Villa Roman

Shanghai, China

The party was in full swing and all that's left was for Jie's entrance. I was with Mom and Dad, as they conversed with their business partners. I smiled and did my best to be as "perfect" as possible.

"Jing has really grown up beautifully and Shuijing here is slowly following her sister's footsteps." one chimed in.

"Yes, and might I say you look gorgeous in that dress my dear! Exquisite!" another complimented, in which I smiled and thanked her. I was wearing an ivory midi dress with gold lace, and thick ivory ribbons for the straps and had on matching ivory colored ankle strap heels. My hair was curled lightly to create soft waves and I had on some silver rhinestone crystal linear drop earrings and a gold bracelet that was a gift from Jie.

After a few minutes, I saw Shancai and Qinghe and another girl I didn't recognize. They were near the dessert table, so I excused myself and went to say hi.

"Shancai! Qinghe! Wow, you look great!" I smiled as I walked up to them. They both smiled and waved at me.

"Hi, Shuijing. You look so beautiful." Shancai complimented as she looked at me.

"Yeah! You look like a goddess!" Qinghe exclaimed excitedly as I laughed and thanked him. I turned to the girl that Shancai had yet to introduce me to.

"Oh, Shuijing this is Xiaoyou. She's mine and Qinghe's best friend since middle school." Shancai explained, as I smiled at the girl and held out my hand.

"Nice to meet you, Xiaoyou." I said, as I shook her hand and she did the same.

"You too." she answered as she smiled. I could see and hear the excitement of the other guests around me. My eyebrows furrowed in confusion, but then I noticed Qinghe, Xiaoyou, and Shancai's eyes drift at something behind me so I turned my head to look. I sighed in contentment.

Sometimes, I forget how good looking my friends are.

The F4 minus Lei who was upstairs in one of the spare bedrooms getting ready.

I smiled as I excused myself from the three freshmen who were still staring at the 3 handsome tux clad boys that just arrived. I proceeded to walk up to them, but as soon as I took one step, a swarm of female guests crowded them. I shook my head and laughed as they took pictures and flirted with the boys. I held my head high and walked to the crowd. I tapped the girl in front of me who was about to look annoyed, but when she turned to me, her eyes widened and she moved away from the boys. As soon as she did, the rest of the guests did too. Ximen was the first to notice me.

"Shuijing! You look great!" he said as he gave me a side hug, which I returned then I turned to Ah Si who sheepishly smiled at me. I guess he was still guilty over what happened and that I had to see him like that. I gave him a hug and a sympathetic smile, and he smiled as he pulled away and moved so I could see Meizuo.

I thought that the world had stopped turning and that we were the only people in the room at that moment. He smiled as he walked closer to me. 'God, why did you have to make this man so irresistible? I'm dying here!' I squealed in my head.

"Well, don't you look stunning.." he said, as he tucked a stray hair behind my ear. I blushed as I gave him a smile back and fixed his crooked bow tie.

"Not so bad yourself." I answered as I brushed off some imaginary dust from his tux's shoulders. I turned back to Ximen and Ah Si, and I smiled.

"You all do. Let's go meet my parents. They've been wanting to see you guys." I said, as Zuo held out his arm for me to take- as Ah Si and Ximen moved to follow us. Ximen stopped and took notice of Shancai trying to hide, which caused Meizuo, Ah Si and I to stop. I assumed it was because she saw Ah Si.

"Shancai." He called out and walked closer to her.

"You look very elegant today." He added which Meizuo and I nodded to.

"Yes, very cute." Meizuo said, as he turned to walk where my parents were along with Ximen. I turned back to Shancai.

"See you later Shancai, Qinghe! It was nice meeting you Xiaoyou!" I called out, as I continued to walk with Meizuo and Ximen. Ah Si stayed behind and he looked like he wanted to talk to Shancai, but another female guest came up to him and blocked his way. I giggled and leaned into Meizuo.

"I hope those two work it out. They're good together." I said as I looked at Ah Si & Shancai. He nodded in approval.

After meeting my parents, we mingled with the rest of the guests. I was talking to Zuo and Ximen when I saw Xiaoyou spill something on a man's suit and he seemed to be asking her to wipe it off him. I looked closer and recognized him as one of Dad's ex-business partners. . I never really liked him even when I was a kid. He just seemed like a pervert, and he enjoyed having Jie and me around way too much. He always talked about how beautiful and supple we were, and what fine wives we would make one day- which honestly creeped me out given the fact that I was only about 11 at the time, and Jie was only 13. I guess Dad kinda felt that we were uncomfortable with him visiting the house all the time, so he ended all negotiations with him.

