130 The Hidden Message

January 11, 20XX (Friday)

Various Places

Mei Li walked out of her temporary room in Yang's condo wearing a long sleeve blue top paired with leather pants that she had narrowed from Yue's closet but never returned. The leather pants were folded at the ends, resting on her ankles because of the height difference between her and Yue. On her feet were the new pair of Louboutin that Yang had brought for her. Yang noticed that she had applied hints of make-up on her usually bare face.

"You're dressed up..." Yang's voice made Mei Li look up, surprised that he was already done. Mei Li grinned at him when she saw that he was wearing casual clothing. Yang still looked handsome with plain grey clothes on.

"Am I?" Mei Li looked down to her clothes and twirled around to let Yang see her clothes before saying, "I felt like dressing up today, I don't know why."

Nervous Yang had not noticed the subtle sarcasm in Mei Li's tone, and he would look back on the days before with embarrassment. Mei Li smirked when Yang had not caught her jibe at him. Recently, she has been teasing him without being noticed by the man. These actions of hers left her feeling like a bully, but it was too entertaining for Mei Li to stop.

The two of them went to the parking lot with Yang staying silent as Mei Li rambled on about trying a new strawberry blush on and finally using her pale strawberry pink lipstick that Aunt Qinyang had sent for her. Yang nodded as if he was listening but was in truth thinking about the results this date would have. Mei Li had her hands constantly holding Yang's left arm. It seems that her hands would keep his arm in habitual ease now.

The car ride was silent, aside from Elves Presley singing of the background. They arrived at the restaurant in silence too. A staff guided then on a chair near the window. She looked around; they were the only customers. Mei Li kept glancing at Yang's way, recognizing how nervous he was. She had never seen him this sweaty. His forehead was sweating a little, and his palms were a bit wet too. Her heart softened at Yang's boy-like behavior.

Mei Li was surprised that even when they had not ordered anything yet,the waiters were already placing food on the table. She was more shocked when she noticed that the food that had arrived and the setting on the table resembled the first time they meet in the Cafe Procope at France.

She looked up at Yang's serious face when he gestured one waiter to bring something to him, "What are you doing?"

The CEO smiled at her and handed to her a simple black frame that he had taken from the waiter's hands. Mei Li turned back to see that another waiter was also carrying a box.

"Read it, Please," Yang asked Mei Li as he sat down again

Mei Li read it out loud,「If you ask me of her, I could not encapsulate her being with just mere words; As if words could describe the beauty that is Wu Mei Li, the woman that epitomizes love. Her brown eyes like the color of the sun's kisses which fills me with undiluted warmth, Her red lips like those seductive thorny Roses passionate enough to draw me in. Her sultry voice like the teasing cool breeze amidst the summer heat beguiling me for more, Her smooth skin like the iridescent sheen of a pearl that baits my greedy hands to touch, and her tantalizing tenderness paired with her spine of kryptonite defeated my Superman heart of steel. Only she could play my heart into pieces and still make me ask for more. You, Wu Mei Li, have conquered this tyrant CEO and thus you shall become no one else's but mine.」

Mei Li's cheeks flushed as she finished, but she couldn't help but look at the framed typography picture with confusion. Why is it done so weirdly? Why isn't it pleasing to the eye? Maybe there is something hidden in it?

She remembered that he had spent two days to do this while trying for it to be a secret. Mei Li snorted with a sudden realization that a hidden message must be somewhere on the picture because an intelligent man like Yang could make a poem in an hour. Add to the fact that he sucks at designing so there must be a reason as to why words are tipped and cut off abruptly.

Yang shifted nervously as Mei Li spent more than fifteen minutes silently scrutinizing the inside of the frame he gave her. He watched with bated breath; Yang knows that she would notice it.

Mei Li's thoughtful face suddenly brightens as her back straighten, and her face reddened. A large gasp of air left her lips when she realized what the hidden message meant. In the middle of the picture were strategically placed words that formed 'be my girlfriend.'

Yang immediately stood up and took a medium sized box wrapped prettily in pastel colors. He placed it in front of Mei Li before saying, "Read the card first."

Mei Li slowly took the small card taped gently on the delicate paper and read another message, "If I didn't tell you how beautiful you look today, then let me tell you now. You look breathtaking."

Tears started gathering in Mei Li's eyes as Yang kissed her left cheek before pulling a ribbon that tied all the wrapping paper in place. Mei Li saw different kinds of flowers arrange aesthetical pleasing and elegant. She had not expected this series of events. Mei Li had thought he would ask her casually as his confession to her was casually done in a car. He had exerted effort in this...

Yang smiled at her, nervously held both of her hands on top of the table, and said, "These flowers symbolizes that things I promise to give you. Roses are for my passionate love. Chrysanthemums are for my fidelity, joy, and our long life. Amaranthus is for my never-fading feelings. Zinnia is for my constant love, and wax flowers that symbolize patience from all things you do even if I find it annoying."

Yang place a kiss on her knuckles before he finally asked the question that he had been dreading to know her answer to, "So please be my girlfriend?"