Had this been an anime, Mo Chou would've surely sweat dropped at the mention of the opposite sex. It had been a fact that for the past decade Mo Chou did not have any attachments to a woman. Heck, he never even had a girlfriend. So when his father had suddenly decided to drop such abrupt words, Mo Chou didn't know how to react.
Chun Fan raised an eyebrow while Mo Yan thought it would be funny to laugh. "Well, dear brother... It seems you've been exposed."
Mo Chou sent a glare her way. And although he wanted to get mad at her, he wouldn't. It was bound to be exposed sooner or later. It just happened sooner than he thought.
"I can explain," Mo Chou said calmly.
Contrary to what Mo Chou thought, his mother had her brows furrowed, thinking deeply about something. He had been well-aware of her body language. She was no doubt scanning her memories for any evidence that might prove his father's statement to be true.
Mo Xuetuo had resumed to reading his documents, not at all bothered at the sudden statement he had dropped. Mo Yan quietly observed on the side, her previous playful expression gone and replaced with seriousness.
When the silence became suffocating, Chun Fan inhaled a deep breathe and said, "Why didn't you tell us?"
Mo Chou expected this question. It had been a question he had thought of answering for the past decade, albeit an unnecessary thought.
"I didn't want to get your hopes up expecting me to come back to the family home without a girl by my side. And... I was scared.
All my life I believed that having a significant other was my very last priority. It had been a thought that I kept in the back of my mind. I had full faith in my decision to push back such an idea that I kept denying this feeling since a long time ago."
Mo Xuetuo knew at first glance the look his son gave him when he had hit the jackpot. There was no other woman in the world that could capture his eyes. Perhaps because he had faith in his son's ability, he didn't interfere and preferred to watch the story unravel.
Meanwhile, Chun Fan had other thoughts. She was, to say the least, overwhelmed. She had scoured through her memories for a girl who atleast managed to capture her attention but only one person came to mind. Of course, ever since Mo Chou had said that his feelings were from a long time ago, her thoughts of berating him went out the window.
"Is she who I think she is?"
Of course everyone in the room had in mind the same girl. There was only one problem, how did Mo Chou intend to court her?
Mo Chou nodded. "Please don't try to stop me, mother. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to entertain the guests outside."
He rushed out of the door, leaving his family behind the room.
...
Zhi Ruo had been sitting outside the hallway for a good while now. Her glass of champagne was empty and she desperately wanted to go home.
The banquet won't end till midnight and she's pretty sure it's only a quarter before 8. The events that unfolded inside the room had made her go numb with shock.
Who could've guessed that the man she decided to avoid would be someone whom she couldn't avoid at all. Zhi Ruo had already approved the proposal for the building in Europe that would start around August.
Hmm, how to deal with the situation. So far there was only two options. One, get the hell out of this place. Or two, get back in there and socialize like nothing happened.
Obviously the first choice wasn't possible. If her grandfather ever found out she flaked not even halfway through the event, her effort would've been for naught.
"Shit!" she couldn't help but curse. There was no choice but to go back inside and act like nothing happened.
This wasn't exactly a soap opera. Why should she be the one to avoid him when he'd been doing the same thing to her for the past decade? She was a professional for goodness sake.
Zhi Ruo had nothing to be embarrassed about. After all, if not for her high intellect, achieving the position of family head would've been a pipe dream. She threw the embarrassment she felt to the back of her mind and steeled herself.
With newfound determination, she once again headed back inside the venue. The sound of classical music that flowed through the room made the banquet all the more classy, adding on to the sophisticated and influential people.
Opening the double doors, she had attracted the attention of several people who seemed curious to know about her identity. After all, she bore no jewelry that signified her background nor a face that could be easily identified.
And while some of them were dying to know who she was, most refrained from approaching as nobody wanted to offend a person they couldn't offend. These people had class, not unlike those rich wannabes that always show off their wealth.
One such particular woman became interested in her. She was the adopted daughter of a rich tycoon who made money through trades. She had been raised to be the best person she can be, regardless of her position nor status.
The thing that struck her the most was seeing that woman's elegance and sophistication through just the subtle details. Her walk, the way she carried herself, her expression. All of them were evidence of a natural born disposition that couldn't possibly come from a normal background.
Even though the woman bore no jewelry, she decided to walk up to her with the intention to befriend. After all, most of the people her age acted like snobs who thought they were better than everyone.
With that expectation in mind, she thought that finally her life might become less boring than it already is.