Chapter 2

August 30, 2022. Beijing, China.

“Mr. Luo, there is an executive meeting in ten minutes”, His Secretary's voice called out.

"Hm, I understand. Give me five minutes", Luo Xiyuan said. His eyes were still looking at the chat interface. It was his chat with his best friend from school and college - Zhao Ning.

His name, Luo Xiyuan, was a stark contrast to Zhao Ning. While hers symbolified peace, his name on the other hand symbolified ambitiousness.

And just like his name, he was an ambitious one. His father was a very normal man, working a 9 to 5 job, earning enough to bring him up but he wasn't seeking a stable life. He started from scratch, he was very passionate about developing games, with his friends, they started out as a startup company and then slowly raised to be one of the leading game developers around the world known for giving the players an immersive gaming experience.

"What kind of a stupid I am. It's her birthday and all I did was to upset her first thing", he cursed himself. He stood up and looked at the wall by the side. It had a photo. He was standing at the right end, his friends Chen RuoRuo and Xiao Jing stood to his left. All three of them were making weird poses with a smile and after Xiao Jing stood a girl, she looked shy compared to others, she was tentatively holding out her hand to reach out and grab the hands of the boy standing near her. The guy on the other hand was looking at the camera without noticing the girl's gaze on him.

It was a picture taken at the time of their University graduation, when they all were still young.

Looking at the photo, he eventually thought back to the day of their graduation 5 years ago.

2017 Beijing

"Cheers, brother, we graduated successfully", Chen RuoRuo beamed with happiness.

"What do you mean we graduated? We are entrepreneurs! Not normal graduates okay?!", Luo Xiyuan scoffed.

"Hahaha what entrepreneurs? Come on Xiyuan, aren't you wasting your youth doing worthless stuff? To think, the most sought after company actually wanted to hire you for a very good CTC but you turned them down because of your 'dream' isn't it a pity?", Wang Haoyu mocked.

"Hey Wang Haoyu..", Chen RuoRuo was about to talk back when Luo Xiyuan stopped him, "Everyone has a dream of their own. I don't want things to be easy for me. Even if it means suffering I'll just suffer and then correct my ways? Who doesn't make mistakes when we are young? Right?", Luo Xiyuan smiled.

"I don't make mistakes. And, Zhao Ning as well didn't make a mistake", Wang Haoyu continued, "Xiyuan, don't think I'm looking down on your decision, I'm just worried for your future ah. Look at your father, have a stable job, and have earned enough for you. Now, you want to waste his savings instead of earning more and saving up? Building a whole new company? Do you think it's one of your jokes? You are just wasting your dad's money!"

Chen RuoRuo was furious, "What do you mean he's using his father's money. Brother Luo never used his father's.."

"Shut up Shut up", Luo Xiyuan interfered, "Thank you Wang Haoyu. I understand your concern. But don't worry and believe in your friend, I can really make it. And if I can't, I'm still young. I'm not a perfectionist like you and Zhao Ning to make right decisions all the time and hey speaking of which where is Zhao Ning and Xiao Jing? I haven't seen them for some time. We still have to take the commemorative photo. You see, you both wait here, I'll go take a look", Without saying further he walked away in a second.

While passing through an alley, he heard the familiar voices but the subject they were talking about made him halt his steps.

"Zhao Ning, can you wake up?? Do you really want to do this??",Xiao Jing's worried voice sounded from the alley.

"Xiao Jing, this is actually the right choice", Zhao Ning's usual tone was now tinted with some doubt.

"NingNing, listen, if not for Luo Xiyuan, you wouldn't even have dared to choose this major? Right?? I thought you chose Designing because you really loved to.."

"I do love it. Xiao Jing!",Zhao Ning said assertively, "I love it. So I studied it, too. I even convinced my family to support me for that. But I know where to stop. Just because I love character designing doesn't mean I should do a job that isn't going to give me a stable life. I want a normal 9 to 5 job and earn well, live a calm and peaceful life. Not to mention, Haoyu also chose the same field as me. And this is the only right choice for me to make at this point", Zhao Ning's voice was cool.

"You are a coward Zhao Ning", Xiao Jing said. "You always have been. You never dared to do what you like just because you thought daring to do what you like might make your life adventurous as everyone has already convinced you that all you need in your life is to be normal and peaceful. But have you ever asked your inner self what you actually want? Not your father, not your mother, not your boyfriend, but you!", Xiao Jing asked.

Silence befell.

"You actually wanted to do the Maths course and become a normal staff in some Government office just because your parents wanted you to do that, didn't you? If Luo Xiyuan didn't convince you to dare and do what you want to do atleast for once, you would have never even chose to study Designing and just keep thinking about it all in your mind, whenever playing a new game, you'll keep complaining about how it's not satisfying and would've never learnt more about it though you really, really, want to, right?", Xiao Jing questioned.

She had nothing to refute. Whatever Xiao Jing said was true.

"Also, Wang Haoyu, is he really who you need?'' Xiao Jing asked, "Zhao Ning, 5 years back, it was you, who told me that you don't want to be a caged butterfly. That you want to break the peaceful-image others have coated upon you."

"I was.. out of my mind at that time. And I said that, just on that one night", Zhao Ning refuted.

"Heh. That was the only night you were brave", Xiao Jing scoffed.

"Zhao Ning, do you realise that when you have a chance to live the life the way you want to, you are sacrificing it for that worthless person in Wang Haoyu???", Xiao Jing shouted.

"Can you shut up?",Zhao Ning finally couldn't take it anymore, "What do you mean by all that you're talking about right now?? I said the same to Luo Xiyuan and I'm telling the same to you - I chose this for myself, by myself. What I need the most in my life is stability, peace. I don't care what my dreams were. Yes I love character design, I was lucky enough to study it as well but that is not going to give me the future I want. What I want is to have a happy family life with Wang Haoyu. I know you don't like Wang Haoyu but to think you would actually be so shameless to mask your envy and jealousy with some kind of 'care' for me?? This is my life. And I don't want you to be so concerned for me? Okay?"

"Jealous… envy… Zhao Ning.. is this what you think of me…?", Xiao Jing's voice broke.

"I'm.. I'm..", before she understood what happened there, a happy voice suddenly broke their silence.

"So both of you are here ah! Come on, let's go and take the commemorative photo. Haoyu is already waiting. I don't know where Brother Luo went? He wanted to look for you guys, but now he's missing", Chen RuoRuo said and dragged them both. Clearly he didn't have any idea what transpired between them both.

"Mr. Luo? Mr. Luo??", His secretary's voice brought him back to the present.

He turned to look at her, "It's been 15 minutes", she said.

"I'm sorry. Let's go right now", Luo Xiyuan adjusted his suit and tie and walked to the conference room.

His secretary looked back at the photo her boss was staring at. She has met Chen RuoRuo and Xiao Jing from the photo. In fact, Chen RuoRuo was heading the engineering department and Xiao Jing was heading the Marketing department in their company, not to mention they both were even major stakeholders. But she has never met the other two who obviously look like a couple. But somehow she felt the sorrow in her boss's eyes whenever he looked at the picture was because of the girl she didn't know in the photo.

“Clear my schedule for next 2 days, book a ticket to Frisco”, Luo Xiyuan’s orders brought the secretary back to senses.

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