-At Night-
"Baby, is Mr. Xu Cheng really not your father?" The question came to Ye Jie's mind suddenly while he was preparing for bed.
Xu Mey brows furrowed before she lifted her eyes up from the book in her hand which she was reading. "Who said that?"
"Didn't Xu Liqing and Fu Lan said that to you?" Ye Jie reminded her.
Xu Mey gave a weird smile for some reason and asked, "And you believe their words?" When Ye Jie brows creased like a crinkled cloth, she went on, "I didn't even believe their words when I was 12 much less now when I have already checked to make sure that he really is my father."
"Oh!" That's all Ye Jie said.
"And my version of destroying Xu Enterprises is still taking back what's rightfully mine as the firstborn child of Xu Family." She took a pause to ponder and added, "And I think that even my dad knows now that I'm his real daughter."
"What gives you that idea?" Ye Jie asked.
"The fact that he tried his best to get me married to you." She gave Ye Jie a pointed look.
"But wasn't it all just a coincidence that Xu Liqing vanished and wasn't reachable at that time."
Xu Mey closed the book in her hand and sat straight on the bed. "Until a couple of days ago, even I thought that dad was selling me for a promise to Ye Family." With a sigh, she shook her head, "I talked to my grandfather recently and he told me that the reason dad called me home was not for the promise between two families, it was to get me out of Xu Family. It was my dad who made sure to send Xu Liqing for a tour and he was also the one who made her communication impossible with anyone until our marriage was fixed."
"Then I should go to thank my Father-in-law, " Ye Jie remarked.
"Don't bother. It doesn't matter anymore whether he did something nice for me or not. Because he didn't do what he was supposed to do back then." Seeing the way she was scowling, Ye Jie came to perch behind her and encircled his arms around her waist with his chin propped on her shoulder.
"So, you're really not thankful for having me in your life, " Ye Jie's pitiful voice made her furrow her brows.
Xu My palmed his chin from her current position and answered, "I'll always be thankful for having Ah Jie in my life." Ye Jie gave a smug smile which Xu Mey couldn't see. "But I can't forgive him for the rest of my life. If he wasn't the one who did anything to me, he also wasn't the one who did anything for me. And saying that he wasn't aware of anything happening in my life back then is not very convincing since he would have been able to know if he ever paid any attention to me in the first place."
"Okay… Let's change the topic. What were you reading?" To divert the course of the discussion, Ye Jie picked the book from her side which had the title: Life of Pi by Yann Martel.
"Let's read it together, " he offered as he laid back and opened his arm to pat on his shoulder for Xu Mey. She pursed her lips but didn't hesitate before placing her head on his shoulder while he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and held the book up for both of them to read.
Reading a few certain lines which read;
'Even when God seemed to have abandoned me,
He was watching.
Even when He seemed indifferent to my sufferings,
He was watching;
and when I was beyond all hope of saving,
He gave me rest,
and gave me a sign to continue my journey."
Ye Jie looked at Xu Mey's small delicate porcelain like the face on his shoulder and thought, 'These words really seems to be written for Xu Mey. She knows what abandonment is like. She knows what sufferings are like but she still found hope to continue her journey. God must have sent her Sensei to bring that hope in her life.'
Meanwhile, Xu Mey hasn't focused on the book anymore. Her mind was drifting away thinking about a certain someone. She chose this book to read because of a certain dialogue in it. It read:
'I suppose in the end, the whole of life becomes an act of letting go, but what always hurts the most is not taking a moment to say goodbye.'
These words reminded her how she didn't get a chance back then to say goodbye to her Senior Brother. She learned from Sensei that, People like to leave because their journey is elsewhere but she never thought that she wouldn't even get a chance to meet her Senior Brother after that.
Both Ye Jie and Xu Mey drifted to sleep while reading the book. Both were snuggled up with a single thought that they had no desire to say goodbye to each other at any point in life. Rather than a thought, it was more like a wish. A prayer. Heartfelt one.
The next morning, during breakfast, Ye Jie was constantly trying to call someone but his call was not getting through.
Seeing his frustration, Azalea asked, "Jie-Ge, is everything alright? Who are you calling?"
Ye Jie tried to smile and answered, "Yeah… It's just Ye Jun getting on my nerve again."
"What did he do now?" Xu Mey questioned.
"He didn't come to the office yesterday and he's not even picking up my calls." Ye Jie was complexed whether to get angry at Ye Jun or worry about his well-being.
"Let me try, " Xu Mey picked her phone to dial Ye Jun's number and it immediately connected, "Hello, Jun!" Ye Jie's eyes widened when Xu Mey's call connected so easily. He made a hand gesture to ask Xu Mey to put him on speaker and she did. "Where are you?"
"Sis, I'm on my secret base." Xu Mey rolled her eyes at Ye Jun's dramatic antics.
"Why are you not going to the office and what's with avoiding your brother's calls? He's so worried about you." Xu Mey made a scolding tone to let Ye Jun know how much she was unhappy.
"And whose fault is that I'm running from bro?" Ye Jun retorted.
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"Sis, because of you bro is looking for me like a hungry wolf. And this time, he won't just claw at me. He will bite me as well." Azalea and Xu Mey covered their mouths to hold their laugh while Ye Jue was gritting his teeth.
"Jun, you come back and see how I'm going to bite you, " hearing Ye Jie's voice, Ye Jun's mind went into disarray.
"Sis, you sold me out!" He screamed and went on, "Now, I'm never coming back. It's better to die here alone then being bitten by bro." He really was a dramatic person.
"Jun, come back home before I get to you, " Xu Mey said and added, "Don't worry about Ah Jie, he won't say anything to you."
"You promise?" Ye Jun asked hesitatingly.
"Yes, I give you my word. Now, hurry back!" Her words just left her mouth when they heard Ye Jun's cheery voice from behind.
"If my sis says and I don't come, how's that possible?"
Xu Mey slapped the back of Jun's head and said, "What were you doing in the back garden?"
Ye Jun laughed cheekily and answered, "I knew that bro will look for me everywhere except for his own house. So, I did camping in your back garden."
Ye Jie, Azalea and even Xu Mey couldn't help but facepalm themselves.