~|confession #17 - manners: the only thing between his face and my hand|~

"Don't tell him but I really wanted to smack his handsome face that day! Wouldn't you have done the same if you were in my place?" ~ Dr. Sang Tian

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That evening, for her second dinner with Fang Haoran, Sang Tian got dressed in a full sleeved, black colored turtle neck top that she had paired with a pattered, knee length skirt.

She chose to wear her black heeled boots and a gold layered necklace that Dylan had gifted her on her last birthday. Sang Tian decided to keep wearing the small gold hoop earrings that she always wore and let her hair down after styling it in loose curls.

Putting her cell phone, lip balm, lipstick, some tissues, and her wallet in the handbag that she chose to carry, Sang Tian switched off the lights before walking out and locking her apartment door. 

She then drove herself to the restaurant and when she arrived, she was once again led to the same private dining room where they had dined before. Just like last time, Fang Haoran was already there waiting for her.

Seeing him after so many days, Sang Tian could not help but greet him with a smile and the question that she had been waiting to be answered for just as long, "What did you say to my grandfather, hhmm?" she asked while sitting on the chair that Fang Haoran pulled out for her like a gentleman.

"What do you mean?" questioned Fang Haoran.

"I meant to ask about your conversation with my grandfather that day. You know I have never seen him getting impressed by someone so quickly. Also, he looks super convinced about our relationship." Sang Tian rephrased her question while using air quotes for the word "relationship".

"How did you manage to convince him?" she asked with such eagerness that it reflected in her tone.

Chuckling, Fang Haoran took a sip of his wine before replying to Sang Tian, "I did nothing special." placing the glass on the table, he leisurely leaned back on the chair and continued speaking, "I did what you asked me to do. Just answered a few of his questions, played a game of Go with him, told him about my business, and also gave him my opinion on the Sang Group's latest project. That's it."

"That's it?" questioned Sag Tian wanting to confirm.

Fang Haoran nodded and confirmed, "That's it."

Sang Tian made a face and a frown marred between her brows not liking and accepting the anticlimactic response. "Really?"

Fang Haoran's lips stretched in an amused smirk seeing the face that she was making, "What? You were hoping that I went above and beyond and did something crazy to please your grandfather?" 

"No!" exclaimed Sang Tian, "I just -" she thought of better words to phrase her statement before continuing, "It is really hard to impress my grandfather." she smiled hiding the main reason she was so curious about the conversation between him and her grandfather.

Sang Tian did not think that letting Fang Haoran know that neither of her previous boyfriends could impress her grandfather was something that she should share. She did not want another person telling her that she had a bad taste in men.

"Well, aren't you glad that he liked him? That was the agenda of that meeting, right?" asked Fang Haoran while cutting into his steak, "Or did you wish for a different outcome?"

Sang Tian shook her head denying the alternate possibility, "No, no!" she exclaimed hastily, "I am fine with how it turned out. I took you there to convince him and that's what you did. I was simply curious, that's it." she smiled and drank a huge sip of water before picking up the fork and knife to cut into the steak that she had been served with.

"What did you want to ask, by the way? What can I do for you?" she asked looking at him in the eyes.

Letting out a deep sigh, Fang Haoran began, "Well, you see my grandfather is very anxious and eager to get me married at the earliest. This is why he has been setting me up on all those blind dates for the past 3 years, hoping that I would find a girl that I would wish to marry. But so far his plans have been failing." chuckled Fang Haoran.

"Really? How many dates you have been to?" she questioned.

"41 actually." the number caused Sang Tian's eyes to widen comically, "The 1st being Miss Yun whom we both met at the restaurant on that fateful day when I became your boyfriend."

His statement made her blush due to embarrassment as she recalled how she had almost jumped from her seat calling him 'Honey'.

"41" Sang Tian commented, "And you still haven't found the one you like and could see yourself getting married to?"

"Nope." he exclaimed with a shake of his head.

Scoffing good naturedly, Sang Tian took a sip of the vintage red wine before asking, "Why the case? Were they not up to your standards or were they the ones who did not like you?" she teased.

"Ha ha ha!" mocked Fang Haoran, "Neither of those. We just wanted different things from the marriage."

