What a deception!

She asked herself aloud, "If I was in such a situation, will he be willing to help me?"

She nodded after a few seconds and walked into the closet.

They were friends and despite their age difference, they still got along very well and it was mutual enough for her to accept the challenge with determination.

She was still worried about his cold brother but she thought back to her handsome stone-faced client and she concluded that she will not find dealing with him difficult.

*****

She prayed for luck as she rode to the gate of the estate he lived in on a delivery bike. She saluted the guard when she was allowed in after having to answer a few questions.

The guard smiled and nodded. She removed her helmet as soon as she got to the door of his house. Her finger froze mid-air just before she could ring the doorbell.

She took in a deep breath and the door flew open before she rang the doorbell.

She was swift to dodge it as she moved to the side. A tall man dressed in a black hoody and black jeans stepped out of the door.

He gave her a questioning look before pulling a suitcase from behind him. "Who are you?" he asked coldly.

"My name is Lin Jing. I am your brother's friend and employee," she replied standing straight and looking at the unfilial young man before her.

"To what do I owe a visit from you?" he asked impatiently.

"Your brother asked me to deliver a message to you."

"That my father is dead and my mother was unconscious?" he asked with a questioning look on his face.

She nodded furiously. So, he knew? Please, do not blame her if she hits his head with her helmet.

"My brother lied because my mother lied," he replied as he began walking away.

"What do you mean?" she asked as she decided to pause hitting him with the helmet.

"I mean, my brother lied because my mother lied to him," he told her seriously without looking back.

She puffed angrily as she hurried behind him and blocked his part. "What do you mean by that?"

"My mother lied about the accident to force us into taking a family and I guess she succeeded."

"Why then did he lie to me?" she asked in disbelief. She believed strongly that this man was insane.

"He has always tried to set us up but I am not interested in you. That was a plot to make you come to my house and make me leave.

"They planned it all. You can go home now or do you want to go in with me before I leave for the airport?"

She swallowed with her hands now akimbo. Was she played all along? That was wrong. She was good at deception but she has never gotten deceived.

She looked around unwilling to believe it. "Perhaps you are just being delusional about this. Your father is dead, he died in an accident and your mother is dying," she told him emphasizing every single word to snap him out.

He suddenly held her shoulder and moved her close to him.

Her fist was clenched on her side determined to punch the man in his exposed guts if he makes any further move.

"You are being deceived. My brother lied to you because my mother lied to him. I have to travel because I fear that my mother might hurt herself to make me take a day off," he told her with a smirk. "You are so naïve."

The least of the thing she was was naïve. She watched him as he approached the road just in time for a taxi to arrive.

"You should leave, my taxi is here," he told her with a wave. She glared at the departing taxi as she returned to the road.

She called Mr. Shen almost immediately after she got home. He deserved punishment for making her lose her sleep. "You lied to me," she accused him directly glaring at nothing in particular.

He began laughing on the other end. Who uses their family to lie? It would have been a different situation if he had not mentioned death.

"I am sorry," he apologized between his laughter. "You believed me, right? I must be a very good liar."

She sighed and clenched her fist. "You made me lose my night's rest," she told him.

"I am sorry. I was just as angry when I realized my mother lied to me but I needed you to go to my brother. My mother believed he had his doubt which was why he did not travel with me.

"She asked me to use someone else to persuade him and she chose you among the people I suggested. You know she liked you when she saw you on her birthday.

"She wanted you to soften my brother's heart since he would be sad at the news and you were a therapist who knows how to deal with people in emotional situations."

"I am not a psychologist for goodness' sake. You lied to me and I am very displeased. You should never lie with the death of a family," she warned him.

"My mother lied to me. She cursed her husband not me," he tried to justify his action with soft laughter.

"I am very unhappy with you. You are not allowed to call me for personal issues anymore," she warned him firmly but a hint of playfulness could not be missed in her tone.

"Really? I am sorry. I will have my mother apologize. She began it all."

She was shocked by that. she was angry but she could not ask his mother to apologize to her.

"That was why I warned you not to go into his house. He told me he was on his way and he found you to be very attractive when you are angry."

"This is not the time to be talking about things like that. I do not like your brother," she corrected him and laid down tiredly on her bed. She felt too tired to argue with him anymore.