93 Would rather die...

Upon reaching inside the house, Mr. Xie looked around for a minute before turning to face her. He could recall the last time he had been here. Maybe he had been exceptionally harsh that day towards her father. But he had been on an arrogant ride because of his recently acquired high society status. The new money had brought him bigger aspirations, especially for his son. If he was given a choice again, he would probably handle it differently today!

"I know you are tired and I don't want Tang's breakfast to get cold as well, so will keep this conversation short. I am aware that you have stayed away from my son all these years and even kept the information about your divorce from him when that could have become a roadblock to his marriage. What I want right now is for you to continue on the same path. With this accident, there may be…err, a time in near future when you may have to uh...pretend towards him temporarily. But you must remember that he belongs to someone else now. And by the looks of it, you seem to have other options available as well," he said the last line, hinting at her relation with Wei.

Jia Li couldn't believe her ears. How dare he come here, make assumptions about her and insult her yet again. Had it not been enough five years ago?

"Even if I hadn't remembered, your daughter in-law's behaviour from an hour ago was enough of a reminder for me to stay away from the illustrious and the ever polite Xie family. But I am confused. Are you here to ask for my help as and when Tang needs it or are you here to inform me that I should help but shouldn't ask for anything in return? Please don't worry. I have no intentions of cashing upon someone's affection, especially when he is unwell. Nor do I believe in encroaching on another person's marital life, no matter what. As for whether I have someone in my life or not, I believe it is none of your business," her eyes breathed fire belying her polite tone.

Mr. Xie was taken aback at her demeanour but decided not to push things further. He found himself on a slight back foot at the moment.

"I am glad that we understand each other clearly," with that he left.

She sank into her chair and brought her trembling hands in the front. While talking to him, she had clenched them tightly behind her back. Angry tears washed her cheeks. She wiped them away with an impatient flick of her hand.

"Hello aunty, this is Mei Zhen. How are you doing?" the call had been made to Wei's mother, standing in the hospital's corridor.

Mrs. Wang was a force to reckon with in the business world for a long time now. She had inherited the coveted fashion magazine publication company from her father and had been its successful heir for many years now. In fact she considered herself superior to her husband who hadn't been as successful in the past, unlike her. She never let him forget the fact that he had accepted Mr. Xie's investment in his business after a bout of bad decisions on his part.

Being a businesswoman herself, Mei Zhen knew that a bad deal is something which every corporate abhorred. All she had to do was convince Mrs.Wang that Jia Li was a terrible prospect for her one and only son. She was sure that after being surrounded by the top notch society belles, Mrs. Wang would never accept a commoner like Jia Li.

She herself couldn't tolerate Jia Li's presence anywhere near her husband, even if it was through her association with Wei. It was a horrifying thought to imagine having to interact with Jia Li as a social equal if she managed to snare Wei's affection. Hence the call to his mother.

Ethan entered Tang's room. Mrs. Xie looked at him uncertainly, wondering how to introduce him.

Right then, Chu came in and said, "big brother, this is Ethan, a journalist friend of mine. He is visiting here for some work and dropped in to see you."

Tang smiled at Ethan warmly and said, "why don't I chat up with your friend while you take Mom and get her to eat something. At this rate, she will also need a bed right next to mine."

Mrs. Xie protested but Chu understood her brother's unspoken request. She dragged her mother away from the room.

"How are you feeling now? You caused my fiancée a sleepless night. This all better work out else…" Ethan said with mock seriousness.

"I know and I am really thankful to the both of you. I couldn't have pulled it off by myself. I know you didn't say it but you both were worried about my safety. But she is my sister. I couldn't allow to have both of you in the car with me when I banged it. I would rather die before letting any harm come to her," Tang said.