(ch.20)

When they walked in, they went past the ballroom, into a backroom. That's where Chin saw a sculpture of a guy. She asked, "Brother, what is this statue for?"

Her brother answered "This is the sculpture I was working on for 2 weeks with my partner, Cheng, and didn't come home. By the way, this is my partner, Hung Cheng." in a calm voice as a young man came from behind of the stature.

Chin shyly smiled, bowed slightly as she said "Nice to meet you, Mr. Hung Cheng," in a ladylike voice.

Lai continued "Cheng, this is my little sister, Qing Chin."

Cheng slightly bowed and went on "Nice to meet you too. I'm glad to finally meet you, I heard a bit of you," in a calm voice. He added "I didn't know you were coming to the event tonight, but you look really pretty," in a cheerful tone. She smiled and thanked him. Chng tone changed when he asked "Lai, why are you late? We still have a bit to do before this can go out," in a serious voice.

He answered "Wow, Cheng you talk nicely to my sister but not to me," in a disbelief tone. He continued "The reason I was late was that I had taken my sister to go shopping since she wanted to come to the event," in a calm tone.

Chin added "Yeah because you're not feeling well," in an annoyed tone.

"Oh if you're sick, you didn't have come," Cheng noted in a worried voice.

Lai weakly smiled and "I wanted to come. What do you need help with?" Lai calmly asked.

Cheng answered, "I already got everything done, now we just have to wait for them to get the sculpture."

Chin asked, "When is that?"

"I think it's in a few minutes or so," Lai marked as he looked at his watch. After some minutes, a guy came in and said "You guys may bring the stature to the ballroom," as he opened the door wide enough for the stature to fit.

When they bought it in, everyone started to clap as Lai told her to stay by the entrance. A guy that looks like the stature, announced in a mic "Welcome, I'm Mr. Zhanlan, I would like you to thank everyone that came to the 30th year of my company. Especially for the famous sculptor, Qing Lai, and his partner, Hung Cheng. Please give them a round of applause." with a beaming voice. Everyone clapped as both guys slightly bowed to the crowd with smiles. Mr. Zhanlan added "Please enjoy the night and let's just have fun," then he gave the mic to a worker.

Chin can see that Mr. Zhanlan and her brother were talking as Cheng stayed by his side. Chin was so awkward and nervous since she saw that there weren't any teens, only adults. She wanted to go to her brother, but he told her to stay there. Chin took out her phone a started to text her friends, just then a guy came up to her. "Hi, miss. Why are you here by yourself?" in a sweet tone.

Chin answered "Because I'm waiting for my brother to come back," in a serious voice.

"What about a dance with me?" he asked with his hand out.

Chin looks at him and answers "You know I'm 15 years old, I'm not an adult."

His face was shocked "My bad," in an apologetic voice as he went away. Soon after, so many guys came up to her, she eventually started to say "Sorry, I'm 15," every time she hears a guy ask her to dance. After she said that, someone asked "I know you're 15, don't you want to see your friend?"

When Chin looked up, it was Da-Chung in a purple off the shoulder, beading, flower lace, sleeveless and backless floor-length dress. She also had a darkish red on the lids up to her crease and under her lower lashes, a dark purple on the middle of where the dark red is, small wing eyeliner, fake lashes, and dark red lips. She smiled and screamed "You look so beautiful tonight," in a cheerful tone.

Da-Chung added "You too. You went for more western style, you look good," in a calm voice.

She smiled and said, "Thanks, I wanted to try something new. You also look pretty like a baddie" in a cheerful tone.

Da-Chung shyly giggled and admitted, "I wasn't even trying to look like one, I was just trying to match my dress, but thanks." as she kind of touched her face. She added, "Let's go outside since it's boring here and there are only adults here."

Chin noted, "I have to tell my brother first," Da-Chung nodded. When she looked, her brother was nowhere to be found. Chin mumbled "I don't see my brother...Oh nevermind. Come on, let's go." They both were kinda squeezing through the crowd. When they got to her brother, he was busy talking with other people, so they just kinda stood there waiting for it to be done.

