FIVE THOUSAND RMB
Mother Bai came out carrying a tray of tea, she put it down on the table and squatted to make it.
Feng Jiuwen rushed forward instantly, helping the woman to her feet, "Aunty, you don't have to do that. I will be leaving now." She joined her hands to plead.
How can I be so forgetful? Xueyan thought. Feng Jiu had been sitting here for the past twenty minutes and she didn't offer her a thing. Not even a cup of water.
Jiuwen went to the door after passing her card to Xueyan, then left.
*****
Zhaolin's manor.
Zhaolin stood before the mirror, running his fingers through his hair. He just came out of the bathroom, freshly cleaned. There was a light smile on his ever cold face.
He actually stood before the mirror, observing his features. He made faces at the mirror.
Should I smile a little bit more? He wondered to himself.
He finally matched out of his bedroom, in a carton coloured blazer and black pants.
His hair falling to the side of his face, as he hadn't gelled it.
He arrived at the first floor and the butler passed him the keys to the FW250.
The door opened and closed behind him.
He drove out of the house, down onto the road. Not long after he left, Shiya arrived.
When she came in, she didn't notice one of the cars were missing so she thought Zhaolin might be in his bedroom or study.
She had stopped over at the Fu restaurant and brought home delicious foods made by her mother in-law.
She went straight to the kitchen, arranged the foods and took them out to the dinning.
"Butler Zhan, go call Zhihao and his father."
The man turned around and turned again, "Young Master Zhao isn't home."
Her movements stopped as she slowly turned to the butler, she smiled, "He isn't? Where did he go?"
"I have no idea, Young Miss." He answered truthfully.
She looked away, trying to conceal her rising anger, "OK, call Zhihao then."
The butler went up just to find Zhihao asleep. He stroked his little face, then, went back down to inform Shiya that he had slept off.
Shiya sent the butler away. After she made sure the man was out of earshot. She sent some of the dishes flying from the table. It crashed into pieces.
She matched to her bedroom to take a warm shower.
*****
Inside the restaurant Zhaolin had chosen, he sat in a private room.
He arrived earlier than planned.
After waiting for five minutes, Xueyan finally arrived.
She was dressed in a simple pink knee length gown and sandals.
Her hair that was let loose, rested on her waist freely. Sometimes flying around in different directions.
When she came in, her heart skipped a bit to see the man in a black turtle neck top and pant. He looked different than what he was all over the news cover. His facial features were so soft that you'd mistake him for someone else.
He looked at the door and found her staring at him. Zhaolin stood up to pull the empty seat for her. She came forward and sat down.
Zhaolin pressed the intercom and two waiters came in with a menu book.
"Order." He said but he felt like it was a command and changed his tone instantly, "You can order whatever you want." This time much softer than ever.
Xueyan stared at the menu for a while, not knowing what to pick. She passed back the menu to him, "I'm OK with anything."
He narrowed his eyes at her, "Leave us." He said to the waiters. They left immediately.
Xueyan felt stupid, I can't even make a single order...
"Are you alright?"
The question was both shocking and unexpected.
"Yes, yes."
"Your facial expression says another." He had been watching her the whole time. She had been frowning since she came in.
Does she not want this?
"You don't like here? You have anywhere you'd prefer?"
"No, no." She shook her head.
"Then, other whatever you want. You are not paying."
When she heard it she wanted to laugh, of course, she knew she wasn't paying. How can she afford such an expensive food?
She nodded and took back the menu, ordering the dishes with the lowest price.
When he heard it he frowned and released the intercom. "Are you sure, that's all you want?"
"Yes."
He pressed the intercom again, "That will be all."
Hunh? All? Isn't he going to order? It's only four dishes...
His phone rang at that moment, he stood up and walked closer to the window. He spent a total of five minutes talking on the phone, not that he said anything longer than a word or two all through the call.
She watched him from behind.
In the past she remembered paying for their first meal together. He claimed to have forgotten his wallet and made her pay. Back then she wasn't poor but after paying for his meal she discovered she was just a big poor church rat. Her wallet was emptied to the extent she spent her coins too.
She got home and lied she'd lost her wallet. Her mother gave her another with five hundred notes inside. Truly the next day, she lost her wallet, but he found it and returned it to her.
"Xueyan, doesn't this belong to you?" When she saw the wallet she thought that the sun had set too early. He placed it into her hand and walked away. She stood their staring at his back, when he disappeared she looked down at the wallet. It got heavier, she thought, when she opened it, she gasped. "Ahhh!"
Inside it was a bundle of note... I must be mistaken. It was a total of five thousand RMB. She had been flaggerbasted and ran after him but he had already disappeared and the next day he denied putting the money there. She had been too scared and so didn't spend the money. It was not until she spoke about it to Jingyao that she found out, that it was Zhaolin that had done it.
She smiled subconsciously.