The guard at the gates looked hesitant for a while to let her in, and when she asked about Hua Ze Lei, the guard's only reply was a noncommittal "Ask them inside."
She instantly knew Hua Ze Lei was inside the mansion.
She turned as the butler bowed low before her.
"How do you do, Miss Shancai?" he said politely.
"Fine, sir," she said politely, still not forgetting her manners. Her becoming the wife of Dao Ming Si does not really mean she is now better than all of them anyway. "Is Hua Ze Lei in?"
The butler shifted uncomfortably, and Shancai pressed further before he could think of any excuse.
"We have been trying to reach him, but we could not. We are all worried. Will you tell me where he is?"
He looked at her with a degree of guilt in his eyes. Then he turned away, sighing. "In truth, miss, we are glad that you came. We have all been worried about the young master. Ever since Miss Aisha left, he became withdrawn more than usual. He never left the mansion. He never spoke to anyone, either."
Shancai nodded, noting the old man's concern for his young ward. "That's why I came," she said softly.
The butler nodded. "Thank you for that." He pointed towards the back lawn. "He is in there, sitting by the pool. Honestly he spends endless hours seated by the lounge chairs, simply staring into the water." He shook his head in worry.
Shancai touched the butler's sleeve comfortingly. "Thanks," she said and proceeded to the back of the mansion.
What she saw could not have broken her heart even more. He looked OK enough, the same old Lei. But there was that degree of melancholy was surrounding him that, even from this distance, she found palpable.
She did not know whether he noticed her approach or, as usual, he did not see the necessity to let her know. When she was finally standing beside him, she said softly, "Hello, Hua Ze Lei."
He did not say anything, but he did slowly turn his head to look at her and smiled slightly.
Without waiting for his invitation, she sat down on the lounge seat beside him.
"How have you been?" she asked, striving for normalcy in an otherwise awkward situation.
It bombed.
"Never better," he replied in an equally careful tone.
"We missed you." She went on when he did not say anything. "Xi Men and Dao Ming Si have been trying to call you."
"I know. I was occupied, I'm sorry."
Shancai gazed at his profile and marveled at how much he looked the same and yet...still look so different. Have they been apart for so long? She feels like she barely recognizes him anymore.
"We were all worried about you," she said.
"Totally unnecessary," he remarked tersely. "Is that why you came, Shancai? Who will come next? A Si?" He shook his head. "I still eat my meals, I do not lock myself up in my room and play with blades, if that's what you are all worried about."
Her brows met. "Why are you being like this?"
Finally he turned to her. "Is there an unspoken law against me feeling this way?"
Shancai looked down, unable to bear seeing so much pain in him. "I just...I just missed you, that's all. Especially for the last few days, everything just went crazy around me...I guess I was used to you coming around when I am feeling in my lowest. And...you were not there."
It took a while before he could reply. "Sorry I burst on you like that, and sorry I was not there for you. But you have Dao Ming Si now."
She looked up when he got to his feet, and he was staring down at her.
"Shancai, I know I promised that I will protect you forever, and I will not renege on that promise. You know I will always keep it."
Shancai smiled almost tearfully at him.
He continued, "But...just this once, please allow me to think of myself. Just this once...allow me to be selfish."
Not a word could escape her lips as he began to walk away from her, towards the house.
When he was halfway through, her voice mercifully came back to her.
"I apologize!" He stopped walking, and she went on. "I was horrible to Aisha, and I apologize for that! I am sad that she left, but you cannot be like this forever, Lei! We will not let you!"
He remained standing there, motionless. Shancai stood up, determined to make him think rational.
"I understand that you need to grieve, but you cannot lock yourself up away from us, from everyone else!"
Slowly he turned around and the bitter smile twisting his lips made Shancai stop her speech.
"You were right, Shancai."
Confusion with his words flooded her. "Right about what?"
"The handstand? You were right. It doesn't work."
She could only gaze after him as he went back into the house, feeling absolutely wretched seeing him this way.
China stared at Xiao Qiao, torn between feeling pity and admiration for this woman who finally opened up to her about what is truly bothering her.
Xiao Qiao smiled wistfully at her PA. "Sorry I had to unload this on you," she said. "I just needed someone to talk to about it. I could not run to Shancai every single time. She has her own problems."
China reached out and touched Xiao Qiao's hand. "You know you can talk to me about anything."
Xiao Qiao nodded, smiling gratefully.
"I still could not figure out why you would tell Mei Zuo about Aisha leaving Mr. Hua Ze Lei. This might give him the wrong idea, you know."
She shrugged. "He will find out soon enough anyway. I might as well tell him now."
"And what did you hope to accomplish by doing that?"
"I wanted to help him, China." Xiao Qiao sighed. "I can see he is having a hard time keeping it all together. I am hoping this would make him think faster...and reach a decision."
"What if that decision does not involve you?"
This question made her think, and she stared at her PA, obviously not having the answer to that question. After a while, she just shrugged.
"I told you, I want to help him."
China shook her head in exasperation. "You are being a martyr," she said. "You know what happens to martyrs? They are hanged, and monuments are built for them. I did not know that was a dream of yours."
Xiao Qiao chose not to say anything. She merely kept her silence, as she wondered silently what Mei Zuo is doing right now. Or what he is thinking.
Obviously he was shocked when he found out Aisha had left.
He tried to hide it, but it was too late. And this time Xiao Qiao began to doubt the wisdom of telling him about it.
What if China is right? What if she is, indeed, pushing Mei Zuo in the opposite direction?
She is nervously twiddling her fingers, she knew that. But she could not help it. Repeatedly she glanced at the closed door of the conference room, behind which Hua Ze Wang and the manager of Japan Airlines were having a meeting before presenting her.
For the nth time Aisha glanced at her wristwatch, wondering when that long hand would hit 12. Forty seconds...thirty-nine...
She sighed, smiling at Yuki who was eyeing her curiously.
"Nervous?" Yuki asked, as though the idea sounded preposterous to her.
She nodded, and Yuki laughed.
"Don't be," she said. "I met Teng Tang Jing many times before, and she is very nice. She is also very young, so I do not think there is the problem of you having to make much of an impression."
Aisha remembered the old posters and photographs of Teng Tang Jing when she was the face of the Airlines.
"She is young," she replied. "She must be really smart to run the Airlines at that age."
Yuki nodded. "She is. For a while she schooled in France. Took up law or something. But something must have gone wrong. After a botched engagement to a Frenchman she gave up her law course and when her father fell ill, she had to return and take the reins of the Airlines."
Aisha nodded, admiring Teng Tang Jing, and feeling even more nervous.
"There's also something else not a lot of people know. I don't know the details, but the rumors flew before," Yuki said carefully, and Aisha noted her manager looking at her cautiously.
"What is it?" she asked.
"Teng Tang Jing happens to be the first love of Sir Lei...or at least that's what I have been told."
Aisha's blood ran cold.
Mei Zuo stopped the car and turned off the engine. He was a few meters away from the gates of the Hua Ze mansion, well away from sight of anyone at the guardhouse.
What he is doing here – or why – is beyond his comprehension.
Mei Zuo sighed and leaned his head back on the seat.
Aisha left Hua Ze Lei. Why?
Did he have anything to do with it?
And Hua Ze Lei...what is happening with him?
And what about him? Why is he feeling so…so mixed up?
He straightened when he saw a car draw up at the gates, stopping as the driver spoke to the guard.
Mei Zuo felt warm chills crawl up his spine.
"Dao Ming Si," he whispered, feeling thoroughly betrayed.