(SENGYOU)
Two weeks later...
"Tell me that you at least have some plan to shave any day now," I stared at my brother in exasperation as Qing pulled out the carton of orange juice from the fridge to pour some on his tumbler.
"Why? Do I look like a homeless man now?" Qing subtly frown at me as he drank his juice.
"No. But you are starting to give off a vibe of a healthy looking rockstar with cocaine addiction," I said.
It's an appropriate description, if anyone will ask me. Qing looks unkept and scruffy in a rock musician style who is partying all night and snorting cocaine at day while having so much sex.
Qing's hair is growing long, almost falling to his eyes, my brother is letting it fall down, looking unwashed and sticking in some sides. My baby brother is also sporting facial hairs. A full growing beard and thin moustache. There's a look of unrest on Qing's dark eyes and he is constantly on his boxers and robe with fluffy slippers on his feet.
My brother looks like a bum from a rockband that only remembers to wash every other day.
Qing has been living like a bohemian sinner since that broke up scene with Dayu. After surrendering his phone and laptop to me and Baba, with a sullen "you can now be sure that I will not call or communicate with Dayu", Qing has been living like this. For over two freaking weeks now.
I cannot take it anymore.
"It's been two weeks already, Wang Qing. When will you start living again?" I asked my brother.
"What do you mean? I am living. I am just taking a little break," He said.
"Break? You do nothing but sit on your room, read books and drink. For fifteen days now. That's all you ever do. Mama had to order food to be taken to your room but you will only eat as long as you have two bottles of beer every meal. You only get out to stretch on the garden a little and then you will go back to your batcave like a hermit afraid of the civilization. What the hell?!"
Yes, I am counting the days that Qing is acting out of sort.
This is not my brother. Qing is anal about his looks. He always wants to be presentable. Professional looking when he is working and elegantly handsome in casual settings.
Qing is not someone who let his beard grows or forget to wash. He is also not the moping type.
So why is my brother here, sitting on his ass all day, being ordered to eat and barely living? Why?
Because Dayu broken up with him? Bullshit that!
This is not Qing's first rodeo in heartache. But I have never seen him like this before.
What is going on with my little brother? Really.
"Qing ah..."
"I am just taking my time," My brother patted my shoulder as he passed me by to get out of the kitchen. "Be a little patient with me..."
I scowled at that, "If the situation is reversed, you will never be patient with me..." I reminded him. "You will force me to move my ass and get on with my life. Wang Qing..."
"But you will never experience something like this, Gege. You don't do love." Qing sighed before walking away.
I turned to give his back a surprised look. Did my brother just...insulted me? Did he just look down on me? Because he fell in love and I don't do crazy thing like that...he had the nerve to rub that on my face.
What is freaking good about love anyway? Fuck!
What?
I pressed my fingers on the corners of my eyes. Massaging the bridge of my nose.
Can anyone answer me this question? How much longer do I have to stand by and watch my brother live like this before I am allowed to punch the living daylight out of him? I think a punch will wake my brother up. Put some sense back on him.
Wang Qing sure knows how to make us all worry about him now.
When did he became this cruel? Making us all worry?
......................
(FENG MILEN)
I am beyond worried now. I am getting scared of my son.
As I watch Yu took a long drag from the cigarette between his cherry colored lips and blew smoke in the air, I feel my heart getting squeezed inside my chest.
And Yu smoking is not the only major issue about my son. Him dressing like a kept mistress, in black silky lingerie with thin straps that are barely hanging on his shoulders, and matching silk robe, plus the strong scent of rose perfume on my son gives off an image of Yu as a vulgar, cigarette smoking loose woman.
My husband and father in law are keeping quiet while we dine during breakfast together this morning.
We are all dressed for work except for Yu who resigned his teaching job two weeks ago, after that massive chaos that prompted my son to break up with his former lover.
Now, Yu stays at home all day, mostly dressed in revealing negligees or thin tank tops and stretchy yoga pants, walking barefoot, sometimes fully made up, his hair clipped or in a headband. Headbands with floral design. Yu will also wear scarves and even stockings.
My son...is a stranger to me now.
"Why do you have to dress up like this?" I asked my son as I cannot endure the silence anymore.
"MiLen," my husband called for my name. "Let's just be glad that Yu join us for breakfast today."
Yes, because aside from looking very differently, my son also follows a different schedule now. He stays awake at night and slept most of the morning. Yu's eating habit takes a huge change as well. Yu ate sparingly now, in just two weeks I think he dropped around 1 kilo of weight. That's over a pound a week.
I am worrying for my son.
"I need to dress like this to step into a character." Yu answered me while ignoring his father's words. "I am writing a novel."
"Truly? About what?" I curiously asked. I am aware that Yu spent time in front of his laptop, fingers dancing on the keyboard as he types away. But this is the first time we are learning that Yu is writing a novel.
