"What!" Shawn was almost choked, explaining awkwardly, "I like girls."

"Oh?" Riana asked with a smile, "which one?"

Shawn just asked without replying, "How old are you?"

"One year younger than you," Riana said, "I am 24."

Shawn sat casually as Riana did. Looking at her, he sipped his coffee and said, "Dear sister, are you trying to find out what I am thinking?"

Riana burst into laughter and replied, "No wonder you are a medical examiner. But why would you prefer such a hard job than being a rich young master?"

"All my childhood I dreamt about being a medical examiner," he answered.

Early in primary school, when the teacher asked the class to write a composition titled My dream, unlike other students who wanted to be scientists or astronauts, Shawn wrote that he wanted to be a medical examiner, which surprised the teacher a lot.

Riana thought for a while and said slowly, "I truly appreciate you."

"Actually, people from the background like him had fewer choices than they seemed to have, as no matter where your interests lied, you had to give up them and inherit the family business one day."

"Shawn was the only child in his family. It was amazing to say that he could insist on his dream of being a medical examiner."

"Since I was young, I liked oil painting and dreamed of studying arts," Riana shrugged and continued, "but finally, my parents sent me to a business college. They even forbade me to pick up the paintbrush. Now I am helping my father and brother manage the company. Although having more freedom, I have already forgotten how to draw. I just dreamed occasionally that I became a very popular artist."

With those words, Riana's smile slowly faded. She drank up the coffee and accurately threw the empty cup into the garbage can.

Shawn did as Riana but failed to imitate her free and easy. However, the cup hit the mouth of the trash can, tilted and fell on the ground. He had to pick it up and throw it again.

Riana leaned over the fence and smiled at him, "It doesn't matter. Practice a few more times, you can hit the shot. I've been practicing for half a month."

Riana looked at the distance, suddenly noticed that The Quayline across the river were already lit up. The reflection of the financial center behind them was on the surface of the river like uprooting from the bottom of the river, shining brilliantly.

"What should we do next?" Riana asked, "Is it the ending time of this blind date?"

"Almost," Shawn replied. He checked the time, it was not too late, then he asked, "Well, shall we have a meal?"

This was the first time he offered to have dinner with his date.

"I..." Riana felt the shy smile and said, "I've already had my dinner. Maybe next time. I knew a pretty authentic Japanese Restaurant. I will treat you next time!

Shawn didn't care much, said, "I send you back."

"Great." Riana said. She didn't obtain the domestic passport so she took a taxi when she came there. Now she was happy to have someone drive her back.

She lived alone in an apartment near the financial district. Shawn maintained his normal speed and took Riana downstairs to her apartment in less than fifteen minutes.

"Thanks, see you next time," Riana said.

Then she was about to get off the car, Shawn stopped her by saying, "Wait a moment, let's exchange our phone numbers."

Riana stumbled briefly, but she still unlocked the phone and passed it to Shawn.

Shawn dialed his number on Riana's cell phone and then handed it back to her. Added, "Just to reassure my mother."

Light breaks in upon Riana. She could scarcely suppress a laugh and waved off.

Shawn stared at her till she disappeared behind the door, then looked at the phone number and saved it in the contact list.

As counted, Shawn had dated several times, but this was the first time he saved his date's number and the first time he met a girl who could be described as "special".

When he got home, he was questioned by his mother before he stepped in the door, "Have you met each other? What do you think of her?"

She's nice," Shawn said while changing shoes.

"Go and court her if you feel alright!" This was the first time Shawn felt satisfied with the date, Jiang's mother overjoyed, said, "Try to get her in three months, get married in six months and have two babies in three years!"

"You think too much, mom," Shawn went to the restaurant, saying, "I mean it's nice to be friends."

Mrs. Jameson didn't agree, for Shawn should like Riana's character. She followed Shawn to the dining room, "You did not seriously date. You are being perfunctory, right?"

Shawn took out his phone, showing that he saved Riana's phone number.

Mrs. Jameson finally believed that her son indeed made efforts but was not interested in Riana.

She heaved a deep sigh and said, "You really like Joanne, don't you? But in the past six or seven years, obviously you have countless opportunities, why don't you tell her? Why not seize the chance?"

"Mom, I have no chance to be with her," Shawn said smilingly, "if I told her, we could not be friends anymore. Now we work together, we can talk every day, and she can confide to me. I am satisfied."

"Others say the rebound guy is pitiful, but you even couldn't be a rebound guy, how miserable!" Mrs. Jameson said.

She shook her head and left the dining room.

Shawn looked at the dishes on the table, which were delicate and tasty, but he felt the taste was no better than chewed tallow.

