Chapter 34

Chapter 34

"I am coaxing you.”  

Jian Yao is surprised by his answer. That’s not what she expected to hear.  Sweetness poured into her heart.  But almost immediately, it’s replaced by reason and logic, with a touch of frustration.

She turns around to look at him: “Coax me… to be your assistant?”

“Yeah.” He taps his hand on the corner of the table, leans forward to look at her.

- I knew it!  Her lips curl into a bitter smile. 

“Well, that’s not the only reason.” He suddenly adds.

She waits…

He stares at her.  Bo Jinyan looks good in white.  It brings out his nice skin complexion.  His eyes looks clear and sharp.

“I think we should reconcile.”

Jian Yao is speechless.

 By now, Fu Ziyu has finished his call.  He’s been observing the two of them.  He can’t help but smile: “Nice job with the fish.”

Jian Yao is poking her chopsticks in an empty bowl.  She is not giving Bo Jinyan an answer.

Fu Ziyu takes a glance at Bo Jinyan: “Have some fish.  Nobody forced him to debone it for you.  He does not expect anything on return.  Don’t worry.  Just because you eat some fish does not mean you agree to reconcile with him, or to remain to be his assistant.  Right?”

“Hum…” Bo Jinyan asks coldly: “Whose side are you on?”

Fu Ziyu: “Jian Yao’s of course.  I’ve always been and will always be loyal to her!”

While the two men are bickering amongst themselves, she picks up a piece of the fish fillet with her chopsticks and puts it in her mouth.

It’s very tender. 

He spent half a day deboning the fish for her… till his fingers are tired.

This man…. 

—————-

Dinner is over.  They are standing in the shade under a tree in the restaurant carpark.  Fu Ziyu asks: “What should we do next?”

Jian Yao: “I need to go to the supermarket.  I won’t join you anymore.” 

Bo Jinyan stands next to her.  He takes a look at her.  

Fu Ziyu smiles: “Then we will accompany you to the supermarket.  We are coaxing you, remember?  Today, you are the Queen.  We will follow Your Majesty anywhere.  Is that right, Bo Jinyan?”

Jian Yao laughs: “ Oh, Come on…”    Bo Jinyan agrees with a low voice: “Yes, we will go with you…”

—————

How often does a lady get to stroll the supermarket with two handsome and charming ‘bodyguards’.  She is attracting lots of attention today.  

Fu Ziyu is clearly in a good mood today.  He is playing his ‘Queen’s knight’ role extremely well.  “Your Majesty, which aisle should we take?” “My Queen, do you want this brand of salt?”….

His charm manages to soothe her melancholy.  She can’t help but smile: “Oh, stop calling me that.”

Bo Jinyan stands quietly by her side.  From her peripheral vision, she knows that Bo Jinyan is always looking at her.  She refuses to engage with him, so she keeps looking away from him.  They don’t talk to each other at all.

They come to the confectionary section.  Jian Yao stops to replenish her stock.  There’s a young pretty lady promoting a new brand of biscuit.  When she sees Jian Yao and the two men, she walks over with some samples.

Bo Jinyan will, of course, ignore her.  But Fu Ziyu is too soft hearted to say no to a pretty girl. After trying the sample, he follows the girl to the biscuit section to get a pack.

There’s only the two of them left in the confectionary section.

Jian Yao pretends to read the labels of the products.  

Suddenly, she notices Bo Jinyan has walked off.  

She takes a look around.  He is not there anymore.  

Her heart sinks.  

Then she hears a familiar voice behind her: “Your majesty, here’s your sugar-free lollies.”

It’s an item on her grocery list.  He must have seen it and went to find it for her.

Jian Yao says to him: “Why are you following his lead?  Stop calling me that.” 

Bo Jinyan puts the pack of lolly into her trolley: “No one is forcing me to do it.  And I don’t expect anything in return.”