"So, what do you want me to do?" questioned Sang Tian, "Do you want me to introduce you to someone? Is there a girl that I know and you like?" she giggled thinking that it could be Yu Xin that got Fang Haoran interested. After all, her friend was a jaw dropping, breathtaking, and stunning woman who had always been adored by men.

Fang Haoran looked at her with a curious tilt of his head, "Not that." he commented, "You see the day I was to meet Miss Yun, to make sure that I wouldn't mess things up my grandfather sent a spy of his to have everything recorded and telecasted to him live so that he would have proof to condemn me."

"Oh." Sang Tian was surprised at the revelation and also a little bit confused, wondering why would Fang Haoran mention that to her but a few seconds later she put the pieces together and realized what must have happened.

That is why his grandfather and brother got the impression that she was his girlfriend, "Oh!" Sang Tian exclaimed in realization.

"Yeah." Fang Haoran exhaled deeply, "He believes that you and I have been in a secret relationship for years and that is why I have been deliberately sabotaging all the dates I have been to."

"Ah!" Sang Tian felt apologetic for the misunderstanding. "It's good that I did not say anything when your grandfather and brother asked me to reveal to them the details of our relationship." she pinched the bridge of her nose feeling remorse for the mess that she had created and also dragged Fang Haoran into.

"Don't worry, I will go and meet your grandfather and clear things with him. I will tell him the truth and you will be able to resume your search for a perfect life partner." she blabbed, "I am so sorry for this."

"Hey! Relax, it's okay." said Fang Haoran to calm her down, "You don't have to do that."

"What? Why?"

"It is why I asked you to meet me." started Fang Haoran, "Both our families think that we are in a serious relationship so I was hoping why not make that true."

"Excuse me!" exclaimed Sang Tian in confusion.

Putting his joined hands on the table, Fang Haoran said, "Marry me."

"Woah!" Sang Tian was appalled at the sudden proposal, "What did you say?!"

"Listen, our families believe that we love each other and that we have been together for months now. I know you are not in a relationship at the moment and I am not committed to anybody else as well. Then why not go with the flow and make this real?" explained Fang Haoran.

Sang Tian sat straighter on the chair as she said, "If this is your way of saying that you want to date me then let me tell you; I am not impressed."

"Did I not mention that I want us to get married." that was a statement and not a question.

"You -" Fang Haoran did not let Sang Tian complete her sentence. He interrupted her and said, "Your family believes in our relationship and I have got approval from your grandfather as well. The same goes for my family, they genuinely like you. Our families enjoy similar status and power in society, both of us are career oriented and are of the right age to get married. I don't see a reason for you to reject my proposal."

"Really?" scoffed Sang Tian, "I don't know about you Mr. Fang but I will only get married for love and by my own choice." she stated, "I will not get married just for the sake of it."

"Then, would you mind if I told your grandfather the truth?" there was a threatening quality to Fang Haoran's tone when he spoke, "You worked so hard to keep up the ruse and even brought me to meet your grandfather to convince him of your lies. Would you be alright if I told him that his precious granddaughter had lied to him?"

For a minute Sang Tian said nothing and simply continued to stare at the man in front of her as if trying to comprehend if this was his true nature. Pushing back her chair, Sang Tian stood up and wiped her hands and lips using the napkin before leaning over the table slightly as she said, "Do what you want. I don't care."

"Really?" taunted Fang Haoran trying to see if Sang Tian would change her response.

"Really." this time Sang Tian was the one to smirk, "You will be doing me a favor by telling the truth, you know. It will relieve me of the burden of my lies. After all, I would have to tell my grandfather the whole truth one day or the other, so why not now."

"Don't think that I won't do just that, Miss Sang." while Sang Tian stood straighter, Fang Haoran simply leaned back on the chair that he was seated on and picked up the wine glass.

"So far, you have only got to see my good side. You don't want to see what lengths I can go to get what I want." he said while twirling the glass in his hand before taking a sip.

Sang Tian's lips stretched wide in a fake smile as she said, "Oh, really? Try all you want, I won't marry you."

"Last chance, Miss Sang. I really don't think you will like what I will do next." warned Fang Haoran.

Turning around Sang Tian said, "Do whatever you want." before walking away.

"I will." smirked Fang Haoran.