Lai marked "Please give me a moment," to the people. He turned to Chin and Da-Chung, he asked "What can I help you two with?"

"I came to tell you that I'll be outside with Da-Chung, so if you need me, I'll be outside," in a calm tone.

He marks "Chin, it's too cold out there, you'll get sick. You can't go," in a stern voice.

Chin had a pouting face, "But brother I really want to go outside," whining. He stood firm and shook his head.

Da-Chung's arm jumped on his arm as she begged "Brother, please let her go outside with me. Please," with puppy eyes.

Lai sighed, "Fine, but you have to do a few things," in a calm voice. Before thinking, both girls gladly agreed, so he continued "One, I want a picture of you two together. Second, I want Da-Chung to do the face again, I need a picture of that face. Lastly, you will take responsibility if Chin gets sick."

Da-Chung nodded "Ok ok, I'll do anything as long as Chin can go outside with me," in an annoyed tone.

After Lai got his pictures, he exclaimed "There, you guys can leave," waving them goodbye. Chin hugged her brother, he stutters "Chin, are you ok? What's wrong? What do you want?" in a confused and worried tone.

Chin looks at her brother, she answered "Nothing, I just want to hug you. I'll be going now," in a calm tone, and left. As they were walking outside, Da-Chung asked "Why did you hug your brother like this is the last time he'll see you," in a curious voice.

She answered "I just felt like it. Anyways why outside, it's cold?"

Da-Chung smirked, "That's where all of the teens are, but I didn't see it yet," in a calm tone with a hint of excitement, Chin was just nodding. When they were outside, there was a big outdoor room and pool with over 100 teens hanging out. Some of them were swimming while some were just sitting around.

Chin screech "Wow, this is so beautiful!" but she added "But I didn't bring a swimming suit, plus I just did my makeup and hair," in an upset voice.

Da-Chug pats her back and marked "Me too, but my mom told me not to mess up my hair. Let's just go sit and talk with some girls I became friends with," in a cheerful voice as she drags Chin. Da-Chung started to wave a group of girls as she said "Hi, you guys!"

They beamed "Hi, Da-Chung," in a very girly voice as they move to make space for the two of them.

One of them asked, "Who is your new friend?"

Da-Chung answered "This is my friend, Qing Chin," as Chin shyly wave.

One of the girls' mouths was wide open as she asked "Is she related to Qing Lai, the one that made that stature?" Chin and Da-Chung nodded, all of the girls gasped.

Da-Chung continues "Anyways, this Liu Aadhya and Liu Advika, they're twins," they wave at Chin. She asked "Are you guys going swimming?" seeing a bag.

Both twins nodded, one of them marked "Come on, we want to show out beautiful bodies," in a confident voice.

Da-Chung suggested, "Then why don't you guys go swimming, Chin and I don't want to go swimming so we'll just watch you two." Aadhya and Advika nodded and went to change. She asked "So, how do you like this?"

Chin replied "It's ok, everyone is having fun and it's pretty," in a calm voice.

Just as a bunch of guys came up to them and asked "Da-Chung, who is this?"

Sh answered "This is my friends, Chin, but she doesn't go to our school," ina serious tone as she just rolled her eyes.

One of the guys asked "Where are you from? You're also so beautiful, would you want to date me?" in a flirty voice as he sat next to her. Chin moved closer to her friend.

Da-Chung was about to beat up the guy, but then Wang Lei said "Stop bothering the girls and go somewhere else," with a grim tone. The guys ran away as Wang Lei sat next to Da-Chung. He marked "Are you looking pretty for me tonight?" in a curious and flirty tone. Wang Lei's friends sat on a couch that was across the girls.

Da-Chung rolled her eye ans said "No, you wished," in an annoyed tone as she lends back. She asks "Anyways, cut to the chase. What are you doing here? Don't you want to hang out and talk to the other girl that wants you," in a curious and annoyed tone.

He shook his head, "No, I want to bother you," in a sarcastic tone.

