13: DRAWERS
[TIANLONG RESIDENCE]
The sunlight from the open window woke Li Jun from the couch where he sleeps. After the heated moment with his cousin, Wang Xiu, who surprisingly left him with a hard one, he decided to drink any alcohol he can find in the woman's apartment.
There is none.
The refrigerator in the kitchen only has water and orange juice in a box. Eggs, butter, milk, and chocolates. The cupboard has boxes of cereals, pancake mixes, cookies, and brewed coffee. The impression of how busy the life of Wang Xiu might be, that the pans stored in the drawers at the kitchen counter have dust in them already.
Li Jun goes straight into the bedroom, looking for things he can discover. The bed is perfectly clean like the women never use it to sleep. He sits on the white mattress and stares at the drawers beside the bed.
Women tend to have items hidden in cabinets beside their bed and Wang Xiu might have done the same.
Li Jun opens the top drawer and sees only a watch, earrings, and hair clips of the woman. Accessories that Wang Xiu wears going to work. The second drawer contains books of different authors with bookmarks that the woman left to read back from. The last drawer makes Li Jun excited from anticipation. He assumes it will contain a lot of personal belongings of the woman.
Dildos maybe???
Fur cuffs???
Anal plugs???
The man grips the handle of the third drawer tightly and slowly opens it. He pouts at the disappointment of seeing the content.
Female magazines.
Li Jun closes the drawer and stretches his arms. He let his body fall on the soft mattress and breathed in the woman's scent from the sheets. He remembers the sweetness of the woman's aroma like vanilla ice cream and flowers blooming on a spring day.
He recalls the day he realizes his feelings for the woman. It was two years ago when he got back to the city. His mother requests for him to go home every year on his birthday to have an extravagant celebration that his mother could boast to her friends.
For the first time, Li Jun sees Wang Xiu with another man. They are holding hands in front of the crowd and whispering words to each other's ears. The scene not only made him furious that day, but it also broke his heart. He has heard from his mother that Wang Xiu is dating a man from an old rich family. A perfect match as everyone said about them but for Li Jun she is too beautiful for an ordinary-faced man like Su Ming Qu.
Reminding himself of the man that Wang Xiu dated made him jealous again. He can't resist having the image on his mind that another man kisses the woman he loves.
Li Jun stood up from the bed and shrugged his body to shake off the anger building on his heart. He reminds himself that Wang Xiu broke up with the man, they are not together anymore and he will make sure no one else can take Wang Xiu away from him again.
The closet beside the bathroom door is slightly open and Li Jun felt the curiosity to take a glimpse of what mystery is hidden behind it. The vast room is dark when he opens the door, he has to find the switch for the lights on the right side of the wall. When the compartment brightens up, Li Jun sees a collection of clothes that the woman has. From skirts,
shirts, pants, dresses, and coats hanging neatly by color. The expensive bags are displayed side by side depending on sizes like the shoes on the lower drawers that are arranged by style.
Everything is elegantly compiled.
Li Jun opens the drawers one by one to take a thorough glimpse of every item. He opens Wang Xiu's box of lingerie and closes it, but then goes back to it as a particular object catches his vision.
He goes back to the woman's lingerie set. The collection of lacy underwear of the woman suddenly makes him excited. Pink, red, and black lacy and stringed-back delicate makes his imagination wild, learning that Wang Xiu wears them on special occasions.
A long object in a black satin packaged is at the back of the set of undergarments. Li Jun opens it with his brows ruffling with wonder. His eyes go wide as he uncovers the unknown object.
A red strap-on!?!?!
Wang Xiu doesn't have a self-indulging toy but she owns a strapped one???
No??!!
It must be just a gift from her naughty friend, Tang Hui Ying, or Honey as she calls her.
Li Jun put the item in its satin container and back to the lingerie drawer. The object made him guess where the woman spends the night and if she's alone or not. He turns the lights off and goes out of the closet room. Then, March himself out of Wang Xiu's room. He decided to wait for the woman to come home but fell asleep once his head senses the comfort of the cushions.
A loud knock on the door made Li Jun go back to the present hour. He took a glimpse at the watch on his wrist and saw the time. It's eight in the morning and Wang Xiu isn't back from the walkout the woman did last night.
Li Jun stood up from the couch and stepped in the direction of the door of the woman's apartment. He knows it's not Wang Xiu and wonders who it is.
The young man's eyes go wide as he discovers the person behind the door.
"Pa???" Li Jun's eyes
"Can we talk?" Long Li Wei asks with a steady tone, not expressing any emotion.
