Having cleared the misunderstanding up, Li Ming said goodbye to Rui Lan and then went back to his own apartment. He couldn’t help but have mixed feelings about the situation. Still, it was for the best.
He had actually reached into his pocket to take out his keys when he remembered that he had given them to Mo Fang. He sighed to himself and then rang the doorbell.
He only had to wait a moment until Mo Fang opened the door with a bright smile as if he had already been waiting for him to return. "Bro Li, you’re back!"
Li Ming found himself in a daze looking at his expression. "I … I’m back, yes." He forced himself to smile and then stepped in, raising the bag with Mo Fang’s clothes. "I brought your bag." Not that Mo Fang would really need it any longer. After all, today would likely be the last day he spent here.
Mo Fang smiled happily and reached out, taking the bag from him. "Thank you so much. Let me take that from you. You’ve been carrying it around the whole time. I hope you had fun with Rui Lan?"
Li Ming nodded and then went to sit down, trying to find a way to bring up what had happened.
Mo Fang put down the bag and then came to sit down next to him, a sweet smile still on his lips.
Li Ming turned to him, still at a loss of words. "Mo Fang … we need to talk." This was as good an opening as anything else. Anyway, they really needed to have a talk.
Mo Fang’s smile collapsed and he looked at Li Ming with some worry. "Is it because I kissed you today? Are you angry?" He lowered his head and reached out, taking Li Ming’s hand. "I didn’t want to make trouble for you. I didn’t know that you met somebody else already. If I had known …"
Li Ming hurriedly shook his head and squeezed Mo Fang’s hand to reassure him. "That’s not it. You have nothing to apologize for. It’s … It’s me."
Mo Fang smiled, looking up at him with sad eyes. "You know, that is what one of my exes said when breaking up with me. Why do I feel that it’s never true?"
Li Ming felt even more anxious when he saw that gaze in Mo Fang’s eyes. "That’s not it. Really. I’m sorry that I took advantage of you. I know you just wanted to get rid of your ex and … I wanted to help but I went overboard. I’m sorry about that."
Mo Fang’s expression turned a little better at that. "You don’t have to apologize. I didn’t mind. Anyway, getting close to people isn’t something that I mind much. And even if I did, I wouldn’t mind if it was you." He put as much emotion as he could into his voice and gaze when looking at Li Ming, hoping that he would finally catch on. It was about time. If he didn’t, then this would really turn out to be a wasted chance.
Li Ming didn’t quite know what to say. He had been building up this case of getting too close to Mo Fang in his mind and now, he was suddenly told that it wasn’t the case. Well, it might also be that Mo Fang was just saying that.
He looked down at their hands, lightly brushing Mo Fang’s fingers with his thumb. "You don’t have to feel obligated to me, you know? Anyway, before you say anything else, I want to tell you that I’ve talked to your father."
This time, Mo Fang didn’t manage to react calmly. His eyes widened and he stared at Li Ming in complete shock. "My … my father?" This wasn’t good!
Li Ming nodded, not too surprised that this came as such a huge shock to Mo Fang. Anyway, he did think that his father was angry at him after all. "Actually, it was all just a misunderstanding. Your father thought that you had gotten back together with Lan Heng and was a little angry. So he said some things that sounded as if he didn’t want you around. But actually, he just meant that he wouldn’t get involved in your love life anymore. He wanted you to make your own decisions. But that doesn’t mean that he doesn’t love you anymore. He just wants what’s best for you. If you don’t believe me, you can give him a call and make sure."
Mo Fang’s expression slightly eased. Apparently, Li Ming and his father hadn’t figured out that he had made half of that story up. Or, well, at least exaggerated it. That was good. In that case, he still had something to work with. "I really don’t know what my father was thinking. I really don’t like Lan Heng anymore."
Li Ming gave a faint smile, feeling that this kind of denial would make it even more so that other people would think he still had feelings for his ex. "It’s alright. It’s only been a week. It’s normal that you still have feelings for him."
Mo Fang looked up, slightly shifting closer and gripped Li Ming’s other hand as well. "Bro Li, this might sound strange but I actually think I really don’t. I only realized when I saw him today.
"These days, when he wasn’t there, I thought of the good times we had and I felt that I should miss it. But when he appeared today and said those horrible things to me, I suddenly realized that we could never go back to that anyway. We’ve had our time. Now, we aren’t meant to be anymore. And, quite frankly, I wouldn’t want to get back together with him. I think I’m better off without him."
"It’s good that you can see that. But that doesn’t mean that you have to deny your feelings. It’s normal to take some time to get over him."
Mo Fang looked at Li Ming, feeling a bit mixed inside. This guy … Why was he being so troublesome? He was trying to confess to him here, alright?!
Taking a deep breath, he squeezed Li Ming’s hands and inched yet another bit closer. "I don’t. I wouldn’t have thought that it was possible but I really am over him. Maybe it’s because … I finally see how it could be to be with somebody that really cherishes me." He reached up, cupping Li Ming’s cheek with his hand and then gave him a long look. "Bro Li, I know I shouldn’t say this but … I just can’t stop thinking about you."
