36 Red Button

Si Weimin continuously caressed Xu Jia Li's face. He was full of love for her as he admired her beautiful and angelic face. Her eyes were closed. She looked so peaceful and at ease, far from the worried Xu Jia Li a while ago. She was so delicate like a doll that all he wanted to do was to make sure she was safe.

'I will always love you, Xu Jia Li. Then and now, nothing has changed. My heart just keeps on loving you.'

He gently traced down her jaw as his mind wandered through the imminent danger that warned to threaten his love's peace. He was worried sick when he found out what happened. When he read the letter on the kitchen table, his heart ached so bad that it made him want to get his hands on those people.

Full of admiration and love, he gently patted Xu Jia Li's head as he began to caress her hair. It was so smooth, luminous and long. He playfully rolled the strands in his fingers as he was reminded of how long he had waited for this moment to happen.

'I will never let anyone hurt you. No one can hurt you.'

When Zhen Nian told him to come, he was so scared that something might have happened to Xu Jia Li. On his way, he called Wang Guo to come immediately at Harvest Condominium.

He drove so fast that his speed reached its limit. Never in his life did he feel so scared. He was never afraid of dying. Death was something that he never feared because it was inevitable.

When he was 9 years old, a very sickly boy, their family doctor told his parents that his lungs weren't in good condition. He was having problem breathing that his parents thought he would die in his sleep, still he was not even scared.

When he was 20 and he had to undergo treatment for his lungs, he refused the operation because he knew that it would only lead to more operations. It would be endless suffering where he would not even be sure if he would be cured. He shrugged the idea because he wasn't afraid to die.

When he handled the company and the threat for the position brewed darker that the end of ditches, he was never afraid, not an ounce of fear he had felt. However, this beautiful woman on his lap made him experience all kinds of emotions, especially fear.

When he arrived at Harvest Condominium, he ran his way up that even the elevator pissed him off.

'Darn it! Can't this go any faster?'

All sense of rationality left him that he grew impatient while inside the lift, the only thing in his mind was to see her.

He cursed as he exited the elevator and ran directly at Xu Jia Li's apartment unit. There, she saw Shen Linqin walking with a big box on her arms. He approached her immediately and asked where Xu Jia Li was.

Not answering his question, she only smiled as she asked him, "CEO Si, what brings you here?"

"I'm here to see Xu Jia Li."

"Aiyooo, I didn't know Li-jie has a visitor."

Si Weimin didn't bother with Shen Linqin's reaction as he was very impatient to see Xu Jia Li that he wore a worried and troubled expression on his face.

His eyes lit up when she saw her opened the door but after seeing him, she looked like someone who had seen a ghost. She gasped as she abruptly closed the door.

It felt like cold water was poured on him due to the reaction he received from her, with a pained expression he impatiently knocked on the door. He was too hurt thinking she wasn't glad to see him at all.

And when he saw what happened inside, he was fuming mad as he became alarmed with the situation. When he saw the bloodied room, he just couldn't control his emotions. He wanted to take care of her, all the more.

Si Weimin was cut from his thoughts when Zhen Nian approached him.

"CEO Si, is Li-jie asleep?"

"Yeah. Lower your voice."

"Yes, CEO!" whispered Zhen Nian as she continued with a low voice, "She must be really tired so she fell asleep."

" She's too exhausted, I guess."

"Poor Li-jie!"

Si Weimin only nodded as he continued to stroke Xu Jia Li's hair.

"Well, I left Linqin to further clean the room. There's too much blood that it scared me. It was like a horror movie."

"Hmm.."

"CEO Si, I really admired Li-jie. I can't imagine myself handling all these so I decided to call you."

"That's the right thing to do."

"Earlier, I knew that she would be mad if I told you but I know it's only you who could help her."

"Good thinking."

"..." Zhen Nian couldn't help but gawked at Si Weimin. 'Why is it so hard to engage him in a conversation?' She pouted as she squatted in front of them and playfully flicked a small red thing on her hand.

Si Weimin noticed it and asked, "What's that you're holding?"

"Ehh? This? I just found this button on Li-jie's bed. I took it, maybe it's from one of her dress." Zhen Nian handed the thing to Si Weimin. It was a red button with gold linings on the edge. There was engraving on its center that looked like intertwined vines. It was also as big as a quarter.

