Chapter 284 - POOR CHEN

"Chin Mei!"

She was about to leave the classroom when her classmate Gu Lauren called her.

"Are you going home already?" Gu Lauren asked her, she was standing beside their classmate Wang Chen.

She nodded. 

"It's still early and we don't have homework today. Why don't you join us for a coffee? Wang Chen is inviting us and it's his treat!" 

Lee Chin Mei, looked at the man beside Gu Lauren. He was smiling at her and was waiting for her reply. 

"Sure!" She said. She was known to be an aloof girl in the school. She didn't interact much with the boys and she doesn't have a boy-male friend too. So it was a surprise both for Gu Lauren and Wang Chen that she agreed. 

They went to the nearest famous coffee shop. Wang Chen was trying to start a conversation with her while they were walking towards to the coffee shop. Gu Lauren has walked infront of them and it was obvious that she was giving them the opportunity to talk with each other. 

"I've heard from Gu Lauren that you'll be taking up Information Technology in college? Do you have a specific school where you would like to enroll in?"

"None yet." She said but the mere fact was she has already received a letter of acceptance from Harvard University. But she didn't feel the need of telling it to Wang Chen. They were just mere classmate and they were not close. 

"I see." Wang Chen said. "I have received a letter of acceptance from Harvard University and I am planning to study there. I'll be taking up Information Technology course too and was thinking if you have just thought of studying there too." 

"Oohh" she said, she was really caught a big surprise that he has plans of studying in Harvard and will be taking up Information Technology too. The possibility of them to become classmate isn't far off. 

Wang Chen was her classmate since Grade 10 and he is quite a nice guy. He is smart too and he has a big crush on her! 

He had already tried giving her loveletters and flowers when they were in Grade 11 but she already rejected him. But it seems that, this guy hasn't give up on her yet. 

If only her heart doesn't belong to someone else yet maybe she could give this guy a chance. However, she knew in her heart that she could only love one man on this lifetime so she never entertained Wang Chen from the start. 

"Lee Chin Mei!" Gu Lauren called her. "Where do you want to seat? Outside or inside?" 

"Let's take the inside seats. It's still hot outside and the weather is quite humid!" She amswered.

Gu Lauren smiled. She picked a seat near the glass window. 

"What do you want?" Wang Chen asked the girls once they have settled inside the coffee shop. 

"Mocha frappe for me, Venti" Gu Lauren said.

"Caramel Macchiato frappe for me, Venti too" Lee Chin Mei said. 

"How about pastries?" Wang Chen asked

"Blueberry Cheesecake for me." Lee Chin Mei said.

"I'm good with just my beverage" Gu Lauren said. 

"Okay, just so you wait here, young ladies!" 

The two girl nodded. After Wang Chen had left, Gu Lauren leaned towards to Lee Chin Mei. "Hey, how do you find Wang Chen?" 

She knitted her eyebrows. 

"Isn't it obvious that he is still into you? Do you really not find him attractive?" Gu Lauren asked. 

Gu Lauren was her bestfriend since Grade 10 and she really like Wang Chen for her. She always pursuaded her to give the guy a chance. 

"He is not bad." She said.

"Of course he isn't. He is quite a catch you know. He came from affluent family too. He is smart and good looking too. You're a perfect match!" Gu Lauren. 

"How much did he pay you to be his personal advertising gal?" She chuckled. 

Gu Lauren hissed. "I didn't know what do you really want for a guy? Wang Chen is a sensible guy that everyone wanted to bring home to her parents to introduce as her boyfriend. But look at you, you've rejected someone who's every girls dream"

"Do you have a crush on him?" She asked. 

"If I don't have a boyfriend yet, maybe yes, I would also be one of those girls who will swoon over him" Gu Lauren said. 

Lee Chin Mei looked at Wang Chen's direction and he was patiently waiting on the line to buy their coffees. 

"Yes, he is quite a catch but I'm not allowed to be in a relationship yet?!" 

Gu Lauren knitted her brows.

