Today was the day! She was so nervous, she couldn't sleep well last night. Shao Yan kept tossing and turning the whole night before finally she gave up and called Li Xiqing.
He had just finished a conference call with US office and was about to sleep. When Shao Yan called, he quickly picked up the call on the first ring.
"Yan Yan? What is it? Are you alright?" Li Xiqing was worried because it was already two in the morning.
"... I can't sleep~" she sounded so miserable, so sad on the phone.
Li Xiqing exhaled a relief. He thought there was an emergency!
He accompanied her to talk on the phone for almost an hour, purposely slowed down his voice, and toned down his volume to lull her to sleep, before he finally didn't hear any more sound from Shao Yan.
He smiled on the silent phone, and sent her a text message to remind her to eat breakfast since she would be having a long day. And that he would definitely call to check on her!
When she woke up in the morning, she saw his message and could not help to feel so happy.
(*˘︶˘*).｡*♡
.....
"Yan jie, the ice sculptures are here!"
Lee Ying was shouting for Shao Yan who was talking to the food decorator. Shao Yan turned around and answered back at her "Bring it over here!" and then Shao Yan continued talking to kitchen staffs again.
"Xiao Yan, I've talked to the emcee for tonight. Miss Li from accounting and Mr. Qu from IT. They're doing their make up right now" Huo ge reported to her.
Fan jie was outside, coordinating with the Event Organizer on the rundown schedules for the night.
Li Na and Wenhai were upstairs in the 'war room' talking to the executives who will be giving short speeches for later.
Her team was on 110% mode tonight!
For the Anniversary Party today, Gold Crane did not skimp on anything. Her proposal focused heavily on 'showing appreciation'. It was all about giving back.
For this, the company had booked the Grand Ballroom of a five star hotel in downtown city S. Theme for tonight was "Everlasting".
Shao Yan had specifically asked for the color scheme to be soft gold. The event organizer crew had been busying around the past 2 days. She was looking around at the result and she was happy with the result.
All the pillars and the main walls were first covered in small sparkling lights. Then, a soft black curtains with small holes were hung over the lights, creating the effect of starry nights all around the room.
All the round tables were covered in soft gold cloth. The lights from chandeliers had been adjusted to be a little dim. The whole effect was as what she had imagined.
Centerpieces on each round table were twigs and branches that had been trimmed, and Shao Yan decided to keep them in their original wood material, without any paint. On those twigs and branches, five mini gold cranes were hung up there randomly.
The room was transformed into a magical golden wonderland.
She knew the party was now ready to begin.
.....
Lee Ying, who was now standing next to Shao Yan, said, "Yan jie, all done. You should go change now. It's starting in one hour!"
Lee Ying decided to put on a yellow dress tonight. It's a halter neck, midi length dress, with blue poppies print. With her bubbly personality, she really looked more attractive than usual.
Shao Yan looked at her watch, "Xiao Ying, you stay here with Huo ge and go through this list again." Shao Yan handed Lee Ying the checklist that she had been working on. "When Miss Li and Mr. Qu are here, bring them to meet the Event Organizer, alright?"
Lee Ying nodded and chased her away, "Go! Go! Go! We are all already so pretty and handsome. Only you alone look like peasant!" and then she grinned.
Shao Yan smiled and quickly went upstairs to change.
On the way to the dressing room, she calculated all her personnel again. And only after she calculated twice, then she felt assured.
.....
Shao Yan just entered the hotel room when her phone rang. It was Li Xiqing.
Shao Yan smiled. She was just thinking about him, and here he was already calling her.
"Where are you?" his deep voice sounded very warm. Shao Yan could hear he was walking somewhere indoor. His solid steps on the tile were echoing on the phone.
Shao Yan closed the door and walked to the dressing room. "I am going to get ready and change to my dress now. I just got into the hotel room."
She grabbed her duffle bag from the dressing room, and brought it to the bed. She was rummaging her stuffs, and took them out one by one to put them on the bed. "Where are you? What time will you be here?"
Shao Yan could hear Li Xiqing was pressing a button, as she heard a ding sound. "Which room are you now? I'm already here."
Shao Yan paused. "Ah?" she was stunned for a while, and then she replied "Oh. Room 1810".
.....
Not long after, Li Xiqing rang the doorbell and Shao Yan quickly opened it for him.
She was stunned. He looked so dapper!
He was dressed in a three piece slim fitted suit in dark navy blue color. He had white dress shirt with a maroon tie. And then he had a fitted dark blue vest on the outside with maroon pocket square handkerchief. He also put on brown Italian leather shoes.
A heavy cloud of overbearing attitude, combined with highly confident arrogant eyes!
Shao Yan had never seen a man as outstanding as her man! She felt butterflies all over her.
She was stunned for a while, and Li Xiqing could see her adoration all over her face. He only pursed his lips on this. He slowly moved closer to her ears and purposely said in low deep voice, "So? Do you like what you see?"
Shao Yan blushed. She looked back at him in the eye. She leaned closer and gave a quick kiss on his lips, "En. Very much!"
She turned around hastily and went inside, leaving the dumbstruck Li Xiqing to enter the room by himself and close the door behind him.
He chuckled at her embarrassed fleeting figure.
Shao Yan went to the dressing room to change to her dress, while still holding her cheek. Li Xiqing was sitting on the bed now, he was looking at her make up case and accessories that she had spread out on the bed.
"How's the crowd downstairs? Have people started to arrive yet?" Shao Yan shouted from the dressing room, to accompany him with a small talk.
Li Xiqing was playing with her pocket mirror. When he heard her, he stood up and walked over to the dressing room.
And then he saw her.