In the warm summer breeze of September evening, Leo walked with his cue around the car body mounted billiard table. He was confident that he would get the ball from this angle. A slight tap and the ball followed his command smoothly, rolling through the bed cloth into the leading pocket. He hooked his leg on a nearby stool and leaned on his cue, waiting for Zihao to make his move. Leo scratched his slight stubble, deep in his thoughts. If only Xing Min was as easy as the balls on a billiard table. A month had passed since he had started dating, and the annoying bit was that he could not sleep with her. Leo Zhang, the mighty playboy rider, had been unable to ride Min! Not that he had any strong feelings for her.
Shame on his womanizer image. What irked him more was the fucking wager where he could not get laid with anyone else. Thirty days of celibacy was getting on his nerves. Even the blonde he had taken a month ago would do now. He bounced back from his thoughts when he heard Zihao's confident laughter as he hit a ball into the pocket. The end moments of the game were usually interesting. Leo sprang up like a leopard, ready to strike.
"You look stressed, Leo. Is something bothering you?" queried Zihao innocently.
Leo didn't miss his friend's twinkling eyes. He leaned on the table, angling the cue at his target. He hit, getting two balls with it. "Xing Min is a mystery I am trying to solve," hinted Leo dryly.
"You've been dating her for a month now. For you to have a girl in your bed is easy," said Zihao confidently, asking as an afterthought, "Don't you get along with her?" He didn't wait for Leo's reply and added, "Both Jian Yu and you are doing pretty well with your wager. Both have been dating for almost a month now and have made it in the media, too. What more do you want?" he asked sardonically.
Leo scoffed at Zihao's assumption. Screw Min? The Plain-Jane won't even allow him to hold her hands! "For your information, I get along with Min, well, most of the time," an image of them laughing and walking on the bridge popped into his mind. "But I haven't slept with Min yet," Leo deliberately paused, waiting for Zihao to digest the information. Who reacted exactly as Leo had expected, surprised with an open mouth. Hell, even Leo was lost for words. "I have worked my way into a girl's undies more times than date them. But here it's only dating with silly rules that suck," finished Leo as he threw his hands in the air.
"Whoa, hold on, it's too much to digest, man," Zihao raised his hand like a road user's stop signal. "Did you say you are not able to screw her?" asked Zihao with a teasing laugh. "Okay," he stopped at Leo's thunderous glare. "Silly rules of dating, what do you mean?" As Leo was about to tell him, Zihao cut in, "Wait, tell me from the beginning; I mean your first date, and don't you dare miss out on any details. Only then I might help you," he added, trying to keep a straight face.
"A month ago, I had asked Min for an apology dinner, intending to date her. At first, she refused," Leo pursed his lips at Zihao, who was chuckling. Images of his first dinner date surfaced, "I had to make last-minute changes to dinner plans because Min didn't dress properly. Can you believe it? She wore ripped jeans and a T-shirt for dinner at Tang Xi's?"
"You made it clear you were taking her to a celebrity restaurant, right?" asked Zihao, narrowing his eyes.
"No. Ok, I'll accept it was my mistake. For the first dinner date, we had hot and spicy Thai cuisine on my yacht. You see, the night cruise was Plan B. But going to the night market, eating street food, and riding the Ferris wheel wasn't."
Zihao asked unbelievably, "You ate hot and spicy Asian and street food?"
"The minx dared me too, but I got my revenge. She's afraid of heights," winked Leo, smiling as the image of Min clinging to him in the giant wheel gave him a warm feeling of satisfaction. "She has three rules for dating me: One: We take turns to choose what we plan to do for our dates; Two: no touching; and Three: we stop dating after a month if we don't get along."
"You accepted, I guess," stated Zihao dryly.
"I didn't have a choice because of the fucking wager," Leo silently cursed the moment he accepted the wager.
"What happened on the second date?" asked Zihao, moving around the billiard table and trying to figure out his next move.
"She chose to go to movies, and it was her turn to choose, you see. And did I mention we go on dates only during the weekends?"
"No, you didn't," drawled Zihao, leaning on the table and aiming. He hit the ball, but it didn't reach the target. "Oh, that's not good."
