Beyond Suitable

Liang JianAmal was sitting on the bed, waiting for her when he watched Chang come in like a ray of sunshine brightening his world. The dress suited her well, bringing out her innocence without making her look like a child. Smiling to himself, he could not help but be entranced by the view as she came up to him with a bounce in her step, a bright smile lighting up her face.

"Thank you for the dress, I absolutely love it!" Grabbing the hem, she did a small twirl, outwardly showing her delight. To see a reaction like that from her, he would buy her a million dresses.

"It suits you perfectly." Standing, Liang JianAmal brushed a stray wisp of hair behind one of her ears.

Blushing Chang looked down at her bare feet, he was simply too much for her poor heart at times! When he looked at her with such a beautiful smile and the look he had in his mesmerizing eyes, it almost felt like her soul would be sucked away.

All of a sudden there was a knocking at the door, interrupting their moment. Looking at the door Jian immediately went to answer, calling to her from the doorway once he did so.

"Ah. Chang come and see who is here." Curious, Chang quickly padded over wondering who it could be.

In the doorway, a graceful slender woman who only came up to Chang's shoulders stood. Her fine black hair was tied into a tight bun and she wore a pair of semi-rimless glasses, enhancing the severity of her no-nonsense expression. With her charcoal grey pantsuit, the woman was all business without appearing robotic. It was Hao Jin Ying, Jian's secretary.

"Jin Ying!" Seeing who it was Chang exclaimed loudly as she rushed past Jian to give the woman a tight hug. It had been so long since she had last seen her and she was delighted. She had always really like Jin Ying, to see her now seemed surreal.

Laughing Hao Jin Ying gave the younger woman a hug back. When she had first met her it had taken her a while to get used to Chang's openly friendly nature, the younger woman had quickly grown on her though.

"Shouldn't you be in Shanghai? What are you doing here in San Francisco? Not that I'm complaining, it's so good to see you again! When did you get here? Did Jian call you here as a surprise?"

Seeing as his poor secretary was bombarded by Chang without being able to get a word in edgewise, Liang JianAmal decided to intervene. If he was honest with himself he could not stand the fact that his wife was clinging to another, even if she was also a woman. Glowering at Hao Jin Ying, Liang JianAmal reached forward and grabbed one of Chang's wrists.

Looking up Hao Jin Ying saw her boss glowering at her and quickly stepped back removing herself from the hug. As she stepped back Chang found herself off balance especially once there was a sharp pull on one of her wrists. Stumbling she felt the room spin before she found herself with a graceful of Jian's chest.

Jian had changed into a crisp white shirt, and she could smell the starch on it as well as his musky manly smell mixed with a little bit of his cologne. It was entirely too sudden and too much for her.

"Jian you beast, let me go!" Pounding his chest with a stray fist, Chang felt put off that he had interrupted hers and Jin Ying's reunion as he did.

Hao Jin Ying blanched hearing her boss called a beast. It might be best if she came back later or waited at the hospital... She then saw her boss bend down and start kissing Chang in front of her without waiting for her to leave.

'Ah my eyes, please have mercy!' Hao Jin Ying turned her head away, she wanted to leave but had been summoned by her boss.

"Is everything set for us to leave." Hao Jin Ying heard her boss's voice from over her shoulder. She turned back around hearing him discuss business and composed herself.

"Yes sir, everything is set up for departure."

"Mm good." Liang JianAmal looked down at the woman who looked like she was melting in his arms. "Put your shoes on.. or would you prefer I carry you?"

Shaking her head, Chang steadied herself and slipped on her flats from yesterday. Gathering her clothes and toiletries she stuffed them in the bag her dress and pajamas had been in. Once sweeping through the room like a whirlwind she went out in the hall with Hao Jin Ying, avoiding looking at him the whole time

Liang JianAmal chuckled seeing her flustered reaction, she always painted his world brightly with her animation. Everything she did livened up his life, even if she was trying to avoid him.

Grabbing his phone and jacket from yesterday, Liang JianAmal closed the door and headed to the hospital with the two women. As they left the building and headed to the vehicle Hao Jin Ying had driven there, Hao Jin Ying and Chang chatted. Hao Jin Ying told her that she had been in San Francisco for the last 8 months on specialty business for the boss. She was here to accompany them on the journey, in particular, Chang and her mother.

'Bizarre. Why would we need Jian's secretary to go with us?' Chang wondered to herself.

Chang sat in the backseat with Jian, while Jin Ying drove them to the hospital. Looking out of the corner of her eye at Jian, she wondered about the secretiveness surrounding her

'How much is he keeping from me, and what about?' Chang vowed to be patient for now, she would know it all soon enough. There was no way they would be able to keep this secret from her for long.

Once they arrived at the hospital, Hao Yin Jing went to the discharge receptionist to pay the bill for Li Hua Dumont, while Chang and Jian went to retrieve her. Along the way to her mother's room, Jian grabbed a wheelchair for her mother.

Chang knocked on the door and heard a crisp clear "Come in!" from inside. Inside the room, her mother sat on the edge of the bed, clear-eyed looking eager to leave. Someone had already brought her a change of clothes or she had some already waiting for her, as she was no longer in a hospital gown.

Li Hua wore a pale blue, almost white silk cheongsam shirt with a dark navy blue lining and stenciling, paired with a dark navy blue skirt that reached her ankles. Her hair lay neatly braided over one shoulder, hanging almost to her waist. Li Hua was elegant and poised, looking as if she had been born a noblewoman, instead of a second-generation shopkeeper. Standing to leave LiHua looked at the wheelchair pointedly with disgust.

"I will not be needing that." LiHua turned her head away proudly crossing her arms.

"Mom, please, just for us, you're just being discharged, don't wear yourself out." Chang pleaded with her mom, still worrying for her.

"I'm only here because of a worrywart, I'm fine," Li Hua looked at Jian with a raised eyebrow. "Yet if it puts your mind to more important things." Li Hua sat down smoothly into the wheelchair with a smirk at her daughter, enunciating her point.