Ceramic Vase

Li ZiChen remained impassive as his fair hands turned red from the hot coffee that had spilled over his hands. He looked at his hand, seemingly as if he didn't feel a single pang of pain from the boiling liquid that was smeared over his hand. With a dismissive tone he said, "Oh, the paper cup was too flimsy." 

AiLin looked at his face to make sure he wasn't in pain and she couldn't tell if he was hiding the pain or if he really felt no pain from that frosty expression. Reaching out to her pocket, she pulled a handkerchief and pressed it over his hand. Just a touch of the liquid felt so scalding yet this man seemed to be fine with it. She wondered if contrary to popular belief, Li ZiChen had led a rather difficult life? If that was the case it would explain his lack of expression through pain. 

"You should be careful holding such a cup. It's because you squeezed it too hard," she replied, not knowing that his eyes were on top of her head, staring at her face with his lips drawn into a line as if he was pondering something dark.

"Yu HanYu, you know him well?" He asked instead as he tossed the coffee cup aside to the nearby garbage bin and pressed her hand that was wiping the hot liquid off his right one. "You talked to him at the party too. I remember that." 

"You have a good memory," she muttered and turned away, "But I don't know him. We just talked a little and I found out he was acquaintances with Jiang MengYao." Saying the name made her feel bitter and she felt the urge to wash her mouth. She quickly took a sip of her own coffee and pressed the cup over his hand as her coffee was cold with ice to prevent his pretty hands from getting swollen. "He told me that they became friends after Yu HanYu helped him with fixing a camera… a camera that I would like to have." 

Li ZiChen hummed, "If it's cameras, I have a lot but you seem to be more concerned about what's inside the camera." 

AiLin wondered how this man seemed so knowledgeable about everything. Is it possible that he could see the future or her mind? 

She brushed it off, "He has a terrible hobby of gathering pictures to people he had abused. It's a part of his twisted… anyway I have something to see from that camera and I wanted to hold it as a leverage against him." 

"There is no picture of you there?" Li ZiChen inquired which made her to look at him with her eyes slightly shaking. 

How does he always able to guess everything? 

"You're too smart," AiLin said with a forced smile, "That's why it makes me feel a bit uncomfortable." 

For a moment she saw Li ZiChen's eyes which seemed to widen a little. He calmed himself and schooled his expression, "I'm sorry if I sound too nosy I just wanted to help you destroy the camera if it is the case. Did MengYao also—"

"—Let's not talk about this." 

Li ZiChen felt for the first time a cold tall wall that was built between them. He saw AiLin's eyes that were filled with shame and fury. She had bite her lips until it began to bleed which made him to frown. He reached his thumb but saw her backing away and decided to retract his fingers away. 

"I won't if you don't like it," he responded firmly. 

AiLin sighed. She could tell that Li ZiChen didn't mean anything by asking her about the camera and if MengYao had ever abused her. But still being asked made her recall all those terrible memories in her head… and she felt an overwhelming anxiety that bites her. It was akin to her whole body and insides being filled with ants that chew every part of her flesh until a tortuously slow death. 

Taking in air into her lungs seemed to soothe her nerves for a bit. She closed her eyes and turned to Li ZiChen who seemed to be thinking to himself. She regret bringing up about Yu HanYu as now the air between them became tense in a snap of a finger. 

She decided to loosen herself again, "I thought through of your offer." 

Li ZiChen's eyes that had darkened shone like the bright sky when clouds that had dispersed, "And your answer is?" 

"I will take your help," AiLin said as she clenched her fists, "But I also want to know from you if those people who share the same blood as me would really accept me?" 

"With open arms," Li ZiChen replied with a smile, "In fact through the whole morning, I had received call from your parents who begged me to let them meet you as soon as possible." 

AiLin wondered why the Hua Family need to beg Li ZiChen to see her. Considering the Hua Family's power which is comparable to the nouveau rich Jiang Family, they shouldn't have a hard time tracking her down. It was as if Li ZiChen was indirectly guarding her that even the powerful Hua Family couldn't easily find her for themselves.

AiLin shook those thoughts away immediately. Yes Li ZiChen is rich and powerful. Rumors had it that he is also born from a Japanese yakuza family but he couldn't be so powerful to the point that the Hua Family who have the government backings would have a trouble going against him. 

"What are you thinking?" Li ZiChen called up. He pulled the left corner of his lips, "I suspect that you have already looked a bit into Hua Family. Do you want me to explain more about them?" 

AiLin crossed her arms, "Go on, aren't you here to fill me with information?" 

He laughed at her attitude but wasn't the least offended by it. He replied with a hum, "Your grandmother is still the head of the company. While your parents combine have a large share to control the company they aren't enough to overthrow your grandmother. As you might have expected, your grandmother was furious upon finding out that you are still alive. She had began to make a move after throwing a ceramic vase to your mother's head last night." 

AiLin was startled, "Is my mother alright?" She didn't know the woman too well but she was really worried that the woman who gave birth to her would be harmed because she prevented her death as a baby.

It was an odd feeling as AiLin couldn't yet feel so attached to her birth mother but she still feel worried for her safety like she is her own mother… 

"Yes," Li ZiChen responded he omitted the fact that her mother, Mrs Hua Valentine willingly receive the hit from the vase so the family could be separated for a while so they could loosen her grandmother's tight grip on them.