34 Why does it have to be her?

"You can thank me by going on a date with me." Jinhai suggested.

"About my question... How come we woke up at your home? How did you both find us at the club?" Shan asked quickly while deliberately avoiding his question.

Just then, Lijuan's phone began to ring. When she saw it was a call from Jackie, she excused herself to the bathroom to answer the call...

"How have you been, young mistress?" Jackie asked over the phone. He had expected Lijuan to check up on him but was disappointed she hadn't done that.

"Jackie! I'm so sorry I haven't called you, I was really busy and I know that's not an excuse" Lijuan said in embarrassment. She had truly been busy searching for the pen, attending lectures online, drawing, her date with Yun which had upset her and then getting drunk at the club.

"You've been going out alone? Hope you didn't..." He let his words hang.

"No I didn't cause any trouble. I only went out with Yun yesterday which was my birthday and also went to the club with Shan." Lijuan said. She believed he would realise she hadn't picked anything since she had been with someone.

"I'm sorry I didn't call to wish you a happy birthday. I didn't actually forget about it, I went to spread her ashes yesterday." Jackie explained choosing to ignore what she had said about going out with Yun.

"It's fine. Are you returning anytime soon? You can still take some time off. I know it must be hard for you" She said sadly. His mother was the only family he had and she felt bad he was going to be alone from now on.

"I'll be back the day after tomorrow." Jackie promised.

"Oh... alright.. I'll be waiting for you then. Please be fine." Lijuan told him before hanging up.

Jackie frowned after the call ended. Was she really beginning to have feelings for Yun? He wondered.

************

Lijuan returned to the room to see Shan sitting on her dressing table and trying out her lipstick which was pretty much not her style. "You're going somewhere?" Lijuan asked with a frown.

Shan nodded.

"What did Wang Jinhai say?" Lijuan asked curiously.

