Chapter 43

HEARTS DO SEEK

Mei Zuo sighed, dropping the dumbbells on the floor, causing a loud crash that made the other gym-goers look at him.

Throwing them an uncaring glance, Mei Zuo grabbed his towel and headed for the showers, not really caring what others are thinking right now.

After a few minutes, a quick shower, and a fresh change of clothes, Mei Zuo stepped out into the parking area, swinging his car keys as he approached it.

"Mei Zuo?!"

He turned around to see who called him.

"Oh," he said, far from pleased. "Qing He, it's you."

The tall, lanky younger man sprinted to Mei Zuo. "Long time no see, man! What are you doing here?"

Mei Zuo looked at him impatiently. "What does it look like? What are YOU doing here?"

Qing He shrugged, grinning impishly. "I was just about to go to the gym."

Mei Zuo looked him over with amusement. "You?" He shook his head, laughing slightly. "Yeah, you do need that."

He moved to open his car, his silent way of rebuffing the younger man and hoping he would leave him alone.

But Qing He would not take a hint. "Where have you been these past weeks?" he asked, leaning against the car door, making it impossible for Mei Zuo to close it.

Sighing, Mei Zuo sat down inside his car. "Around. What is it to you?"

Qing He looked visibly hurt. "What kind of a question is that?" he asked with a pout. "Of course we missed having you around. Ask your friends, ask anybody. They all miss you."

"Yeah, yeah, very touching," Mei Zuo said. "Now move away from the car, or I will run you over."

Qing He stepped back, watching as Mei Zuo shut the door closed.

"What is happening with you, guys?" Qing He muttered. "You can't reach Xi Men anymore. Dao Ming Si is always busy. Hua Ze Lei is in Japan - "

Mei Zuo's head whipped around. "What did you say?"

"What? Oh, you can"t reach Xi Men?"

"No, after that."

"Dao Ming Si is always busy?"

His patience is being tested. "No. After THAT."

"Hua Ze Lei is in Japan?"

Thoughtfully Mei Zuo sat back. "Since when?" he asked.

Qing He counted with his fingers. "About...five days already."

"Right." Mei Zuo brought the engine to life. "See ya."

Qing He stepped back as Mei Zuo roughly backed the car and sped away, leaving Qing He looking after it, scratching his head.

"What? What did I say?" he asked aloud.

When Shancai walked inside her office that afternoon, seeing Dao Ming Si waiting with a bunch of flowers was the last thing she expected. After all, she rarely saw him for the past week. He always comes home when she was already asleep, and by the time she wakes up, he is already out, with only a short note left on top of the bedside table.

As she stood there, rooted to the spot, he stood up and strolled to her with an easy grace.

"Dao Ming Si," she breathed with awe, "what are you doing here?"

"What?" he asked, handing her the bouquet. "Can't I pay my wife a visit in her office?"

"B-but...this is a bit sudden," she said, letting him lead her to the couch. She looked at him suspiciously. "What's going on?" she asked.

This made Dao Ming Si laugh. "Do I need a reason?"

"Yes," she replied firmly.

"OK," he said, relenting. "I was hardly around for the past few days, and I know I stood you up lots of times. There's this thing at the office that I had to attend to, and now that we are getting results from it, I just thought I'd pay attention to you for a while."

Slowly she smiled. "You know I was beginning to feel bad."

He pulled her close to his side. "I know and I'm sorry. Forgive me?"

Shancai considered giving him a hard time, but thought against it. She grinned. "Do you even have to ask?"

"Thanks," he whispered, kissing her softly on the lips. When they parted, she asked,

"What were you working on so closely for the past few days anyway?"

Dao Ming Si grinned at her, obviously proud of himself. "You would not believe this, but this afternoon, we are officially owners of thirty-three per cent shareholdings in the Maple Hotel chain."

She gaped at him, unable to believe what he is saying. "You're kidding, right?"

He shook his head. "That's what we have been working on. We had to make sure we could purchase the shares without my mother getting wind of it. If she did, she will do everything to thwart it, so we had to be careful. But, as we speak, Li Fong is already in the final process. Before this day ends, we are now stockholders of my mother's hotel chain."

He stood up and Shancai followed him with her gaze as he strode into the middle of the room.

"A Si, why are you doing this?" she asked.

He looked at her strangely. "What do you mean 'why'?"

