Ma Liya put down her phone as she take in the breathtaking night view of Shanghai skyline. She isn't particularly familiar with this city but just like every progressive metropolis, the nightlife energized her city girl veins.
She was adopted when she was 9 years old. Her adoptive mother Yang Ping is a diplomat and his adoptive father Ma Zifeng is a doctor. They are DINK couple but they decided to adopt her when they found her wandering at the central station of Berlin during one of their trips. They contacted the authorities but they cannot find anyone looking for her. She clung tightly at Yang Ping that's why her mother fell in love with her right then.
Her adoptive parents visited their relatives in China every year, they live in Xian. For the past 15 years that she was with them, they have been moving around the world because of her parents job. But, when she turned 18, she stayed in the apartment they have bought for her in Copenhagen to finish her undergraduate degree. But after she finished her Bachelor's, she went to England to reunite with her parents and finished her master's. During this time that her parents finally decided to retire and they settled in Copenhagen.
'Shanghai. China. So familiar yet so distant at the same time.'
She took in another deep breath. It's not a hidden knowledge for her to figure out that her biological parents might be from China. Besides, She have bits and pieces of her memories before she got lost and adopted by her parents. Recently, she found a new piece of news from her adoptive parents that might lead her in finding about her biological family, that's why no matter how much she wanted to avoid someone from this country, her curiosity of her origin is far greater.
With this goal in mind, she called one of her friend from her college days.
"Lars, I know that you're taking a project here in Shanghai and Stine is going on maternity in 2 months. You can't possibly send her here to give birth, right?"
Lars Nielsen is Liya's senior at Copenhagen University and one of the few who knew about her "relationship" with that person.
"Ma Liya, are you finally joining me to conquer the world?" he sounded too exaggerated, But he has always been like this.
It should be known that while Liya was in her first year, he was already doing his thesis and he became one of her mentor and friend during her undergrad years. he particularly became closer with her when Henry suddenly leave without a trace also because her real contact person and friend, Kasper was his partner.
"I can only freelance for now. Let me take this project and we'll talk about it after I settle it..."
"Do you even know what this project is about?"
"I know it's a collaboration with Henry Li....." she intentionally pause. She doesn't need to convince Lars anymore. He had been poaching her since her sudden resignation from the biggest headhunting firm in England 2 years ago. But she decided to do freelance work instead.
"...there's no one who knows the project better than me. I mean, except him." She is confident.
Why not? Wasn't she part of the conception process of Henry Li's business idea?
It has been 7 years, She is no longer that naive young lady who unknowingly fell for those sweet flowery words from that good-looking Chinese exchange student.
---flashback---
She was force into joining the mentor-mentee program, she was just passing by to borrow a book from Kasper when somehow, she was lured into staying and sharing her experience as an international student, and one thing led to another and she finally agreed to become a mentor for the international students. Although, she was just in her second year, she's already active in their department. This was the first time she had a glance at him.
The glance was probably better to be called as stare because who can help it. He was tall and although a little slimmer than ordinary young men his age, his face is something that can't be easily disregarded.
Ma Liya is the typical cheerful, life-of-the-party person. She can make you talk without much effort just by her innocent and lively smile.
So, when they met again the next day for the orientation program. Henry was drawn to her cheerful personality.
"Do you have a cigarette?" That was her first words to him. Her eyes smiling brightly.
"Do you smoke?" Henry was hesitant.
"Nope. But I want to try...."
"No. I don't have." He blatantly lied while holding tightly the pack of cigarette on his pocket.
"Or you have but you don't want to be the one to initiate my addiction....right?" she straightforwardly remarked.
"Why would you want to smoke?"
"Why not? I heard that some good conversation is formed during coffee breaks or smoke breaks..."
"Whoever said that might be smoking something else...." the smile on his lips can no longer be repressed.
"But seriously though, I know people who started their friendship because of a stick of cigarette..." she still try to convince him to share a stick.
"I also knew people who ended friendship forever because of several sticks of cigarette..."
The night conversation started with this banters but Henry never gave her that stick she so wished to have or maybe she really just want to hit on him. This was their first conversation and that night was the start of their friendship.
'Henry Li....' she muttered after puffing out the smoke from her cigarette.