"Nothing relevant.." Shan answered as she recalled her conversation with Jinhai.

~~~

"So how did we end up in your brother's house?" Shan asked him again immediately Lijuan left for the bathroom.

"Well..." Jinhai scratched his head as he thought of the best way to answer the question.

"And don't think about lying to me." Shan rushed to say.

"I don't think it's a good idea to tell you all this over the phone... so how about we meet up?" Jinhai asked with a big smile on his face.

"We have to meet for you to tell me?" Shan asked with a frown to be sure she had heard correctly.

"Yes. And by 'we' I mean just you and I. I'm a shy person so I can't talk in the presence of two people" Jinhai couldn't believe the kind of lies he was telling just to get her out on a date with him.

"Okay then, Lijuan will meet up with you." Shan suggested when she realized he was trying to play a fast one on her.

"No. I want to tell just you. You can relay the information to her when we are done." Jinhai told her with a serious voice.

Shan rolled her eyes before relenting.. "Fine! Where am I meeting you?" She asked.

"Where are you at the moment?" Jinhai asked with a pleased smile.

"I'm at Lijuan's house." Shan said after a brief hesitation.

"How about I pick you up in thirty minutes?" Jinhai asked politely.

"Hmm... that could work." She answered with an indifferent shrug.

"You can't go back on your word." Jinhai told her.

"Alright."

"And please dress up nicely... it's our first date."

"It's not.." Shan stopped and glared at the phone when she realized Jinhai had hung up already.

~~

"He really said all that? I told you he likes you." Lijuan said giggling. "You could change into one of my really sexy gowns.." Lijuan said with a wink.

"Oh please.. I'm not interested in any of that besides.. I'm doing this for you." Shan said like a righteous lamb.

"One would think differently especially after hearing how you enjoyed the conversation and allowed yourself to be baited into a date." Lijuan said rolling her eyes.

"Whatever." Shan said before rushing downstairs to join Jinhai.

************

"What's wrong with you?" Rong asked when she noticed Jiaying wasn't in a good mood.

"Nothing, I'm okay." Jiaying told her. She knew that Rong wasn't going to concern herself with helping her win over Jinhai, especially not when she was trying hard to get Yun for herself.

"Are you sure? You've been unusually silent." Rong said as she glanced at the outfit in the mirror. She shook her head in disapproval.

"This isn't it." She told the saleslady before turning to give Jiaying her full attention.

Jiaying who had already chosen one for herself just sat down quietly while watching Rong choose hers.

"Out with it. What's bothering you?" Rong persisted.

After a brief hesitation, Jiaying decided to just spill it out.

"I overheard Lijuan and Shan's conversation. They were trying to say Jinhai likes Shan." She told Rong with a sigh.

"I see." Rong said with a frown before taking her seat beside Jiaying.

"I understand you're trying to make things work out between yourself and Yun. So don't worry, I'll sort out my trouble myself." Jiaying rushed to assure her.

"Hmm, how about we strike a deal?" Rong asked with a small smile.

"What deal?" Jiaying asked with a confused frown.

"If things doesn't work out between myself and Yun I'll make sure nothing works out between Shun and Jinhai. That way one of us gets to marry one of the Wang brothers. I'll make sure nothing works out between Yun and Lijuan as well. But I need you to trust me." Rong said looking into her eyes.

Jiaying didn't know what to say so she simply nodded in agreement. Rong never made idle promises, and she knew Rong was bent on doing this because she didn't want Lijuan to win. Not after Lijuan had ruined their lives.

***********

"What are you here for?" Yun asked Rong with a disapproving frown when his personal assistant led her into his office.

"I was somewhere around, so I decided to drop by to say hello." She said with a disarming smile.

"Now that you've said hello, you can leave. And I'll appreciate it if you don't just stop by to say hello next time. I don't want your sister to misunderstand me." Yun added with a frown wondering why he was talking about Lijuan again.

"Why does it have to be her?" Rong asked with a frown. She couldn't simply understand him. Lijuan was the least perfect in her family while herself was the pride of her family. She was smart, pretty, intelligent and was going to inherit the Mei Corporation one day. Was there anything she lacked?

"And why do I have to answer you?" He asked her with a frown. He really didn't like he one bit. Judging from everything he had seen, he could tell she was a really terrible sister and he felt really bad for Lijuan.

"You don't by chance like Lijuan right?" Rong asked. She still didn't want to believe they were in a relationship. He was the Vice President of Wang Motors and Lijuan was just.... Lijuan!

If he was simply with her because he wanted to play around, she wouldn't really mind. But if he liked her... that was something else entirely.

"Do you realise I am in a relationship with your sister?" He asked her in a quieter voice this time hoping she would get what he was saying and leave.

"I can swear she is only using you." Rong said confidently as she moved closer to him.

"And I can assure you that if you take another step, I'll have the security throw you out."

Rong halted her steps and looked at him with an ugly frown.

"I don't care whatever it is you are doing with my mother, but stay away from me. If in the future I decide I don't want to be with your sister I can get myself another woman without insulting her by getting involved with you." Yun said with an unreadable expression on his face.

"And stop behaving this way. You are going to make me have a bad impression of Mei Corporation which you also represent."

Rong's hands fisted beside her. She had never been insulted like that in her entire life. Though she had been insulted a lot because of Lijuan, this one was worse and it was also because of Lijuan!

"Vice President Wang... I.."

"You can leave now. Next time you think of stopping by to say hello... don't. We are not friends." Yun cut in before returning his attention to his laptop.

Rong watched him for a while with a hurt expression on her face before turning to leave his office. So he was playing hard to get? Fine. She would just keep trying. She was sure she was going to get him one day.

Yun sighed immediately she left. What was wrong with this young lady? Had she no pride or self respect? He wondered with a frown.

Aside from the fact that he didn't want anything to do with her, he didn't want rumours to spread again. Lijuan was one very scary girl and he didn't know what she may do again if she heard such rumours.