"I would have thought the last thing you want to do is to get involved with your mother's affairs. Why are you so bent on getting into her company?"

He thought carefully of his answer. "Once and for all, I wanted to prove to her that she can no longer manipulate us, that we can also play her game."

"But I don't want to play her game, or ANY game, for that matter."

Dao Ming Si sighed wearily. "Look, Shancai, I did not come here to argue with you. I just came here to tell you the good news, and hope to just see you a while before I have to take off again."

"Take off?" she echoed, dreading that he might be a no-show around her again.

"There's this new business proposal I have with the German businessman who is selling the shares. He is going back to Berlin, but he wanted to do some business with me, so I am meeting with him." He moved to stand in front of her and looked at her with pleading eyes. "You wouldn't mind, would you?"

A huge part of her wanted to scream 'No!' as she noticed his ambitions are taking him away from her. But she knew he needed – wanted – this.

"How long?" she asked.

He shrugged. "I am not sure, but it might entail a few traveling here and there." He touched her cheek lovingly. "But you know I am always here."

Shancai nodded and relished the feel of his hand touching her face. She smiled at him.

"Just…promise me nothing would change."

He smiled. "I promise."

They sealed that vow with a tender kiss.

Dao Ming Si stayed with her for about an hour more before he had to leave for his own office. When at last he closed the door behind him, Shancai had a small measure of reassurance that nothing would change.

But some small part of her also harbored the fear that it was not to be so.

And she was proven true a few minutes later when she received a call.

Her secretary peered through the door.

"There's a Teng Tang Jing on line 3."

"Thanks," she said and pressed button 3, activating the speaker phone.

"Jing!" she exclaimed, pleased to speak with her friend again.

"Hey, Shancai," came Jing's voice. "How are you?"

"Fine, fine," she replied. "What about you? Xi Men told us that you are running the airline now!"

"Yeah," Jing said. "I was supposed to tell you soon, but things got pretty hectic around the place."

"So, how are you taking it all in?" she asked.

"A little strange, but I am learning," Jing replied. "Listen, Shancai, I called to ask you something. Well, actually, I have a couple of things I want to know."

Wondering what would be so important that Jing would call her, she said, "Sure. What is it?"

"Are you having problems at Skylark?" Jing inquired.

Shancai's brows furrowed. Problems? Well, not really. The place is running smoothly. Why?"

"Because I received quite an interesting phone call this morning," Jing replied. "From someone in the Dao Ming Corporation."

Just the name sounded like an ominous clap of thunder in her ears, knowing this could not be good.

"OK," she said slowly. "This can't be good...can it?"

"They asked me to specifically withdraw any affiliation or any contract that the Airline may have with Skylark."

Shancai sputtered in disbelief. "With Skylark? With MY travel agency? But that is absurd!"

"Exactly what I thought," Jing said calmly. "When I asked them why, they would not give any concrete reasons yet. But they told me to cut off any ties between the Airline and Skylark or..." her voice trailed.

"Or...what?"

Jing took a deep breath. "The Maple Hotel Chain will cut off its ties with the Airline."

Shancai closed her eyes, knowing that somehow Jing would be put in the middle. "I am so sorry you got tangled up in this, Jing."

"It is not a problem, Shancai. Anyway, I have no plans of cutting off my ties with you. Business between JA and Skylark will resume as always."

Disbelief overcame her. "Jing, you don't have to do this. I will figure this out, but you do not have to choose."

Jing laughed. "I have made my choice a long time ago, Shancai. Even before I took over the reins of the Airline, I have always wanted to sever any business involvement with Aunt Feng. She is quite a formidable business woman, but I never thought highly of her humane side, know what I mean?"

Relief flooded Shancai as she leaned back in her seat. "Jing..."

"It'll be fine. Business goes on as usual."

Shancai smiled, thankful to have Jing as a friend.

"Thanks. What's the other one?" she asked.

"What 'other one'?"

"You said there were a couple of things you wanted to know. You've asked the first question, now what is the other question?"

"Oh, yes," Jing said, clearing her throat. "Shancai, Hua Ze Lei is back in Tokyo. I want to know how he's been."

Warily Shancai said, "Why are you asking me this?"

Jing breathed on the other end of the line. "I sort of sensed something was amiss. I heard about him going back to Taipei with a Aisha - "

"You know Aisha?" The question came unchecked and Shancai could have bitten her tongue for being so careless.

