195 Training

August 6, 20XX (Tuesday)

Various Places

Today was Mei Li's birthday; Yang had been so busy with his preparation for the proposal that he had not thought about anything to do for her birthday. Zhao Yang cursed his one-track mind and hastily tried to look for wonderful restaurants that she hadn't tried yet. He knows how much a foodie she was so it wouldn't be too hard to spoil her with food.

His hunched back as he scrolled on his phone while sitting on the bed, made Mei Li noticed of his suspicious activities. She slid beside him, surprising him and making him jump. He almost dropped his phone if not for the bed catching it, his phone's screen would have been in pieces. Mei Li grinned at him, "What are you doing?"

Yang pushed Mei Li into the bed and trapped her within his arms, placing kisses all over her face as he did some push-ups. Mei Li giggled with every kiss then counted everytime he pushes himself upwards. He has successfully distracted her.

After counting to thirty, Yang stopped as he made his way to the bathroom to get ready for the day. He showered, shaved his beard away, and dressed himself all in a span of twenty minutes. When he went out of the bathroom, he was horrified the Mei Li was playing with his phone. He cursed himself for being stupid again. He knew she would not forget about it that easily.

"Mei Li, you silly woman." Yang's deep voice rumbled against the silence of the room. Mei Li look up with a grin that looked so innocent that he almost believed her. This woman was a wolf in sheep's clothing.

Mei Li pouted, "Why are you looking for restaurants? Are you taking anybody perhaps? Is this someone I know? Is it a woman?"

Yang chuckled as he flicked her forehead, careful not to make a red spot, and said, "This is for your birthday, you beautiful woman. Did you forget that today is your birthday?"

Mei LI raised her right eyebrow and deadpanned, "I am not supposed to know my birthday. I am an 'orphan,' am I not?"

Yang's body frozen and all the color of his face drains as he blanched white in horror. This was the con of knowing everything; you sometimes forget that some people weren't in the know-how about something. Yang did not know what else to do but stand there looking like a fish out of the water.

Mei Li sighed and rescued him, "I want to eat in some fancy steakhouse. Take me there? Just the two of us?"

Zhao Yang beamed at her with a broad and dazzling smile. He knows she was dying to know more about her past, but he loves her for understanding his inability to tell her the truth in fear of being killed by someone. She was such an understanding woman that he fears people might use this against her. When Yang remembered her wild nature, he erased his doubts instantly.

"Where are you going today?" Yang asked as Mei Li packed notebooks on her handbag with some pens that she had stolen in his office. Yang did not tell her the worth of those pens, knowing she would return them if she knew.

"Mother Zhao told me she was going to start training me..." Mei Li said with a shrug. She didn't know what it was the Mother Zhao was teaching her, but when she used her authority as a member of the Xing family, Mei Li had been too intimidated to say no.

Yang remained silent throughout the ride to Zhao Manor. Although, his lips had a smirk large enough to make him look like a serial killer. Mei Li had been half tempted to call him a maniac.

Yang then went to his company after she was safely inside the house. Mei Li was immediately gathered into the arms of Mother Zhao. They talked about each other's health for a while before Mother Zhao straightened up and said, "I called you here to show you what the Xing family hides underneath the cover of the large empire the Zhao conglomerate has."

This words from the nearest noble heiress to the throne, made Mei Li confused and excited to know more. Mother Zhao lead her to the basement, where the game room was. A hidden compartment behind a painting had a hidden button to be pressed, making the game room shift and move as the place Mei Li was standing on was switched into a dark filled dungeon-like room. Mei Li was instantly reminded with the warehouse that Yang and his friends had as a base of their control in the black market. Mother and Son were not too far in their tastes.

Arriving from their long walk from a narrow hallway, Mei Li was amazed that she was not huffing and puffing like before. Her training with Chang Min gave her more stamina, which is an amazing feat in her book. When Mother Zhao opened the door, Mei Li gapped at the sizeable underground warehouse that had many traditional Chinese books, scrolls, pieces of furniture, porcelains originating from a period long, long ago. Totaling everything inside, these must worth more than a fortune.

"This is the last remaining things of the treasury of the imperial family." Mother Zhao's words brought the inner geeks in Mei Li. Suddenly, Mother Zhao's world opens to Mei Li as she said, "You will be the next Zhao matriarch after me. You will bare not only the Zhao name but also mine. Remember, marrying my son immediately guarantees you noble standing. This will not be an easy task to accomplish. That is why I ask you for time every day so I can train you how to deal with people properly."

Mei Li nodded. She needed to learn to be a socialite because she will inevitably deal with many people in the future.