Chapter 296 - If You're Happy

Wuming's body froze at the sound of her voice. He waited until he heard the car leaving before he looked back over his shoulder. She was standing there under the lamppost, with her hair carefully styled with some locks in loose braids pinned to the back of her head. "Hey, Camille."

"What are you doing here?"

Wuming turned his whole body to her but he made no effort in closing the distance between the two of them. "Uh… I was just passing by."

"My house? You were passing by my house?"

He raised a hand, as he couldn't raise both, in surrender. "Hey, don't think that this is stalker-ish." He regretted the words as soon they left his mouth. "Okay, maybe this is stalker-ish. But…" he sighed and gestured to the house, not really knowing what to say next. "I just want to see how you're doing."

Camille took a step towards him. They were a good two lampposts distance apart. The curve of the street was just so quiet that all they could was their voices and the sound of the crickets and the wind. "You check to see if I was fine?"

"Yeah," he nodded his head, not wanting to scare her in anyway. "I just want to check in on you."

Camille's face twisted for a second. "We haven't seen each other in months."

"I know," Wuming said. "Yeah, you can call me a stalker if you want. You can add that to the many things I am. But I swear, this was the first time that I went to see you in a long time."

"After…" she took another step. "After you left the house, you came to see me, although I didn't see you?"

"I just want to know that you're safe and that—"

"That I haven't run to the police and expose you of who you really are?"

Wuming smirked at that. "Possibly that too."

"If you sensed that I would go to the police, would you have killed me?"

Wuming's shoulders fell at that. He didn't think that far ahead with Camille. He just knew that she wouldn't go. If she did though… "I don't know. Maybe not. Maybe I'd just… kidnap you. Drag you to some abandoned house and keep you there forever."

Camille, surprisingly, laughed. "Then Stockholm Syndrome and all that?"

Wuming grinned. "You're the one who said that, okay? Not me."

Camille took another step. "What are you really doing here, Wuming? Or… Qing Wei… which do you prefer?"

He shrugged. "People can call me how they want to call me. I don't really mind. I'm more concerned with what they're comfortable with."

Camille nodded. "Qing Wei, then."

"Are you sure?" he teased. "A lot prefers Wuming."

"I really rather your real name."

"Okay then."

"What are you doing here, Qing Wei?"

"I told you, I was just passing by. I just want to see how you are."

"How many times have you done this before?"

Wuming cringed. He didn't want to lie to her. What was the point anyway? "Once or twice."

Camille nodded. "Well." Wuming saw the way her toes tapped on the asphalt. "Do you want to come over? Have tea at least or anything warm before you go? I'm sure my grandmother would love to see you."

Wuming smiled at the thought of the old woman he met on the plane who couldn't shut up about her granddaughter. "I really shouldn't. Besides, I'm not supposed to be out right now."

"Why is that?"

Wuming scratched the back of his neck. "I have a lot of things to do. A lot. A lot. And I have to call a friend." He nodded, convincing himself too. "Yeah, I need to call an old friend."

"An old friend…" Camille took another step. This time it was not as sure as the first two. "Do you mean like a lady friend?"

Wuming laughed. He hated the sound of it. It sounded so forced. "And why do you want to know?"

Camille shrugged, looking a little shy but Wuming saw that she needed to hear this. "I'm just asking a question."

"Ah," Wuming breathed out held out a hand.

Then Camille's expression changed to worry. "Oh my God! What happened to you?" It was as if she forgot to put distance between them. In a second she was rushing to him, smelling like strawberries, and lifting his jacket to look at his arm on a sling. "Did you get in a fight or something?!"

Wuming flexed his fingers. "Yeah, I'm fine actually. Things happened."

"Are you injured somewhere else?"

He shook his head just as Camille's hand wrapped around his casted one. "It's a lady friend," he said to the back of her head. She raised her head. "The old friend that I'm talking about. It's a lady friend."

Camille's hand slipped off his arm. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize that you would be dating."

"Says the girl who just got dropped off by a guy in a—sorry to say this—mediocore car."

Camille laughed. "He's really nice."

Wuming smiled. "I'm sure he is."

Camille's felt her chest tighten for a moment. "You see, Qing Wei. I really liked you—I still like you. I just don't think you're the right guy for me."

Wuming rubbed on his nose. He didn't come here to get dumped but he was getting dumped anyway. Again.

"I mean… I don't… when I was thinking about it, you being an assassin and all that… if I were able to get past that... I don't think I belong in your rich world."

That made his eyebrows shut upwards. "What?"

"You're a rich guy. I live in a small house. I want a simple life."

Wuming bowed his head and shifted on his feet. "Camille, I could give you that life and—" he cut his words. "You know, it doesn't really matter. You've made your decision. And it's not me who's for you."

Camille's lips pursed. "Qing Wei—"

"'It's not you, it's me' and all that shenanigan, right?"

Camille laughed. "Yeah. I guess."

"Good," he smiled back at her honesty. Really, he was thankful she was not saying sorry or anything. "I'm happy to see you happy."

Camille held onto his arm again. "Wuming, did you come here to see how I am doing? So you could call your lady friend?"

Wuming bit on his lip. "Yeah, I want to see if you're happy."

"Because you didn't want the guilt of having to date first," she finished and sighed. "Really, Qing Wei, you're a nice guy. But I am fine now. I am happy. You have nothing else to worry about."

He reached and touched her cheek. "You're a great girl, Camille." Then he pressed a kiss on her forehead and she hugged him.

"Don't worry. I'm not going to tell the police or anybody. I'll take your secret to my grave."

Wuming chuckled. "I would know if you would go there."

She slapped him on his good arm. "Stop stalking me."

"I won't, I got men for that," he joked, half meaning it. "Good bye, Camille."

"Good luck with your lady friend, Qing Wei. Good bye."