Chung butted in by suggesting softly, "Maybe you both want to clear the air by talking it out privately. We would go and join Mei Zhen and her friends for a little while. Come find us when you are done. Ok?"
Tang nodded with a grunt while Ethan took the opportunity to ask Jia Li if she was alright. The gesture didn't go unnoticed by Tang as had been the latter's intention.
The minute Jia Li and Tang were out of earshot, Chu jumped up and kissed Ethan hard on the lips, "if I didn't know better, I would have started to feel jealous of Jia Li as well. You were superb, my love."
Ethan and Li Jie grinned but Chung cautioned them about celebrating too early.
"This can blow up any second in our faces with even a single misstep," he said.
"I agree with you brother Chung. But at least now you can't deny that this is worth a shot. The pain and love was written all over their faces," said Chu passionately.
Chung smiled and started to walk ahead with Li Jie.
Holding her back for a moment, Ethan whispered, "more than me, it is you who has been bloody brilliant. Once we go back, I am going to recommend your name to the soap opera scriptwriting team."
She turned to punch him lightly and instead ended up kissing him. It was the giggling of a couple of young kids around them along with the disapproving mother's growl that brought them back to planet Earth.
"Don't you know this is a public place teeming with young impressionable children," the woman scolded them.
Suitable chastised, Chu tugged at Ethan's hand to catch up with the others.
"Where is Tang? I thought he was with you, Chu," demanded Mei Zhen.
"Uh…actually, I was just coming to tell you that he had to rush back because of some urgent work. He has asked me to apologize to you since his conference call is still on. He is going to the office and shall meet you directly at Xie mansion in the evening," she improvised.
Mei Zhen looked disappointed but said, "I know what it is to be a workaholic. So where would you guys like to go next?"
In the next minute though, she spun around and said, "where is your green eyed friend? I haven't seen her in sometime as well."
At a loss of words, Chu was rescued by Li Jie who replied smoothly, "she ran into an old friend here. Since they were meeting up after so long, she has decided to stay back for lunch with the friend. She would go home directly as well. Now, if everyone has seen the wonders of the garden, we can go to the Jade Buddha Temple. I am sure our guests would appreciate the place."
Mei Zhen was clearly sceptical but she didn't want to display her insecurity in front Tang's friends or her own.
"You are totally out of control, Tang. What is the meaning of embarrassing yourself and me in front of everyone?" Jia Li said angrily the minute they were alone.
He shot back, "me, out of control? What about you, who is frolicking with that foreigner ever since he has landed? Have you seen your own behaviour after that big dose of pious sermon to me?"
She shook her head in amazement, "you have clearly lost the plot. What the hell are you talking about? How can you even think of Ethan and me in that manner? Don't you know me better?"