She pushed him and nagged "Go away before your girls come for me," with a frown. Da-Chung got up as she grabbed Chin's arm, hinted "Let's go find the twins," in a calm voice. Chin hesitantly stood up and followed her. Da-Chung took of them both inside and stopped walking.

Chin asked "Why did you stop walking? Aren't you going to find the twins?" in a curious tone.

Da-Chung sat on a bench that was in the hall, so Chin sat next to her. She asked "Chin, I think I fucked," in quiet voice.

Chin got worried, so she asked "How? What did you do?"

She mumbled "I think I'm stating to like Wang Lei."

"What! How? When? Don't you hate him?" she screamed.

Da-Chung shrugged, "I don't know, it just kinda happened and before I realized, I already have fallen for him," in an upset tone.

"Tell me what he did that you started to fall for him," in a curious voice.

She sighed and answered "Well I guess it started a few months back when we went to his house. While we were getting the air mattress and the blanket, we took a rest on the couch and started to talk about our lives without bricking. One time he stopped a guy from taking a picture under my skirt. Another moment was when I was wearing a white dress and he used his sweater to cover it up. He comforted me when I was upset. He helped me with my homework if I didn't get it. Weirdly, he even gave me a box of chocolate."

Chin speculated "Da-Chung, I think he might like you too if he doesn't then why is he doing all those things," in a calm tone as pats her back, while she shrugged.

"I did all of that because my mom told me to treat you well, if she didn't, I would never do any of those," Wang Lei said appearing out of nowhere.

Both girls were stunned, Da-Chung snapped "So you mean because of your mom, you were nice to me," he nodded. She continues "Wang Lei, you were just playing with my feelings while I was catching feelings for you. Am I a joke? I guess I am." Da-Chung slapped him with tears in her eyes.

"Tongguo Da-Chung, why did you slap Wang Lei?" as her mom and dad came beside her with frowns. When they saw tears in their child's eyes, their faces soften as her mom asked "Why are you crying? Is everything ok?" with a worried voice. Da-Chung just ran off as Chin followed her, but before Chin left, she hinted "You'll regret this," in a deadly tone.

Da-Chung sat in a gloomy empty room and just cried. Chin sat next to her and quietly just patted her back. She cried until she couldn't anymore, Da-Chung mumbled "Chin, how am I supposed to face him now? I'm so embarrassed," in a regretful tone as she lays her head on Chin's shoulder.

Chin wraps her arm around her as she responded "It's fine, Wang Lei is just a jerk. Don't mind him, just ignore him." comforting her, she nodded.

After some seconds, Da-Chung started to lightly giggle as she gushed "Now my makeup is ruined and my eyes are probably puffy over a jerk named Wang Lei." Chin kinda giggled with her even though she could see tears still running down her face.

"Here, wipe off your makeup," Chin handed her makeup wipes. Da-Chung started to wipe her makeup off while mumbling "This is such a waste of my time on makeup," in a slightly annoyed tone.

"Do you want to redo your makeup? I have my makeup in my brother's car?" She asked and Da-Chung nodded. Chin noted "Let me go get the keys, you stay here," as she got up. She went back into the ballroom, looking for her brother. Chin didn't find her brother anywhere, so she called him. "Hello?" he answered.

Chin asked, "Where are you?"

"Bathroom, why?"

"I need your keys to get in the car."

He marked "Ok, just stay there," then hung up. While waiting, someone asked "Chin, can you get Da-Chung? Wang Lei wants to talk to her," in a desperate tone.

It was Bojing, she frown, "If your friend wants to talk to her then he can ask her himself," in an upset tone.

"He said that he's too ashamed to ask her. Please get her to talk to him, I've never seen him so guilty."

Chin sighed and expressed "Look Bojing. Wang Lei will have to ask her himself. Da-Chung will decide if she wants to talk to him or not."

"Oh hi, Bojing. Chin here is my keys," Lai appeared, handed his keys to her. Chin's phone started to ring, "Hello?... We're at the mall... Fine, I'll tell you but you can't get upset. We're at an event to showcase Lai and his partner's sculpture to their client... don't worry. He doing fine... Ok, bye."

Lai asked, "Is that Zhe?"