OPEN DOORS

Hua Ze Lei has returned the day before but he still had not called. Mei Zuo shook his head, understanding what his friend must be thinking, not letting them know he's back.

But then again, even if Lei rang them and called for a gathering, he could not come. His mother was adamant that he should make sure everything's in place for the party tomorrow.

In fact, right now he just came from the florists, making sure the flowers are ready for tomorrow and that they would be coming in early tomorrow to bedeck the Yin mansion with them.

In a spur of the moment decision, he dialed William's number. After a couple of short rings, the PI picked up.

"Yeah"

"William" he said. Deciding to go straight to the point, he said"What have you got for me"

He sensed hesitation from the American PI before he spoke. "I did find something..."

"What is it" Anticipation welled within Mei Zuo. At last there is something about Aisha.

"Well...I really don't think I should be telling this over the phone...I'll tell you what, I am flying in tomorrow. Hopefully I'll get there just before the party. We'll talk then."

"Wait! Why can't you tell me this right now" Confusion about the American's reply made him wonder what is it he found out about Aisha. "Is it something bad" Suddenly the possibility William previously had previously presented to him about Aisha being 'gone' made his heart skip a beat.

"No, not...nothing like that. Just...surprising, perhaps. I'll just see you tomorrow, all right"

When the PI hung up, Mei Zuo was still contemplating. What did he mean 'surprising'?

The room is gigantic, to say the least. For a private music room, this is way larger than, say, Studio 7 at the Hua Ze Building in Tokyo.

Right now they were at the Hua Ze Mansion. After unpacking and resting for a couple of hours, Hua Ze Lei took it upon himself to show her around the place. They have spent the better part of the afternoon exploring the estate, and now they have come to what Lei claimed to be his favorite part of his home. His music room.

She smiled as she spotted a grand piano in the middle of the elegantly lit room. On the side leaned strings, violins mostly. In the middle stood proudly the most precious of the lot: a Stradivarius.

Hua Ze Lei spoke behind her, noticing her attention fixed on the Stradivarius.

"My most prized violin." He strode forward and caressed the instrument with so much reverence. "It was given to me by my mother before she passed away."

"A Stradivarius" Aisha breathed. "I heard those cost a great fortune." She shook her head. "You know with the cost of that violin, I would have been able to live somewhere luxurious for a really long time, instead of having to live off the streets and camp out in the dark for nights on end."

Hua Ze Lei silently lifted his gaze and met her eyes in understanding. He pointed to the other end of the room, where a comfortable divan seemed to welcome whoever gazes upon it.

"I remember how many times I have fallen asleep there" he said, smiling at the memory. "At first my father would come and carry me back to my room. But I grew up and he could no longer lift me, so he would just leave me to sleep there."

Her eyes stayed to the small shelf behind the divan and walked towards it. There were a few music books in it and a sheaf of papers that were revealed to be musical pieces.

Suddenly everything seemed to come to a stop as she stared at the photograph on the frame that took center stage on the shelf.

It was a picture of four young men, Hua Ze Lei in the middle. The two others were a bit familiar to her; it was the one next to Lei that made her blood run cold.

Hua Ze Lei came to stand beside her and smiled. "My brothers," he said. "I never did get to show you a picture of them, right? That's the F4...not that the word means anything to you."

Oh, yes, she thought to herself. It does mean something.

"W-what are their names?" she asked, wanting confirmation, although the truth is now glaring at her right out of the photograph.

"That's Xi Men, the one with the glasses. Beside him is Dao Ming Si, then me. The one beside me is Mei Zuo. Xiao Qiao's fiance."

Slowly Aisha nodded. "I see." Then she turned a bright smile up at Lei. "Show me to the rest of the place"

Hua Ze Lei grinned. "Alright, but in a while we have to get ready for dinner. I've already informed A Si we have arrived. He and Shancai are coming over for dinner later."

The prospect of seeing one of the other members of the F4, for some reason, gave Aisha the chills. But she knew it was inevitable.

Just as tomorrow night will also be inevitable.

As the two of them walked through the stately hall towards the kitchen, Aisha's mind was in turmoil. How could this have happened? Is fate, once again, playing a joke on her? And is fate, this time, meaning to take Hua Ze Lei along with its strong currents...and drown him along with her?

But no...as much as possible, she would not let that happen. She'd rather go through hell first than to see him hurt.

Shancai is fuming mad, but she would not let them see her lose her cool. These people have been giving her insulting stares since this morning when she got into her office and was introduced to the staff.

They were too obvious. If she had the power to read minds then she knew exactly what they were all thinking: that she's just some gold-digger who managed to marry into the Dao Ming name, and making use of that clout.

Well, she would not let them bring her down. A Si trusted her to run this place with efficiency and she'll be damned if she's let him down just because these narrow-minded people are apprehensive – hostile, even – to her.

It's a good thing Miki, the lady assigned to be her assistant and secretary, does not seem to share the same mindset as her colleagues.

Shancai smiled as Miki came in with a folder. With reluctance she slid the folder across the table to her.

