FACE THE MUSIC

Dao Ming Si hung up the phone, but he still looked dazed. Beside him, Shancai was as quiet as he was, left to her own thoughts.

He had not seen his mother in a very long time. The last time he'd seen her was months ago when he came back to collect Yesha's paintings. That was also when he turned his back on her...when, for the first time, he saw his usually unflappable mother lose her cool.

He knew this was inevitable...that he would once again cross paths with his mother. He just didn't expect it to be this soon. Or this sudden.

"She's back," was all Shancai could say. She sat up from the bed and he knew she was hiding her face from him. He could also tell she was shaken by the information about Dao Ming Feng in Taipei.

He reached out a hand and stroked her hair gently. "You know there's no need to be afraid. She can't touch us now."

When she turned her face to look at him, the fear was palpable in her eyes. "Are you sure? Are you sure she couldn't hurt us?"

He didn't have an answer for that. Of course, he wasn't sure. That was just a vow he made to himself: that he would not let anyone – especially his mother – try to tear him and Shancai apart.

"Your mother is Dao Ming Feng," Shancai said, remembering all those things the Queen had done in the past to thwart her and Dao Ming Si. "You know what she is capable of."

Dao Ming Si tried to make light of the situation. "What's this? My tough Shancai suddenly feeling afraid of my mother? It is not you."

"What are you talking about?" she asked. "Your mother scared me witless since then. I was just too afraid to let her see it. I was afraid if she knew I was terrified of her…that would encourage her more."

Dao Ming Si sat up and nuzzled Shancai's ear, wanting only to reassure her, despite his own anxiety. "There's nothing to be afraid of. Maybe something came up with her business, that's why she's back in Taipei all of a sudden." He held her by the shoulders and slowly turned her around to face him. He gave a cheering smile at her. "You really think I'd let her claws come between us again?"

As she looked deep into his eyes, she suddenly felt herself feeling at ease. Smiling back, she moved forward and leaned her head against his heart, reveling in the feel of his warm hands stroking her head and her back.

"I trust you," she whispered against his heartbeat and closed her eyes, willing the disquiet away.

Dao Ming Si's eyes were fixed on the far wall, seeing nothing but an image of his mother.

He meant it. He would not let Dao Ming Feng touch them, or Shancai. Even if that meant not letting his own mother back into his life ever again.

He knew it was wrong. After all, she's still the woman who brought him into this world. But there are some choices to be made, sacrifices...

And for Shancai, this is one sacrifice he is willing to take.

He closed his eyes and held her tighter. His wife. His heart. His life.

"Be on your guard."

Dao Ming Si looked at his friend, who looked back at him with all innocence. He lifted his brows. "That's it?" he asked. "That's all you could tell me?"

Xi Men shrugged helplessly. "I'm your friend AND business consultant, A Si, not your shrink. Besides, that's the only advice that works in this situation."

"Work?" Dao Ming Si is flabbergasted at how Xi Men seemed to be taking this in stride. He threw his hands up, leaning back on his seat in Xi Men's elegant office. "Thanks, that helps."

"Look at it from my point of view, A Si," Xi Men tried to explain himself. "Dao Ming Feng is still probably the most powerful woman in all of Taiwan and in greater part of Asia. It's not that I am scared of getting on her bad side. It's just...why bother? I'm good enough on my own. I don't want complications. Meanwhile you, my friend," he shook his head at Dao Ming Si, "are a different story."

Dao Ming Si waited for Xi Men's punch line. And he wasn't disappointed.

"No matter how you try, you could never shake her off. She'll always be a part of your story, like it or not. The only thing you could do is, as I've said a while back, be on your guard."

Dao Ming Si sighed. "Maybe you're right. I mean, she did her worst. What more can she do, right?"

Xi Men could only stare at his friend, knowing fully well that both of them were not entirely convinced by Dao Ming Si's last words.

The report of her assistant was impeccably delivered, as always. Every detail was researched and relayed to her without batting an eyelash.

But she is not pleased.

When Roger finished speaking, Dao Ming Feng found herself shaking her head in disbelief. "This is unbelievable," she muttered. "So what exactly are you saying?"

Roger inwardly sighed. He had done his job, even had to go under-the-table with a few contacts he had with the authorities. He had every angle covered and delivered to Madame, and still she would want him to put it in plain words.

He cleared his throat. "Meteors was established without help from the outside, Madame. And Skylar Tours was acquired, apparently, from Young Master Dao Ming Si's own coffers."

"That's impossible!" she blurted out. "Where on earth would he get the money?"

Roger voiced out the suspicion he had ever since getting the facts. "If I may be so bold, Madame...Maybe it was given by your husband."

Dao Ming Feng's head turned around to look at her assistant. "Cheng?" She thought for a moment, then shook her head. "That is too far-fetched. Dao Ming Cheng is probably the most selfish man I have ever known. He does not share his wealth, not even to me." Once again she shook her head.

"But as it is, Madame," Roger pointed out, "it does not change the fact that Young Master Dao Ming Si and Shancai are independent."

Dao Ming Feng wished she had never heard Roger's next words.

"They are untouchable."

"So..." he whispered to himself, "been busy, haven't you, A Feng?"

His man in Taipei had just called, telling him Roger had been quite the researcher. Under other circumstances, he would have done everything in his power to waylay his wife's most trusted assistant.

But he let Roger get the facts straight. And the information he gathered were the straight-up truth; no window-dressing, no lies.

That's what made him feel so satisfied. He did not have to lie to defeat A Feng.

For the moment, at least, his son and his young bride cannot be touched by Dao Ming Feng.

Dao Ming Cheng smiled to himself. Everything is going as planned.