Leo looked at the scattered balls, aimed, and got his second last ball in. "She doesn't think like an elite; instead, she has this childish way of having fun like normal college kids. The problem with the second date was that the billionaire Zhang Leo sat in a cinema full of people, somewhere in the middle surrounded by little kids watching a cartoon movie." Leo nodded sarcastically. He noticed Zihao avoided meeting his eyes, possibly trying to hide his facial expression. He continued, "The third date was at Tang Xi's Restaurant, and this time, I bought her a Versace black dress and matching stilettoes. Wouldn't you have done the same, my dear friend?"
"You gotta leave no stone unturned," Zihao encouraged as he got his ball in the pocket this time. "Yay, that's the way to go, man."
"So, nothing should've gone wrong, right?" asked Leo again, derisively. "She lived up to her standard this time, a Plain-Jane. Min has no sense of dressing or makeup."
"Didn't she wear what you gave her?" Zihao gave him his full attention.
"Oh, she did, but added a cheap coat, killing the bare shoulder look that the dress demanded. In addition, she did makeup like a whore on the streets; you know, loose hair, unruly curls, scarlet lipstick, and dripping mascara with witchy eyeshadows. I almost choked at her sight, you know?" said Leo, reminiscing about his third date with Min. She ate so little and drank just a glass of wine, which he had insisted. Later, he cussed himself for doing that, for the woman got drunk in such a small quantity of wine.
Leo jumped back from his reverie when Zihao asked, "And?"
He answered dryly, "She got drunk and flipped her stiletto at another table."
"Holy shit! I think I understand what's causing pain in your arse now."
Leo recalled that Min complained that her feet were paining and had removed her shoes, hooking them up on her index finger. Leo decided to leave before Min embarrassed him further. While he was carrying the drunk girl out of the restaurant, she swung her arm and flipped a stiletto. It landed in the middle of a neighboring table full of food. He had just nodded at the supportive manager, who Leo assumed took care of everything at double the cost price. Somehow, Leo felt like smiling at the shoe scenario now. "Well, date four was her choice again, and she chose to bake."
"Baking! I am hoping for a private space with lots of liquor chocolates?"
"Keep hoping," scoffed Leo. "It was an evening couples baking lesson. Not bad for someone who enjoys making strawberry chocolate cakes? I guess the cook in me slept that day. It was a competition, and we lost horribly because of my poor cooking skills." Min's flour smudged face surfaced in his mind's eye, and he smiled.
"So, what's next?" Zihao hit his last ball into the pocket and won. Leo suspected Zihao had him talking and took advantage of his distracted state. Anyway, it wasn't as if Zihao won against Leo every day.
Leo slowly put his cue on the table: "It's my turn to choose tonight's venue. I was thinking of a theatre show or maybe a candlelight dinner..."
"You'll do none of those... Hang on. It's a text from Yichen," Zihao swiped his mobile phone. After a few seconds of silent reading, his brows furrowed gravely. He slowly looked at Leo, his face dead serious, "I have to tell you something, and you won't like this."
"What is it?" asked Leo, mimicking Zihao's expression unknowingly.
Zihao hesitated, "Yesterday, I got an email from the President of The Bachelors' Circle..."
"Are you serious?" cut in Leo. It was common knowledge amongst the Circle that the founder, the current President, appeared once in a blue moon. He was a mystery that every rich, spoiled womanizer wants to know about. Mainly because no one knew about him; supposedly, he was a filthy rich guru who came up with an impish idea of running the notorious club.
"Yes, he emailed me about Jian Yu and your wager's popularity. Hundreds of millions were placed on the bet to win the wager. Now, a large percentage of the audience has recommended that Jian Yu and you take this wager a step further." Zihao took a deep breath before saying the last part, "He asked Jian Yu and you to marry the simple girl that you are dating."
The beer that Leo just gulped got stuck somewhere in his throat. He coughed, unable to believe what he had just heard. "Marry the plain maiden... No fucking President will tell me what to do with my life. I think this wager has crossed all limits..."
Zihao intervened calmly, "Just now, I got a message from Yichen, who's in Chengdu. Jian Yu will beat you because he just got engaged to Tycoon Han's daughter, Zanila Han, in Chengdu. You know what this means, Leo?"
"Jian Yu accepted The Circle's proposal," Leo's voice filled with scorn. He could not believe Jian Yu could be so blind in the name of wager that he would bet on his personal life. A tiny voice inside Leo reasoned that he had done the same by courting a girl he did not love.
