Shui Yi, after boarding the car, removing her formal black suit, changes into ordinary clothes behind the curtains, separating the driver and passenger seats and making the smart glass between opaque.
"Ah.. It's so comfortable in casual clothes. Oversized tees are the best of all."
The driver drops her at Cafe Magic daily, and he picks her up there. Shui Yi drives to the Cafe Magic from her residence. Shui Yi kept her residence a secret, except for Bai Lu and Zhi Li.
Shui Yi walks upstairs and opens the door. A balloon pops above her head, dim, vibrant lights lit up.
"Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to Shui Yi..." Bai Lu, Zhi Li, and Xiao Zhou sang and walked to her with a cake.
"Thank you everyone," Shui Yi said, removing her mask.
They placed the cake on a table and stood around the table.
"Make a wish," said Bai Lu "Quickly cut the cake too; we are famished."
Bai Lu is Shui Yi's childhood friend. They knew each other from the time they were born, as their fathers were close friends. Both of them, being firstborns, are the heirs to their family businesses. Shui Yi's father is the CEO of Doub Investments, the most powerful and influential investor in the state. Bai Lu's father also started as an investor and established Lu's hospitals over a wide range of areas.
"Seriously," said Shui Yi
"It's your favorite chocolate cake," Xiao Zhou added.
Shui Yi made a wish, blew the candles, and cut the cake.
"Zhi Li, when did you come here? "Shui Yi asked, eating the cake.
"Right after work, sis."
Outside of work, Zhi Li calls Shui Yi sis. Shui Yi is more of a big sister to Zhi Li, as she has taken care of her since childhood. Growing up together, Zhi Li loves Shui Yi so much, and the same goes for Shui Yi. She took care of Zhi Li, a child who lost her mother.
"You know it's unhealthy if you keep up that face of yours," said Xiaozhou.
He was talking about the poker face, Shui Yi
Zhou Chou joined the group of these three sisters a year ago. For some unknown reason, he pleaded with Shui Yi to add him as a friend when they first met at the bakery. He made a ruckus, which left Shui Yi no choice but to add him.
"You got a death wish," Shui Yi glared.
"You are not the one to be saying that, brother Zhou," said Zhi Li
"Eh..??What do you mean?" Bai Lu asked
"Right..You guys never saw him working; he usually has the same blank face," said Zhi Li
"Unlike Shui Yi, I smile from time to time; it's good for my health." Xiaozhou grinned, "I'm leaving bye."
"Why are you leaving already?" Bai Lu asked.
"I've got some errands," his voice faded.
"That Idiot!! He can't escape that easily," Shui Yi smirked.
"Right.. Brother Zhou Cheng can't keep put without looking at your face every day, so he'll come back tomorrow for a beating," Zhi Li chuckled.
"Yes. He's a good guy." Bai Lu shook her head.
Zhou Chou visited Cafe Magic every day after work to meet Shui Yi. But every time he met her, he would irritate her. There were many times he got scolded, but he never stopped.
"What's good about him? All he ever does is annoy me," Shui sighed.
"Don't you like that?" said Bai Lu
"What???!!! No way," Shui Yi exclaimed.
|Phone rings|
"It's Mrs. Chen," said Zhi Li. "It must be for you, sis!"
"Oh right. She called before. I didn't pick it up," Shui Yi sighed. "Just give it to me—does she have to call you too?"
Zhi Li hands her mobile to Shui Yi.
Mrs. Chen called Shui Yi multiple times during the day. Shui Yi was too busy to answer, or rather, it's because Shui Yi finds it troublesome to answer Mrs. Chen's calls.
"It's me," said shui Yi
"You idiot, why don't you answer my calls?" Mrs Chen shouted on the phone
"Ow....! I was busy," shui Yi replied
"You....."Mrs Chen flared "It's your 29th birthday and you are still single. I've arranged a blind date for you, three days from now.I'll go to you to make sure you go."
"What blind date?! I'm not going," she said
Shui Yi last dated during her high school final year; since then she has always been single. Mrs. Chen is worried about Shui Yi's life.
"I have promised them! It's inappropriate to not go. Say no more, you are going. I'll visit—"
"I have a boyfriend!!" Shui Yi's eyes darted. "It's inappropriate to attend a blind date when I'm already taken."
Zhi Li and Bai Lu's jaws dropped.
||"Shui Yi is something... Doesn't she know that she's dealing with that cunning old geezer, Mrs. Chen? She can't get Mrs. Chen to believe her lies. It'll only get harder for her to deal with Mrs. Chen after lying like that." Bai Lu murmured
"Unless it's true..." Zhi Li sighed
"Wait. It can't be really true, right?"
"No way. Impossible, look at her face!! Does she look like she's telling the truth? Also, she's walking to and fro nonstop; this is unlike Shui Yi, which means she is definitely lying." said Bai Lu
"I wish it was true." Sadness covered Zhi Li's face
"Yeah...Don't worry!! She'll be fine. After all, it's Shui Yi."
"Hm," Zhi Li nodded. ||
"You..!!!Do you think I'm a fool?" Mrs. Chen shouted.
Mrs. Chen knows Shui Yi very well; it is hard to fool her. She may be an old woman, but she is still the Chairwoman of Doub Investments, which she singly handled in her prime after her husband's death.
||"See! Those lies don't work on Mrs hen." Bai Lu sighed
"Mrs Chen knows Shui Yi more than anyone," said Zhi Li ||
"Do you think I don't know that?" saying this on the phone, Shui Yi hung up.
"She's desperate," Bai Lu exclaimed. "So when did you... having no contact with men get a boyfriend before us!!! "
|sreech|
Shui Yi pulled the chair beside them and sat on it.
"So what are you going to do?" Bai Lu asked
"It should be okay for now," she replied.
"Why does Mrs. Chen force you on blind dates like that?" Zhi Li squinted.
"Did I not tell you about it?" said shui Yi
"About what???" Bai Lu's eyebrows drew near.
"Looks like I didn't," said shui Yi "Back then, when I was grounded for three months before leaving for the US , she made me promise her that I will get married when I'm 30."
"What?!!!" Zhi Li exclaimed.
She continued, "Back then, I didn't know the reason for such a weird promise. She must have done it to keep me from isolating myself forever. It was right after I was hospitalized, so I think it's indeed because of my condition."
Shui Yi was unaware of the cause of her hospitalization and why her family grounded her for three whole months; they've never done this before. Shui Yi caused them trouble many times since her childhood; grounding her at home was never an option for them. Shui Yi discovered it later; only after going to the USA did she realize her own mental health.