November 28, 20XX (Wednesday)
Zhao Manor
Yang once again stood in front of Mei Li's door, shifting awkwardly from left to right while debating to himself if he should bother her this early morning. Steeling his resolve and a silent prayer for himself, he knocked.
When the door opened, he was disappointed to see his little sister's ugly face that looked too much like his.
"What are you doing here?" Yue asked twirling a lock of her hair on her fingers without care.
"What are YOU doing here?" Yang repeated her question like he had greater rights to be in Mei Li's room than Yue does.
"I'm waiting for Mei Li to be done so we can go buy groceries for my barbeque party later," Yue casually mentioned the reason why Mei Li was staying with them in the first place. She added a know-it-all "Duh" in the end just to irritate her brother which worked because of the angry twitching of his left eyebrow when he glared.
"Don't we have servants for that?" Yang began to rant, "Why are you bothering her? You should let her rest, she had a headache yesterday because of us and-" "Yue, can you hand me the towel on the bed?" Mei Li's soft voice interrupted Yang as a hand reached out of the bathroom door just two large strides in front of Yang.
Mei Li was taking a bath.
Mei Li had forgotten her towel.
Therefore, Mei Li is naked.
Yang stood frozen still as his mind overloaded from heat. If he would open that door wide, he'd see every glorious inch of her. What a hard temptation to resist. Thankfully his sister was there to be a hindrance.
"What are you waiting for," Yue's voice interrupted his thoughts and the large strawberry printed towel that he had given to Mei Li was pushed into his arms, "Give it to her."
"whah-" Yang's inaudible reply made Yue roll her eyes while snickering like an idiot. She had finally broken her big brother.
"Yue, It's cold without a towel on." Mei Li's hands moved like it was motioning Yue to hurry up.
Yang strode the two steps he needed to be inches away from the bathroom door. He gulped with every stride, feeling his heat resurfacing below his stomach like a raging hot flame from the sun.
Again, his primal instinct to mate and his moral character fought like prideful wolves for the position of alpha.
Letting his Morals win again, he shoved the towel to Mei Li and fled immediately from the room to take care of the problem in between his legs.
Yue, on the other hand, laughed so hard she was rolling in the floor. Her brother had looked like he had stepped on a landmine.
After a while, Yang went down to eat his breakfast. Arriving at the dining table, he saw Mei Li and Aunt Qinyang exchanging pleasantries.
"Mei Li, how wonderful to see you again!" Aunt Qinyang said while placing kisses on Mei Li's left and right cheek respectively before shooting a smug look in Yang's direction.
The young CEO clenched his fist, why can't he greet Mei Li like that too?
"Mrs. Zhao! It's been a while. I hope you are doing well? Did Mr. Zhao take care of you well?" Mei Li said with her sultry soft voice that made Yang want to lock her up so.he could be the only one to hear her speak. If only Mei Li wouldn't kill him if he did.
"Oh, you, silly little child. Stop worrying about us old folks and start taking care of yourself. You haven't married yet? I can introduce you to handsome men!" Aunt Qinyang replied while cocking a questioning glance at him.
Yang rolled his eyes, exhausted from all the teasing his family had done to him.
"Child, you have grown! And not just in height I see." Yang heard his grandmother said while patting Mei Li's right shoulder causing the painter to turn.
Mei Li's smile grew wider when her eyes meet with his grandmother's. She said, "Grandma Zhao, you are still as beautiful as you were when I meet you."
Grandma Zhao's laughter filled the room with mirth, "You're just flattering this old bones!"
"Is it working?" Mei Li smiled... That beautiful smile that beckons Yang close.
"Of course It is. Flatter me more!"
When Yang heard Grandma Zhao said those words, he realized that everyone in the family was already familiar with Mei Li. Every one of them except him. He regretted denying all the opportunities he could have personally know Mei Li. If they had met earlier, they would have been childhood sweethearts!
"Okay, enough of that! Mei Li and I will be going now." Yue's loud voice interrupted what everyone was doing.
