RUOMEI DEFENDING MEIXIU

"Bro where are you now?"

Ruomei, who is still busy with their wedding preparation asked her brother Chaoxiang. Leaving Meixiu at a time like this, with Suyin lurking and even waiting for the right minute to attack the couple means a threat for Ruomei. She knows her friend so much and she knows this isn't healthy for her, especially to her relationship with her husband, Chaoxiang.

"I just left Meixiu's office."

"I watched Suyin's interview and I know Meixiu watched it too. Are you intentionally making her jealous?"

"No Ruomei! I didn't know that Suyin will bring that information out to the public."

"Bring that information out? So you are really doing things behind Meixiu?"

"No it was just a kiss!"

"Yeah? So when was the last time you kissed Meixiu?"

"I kissed her on her forehead last two nights ago. Remember when you called me saying I should go and check her all the time?"

Chaoxiang was immobilized as he tries to reminisce what happened that night, after Meixiu called her and said she needs help for her car overheated. Reaching their home, the only word she said to him is "thanks". She looks bothered over something and she didn't talk to him at all.

Ruomei was also bothered with her indifference that night. She turned her phone off which is so bizarre for her because she always leaves her phone on in case Sora calls her. She asked Chaoxiang to do the work, which is to ask Meixiu if she is fine. But then Chaoxiang saw her sleeping on the couch after he went out of the shower. With Ruomei confessing Meixiu was suicidal before, Chaoxiang felt so dramatic about it that his reflexes automatically kissed the lady's forehead.

"And you brought Suyin to your concert?"

"Why? I wrote that song for her!"

"Chaoxiang, you just can't go around chasing your ex like that. You're being insensitive to your wife."

"She also met her ex last time.", he shrugged his shoulders, justifying what he did.

"Oh this is all about you being jealous now? To tell you, Jianguo left China right after Meixiu rejected her. But you..."

"Why are you so mad? Meixiu and I just had lunch."

"Of course she will not speak to you about it."

"So she talked to you? She talked to you and asked you to talk to me?"

"No! You really don't know Meixiu and you are not even trying! If something happens to her Chaoxiang, I don't know if your conscience can take that. She is under your supervision, you are her husband. If something happens to her, both the Wu and the Yang family will chase you and you know how violent they are!"

"Ruomei! How dare you end the call when I'm talking to you!", Chaoxiang went inside his car and pressed the horns a lot of times.

Meixiu is looking at him from the glass wall on her office. A few minutes after, Chaoxiang left their office. Then she heard her phone rang so she immediately ran towards it and tapped the answer button.

"Mom."

"You are really doing nothing you piece of crap! We should've adopted Suyin over you. Clean this mess!", her mom Sora ended the call.

Meixiu fell down after her knees felt weak with her mom's words.

"Director Yang!", Meiying saw her on the floor.

"It's my pancreas again.", she complained.

"What did you eat Director?"

She remembered the pork dish Chaoxiang bought for her.

"A pain killer would do.", she is snapping her fingers for her to forget the pain.

Meiying helped her in getting up from the floor. She assisted her and brought her back to the couch, where she uncomfortably sat down because of the intolerable pain she is feeling in her stomach. Her head was battling with her system. She keeps on justifying herself saying, "Eating with Chaoxiang is the best thing to do for it'll keep him close to you". But her system keeps rejecting the dish she had eaten, it is not for her nor for her pancreas to take.

"Do you want to go home Director Yang? I can drive you home.", Meiying volunteered.

"No no. I'm alright."

Meiying gave her Director the pain killer she's asking. She kept her accompany for the last office hours and checked her condition from time to time.

[•••]

"President Yang Sora."

Chaoxiang uttered the name of the woman in front of him. He is so puzzled about the woman's sudden appearance in front of their house. She has been hesitating to knock on their door after hearing Meixiu was trying to tune the guitar. Earlier, she can hear her singing and it was the only time after so many years that she had heard her daughter making a beautiful sound like that.

"My daughter's inside. I talked to her already and I am also going to talk to you.",

She slapped him without any notice. The man felt his cheek burning. However, there's more to that than what Yang Sora is seeing. He is now burning in anger, ablazed with how everyone is throwing a knife against him, as if he did a crime or even a murder.

"You promised to help us.", she said.

"I helped you. Beside, whether I gave the money to Meixiu or Suyin, it's you who will still benefit right?"

"If you only want to help Suyin and not the Yang, then I must've made the wrong decision."

"You did make a wrong decision. I am helping your family because of the promise my grandfather owed you."

"And you are making the wrong decision in trusting Suyin."

"I chose to trust her because I loved her. I'm sorry if I can't trust your daughter the way I trust Suyin.", he said and slammed the door shut. "Now where is that woman?"