The Inconceivable Flame: A Fallen Angel's Disguise

"Renren’s bride?" Ru mumbled it as she walked back to her room. "Where have I heard this before?" She felt like she knew what they were talking about but since she couldn’t immediately recall it, she was certain that it must be an insignificant memory in her mind. It was a new curiosity that led Ru to overthink.

She had just entered the room again absentmindedly and was engulfed into a tight embrace. Ru was a bit taken aback and if she hadn’t recognized Xiao Zhiren’s natural scent, she would have definitely attacked him. It was a good thing that she had stopped beating him on instinct all the time. Poor guy had suffered enough because of her.

She couldn’t even remember how many times, she had hit him now. But see, he was still sticking to her, wanting nothing but to keep her in his arms. Where else could one find such an understanding boyfriend?

’Huh? Boy what? Boyfriend?’ Ru gulped as she mused, ’Aiyo, looks like even my mind is ready to declare him as my boyfriend!’

Coming back to the present...

She was stuck in his arms for a long time and he stayed quiet all the way. He kept stroking her hair and his grip didn’t even loosen for a bit; as if she would disappear if he let her go. Ru did want to know what was wrong but being pressed against his body, she could hear his frantic heartbeat. What was it? Why did he seem so shaken up? She really couldn’t tell but since he didn’t talk, she didn’t question either.

She just lifted her arms and patted his back in a soothing manner. Slowly, she could feel his body relaxing along with his erratic heartbeat. Woah! She had always been the one to make people’s hearts shake in fear, it was quite rare for her to be the one to placate others.

"Let me know whenever you’re ready to let me go," she mumbled against his chest.

Xiao Zhiren pushed her body enough to see her face and asked, "Where did you go? I was so scared when I didn’t find you on the bed. Why did you leave without even telling me?"

"Huh? So the reason why you look so shook up is my absence?" She didn’t know whether she was asking that or stating it because in her heart she knew the answer. "Am I a little kid or something who will get lost? Or who has to take your permission even to breathe?"

Ru didn’t intend to speak so carelessly. At least, she didn’t know she did until she saw the look on Xiao Zhiren’s face changing. He looked heartbroken by her words. So much for being the eloquent person! Why was she always saying the wrong things only to him? It was all her brain’s fault that decided to shut down around him!

Ru rubbed her forehead and spoke again, "You were sleeping. I couldn’t just wake you up to tell you that I’m going out for a walk. And I went for just half an hour or so. It’s no big deal."

"You could have written a simple note for me," he said with a heavy heart.

"I remember writing two notes in life..." Ru started with a thoughtful look. "One was to inform my father that I’m running away from home and the second was to you... to inform you that I’ll remember your debt." Xiao Zhiren frowned as he listened not knowing where this was about to go. "In short, whenever I write notes to someone, they end up losing me. But if you want I can-"

Xiao Zhiren placed his hand over her lips to stop her from completing her sentence as he said, "No need for a note. Just don’t leave me. I don’t wanna lose you again."

Xiao Zhiren saw her staring at his face intently and asked, "What are you looking at?"

Ru shook her head saying, "Nothing. Your answer was perfectly along the lines of what I thought you’d say." She seemed really happy while saying this. The smile on her face was lazy but bright and it shed all the haziness from Xiao Zhiren’s morning.

"If you kept smiling like that my heart won’t be able to take it anymore."

Hearing his words, Ru looked up at him questioningly, "What do you mean? I’m not supposed to even smile?"

"That’s not what I mean..." He lowered his head to capture her lips with his own in a short but still passionate kiss as he said, "Your smile makes my heart skip a beat. It’s very dangerous for my health."

As if the fused lightbulb in her mind lit up as her eyes widened. "Now I know." She blurted out in a daze.

"What?" He asked in confusion.

"Why their words seemed so familiar." She eyed him suspiciously.

"Love, you okay?"

’Renren’s bride? Isn’t that the title I refused to take back then?’ Her heart was going through a million emotions at this realization as she muttered to her, "I am the Renren’s bride. Then..." She looked into his eyes and poked his forehead as she spoke, "You are Renren? Zhiren’s Ren makes it Renren. Bloody Hell! I’m losing this game from the beginning without even knowing it."

Xiao Zhiren placed his hand on her forehead and said, "You don’t seem to have a fever. Did you take any wrong medicine? Why are you babbling nonsense?"

Ru swatted his hand away and snorted, "Are you chewing gum or something? Why are you stuck to me from the beginning?"

She squirmed out of his arms and walked towards the balcony for some fresh air and as she felt him following her, she said, "Stop following me. Do you think I can run from here?"

"You can do anything and I believe if your mind really decided, you might even swim back." Xiao Zhiren replied in all honesty and Ru couldn’t refute at all. She indeed wouldn’t mind swimming back but only if she wanted to. She had no plan of doing so right now.

"Have some trust in me. I don’t plan on running." She again turned to leave but stopped and whipped around to face him with a glaring look as she said, "I have already tried running from you twice. Look where it got me."

"Where?" he asked innocently.

Ru sighed heavily as she answered, "Right here, in your room."

With that, she closed the balcony’s door and sat down on the floor with a complicated look. Now that his words had triggered back her dusty memory from childhood, she was really confused. That memory wasn’t insignificant as she had thought earlier. That memory was something she intentionally didn’t think about.