A surprised looked was also flashed from Yan Mor Tee and Song Dei Si's faces.

Yan Mor Tee was the first one that regained his composure. When Song Dei Si has regained herself from the shock, she tried to get away from Yan Mor Tee's grasp, but Yan Mor Tee refused to let go of her right hand.

He went to his mother's location while still holding Song Dei Si's hand.

Madam Yan was looking at their hands that were clasped with each other then gave them a blank expression.

Yan Mor Tee kissed her mother's cheeks.

"Mom, meet my girlfriend, this is Song Dei Si." Yan Mor Tee introduced her to Madam Yan.

"I knew her, she is the principal's daughther."

Song Dei Si greeted Madam Yan only to receive a cold response from her. Gone, was the Madam Yan who gave her a warm smile everytime they bumped into each other.

Old Master Gu noticed the tension sorrounding the three people in front of him.

"It's almost 5PM now, I'll go find the master chef to prepare us a sumptuous dinner."

"Don't bother Pops, we're about to leave now as Dei Si has a dinner date with her dad"

"Oh! I'll just have a dinner date your mom then!" The Old Master Gu exclaimed.

Yan Mor Tee nodded.

"Mom, we'll take our leave first." Yan Mor Tee said.

Song Dei Si respectfully bid goodbye to Old Master Gu and Madam Yan.

The Old Master Gu gave her a warm embrace before she left while Madam Yan slightly nodded at her.

.....

"Isn't she a nice girl?" Old Master Gu told Madam Yan, referring to Song Dei Si.

"She is." Madam Yan agreed.

"But why are you giving her a cold shoulder?" Old Master Gu asked.

"Because she is not Tan Ja Nin." Madam Yan answered. "We have promised to marry her to Yan Mor Tee, remember? Their marriage has long been arranged and we cannot take back our words"

The Old Master Gu suddenly fell silent.

"Let your son choose the woman he wish to marry." Old Master Gu replied after a long silence.

Madam Yan was taken aback by his words.

"I can't believe I'll be hearing those words coming from your mouth, dad." A pain was etched on Madam Yan's voice. "I wish to hear that same thing, 19 years ago."

"Do you still hate dad for marrying you off to Jao Yan when you were 18?"

Madam Yan did not answer him and pursed her lips until the dinner was over.

.....

"Dad!"

Song Mingsheng looked at her daughter and was surprised to see Yan Mor Tee who was standing right next to her. They have decided to tell Song Mingsheng about their relationship.

"I am with my boyfriend." Song Dei Si was holding her breath while she spilled the beans.

Song Mingsheng did not response.

"Dad, I am sorry!" Song Dei Si's voice was trembling as she could no longer suppressed her tears.

Song Mingsheng spoke when he saw the tears on her daughter's cheek. "Yan Mor Tee, why are you still standing there. Get your hanky and wipe your woman's tears. I don't want to see my daughter cried again just because of you."

Yan Mor Tee got startled by Song Mingsheng's order and suddenly took his hanky and wiped Song Dei Si's tears.

"I promise I will not let her shed a single tear anymore."

"I'll take your word, young man. If you break that promise, do not appear in front of my daughter again."

Yan Mor Tee nodded and hold Song Mingsheng hands with gratitude. "Thank you, Sir!"

Song Mingsheng gave Yan Mor Tee a nod. "You two can now sit down and let's have dinner."

The youngsters have happily obliged.

.....

Song Mingsheng and Song Dei Si were sitting at the at the back seat of the cab on their way home.

"Thank you for tonight dad. You made me the most happiest birthday girl in the world." Song Dei Si said and gave her father a bear hug. "I thought you'll get mad upon learning that I've already have a boyfriend."

"I was mad. But when your happiness was at stake I can always set aside my distasteful to one person"

"Yan Mor Tee is nice guy Dad." She said trying to defense her boyfriend. She doesn't want people judging him without prejudice.

His father hummed.

"Song Dei Si, I know your old enough to know your limitation. Make your relationship with Yan Mor Tee be an inspiration to both of you to lift each other up. I can see changes in Yan Mor Tee's behavior and I want to assume that you had some influence on it."

"I didn't do anything Dad."

Song Mingsheng smiled. "You did, you made him fall for you real hard that he wanted to change for the better."

Song Dei Si pondered what his father has said and smiled.

.....

Months have passed and Graduation Day was approaching. Mixed emotions were being felt by the Graduates during the remaining days of the school year. The closenesss between Song Dei Si and Tan Ja Nin has been restored. The bond between Song Dei Si and Yan Mor Tee's friends have blossomed into a genuine friendships and they formed a group. Song Dei Si couldn't ask for more. Everything seems to fall into the right places.

