It is said that when people are born, they cling to anything around them, because they feel strange.. new...and unused to this new place... yet...they let go after a while, more precisely, when this new inborn recognises one scent: the mother's smell.
A mother is said to be the irreplaceable person in this life... and those who grow up without mothers are said to be poor, weak, and unfortunate... But that's not always the case... There are sometimes, new inborns who are unfortunate to not be able to meet their mothers, but when they grow up, they might find someone who might not exactly give them the same love... But at least give them the same support in life... someone who'd say to them each time they feel broken, unsafe...or lost.." I got your back..go ahead...don't be afraid.. I'm behind you... "One might really feel confident when hearing those words... People with this kind of support are said to be fortunate...
Li girls had the Li family's support... What kind of support? That's a good question to ask.. Rilla, Ha Nia, and Jian Li were fortunate to be born into a complete and rich family..with strong acquaintances and backgrounds. On the surface, this is the dream life of anyone.
The grandfather spared no effort nor money to educate them in the most prestigious colleges and universities. They had every kind of resource they might need to form the generation of the Li family name's holders...
Only Xian Mei was unfortunate. She is someone who's seen her parents in pictures and family albums... Her mom's photos are seldom. Only one or two pictures exist of her.. She was a real beauty...seems that Mei Mei has inherited her beauty from her mother. Her father was no less handsome. The mixture of the dad and the mom created the pretty Mei Mei.
At the age of four, Mei was informed by her aunt that her parents died in an accident... no more information about them is given...not even in her 16th birthday...
She lived in the Li family as a shadow of Rilla... or even her maid... In spite of Rilla's kindness to her, it was obvious to anyone in the school that Rilla was Li's future princess, and Mei Mei was no less than a guest in the family... Many rumours grew at that time...Mei was adopted...she was an illigimate child... she is a daughter of a maid...she is nobody's daughter... and many others... Rilla was defending her...yet what could a kind, polite, and weak girl do in front of these waves of rumours? So Mei Mei just told her to let go..."Rumours..gossips are like fire...they will burn out when it doesn't find anything to onsume." Mei Mei said to her each time she tries to defend her, "When there is nothing to consume " she repeated with a low voice...
As Mei Mei grow up, rumours decreased..not because her classmates got used to her... but because she had found to herself a shelter, "the library." ... when everyone was enjoying their youth, Mei was enjoying different lives in books...tasting different feelings conveyed in them.As the years pass, her tenth...eleventh, twelveth, fourteenth.. fifteenth..and sixteenth birthdays passed as quietly as she wished, to the extent that none remembered her birthdays anymore. Only Rilla did... for some reasons... she was the closest to her... yet, few words were said between them .. Rilla was often called to attend events with her parents... press conferences, social events.. and even business events... Mei experienced all that too,, but in the different books she read...
Although the sixteen years she lived with the Li family seemed to be hell to others... they were what Mei called a comfy and easy life...
She read that in books: "Life is hard, even harder than what books can describe," so Mei prepared herself for the hardest life ever...because she had always heard people calling her an unfortunate child... However, the sixteen years she lived there were nothing to what happened later...that day was the drop that made the glass overflow...that thing that broke her heart into pieces... and made her understand what breaking feelings are... the day she left the Li Family and disappeared...
~~~~Yet life comes sometimes with unexpected events~~~~ events that turn tables~~~~
Li and the Jun families were in the living room chatting and waiting for Mei to come back...Although Rilla did great enough in her part of the role play, the Juns missed Mei Mei too... It was like something new the Juns have discovered... or something they would like to try...
At this moment the door bell rang and the maids open the door.
Surprisingly, it was Wang Lei and his assistant who drove him to Li's mansion.. Wei Jun called him "Brother," and then Sao Yao met him and introduced him to the Li's...Wang Lei greeted them coldly..but respectfully...
The Li family elders praised his handsome face and famous name. All Wang Lei did was smirk at them...
While everyone was trying to pry a word out of his mouth, Rilla jumped, asking about him, "Wang! How are you?"
Astonished, everyone looked at Wang, who replied by bowing slightly his head to her, indicating that these two are acquaintances ...
The Jun family was surprised, as Wang Lei has few..if not very few, female acquaintances ... "it would be great if the two were coupled," his father thought.
