Sweeter than Fiction

Su Bin saw Guan Ning standing in the garden, smoking. His other is holding a can of…. beer? He got confused. Guan Ning said he already stopped drinking all kinds of booze, except wine, a month ago.

"Hey, Guan." Su Bin called as he approaches. The latter turned around to look at him but immediately withdraw his gaze back. "Are you okay?" Su Bin added.

Su Bin is now standing beside him while he scoffed. "What do you mean?" And puff off a smoke.

Su Bin saw that there are over three cigarette butts on the grass beside Guan Ning's feet. 'Shit! He smoked that much already?!'

"Beer, huh? Thought you prefer wine."

"Habits." Guan Ning said. He drank the beer in one gulp and head towards the table nearby where a few cans of beer were laid. Su Bin's gaze followed and is stunned at what he saw.

"Shit, man! You drink that much already?! It's too early for that. Auntie is going to kill you." He did not notice those when he arrived. Guan Ning ignored his nagging and continue to drink while smoking. He took a seat on one of the chairs.

"I know you saw them." Su Bin puts his hands inside his pockets and looked at Guan Ning pitifully. "Stop tormenting yourself, Guan. You haven't seen each other for almost 11 years. And for all those years, you did not know how much their love for each other grew."

Guan Ning ignored him and just took a drag from the cigarette. He looked up to the sky, leaning his back to the chair and blow off the smoke.

The sun had already set. The pink skies looked so marvelous, Guan Ning thought. Su Bin's words rang in his ears. 'Tormenting? Am I tormenting myself?' He scoffed inwardly at his own thoughts.

"I just can't help it." Guan Ning finally said. He gave a deep sigh, "Like I told you, habits." Silence fell around them.

"Oh, right. My reliable source said that he's going to hand me another set of files later through email. Are you interested?" Su Bin broke the silence and changed the subject.

Guan Ning puts out his cigarette and turned to look at him. In a lazy voice, he said, "Just keep it for me first. I'm not in the mood," and lit another cigarette.

Su Bin sighed in defeat. 'Fine as you wish!'

Another minute of silence fell between them.

A message from their respective phones broke the silence. They both looked at their phones questioningly.

"Accept it for me," Guan Ning said out of the blue. "I have to get inside and greet Mother. You, too." He rose from his seat and strides inside the house.

"Tsk, whatever man. You find Auntie. You haven't been home for a decade after all," Su Bin shouted at Guan Ning's retreating back who ignored him. Then he added, "Are you sure you know the way inside?"

Guan Ning stopped walking and turned to face Su Bin, but instead of answering, he just raised his middle finger at him and said, "Just do what I told you to do." He continued to walk inside leaving Su Bin laughing.


Both of them received a message from a common friend. Someone wants to challenge Guan Ning into a race that night. Su Bin is going to commit another sin from Guan Qing.

Inside the house, Guan Ning went straight to the kitchen. He saw his mother busy preparing for dinner with the servants.

No one noticed his presence. He leaned on the door frame of the kitchen with a smile. Somehow, he misses being in the mansion.

His mother, who is in her middle 50's, still looks so beautiful. She's wearing a simple floral dress that makes her ten years younger.

The butler who came from the cellar saw Guan Ning. He greeted his master whom he hasn't seen in a long time. "Second Young Master, welcome back home,"

He straightened and greeted back with a smile, "Thank you, Butler Han."

Choi Minjun, Guan Ning's mother, heard his familiar voice and looked his way.

"Guan!" his mother was so surprised to see him. He sauntered towards him and gave him a bear hug. "Nobody told me you're here."

With a softened heart, he said, "I wanted to surprise you. You look beautiful today, Mother."

"Really?" His mother smiled and hugged him again. "I really missed you, dear. Your father misses you, too."

Guan Ning's face turned glum after hearing her mother's words.