Zihao continued as if he hadn't heard Leo, "I've heard she's a simple introvert who never appears on media. In fact, she's lived most of her life in the countryside and has recently moved in to live with her wealthy father."
"The wager was to date a simple woman for three months only..."
Zihao cut in smoothly, "It was about who makes the most news and does all the right things in the name of dating. Isn't engagement and marriage the ultimate goal of dating?"
"Now, this is getting too far," grumbled Leo. Though he remembered very well that Zihao had mentioned, the cherry on the icing was getting a virgin, not marriage!
"It's for you to decide. Do you want to back off now, and Jian Yu becomes the winner, or do you want to continue because, at this stage, both you and Jian Yu have equal points? Sorry, Jian Yu is leading after announcing the engagement," Zihao cleared his throat. He walked closer to Leo and said in a gentle voice, "Leo, marriage nowadays has become a game. Some people get divorced in as little as seventy-two hours of getting married. You don't have to tie yourself to this wager and marriage your entire life."
Leo's mind was racing in the racecourse of emotions. It just didn't feel right to marry Min in the name of wager, "What about..."
"Min? Did you not say that she has to marry to solve a problem that your grandfather has? Well then, why don't you be that good grandson who is willing to sacrifice his bachelorhood for him?" asked Zihao with raised eyebrows.
"Kill two birds with one marriage vow," wondered aloud Leo.
"Actually, three birds," Zihao gave his best wolfish grin.
Getting laid with the maiden was the third obstacle that Zihao meant. Leo whistled slightly as he grinned, not that he needed a marriage license to do the deed. Now that he had thought about it, it seemed not such a bad idea. "But how do I make her agree to marry me? It's not as if she has fallen for me. The opposite, I am guessing. I mean, she might say tonight is our last date."
"Is this Leo Zhang the playboy talking?" Zihao sighed, "Some girls need you to show that you like and desire them. And if you abide by all her silly rules, then you are a dumb arse, Leo."
"Dumb arse?" Leo's mouth turned into an O shape, unbelievably, as he pointed his index finger at his chest.
"Yes, you. Now, forget the outdated dinner plans and go for a cozy night at home. Make her feel loved and strike when she's unsuspecting. Listen, Leo, girls love diamonds, and I have this feeling the only one that will impress Min is the diamond on her ring finger."
* * *
The streets of Shanghai were bustling with afternoon traffic. Min clutched her tote bag and walked briskly toward the Tang Xi's building with Meng Yao. She was reluctant to go to that Hi-Fi celebrity restaurant where she had overdramatized things. All thanks to her plan to annoy Leo. She had ended up making a fool of herself.
Min reached for Meng Yao's shoulder, "Meng Yao, do you think we need to do this?" Min saw her worried expression did not affect Meng Yao at all.
"Absolutely not. Do you even know how much that stiletto pair cost?" Meng Yao spread her hands, "A couple of grand, Min. And I am not leaving a thousand bucks in that damn moneymaking restaurant. Let's get it now," declared Meng Yao pulling Min behind her.
Min resisted pulling Meng Yao, "And what if they've thrown it away?" She raised her eyebrows, silently begging Meng Yao to stop.
Instead, Meng Yao put her hands on her hips and ordered, "Now, don't you dare make that innocent pleading face at me. I am not Mama or Leo, who will easily fall into your trap. Are you coming along, or do I go in there myself?" Sighing, she walked ahead of Min. Tang Xi's entrance was next to the street.
"How can I explain to Meng Yao?" mumbled Min to herself. She was more worried about Leo's image. The cost of the stiletto was like dropping just a small coin out of his heavy pocket. Indeed, a billionaire like him would be more conscious of his image in society. Anyway, she hurried towards Meng Yao, who was furiously waving at her from the Tang Xi's grand entrance. She reached the dreaded doorway and sighed deeply before following Meng Yao in.
Cool, fragrant air gently teased her nostrils while the heels of her shoe slightly dug into the thick carpet. Meng Yao became conscious of herself but was thankful for her glasses and hair tied in a bun. Possibly, they won't recognize her in the work outfit. Unknowingly, her face changed into a guilty look as she walked further into the hall. Oh, whom was she kidding? They will remember her when the word 'stiletto' is mentioned. Two gentlemen in suits stood at the massive stone-made counter with a huge flower vase. They smiled at them, playing the perfect customer attendant role. "Good afternoon, ladies; how can I help you," said the curly-haired, younger-looking man.