Jian Yao takes a look at his ‘unwilling’ face.  She smiles and says: “I don’t want apple flavour.  I prefer orange.”

Bo Jinyan reaches for the pack in the trolley: “Yes!  Your majesty.”  He picks up the packet of lolly and return it to the shelf.  Jian Yao watches him as he looks carefully at the labels to find what Jian Yao is after.  

A tall man with bright eyes and strikingly handsome features, wearing a simple white shirt and a pair of black pants.  

Yes, this is the man she likes.  

Soon, he finds what he is looking for.  He turns back and walks toward Jian Yao.

“Thank you.” Jian Yao reaches out her hand, ready to take the packet of lolly from him.

He places it in her hand, but he doesn’t let go.  They are both holding the packet of lolly.

She looks at him.  He takes a step forward to reduce the distance between them.  He looks into her eyes.

“Reconcile?”  He says in his deep melodic voice. 

Jian Yao’s face starts to blush.  She tries pulling the pack a little harder. But he is not letting go.  The packet of lolly is quite small.  His fingers are touching the back of her hand.  Jian Yao feels like there’s small pulse of electricity coming through her hand.  

Jian Yao gives a sigh.  She surrenders.  

Lifting her head, she smiles at him: “Alright.  I have had enough of your nonsense. Let’s make peace. I won’t hide from you anymore.  What do you want for breakfast tomorrow?”

Bo Jinyan eye’s light up: ”Whatever you want.  My Queen.” 

Jian Yao just answers: “Let’s go.”

“Ok…”  

She pushes the trolley towards the counter.  He is following behind her.  After a few steps, she feels something soft and warm touching her head.  It’s Bo Jinyan, he pats her head as he walks past her.

She pauses her steps.

- Yes, we have reconciled.  Bo Jinyan,  I like you, but you obviously don’t share the same sentiment towards me.  But I can’t stay by your side as a friend anymore. What am I going to do?   

————

Since they have ‘reconciled’, Jian Yao takes some snacks and fruits she bought earlier to Bo Jinyan’s apartment.  

Bo Jinyan is taking a shower.  Fu Ziyu is sitting in the sofa reading.  When she enters the apartment, he smiles and signals her to come to sit beside him.

Fu Ziyu pours himself a glass of red wine.  He asks Jian Yao: “Would you like some wine too?”

Jian Yao shakes her head.  She walks to the kitchen and pours herself a glass of milk: “I’ll take milk.”  She says to Fu Ziyu.

They quietly sit for a while.  Then Fu Ziyu asks her: “You like Bo Jinyan, don’t you?”

Jian Yao almost choked hearing those words.  Her face turns red, and she starts to cough.

Fu Ziyu laughs at her, while gently patting her back to help her feel better: “Take it easy.  I am on your side.”

“I am not sure what you are talking about.” says Jian Yao after she finally regains her composure.

Fu Ziyu: ”Your secret is safe with me…” 

Jian Yao does not deny anymore.  She is a straightforward person in front of her friends anyway.

After a moment of silence, she says to Fu Ziyu: “Please don’t tell him.”

“Of course not.  Men should always make the first move when it comes to courting.”  Then he pauses “Though, this might be difficult for Bo Jinyan.” 

  

“I don’ think that’s necessary.  He has no feelings for me.”Jian Yao says.

Fu Ziyu is stunned: “That’s impossible!”

Jian Yao hesitates.  Then she explains to Fu Ziyu why she has come to that conclusion.  She feels a bit of her burden is lifted after getting it off her chest to someone.

She didn’t expect Fu Ziyu to have such a reaction after hearing her out.  Instead of consoling her, he has a ‘I knew it’ look on his face.  He smiles: ”You base your conclusion on those statements of his?”

Jian Yao argues: “Well, would you say to someone you like - “Go find yourself a boyfriend’?”

“Me?  No…. But we are talking about Bo Jinyan!  A genius with extremely low EQ.  Besides  he has never been in a relationship before.  You know what he is like.  In the inside, he’s just an egotistic boastful kid.”

