24: BESTFRIEND

"Whatever they ask you, don't answer them without my permission, okay?." Ms. Tang Hiu Ying said while she sat in the chair opposite the investigator and police officer that arrested Li Jun.

"Okay." The male executive in handcuffs sitting beside the lawyer nodded his head. 

He scans the room where he was brought in after his arrest at the hotel. It was small for four people to be in. There is a wide mirror that stretches through half of the wall. He knows it's a two-way reflector where the officers can see what goes on inside the tiny room. There is no window and the air circulates within. When the detective walks out of the room he comes back smelling like cigarettes, and it happened six times before his lawyer comes in.

"Officer, can I ask what are you charging my client for?" The lawyer inquires, setting her back straight against the metallic chair of the little room they use to question criminals.

"Second-degree attempted murder." The officer answered gazing at the woman's face and flickering his eyes with admiration at the woman sitting at the adjacent chair.

"What does that mean?" Li Jun leans closer to the lawyer beside him to raise his concern.

"You attacked Director Ang Lim—"

"—He attempted to kill Director Ang Lim, Ms. Tang," The detective corrected the lawyer. His crumpled brows and unwavering regard shows he's not a fan of the woman.

"That is not up to you to confirm, detective—"

"Detective Sheng… Sheng Haoran, Ms. Tang Hiu Ying." The detective announced his name proudly at the lawyer who tried to undermine the charge they set on the suspect.

"My client, Mr. Long Li Jun protected his cousin, Ms. Zhang Wang Xiu from Director Ang Lim who attempted to rape her inside her hotel room. I don't see it as someone wanting to kill the director but a considerable attempt to defend a victim." The lawyer explained setting a sympathetic tone to her client. "This attempted murder charge is too much and with the fact that this is the first time, my client has done a criminal issue, the police should be more lenient." She added.

Li Jun watches the woman who defends him with confidence. The lengthy speech made everyone in the room silent except the detective who arrested him.

"According to the director's statement and his lawyer, Ms. Bao Hwei Ru, Mr. Long didn't stop bashing his face until his cousin, Ms. Zhang punched him." The detective relayed the testimony of the victim and witness from a document they gathered while questioning them at the hotel room.

"My client acted on the impression that he was safeguarding his cousin and lost control of the situation. He was angry. Furious. But it was never his intention to kill the director." Ms. Tang interpreted the situation with subtle words to make the accusation irrational.

"Yes, it was never an intention. It was an opportunity that presented itself that he can kill the director." The detective used the lawyers' words against her.

Honey narrows her eyes while staring at the detective who cleverly used her words to make the charge reasonable.

"We're done here. I'll see you in court, detective."

"See you in court, Ms. Tang."

Detective Sheng Hao Ran winks at the beautiful lawyer sitting in front of him. His heart is pounding from gazing at her charm but he hides it by implying that he doesn't like the woman. While the lawyer stood up to walk out of the room, he took another scan of her from head to toe. 

The unnatural blonde-hair parted at the side and the colored black brow flawlessly arched above the dark brown eyes enhanced Ms. Tang's charm. She has a square jaw but her face is small and her thin lips are painted with a red luscious color which arouses his blood, visualizing them brushing on his lips. The "Tiger Empress" is a beauty to behold and no man can say no to her allure. 

Honey turns her head before opening the door to take a glimpse of the detective and is surprised to catch him staring. Mr. Sheng Hao Ran immediately glances away, embarrassed from being seen yet continues to ogle at the woman behind her back.

Honey can't blame the detective, she intentionally wears a red business-type suit in a black skirt to enhance her appeal. One aspect that both she and Wang Xiu share, wearing skirts in all business meetings. They both believe it gives a distinctive power to women that only they can exploit to their advantage. 

Men stare at women who wear skirts compared to pants.

And it never misses.

π - π - π

"What happened?" Wang Xiu hurriedly opened the door when she heard heavy knocks from outside coming from the hallway.

"That son of b**ch detective won't change the charge. "Attempted murder", my a**." Honey struts in and slumped her body on the long verdant couch in the middle of the room.

To avoid the media and press, Tang Hiu Ying or Honey advised Wang Xiu to stay in another hotel with her under a different name. The media has already picked up the news about the director's case and they are burying the attempted rape case they have against the director. Honey flew directly from the city to Shanghai in a private plane to be Wang Xiu's lawyer in her case and also help Li Jun on his defense while they waited for the Long Family's lawyer to arrive.

"This is a high profile case, they will accuse him of the highest possible one." Wang Xiu closed the door and followed the woman inside. She went to the refrigerator to get Honey a bottle of water to reduce the lawyer's annoyance from the detective on the case.

The lawyer opens the bottle of water and drinks directly from it. The quick sip made the water drip from her lips. The refreshing cold liquid flowed into her throat stimulating a relaxing sensation in her body. It made her less annoyed by the difficulty they are in. "They told me you punched Li Jun in the face to stop him from killing that a**hole director." The lawyer asked.

"Yes, I did." The executive answers, recalling the incident again. Four hours have passed and she still can't stop thinking about it. Like a movie in a continuous loop in her head. Every detail is clear.

"If I were you, I would have let Li Jun kill that mother f**king director," Honey exclaimed and took another drink from the bottle.

Wang Xiu laughs at Honey's vulgarity. It's one of the woman's traits that she likes most, her directness with her words. If Honey is pissed, she will say it, regardless of who it is.

"Seriously, it would have saved you the effort of making uncle Li Wei reject your perverted cousin from being CEO." The lawyer proceeds to spill filth from her mouth.

"I don't want to be a CEO that way." Wang Xiu cracks up and puts the weight of her head on her palm holding her forehead.

"I know. That is too easy like when you get engaged with that boring goat Ming Qu and his parents are willing to make you CEO if you marry their son." Honey chuckles recalling the man her best friend almost married.

A desperate move from Wang Xiu to be a chief executive of a company and make CEO Park Min Ah change her decision about Wang Xiu.

Honey knows everything about her best friend. From the time they met at a party with her ex-fiance Bao Jiang Ru until today. They never miss updating each other about their day or week and it doesn't matter how far apart they are. They treat each other like sisters that always flirt with each other.

"I miss you." Wang Xiu wraps her arms around Honey's body and lays her head on the woman's chest.

"You want to have sex?" The lawyer teases the woman whose lips are nearly touching the exposed skin on her chest.

"I know you don't want to." The woman sneered and let her head rest on the woman's right breast. Honey likes to torment her by flirting because the woman knows her preference to have women in her bed.

"I'm the one who asked you." The lawyer smiles mischievously and winks.

"You mask your concerns by being flirty with me. I know you wanted me to talk about what I feel and you don't know how to begin that conversation without sounding cheesy." Wang Xiu explained.

"You know I'm not the cheesy girl."

"It's not cheesy, it's showing emotion"

"You're too emotional."

"And you're a robot."

They begin to giggle again. They banter with each other constantly like this. Honey wrapped her arms around Wang Xiu and started to caress the woman's back.

"And I know you hide your feelings when you laugh too much, Xiu." The lawyers said.

Wang Xiu's eyes began to water and it flowed down on her cheeks and the woman's chest.

"That son of a b**ch tried to rape you. I know from the outside you are strong, but inside you are rattled by what he did, by what he almost did." Honey continues to comfort her best friend. "I'm here now. I'll make sure he pays. He will go to jail."