"Sure, Pa." The young man replies, opening the door to the woman's apartment.
"Where's Wang Xiu?" The old man inquires, coming into his niece's unit. His eyes scan the room and assume that the man is alone.
"She left last night." Li Jun answers, looking away from the old man's questioning look. His father's forehead creases and the openings of his eyes get smaller.
"Li Jun, I know you like Wang Xiu, and learning the truth gives you hope to be together but for the public eyes, you are still cousins. Do you understand that?" The old man explains, staring at the man who stands glaring at his feet.
"Yes, Pa." The young man responds, nodding his head and avoiding the man's eyes.
Long Li Wei has known about his son's infatuation with his niece. The longing gaze and overprotective ways are evident signs of the young man's yearning and after the scene on his birthday, his suspicion becomes real.
However, the old man notices that Wang Xiu doesn't feel the same way or the woman is smart enough not to let herself get involved with Li Jun. A trait that he admires and fears for the young woman. Being too clever can make anyone forget to have a heart.
The old man took a deep cold breath and sigh, staring at the young man who still wears the white shirt and black slacks from last night. He stared directly at Li Jun's eyes trying to convey his deep regret and pondering at the right words to say.
"I-I'm sorry, Li Jun, for hiding the truth from you." Long Li Wei says stuttering at the first words that came out of his mouth. The struggle to convey his feelings came from the way he was raised by his father. Emotions are for the weak and he never gets the chance to find ways to express his sentiments.
"You could have told me…" Li Jun stares at the old man and looks away, feeling the weight of guilt from his lack of respect. The family that took him in, gave him everything he needs, everything he wants, and all he repaid them is his stubbornness.
"...I would have been a better son." He added, shrugging his shoulders and arching his lips to his left cheek, trying to lighten up his feelings by smiling.
"That is what we don't want you to do. That you will do everything we want as payment for adopting you." The old man steps one foot closer to his son and tries to meet the young man's eyes by lowering his head.
"But you want me to…" Li Jun asks with his forehead creasing. He feels confused with his father's actions.
"I want you to learn to take on responsibility in life and being a CEO will teach you that." Long Li Wei explains, putting his right hand on Li Jun's left shoulder. Firmly grasping to show his concern towards his son. "But if you are determined to be an actor, I won't stop you from what you want." He continued.
"T-Thank you, Pa." Li Jun stutters with his lips quivering from the emotions of learning about his father's thoughts.
Li Jun keeps his eyes looking down and let his tears fall on the floor. He bends half of his body, bowing his head in front of the old man.
Long Li Wei taps the young man's back. He never treated Li Jun as a stranger but as a real son like his father wanted to have. An unfortunate accident made him incapable of bearing one for his family and he accepted his fate of not having someone to pass on his legacy.
He never met Li Jun's biological parents and he never thought of looking for them. It was enough for the old man that he has a son to care for and love. Teaching him with values that his father never did for him. Giving his son a choice he never had and letting him live his life the way he wants.
π - π - π
Wang Xiu parks her car in the basement. After going out of the driver's seat, she opens the door for Ms. Li Chang Ying at the passenger side.1 The woman winks at her before walking in the direction of the employee's entrance while she searches for her uncle Li Wei's car that Li Jun used last night.
The spot where the car used to be located is now empty. Wang Xiu assumes her cousin Li Jun went back to Long Mansion or that her uncle took the car from his son.
From the basement, Wang Xiu goes straight to her apartment. She opens the door and finds Li Jun sitting on the sofa in the middle of the room with his hands clasping each other and staring down at his feet like his mind lost in thoughts.
"Did uncle come to get his car?" Wang Xiu asks to get the man's attention while taking her heels off his feet and carrying them back to her room.
"Where were you last night?" The young man did not answer the woman's question and let himself inquire about Wang Xiu's whereabouts.
"I went to Honey's place." The woman yells from inside the room. She begins to get her dress out of her body and change into her casual clothes.
The silence from the other room made Wang Xiu raise her eyebrow. She leaves her shirt unbuttoned and her shorts she plans to wear on the bed. Then goes out of her room to check if Li Jun is still outside.
The man's face blushed to see the woman wearing a white long sleeve shirt in her white lace set of undergarments. The one exactly like he saw in the woman's drawer. He clears his throat and turns his body away from Wang Xiu who remained standing at the door of her bedroom.
"Did uncle come here?"
"Yes."
"What did he say?"
"He wants me to be the CEO."
"And you said yes?"
"I will give my best to make Pa proud of me."