My preferences have changed
My preferences have changed
His stride faltered fractionally by her frosty attitude, but that didn't stop him from approaching her. "Hey,"
He took off the mask and gave a kiss on her forehead. His hands rubbed her cheek- a gesture that had not changed over the years! He always enjoys caressing her soft cheeks.
"How are you? I heard you were hurt?" He eyed her from top to bottom and noticed a belt around her waist. "Susu, this…"
"Cut it out, ge. You know I don't like this concern of yours." She snapped. Her attention shifted to see where Fei Hong was standing and gave a curt nod, "You have a lady with you, please look after her." It was she saying to Zeng, 'please leave me alone.'
"Woww…. You both know each other!" Fei Hong came to her table, "Wait! You both are Zhao!? Are you siblings, cousins or...???"
Suyin didn���t bother to say a word, her gaze faltered between the door and wristwatch.
"She's my baby sister." Zeng's hand tensed on Suyin's shoulder when she didn't say a word and acted like a stranger. Was calling him her brother that disappointing!? "Hong, give us five minutes….. please."
The missing love and affection between siblings were so apparent that it didn't go unnoticed from Fei Hong's eyes, and she left to sit at their booked table. "Of course"
He waited for Fei Hong to walk a certain distance, and turned back, looking dejected, "Must you behave coldly in front of others as well?"
"--and must you follow me everywhere?" she stared at where his hand pressed on her shoulder and yanked it away. "Don't think I don't know that you faked your accident to stay near me in the hospital. You planned this after seeing me outside Fei Hong's room and got me inquired, isn't it? And now… I'm sure someone must have informed you that I'm here?"
"So what? You can't blame me for this. How am I supposed to cover the distance between us, as you keep behaving cold and indifferent? Is it wrong if I'm making efforts to get back to you and mom? Stubborn!" There was a note of complaint in his voice. "You didn't pick my calls, ignored my messages and emails—"
"—I was busy. End of the discussion. Now if you could please leave me alone, I'm waiting—" she paused as the waiter brought a glass of juice for her."
"Mixed fruit juice with added beetroot, ma'am." the waiter was about to place the glass on the table, but Zeng stopped him.
"She doesn't like beetroot. Get mango juice with a leaf of mint."
"My preferences have changed," she took the glass and gulped it down, her stomach quivered for a second.
"Susu—" he exhaled, understanding she was doing exactly what he did to her years back. Ignoring her and concentrating on career solely!
Now that he has achieved everything, the only thing he had been missing was family- Sister. Mother. Love. Care. But her sister was not willing to give him an inch.
"—Just one more chance. Don't push me off like this. I'm your elder brother FOR GOD'S SAKE. If an outsider like James can—"
"—DON'T YOU DARE CALL MY JAMIE AN OUTSIDER." Her voice came stressed, making sure no one looking from a distance would pick up the tension going on between them. It was only Wang Shi who heard it connected to her through wireless. "He's the brother that I never had. He was there when I desperately needed someone and supported me in my worst. You don't have any right to call him a stranger when you are—"
She stopped.
"Give me a chance, I can do that as well…."
"But I don't need it anymore."
"But I need you and mom. Why the hell I'm left alone?" He complained like an abandoned child, feeling as brittle as cracked glass. "All dad cares about is you and mom, while mom only cares about you. What about me? I-I'm the odd one in this family. I know I was selfish before, but can't I get a chance to rectify my mistakes and make up for the lost time?"
She looked away, fighting the urge to not say anything bad about her past. "Go gripe about it to mom and dad, don't howl in front of me. And Please..... continue our relationship just the way it is. With no expectations! I've moved on--"
"Suyin, I've got an emergency to attend. Accident case!" She heard Wang Shi's voice and paused. "I-I…."
"Go! it's a matter of someone's life." She knew her breathing had fastened, heart rate speeding up; his presence was comforting, but his absence- it was the awful feeling that can't be described in words.
"There are my bodyguards around, don't worry about Gong Li, okay?"
"Hm," she replied, looking as Wang Shi walked past her. He paused at the glass door and turned to look at her once. Their gaze collided, with a long blink they assured each other.
As Wang Shi stepped out, he halted, his eyes narrowed down on the man standing on the other side of the glass door, peering in. Feng Junjie.
"Junjie,"
Junjie jumped and found his elder cousin standing with a mask on. "D-don't get any ideas, brother. I was just passing by and paused seeing you here. Btw, what are you—"
He stilled as Wang Shi's hands reached up to the back of his head. "Keep peeking and one day you will become her bridesmaid instead of the groom. Idiot!"
"…."
"Hey! I-I…." before he could retort, Wang Shi walked towards the elevator. "What groom? What bridesmaid? I was just checking on her. She's my best friend after all….. ARE YOU LISTENING!?"
'No, he's not.'
Junjie "…."
Inside the restaurant, Suyin retrieved her gaze back to Zhao Zeng, "I'm busy. If you could….."
"Fine." He said gruffly, "If you are stubborn, don't forget I'm your elder brother. BROTHER. REAL BROTHER. BLOOD-RELATED. Since the last one year, I've been trying to get back to you and mom but you mistook my indulgence as my weakness. You both are my family, and no power can stop me from claiming my birthright. I. WON'T. GIVE. UP."
She stared in disbelief, "Ge,"
He bent down and gave a kiss on her forehead, later pinching her cheek. Hard!
"Fighting with ge, huh? Let me see…."
Having said, he left, leaving her clueless.
His voice was smooth and soft, but the warning-mischievous gaze was the sign of headache approaching.
From the peripheral vision, she noticed Wang Shi's bodyguards approaching and shook her head. Even the manager whose attention was at her shoved the phone back into the pocket.
**********