With a smile, Jia Li handed over the plate to him and sat down on the empty chair next to Li Jie.
An awkward silence fell at the table. Wei got up from his chair and excused himself.
"How is married life treating you, Tang? I am sorry I couldn't attend your wedding. Was in the middle of finishing a deadline," Kong spoke to him.
"You were missed. To compensate, you and Li Jie should come spend a weekend with us in Shanghai sometime soon. It has been long since I have caught up with my friends, so much so that they seem to exclude me from their plans these days," Tang spoke the last line with subtle sarcasm.
"Uh, this was a last minute plan and we weren't really sure if…" Chung's voice was laced with guilt.
"Here's something which should appeal to your taste buds. Hash-browns, omelette and toast, a full American breakfast," Wei slid a plate in front of Jia Li while Mei Zhen returned and sat down next to Tang.
"Aww…that is so sweet. Is there something brewing here which I am not aware of? I can't recall Wei being this attentive to anyone back in Shanghai," Mei Zhen remarked with glee in her voice.
The hard grip on his fork matched the hardness in his voice as Tang responded to his wife's remark, "Wei loves playing a knight in shining armour to all the damsels in distress around him. He is quick to offer support and even quicker to move his attention away to the next one. There is a reason why he is called the black knight of Shanghai!"
"I assure you that those days of being a libertine are long gone. Now both my heart and mind have been ensnared by a bewitching pair of eyes. I can't see or think beyond her," Wei declared boldly, facing Tang as he said this.
Jia Li went pale and looked at her best friend for help.
Picking up the unspoken cue, Li Jie said, "uh, we are going to be late if you all dither at the breakfast table for so long. What happened to the entertaining activities which I was promised on this trip?"
Relieved at the change of topic, everyone started speaking at once, planning the day.
Wei told them that they had twenty minutes to finish breakfast and report at the hotel's lobby.
"We will take approximately two hours to reach the Red Valley of Wuzhishan also known as Five Fingers Mountains. Upon reaching, there would be a brief demonstration on raft manoeuvring and safety. Afterword, people in pairs will take a raft each and go rafting on Maoyang River for a couple of hours. Then we come back to the hotel and relax," he outlined the plan.
"I am scared of going on these things…do you mind if I just stroll on the beach that time," Jia Li whispered to Le, who was seated beside her.
"What rubbish? You are the birthday girl. How can we do something which you aren't a part of?" she replied.
With a wink, she continued, "you hold onto Wei tightly while he bravely navigates the raft. It will give him a chance to spend some alone time with you. Poor thing planned the entire occasion, only to have it marred with unforeseen complications."
Jia Li leaned back into the sofa and turned her eyes towards where Wei was seated. Her already confused emotions were currently compounded with the guilt of landing the people around her in an awkward situation. Had it not been for the strain between Tang and her, everyone at the table would have had a jolly time. Mei Zhen's acidic looks were also not going unregistered by her, not that she could blame the woman.
Wei looked up to catch the conflicted expression on her face. He gave her a reassuring smile and held her gaze, even when Kong leaned in to speak with him. Catching their locked eyes, Tang felt crazy pain shooting through his body. Mei Zhen, on the other hand, couldn't feel more euphoric with this new development. She realised that this was her chance to get that witch out of her husband's heart, once in for all.
With barely repressed glee, she addressed the group, "I honestly think Tang would be happier if he spent the remaining trip with you guys instead of socializing with my friends. So, do you mind if we join in on the planned activities? It would give me a chance to know you all better as well."
A look of dismay passed on Jia Li's face but before she could say anything, Chung spoke gruffly, "it sounds like a great idea. I was hesitant to ask you guys about this since we had omitted inviting you both earlier. Appreciate your doing this…"
Jia Li fiddled with her food. Her nerves were already jittery and the day hadn't even begun yet.
"Good, its settled then. After we come back and if we have the strength, we could go and laze at the beach or chill at the hotel's pool. Li Jie and I want to go clubbing at night…you all are welcome to join in," said Kong.