"You know my strict brother, he doesn't want me to be in a relationship until I reached the age of 21" she said.

"Woah! Thank God, I don't have a strict brother like him."

"Yeah, but I'm okay with it since I don't have plans of entering into relationship yet." 

"Poor Chen!" 

"But I think he could be my friend!"

Gu Lauren smiled. "At least, I see some progress! You are now starting to open your door for him even if you are only accepting him as your friend. Who knows, when you get to know him more, you're feelings might get developed." 

"Dream on!"

"Yeah! Because I am rooting for him!" 

Lee Chin Mei shrugged her shoulder. After awhile, Wang Chen came back to their table as they have waited for their orders. 

"So what are you two girls talking about while I'm away!" Wang Chen asked.

"Of course the one who isn't here. You!" Gu Lauren said giggling.

Wang Chen laughed "And what is it about me that you talk about?!"

"What else? I just told her how good a catch you are!" Gu Lauren said bluntly.

Wang Chen ears suddenly felt hot. "And what did Ms. Lee said. Did she agree?" He was asking Gu Lauren but his gaze was looking at Lee Chin Mei. 

"She said, you could be her friend." Gu Lauren said. She tapped Wang Chen's shoulder. "It's quite a progress dude. She never had a made friend. You could be the first one if ever. Just work hard so you could be promoted from being her friend to her boyfriend." 

Wang Chen laughed. "Yeah, and thank you for promoting me to your bestfriend! Her friendship means a lot to me." 

"2 caramel macchiato frappe, 1 mocha frappe and blueberry cheesecake for Wang Chen!" the barista shouted.

"Oh, that's quite fast! Excuse me girls, I'll just get our orders." Wang Chen said as he stood up. 

Both girls nodded. After Wang Chen picked up their orders and went back to the table. Gu Lauren phone rang. She excused herself, picked up her mocha frapped and went outside as she answered the call. 

Wang Chen and Lee Chin Mei was left alone in the table. Lee Chin Mei suddenly felt awkward because they looked like they were dating. She looked outside because she doesn't want to speak. 

Wang Chen broke the awkwardness. He was smiling at her when he asked. "So are we friends now?" 

Lee Chin Mei turned her gaze to Wang Chen. She nodded "Yes, I think she's right! You're a nice guy and we could really be good friends because that's all that I can offer you...Let's it get straight once and for all, If I treated you a friend, please treat me as your friend too. Don't cross the other line..." 

Wang Chen was stunned and thought for awhile. It was a subtle rejection from Lee Chin Mei but at least he was promoted from being just a mere classmate to a friend to her. 

He should be glad. He nodded and smiled at her.

"I'm sorry guys, I have to go now! My mother called and she wanted me to go home now!" Gu Lauren said when she came back to their table to pick up her bag. 

Lee Chin Mei looked quite surprised and would never thought that Gu Lauren will leave her to Wang Chen. 

So when they left together eating at the coffee shop.  They really looked like they were out on a date. Then she saw familiar faces at the coffee shop. They were looking at them. Most of them were those girls that have a crush on Wang Chen.  She gave each everyone a fierce look. 

"Just don't mind them..." Wang Chen said.

Lee Chin Mei looked at Wang Chen. He was right. Why was she being affected that those people will get the impression that the two of them were dating. She and Wang Chen knows the truth. Why would she cares for anyone's thought? And when did she care about anyone views about her? 

She smiled at Wang Chen. "You're right! Let them be jealous for nothing!" 

Wang Chen smiled at her. "Right!" 

Lee Chin Mei tried to act as casual as possible while having a snack with Wang Chen. Since she accepted him as her friend now, she should feel comfortable talking to him moving forward. 

....

Lu Jiaosheng looked at the caller of his phone screen and answered the call. 

"Yes, Inspector Chu?" He asked

"I thought you should know about this. The girl that you wanted me to follow around is having a date with such a handsome young man at the coffee shop near her school right now..."

Lu Jiaosheng immediately stood up and left his office in a flash!