I nudged Zuo and Ximen and gestured to Xiaoyou. They both turned and looked at the man in disgust.

"Let's go help her." I said as I stalked over to help Xiaoyou, with Meizuo and Ximen following behind me.

The man leaned in closer to her as he pressed his handkerchief closer to her, urging her to wipe off the stain on his cheap suit. Hey! I'm not being snobbish, I know what an authentic suit looks like after MANY MANY MANY draining conversations with Meizuo and Ximen.

I was about to stop the man but Ximen beat me to it. He grabbed the cloth and proceeded to wipe the stain off the man's suit. The man looked appalled which Meizuo and I smirked at.

"Your suit is flimsy. The texture is terrible. You should just toss it." Ximen added as he continued to wipe off the remainder of the stain. I laughed as we walked closer to them.

"What a rude boy. It's none of your business." The man said as he angrily grabbed the piece of cloth from Ximen. I stalked closer and looked at the man intently.

"Is there a problem here?" I sternly asked which made the man turn to me.. He gave me a perverted smile and proceeded to walk closer to me, I was scared but I held my ground and kept a straight look on my face.

"Ms. Tengtang... My how you've grown." He said as he looked me up and down. I saw his eyes linger longer on my chest area and which caused Meizuo to move protectively closer to me.

"I thought my father had cut off all ties with you, Mr. Chow. Might I ask what you're doing here because I'm sure you're not on the guest list." I menacingly spat as he just laughed. When he stopped, he grabbed my hand and clasped it with both his hands.

"Tell me miss Tengtang, how would you feel about marriage? I'm a very wealthy man and having someone as young and beautiful as you are would surely "attract" a lot of investors." He said as he gave me an evil smile and I pulled my hand away from his. I looked at him in disgust and I didn't even realize Meizuo had snaked his arm around my waist, pulling me closer to him. I looked up at him and he looked mad. I rubbed his arm and gave him a small smile as if I was saying 'I can handle this.' He returned it and removed his arm. I stepped closer to the man I had detested for so many years. I saw my parents approach us from the corner of my eye but I continued to step closer to him until we're face to face. I smirked which made him sweat a little.

"Mr. Chow, I would rather marry a penniless beggar on the street than a perverted rat like you. You see women as trophies you think you can just polish and show off to everyone just because you think we're pretty or have glamorous bodies. My parents brought up me and Jing to be elegant and graceful ladies who are ought to be respected. I don't give a damn if you're rich, you disgust me." I said as I looked at Xiaoyou who had Ximen by her side. I smiled before continuing my rant.

"And by the way you behaved tonight, it seems like you won't be getting any investors anytime soon." I finished as I walked back to Meizuo. He looked at Meizuo in disdain.

"Is this the trash you want to marry? What does this "boy" have that I don't? Wouldn't you rather be with a "real" man?" he taunted as he referred to himself and I laughed. I looked at Meizuo who was just waiting to punch the guy but I rubbed circles on his hand to calm him down and turned back to Mr. Chow.

"He's more of a man than you ever will so if you have any respect for yourself, I suggest you turn around and walk away." I said with a smile which made Meizuo and Ximen laugh. I turned back to my parents who were beaming. Mr. Chow huffed away in annoyance. I laughed as Meizuo gave me a side hug and turned to Xiaoyou who had walked closer to me.

"Thank you Shuijing!" She said cheerfully as she regained her happy demeanor. I smiled back and patted her on the back.

"It's nothing Xiaoyou." I said as I turned to Ximen behind her who was smiling at her. Oh? Do I smell another ship? Xiaoyou turned back and thanked Ximen. Ximen tried to flirt with the poor girl when suddenly Shancai stepped in front of her, shielding her from Ximen.

"What do you want?" Shancai asked as she warily looked at Ximen.

"We're in public. What can I do?" Ximen answered back as he continued to smile at Xiaoyou who smiled back.

"Don't talk to him. If you talk to him, you'll get pregnant." Shancai stated which made me laugh out loud.

"That's hilarious!" I said as I tried to calm down.