The Jun lady was not that interested in the couple; rather, she was eager to meet again with Mei Mei..
While everyone was busy with Wang, praising his everything, Sheila came downstairs and went towards the door... She opened it and the family doctor came in, passing by the living room... The Jun lady glanced at her and stopped her... Sheila advances calmly towards them, followed by the doctor... When Jiao Hua saw the doctor..he directly asked Sheila about what happened..
"My lady slipped in the bathroom.. I guess she had hurt her leg." Sheila said...
'Jiao Hua's reaction was so cold to the news ' the Jun's lady thought!!
"Oh my poor Mei Mei!" She shouted, "Shall we call the ambulance ?" The lady added! "DEAR Wang..call the doctor in our international hospital..he needs to come make a check up to my dear Mei Mei" she asked..
Everyone was astonished by her reaction, as she only knew her for a few hours..
Amidst the astonishment, Da Li interjected, "No worries, Madam Jun!! Our Mei Mei is so athletic!! Her body got used to being injured because of her horseback riding classes."
Wang remembered the silhouette of the horse rider he saw in the field when he came the first time.. but didn't care to ask why.
Jiao Hua added: "she is used to falling down when riding the horses. She might have used to it," he said, followed by an awkward laughter triggered by his embarrassing reaction...
Sheila was having an angry gaze at them... yet, as usual, she has no right to comment..in the other side, Wei Jun observed her facial expression. His observation was cut short by Sheila's excuse to take the doctor upstairs. The Jun Lady asked to join them as she was worried about her.
Wang Lei's eyes questioned his mother's reaction but didn't say anything either... He is someone who says few but to-the-heart words...and asking her while being with all these people would be useless..."No one is going to be honest when they are directly asked, if he wanted to hide things in first place," he thought
As Sheila moved to leave the room, she caught a glimpse of someone's shadow, ... barely recognisably lurking in the corner... glaring at her... For some reason... her heart trembled, and it raced faster than usual... she avoided that corner.. and she left some strands of her hair fall over her face to hide most of her face... she left bowing to them...and quickly turned to the stairs...
Nobody mostly observed her nervous moves except for Wei Jun,..who was fully concentrating on her... to the extent that he did not reply to his brother Wang Lei's words, who finally said something : "Wei!! Your phone just rang"!! His voice was cool resonated with wisdom, and had a deep timbre that made anyone listen respectfully...Wei looks to his phone. "It's a message," he said... When opening the message, his acts became serious, and he looked at his brother... the message " get your act together you fool!!" was from Wang Lei...
Han asked whether it was urgent, and Wei said that it was a joke from his friend, and everyone carried talking and chatting. While Wang was just listening...
"This man is like a storm. His presence is so pressuring, his aura is so threatening... and his voice is so calm that it makes the whole room freeze. Sister Mei always says, These people are destructive... and they bring discomfort.." Ha Nia thought while looking at him...
A moment later...
" do you find my aura threatening, little girl?" Wang said while turning his face to Ha Nia slowly... His face was not that bored anymore...
"Something triggered the devilish soul of this man," his assistant thought ..
His assistant wondered whether it was the first time he addressed some words to a female.. because Wang always receives words from different ladies and girls who try to initiate any talk with him, and he never initiates any talk with them as far as he remembers... "This is the first time he ever initiated the talk with a lady!" Chen Yu, the assistant, thought..
Ha Nia was nervous for a second...but she dared to speak those words, hardly, "I am a university student! How am I a little girl to you, bro?"
Her mother stopped her: "don't be rude with our guest, Ha Nia!! apologise immediately".
Ha Nia does not have the courage to talk back to her mother. That's why she is always obedient.. She always did what her mother wanted, but she never thought she is doing what she wanted. That's why she always looked up to Mei Mei... and liked Mei's character so much... She always tried to get close to her..but either Mei Mei refused or her mother did.
" I apologise Mr Jun" said Ha Nia in a low voice..
Wang Lei quickly understood the relationship between them, and his bored face appeared again ... "it's just that I wondered why you looked at me with that gaze... No need to apologise!!".
Ha Nia stood to leave "Nothing important... it's just that someone told me that people with your aura are threatening."
" this person might have a deep mind.. Can I make his acquaintance?" Wang said...
Rilla jumped into the conversation before her sister answered, "Stop repeating what you read in books, my dear. They are not always true!"! She said, while advising her sister...