Min's tongue got stuck somewhere in her mouth. Meng Yao smiled, "Good afternoon, Mr. Mu. We have come here to collect an item my friend must have left about a fortnight ago."
"Can you tell us more about this item so I can look for it in the misplaced items list," asked the older silver-haired man called Yan.
"It's a black designer stiletto," smiled Meng Yao, dropping the bomb.
Mu cleared his throat, trying to hide his grin while Yan's lips thinned as he looked from Meng Yao to Min. He was perhaps trying to remember who was with Leo on that night. "Yes, junior Zhang's lady carelessly chucked her shoe that night. She completely lost it, so I have heard," drawled Yan, punching the keys of his computer. Min's eyes brightened with hope as she realized Yan had not recognized her. Then he dialed the phone and spoke calmly, "Lin, do you know anything about the stiletto that Mr. Zhang's girlfriend left behind the other night?" He listened to the person on the other end of the line, "Yes, two ladies have come to collect it." He listened again and added, "Thanks, I'll ask them to wait." Yan looked at Meng Yao and said, "Lin, our manager, will be here soon. Please take a seat."
Min felt like turning into an ant that Lin couldn't see because Lin was the woman who had helped Leo that night. How could Min forget when she wasn't even drunk a wee bit? Min was only acting to see how far Leo could tolerate her. Surprisingly, he did well but was a little annoyed, so he carried her out of the restaurant and into his car. He held her in his arms as the limousine driver battled the road to Min's accommodation. Then, he gently guided her to the apartment, and when Meng Yao opened the door, Leo said, "I am sorry; it's my fault that she drank so much tonight." At that moment, Min had coughed, covered her mouth, and rushed to the toilet. Meng Yao understood her hint and asked Leo to leave because she had to look after her friend. Now Min realized how humiliating it had been for Leo, and he had not said a word to her.
Soon, Lin worked through one of the glass doors behind the main counter with a bag. She spotted Min straightaway and smiled, walking towards them, "Hello, Miss Xing, I guess you came for this." Lin handed the bag to Min.
Min colored: Lin instantly recognized her and even knew her name. Guess she was getting a little famous after dating Leo for a month. Or infamous. Min slowly grabbed the bag and looked inside to find the silly stiletto in the folds of a crisp white piece of paper. "Thank you," said Min, shyly unable to meet Lin's eyes.
"Guess you are one lucky lady because let me tell you, Leo had to do a few things to get that stiletto off the dinner table." Min put her fingers over her mouth in dismay. Lin sighed, "He paid for the entire meal on both the tables that night. On top of that, I made a monthly booking for the Sheng family for an entire year as an apology."
"That's it?" asked Meng Yao cynically.
"Yes, about a whooping budget of 70K," replied Lin, matching Meng Yao's cynical tone. She smiled when Meng Yao gave this horrified look, "Guess you made a little dent in Zhang's pocket. Have a good evening, ladies," Lin dismissed them as if they were some unruly kids from the street.
The girls ran to the nearby street, catching a bus at the stop. As soon as Min sat beside Meng Yao, her phone rang. She quickly fetched her cellphone from a handbag and saw 'Leo calling.' "Hello," managed Min in a quiet voice. She could not understand why she was feeling so guilty. Perhaps she had gone a bit too far in trying to annoy Leo.
"Hi, Min. Do you remember it's my turn to choose a venue for our date tonight?"
Date! She had almost forgotten, "Yes, so what's the plan for tonight?"
"It is a surprise. Wear something casual. I'll pick you up at 7 p.m.," Leo informed her.
Min hurriedly glanced at her watch, and she barely had an hour and a half to get ready. "See you then." Min cut the line and looked out of the window. Confused. Why was she feeling bad about tricking Leo? Was she not trying to teach the Lady-killer not to treat women as his wager toys? Gosh, she wasn't even sure it was true because none of Leo's friends had made an appearance, and Leo hadn't even mentioned the wager. It seemed he was dating her for real.
Min felt Meng Yao's eyes on her, "So, will this be your last date with Leo?"
A month had passed, and today, she had to tell Leo whether she wanted to continue dating him or not. If yes, then it would probably be real dating now. "I don't know, Meng Yao. I mean, one part of me wants to continue, but there is one tiny part in me that is unable to..."
"Trust him," concluded Meng Yao seriously.
