Chameleon: My True Face 186 Confession

There were a few ways she could react. Either get scared of him because of his ability, accept it neutrally, happy he was back or cry her eyes out, hugging him until he can't breathe. 

Knowing Ash very well, he could cast the first option away as he knew how little chance of happening it had. On the other hand, he couldn't guess which of the following would end up a reality. 

How deep were the feelings she had for him? Was he a friend the whole time or maybe she thought of him differently? 

He didn't have an answer to those questions but he was also scared to learn it, afraid to feel guilty. After all, he had Dongmei right now. She valued Ash so he would hate to break her heart. 

"Why would I freak out…? I can handle almost anything. I'm not ten years old," Ash assured, wrapping her arms under her chest. "What is it?"

"Alright, I believe you," Wuxing nodded and ordered, "Turn around please." 

"Hmm?" Ash looked at him confused, not really getting the reason to but he didn't explain and repeated, "Just trust me and turn around. I won't do anything to you." 

"If you try anything funny I will scream and beat you up…" Ash warned as she decided to trust him and turned around. "What now?" 

"Just stand like this and don't peek for a moment. I will call out to you when I'm done," Wuxing explained, and making sure she didn't see him, he finally started transforming back into his old self. 

'Drakos watch the surroundings for me and tell me if anyone is coming,' Wuxing ordered in his mind just to be sure no one else would see him and received a soft agreement, assuring him. 

He knew how risky this idea was but based on their previous relationship, Ash deserved to know about him.

His facial skin twisted and bones shifted, creating a quiet cracking. In just a few seconds, his old face was in place but he needed to change his mentality as well. The way he acted with his friends back then was very different compared to the present.

He was a single man so he was often too comfortable with Ash which might have been the reason for any feelings brewing in the dark. 

"What are you doing there so long…" Ash muttered unhappily, tapping with her feet on the ground. "You making me impatient…"

He didn't reply immediately, walking up to her instead and surprised her with a hug. Ash acted on instinct and grabbed his arms but she was too late, his hug already locking her in place. 

"What are you doing…?" Ash asked, her voice covered in frost. "If you thought I'm into you and you can cheat on your fiance with me then you are deeply mistaken. Let go of me right no—" 

"Guess who," Wuxing said in his original voice, cutting her off. 

Ash who seemed to be ready to pounce on him and take him down suddenly froze, her body shivering. 

"Y-you…" Ash stuttered, not able to speak a word and forcefully turned around, staring at his face. 

Their gazes met and he smiled, letting her confirm who stood in front of her. 

"How is my little bunny doing? Did they give you too much work lately?" Wuxing continued to role-play one of their old scenes, still holding onto her waist, afraid she will fall from the shock. 

Her lips trembled when she heard him and her eyes watered. The strong and domineering Ash looked as if she just broke, turning into shy and vulnerable. 

"Wuxing… Sniff…" Ash called out his name weakly, touching his face as if to check if he was real. "You didn't die…"

"If I died, would I stay in front of you like this?" Wuxing asked with a smile, kind of expecting such a reaction from her. "I hope you won't hate me for hiding my identity… I had no other choice…" 

Sniff…

Ash tried to hold back her tears but it was already too late, her eyes already red and cheeks watered. 

In the next second, he finally received the strongest hug ever as she squeezed his neck as hard as she could. 

"I knew you wouldn't leave me… I never stopped believing… I was ready to search everywhere for you…" Ash said through happy tears, wetting his collar but he didn't disturb her, hugging her tightly as well. 

It has been a while since he hugged her, his first true friend. 

"I'm here…" Wuxing whispered into her ear as he rubbed her back, letting her cry her heart out on his shoulder. 

"Why did you wait so long… I was so worried… You can't imagine how much I cried after your life signal disappeared and they told me you died…" Ash confessed in pain. "Why did you do this to me…? You could wait for me to get you out of there… There was no need to risk your life and escape… I quickly rose in ranks just to save you yet then you disappeared…" 

"I'm sorry…" Wuxing apologized honestly, figuring how much pain she had to go through. "When I got the chance to escape, I didn't think and just took it."

"Dummy… Don't apologize… You are finally here with me… It's all that matters…" Ash forgave him, brushing her fingers into his old coal-black hair and pulled away ever so slightly, rubbing their noses together. "Kiss me…" 

Her plea threw him off guard, not expecting she would return back to how they were two months ago as if nothing happened. 

"Kiss me… You gave me a kiss each time you return from a mission… You returned now so I deserve a kiss…" Ash explained when he didn't reply, grazing her lips against his own. "I won't let go until you give me one…" 

Even though he felt bad, Wuxing didn't give her hope anymore, "Ash… Times changed… I'm no longer single as before. I have Dongmei now…" 

He thought she would understand but Ash didn't seem to accept it, asking pitifully, "So now that you have Dongmei, you don't need me anymore? You will forget everything we have been through and just throw it away?" 

"Of course not… I will forever cherish our memories. You are still someone very important to me…" 

"Prove it. Kiss me to prove you still care about me," Ash demanded, staring into his eyes. "If you don't do it, I will…" 

"…"

Wuxing was already lost on what to tell her but he knew it was just wrong and unfair to Dongmei. She loved him wholeheartedly and he felt the same. Even if his heart had complicated feelings buried inside, he was willing to silence them forever for her.

"We can't… I'm sorry," Wuxing replied, hugging her while placing her head on his shoulder so she wouldn't do what she said. "I already made one mistake today which hurt Dongmei. I don't want to lose any more of her trust." 

"I respect that… But, at the same time, I hate it…" Ash expressed. "I was always moving it in time, waiting for you to feel the same about me but not anymore… After you disappeared, I finally realized how much I care about you… The regret of keeping my feelings to myself was eating me from the inside. Before you go back to your Dongmei, I want to tell you that…" 

Ash paused as she pulled him away, leaving him at the arm's length and confessed, smiling happily through her tears. 

"I have loved you this whole time. Since the moment we first kissed, I knew you are the one for me. I love you Wuxing." 

Chapter end