Chapter 4
Shancai stared at him and swallowed hard, tears forgotten.
"Lei, Lei," she stammered, "You, you can't mean that. I don't deserve …." She shook her head, unable to go on and grabbed a bunch of tissues to wipe her eyes and cheeks.
He put his finger to her mouth before cupping her face with his palm. She did not pull away.
"I don't say what I don't mean. Shancai, you need help, and I won't be happy if I know you're in trouble. Let's talk this through. Don't push me away until I've had my say."
After taking a deep breath, she pursed her lips and nodded.
"First," he began, "are you going to tell Asi?" Shancai held herself very still, and Lei watched myriad expressions flit on and off her face.
"No," she said finally. "How would that make things better? He's not coming back, and if I do tell him, his mother would find out, and then what? Would she take my child and leave me with nothing? I know that's selfish, but I won't let her steal anything else or have any say over my child. No. I won't tell him. It's not fair, but it's what I want."
Lei nodded. His thoughts mirrored hers. As much as Asi was his brother, Lei decided that Shancai came first now.
"That's why I want to marry you. Shancai, listen to me. My older brother is heir to Huaze Industries, which leaves me free. We can travel the world, or I can stay here and teach if you want. I will love your child as my own, I promise, and if you put my name on the birth certificate, Asi's mother can't touch us. Your parents will save face, and you'll be free to live as you like. I can give you that, and I won't trouble you with expectations. We'll be what we've always been."
Shancai looked doubtful and twisted the wad of sodden tissues in her lap.
"But you'll lose the chance to fall in love and have your own children, Lei. I don't have room in my heart for another."
He smiled. "I've heard that a mother's heart stretches to make room, but what we have already makes me happy. If later, things between us change, and we both want more, we'll talk about it then. What do you think?"
Shancai stared at Lei trying to find fault in his logic, but she could not. He grinned at her struggle.
"What about your parents, Lei?" she asked finally. "They won't be, couldn't be happy with this."
Lei pondered her words before taking her hand and squeezing it gently.
"My parents aren't anything like Dao Ming Feng. I talk to them several times a week. They know who you are and why I was in London. They will support whatever I decide. They always have."
Shancai grimaced and pulled away.
"Please trust me. Will you meet with them? I promise they won't hurt you."
Shancai grabbed a pillow and hugged it before nodding. Lei took out his phone and put it on speaker.
"Mother, did you get my message?"
"Yes, Lei," a feminine yet firm voice responded, "Do you still need to see us?"
"Yes. Right away."
"Are things as you feared?" Lei hesitated and looked over at Shancai who winced and closed her eyes. He sighed.
"We understand. We anticipated your wanting to see us after your call yesterday, so we arrived this morning. We'll see you within the hour. I want to stop by the Shanghai clinic first. Please tell her that she has nothing to fear from us. We're nothing like Dao Ming Feng, thank God."
"You're on speaker phone, Mother."
"Lei! You could have let me know. Very well. Shancai?" Lei raised his brows and handed the phone to Shancai. It trembled in her hand.
"Please know we're coming to help, I can't imagine what you've been through, but my son thinks the world of you, and we trust his judgment. We would like to help if you'll let us."
"Why?" Lei's mother did not hesitate.
"Because we love our son, you are his dear friend, and Asi would want his child safe and cared for." She paused. "And because Dao Ming Feng deserves a lesson in humility."
Finally, Shancai smiled a true smile, and Lei let go of the breath he had been holding. Precisely an hour later he met his parents as their limousine pulled into the circular driveway and helped them unload more baggage than usual for a short trip.
"These are for Shancai," his mother said, dismissing his unspoken question. "How is she holding up, Lei?"
Huaze Lan was a classically beautiful woman with an aura of competent strength and dignity, yet about her mouth lurked a dry wit. Lei took most of his looks from his mother, but his gentle eyes came from his father, Huaze He Di, a tall, square-faced man with gray hair at his temples. He gripped Lei's shoulder with compassionate understanding.
"You've been through a lot as well, Son," he said with a shake of his head. "We couldn't be prouder of you, Lei. Is she prepared to meet us? We don't want to scare her."
"I think so. She's frightened, but she's strong."
Lei ushered them in the house to the living room where Shancai was waiting. She lifted her chin but hid her hands under the pillow. Lei's parents stood at the threshold of the room and waited for her to make the first move. After a moment of awkward silence, Shancai tried to smile, and Huaze Lan walked toward her slowly with her palm upturned.
"My dear girl," she said softly, "you look like you could use a hug. May I? I won't be offended if you refuse."
Shancai looked past her to Lei who smiled behind his mother and wordlessly urged her to accept. Putting aside the pillow, Shancai stood and walked toward Huaze Lan who put her hands on Shancai's shoulders before carefully pulling her into an embrace. Dropping all restraint, Shancai hugged her hard and wailed while Huaze Lan stroked her hair.
"I am so sorry, Shancai. I am so sorry. I know that nothing will make this right, but we will be with you every step of the way." She hesitated. "And we will help you face your parents if necessary. I know we can't cure your pain, but we'll ease it as best we can."
Huaze Lei and his father retreated to a respectful distance and watched Huaze Lan expertly soothe Shancai who hiccupped between sobs on the shoulder of her lavender Chanel suit.
"Your mother hasn't lost her touch," Lei's father whispered. "Even though she's CEO of Taiwan's Women and Children's Hospital, she's still the best doctor I know."
Lei gazed at his mother with both pride and relief.
"I knew she could help Shancai. Thank you for coming."
Huaze He Di smiled and clapped his son on the back.
"I know this may be out of place in this situation, but our pleasure as always."
Soon enough everyone was seated, and discussions began. Lei explained the situation in greater detail while his parents shook their heads in disbelief and anger.
"I'm sure Feng put him up to that," Huaze Lan said with undisguised contempt. "I know Asi well enough to know that only the strongest threat would force him to give in, and I can only guess what that must have been. I think you're wise not to tell him, at least not until everything is settled." She leaned forward. "But he will find out soon. Asi's no simpleton, as you both well know, and he will put two and two together as soon as the engagement is announced."
Shancai and Lei looked at each other with worried frowns before her expression turned solemn and resolute.
"It won't matter by then. He's getting married next week."
Shaking his head, Huaze He Di opened a folded newspaper he had been carrying under his arm.
"Not necessarily," he said. He spread it out on the coffee table. "Xiaozi's father had a heart attack last night, so the wedding has been postponed until he recovers." Shancai gasped and covered her mouth. "I give it about six weeks. Dao Ming Feng must be apoplectic. She can join him in the next bed."
Caught off-guard, everyone laughed at his joke until they could scarcely breathe, and tensions eased. Discussions about next steps lasted throughout the morning, and a rough outline had begun to form, when Shancai's phone rang.
"I don't recognize the number," she said, looking up and around. "It's probably spam."
"Make sure," Lei said. "Put it on speaker." Everyone leaned in to listen.
"Hello? Who is this?"
"Hello? Hello? Shancai? Thank God! Thank God!" The voice was faint and sounded far away.
"Who is this? The connection isn't good."
"Shancai? Shancai? Can you hear me? It's me. It's Yu Sao."
My thanks to the few who are reading this. It's nice to have readers
