Because I Cannot Hurt You

The customers at the cafe looked at them, puzzled and confused. Shuang was suddenly crying and hugging Jack out of nowhere.

Are they breaking up?

Jack listened to her words and her tears in silence. He exhaled a deep breath, and his gaze flickered.

Pain is pain…

He felt it rang so true. He had always discarded his emotions, thinking it was easy to do so. He was a man. Xiaosi was a man and straight at that. Thinking about anything happening between them was a joke. Or so he said to himself.

But the pain was there. The envy was there whenever he saw Xiaosi talk about Caihong with such softness in his eyes that it made his heart ache, wishing he could have a partner like that. Wishing that perhaps one in a million chance, Xiaosi might become his partner.

It was difficult to come to terms with it. He used to laugh at himself and kill the pain erupting in his chest.

He let out a soft sigh and hugged Shuang back. He could still hear the sound of her sniffling.

"Hey, come on. Don't cry. Also…I think it's best you let me go. My face is in your chest, so…you know…"

Shuang grimaced and smacked his head. "Shut up! Concentrate on what I am saying!"

Jack cleared his throat. "Your breasts are making it difficult."

She glared at him and stomped on his foot.

"Ouch! That hurts."

Shuang grabbed his arm. "Let's go from here. The people are giving weird looks here!"

The customers who heard her, coughed and looked away.

He grinned. "Isn't that because you are so passionately hugging me?" fr𝚎e𝙬𝚎𝚋𝚗૦ν𝚎𝒍.c૦m

She stomped on his other foot this time and dragged him out of the cafe.

In the park near the cafe, she made him sit on the bench, and she took a seat beside him. She had finally calmed down a bit as the tears in her eyes dried up.

She peeked at Jack, who looked back at her, smiling. He gently held her hand and pressed them together. "I am fine now. I have been fine ever since I met you. You helped me move on from him. I had given up on him, but you were the one who gave me that push to completely cut off my feelings for him."

He took a pause to gather his thoughts. "At first, I was drawn to you because you were just like me. We loved the same man, and we had faced the same rejection. I found comfort in your company thinking that 'Ah, It will be easier if I am with you.' I admit, my intentions were not pure initially. But you are so strong and charming that I didn't realize when I wanted to be with you only for your sake. I don't want to be with you because I want to forget Xiaosi. I truly want you to be my girlfriend because I love you."

He smiled and ruffled her head. "People say that my eyes are so beautiful that it could make anybody fall for me. I used to laugh at them for being so stupid. But now I understand when I think like them. An Shuang is so beautiful that any man would fall on his knees for her. Just like me…" he chuckled.

Shuang felt the warmth on her head. She slowly grasped his hand and looked at him. Her eyes peered into his bluish-grey orbs that shone breathtakingly under the sunlight.

Her heart skipped several beats at his smile.

"Jack."

"Hm."

"Will you go out with me?"

Jack stumbled in his seat and stared at her, aghast. His eyes blinked several times in bewilderment.

"Ah?"

Shuang smiled and flicked his forehead. "I am asking if you will go out with me?"

Jack felt his heart jump in his chest. He felt heat rush to his throat. "You mean it?"

"Yes. I have been thinking about us ever since you asked me out. I was hesitating not because I didn't feel anything for you. But I was afraid to subconsciously treat you the way I treated Yunru. I didn't want to hurt another person because of my selfishness," her gaze lowered.

Then a soft smile curled her lips. "But you know what, Jack? I don't feel that way for Xiaosi anymore. When I saw him today with Caihong and Chyou together as a happy family, I felt no pain. There was no sadness over losing him to Caihong or the sorrow of my one-sided love for him. I genuinely…" she took a deep breath, feeling lighter, "felt so happy for them from the bottom of my heart. I felt that I had let go of him completely. I will be honest with you. Part of it could happen because my relationship's end with Yunru opened my eyes to the fact that I was still living in a bubble that suddenly burst one day."

Jack slowly nodded. He knew that a big part of Shuang coming terms to reality was due to her seven years long relationship with Yunru. But that didn't bother him.

"But a great part of it was also because you were there by my side," she shook her head. "I am not really that strong you make me out to be. I was weak and needed someone to stay sane. If you weren't there after Yunru and I broke up, then my guilt would have eaten me completely. In fact, you are overpowered," she chuckled. "You helped me get over Xiaosi and Yunru at the same time while making your place in my heart."

Jack raised his brow and was extremely pleased. "Well, how can I praise myself…? I am just too talented."

"You are. You really are," she scooted closer to him, making his breath stop, "That's why it will be my honor to date such a talented man like you. I don't want to waste another chance to find love that life has blessed me with. So, Jack Si. I love you. Will you go out with me?"

The wind softly blew, fluttering their hair in the wind. He felt a lump in his throat.

"This is not fair. You are supposed to answer yes or no because I asked you first."

Shuang leaned in and kissed his lips, taking him by utter shock. She enjoyed his dumbfounded expression. "That's how An Shuang is, Mr. Si. You should be ready for surprises for the rest of your life~"

Jack inhaled sharply and kissed her back, hard and fast. They shared a long kiss, and Jack answered, breathless. "Miss An. I was always ready for that."