" True!! Books do not always convey truth... but they often provide knowledge!" Wang concluded .. and his bored gaze overwhelmed his face once again...
Rilla ate back her words and nods to agree with what he said... In situations like these, Rilla was taught that good aristocratic ladies, should not be stubborn and should not try to prove herself... She should compromise to keep a good relationship with others. That's why she did not say anything anymore...
However, the Juns were a bit different..Wang Lei is harder than them... he is unapproachable...Yet...since Rilla knows him...and he even started the talk with Ha Nia, Mr and Mrs Li were on the happy clouds ... until Wang said something that threatened Mrs Li's happiness..."Should we then go and inquire after the injured lady, Mr Li?" Wang said...
Jiao, Han, Da Li and especially Da Rina stuttered...and did not know what to say.. After securing the first son...how could they let Mei Mei destroy what they have built up to now... That cannot happen!!
However, refusing a request of Mr. Jun... no of Wang Lei is threatening...especially since the Juns made an unnamed choice...
Jiao Hua knew this very well..and directly accepted his request..
When they were about to leave, Mrs. Jun came down with the doctor...
She said that Mei Mei is sleeping and needs some rest.
Da Li asked out of courtesy, "What does she have?"
The doctor said that she sprained her leg and needed some rest, and he asked Jiao Hua not to let her ride the horse until she fully recovered.
Jiao Hua said he cannot convince her since this has to do with horseback riding...
Wang smirked and addressed his talk to Jiao Hua: "it seems that the great Mr Li cannot control his little kitten!!" He said sarcastically...
The Juns were confused as Wang is a bit more talkative than usual!! he might have found something interesting in the Lis!!!
Jiao Hua laughed out of courtesy but was still annoyed..."She is kind of stubborn... but she obeys the words of elders... It's just that she is very attached to her horse. That's why she goes to her classes even if she is hurt."
Their conversation is cut short by Mrs. Jun, who says that she is tired and she needs to leave... Something seems off in her after she went visiting Mei in her room... Her mood was different. Something must have happened...
The Juns observed this..and they immediately decided to leave..
The Lis tried to keep them longer, for none knows when they will host them again.. They are the Juns after all.
All their trials failed, so the Juns finally decided to leave..
Before Jun's departure ...
In Mei's room...
Mei was lying on her bed..and Sheila was tidying and arranging the room.
Mei wakes up..and calls Sheila
"Dear!! No matter what you do, do not let anyone get into my room"!!
Sheila immediately understood that Mei Mei is in bad mood, so she finished arranging the room quickly, took the room's keys with her and left...
She closed the door from the outside ..and moved to her room... She took off the maid's outfit..and wore her casual ones..she took Mei's room's spare keys... she left without anyone knowing... leaving a letter in the kitchen's table:
"Dear Mr Jiao,
Regarding that I have not already availed myself of my allotted leave entitlements, I come respectfully and formally writing to ask for a two-day leave of absence. Regrettably, I proceeded with my departure without waiting for your permission, for which I apologise.
Upon my return, I am prepared to accept any punishment you decide on.
Yours Sincerely,
Sheila M. "
Although she knows that the Li family will not let her go this time, it might cost her work in this house. For Sheila, Mei's orders should be obeyed at any cost...none or nothing should come before...
Or maybe the relationship between Mei Mei and Sheila is not just any kind of maid-to-lady relationship, but something deeper than this..
While the Juns were living in their cars...a taxi stopped in front of the servants' door of Li's mansion. and Sheila gets in..
Wei Jun and Wang Lei saw her.. They wondered why a special made leave her lady while being injured. Although they had these questions, the two men did not stop to ask ...
Everyone had something unspoken in their minds during the whole evening... yet none had outspoken it.
Wang Lei knew that very well, and he thought that he must have missed some important things this evening.. so he should speak with his family as soon as possible...
Li's wishes to establish a family relationship between the Juns ...
Rilla's real intentions by implying Mei Mei into this marriage...
The Juns real intentions for choosing the Li family for their future daughter-in-law...
None really revealed what they wanted, yet each one came back with an answer to the questions they had... or at least to one question..
One last question the Li's elders had unanswered: why did Mei Mei appear tonight?
One last question the youngsters of the Juns had was, "who is that Mei and her maid?"