Tang had found the currently unused karaoke system tucked away in the living room and had put on a Lionel Richie song. He had always been fascinated with the American soft rock and pop era. Jia Li walked out of the kitchen and gave him a questioning look. Tang dropped a feather light kiss on her cheek but didn"t stop singing. With a smile, she started singing along and went back to the kitchen. Soon the house reverberated with their vocal cords.
Tang laid the table as she started bringing in the steaming dishes to the table. Throughout the process, the songs kept changing, from American to Chinese to even the popular K-pop.
The bell rang as they were about to sit for food. She gestured him to start while she went to open the door.
Her smile turned into surprise.
An angry looking Wei stood there. He took in her casual pyjamas and messy hair, all in one glance.
"Won"t you invite me in?" he asked when she simply stared at him.
With a guilt start, she apologised and gestured him in.
The two men stared and sized each other up, looking for weaknesses in each other"s armour. A barely civil nod was exchanged between the two.
"Uh, we were just about to sit for breakfast. Please join in," she told Wei and went towards the kitchen to get another plate and cutlery.
"I will come help you," he said and followed her there.
"What is the meaning of this, Jia Li?" he asked her the minute he reached the kitchen.
She looked at him with trepidation and asked, "what are you referring to?"
"Don"t you know what am I referring to? You are busy playing homemaker with someone else"s husband. Clad in nightclothes, sharing breakfast. It sure looks like a cosy set-up. I wonder what would Mei Zhen say to this," he said rudely.
Embarra.s.sment flooded her face, making her unable to meet his eyes. She didn"t know how to reply to his implied accusations.
"Both of you seem to be extremely incompetent. I wonder how have you managed to turn the language inst.i.tute into a success when it takes you so long to find one plate," Tang came into the kitchen and spoke sarcastically.
He had overheard Wei"s comments and wanted to smack his face for causing discomfort to Jia Li with his words.
Wei looked at her in disappointment before wordlessly moving out of there. He had gone mad the previous evening overhearing Tang"s words on the phone and had spent the entire night imagining wild scenarios in his head. Without informing anyone, he had left for Moganshan in the wee hours of morning. When Jia Li had opened the door, looking as if she had just tumbled out of bed, his worst fears had come alive.
He was jealous, insecure, angry, hurt…
Xie Mansion
"I can"t believe that you agreed to something like this. Are you trying to tell me that if Ethan had lost his memory and would have wanted to stay with his old sweetheart and rekindle the relations.h.i.+p, you and your daughter would have been alright with it?" Mei Zhen"s father shouted at Mr. Xie.
His wife tried to calm him down but to no avail. Mei Zhen had received the call from Mr. Xie early morning, explaining about Tang"s wish to stay back in Moganshan. After the call, she had stayed suspended in disbelief for the longest minute before throwing a violent fit.
Mr. Liang couldn"t watch his daughter getting humiliated this way and had decided to come full guns blazing that very morning to Xie mansion.
"You have my deepest apologies and I am willing to accept all the anger that you send my way right now. But please understand my perspective as a father who has been strictly advised by the doctor to keep his son calm and happy under all circ.u.mstances," Mr. Xie said so and bowed deeply.
Mrs. Xie stared at her husband in astonishment. Never had she seen him bow down to anyone like this.
"If Tang"s happiness lies with that stupid b.i.t.c.h, why did you not get him married to her in the first place?" Mei Zhen had lost her cool looking at her father in-law trying to defend his action.
"There is a way to address your elders, Mei Zhen," her mother warned her.
"The elders should be deserving of the respect and address in the first place," she left the place on a huff.
"Mr. Xie, if tomorrow your son doesn"t recover his memory back and wants to marry that woman, what would you want my daughter to do? Accept that woman as his concubine?" Mr. Liang said crudely.
Mr. Xie didn"t stop the other man from ranting, nor did he try to defend himself. He could understand what he would be feeling as Mei Zhen"s father. But for him, this humiliation was a small price to pay for one week of his son"s happiness and health.