hao - And I am happy, Chang An. I am happy by loving Bai Cao.
Chang An - Ting Hao, please understand. At least try to move on. I know it's hard but try once.
Ting Hao - Chang An, you understand. If Bai Cao is my heart, then loving Bai Cao is my heartbeat. I can't live without any of them.
Chang An - At least try once.
Ting Hao - You think I didn't try? I tried a lot, Chang An. I tried to move on but in the end, I understood that it's impossible to forget Bai Cao. I can't stop loving her or else I will die.
Chang An - You won't listen to me, right?
Ting Hao - No, I will listen to you. I will go to my room and sleep. I will stop drinking.
Ting Hao said that while standing up whereas Chang An was still sitting.
Then Ting Hao grabs Chang An's arm and pulls him saying...
Ting Hao - Come on, Chang An. Go to your room.
Then Ting Hao pushes Chang An from the back and went to their rooms. But they didn't notice something.
They didn't notice that Bai Cao was standing there in tears. She heard everything that Ting Hao said.
Bai Cao - Why do you love me so much, Senior Ting Hao? Why don't you just move on?
Then Bai Cao sat down. She puts her face in between her knees and starts crying.
The next day
Ting Hao was coming out of his room. It was already too late. As he saw the time he ran towards the kitchen.
Suddenly, he saw Bai Cao sleeping on the sofa peacefully.
He went near her and sat beside her. He was looking at Bai Cao's face affectionately. His love for her was visible from his eyes.
Suddenly, some of Bai Cao's hair came on her face. Ting Hao gently twirls his finger across her face and places a strand of hair behind her ear, which sent a sensation down Bai Cao's spine.
Bai Cao woke up with that sensation and saw Ting Hao in front of her eyes.
Both of them kept looking at each other. They were lost in each other's eyes when suddenly, Bai Cao's phone start to beep.
It was an alarm to wake her up. Both of them started looking here and there. Then Ting Hao got up so did Bai Cao.
Bai Cao - Good morning, Senior Ting Hao.
Ting Hao - Good morning. What were you doing here? Why did you sleep here?
Bai Cao - Actually, I was not feeling sleepy then I came out and started reading a book. I don't know when I fall asleep.
Then Ting Hao started looking at the sofa but didn't find a book.
Ting Hao - There is no book kept on the sofa. How were you reading?
Bai Cao(shocked) - Huh!
Ting Hao - How were you reading?
Bai Cao could not think of any excuse.
Bai Cao(in her mind) - Bai Cao, think... think something or else Senior Ting Hao will understand that you are lying to him. Think something, Bai Cao.
Ting Hao - Bai Cao, how were you reading a book?
Bai Cao - Phone! I was reading a phone in my book... wait... what! I mean, I was reading a book on my phone. Actually, I came here to find a book but I didn't find any so I thought to find a book on the internet. And you know that everything is available on the internet nowadays so I just found a good book in it and started reading it. Now, I am going to my room to freshen up. I will see you.
Ting Hao - Ok.
Then Bai Cao went to her room.
After some time
Everyone was having their breakfast.
Ting Hao - You guys remember that we have to go to a place where Bai Cao and Chang An went with their family?
Everyone - Yeah.
Ting Hao - So, where are we going?
Li Na - There is a place where we can go.
Ting Hao - Where?
Li Na - In childhood, we used to go to one of our father's friend's house a lot. We can go there. Maybe it will help you guys to regain your memory.
Chang An - Yeah. You are right. We can regain our memory there.
Li Na - Ok then, I will call Aunt Mary.
Bai Cao - Go after finishing your breakfast.
Ting Hao - Yeah. It's not good to get up between eating.
Li Na - Ok.
After some time, they all finished eating their breakfast.
Li Na was calling Mary whereas everyone was ready to go.
Everyone was waiting for Li Na.
After a couple of minutes, she came.
Chang An - What did she say?
Li Na - What will she say? She was really happy, brother Chang An. She asked us to reach there as soon as possible. You know in childhood, she was your favourite. I am sure that you will remember everything when you will see her.
Chang An - I hope the same.
Ting Hao - Ok then, I think we should leave for your Aunt Mary's house.
Li Na - Yeah. We need to hurry up because aunt's house is really far from here.
Ting Yi - Let's go then.
Then everyone went out of the house. Everyone sat inside the car. Ting Hao was sitting in the driving seat. Bai Cao was sitting on the passenger's seat and everyone else was sitting at the back seat. Then Ting Hao starts driving.
A few hours passed, everyone was sleeping except Ting Hao and Bai Cao.
Ting Hao was driving non-stop and Bai Cao was looking out from the window. Then suddenly, her eyes fell upon a burning house.
There were a lot of people who were trying to extinguish the fire.
Bai Cao started to feel restless and Ting Hao noticed it.
Ting Hao - Bai Cao, are you ok?
Bai Cao - Yeah, Senior Ting Hao. I am ok.
Ting Hao - Do you want me to stop?
Bai Cao - No, please... I mean, keep going.
Ting Hao - Ok, but at least, drink some water.
Ting Hao said that while passing a bottle of water to Bai Cao.