"I always wanted to be a writer," Yu stab his cigarette on the ashtray placed near him. "A children's book author. But...things work out like this."
Yes. I am sure no children's book will have a character that Yu is portraying right now.
"So what is your book all about, Son?" My husband asked with genuine curiosity on his tone.
Yu picked the flute of mimosa that he requested from the kitchen staffs to be made for him.
"Erotic novel," My son answered before taking a sip of his beverage. "About a courtesan who is an obsession of every man but became obsessed with someone she can never have."
A courtesan. I see now why he needs to dress like this.
"And is it going so well?" Baba asked Yu.
Yu nodded, "Well enough. A little hitch here and there but if I just take a little breather from writing, words are coming back into my head."
"And is this what you want to do with your life?" Baba inquired. "If you want to be a serious writer..."
"I am still not sure," Yu pursed his lower lip a little as he pushed his plate away. "Right now, I am weighing options in my head. Maybe I could travel or open a cafe or start dating again or just continue to write. I don't know," my son waved his hand in an airy fashion. "I still cannot make up my mind."
"Then take your time, there is no rush." My husband smile a little at our son.
The word dating captured my attention though. "Do you want help on dating? We can call some of the ladies you meet a week ago..." I stopped. We all stopped at the mention of that time.
"No," Yu recovered fast though. "I think I want a little change. I will start scouting men myself. Maybe go to some clubs and dance..." a lovely smile formed in my son's lips while what he said rocked my world.
"You want to go clubbing? And scout for men?" Did I heard my son right?
How do one scout for men in clubs?
"Yes. And maybe sleep around a little. I think I want to experience something wild this time. Maybe try some drugs..."
"Jian Yu!" We all called his name.
Yu looked at us in surprise, "Oh my..." he put a delicate hand on his chest. He chuckled daintily. "Stop. It will be an experience. And I need that for my writing. I cannot write about boring teachers with overly controlling family at all times. I have to go out there and experience different things..."
"Yu ah," I felt sad while listening to my son.
My son sighed before taking a sip of his drink again, "I can write about heartache though. Oh...poor Yu, his heart broken. All because he is such a coward." He laughed mockingly. "If he just let me handle things, all of these won't happen. I would have kept the man, Wang Qing is delicious after all, and just keep you all in the dark. But no, Yu had to be honest about everything. What a loser,"
I listened in horror as my son talks about himself in the third person while taking another cigarette from the pack and lighting it.
"Yu ah..."
"Dayu," Yu said. Correcting me nonchalantly in an even cold tone. "You are all dealing with Dayu now. I...agreed on your term. I will stay at home but keep my fabulous self." His chair scratched the floor as Yu stood up. "Get used to seeing me and not your loser of a son. I am in charge now. And I don't eat carbs for breakfast. It will make me fat," he sneered at the toasts and eggs on his plate.
Yu held the side of his robe as he moved to walk away from the kitchen. It swirls around his legs as he moves.
I closed my eyes and whimpered as I felt my husband's hand covering mine.
"That...is her. Right?" I asked my husband and father in law. "That is her. The girl inside Yu..."
My father in law put down his utensils. "I think we have a problem in our hands." He said.
A problem? No! This is a disaster.
I think I totally lost my son now.
And to a woman, nonetheless.
..........................
(AHNZONG)
I cannot take it anymore. I have been patient. I have waited. I've been good.
But no more!
This time, I really need to see Yu in person. By flesh. And with my two eyes.
I want to make sure my friend is fine.
The last message Yu sent to me was four days ago. And the last time we talked on the phone was two weeks ago. Yu resigned suddenly and he called to cry to me on the phone.
"Qing and I broke up, AhnZong ah. And it hurts. It hurts so bad..."
I can still hear the pain in Yu's voice when I recall that conversation. I told him to be strong. I asked him how Wang Qing agreed when Yu broke up with him.
I just cannot picture it in my mind. Yu and Wang Qing are so in love. How did they break up? Why?
Their families. Of course, they are the reason why Yu is heartbroken now. I really wish that Yu will just pack his stuffs up and leave their home but that is not how Yu is.
Yu will not severe relationships, especially with his family. And because of that, I also believe that Yu and Wang Qing are not over yet.
But if they have a plan, I don't know what it is. Yu asked me to stay put but it's been weeks now since he last called me. And four days since he last messaged me.
I am worrying already.
So I decided to wear a clean shirt and jeans plus my good sneakers to march into Yu's home and see him for myself.
But when I open the door of my apartment, a surprise was waiting for me.
"LiYan?" I stared dumbfoundedly into Wang Qing's lovely secretary.
LiYan smiled at me. "Hello, Honey." She said.
My eyes widened.
Who is she calling honey?
Me?
Huh?