Si Weimin examined the button and touched it gently as he asked her, "Did she have a dress that has this kind of button?"

"None that I've known of but I'm not really sure."

"How about Shen Linqin?"

" I did ask Linqin, she didn't remember any."

"Who's her fashion designer?"

"Sometimes, I dressed her, CEO. Most of the time, she wears local brands like Moon Sky which only produced one customized design."

Si Weimin didn't say a word as he was deep in thought. Suddenly, a realization hit him. Staring at it, he believed that the thing might not even be Xu Jia Li's. It could be from the culprit. The more he studied it, the more his gut feeling told him that it's not just a simple loosed button.

"Don't mention this to Xu Jia Li. Tell Shen Linqin too." He said in a serious tone as he put the button on his pocket.

Zhen Nian only nodded as she shrugged her shoulder, dismissing the thought in her mind. She excused herself, as she was about to walk back, she remembered the main reason she came to Xu Jia Li's apartment.

"E-eh, CEO Si..." she paused a bit, weighing his mood, when she saw him nodded, she continued,

"CEO, about the news.. I know, most of it isn't true. I know you and her, better than anyone. A-ah, h-hmm.. – "

"What is it?" Si Weimin cut her indecisiveness.

"Could I have an interview of you and Li-jie? For Fashion and Glamour magazine?" Seeing that he's not responding, she continued, "CEO Si, think of it carefully, it will be a great help to clear all the negative rumours about Li-jie."

With expectant eyes, Zhen Nian waited for his answer. She somehow knew that the password to getting him agree would be Xu Jia Li's name.

"What can you say, CEO Si?"

Si Weimin took a glimpse at Xu Jia Li before he stared back at her as he answered,

"It's not my decision. You have to ask her instead."

Zhen Nian almost jumped due to happiness when she heard his answer. Making Xu Jia Li agree was easier than asking Si Weimin. Sure that she bagged an interview, she thanked him and decided to leave.

Taking only a few step, she once again turned towards Si Weimin, "CEO Si.."

"Hmm.." He replied without taking his eyes away from the sleeping beauty on his lap.

"CEO, I think you need to wake Li-jie now. It's already 5 in the afternoon and she needs to be in the art exhibit tonight."

"Okay." Answered Si Weimin as he gently patted Xu Jia Li's shoulder, shaking her a bit.

Zhen Nian could see the gentle way Si Weimin treated Xu Jia Li. She admired how his love for her never wavered even after all those years.

The sound of the door bell made Zhen Nian furrowed her brows. "Who could it be?" Without delay, she walked towards the door and looked at the door camera.

The frown on her face grew deeper as she opened the door. She rolled her eyes as she turned her back.

'Hmmp , this Wang Guo! What is he doing here?' Zhen Nian sneered to herself as she walked to the living room.

She sulked as she sat on the floor. She put her arms around her chest as she turned her gaze at Xu Jia Li and Si Weimin.

"CEO, why did you call for me?"

"Aren't you his assistant? Of course, maybe he needs you to do something." Sneered Zhen Nian, raising her brown at Wang Guo.

'What's wrong with this woman?' Wang Guo thought to himself as he ignored the sarcasm on her voice. He looked at Si Weimin with Xu Jia Li sleeping on the sofa, her head on his lap.

'What's happening? The devil had already succeeded?' He glanced at the sulking Zhen Nian, only to be greeted with her frowning face. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong except from your presence!"

Zhen Nian stood as she stomped her feet and walked towards Xu Jia Li's room.

Once, Zhen Nian was no longer in sight, Si Weimin spoke, "What's with the two of you? Having lover's quarrel?"

"What lover's quarrel?!" Zhen Nian shouted from the room as she peeked at the door.

"He's not my type, CEO!"

"Well, the feeling is mutual." Wang Guo sneered, showing disgust on his face as he glared at her. When he swifted his gaze, he avoided Si Weimin's questioning glare.

"It's nothing, CEO. You know, Zhen Nian and I had always been like this." He scratched his head as he threw defiant stare at Zhen Nian.

"Go, settle your love life. We'll talk later."

"..."

Wang Guo didn't know what to say, 'Is this really the devil incarnate? Did he really say that?'