Jing must have noticed the sudden reserve in Shancai's voice for she spoke slower. "What is going on, Shancai?"

"How is she?" Shancai asked, her guilt at her ill treatment of Aisha returning.

This made Jing even more suspicious. "Shancai...what is going on?"

Shancai closed her eyes. "Alright," she said, "I don't know everything, but I will try to tell you what I know..."

Eyeing the other car parked in his usual space, Dao Ming Si swerved his own car into the empty space beside it. Wondering who would have nerve enough to take his space, he switched off the engine and stepped out of the car.

He had his answer when the door of the car opened and Mei Zuo stepped out. Surprised, Dao Ming Si quirked a brow at his friend, remembering the events of their last encounter.

He tried to smile and pointed at the car. "New wheels?"

Mei Zuo ignored his question and stopped in front of his friend. They stared at each other for a long moment, then Mei Zuo suddenly shook his head in slight amusement.

"This was not how I wanted this reunion to be," he said, flipping his hair back with his hand.

"How did you picture it to be?" Dao Ming Si inquired.

"You know I was supposed to come here to apologize to you because of the way I acted the last time."

"But...?" he asked, knowing there is a 'but' coming.

"But now I am thinking of postponing it."

"Postpone!" Dao Ming Si exclaimed in disbelief. Mei Zuo's next words made it clear for him.

"Hua Ze Lei is in Japan. For five days."

Slowly Dao Ming Si nodded in realization. "Who told you?' Surely Xi Men was not the one who told Mei Zuo?

'Qing He did." Dao Ming Si rolled his eyes heavenwards at the mention of the impetuous young man. "But it does not really matter how I found out, does it, A Si? The point is, Hua Ze Lei went back to Japan and no one bothered to tell me about it."

"Excuse me?" Dao Ming Si asked, getting irritated but reminding himself that he should control his temper.

"Did you put him up to it?" Mei Zuo demanded. "Were you the one who made him go back?"

Dao Ming Si was shaking his head in disbelief. "I don't believe this," he muttered in exasperation.

"When were you planning to tell me?" Mei Zuo asked again. "Or were you ever planning to let me know?"

"I was not aware that I had the responsibility to inform you about the whereabouts of the others when you don't even bother telling us where in the world you were!" Dao Ming Si retorted.

Mei Zuo only looked at Dao Ming Si intently. After a while, he shook his head once more, smiling bitterly.

"And," Dao Ming Si continued, "if you care to know, guess who is also in Japan, working with Aisha."

Mei Zuo looked at him, waiting.

"Xiao Qiao."

Mei Zuo turned his gaze away.

"Stop being selfish, Mei Zuo," Dao Ming Si said softly, thinking how ironic that he should give this advice to Mei Zuo while he just gave the exact opposite to Hua Ze Lei days before.

"Think about how much pain Xiao Qiao must be going through right now," he said.

Pity began to move Dao Ming Si as he saw guilt written all over Mei Zuo's face. He sighed loudly.

He moved forward and carefully laid his arm around Mei Zuo's shoulders. To his relief his friend did not make any effort to resist.

It came as a surprise to him when Mei Zuo slowly turned around and buried his head on Dao Ming Si's shoulder.

Dao Ming Si hugged his friend, tapping him on the back a few times as he felt Mei Zuo breathing in and out.

Mei Zuo finally moved back and looked at Dao Ming Si.

"Don't worry, I am not the type who cries," Mei Zuo said slowly. "I am not like Xi Men."

This made Dao Ming Si smile. "Well, that's a relief. Because I really do not think I could handle a guy crying on me right now. You, in particular."

He extended his hand towards Mei Zuo. "Friends?" he asked.

Mei Zuo did not even pause. He reached for Dao Ming Si's hand and pulled him into a hug. "Always, A Si."

Dao Ming Si and Mei Zuo grinned at each other. "Xi Men should know about this," Mei Zuo said. "I bet he'd be really psyched."

"I don't know," Dao Ming Si replied. "He's quite messed up right now. I'll let him know."

"Thanks. Soon I will talk to him."

A few minutes later, when Dao Ming Si went into the building, Mei Zuo slid into his car and reached for his phone.

"Hello?" he said. "This is Ling Mei Zuo. I need reservation for a flight to Tokyo...As soon as you could arrange it."