Before Chu could get react, Li Jie intervened, "you think the thought hasn't crossed my mind? I have even spoken with Jia Li candidly about it but trust me, she is not ready to even entertain the possibility. She has somehow managed to take the entire blame for the failure of her marriage upon herself and has been trying to make amends for it ever since."
"Brother Li Jie, I am unable to digest this whole thing, forget trying to make sense of it. But in this entire episode, there is one thing, which is crystal clear to me – Jia Li and brother Tang belong with each other. There are no two ways to it. Now, it is upon us how to make it happen."
Ethan smiled at his love's passionate reaction. Unfortunately, he agreed with Li Jie's assessment that this was neither easy nor as straightforward as Chu seemed to think.
"I think it would be better that all three of us give the matter a serious consideration. Also, let's keep an open mind to each other's suggestions rather than writing them off," he directed the last statement towards Li Jie.
"Don't you think we should tell brother Chung about this? Firstly, he is as close to brother Tang and Jia Li as you are and secondly, four minds may think better than three," Chu suggested with a wink.
Li Jie had carried the guilty of not sharing the same with Chung ever since Jia Li had first told him about it and Chu's words reinforced the feeling.
"I will speak with him at the right moment but I am warning you not to attempt any match making till then," he cautioned her.
Right on cue, Chung and Jia Li walked up to them, "please don't tell me you are sharing your pearls of wisdom with these poor souls," Chung said in mock horror.
Jia Li gave a distracted smile to the banter between her two friends though her eyes kept straying towards the brooding man surrounded by Mei Zhen and her friends. Ethan followed Jia Li's gaze and impulsively decided to follow his gut.
Giving a nudge to Chu, he approached Jia Li, "uh, Chu was telling me that you spent a few years in Beijing for your studies but have never explored Shanghai. I have been here enough number of times but have not managed to discover its true essence as well. I was hoping that you could keep me company as I play the tourist here. Chu has agreed to be the tour guide for today."
Taken completely by surprise, she didn't know how to respond to his request. On one hand, she didn't feel like socializing with anyone but on the other hand, this could mean she wouldn't have to be around Tang for the rest of the day.
"I would be happy to join in as long as Chu agrees to take these jokers also accompany us", she replied with a smile.
Tang had zeroed in the minute Ethan walked up to Jia Li and had started a whispered conversation. By the time he extracted himself from Mei Zhen and her gang, he was just in time to hear Jia Li's last remark.
"Has she told you that her husband is the possessive type and doesn't like other men getting too friendly with her?" he directed the statement at Ethan, darkly.