NOVEL WEB Chapter 967 Tug of war
967 Tug of war
Shui had to figure out what was going on. Lin's revelation troubled her and with her faint suspicions about Yuze and Alix's relationship, her heart was at unease.
She looked at the time and waited. She was fifteen minutes earlier than the set time to meet Yuze.
"Shui."
She looked up, surprised. "Hey. I thought I came too early."
He chuckled. "I couldn't sit back at the office and wait anymore. I was just nervous the whole way."
They were at the river walkway and watching the gentle waves flowing back and forth, Yuze said, "Honestly, I didn't think that you would call me so soon."
She pressed her lips. "I know what you are thinking about, but I didn't call you out to give my answer."
He smiled. "That is fine too. I am just happy to meet you for any reason."
When he studied her somber gaze, he felt something was off.
"Is everything okay…? You look tense."
"I want to hear your side of the story too before coming to any conclusion."
Yuze blinked, confused. "My side about what?"
Shui folded her arms and peered straight into his eyes. "I heard something concerning Jin in which you could be involved."
His brows furrowed. "I don't understand."
"I will come straight to the point, Yuze. Did you have anything to do with the merger deal that Jin lost?"
His black eyes stared at her with a quiet contemplation. The air oddly remained still for a few seconds, yet it felt like long hours
Yuze put his hands in pockets and exhaled a deep breath. "I…was hoping you would not come to know about it. But I guess this is better."
"What do you mean?"
"Yes, it is true that I was involved."
Her eyes widened. Her mind buzzed with the unexpected jolt of his admittance. She had made up her mind to confront Yuze when he would lie and hide, but now she faced an exactly opposite situation.
Shui slowly framed her question. "You…admit that you manipulated the fintech CEO against Jin?"
His countenance looked troubled. "I know this makes me look in a very bad light. But the truth is not what you think. The person with whom Jiang Yazhu eventually signed a deal is a friend of my friend. He was looking forward to this deal and my friend asked me for a favor…"
"Favor to choose your friend's friend instead of Jin?"
He wryly smiled. "I know I have no business interfering with Liu Jin's business deals. Our companies are not even rivals in any sense. I wouldn't have acted this way and let Liu Jin lose the deal. But I…"
His lips slightly tugged with discomfort. "If I'm absolutely honest, I hate him for hurting you."
"Huh?"
"This might hurt you to hear as you and Liu Jin are childhood friends. But I cannot control my feelings when I see him playing around with your heart. He hurt you the first time when he left for Paris. He left you alone. If it was his decision to keep distance from you, then he should at least adhere to his own choices."
He clenched his jaw. "But I don't know what he is thinking. Ever since he returned from Paris, I see you…drifting away from me, Shui. It was painful, but I had steeled my mind to accept the reality in case…Liu Jin went back on his resolve. But that's where the problem is. He didn't break his resolve but neither did he deny the increasing closeness between you two."
Shui stiffened.
"From where I stand, I only see him playing a terrible game of tug of war. When it's convenient, he pulls you closer to him and at other times, he pushes you away."
"That is not-"
"It is that way, Shui," he stared at her with a no nonsense gaze. "What peeves me even more is that somehow, he is getting involved with Alix."
She was taken aback. "Alix is just our common friend."
He smiled with a hint of helplessness.
"Only you see it that way, Shui. Not me and certainly not Liu Jin. There are too many instances to count now where I can see them getting closer…than just normal friends. I am not saying this as her ex-boyfriend but as a man who loves Han Shui. Liu Jin keeps confusing you with his wavering stance about your relationship but at the same time, he has no qualms in growing closer to Alix."
Shui threw him a look filled with disbelief.
"I was talking to Alix after the exhibition, and I simply wanted to understand her motivations behind getting you and Liu Jin together. But he angrily pushed me away and taunted me to give up on you."
Yuze took a step closer to her and the piercing intensity of his stare made her shift uncomfortably.
"And I cannot tolerate this, Shui. Alix is getting sucked more and more into his space and messed up emotions. I cannot help but feel that he is playing around with both of you. He goes to Alix when it's convenient to him, but when he feels threatened about losing you, he returns with a roar. I truly want to give him the benefit of the doubt. But it's really difficult, Shui. If you stand at my place, then it's hard to see the distinction in his intentions as a childhood friend or…as a man who still has feelings for you."
Shui said nothing.
Yuze took a step, giving her the space she needed.
"That's why I interfered. The friend wanted to score a deal anyway and yes, I might have exaggerated things a bit against Liu Jin. I admit it is a childish way of getting back at somebody. But I just wanted to see him defeated. It angers me to see what he is doing with you."
Shui saw him raising his hand, most probably to hold her face, she assumed. But he lowered it back and smiled with resignation.
"I care about you Shui. I will accept your rejection, especially now that you know what I did. I just hope…you don't hate me. I only did what I did because I love you and I cannot see the woman I love keep getting hurt."