"Yes. We thought he was only dating me because of a wager between his friends, but a month has passed, and there is no sign of him backing out," reasoned Min.
Meng Yao nodded, "Maybe he hasn't got what he wanted."
Min understood what Meng Yao meant. "But you see, Meng Yao, he has never made a move on me. If he was only trying to screw the virgin, then he would have wooed and seduced me by now." A nerdy young man in the front seat looked at them curiously.
"Yeah, plenty of opportunities for a playboy to miss," Meng Yao glared at the young man, agreeing with Min. He gulped and lowered his gaze to his cell phone, but Min was sure he was all ears for their girly talk.
"Instead, he has been putting up with all the silly things I've done to bother him," wondered Min out loud.
"Guess he's got a lot of patience and manners, an attribute that not all men are blessed with," said Meng Yao through tight lips, still glaring at the nerd on the next seat.
Smiling, Min delved into her own heart. Undeniably, she was attracted to Leo, as any girl would be, and Min was no different. Whenever he looked at her intently or came closer, she had a bubbly feeling in her stomach. Leo had been her mind's favorite subject for the past month to think and fantasize about. Gosh, had she fallen for the handsome womanizer?
* * *
What exactly did Leo have in mind? Min was surprised when Leo drove through the gates of his parents' mansion for their date. A few dim lights were switched on, and the servants had perhaps retired for the day. No one was around, Min noticed as she walked into the main hall.
"Mum and Dad have gone to an elite dinner invite, while I don't really know where Grandpa is, but not here, surely," Leo informed her.
"What are we doing tonight?" asked Min, a little curious. "Don't tell me you plan to cook for me tonight?" she teased uncertainly.
"Hell no, the heavens will weep in surprise the day Leo Zhang cooks for someone," joked Leo. "Wait here, I'll be back in a minute," Leo turned on his heels and walked towards the kitchen.
He returned with a hamper basket and smiled, "This way, please." He motioned at the leading hallway.
It did not take long for Min to discover what Leo had in mind: a movie night at Zhang's private theatre with home-cooked fast food, popcorn, ice cream, and soft drinks. Yes, it's a junk food night.
The room was horribly cool, though, and Min massaged her bare upper arm, regretting her choice of outfit: mini denim shorts and strapped top. Min observed that this room was a mini version of a cinema; the only difference was possibly the designer leather seats and cushions. The huge switched-on screen gave the room a dim glow. Instead of sitting on the seats, Leo led the way to the front aisle—a spacious, soft-carpeted spot for those interested in lying down. Two throwovers with neatly arranged numerous plush cushions were set for them. Possibly, Leo had asked the servants to organize everything. Min quickly removed her sandals and snuggled into the inviting warmth of the soft, woolly covers.
Leo laughed, "Is it that bad?"
"How would you know? You are wearing a jacket and long denim. Should've at least hinted that you had a winter night planned for me," complained Min.
Leo walked briskly to a nearby row of drawers and extracted a shawl, "Wrap up. My mum hates the cold temperatures in this room, so she usually keeps these here."
"Thanks," said Min, appreciating his thoughtful gesture.
Then Leo took his phone out of his jacket and swiped his screen. After swiping and tapping his thumb on the screen, he said, "Now that should put the temperature up a bit." He sat down in the aisle, close to Min. Again, he took his phone out and punched it, and the screen started with a movie. "Here we go; I hope you like it."
"What movie is it?"
"You'll know soon enough," smiled Leo mysteriously. He opened the basket, took out takeaway food containers, and handed one to Min. "Bon appetite."
"Merci," replied Min, dipping a French fry into the sauce.
"You can speak French?"
"Yes, I learned it in school, actually," said Min confidently, but her attention soon went to the large screen. About five minutes later, Min's eyes widened as she realized what movie was going on. "How did you get this movie? Isn't it that it will be released in the cinemas tomorrow?"
"Yes," chuckled Leo. "Have few contacts in the cinema industry." He took a bite of his chips and looked at the huge screen.
"Oh, did I mention that I was looking forward to watching this movie?" asked Min, feeling giddy with excitement. This was a movie adapted from her favorite romance book. She had been dying to watch this movie since the filmmakers announced its production about a year and a half ago. She could not believe that Leo got a special private screening of this romantic movie tonight.
"You might have on the day we went to watch the cartoon movie of your choice," responded Leo nonchalantly. "Don't forget to eat in your excitement."
