80 The Banquet Starts

November 30, 20XX (Friday Night)

Zhao Manor

Zhao Yang never felt this uneasy in all his life. Due to his mother's schemes, Mei Li would be entering the banquet together with him. According to Mei Li,Mother Zhao had asked her to keep him in a tight leash so he wouldn't make trouble.

Yang had to touch his nose on habit, feeling helpless with his mother.

Aside from his mother concocting about her worrying with his skin's health and assigning Mei Li to put a death mask- a face pack, she had also concocted tales of Yang's troublesome behavior that scares people away from Yue so she had the woman he is courting hold into his arm for the duration of the party to keep a close eye on him.

Now he feared what Mei Li thinks of him. Must be like a gangster CEO or something. He appreciated the help but can't his mother help without humiliating him in return?

"Are we ready?" Yang asked Mei Li, who was shifting her weight from her rights side then to her left repeatedly showing how nervous she truly was.

Even with clear anxiousness in her face, She still looked as if she was the belle of the ball. Yang loves his little monster of a sister but Mei Li tops her any day but as the saying goes, 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder' and besides that, he may be a little more bias to Mei Li.

"No, I'm not ready and I know I will never be so..." Mei Li breathed in deeply and exhaled largely while shaking her small hands like she was performing an exercise routine.

Yang grinned at how adorable she was acting and it did not escape his notice how she had trusted him enough to show her insecurities as she asked him if her makeup was fine, she had trusted him enough to show how unused she was to this kind of social conventions. She was so much more comfortable with him that she ever was in Paris.

Looking back, he realizes how far he had come in terms of courting her. She had shown how tsundere she could be in Paris and now he can see the softer side to her.

Mei Li gripped his folded right arm with a face that showed her weakness and said, "I'm going to fake it 'till I make it... like I always do."

Yang's grin widened as he saw the transformation of Mei Li's anxious face full of nerves into a strong and independent woman with her chest puffed out and her chin held high enough to be deemed acceptable and not overpowering.

Yang puts on his fake smile himself. Both of them wearing masks to face the public. One wearing a mask to conceal her nerves and avoid disappointing people while the other wearing it to avoid people and conceal his weakness.

The servants opened the large doors of the banquet after Yang's signal nod to them. As the youngest 'couple' of the Zhao Family, they were the first of the hosts to arrive and soon they will be followed by his Uncle and Aunt Qinyang, then his mother and father together with his grandparents and the birthday girl, Yue.

When the door opened and Mei Li saw all eyes were turned to them and the guests have even stood up to welcome them with a round of applause- rather it was Yang that was welcomed and she suffered with him from all these crazy attention.

She would probably die if events like this happened every day. She hated being the center of attention, she liked being the wallflower who sees all things on her little spot behind the curtains.

Her grip on Yang's right arm tightened as her eyes scanned the room full of people. Yang, to comfort her, laid his left hand on top of her left hand that was on his right arm briefly. She was grateful for this. It showed that she had his support and that he would not leave her to suffer alone.

With that subtle gesture, she knew that they will suffer together and never apart.

She pulled on his arm making him look down at her and she quickly beamed him a smile. Mei Li didn't know how much Yang's heart has been jumping with joy.

Her complete dependency on him at this moment was not the baby steps that he was used to, this was major large strides!

No woman could ever be this dependent on a person if she did not trust him fully. He vowed not to take her trust in him so carelessly.

Yang leads her on the front of the banquet hall where 8 seats were prepared so the 'couples' would be seated on the raised platform on the large long table that was facing the guests with Yue's chair being made special and was found between the Zhao Family table and the guests rounded tables.

Taking hold of the mic with his left hand, Yang announced, "Thank you all for coming to my wonderful sister's birthday banquet. She will be arriving soon so I hope you will enjoy mingling with each other. You will find the buffet on your right side and the finger foods, desserts, and drinks on your left."

Yang smiled at them with that fake smile that Mei Li knew was his way of intimidation. He continued, "Of course, there will be waiters so you may call on them if you are in need of something."

Turning off the Mic, Yang leads Mei Li to his friend's table to relieve some of her nerves. Since she knew these people, she would probably be more comfortable.

"Mei Li!" Ru Shi waved her hand at the painter before nodding in Yang's way.

"You look amazing!" Ru Shi complemented while eyeing her shoes, "those are not Louboutins."

Mei Li laughed softly, making Yang glad at Ru Shi, "Mother Zhao had bought me these. Prada, I believe."

Yang unhooked her grip on his arm and putting his right hand on the small of her back, sending shivers to the painter's spine.

Just when she thought her nerves would be the most overpowering emotion she would feel today, she was proven otherwise.

Right now, all she felt was that warmth that was from the hand on her back. Because her dress was backless, his hands could feel how smooth her skin was. Both her and Yang had a small red tint in their faces.

"Sister-in-law!" Dr. Zhang Li Xi smiled at Mei Li like a fox causing Yang to glare at him. The doctor put his hands up like one would do if they were being arrested by the police, "How protective!"

Hao Chen on the nearest side had nodded to the both of them before resuming his talk with Alexandre who had done the sam.

Xue Chang Min had beamed at Mei Li while saying, "I heard you organize this event? Good job! The decorations looked very pleasing."

"Thank you," Mei Li replied, "I had help."

Her left hand slowly inching toward the hem of Yang's Tuxedo. She liked it better when she had his arm to grip. She tugged at his tuxedo and motion for his right arm with a soft pat on the said arm while her left hand was left hanging on the air as if his hands were there.

He chuckled at her childish demand but it endeared her to him more.

He didn't know if she realized that all eyes were on her and her open back that was why he had put his hand on the small of her back to cover it. He never thought that she would demand him to take his hands off of her back so she could grip it.

Yang without hesitation took his arm off her back and moved his shoulders to the front together with his arm, and with natural ease, her left hand sneaked into the crook of his elbow as her right hand laid on top of her left.

Ru Shi squealed like a fangirl inside. If that was not an unconscious show of ownership, she doesn't know what was.

Yang had progressed miles from before.

Sooner or later, they'll be married. Sooner if that gentle smile in Yang's face had proven the man's eager designs.

And so the banquet began with the Zhao's 24th Family Head appearing with a beautiful woman who could possibly be an immortal descending from the heavens or an angel fallen into the mortal realm. One thing is sure though, the CEO had no plans on letting any woman near him nor any man near her. The glare that was given to anyone who tried was fierce and promises pain. Only the stupid would dare approach CEO Zhao being this territorial.