Bai Cao took the water bottle from Ting Hao's hand and started drinking. Ting Hao kept on driving.
After half an hour.
Everyone woke up and Ting Hao was still driving. He was really tired.
Chang An - Ting Hao, stop the car. I will drive from here. You should take some rest.
Ting Hao - It's ok, Chang An. I love driving. I don't need rest.
As Ting Hao finished saying that, they saw some cops standing at the side of the road.
As the cops saw their car coming, he indicated Ting Hao to stop the car.
Ting Hao stopped the car after seeing the cops and the cops went towards them.
Cops - I am sorry, sir, but you can't go ahead?
Ting Hao - Why?
Cops - Actually, there was a landslide. So, the roads are blocked.
Ting Hao - Is there any other road?
Cops - Unfortunately, there is no other road. You can go to your destination tomorrow too. The roads will be open.
Ting Hao - Ok. Thank you so much.
Then Ting Hao was about to make a U-turn but he stopped when he saw Chang An standing outside the car.
Ting Hao - Chang An, what are you doing outside? Come sit.
Chang An - No, I won't. You come out, sit at the back and take some rest.
Ting Yi - You too, Bai Cao. I am sure that you wouldn't have slept too.
Bai Cao - Ting Yi, I seriously don't need any rest.
Chang An - As if we will believe whatever you will say. Bai Cao, you are tired and it's written on your face. So on your face, Ting Hao. You guys go sit in the back seat or else we are staying here.
Ting Hao - Fine. We will sit in the back seat.
Ting Hao said that while opening his seat belt.
Ting Hao - Let's go, Bai Cao. Your brother is really stubborn. Now I know from whom you got this stubbornness.
Chang An - Excuse me! What did you say?
Ting Hao - Nothing. I am just saying how caring you are towards us.
Saying that, both Ting Hao and Bai Cao came out of the car. Chang An sat on the driving seat, Ting Yi sat on the passenger's seat, Ting Hao and Bai Cao sat in the back seat.
After some time.
Both Bai Cao and Ting Hao were sleeping. Bai Cao's head was on Ting Hao's shoulder and Ting Hao's head was on her head.
Ting Yi was looking at them from a rare view mirror.
Chang An - Ting Yi, stop looking at them.
Ting Yi - I can't help it, Chang An. Look at them, they are looking so cute... so perfect together.
Chang An - I know that they are perfect for each other. I hope that Bai Cao will understand this too.
Ting Yi - I hope the same.
Chang An kept driving when suddenly, the car jumped as there was a speed breaker.
Ting Hao woke up because of that. Ting Hao was about to sit straight but before he could, he realized that Bai Cao is still sleeping.
Then he again puts his head on her head and closes his eyes, when suddenly, he heard Bai Cao saying
Bai Cao - No! No!
As Ting Hao heard that, he again looked at Bai Cao.
He noticed that there was sweat on Bai Cao's forehead and neck.
Bai Cao was continuously saying NO. Slowly and slowly, Bai Cao's voice started to get louder. Everyone could hear her now.
Ting Hao holds Bai Cao from her arm and tries to wake her up but nothing worked.
Everyone was worried.
Xiao Ying - Is she again seeing her nightmares?
Ting Hao - Maybe she is. Chang An, we need to stop somewhere.
Chang An - Yeah. I trying to find a hotel.
Ting Yi - There's a hotel within a mile. We can go there.
Ting Hao - Chang An, drive faster.
Then Chang An speeded up a little.
Ting Hao was continuously trying to wake Bai Cao up but she didn't wake up. She was saying NO again and again.
Suddenly, Bai Cao stopped saying anything. Her hands and head started to fall as if she fainted.
Ting Hao - Bai Cao! Chang An, drive faster.
After some time
Bai Cao was lying on the bed. Ting Hao was sitting on the right side holding her hand and Chang An on her left. Everyone else was sitting on the couch.
Everyone was really tense especially Ting Hao and Chang An when suddenly, Bai Cao got while shouting...
Bai Cao(shouting) - Mumma!
Bai Cao was gasping as if she was not able to breathe. Then suddenly, she saw Ting Hao and Chang An sitting beside her.
As she saw both of them, she removed their hands from her hand and ran towards the washroom. She went inside it and locked the washroom from inside.
Chang An starts banging the door.
Chang An - Bai Cao, open the door.
Bai Cao was saying nothing.
Chang An - Bai Cao, what happened? Open the door.
Bai Cao - You all should stay away from me. Don't come near me. I am nothing but a curse.
Ting Hao - Bai Cao, open the door.
Inside the washroom
Bai Cao was crying. She sat down and puts her face between her knees.
Ting Hao - Bai Cao, please open the door. Tell us what happened.
Bai Cao - Senior Ting Hao, please go and take everyone with you. You all should forget me. Forget that I even existed. Forget that there was a girl called Bai Cao. That will be better for you all. Please go far away from me.
There was silence for a minute.
Ting Hao - Bai Cao, open the door.
Bai Cao said nothing.
Ting Hao - Bai Cao, open the door or else I will cut my wrist.
Then suddenly Bai Cao heard the sound of glass breaking.
TO BE CONTINUED