"Once you lie about something then you lie about maintaining that previous lie and that tell more lies to make sure that no one realizes that you lied. It's too much work, believe me!" ~ Dr. Sang Tian *wiping the nervous sweat off her forehead*
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"Excuse me?!" exclaimed the frowning man whose name she knew not. The man whom she was damn sure was the same man whom she had clung to like a Koala. The same man whose shirt she had ripped using only her hands and kept that said ripped piece of cloth in the glove box of her car.
She tried to communicate her desperation to him through her eyes, tried to make him understand that she needed help through her facial expressions and by tightening her grip on the jacket of his suit as she continued playing the part of a (his) pitiful girlfriend who was being forced into marriage by her family.
"I know that you are extremely upset with me for agreeing to meet them but darling," the endearment rolled off her tongue with such ease that caught her by surprise while the man's eyes widened slightly as she added, "I did it for my grandfather. I promised him on his birthday, remember."
"What is happening over here?" Grandfather Zhang was indignant at the turn of events.
Sang Tian smoothed her hand over her not-boyfriend boyfriend's chest and caught the lapel of his jacket between her fingers. Turning sideways but not letting go of the man, Sang Tian explained, "I am sorry Grandpa, I should have told you sooner but when I got to know about your promise to your best friend, I became afraid."
"Why, little girl? What were you afraid of sweetie? Am I that scary?" her grandfather asked making Sang Tian feel guilty about what she was doing.
But what's done is done and there was no going back now.
Threading her fingers through her fake boyfriend's fingers Sang Tian held onto his hand tight as she told her grandfather, "I was afraid of hurting you Grandpa, I didn't want to break your heart." she said pitifully making her grandfather's eyes soften.
"Telling you about him meant that you would have to break your promise to Grandfather Zhang, so -" Sang Tian deliberately left her sentence incomplete for the dramatic touch to the whole thing.
"And I am really, really sorry." (for dragging you into this) Sang Tian wanted to add to her apology to the innocent man whom she dragged into this mess to help herself out of it.
The man only looked at her silently with a slight smirk playing on his lips. Sang Tian believed that he understood her plight and hence did not object to whatever nonsense she was spouting.
"It was unfair to you for me to come here but I had to do this for Grandpa. I have now told them that I will not be marrying him or anybody else because I am with you." courageously Sang Tian raised her head to look into the unknown man's eyes and found herself getting slightly lost in those beautiful eyes.
"I love you." she breathed, "So don't be upset with me, okay?!"
Sang Tian was not prepared for the next thing that happened. She could not help but gasp as her so-called boyfriend wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. The sudden action caused her to stumble a little but it only made him tighten his grip on her.
"It's okay, darling." he said emphasizing the word 'darling'. He leaned closer, "I -"
Sang Tian's breath hitched wondering what he was going to say next but someone else beat him to it.
"Fang Haoran?"
Hearing the irate, feminine voice, Sang Tian tilted sideways to look at the newcomer and spotted a woman, probably her age, standing a few steps away from them. The said woman was dressed in a moderately sexy outfit and was glaring at Sang Tian as if she had snatched something from her.
"Ah, Miss Yun Shu." the man, Fang Haoran turned around but did not let go of Sang Tian. His arm was still wrapped around her waist and the side of her waist where his palm rested was growing hotter and hotter by the passing second.
Eyes sparkling and lips widening in a smile, Fang Haoran introduced Sang Tian to Yun Shu, "This is my darling girlfriend."
Sang Tian rolled her eyes discreetly at the usage of that darn endearment.
Yun Shu's nostrils flared in anger as she walked closer to them and poked at Fang Haoran's chest with her sharp fingernail.
"What's the meaning of this?" she demanded, "If you already had a girlfriend then why did you ask your grandfather to send a marriage proposal to my family?"
Everybody around them gasped, and Sang Tian was extremely horrified. She wondered if she had just wrecked somebody's home.
Oh my God!
"I am a homewrecker." Sang Tian muttered to herself in a low, almost inaudible voice. But as Fang Haoran was standing the closest to her, he heard it and in response, he awarded her with a chuckle.