"Miki," she said. "Didn't I ask you to give this documents to the employees? This needs to be circulated so we could implement the changes as soon as we can."

"Well" Miki hesitated. "They merely stared at it, Ma'am. They said they don't need new rules...especially not from an initiate...like you."

Her patience is really wearing thin. "All right." She glanced at her watch. Still fifteen minutes before five. "I want everyone at the conference room in five minutes. Tell them whoever doesn't show up might as well hand in their resignation effective immediately."

"But ma'am, Sir Dao Ming Si will be coming shortly."

"Just tell everyone about the meeting. Trust me, it will be a quick one." Miki scurried off to do Shancai's bidding.

Five minutes later as Shancai strode into the conference room where everyone waited with tense silence, she wondered if she was not turning into a carbon copy of Dao Ming Feng. But Xi Men's advice had been precise when he spoke to her.

"They are bound to give you a hard time, regardless of you being the wife of A Si. Don't let them get the better of you. Show them who's boss."

"Alright," she told herself. "I'll show them."

She looked at everyone's faces and here and there noticed a few hostile looks but she ignored them. Her first words seemed to drop like a bomb, rendering everyone speechless.

"Anyone who does not want to work for me is free to leave."

They all looked at her, stunned. Shancai nodded at Miki, who opened the door wide open. She turned to look back at them.

"Anyone who thinks I should not be here can proceed to their office and gather their things. You will be given fair severance pay, and I will accept your resignation without question. But please, don't ask for any sort of recommendation. I don't think you've earned it."

She pointed towards the door. "The door's open."

When they all just shifted uncomfortably and were all looking down, unwilling to meet her gaze or even look at her, she knew they were not really willing to leave. And she knew she had won.

"Fine, then." Shancai took a deep breath and reached for the envelope, handing it to the person seated closest to her. "Make copies of these rules, one for each of you. I want these changes to take effect immediately."

Aware that she had made her message across clearly, she left the conference room and almost collided with someone at the door.

"Dao Ming Si," she exclaimed in pleasant surprise. "You always have to sneak up on me like that"

A Si was grinning from ear to ear and pulled her after him away from view of the others. "Impressive" he said. "Very impressive."

She swatted at him playfully. "This is all your fault. If you didn't insist on this..." Realizing it's useless to complain she stopped and sighed. "It's been a long day. I need a rest."

"Not for a while yet," he replied. "Get your things. We're stopping by Lei's for dinner. He's here...with Aisha."

Her eyes rounded with pleasant surprise. "Really? We'll finally be meeting Hua Ze Lei's Ash?" She hurried to her office and in a flash returned with her coat and shoulder bag. "I'm ready."

While in the car, Dao Ming Si said, "I'm curious."

Shancai blinked at Dao Ming Si, then nodded in understanding. "About this Aisha? Who isn't? Xiao Qiao's been the only one who had met her, and she had nothing but good words for her."

"I wonder what she's like," Dao Ming Si mumbled thoughtfully. "Is she as elegant as Jing...or as wild as you"

Her head whipped around to his direction and she found him hiding an impish smile. "Hey! What do you mean WILD"

He shook his head, laughing. "Nothing, nothing...forget I said anything."

She was about to say something else when the gates of the Hua Ze Mansion loomed before them. As their car drove up to the driveway, they saw the grand doors open and Hua Ze Lei strode out, a pretty girl beside him.

Dao Ming Si suddenly stopped the car and when Shancai turned to look at him, a confused look was on his face.

"A Si," she asked, noting he was staring intently at the girl beside Lei who waited on top of the steps leading to the doorway of the mansion. "What is it"

"She looks...vaguely familiar..." he whispered. "I've seen her before..."

Then it dawned on him and his eyes widened. "Oh, no..."

"What?" Shancai was getting panicky now, what with the look on Dao Ming Si's face. "Why are you reacting like that?"

A Si weakly leaned back, shaking his head in disbelief. "I don't believe this."

On the steps, Aisha noted the sudden halting of the car, and from this distance could see the faint traces of confusion on the face of the man in the driver's seat.

Dao Ming Si.

She had seen him before during the dance competition when he came to watch, along with Mei Zuo and Xi Men. Apparently he also recognized her.

"Lei..." she said, wanting there and then to clear things to him, but he stepped forward to meet his friends.

"Let's go meet them," he said and Aisha turned to look as the doors of the car opened and Dao Ming Si stepped out, walking around the car to open the other door. As a woman she presumed to be Shancai also stepped out, Aisha walked on leaden feet towards them, coming to a stop beside Hua Ze Lei, her hand reaching up to hold on to his arm. She suddenly felt this sudden urge to steady herself.

She feared that under Dao Ming Si's scrutiny she would fall...

Hua Ze Lei greeted Dao Ming Si with a tap on the shoulder. "You're late," he said, but he was smiling.

"No, we're not," Dao Ming Si replied in a level tone, and his gaze shifted to Aisha.

"This is my friend A Si, and his wife, Shancai," Lei introduced. "And this," he laid an arm around Aisha's shoulders"is Aisha."

Aisha could have melted right on the spot with the intensity of his gaze, and at the same time, she felt cold all over.