Mei Ting felt a tug in her stomach as the car drove into the hotel where the gathering would be held.
She knew she wasn't going to be welcomed here. Stepping out of the car, she inhaled a scent of breath.
She felt someone's eyes glued to her and turned. And just as she thought someone was indeed looking at her.
She watched as Li Weiyoung whispered to Sara but had her eyes glued on her. If she hadn't spoken to Li Weiyoung at the prison yesterday, she wondered if she would have gone to meet her.
Li Weiyoung walked away afterwards but not without glaring at her. No doubt she had been talking about her a while ago.
She knew they would try to stop her and also that they must be bubbling with unasked questions.
Her car was driven off and so was Li Weiyoung's car. But Mei Ting remained rooted to the floor. Her hands, which were by her side, took a handful of her clothes. Her chest heaved up and fell.
Just then, some cars drove in and the reporters who were at the Li residence a while ago jumped out of their cars.
Cameras clicked as they stood around Mei Ting. She took a step backwards, blocking her face with her hands.
"Do you think you have a share in the inheritance, is that why you are here?"
"Do you know you've been accused of murdering Madam Li? What do you have to say about it?"
"Why did you kill Madam Li?"
"Do you hate Weiyoung 'cause she threw you out of the Li family?"
"Your marriage to Yang Zichen broke, does that mean you're single?"
They all spoke at once.
The reporters were all over her. She couldn't move to the back either. So she just stood without uttering a word, helpless before the sea of reporters.
A hand reached towards her from the crowd and pulled one of her hands which blocked her face. She yanked her hands away and almost jumped on one of the reporters.
"Step back. Have you no shame? How can you all surround a helpless woman?" The reporters turned their attention to a slim girl who had just stepped into the scene.
Just like Mei Ting, she had brown hair, but unlike Mei Ting, she didn't cover her face.
She glared at the reporters as she pulled Mei Ting into her hold.
Mei Ting didn't try to pull away from the girl. "Who are you? Why do you think you can butt in?" One of the reporters asked.
"We're just doing our job." Another reporter said a square-shaped glass hung on the bridge of his nose.
"We'll let the court decide if harassing a young and helpless woman is part of your job, ZhangYu from SRJ News," Li Xaing read the name tag on the man's chest. Mei Ting removed the other hand from her eyes.
The man quickly lowered his camera.
Turning to Mei Ting, she pulled her hand, and together, they made their way through the reporters who stood stunned. With the reputation Mei Ting currently holds, no one would want to associate with her.
Heels clicked sharply on the floor as both girls stepped further away from the reporters. When they had gotten away to a considerable distance from the reporters, Li Xaing stopped walking.
She turned and looked at Mei Ting, her eyes searching the girl in front of her, "are you okay?" She asked, to which Mei Ting nodded.
"Xaing, I didn't expect to see you here," Mei Ting said. Li Xaing is Li Weiyoung's cousin.
"You don't look happy to see me." Li Xaing noted, pulsing her lips, she added, "And I've been so excited about our meeting all along."
She lived abroad with her parents. But she visited every year and over the years, she had grown to love Mei Ting, and they had a good relationship.
But seeing Mei Ting being so distant from her, she felt a crack in her heart.
Mei Ting didn't know whether to be happy or not. After being thrown out by Li Weiyoung from the family, she didn't know what else to expect.
"Thank you for your help earlier." She smiled, "I didn't know you would be here." they started towards the hotel entrance.
"I heard the news of Aunty's death yesterday and took the next flight down here." Li Xaing said, 'She must have also heard the other news,' Mei Ting thought.
As if reading her thoughts, Li Xaing caught hold of Mei Ting's hand and gave it a light squeeze, "I also heard the news; I don't think sister Weiyoung did right; I'll speak to her. I trust you and know you can never do that to Aunty; you loved her too much."
The side of Mei Ting's lips pulled up, "Thank you." She paused; they stepped into the hotel, and the hotelier stood at the entrance with glove hands bowed in respect before extending one arm and volunteering to lead them.
After settling the worry tugging on her chest, she spoke freely to Li Xaing, both girls chatting as they were led to the hall.
The low sound of solemn music resounded in the hallway. The hallway had a few balloon decorations here and there.
A picture of Madam Li was in front of one of the doors. Stopping in front of that door, the hotelier bowed again and left.
Before they could step in, Li Xaing's phone rang and she excused herself.
"I'll see you inside; I have to take this." she pointed to her phone.
Mei Ting was stopped from entering; the guards had been warned by Sara not to allow her in.
Mei Ting knew this was going to happen. She dipped her hand into her purse and brought out her phone.
Opening the invitation Luo Chen had sent her, she showed it to them.
Upon seeing the name "Luo" written on the invite, both guards turned to look at each other.
No one would want to be on the bad side of the Luo family. Not even Li Weiyoung. So they stepped aside, allowing her to walk in.
A low hum of conversation resounded in the hall. People stood in groups chatting. Some were seated. Mei Ting clutched her bag, she tried to keep her shoulders squared and her eyes above.
Immediately she stepped in, the air grew thick with tension.
"What's she doing here?"
"How could she show her face here?"
"Didn't Li Weiyoung get her arrested yesterday?"
"Li Weiyoung is too generous; she should have allowed her to spend some more days with the police."
Mei Ting feigned ignorance and didn't respond to all that was said about her.
Yang Zichen and his mother were amongst the crowd, and upon seeing Mei Ting, his face grew sour.
"She truly has no shame." He said whispered to his mother.
"I'm so glad you ended your relationship with her; if you had gotten married to her, what would people say?" The older woman said loud enough for others in their row to hear. The last thing he wanted was for anyone to assume her son had any connection to that woman.
Mei Ting's eyes fell on Yang Zichen and his mother. Although she hated Yang Zichen for what he did to her, she didn't see the need to ignore his mother.
She had been so kind to her. So she walked towards them. She would say a greeting to Madam Yang and leave.
"Look who's here, my son's ex-fiance," Madam Yang was the first to acknowledge her. Her face was devoid of any smile, and she stared directly into Mei Ting's eyes.
Mei Ting was stunned at her tone. She had never used such toon on her before.
"I can't believe you found your way here. How can you be so shameless?" Madam Yang's voice caught the attention of those around her.
The hall immediately grew silent; all eyes turned in the direction of the women.
"I just wanted to -"
"Save it. You are no longer my daughter-in-law and will never be. My son made the right choice by ending the marriage with you. I know it won't be easy but you have to get over him." She made it seem like Mei Ting had come over to them because of Yang Zichen.
"I don't intend-"
"Mei Ting, if I were you, I'd leave and not cause a scene," Yang Zichen advised, cutting her short.
Mei Ting bit the inside of the mouth and smiled sadly to herself. She was a fool for thinking she could maintain the relationship she had with Madam Yang.
Without a word, she walked away from the duo. Finding a seat in the second row, she sat, placing her purse on her lap.
There were two girls seated there and they left immediately she sat. No one wants to sit close to her.
Just then, the door opened and Li Weiyoung walked in, accompanied by a man in his late forties holding a suitcase.
The man pushed the round-rimmed glasses up the bridge of his nose.
Mei Ting was quick to recognise him as Madam Li's lawyer.
Li Weiyoung walked to the front, the lawyer stood beside her.
She inhaled a scent of breath ready to present her opening speech for the gathering.