"Why do you say so?" she asked. "Who wouldn't be? I mean you're beautiful, intelligent...." he said. "I don't think everyone thinks the same way. And also, I don't have a boyfriend," she said and he couldn't tell how glad he was to hear that. "How comes that a woman as beautiful as you is single? Every man would do anything to have you," he said. "Well, what can I say, I'm single," she said and then their food was brought.
Getting her chopsticks, Li Fei tasted the food and realized that it was so delicious.
"Thank you for bringing me to this place. It's been long since I last ate such food," said Li Fei as they walked out of the place. "The pleasure was mine. I hope to dine with you again," he said and Li Fei nodded but she doubted it would happen again. "Okay Mr Yan. Let me drop you off to your house," she offered. "No, I can see that it's quite late. I will take a cab," he said. "Okay, have a safe trip home," she said before opening the car when she remembered something. "Ah before I forget Mr Yan. My birthday is next week and I'm personally inviting you. It's going to be at NUO Hotel," she said and he smiled before saying," I'm so glad. I will surely be there."
On her way back, her mother called her and she told her that she was coming.
When Li Fei reached home, her mother asked," Where are you coming from this late?" "I went to have dinner somewhere. Did I miss on something," she asked. "Yes, the designer was here to see if you will choose a dress from her collection. She has just left but luckily, she left behind the magazine of her latest collection. And that if you don't find any to your taste, you will give her your description so that she makes it," she said. "I will look into it tomorrow. I'm so tired," she said. "Okay, good night."
The next day, Li Fei informed Liling about the birthday and she said that she was going to come the day before. In the afternoon, she was called in the boss's office and on reaching, he said," I'm so sorry for putting you in this mess again." Confused, she asked," Which mess?" "Haven't you seen the photos already?" "Photos? Which photos?" "Of us dining yesterday," he said giving her his phone so that she could take a look at them and it was indeed them. They were two photos, one where they were sitting and the other when leaving the place. The rumors said that it was confirmed that the two were in a relationship. She couldn't believe it. "I'm so sorry about that," Jianyu apologized once again. Giving him back his phone, she said," You don't have to apologise. It's not your fault."
In the evening as expected, Liling called asking her about the photos and she explained everything.
A week later, Li Mei told Li Fei to stop working until the birthday. "You know I can't do that Mom. I have a lot of work to do," she said.
"I talked to your Dad and he said that it's okay," said Li Mei. "Of course he has to be okay with it. But what about my boss?"
"I can talk to him if you want. Give me his number." Taking a deep breath, she asked," What about a day or two before the party?"
"No FeiFei. All the paparazzi are going to be there eagerly waiting for you. I want you to look perfect because it's the first time you're going to be make an official statement."
During the night, she called her boss to inform him that she was not going to make it tomorrow and the whole of the week. "I'm so sorry. I honestly couldn't defy my parents. "
"You shouldn't worry about anything. I will get people to help me throughout the week."
"Okay, thanks for understanding," she said before hanging up.
After the phone call, Li Fei opened the door that led towards the balcony of her bedroom. Moving out, she stood leaning against the railings and stared into space. She didn't feel like celebrating her birthday because she didn't have anything to celebrate in the first place but she had decided to do as her parents said. She was done defying them.
Feeling the cold breeze that had made goosebumps cover her skin, she decided to leave the balcony and went back inside the room.
Checking her phone, she found a message from Jianyu which read,' Are you asleep?'
Without thinking much, she replied,' Not yet.'
She immediately received one saying," Me too. I can't sleep.' She frowned and asked,' Why?'
'I don't know. What I know is that I can't wait to see you on your birthday because you're going to look beautiful,' he sent and she immediately left the phone to get some sleep.
The next day, the designer came home with different dresses in which Li Fei had to choose two for the birthday. In her room were her mother, the designer and her assistant. "These are the best five I have. If you don't find any to your taste, I will make the ones you want," she said. They laid the five dresses on the bed as she had to select the best by trying all of them. From what she saw, all them were pretty except for one. She changed into the first one, which was a long red dress and they all appreciated it. "Very beautiful. It's among the one we are taking," said Li Mei and she went to change into the second one which was a long black dress. On coming out, everyone was stunned and Li Mei said," We are taking this one too."
The third one was a white dress and although it was beautiful, the first two were better. Given the fourth one which was a peach dress, Li Fei rejected it before even trying it simply because that woman Meili was in a peach dress.
The fifth dress was a short lavender dress and she was amazing in it too. When time came for them to choose among the four, they settled with the long black dress and the short last one. Li Fei thought that the long dress was a bit revealing but she let it be since her Mom had chosen it herself.