In college, Shawn was not the only one who wanted to chase Joanne. There were playboys who were richer than him driving expensive sports cars to wait for her with flowers delivered by air.

However, Joanne was unmoved and striving to avoid those so-called "romance".

Wise enough, Shawn adopted a usual way to be Joanne's friend. Thus, he could hide his intentions. Gradually, he noticed that she always cared for certain information and occasionally lost herself in the financial newspapers. He guessed that she loved someone who was a social elite.

As expected, Joanne confessed to Freya and him that she loved a man for many years. However, there was no possibility between her and that man.

His disappointment was soon followed by hope.

Now that Joanne couldn't be with that man, then...maybe she could be with him?

He acted as a good friend continually with a determination of long-term pursuing. Suddenly, Joanne informed him she would be married.

She was married to the man she loved, who also happened to love her for years.

The day Joanne and Brian got their marriage license, Shawn went to the County Clerk Office to seek Joanne with a bet. If Joanne went with him, he would tell her how much he loved her.

But Joanne bet as well. She was braver than Jiang him, so she won.

After several years, Shawn's trying proved to be failed.

Mrs. Jameson used to comfort him that what if she divorced in a few years? At that time he would still have a chance.

But now, Shawn didn't believe Brian would divorce with Joanne nor hope so.

Since married with Brian, Joanne hurt a few times and was occasionally distraught, but most of the time she was happier than before.

Shawn hoped that her happiness would last forever, and it was best for him to keep the secret.

...

In hospital.

Today was Friday, Brian didn't knock off until nine o'clock. He saw the Lisianthus in the vase as soon as he came to the hospital.

"Who has been here?" Brian asked.

"Shawn," Joanne watched the show on a tablet computer, answering casually, "He came in the morning."

Brian calmly rolled up his sleeves and pulled the bunch of flowers from the vase.

By the time Joanne collected her wits and asked, "What are you doing?"

"Don't you think they are ugly?" Brian said with antipathy, "Just throw it. I will buy you some better flowers."

It was too late for Joanne to stop him, Brian had put the flowers into the trash can.

"You..." Joanne said angrily, "how could you say Lisianthus ugly!"

Brian frowned and asked, "Do you like this kind of flower?"

Joanne answered with rage, "I love them all the time!

"Fine," Brian said simply, "I'll send you another bunch."

Brian picked up the garbage bag and threw it as well as the flowers.

Till now Joanne found there was something wrong. "If Brian really thought the flowers were ugly, why doesn't he call someone to do the cleaning? How could he pick up the garbage bag and throw it all by himself?"

"Brian," Joanne understood and asked with a smile, "are you jealous? I've told you that Shawn was just my friend, don't make a mountain out of a molehill or be nervous."

Brian threw the bunch of Lisianthus resolutely.

Brian was a man, he clearly knew whether Shawn took Joanne just as a friend or not.

Only Joanne would foolishly believe in pure friendship.

Joanne had only one response to Brian's slightly childish behavior-- she ignored him.

Apart from she still couldn't walk naturally, all the wounds on her body were healed. She could go anywhere without Brian's help. She bathed herself and lay down on the bed. Suddenly she unprecedented looked forward to the arrival of tomorrow.

Tomorrow they could go home, her and Brian's home.

Half a month ago, Joanne left with her luggage, thinking that they broke up and she would never go back.

No one knew that was a completely new start.

When Brian came out of the bathroom, he recognized the expectation on Joanne's face and went to lie down beside her. "What are you thinking about?" he asked.

"I'm thinking that tomorrow I can finally leave here and go back to sleep in the big bed alone! I don't have to bear you again!" Joanne answered without hiding her excitement.

Brian squinted and said while pressing Joanne's leg, "How happy are you now?"

Joanne deliberately irritated him by saying, "I am very happy!"

After that, Joanne glanced Brian's dangerous look, she couldn't help feeling guilty and struggled for a moment. "Move your legs away, they are too heavy."

Surprisingly, Brian did not bother her and slowly moved his legs.

Joanne was not used to see such an affable Brian for a moment. She blinked her eyes and looked at him suspiciously. She seemed to catch his fleeting and strange smile.

"Joanne," Brian said meaningfully, "remember how you feel now."

"... Why?" Joanne couldn't help pulling the quilt up to her chest. She always had an ominous presentiment.

Brian didn't reply, just hang up his lips and said, "You will see tomorrow."

How happy she was now, how disappointed she would be tomorrow.

Joanne's bad feeling in her heart was getting stronger and stronger...

"Just forget it, never mind, let's see who will be the winner tomorrow!"

She did not believe that she could always be defeated by Brian!