37 Back In Beijing

November 8, 20XX (Thursday)

Beijing International Airport

The loud noises that roared from the screeching of the plane's wheel and the propeller's machinery irritated Yang's ears. He stood on the waiting room at the tarmac for the private use of the members of the Zhao Family. He had sat on the large comfy sofa for more than an hour now, waiting for his mother and the woman that plague his waking dreams. Yang tried to do his work at his makeshift desk while waiting for the two women. He could only try to work as no work was actually done because he kept glancing at his watch.

A staff hurriedly opened the door after knocking three times then said, "CEO Zhao, Madame Zhao and Miss Wu's plane have arrived. The plane is now positioning itself for standby."

Upon those words, Yang instantly got up as if his seat had hot burning coals stuffed on it. The staff watched wide eyes while the CEO bolted out of the room and into the tarmac with hands full of documents. When Yang arrived at the wide open tarmac, their private jet was already on standby and the airstairs were starting to come down to allow the passenger to land.

Yang's excited grin reached one ear to the other. His palms sweated so he carefully wiped it with the handkerchief tucked in his breast pocket. His dishevelled short hair hindered his view so he carefully runs his fingers to fix the wayward strands. His suit was a bit wrinkled from his hurried run so he patted it straight a number of times, stopping only when he was satisfied that it was not as noticeable. His rapid heartbeat was something he could not control so he tried relaxing and thinking calming thoughts but once he did, Mei Li's beautiful face would appear from the edges of his mind and into his present thoughts.

He stared in anticipation as the airstairs were rolled down and a brown haired, milky skinned, light brown eyes and rosy cheeks entered his vision wearing one of the light green dresses he recognized from one of the pictures his mother had sent.

She was beautiful with her jeans and sweatshirts before and she is just as beautiful now. He slowly walked the steps to her, stopping only at the end of the airstairs, meeting her halfway.

The CEO observed the way her legs crossed as she walked to minimize showing more skin of her legs, the way she clutched four large paper bags on each hand, the way she looked at her feet as she stepped down on each stair, and how she flinches as her small bare feet meet the cold metal of the jet.

He frowned with worry, thinking to himself, 'Why is she barefoot?'

He strides up the stairs and meets her face to face. Unknowingly to him, his frown marred his lips aside from the usually annoyed grin. When Mei Li had looked up to meet his awaiting eyes, she was visibly shocked at his expression. He had always shown her his most annoying smile that any other emotion was cause for shock.

Mei Li who was one step above Yang, found herself staring straight into Yang's eye. Both their eyes level with each other. The CEO had to catch the bags that was unconsciously dropped from the painter's hands because of her surprise at his actions.

"Where are your shoes?" Yang asked, his hands full and his frown still evident.

"It's inside one of the paper bags…" Mei Li answered meekly, biting her lower lips in a habit. The CEO's eye followed her actions, making his eyes flash with an obvious desire that even the inexperience Mei Li noticed. The painter's rosy cheeks turned a morbid red extending to her ears.

Yang's eyes quickly glanced at the paper bags in his hands and saw black pumps tucked on the side of the boxes. He motioned for one of the staff on the ground to get the paper bags on his hands before picking up her shoes, bending down, forcing her left feet off the ground, and slipping her left shoe on her feet. He looked up at the painter as he signalled her to do the same with her right feet.

The awestruck painter just stood without any reaction but inside her was chaotic. Not knowing what to do, how to react, and what to say because of her speechlessness at his most gentleman act ever, stood motionless in front of the CEO.

His frown had now slowly turned upside down while he placed the right shoe on her right feet. He noticed how the length of his hands was probably the exact length of her feet. He had also noticed the callouses on her Achilles heel, probably from all the high heels she was wearing. She could just wear flats, why high heels?

AHEM

The pair both turned towards the source of the voice and stared at the door of the private jet as Mother Zhao had coughed to catch their attention. They certainly were in their own world.

Although she would like a grandchild soon, she didn't want to be forgotten in the process. The CEO let Mei Li get down before opening his arms to his mother, asking for the woman who gave birth to him for a hug.

Mother Zhao had to conceal her surprise at her son's affectionate greeting. She went down wrapping her arms to greet her son as he returned it with a soft caress at his mother's back.

Mother Zhao smirked when Yang had whispered in her ears softly before letting go, "Thanks for my lunch lady, I love your gift very much."

Mother Zhao rolled her eyes when her son and her future daughter-in-law turned back and went inside a car prepared especially for them.

The Zhao Matriarch touched her nose thinking, 'My hopeless son, without your sister and I, you would have a hard time with Mei Li…'