Jian Yao can’t help but agree with what he says: “Yes, that’s so true.”

Fu Ziyu continues: “So, even if you tell him you are getting married tomorrow.  He will congratulate you and even write you a big cheque as a wedding present.  But it’s not until he sees you in the arms  of another man will he suddenly realise “Oh, how come she is not mine anymore?” “

Jian Yao laughs at the suggestion.  There’s still a bit of bitterness and uncertainty in her heart.  Can he be such an idiot when it comes to love? 

Maybe…

“I’ve never seen him so concerned about a girl before.”    Fu Ziyu looks at her and says in an unwavering tone: “ But that’s Bo Jinyan.  He is extremely talented, and a very good criminal psychologist.   But he is also a loner.  Someone that hates socialising.  So, to be his friend, or lover, we need to take more effort to reach out to him.   Looking back, it took me a long time to become his only friend.  Now, as his best and only friend, I urge you to give him more time.  I don’t want him to lose out on such a lovely girlfriend.”  

—————-

It’s a beautiful night.  The warm summer breezes brushes over one’s face as if to appease the restlessness in the heart.  

Jian Yao looks up and meets Fu Ziyu’s reassuring gaze.  

Bo Jinyan walks out from his bedroom.  

Without looking at him, his two guests raise their glass.  Fu Ziyu says to Jian Yao: “To our alliance!”

Bo Jinyan stands behind them: “Alliance?  What are you talking about?”  He is wearing a white T Shirt and shorts.  He looks at Jian Yao: “Why is your face so red?”

Fu Ziyu smiles.

Jian Yao stands up quickly and says her goodbye: “It’s getting late.  See you tomorrow.”

—————

The next morning.

Bo Jinyan wakes up feeling a little irritable.  Jian Yao said they’d make peace, but she didn’t even speak to him once last night.

This is the first time in Bo Jinyan’s life that he is at someone’s disposal.  He’s used to being the one in control - Where he works, his title, who works for him… No one dared to say no to him before.

- Perhaps, if he continues to coax her for one more day?  She will agree? 

He stands in front of the mirror.  Then he hears the sound of the front door open. 

He smiles.  Time for breakfast.

When he enters to the lounge,  he see Jian Yao sitting on the sofa.  And his favourite fish dumplings… on the coffee table.  

She is wearing a beige dress today.  She greets him with a nice smile.

Mmm…that’s what it ought to be every morning.  His irritability has dissipated.  

Jian Yao asks causally: “What do we need to work on today?”

Bo Jinyan smiles: “There’s no urgent work at the moment.  I’ll… I’ll get changed first.  Then we will have breakfast together.”  He’s obviously in a good mood.  He sounds cheerful.

“OK.” Jian Yao puts her head down.  

- Oh Bo Jinyan.  I have gone one extra step.  I will wait here.  Are you willing to come to me?  But don’t make me wait too long, I might get discouraged and turn my back on you….

————-

Bo Jinyan whistles as he changes in front of the mirror.  Then he gives Fu Ziyu a call.

Fu Ziyu congratulates him: “I will arrange for the contract.  The usual term? Three years?”

Bo Jinyan: “Change it to ten years.“

Fu Ziyu is a little surprised.  Then he laughs: ‘Your sister won’t be too happy that you won this round.” 

This reminds Bo Jinyan.  He sends his sister a text message: “I am sorry.  Jian Yao is mine now. - Yours, “The ‘real’ Bo Jinyan” ”  

YinZiqi did not reply to his text.  

He returns to the lounge.  Jian Yao is reading a book “The Guide to Behavioural Evidence”

His phone rings.

“Professor Bo.  My name is Wang Xi.”  It’s the inspector from Wang Wan Wei’s case.  

“Yes?” asks Bo Jinyan

“We found ‘him.…” He says heavily, “His body.”