Xue Guangli went home to find Liena and Teegan in the living room. Liena was sitting on a chair, knitting as Teegan played the piano with despair resonating in the sound.
They stopped when she stepped into the room.
"How was your date?" Xue Liena asked her.
"Wang Weimin is going to buy the stores,"
Xue Teegan hit the keys of her piano, hard, standing. "What do you mean?" she asked with a harsh tone.
"Wang Weimin wants to help us," Xue Guangli responded.
"Why?" she asked sharply.
Xue Guangli inhaled. "He's my boyfriend," she began. "Plus, when he buys the stores, he will give them to us."
"Do you trust him?" Xue Teegan asked her seriously; her eyes narrowed. Xue Guangli faced her, nearly shuddering. Xue Teegan was cold and distant, had always been, but she was protective, too.
"Yes," Xue Guangli breathed. "I do trust him."
She suddenly said softly. "We can figure out another way."
"There isn't another way," Xue Guangli said sharply. "I am twenty-six years old. I am of that age. I will take matters into my own hands. So don't you dare give me a scornful look," she finished.
Xue Teegan's eyes widened; she pursed her lips. Xue Guangli felt terrible; she didn't mean to hurt her feelings. Teegan was someone who had a heart of iron, most of the time she didn't feel anything when you spit anything at her. But this time, she looked disheartened.
Xue Guangli regretted taking her anger out at her. Xue Teegan was twenty-eight years old, her older sister. Therefore, she snapped at her, not because she was disappointed in her, but because Xue Guangli had agreed to something she probably wasn't ready for, but it wasn't like she had much of choice.
She trusted Wang Weimin.
"I'm sorry," she apologized to Xue Teegan.
Xue Teegan shook her head, "No. You're right," she said, straightening her back before she walked out of the living space, ascending the stairs. Xue Guangli heard her slam the door.
Xue Guangli felt horrible. Xue Liena looked at her with pity, smiling grimly, saying, "I will support you with any choice." Xue Guangli looked at her, grateful. "Thank you, Ena."
Xue Guangli slipped into her bedroom. It was a warm night; therefore, she opened the latch of her window, looking up at the peering moonlight, listening to the sighing trees.
She then heard the soothing melody of the violin. She made the figure of the person playing behind his blinds. Xue Guangli listened to the sound as she leaned over the ledge. Slowly, she fell asleep, propped against the windowsill.
…
After playing his piece, Long Huojin decided to open his blinds to view the peering moonlight when he saw Xue Guangli sleeping over the ledge unexpectedly. His eyes widened. He then flicked off the lights of his bedroom, not wanting to disturb her sleep.
He looked at her as she kept her eyes closed peacefully. He looked at her, stunned, his heart pounding. She listened to his sound.
Growing up, she was an irritable, feline thing that he could never shake from, no matter how hard he tried. He hated her for a long time because she was annoying and because she was something he couldn't stop thinking about.
And he knew that she hated him, and he had put in his best efforts to keep it that way. But why was it that when he sees her, he can't look away?
He hated most girls in his life because they all had wanted something from him. Just the other night, when a random woman was pushing herself on him, he wanted nothing more than to push her aside.
But when he caught sight of Xue Guangli with Wang Weimin, he felt irritated. So he let the girl do what she wanted. But when she led him inside, he told her that he didn't want to do anything else.
So he went upstairs to one of the guest rooms, allowing himself to rest on an empty bed; his clothes were dishevelled when he woke. He then gazed down at one of the windows and saw Xue Guangli again, but Wang Weimin had pushed her aside as if she was a bother to him. He clenched his fists. Long Huojin saw her get up, so he quickly left the room, descending the stairs when he caught her just in time.
It was years ago when he first realized that Xue Guangli wasn't one of those girls, and he wanted to befriend her. But she rejected him many times. "I hate you!" she would say. But he understood why. He was the one who pushed her away.
He sat at the ledge of his windowsill, gazing at her darkly. If only the gap between them was smaller, he thought. He then shook his head, closing the blinds.
No, she was dating Wang Weimin. He had lost, already too late. The best thing he could do for her now was look over her at a distance, even if it meant she hated him. The Xue family was important to him, always had been.
Xue Guangli's parents were kind to him, more active in his life than his own parents. Xue Teegan and Xue Liena were like the sisters he never had. But Xue Guangli…She was different, but he couldn't quite pinpoint what she was to him, all these years.
Long Huojin opened the blinds again; his chest thundered. She was so beautiful, the way her red-brown hair looked like autumn leaves cascading over her shoulders; her eyelashes fluttered against her cheeks. Her lips opened slightly, breathing deeply.
His bed was near the window. He slipped under the covers, gazing at Xue Guangli. He then took out his phone, texting Xue Teegan: "Xue Li is sleeping against the windowsill again," he said.
"Got it," she sent back.
He watched as Xue Teegan came in, lifting Xue Guangli over her shoulder, placing her into bed. She stirred, but she didn't fully wake.
The following morning, Long Huojin rose out of bed and changed into a dark suit. He descended the grand staircase of his home.
He found his younger brother in the kitchen eating breakfast; he didn't speak much to him. He drove to work with his brother. Once he arrived, Long Huojin headed towards his new office; he still hasn't adjusted to the fact that he was the new CEO of Long Group.
The first thing he did was ask his secretary, "Any new updates on the Xue family?"
His secretary often had a blank expression, but today, he seemed to have hesitated about something. "What is it?" Long Huojin asked him.
His secretary swallowed. "We recently got a report that Miss Xue is engaged," he said.
"Which 'Miss Xue'?" he asked.
"Xue Guangli," his secretary said quickly. "To Mr. Wang."
Long Huojin nodded, waving his hand. His secretary stalked out of the room quickly.
Long Huojin rose from his seat to look out the floor-to-ceiling windows; he placed his hands in his pockets; he exhaled deeply, pinching the space between his brows over the bridge of his nose before he called in his secretary again.
"Mr. Long," he said.
"I need you to look into Mr. Wang; I want to know if he has any other motives for this wedding."
"Right away, Mr. Long."
...