"Didn't you say that you are my granddaughter's boyfriend?" asked Grandfather Sang. He was furious at the thought that this man was cheating on his precious granddaughter but he waited for the man to give them a proper justification.
Sang Tian's heartbeat sped up in reaction but Fang Haoran remained calm and cool as a cucumber.
"My grandfather only arranged for a blind date after talking to your father, Miss Yun. He did not send a marriage proposal and this arrangement by no means implied that I will be marrying you." informed Fang Haoran much to Yun Shu's displeasure.
Sang Tian felt relief fill her up as she realized that she was not a homewrecker. The instant relief had her body relax, "Phew." she exhaled and her gaze then fell on Fang Haoran who had a teasing smile curving upon his lips.
"But -" Yun Shu tried to protest but was silenced by Fang Haoran, "This would be the first time that we are meeting. You assumed too much and I won't apologize for it."
Sang Tian felt him squeeze her waist lightly. She looked up at him, and meeting his gaze she realized that he too was stuck in a situation similar to hers.
God knows what came into her at that moment and she surely would regret it later but there was nothing stopping her now, "Honey!" she exclaimed in a high-pitched tone, "Did you arrange this meeting with Miss Yun just to get back at me?"
Clutching his arm, Sang Tian made an upset face, "I told you repeatedly that I have no interest in Mr. Zhang, and the only reason I agreed to meet him -" a fake sob tore through her lips as she leaned against Fang Haoran, his arms come around her shoulders to support her weight.
"I apologize, darling." he told her before turning to face Yun Shu, "Your presence is upsetting my girlfriend, Miss Yun. I request you to leave us alone."
And that she did.
"I think we have seen enough." Grandpa Zhang was the one to break the awkward silence that settled around them after Miss Yun had left.
He stood up, his family following his lead. "I will talk to you later." he said looking at Grandfather Sang who nodded affirmatively in response.
Before walking past her, Grandfather Zhang gave her a condescending look but it did not deter Sang Tian. With a huff of breath, he walked away followed by his family whereas Zhang Ri Shan quickly whispered a, "Thank you." to her before leaving.
After the Zhangs had left, Grandfather Sang also walked away from the table and came to stand in front of Fang Haoran, "I would like to have a chat with you, young man." he spoke in a firm and stoic voice, "Let's go home, Tian Tian."
It was an order and not a request. Sang Tian nodded and detangled herself from Fang Haoran. Her family walked away first giving them some privacy, "I am so sorry for involving you in this. It was a difficult situation and I cannot even tell you how thankful I am for your support."
"I am sorry." she apologized softly and then thanked him again before walking away without waiting for a response from Fang Haoran.
Sang Tian hurriedly made her way out of the restaurant leaving behind Fang Haoran who remained still at the stop smiling in amusement. From the glass wall of the restaurant, he saw Sang Tian sitting inside the car and being driven away.
This was the third time that this woman and every meeting was more amusing than the previous one. The first time they met she had handed him a bunch of money notes without asking anything, the second time she had clung to him as if her life depended on it.
She had flirted with him, asked him out, and also invited him to her bed causing a hysterical amusement to his friends. And when her friends had tried to get her off of him, she had ripped away his shirt taking him by surprise with her strength.
That night, during the struggle she had dropped off her bracelet. The one that was now in Fang Haoran's possession.
He had come to the restaurant to meet another one of the blind dates that his grandfather had him go through. He hadn't expected her to be here as well. Seeing her sitting there, all prim and proper, Fang Haoran couldn't help but compare this version of hers with the one whom he had met at the nightclub.
For some reason, it intrigued him and before he could think about it, he was already at her table telling her about her bracelet that was now sitting inside his wristwatch drawer.
Just like the previous two meetings, their third meeting was just as dramatic and entertaining. And like always, she left another token for him to remember her. Fang Haoran crouched down to pick up the earring that had fallen down Sang Tian's ear lobe at some point during their conversation.
Chuckling, he stuffed the piece of jewelry in his pocket before leaving the restaurant unaware that this particular interaction with Sang Tian would lead to him making one of the most important decisions of his and of her life as well.