Sorry! Yesterday I couldn't update this story because my mother had the great idea of taking me shopping!
But today I finished this chapter for you guys.
As you were waiting, finally Syaoran appears and next chapter we might see a fight. I'm not really sure yet.
Just keep on reading and tell me if I should improve in some way.
I love your reviews!
And one word of clarification: Sakura will loose her virginity before she get's married. Just wait and see with whom and when.
Love For Royalty
Chapter III Meeting the family
It was a fresh September night. Since an early hour in the afternoon the sky was dark and filled with stars. Sakura and Shen studied in his apartment dinning room. His apartment is what you could easily call a home. In the entrance there was a walnut heartwood cabinet to store shoes and sandals. In front of it was the living room, it had a 50" flat panel television, a green sofa and rectangular walnut wooden cofee table, and directly in front were two big glass doors that led to the balcony. The apartment was in the fifth floor of the huge twelve story building.
To the left of the living room were two rooms, the kitchen and the dinning room. The kitchen had black granite countertops, and exotc walnut cabinetry. Shen used a GE 30" built-in single wall oven with trivection technology stainless steel, Whirlpool side-by-side refrigerator satina in stainless steel, GE convection over-the-range microwave oven in stainless steel, and Whirlpool gold built-in tall tub dishwasher in stainless steel.
The dinning room had a Howard Miller Coastal Point Collector's Cabinet with two front glass doors and made with nickel hardware. The cabinet had many pictures of Shen's family, some chinesse dolls, and some expensive glasware and plates. The room also had a Wentworth Pedestal Dinning set. The tabletop was crafted from Swirl Mahogany veneers. In the ceiling hung a beautiful diamond and gold chandelier.
To the right of the living room were two more rooms; his bedroom and the visitors bathroom. His bedroom was what you would expect from a guy. A queen sized bed clearly visible from the door, to the left the master bathroom, and to the right a mahogany bookshelf and his desk close to the window. Farther to the left of the living room was a small room; the laundry room.
The first time Sakura came here, she felt a bit intimidated. He used the best quality in furniture and appliances. But now, Sakura felt completely comfortable here. She had even spent a couple of nights here when Shen was sick. Today Shen was cooking dinner while Sakura read her notes and studied for her upcoming test. She and She had already graduated from college. Sakura had a degree in computer science, Shen a degree in business. But now both were studying for their master's.
Shen finally called Sakura to eat. He cooked a specialtry from his home country. Egg rolls, chinesse fried rice, low mein noodles, sweet and sour chicken, dumplings, and wong tong soup.
Suddenly Shen clears his throat. Holding a dumpling with her chupsticks Sakura watched him curiously. "Are you okay?" she asks him.
"Yeah. Um…I wanted to talk to you about something" he answers blushing and sweating.
"Is something wrong?" Sakura asks worried.
"Not exactly. Sakura. What do say about taking a trip to Hong Kong?"
"For?"
"I want you to meet my mother. I mean. It seems fair enough. I already met your dad and your brother" Shen responds and remembers the day he met Sakura's family. Her father liked him, he thought him suitable and kind. Now Touya on the other hand. He was a challenge. He kept asking question after question until finally it came to the million dollar one.
"Have you guys had sex?" Touya asked blankly. Sakura and her father both drowned on their drinks. But Shen didn't change his serious expression.
"I fully respect your little sister. I wouldn't take advantage of her in any way. So to answer your question; we haven't" Shen answered calmly. Touya seemed satisfied enough with the reply. But before Shen and Sakura left he warned Shen.
"Hurt my sister in any way and I swear you will meet your match" he told.
"Shen. We are in the middle of the semester. We just can't go off and take a vacation!" Sakura's voice takes him out of his reminescing.
"We can take the semester off and start again in January. We are only studying for our master's. It can wait. But my mother hardly ever leaves her work. Getting a date to meet with her is hard. I already talked with her. We are going next week" Shen says putting an end to the conversation.
That is how Sakura saw herself in front of the Li mansion in Hong Kong a week later. It was a large building, what could be expected from a billionare family. According to Shen. Not only did his mother live here, other relatives also shared this estate. Mrs. Yelan had politely provided her son and fiance with a limousine to drive them to the mansion. From the black front gates, the limo took a curve going up a slope to the building. Directly in front of it was a large fountain with angel statues holding a vase.
The Li estate was a series of many houses, but the main building was the mansion. The mansion was built in a Victorian English style. It had stone bricks in the front facade, and white outer walls. The two front doors were made of the finest wood and glass. Sakura was marveled from the moment she entered through the front gates. Shen felt a surge of melancholy and memories started soaring through his mind. He never thought he would be back so soon. Their choufeur opens Sakura's door and helps her out then he waits for Shen.
"Shen… is something wrong?" Sakura asks him snapping him out of his thoughts. He sees that both individuals were waiting for him and hurries out. Once out, he sees the large edifice. Sure enough, the Li estate he left 4 years ago hadn't changed one bit. It still had the costly glass windows to it's side and on top of the doors. It still had the same trees, the same path, the same essence. After the choufeur rings the bell, he leaves the couple alone and drives away. Seconds later, Wei, the Li clan buttler opens the door for them and lets them in.
