It was Leena's laughter that woke up Claire from spacing out. "You are so funny, Claire. You really are overthinking it. I am nothing special. Who do you think I am? A secret agent or a spy?" Leena found Claire's serious face incredibly amusing. After all, Claire would usually show her contempt when talking to her. She had never imagined this woman to wear such a solemn expression as now.
"Stop laughing at me. Just tell me what is your relationship to that Mr. Mu?" urged Claire. She took the chance to bring the topic up again as her curiosity was already eating her up.
"Are you sure you want to know?" Leena asked with a frown. She was weighing the pros and cons of telling Claire what she wanted to know when an idea popped into her mind. It might be a good opportunity to make requests, she thought.
"Of course! Otherwise, why should I bother to keep asking you? I'm not a gossipy old woman, and I only want to know more about that famous company." Claire tried to make an excuse for herself. She rolled her eyes and pursed her lips to her sister-in-law.
"It wouldn't hurt to tell you but there are some conditions. What do you say?" Leena turned to check on Claire's expression. She was curious about how the lady would react to what she just said.
"Conditions? I beg your pardon, Leena? Are you trying to take advantage of me? Dream on! Don't swagger just because I have shown some patience. I won't fall into any of your traps!" Claire snapped with a grim expression. She did want to know about Leena's secrets, but it didn't mean that she would bend to meet any of her demands. Who did Leena think she was? Claire thought. She surely would not lose her so-called dignity over this matter.
"Why such a fuss? Are you scared or what?" Leena asked as her eyes glittered cunningly. She said those words on purpose to further tease Claire and egg her on.
Are you saying that I'm afraid of you? Nonsense! I just don't want to be led by the nose by you. Don't get too carried away, Miss. It makes no difference to me whether you tell your secrets or not. Keep them to yourself if you like." Claire answered back arrogantly as she lifted her chin and looked away in disdain. She swore secretly that she would never fall into the trap built by this woman.
"If that is the case then I think we should just drop the matter. Here we are, let's get off," said Leena casually. She was not in a hurry to launch her plan. From her past experiences, she knew clearly that Claire would not rest until she got what she wanted once she was intrigued. All Leena had to do was to wait until Claire was fretted by curiosity and begged her again.
"You know what? Whatever you're trying to hide from me, I am not interested in it now. Not a bit!" Claire declared in a fit of pique. It was clearly evident that Leena was playing tricks on her and that was just unacceptable! It was the reason why she was beyond exasperation right now.
"Whatever. But feel free to check back with me if you have changed your mind. You are always welcomed." It was the joke in Leena's voice that ended it. She locked the car and quickly chased after Claire. The childish lady had angrily stormed off as soon as she parked the car.
Claire stayed mad during the shopping trip and stayed as mum as dead regardless of whatever Leena asked her. She had even kept Leena at a distance and would only come near her to put her favorite snacks in their cart. Apparently, she would not compromise easily this time.
On the other hand, Leena felt wronged. She thought that Claire had gone a bit too far since what she asked for was no more than several requirements. Honestly, she was overreacting and should have calmed down by now. Plus, Claire had always taunted her with biting sarcasm but never once did she get truly angry about it.
"Won't you help me with those bags, Claire?" Leena asked after paying the bill. It seemed that Claire had forgotten her promise about giving her a hand. Claire had left her grumpily as soon as she paid the bill. She was acting exactly as how she did earlier when they arrived.
Why? You are not a little person, are you?" Claire turned and said. "Now is the excellent time to prove it! I'm sure you can handle them," Claire refused as she cast those over-packed shopping bags a cold glance. It was clearer than water that she didn't have any intention to help.
Err... even if it is true, I'm still a woman. You don't expect me to carry all of them by myself." Leena sighed and then bit her lip. She would have never bought so many things if Claire hadn't agreed to help her. Now it was easy for Claire to break her promise but it was not easy for her to cope with all the goods. Leena just couldn't understand why Claire had to act like a kid when she was no longer one. It was just too childish for her to get into a tantrum like that.
"It's none of my business! But if you are clever enough, you can carry them to the car in two lots. Of course, as a kind person, I can keep a watch on the rest of them while you are away. Isn't it a good idea?" Claire said pompously while crossing her arms over her chest and looking at Leena like a boss. The fact that Leena was her sister-in-law didn't make Claire pay more attention to courtesies. As she saw it, she was older than Leena. Who said that Leena could be the boss here?
What? You mean I have to take two trips from here to the car while you just stand by and do nothing?" Leena drew a long face after hearing what Claire said. She got overwhelmed by frustration when she discovered that Claire opted not to help her rather than merely vent her rage with harsh words. She honestly didn't see that coming.