"Hey. I'm very careful, okay?" Ximen defended and proceeded to walk away with me and Meizuo and went to where Ah Si was standing. We were talking about what just happened and Ah Si wished he was there cause he would've broken Mr. Chow's jaw. I laughed and Qinghe suddenly approached us. He touched Meizuo's arm and he turned back at him with an annoyed expression.

"Hey, I have something to tell you." He said intently while staring at me. Meizuo rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"What is it?" Meizuo answered, his arm wrapped around my shoulder as I drank my wine.

"Nothing." Qinghe answered as he quickly walked back to Shancai. We looked at him like he was crazy.

"What's up with him?" Ah Si asked, dumbfounded.

"Who knows?" Ximen answered. The lights suddenly dimmed and the dance floor had lit up and I smiled. It was time for Jie's entrance. I looked at the boys and gestured to the front. Soon, everyone gathered near the dance floor. I stood next to Meizuo with Ximen and Ah Si on his other side. Shancai stood next to me and next to her was Xiaoyou and Qinghe. The lights shut off completely and everyone clapped as Jie descended from the stairs in a stunning long dark blue lace dress with a simple thin black choker with a small pendant. Her hair was curled slightly and she had on some silver heels underneath that were concealed by the bottom of her dress. She smiled at everyone. I clapped harder when Lei appeared in an all-white ensemble. He held out his hand for Jie to take as she slowly went down the stairs and gracefully placed her hand in his. He led her to the middle of the dance floor, they stared at each other seemingly forgetting about the rest of the world. They bowed to each other and began to dance.

I smiled at the sight. I had always believed that they would end up together and it made me happy seeing Jie's face when she looked at Lei and Lei was the same with her.

"It looks like Lei is going to confess to Jing." Ximen whispered to Meizuo which made me frown as I remembered the conversation I had with Jie earlier, I was yet to find out why she wasn't going to say yes to Lei but I was already dreading. Shancai snapped her head to look at us when she heard Ximen say that.

"Aren't they already together? I thought when they were in Sanya, they had..." she said as her voice got quieter. I raised my eyebrows. Had what? What happened in Sanya?

"Had what?" Ximen asked but kept his eyes on Jie and Lei who were still dancing.

"Nothing. What kind of relationship do they have now, then?" she asked, trying to avoid the subject.

"Jing is someone very important to Lei. Lei actually suffered from a mild case of autism. His mom was particularly strict too. His autism got worse because of that. We didn't know how to help him. Thankfully, Jing appeared. No matter how indifferent Lei was, how much he avoided her, Jing wouldn't stop looking for him. The reason Lei is who he is today...is because of Jing." Ximen explained and I smiled at the memory. Jie really did help Lei out a lot. No wonder Lei fell for her. I sighed and leaned into Meizuo who pulled me closer and gave me a small smile. We clapped as Jie and Lei had stopped dancing.

Lei looked like he was about to say something when Jie held up her hand to stop him. She gave him a small smile as the cake was brought in and placed in front of her. She thanked everyone who had come and the host told us to clap for Jie as she blew out her candles to make her wish. We started to clap when she abruptly blew out the candles which prompted us to stop clapping. My stomach was turning in fear. Jie had a solemn look on her face and it scared me. I didn't realize I was grabbing onto Meizuo 's arm who looked down at me with a concerned look.

"What's wrong?" he whispered as he rubbed circles on my hand. I looked at him with a nervous look on my face.

"I have a bad feeling.." I whispered back as we looked at Jie who grabbed a microphone.

"Thank you for taking the time to come to my birthday party. Today, I'm turning 24. After my graduation, it's time to make some real-life decisions. There's something I'd like to announce here. I've decided to give up my position as the heir and potential successor of Tengtang Investment Group to join Lawyers Without Borders." Jie said which made me grip Meizuo's arm tighter. The people around us gasped and pointed at Jie in disbelief.

"I want to help the poor." Jie added sincerely which in turned caused Mom and Dad to gasp.

"Jing, what are you blabbering about?" Dad angrily asked as Mom held him back. Jie turned to face them.

"Dad, Mom. I'm sorry. Please forgive my stubbornness. Pretend you married off your daughter. I'll be going back to Paris in a few days. I've no immediate plans to come back." She stated which made me turn back at Lei, whose face was completely broken. Jie then turned to me. I was struggling to keep my tears in as Meizuo had wrapped his arm around me, trying to calm me down.