So when Yan Mor Tee enrolled in one of the prestigious University in China, she gave up her Oxford scholarship and enrolled to the same University. She found out later that the rest from their group were also enrolled at Ho University. She couldn't be any happier.

.....

Yan Mor Tee celebrated his 19th birthday at his grandfather's beach house. Only few people were invited - their family's relatives and his friends from Yan High School. Of course, Song Dei Si was there to celebrate with him.

While the youngsters were having fun at the party, The elders from the Yan's and Gu's Family we're having a serious conversation at the patio.

"We cannot let that Song Dei Si meddle with your longtime plan to marry off Yan Mor Tee to the daughter of the Tan's family" Yan Mor Tee's grandfater from his paternal side said.

Yan Mor Tee's father made a deep sigh. He looked at the direction where the youngster were located and his gaze was fixed on his son's. He could see how happy his son was from a far. He never saw him this happier since he was a kid.

"Yan Mor Tee and Tan Ja Nin are still both young. Let's give them time to enjoy their youth." Master Yan suggested and subconsciously looked at Madam Yan. He married her when she was 18-years old and he felt a lil guilty about it. He has taken Madam Yan's chance to enjoy her youth and he doesn't want his son nor Tan Ja Nin to experience the same thing.

"Why do we have a feeling that you wanted to delay the engagement?" Old Master Yan said with disappointment.

"Old Master Yan, I think your son is right. Let the youngsters enjoy their youth first." Old Master Gu commented.

"I have already talked with the Tan's elders. They will announce their engagement on the night of the twin's 19th birthday party. I agreed. I cannot take back my words" Old Master Yan said.

Madam Yan looked helplessly to Master Yan. If the engagement between the two will takes place on the night of the twin's birthday that could mean that it's going to happen in a month time.

How can they prepare Yan Mor Tee for this?

How can they tell him to marry Tan Ja Nin when his heart beats only for Song Dei Si?

She doesn't have a heart to break her son's heart.

But if they will call off the agreement between the two families it is not only their business partnership that will be affected, more so the friendship between Master Yan and Master Tan will be at stake.

Madam Yan took a deep sigh.

.....

"Jao Yan!"

Master Yan turned his head and saw that his wife was coming to his direction.

After the stressful conversation he has with the elders, he went directly to the mini bar at the beach house to have a glass or two of his favorite wine.

Madam Yan has seated next to her and got a glass of wine for herself.

"What are we going to do?" Madam Yan asked her husband. "We should think of a tactics on how to delay the announcement until we are ready to tell Yan Mor Tee that the marriage between him and Tan Ja Nin has already been arranged"

"This is all my fault. I should have not agreed to Wen Tan's proposal to marry off his daughter to our son."

"Don't blame yourself. The proposal was made in good faith. You agreed on the proposal to unify the two families. It's not your fault for thinking that if we became one family it will solidify the friendship and will secure the conglomerate that the two of you have established from scratch. But who could have thought that Yan Mor Tee will not fall for Tan Ja Nin when we have made all the possible ways for the two of them to get close and develop feelings for each other since childhood?"

"We can't force love." Master Yan said.

Madam Yan nodded.

Her husband was right.

Take it from her own experience. She had been married to Master Yan for such a long tine and even after 20 years of being married to him, she never heard him said that she loves her. Not even once.

Living with each other for 20 years was a matter of choice for both of them.

But will Yan Mor Tee will choose the same thing?

"If we will break the agreement, what would be the repercussions?" Madam Yan asked her husband thou in her mind she already knows the answer.

"Could be two things. First, our business partnership will be cut off. Second, the friendship between the two families will be broken."

"If the business partnership has been cut off, what will be the status of our financial stability."

"Since the Tan's family was holding the 70% shares and if we are going to sell our shares, this will make a big impact in our finances as we will only have Yan High School as our asset."

"Are you willing to forego the friendship between you and Wen Tan?" Madam Yan asked.

"Friendship if it's true will never be broken. The question will be, are we ready to live a life of a pauper?"

"I can." Madam Yan answered. "But I'm worried for our son. How can he live a simple life when he has been living luxuriously all of his life?"

Master Yan did not respond.

.....

It has been three weeks since Song Dei Si has accidentally heard the conversation between Yan Mor Tee's parent at the bar in his grandfather's beach house.

It has been three weeks since she always cried herself to sleep.

It has been three weeks since she was contemplating if she was going to give up Yan Mor Tee.

She doesn't want to see a broken frienship between the Yan's and the Tan's

She could not afford to see Yan Mor Tee to live a pauper life.

It has been three weeks.

Until she came up with the decision.

That there was no other way but out.

How she had wished that she was selfish back then.

But she was not.