"... and where are you going?" Mother Zhao asked while scanning Yue's unusually plain clothes in her body compared to her usual designer brands.
"We're going to buy the things needed for the barbeque later!"
Every member of the Zhao Family had raised their eyebrows in question. It was Mother Zhao that had broken their mildly surprised confusion, "Why are you in a hurry? Stay for breakfast. I had the chief cook your favorite chocolate waffles, Yue."
Yue immediately hesitated. Because of her modeling career, she refrained from eating fattening foods. It was once in a Blue Moon that she could eat her favorite waffles.
"...But we need to hurry cause there is a sale and that I want to buy beef in the marketplace and that-" Yue stayed strong in accompanying her best friend.
"Why don't I just buy the things? You stay here since planning your birthday is my gift for you anyway."
But when Mei Li's offer was said, Yue hesitated again, "But you'd be alone and-" "I'll go with her."
Every head turned to Yang. Mei Li, in particular, had a scowl. She didn't like where this is going.
"Don't you have a company to run?" She glared at him as fiercely as she could.
Yang snorted as he puffed his chest with arrogance, "I'm the boss. The company will wait for me."
"No." immediate denial from her.
"I can carry the things." Again, Yang would not be Yang if he would give up without a fight!
"No." Oh, ruthless lover!
"I can pay for it?" the Ceo offered immediately. Praying that the miser in Mei Li is alive in her once more.
"No, Yue already gave me the money needed. I don't have any need for you."
Oh, sweet rejection! The other members of the family watched Yang pitifully. The heir to their family had met his match.
"Then let me come, I want to see what a busy marketplace looks like." Yang still insisted.
Grandma Zhao, Mother Zhao, and Aunt Qinyang nodded their heads in unison. Clearly agreeing with Yang and each with the same reason; to deepen their relationship!
"Unfair! I want to go!" Yue exaggerated her pout, knowing she couldn't go now that the three women in the family had already made up their minds to start scheming them together again. Well, her brother needs all the help he can get.
"No, you stay here." Mother Zhao continued, "Mei Li, dear, let Yang go with you so I can stop worrying about you working too much."
Now that it was his mother that had said it, Yang knew Mei Li would agree. Once again, he thanked the heavens for a wonderful and capable family even when they tease him to death sometimes.
"Alright," Mei Li's suffering sigh was long, "But, you have to follow me closely."
Yang immediately closed the distance between them, bent his waist, and leaned into Mei Li's personal bubble; just a few centimenters away. Their lips so close to touching.
"NOT THAT CLOSE!" Mei Li hollered as she took a horrified step back.
Yang shrugged as if he had not done anything shameless. Mei Li calmed herself and once again started spouting out rules for Yang, "Don't leave my sight at all! One wrong move, I'll put a leash on you after!"
Yang grinned at the double meaning her words caused, "Oh, kinky."
Mei Li ignored his sexual innuendo and continued, "Don't bring anything too valuable!"
Yang asked, "What about my wallet?"
"Bring some cash but don't bring a lot and no credit cards, it won't be useful anyway!" Mei Li appeared to be strict because she remembered the first time she had taken Yue. It was a miracle that they were not robbed when the Zhao heiress had taken her wallet full of cash out.
"How much is too much?" Yang's honest question made Mei Li annoyed and silently cursing every rich person on the planet.
"...and change your clothes." Mei Li added when she realized how dapper and put together Yang had looked.
"What's wrong with my clothes?" Yang asked a little bit offended. He had purposely dressed up today too!
One more question from him, Mei Li swore she was.going to pull all her hair out! "Who goes to the marketplace in a tuxedo?! Just listen to me."
"Yes, Ma'am!" Yang hurriedly complied when he saw that scary expressionless face of hers.
Mei Li reminded with a voice slightly louder, "Hurry up and be done in 10 minutes or I'll leave without you."
"Will be done in 5!"
yang bolted out of the room.
The family couldn't help but be helpless at how obedient Yang was being. If they demanded things like that with Yang, they'll be met with resistance far greater than a revolution.
Oh, What love can do.