Chapter Seven

At the restaurant, Yinchuan ordered for sea food while Yue Yue and ZhenZhen ordered for snail soup and dumplings. They had their dinner with smiles, ZhenZhen and Yinchuan occasionally tasting each others dishes to know the best. After dinner, Yue Yue dropped the two at their different houses and drove back home. The drive was long and silent. She missed the warmth the two brought to her. They were the only two people she was close to in and out of her work place.

When she got home, she met her brother in the sitting room watching a movie. That has always been his routine after dinner. Mrs Kang the cook saw Yue Yue enter and asked her if she have had dinner. The woman was the only one that cared if Yue Yue had her meals or not. She was always keeping tags on the young girl. She have seen the hurt in the girl's eyes and how she have fought to cover it. The girl reminded her so much of her younger self and she couldn't help but be drawn to the girl. Each time it was her turn to cook for the family, she made sure she makes Yue Yue's favorite. She had studied the type of food the girl loves and have come to know of her allergy to some foods which even her parents were ignorant of.

When Yue Yue had assured the woman that she had eaten, she was allowed to go, but not without taking the freshly baked chocolate cake and coffee that she Mrs Kang makes for her every time she works over time or missed dinner. She have really grown to love the old woman and her efforts in caring for her. She was one of the people she still smiles at and one of the reason she strive so hard so as not to lose herself in her mess of a life.

When Yue Yue got to her room, she dropped the tray she was carrying on her desk and headed to the washroom. She needed a hot shower to calm her taunt nerves. She spent about thirty minutes in the hot shower. When she came out, she got dressed in her black night dress and fluffy slippers and headed to her home office. Her father wasn't back yet. He was having a dinner date with a friend and her mother had gone for a night spa with her friend that just returned to the country. It has always been a habit her mother developed, she loved spending extravagantly since her husband had the money, she spent it in looking younger and shopping. She was rarely at home and her husband wasn't bothered. He even provided enough for her to spend in the allowance he gives her. But when it comes to Yue Yue, he always had a tight leash on her allowance. When Yue Yue was still out of the country studying, her father would always tell her to work for whatever she needs. The money he sent to her as allowance has never been enough, he said it was his way of training her. Yue Yue had to work part-time to supplement what was being sent to her. It have really taught her enough in life. Now Yue Yue didn't have to ask of allowance again. She was paid a huge sum at the company. She was now able to support herself with her paycheck.

Heading her office, she switched on the light and sat on her desk. She needed to ensure that she have gotten the funds for the project ready. Deep within her heart, Yue Yue have always been seeking for approval from her parents especially her father. She longed for a time when her father would appreciate her efforts in the company. It was one of the reason she worked extra hard. If not anything she wanted even wished for a glance of love from her father just like how he looked at her brother. But she knew that the broken bond in their life was never going to be filled again no matter how hard she tried.

When Mrs Kang knocked on Yue Yue's office by twelve o'clock on the dot, she was met with silence. She pushed the door open and entered. The light was still on indicating that the young girl was still around. She had come to clear the dishes and also inform the young girl of her father's return. She was the only one that noticed the longing the young girl had when looking at her father. It was one that breaks peoples' heart. Mrs Kang has always wondered why Yue Yue's parents have never cared for her. The girl was lovely and worked hard she have tried to prove her love and commitment to the family. She had figured out each influential family had their own share of problems. The Chen's was the rejection meted out on the nineteen year old girl and it broke her heart to see the girl striving so hard for what was never to come. She walked to the desk and met with the sleeping girl, her head laid at the clear end of the table, her hands supporting her head. Her eyes were tightly shut and her eyebrows furrowed. The temperature of the room was getting colder due to the cool air from the air condition. Mrs Kang walked to one of the shelves in the room, it contained a purple duvet. She returned with it back to the sleeping girl and wrapped her with it.

Her eyes scanned through the open notepad and files. She saw figure amounts and some of the company stocks. It was obvious that something might have come up in the company to require such tedious work from the girl. She arranged the scattered files and switched off the reading lamp. She picked up the used dishes. As she walked out of the door closing it quietly behind her, she couldn't help but think of the life of Yue Yue.