"Good, its settled then. After we come back and if we have the strength, we could go and laze at the beach or chill at the hotel"s pool. Li Jie and I want to go clubbing at night…you all are welcome to join in," said Kong.Li Jie came to stand next to her and spoke in a low voice, "don"t stress, let the situation flow naturally. I know this is awkward and painful for you but think of it from Mei Zhen"s point of view. I am sure she feels threatened by your presence but she is making an attempt to involve herself with her husband"s friends. w.a.n.g Wei must be sailing in the same boat. Don"t you think it is high time that you stop hiding and come to terms with the reality? It is time to move on for both of you, if not for your own sakes then at least for the people who love you, care for you. I can only guess last night"s conversation and the impact it must have had on Tang. I won"t be surprised if he is regretting his marriage at this moment. Do you want to be responsible for that? I am not asking you to pretend to be in love with Wei. Nor am I telling you to fake your happiness. I am urging you to move away from the spot where you have been standing frozen during these past years. Take the first step and maybe you would be surprised by what life has to offer you!"
"That looks like an intense conversation. Judging by your expressions, it doesn"t seem to be a happy one, though. Are you upset about us joining in?" sarcasm dripped from Mei Zhen"s tone as she directed these comments towards both of them.
"You are mistaken. I was only warning her to not play any pranks in the water. It would set a bad example for Hua," Li Jie said smoothly.
Chung laughed overhearing the conversation, "utter rubbish. Poor Jia Li is terrified of water sports. It is you whom we should all be wary of…"
Jia Li used this opportunity to break away from the group and move towards where Le was sitting with a cranky Hua.
"Should we start walking towards the lobby before everyone can catch up ?" she extended her hand towards the child.
Le shot her a grateful look and got up to join her husband, Chung.
Tang"s eyes followed her involuntarily, taking in her every movement, absorbing her face"s tiniest nuances. The frustration which was running through his body since the night before was indescribable. He didn"t know whether to throttle this woman or grab her and run away. He didn"t want to spend the entire day in torture watching her bestow slow smiles at w.a.n.g Wei. On the other hand, he didn"t want to let her be out of his sight for as long as they were here at the siland. Pretending to be on a call, he moved swiftly towards the direction in which Jia Li had gone with Hua.
Catching up to the duo, he slipped his hand into the child"s right hand, while the left was entwined with Jia Li"s.
"Swing…like maa n paa, make me do it. Aunt Jia Li, Uncle Tang, pick me and make me swing," he cajoled, even before Jia Li could properly register Tang"s presence .
"I don"t understand what does he want us to do," he frowned uncomprehendingly.
"We both have to lift him up by his arms. Make sure you catch his upper arm for better grip. We will count to three and swing him back and forth, got it?" she explained with a small smile at his lost expression.
He looked endearing with confusion etched on his face. Giving her a dubious nod, he concentrated on mimicking her actions.
They laughed at Hua"s shouts of glee at their manoeuvrings.
"Now no more else your arms will hurt later. Then you won"t be able to defeat me in the pool today," she murmured to Hua, conspiratorially.
"Aunt Jia Li is just making excuses. Don"t worry, we both shall beat her in the pool today," Tang encouraged him.
She gave him a stern look and said, "look at you behaving like a child. He doesn"t know when to stop and may get hurt in his enthusiasm."
"Since when have you become such a stern mommy. Look at that militant pose of yours with hands on the hips. Both Hua and I are scared s.h.i.+t, aren"t we," he teased her, sitting down on his haunches.
"Hush…don"t say bad words in front of him," she scolded him.
"You are fighting like Maa and Paa," Hua chortled.
Jia Li"s cheeks reddened at the remark and a shuttered expression came on her face.
"I was wondering where had you gone already. You weren"t even picking any of our calls," Li Jie spoke from behind them.