"Oh, I can hug you now for being so thoughtful," said Min, brightly smiling.
"Then what's stopping you," she heard him say. Min turned around to find his intent eyes on her.
Now, what do you say to that? Min hurriedly focused on the screen instead of his charming face. He didn't push further, and Min was glad for the darkness in the theatre.
About forty minutes later, Min was so full of junk that she didn't want to see the popcorn packet before her. She secretly looked at Leo, who had his long legs crossed at the ankle. His jacket was discarded, and his eyes were on the screen. His face perfectly chiseled at the right places and proportions, noticed Min. And those lips... She whooshed from her fantasy world right in time to see the drama taking a turn in the movie. Now Min had a problem focusing on the film because she knew what would happen next. The couple would make love. Oh, she was so shy. To fantasize and face reality were two different things. And Min had a hard time facing the six-foot reality now.
She had an idea, "Leo, I need to go to the toilet, please."
"Yes, the door on your left," he pointed with his left finger. Then he took his phone out and swiped to the movie app, perhaps intending to pause the film.
Oh, he had everything on his phone! Min got up and peeked at his phone's screen. It looked so complex, unlike the normal ones, and it was probably custom-made to suit his taste. "No need to pause, just continue as I won't be long."
"Why not?" Leo asked, confused as he looked at the large screen. "Isn't the movie to your liking?" He spread his arms and gave his 'what now?' gesture.
Taking the opportunity, Min swiftly took the phone from his hand, "I don't want you to wait for me, that is all. I'll take this," she waved the phone between them with a sweet smile.
Immediately, he grabbed her hand with the phone, "No, you won't, Min." With one swift move, Leo pulled her easily on the plush cushions. She skidded and bumped her bottom on his thigh. He let go of her wrist.
Maybe she was still at an advantage with her back to him and hands-free. Min tried to get up again, but his bicep-evident arm swiftly circled about her slim waist, restraining her. His fingers firmly curled on her love handles, shooting sparks of some strange sensation in her body. Oh, why did a man have to hold such sensitive parts of a woman's body? Leo got closer, his warm breath gently fanning her sensitive neck and ears. He warned her calmly, "Min, give my phone back." Instead, she extended her arm away, clutching his mobile phone tightly. She looked at him with a cheeky smile plastered on her face. The dull shine of his eyes flared, accepting the silent challenge. None too gently; Leo grabbed her hand, and a wrestle started. Obviously, Min was at a disadvantage, given her petite form and sitting position; however, she used the weight of her body to push Leo. Seconds passed, and neither wanted to give in. Unfortunately, there was not much success when Leo pinned her down with his massive physique during their fight for the phone. Oh, he was heavy, hard-muscled, and enchanting with his scent. Min's face got trapped somewhere in the crook of his neck; she struggled, her lips brushing his skin. "Let me go, Leo," cried Min, breathing faster at the same time.
"Give it to me," responded Leo, holding her stretched hands over her head. Min tried to squeeze her way up by pushing with her free leg. While she was struggling wildly or somewhat trying to under his weight, Leo got very close to getting the phone from her hand, "Leo no!" Min chucked the phone slightly beyond his reach and grabbed his wrists, trying her mighty best to stop him.
Alas, the theatre's lights came to life, and someone screamed, "Min?" A second too late, Min realized that it was Nainai's voice.
"Are you trying to rape the girl Leo?" Grandpa boomed from the entrance while Leo's parents stood with horrified expressions beside Grandpa.
Both Min and Leo froze on the spot. Leo pinned her to the floor and held her hands above her head. At that moment, Min realized she had wrapped her free leg around Leo's lower body. And the final deed of the embarrassing situation was that the movie reached an intense lovemaking scene. Immediately, both Leo and Min scrambled up.
Distressing silence followed the raspy breathing and loud moans of the cast in the romance movie. All the seniors had their eyes glued to the screen with different expressions, though. Leo swiftly picked up his phone and paused the film. "Grandpa, it's not what it looks like..." started Leo to explain grim-faced.
However, Grandpa continued as if he hadn't heard Leo, "Look at the state in which the poor child is." He pointed his chin in her direction.
Instinctively, Min straightened her hair. Her untamed hair must surely make her sight now, thought Min. Leo looked at her and silently signaled with his eyes at her shoulder and breast. Min motioned in response, the 'what now?' gesture. Slowly, she followed his gaze and found her purple bra strap hanging loose from her front neckline. God no! Min was sure she turned all shades of purple at that awkward moment. Oh, how embarrassing!