For the nth time that evening, Aisha looked at the ornate clock on the wall above the fireplace of the music room. The minutes are ticking; the seconds seemed to go faster.

She knew they were supposed to leave ten minutes ago, and probably Hua Ze Lei is looking for her all over the mansion.

Aisha turned to look at the mirrored wall on the far left and almost laughed out loud at the picture she made. She was wearing the dress she and Hua Ze Lei bought from a boutique in Tokyo the day before they left for Taipei. It was a knee-length lavender creation, held at the shoulders by elegant pearl clasps that further showed off her radiant skin.

He said she looked good in this color…

My God, she thought, staring hard at her reflection. Had she already acquired the jaded personality most stars acquire after gaining popularity? Has she already learned the skill of effectively masking her true emotions with a fake smile?

And does she have to maintain this front with everyone, especially with Hua Ze Lei? Is she going to have to start pretending around him as well?

She turned at a slight movement behind her and saw Hua Ze Lei standing there. He must have been there for a while now and she didn't even notice.

She mustered a smile. "Hua Ze Lei!" She glanced at the clock. "Have you been looking for me? I'm sorry, I lost track of the time."

He shook his head. "No, I wasn't looking for you." In truth, he knew when she entered the music room twenty minutes ago, but he would not mention it now. It doesn't matter, anyway. When ten minutes passed and she didn't appear downstairs when they were supposed to leave for Mei Zuo's party, he decided to give her more time. Then he decided to come up here.

Uncertainty filled her voice when she spoke. "Are we going now?"

"We were supposed to leave ten minutes ago," he reminded her. "We can leave now, if you're ready."

She met his eyes and once again her eyes were troubled. "I know it's silly to ask this but...can we not go?"

He shrugged. "If that's what you want, but what good would it do? Sooner or later, we'll have to face them."

Aisha stared at him, her eyes wide with wonder. "You said 'we'. You said 'we'll' face them."

A small smile appeared. "What, you thought I would leave you alone to face them?"

At a loss for words, she looked away. After a while, she took a deep breath and spread her eyes around the music room.

"You know, back then, whenever I felt sad, and wanted to cry, I would go someplace where I could be alone. And there I would scream and cry until no more tears were left. But lately, whenever I feel sad, all I want is to drown myself in music." She looked at him and he could see her brown eyes were bright with unshed tears. "I guess that means people really change, don't they?"

She glanced away again. "People do change...As I did."

Hua Ze Lei understood what she was saying, although he also knew there was something else she wanted to tell him. But he was afraid to ask.

She asked him. "What about you, Lei? When you're sad and you want to cry, what do you do? Where do you go?"

Hua Ze Lei felt like he was transported back in time and he had to shake himself just to get back to the present. "Whenever I feel like crying, I stop the tears from falling."

Aisha blinked back the tears even before they could fall. "You can do that?"

He nodded, and she smiled, shaking her head. "I'm too much of a cry-baby. I don't think I could ever learn that art." She took a deep breath and stepped forward, accepting Hua Ze Lei's outstretched hand.

As his palm enveloped hers in a tight grip, he tried to reassure her. "Everything will be alright."

But he knew in his heart that everything will not be alright. Something will go wrong. He is treading dangerous ground here, although it isn't exactly what he would call uncharted territory.

He had been through something like this before, but something deep within tells him this is unlike anything he'd gone through in the past.

Everybody was now here, Mei Zuo noted, looking at the people in the airy ballroom. Well, everyone, except Hua Ze Lei and Xi Men. Xi Men called a few minutes ago, telling him he is on his way with Xiao Gen.

Xiao Gen and Xi Men…together again. But not in the way others would think. Mei Zuo knew his friend. Xi Men isn't too keen on second chances, and Xiao Gen is nothing more to him than a childhood friend and now, a business associate.

Besides, Xiao Gen is married. That's another no-no in Xi Men's list. As playful as he is with women, Xi Men makes sure not to meddle with relationships bound by matrimony.

At the far end of the room Xiao Qiao was speaking with Shancai and Dao Ming Si, who arrived earlier and now shared a table with Shage. On the table next to it Shancai's parents sat, the other seats reserved for Xi Men, Xiao Gen, Hua Ze Lei and Aisha.

He felt a tap on his shoulder and he turned around to find William standing there, dressed in a casual suit. He grinned at the American. "William! Finally you're here!"

"Yeah, sorry," William replied repentantly and the two men moved to a secluded corner of the ballroom where they could speak without fear of anyone hearing. "There was a mix-up with the flight schedules. But I'm glad I got here in time."

"In time for what?" Mei Zuo asked. From where he stood he could fully see the entrance and whoever is arriving. He launched into his questions. "What did you find out? Did you find her? What news do you have for me?"

William nodded. "I found her, alright. You know why you weren't able to locate her before? It's because she changed her name. She no longer goes by the name Kozuke Aisha. Shortly after she came back to Tokyo from Taipei she used her father's surname."

"So that's why the people I hired were unsuccessful. So what happened? What did you find out?"

William breathed deeply and said, "I'll try to be as brief as possible. I got to Tokyo fearing the worst; that I would have a hard time looking for her but I was mistaken because all across Tokyo were billboards of her."

"Billboards?" He is confused now.

"Kozuke Aisha happens to be Mimura Aisha. Or Ash, as all of Japan now knows her. She is the latest..."

William's words seemed to fade in his ears as his eyes were drawn as if by magnet towards the entrance. As if in a trance he stared at the vision that appeared.

Aisha. He couldn't be mistaken. That's her. Her hair still the same length, although of a darker color now...

William's last words sank into his reverie. "...and she is your friend Hua Ze Lei's girl."

There, standing beside Aisha, his hands on her back, urging her gently forward, is Hua Ze Lei.