Sakura was amazed by the outside of the mansion, but being inside took her breath away. The floor was made of pure black and white granite. The walls were made of white high queality wood wth beautiful stylish carvings. To the right were two big white wooden doors with two roses painted across it and pure golden handles. To the left was a long hallway with red carpeting and many knightly figures to the sides. Up front was a beautiful marble staircase with blanck Italian style railing that went for 6 steps, on the upper flooring to each side were two tall white granite towers with black stripes and gold decorations on top. From that flooring there were two more sets of staircases to the right and left. In the celing hung the most beautiful chandelier Sakura had ever seen yet.
"It's a Strass Elizabeth" Shen tells her watching her expression. He had to admit, his family did have good taste in décor and were one of the best in elegance. Wei takes them thorugh the hallway in the left, to another larger fower and leaves them in a large living room. It had hardwood flooring and walls with beautiful stylish carvings. To the left was the biggest chimney Sakura had seen with blach marble edges and base, on top of it were two lamps. In the celing hung a godens chained lamp. To the right was a large vitrium window. The room had an armchair, and two loveseats with white silk cushions, and a dark wood stylish coffee table. Behind one of the loveseats was a liquor bar made with black granite and dark wood. Shen and Sakura sat in one of the loveseats, but the girl couldn't stop admiring the place. Compared with Tomoyo's place, this was a run for her money.
Suddenly Shen indicates Sakura to get up. As she does she finally comes face to face with Li Yelan; Shen's mother. Her complexion was as white as the snow, her eyes were a sky blue, her hair a pure black, darker than Tomoyo's. At 56, Yelan was still a beauty to admire. She was wearing a long-sleeve colorless jacket with a tonel diamond embroidered pattern over a solid camisole and pants. At Shen's advice, Sakura wore a fully lined 2-piece set in sunset high-twist faille that featured a long sleeved assymetrical jacket with mockneck, seeming detail and double buckle closure over a flounce-hem skirt with a back zipper and hook closure. Shen was wearing a black suit, with white long sleeved shirt, and blue tie.
Yelan sits in the armchair and motions for her visitors to sit. "Finally I meet you Sakura. I've heard so much about you from my son. And you're just as lovely as he made you be in our conversations. Please tell me some more about you" she asks Sakura. Then she asks for Wei to serve them drinks.
"Well. I wouldn't know from where to start" Sakura admits blushing. She was somewhat nervous to be with someone so elegant and respectable.
"Tell me where you plan to go after you earn your master's" Yelan answers while Wei quietly serves them the drinks and puts them on the coffee table.
Hearing Sakura speak, Yelan knew her son had made a good choice. She was polite and showed a lot of respect for the woman. Yelan felt relieved, after the whole fiasco 4 years ago, her son learned his lesson. For a moment she was afraid he would grow to be just like her younger son Syaoran. But then Shen didn't date anyone, and another fear started haunting her. Fear that he would end up alone, without a lifetime partner. But now he had Miss Sakura. A sweet child like her was a blessing on this house. After her husband died, Yelan had to start taking care of business in his company, time just started flying by. She stopped having quality time with her sons. They stopped being a family. But now Shen was going to start a family of his very own, what she wanted more than anything else, was for him not to make the same mistakes she did. And hearing that Sakura was aquanted with Sonomi Daidoiji, a good friend of the family and a loyal business aquantance, made her more confident about her son's future. After Sakura and Shen married, the Sonomi and Li trademark companies would merge into one. She was now sure, she would give Shen her position in the company after retirement. But now the problem was breaking the news to Syaoran. He would hate the stituation and call it unfair. But Yelan never really had any confidence about her younger son. Sure, he was well known and at good social status, but he had caused too much trouble for the company with his childish acts with the females and daughters of many corporate owners she had tried making business with. Maybe, after this whole time, there was a solution. Just a tie breaker. A final way of deciding who to give the ultimate responsibility.
They all talked until noon. There was so much Yelan wanted to know, and Shen wanted to tell her. Mother and son talked as if time never passed and separated them. Sakura smiled at the picture.
Suddenly there was a knock at the room's door. A tall young man was standing there. He looked so much like Shen. But somehow, he was more attractive. He had chestnut brown short hair, appealing auburn eyes, and white complexion. Sakura was mesmerized, and her heart skipped a beat just by looking at him. Not noticing, Sakura blushed.
Yelan's voice woke her from her trance. "Syaoran! Thank you for coming son" she says to the guy. Sakura almost drowns herlself from the shock. This was the playboy she heard about from Shen.
Syaoran goes to his mother and kissed her cheeck. Yelan whispers something to his ear and he turns around to face the happy couple. Looking at him from a distance had made her nervous, but having him closer made her face burn for some reason. And when he faced her, looking directly at her eyes, her heart started racing. Syoaran went to Sakura and caught her hand and kissed it, taking the girl by surprise and melting her lower body.
"I finally meet the adoring queen my eldest brother found. I can see how he feel for you" Syaoran whispers to her and winks at her. Then he goes and sit in the other loveseat. From there he laughs to himself at Sakura's face. She was completely red faced.
Shen was watching the whole scene and anger started rising against his little brother. How did he dare flirt with her in front of him? And why did Sakura's face keep turning red? If it weren't for their mother being in the same room, he would have beat Syaoran to a bloody pulp.
"Mother, why did you invite Syaoran?" Shen asks Yekan trying not to sound offensive, although one of his veins was going to explode.
"I wanted to talk about business with you two" Yelan answers with her most serious tone.