"Excuse me," murmured Min, took a right turn as fast as she could, and almost ran into the toilet. On her way, she heard Grandpa say, "I want to see both of you in the sitting room now." Min thought his last word was like an angry old lion's roar.
* * *
The wall clock in the living room chimed at 9 o'clock. Strange for all the seniors to be home so early, thought Leo. Why did Min not mention that her grandma was coming to Shanghai? Everyone sat on the elegant sofas except Grandpa, who was pacing the floor. His grim expression was a little daunting, for he was one unpredictable old man. Then Min walked in quietly, hesitated, and sat at the far end of the long sofa beside Leo. Instantly, she grabbed a cushion and covered her long, silky, exposed thighs. Maidens and their shy ways scoffed Leo. He noticed eight pairs of eyes staring at them.
Ms. Xing immediately fired, "Min, why didn't you tell me you were dating Leo? I had to see it for myself to believe the newspapers, which only came to my attention yesterday."
"I was going to tell you soon, Nainai. I just needed to be sure of myself," she finished in a small voice, looking at her clasped hands.
"Well, sure enough, you have been making headlines with him for the past several weeks," Ms. Xing's tone was icy cold. She glared at Leo and then at Min, "Listen to me carefully, Xing Min; you will not date Zhang Leo from this day onwards..."
"But Nainai..." Min looked at her grandma, full of surprise. Hell, even Leo was lost for words.
"Because I don't trust Zhang's playboy son," her eyes darted toward the people in question as she leaned heavily on her walking stick.
Grandpa stopped pacing and asked, "Now you see Leo, why I didn't want any of your friends getting close to Min, including you?"
Leo didn't like one wee bit that his image was being soiled right in his own house. "But why can't I, Grandpa?"
Leo's father cleared his throat and said uncomfortably, "Everyone knows that you date girls for a few days, maximum for two weeks, and then you move on. But Min's grandmother doesn't want her to be on your 3Fs list."
3Fs: Fix, Fuck, and Forget rule was even known to his father? "But haven't you all noticed that I have dated Min for a month and known her for more than that? Not long enough for normal people, but as you just mentioned, Dad, normally I wouldn't stick to a girl for over two weeks," justified Leo. Just today, he decided to marry Min, and hours later, he was told to stop dating her. Oh, how could he twist this entire situation to his benefit?
"Are you serious about Min," asked Leo's mum, Su Shan. Her face was calmer than that of all the seniors in the room.
Bingo! Leo got his next move. "Don't you see, Mum, if I wasn't serious about this relationship, why would I still be with Min?" Yes, the counter-question technique will work, Leo told himself confidently. All he had to do was lie just a little.
"You mean to say you love Min?" asked Grandpa seriously.
Leo felt Min's eyes on him, and then Leo told the biggest lie in the romance history, "Yes, I love her."
Everyone except Min gasped audibly. He looked at her and said, "Do you believe me, Min?"
"I don't know. I mean, isn't it too soon?" She was confused but interested at the same time. Her soft, hopeful eyes said it all.
"Then tell me, have I ever tried my playboy ways with you?" Leo didn't want her to overthink; hence, he continued without her reply, "Did I ever make you feel I wasn't sincere towards you?" He nodded harshly, "And you are saying too soon? Have you not heard of 'love at first sight'? Why can't it be me?" Leo scrutinized everyone in the room. Min's eyes Minted affectionately for him, and at that moment, he knew the Plain-Jane had fallen for him.
"If you are that serious, then you'll marry her too," challenged Grandpa. "Soon." Leo remembered his grandpa's ulterior motive for marrying Min.
"Yes," affirmed Leo, looking directly into the old man's eyes. Just then, Leo's mobile phone peeped, and a message came from Zihao. Everyone started talking at once in the background, "I can't believe my ears," said Leo's Dad.
"My boy has finally found love," chimed Su Shan brightly.
"All is well when it ends well," sighed Ms. Xing, sagging her plump form heavily on the sofa's backrest.
"Then I'll announce to the world that you are engaged and will get married soon, too," Elder Zhang informed instead of asking.
Leo read the message, which was a blow to his guts: Jian Yu is getting married next weekend. His lips thinned, "We are getting married next week."