134 Preparation for Father-in-Law

January 14-27, 20XX

Various Places

Yang realized, in the past few days, that Mei Li was sometimes irritating because of her consistency. She had been asking him things that concerned her mentor. Yang hated the fact that she cared for her mentor and sidestepped all his kisses away.

He remembered, one morning, she barged into his room without knocking and said with dismay, "Yang, we have to take a car that is spacious at the back and not your sports car!"

"I have one, don't worry about it." Yang had assured her then. At first, her frantic and worried state was entertaining to him, but it happened again and again.

At the night of the twentieth, Mei Li and Yang had received news from Trisha that her condo was done and she can move back anytime after tomorrow. Yang was disappointed; he wanted more time with Mei Li. Yang thought she would gladly go back, but then she knocked on his door that night to ask, "Yang, can I stay in your guest room?"

"Oh?" This surprised Yang. She had been somewhat conservative; they haven't shared a room nor did they kiss deeply yet. When he heard her, he knew that there must be a reason.

"I want to offer my condo to my mentor in case he doesn't have a place yet."

How can he assure her that her mentor is cared for by Chang Min without telling her the truth? He can't say that's why Yang touched his nose helplessly. Of course, the whipped husband could only agree, "...Sure."

One day, on their way to go to work at Y Building. Yang was driving and happened to pass an art store. Mei Li had immediately asked, "Yang, may we stop to buy art materials for my Mentor?"

Yang almost rolled his eyes, "... Sure."

He is her new boyfriend, damn it! Why isn't she asking things for him? Things that are good for them like kissing, going on dates, and kissing. They need to kiss, damn it!

Later that day, Yang was once again asked something he doesn't know how to respond. Mei Li, who was cutting a carrot, had stop midway to ask him, "Yang, what food do you think my Mentor will like?"

"...I don't know."

"Maybe he wouldn't be averse to Chinese food." Mei Li said to him without looking on his way.

"...I don't know." Yang touched his nose, helpless. He was already too nervous to meet the Bonaparte in disguise that he can't respond well to Mei Li's concern. Yang hated that she cared less for him than her mentor.

On the fated day of the twenty-seventh, Yang was dressed his best with hair slicked back and fragrance neutral. Mei Li knocked on his door and peeked her little head in while asking, "Yang, are you still available to fetch my mentor at the airport?"

"Sure..." Yang spread his arms to show him all dressed up as if he was meeting a president. If Mei Li forgot, he was a president/CEO of his own company too. The fact that she had been so worried about her mentor had not gone well with his pride. He had become friends with the green-eyed monster named Jealousy for the past two weeks.

Mei Li shockingly helped him with his cufflinks. Her small hands were tactile with little brushing of their skin. She spoke while she adjusted parts of his suit to tidy the little wrinkles, "You look amazing than usual. Thank you for understanding. My mentor has been like a father to me."

Yang wanted to touch his nose because he wanted to shout the truth in her ears. The words 'He is your father with a realistic mask of someone's face' was on the tip of his tongue ready to be uttered but his teeth clenched and remained silent, out of respect to Chang Min.

The ride to the airport was smooth sailing, but Yang felt it was the scariest than any roller coaster ride. He was not only meeting his girlfriend's father but also a Bonaparte, a politician, a man capable of martial arts, a man who would rather shoot him first, and a man that survived with a terrorist group behind his back. Yang was a prideful CEO, but in comparison to the experience of Bonaparte, he was just a baby. Jerome Bonaparte lives each day without assurance that he would be alive to meet the next.

Yang stood beside Mei Li, body stiff and his face tensed with anxiousness. Their wait did not last for long because people began walking out of the luggage claim area and into the receiving space. Yang could be likened to a post since he remained immovable especially when a hunched back old man with a walking stick and a grey beard arrived together with a man rolling their luggage.

Unbeknown to them, a tall man with blonde hair and blue eyes watched them from the shadows. His eyes glinted with malice. It seems that Miss Wu had connections with France. He grinned when he saw the Zhao's car without guards.

Meanwhile, Mei Li ran towards the old man and kissed his cheeks before talking in French rapidly. Yang saw the happiness in her eyes which made him realize that he still has a long way of wooing her to cause the same amount of joy.

After a while, Mei Li beaconed Yang to them and introduced him with a happy grin, "Mentor Alfonsi, this is my boyfriend, Yang."

Yang offered his hand for a handshake, "Nice to meet you. I am Zhao Ya-" "You mustn't hurry too much, Dear. You're still young. You can choose someone younger than him." The old man interrupted by talking to Mei Li and ignoring Yang while subtly glaring at the CEO with young but tired eyes.

Both men did not expect the words that came out of her lips, "Yang is the only man I'll choose."