"Meimei. I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier. Even though I won't be seeing you for a while, I want you to remember that I love you so much. Take care of Mom and Dad." She said as she gave me a smile. My tears slowly fell and Meizuo held me tighter.

"All this while, thanks to my family, I've led a blessed and comfortable life. But I know, living a comfortable life without a real purpose is not what I want. From now on, I no longer need these beautiful clothes needing delicate care. I want to be myself." Jie added as she placed the microphone down, moved her hair to one side, and grabbed a pair of scissors. She looked at Lei as she cut off her hair. I looked at Lei who was crying as well and eventually walked out with Jie chasing after him. Shancai followed and Ah Si wanted to follow, but Ximen held him back.

I couldn't take it. My head was spinning and my heart felt like it was gonna explode so I ran out.

"Shuijing!" Meizuo called out as he chased after me, but I wasn't listening. I didn't realize I was outside of the villa and out on the road that I didn't see a car coming right at me. I waited for the impact but it never came.

I opened my eyes to Meizuo who looked at me like I was crazy. He had pulled me out of the way. I was nestled in his arms with my hands pressed firmly against his chest.

"Are you insane?! You could have been run over! What were you thinking?!" he yelled which made me sob into his chest. He sighed and just hugged me tighter and rubbed my back.

"Shh...Please stop crying. I'm sorry for yelling Shuijing.." he comforted, as he rocked us back and forth.

I just wanna go to sleep and wake up, hoping that everything that happened was just a dream.

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It was the day after the party and I still wasn't talking to Jie. No matter how much she begged me. I was still hurt that she kept this from me but I knew that I had little time left to spend with her. She was leaving tomorrow so I caved in and attacked her with the biggest hug I had ever given her.

"I can't believe you're leaving, Jie." I said as I cried for the second time. She smiled and hugged me tighter.

"I'm not leaving forever, meimei. Besides, I'm only one call away okay, and if anything happens, I'll come back as soon as possible." Jie said as she held my hands.

"Promise me we'll talk everyday." I said, as I gripped her hands tighter and she nodded in response as she pulled me in for one more hug.

"Look after Lei for me okay?" She said as she looked at me. I smiled and continued to hug her.

"And meimei..I hope whatever happens with Meizuo..You'll be happy okay?" She said which made me smile wider.

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We, the F4 and I, that is if you minus Lei who was probably still mad at her, and Ah Si who said he had to pick up something for Jing, Shancai, and Qinghe. Mom and Dad couldn't take Jie leaving and didn't show up either. We were walking to where Jie was checking in her luggage near the terminal gate.

"You still can't reach Lei? He's been out of reach since yesterday. He knows very well that Jing is leaving." Ximen asked Meizuo who was trying to contact Lei.

"He didn't answer my call." Meizuo answered, as he placed his phone in his pocket.

"Maybe my phone would work. Should I call him?" Qinghe chimed in which made Meizuo and Ximen looked at him. He looked away, embarrassed.

"Huaze Lei won't even come to say goodbye?" Shancai asked out loud and I sighed.

Ah Si had arrived, carrying a box. He went to stand next to Shancai.

"Ah Si, isn't Lei with you?" I asked him.

"He's not here?" he answered with raised eyebrows and we shook our heads.

"What's that box?" Qinghe asked Ah Si as he pointed to the box.

"This? It's a present for Jing. It's something special. I won't show it to just anyone." He answered as he held the box closer to his chest.

"Let me see." Qinghe said as he tried to take to box from Ah Si.

"No." Ah Si shook his head in response.

"Come on, let me." Qinghe asked again.

"No." Ah Si repeated but Qinghe had already taken the box from his grasp.

"Thank you!" Qinghe said cheerfully as he proceeded to open the box which contained a Jack-in a Box that jumped at him which made him scream and drop it on the floor. I laughed out loud with Ah Si who was clutching his stomach. Qinghe got annoyed and asked what was wrong with Ah Si. He just shrugged his shoulders and smiled. He gave me a high five and picked up the box from the floor. Ah Si turned to look at Shancai who was frowning.

"Hey. Why do you look so sad? You're already ugly. Looking sad just makes it worse." He teased Shancai who looked up at him with a serious face.