26 Playing with Smith

"Excuse me! Sorry to interrupt you. Can you please let me know, why did you invite me here? asked Smith, as he smiled gently at the couple.

Aunt Ning decided to answer Smith's question. "Oh! Smith, I can't sleep at night. My heart beat fluctuates so much. Sometimes it gets so rapid.. sometimes so slow. I keep on tossing and turning on my bed," explained Ning as she expressed her helplessness. "And, Jack is so worried as well," continued Ning.

"Yes! Ning is right. This guy is going to kill us with depression," grieved Jack as he put his right hand on his forehead to express his frustration.

"G.. guy? Which guy? Wh.. whom are you talking about?" stammered Smith.

"Wang! I'm talking about Wang. We are in great stress because of him," bawled Jack.

"What? What did Wang do.. that is bothering you so much?" asked Smith.

Ning knew that this was the moment. She had to express her desperation to Smith. "Smith, Wang has to get married, and that too, as soon as possible," stressed Ning.

Smith took a deep breath, heaved a sigh of relief and slumped back in the sofa seat he was sitting on, and drank his coffee in a much more relaxed state. He finally knew the reason behind the couple's invitation. "Aunt Ning.. Uncle Jack.. You know him.. Just as Wang and myself are like two opposite poles, completely different from each other, so is Wang and this topic of his marriage.. far away from each other," explained Smith as he smiled at the couple expressing his helplessness.

Ning and Jack sat silent as they listened to Smith.

Smith continued. "Aunt Ning, you know Wang, as much as I do. You already know what I'm trying to say," said Smith.

"Yes! But, this time, situation is too serious," disclosed Ning.

"Yes! Too serious," repeated Jack.

Ning continued with a sad face. "Mr. Zong, Wang's grandfather, may God bless him! He is very sick and in extreme state of depression. He gave us a visit this morning, and he requested us to do something about Wang's marriage.."

Ning was interrupted by her husband. "Yes! He requested in a very polite and sad tone," sobbed Jack.

Ning continued. "Ahmm! My father-in-law requested us to get Wang married. And we don't want to break his heart. This is a very serious issue," went on Ning.

"What can be more serious than this? This is his mansion!" mumbled Jack.

"What? What mansion?" asked Smith.

Ning gave Jack a stern look. "Ahmm! Mansion? Did you hear mansion? No! This is my father-in-law's tension.. his greatest tension," corrected Ning as she looked angrily at her husband.

Jack needed to correct himself too."Yes! He's too worried. And this is putting a very bad effect on his health. We all feel bad.. noticing the state that Wang has put himself in," mourned Jack.

Smith heard two of them expressing their sadness. He had to express his thoughts as well. "Ahmm! Wang is not only my partner, but also my dearest friend. I take him as my brother. I would love to see him getting married as well. But, the point is.. there's no girl. There has to be a girl first.. And the girl has to like Wang.. and, Wang has to like the girl too. I don't see this happening. I don't see any way in which we can get Wang married," shared Smith. "You tell me, how will this happen?" asked Smith.

"Oh my dear Smith, I will tell you, how this will happen," answered Ning. "Who says that there's no girl? Chunhua is going to marry Wang," stressed Ning. "And you are going to be single.. like you are now.. as you watch Wang and Chunhua getting married and living together," emphasized Ning.

"Exactly! And one day.. Chunhua and Wang would invite you to their home, and you would be asking them the same question - 'Why did you invite me here?'" giggled Jack.

"Do you want this to happen to you, Smith? Do you wish to see Wang and Chunhua together?" asked Ning with a stern look on her face.

Smith knew what was happening. Yet, he did not know what to say. After giving it a thought for a few seconds, Smith asked," How about you two? Do you wish to see Wang and Chunhua together?"

"No! No! No!" yelled Ning and Jack, simultaneously.

Smith smiled at their sudden reaction. He knew that the couple disliked Chunhua a lot.

"Chunhua is not suitable for our family," remarked Ning as she rolled up her eyes in irritation.

"I agree," bossed Jack.

Ning continued. "I mean to say.. that Chunhua is wise and trustworthy.. and so beautiful. But, since we know that you have feelings for her, we would never ever think of her getting married to Wang," said Ning in a wicked tone.

"Right! Our conscience would not allow that," expressed Jack.

"But, what if Chunhua and Wang fall in love with each other?" asked Smith with a smirk on his face, as he decided to participate in the mind games too.

"Haha! This won't happen. I won't let this happen," declared Ning as she revised the entire plan in her mind. "We have planned to bring in a new girl in the scene, to balance the situation," she continued.

"Yes! And this just for you, Smith. We are doing this for you.. and your love for Chunhua," winked Jack.

Smith sat expressionless as he waited to know what aunt Ning had in her mind.