227 Engagemen

"Good, that's good. I didn't want to meet him as well," Jia Li told herself.

By the time she reached home, she was in a snit. She didn't want to analyse the reason for it too closely, maybe she was too tired.

"Oh you are here, dear. What a hard working girl you are, keeping such long hours! But you should give equal importance to your personal life also. It is a shame that a handsome man has to wait for so long for his girl to come home," June, her 56 years old neighbour chided her when she climbed up the stairs towards her studio apartment.

Jia Li looked at her with a blank expression on her face.

"Oh, don't say that please. Had she come home on time, I would have missed out on the pleasure of your company and your wonderful tea," Tang's mischievous voice rang from behind June.

"Oh balderdash!! You are welcome here anytime you wish. I promise to bake you some walnut cookies next time," she said, part flirting, part blushing.

Jia Li looked from one to another.

"Is this the same stern faced matron who hardly acknowledges my greetings if ever we were to cross each other during the day? Tea??? She probably wouldn't have given me water, even if I was dying in front of her," Jia Li thought crossly.

"Ah… I guess you should go now," June said a little reluctantly, allowing Tang to go past her.

"Hi babe, had a good day?" he asked softly and planted a kiss on her forehead.

June sighed and shut her door before she did something silly like asking him to give one to her as well.

The minute her door was shut, Jia Li turned around and asked him, "what are you doing here?"

Tang gave her a wicked grin, the one which displayed his dimple to its maximum effect.

"Well, I had to come and wait for you here since you forbade me from picking you up from office. I guess my estimation went wrong in guessing your returning time. As a result, I had to endure the most horrid tea ever and boring company for more than an hour but…" he shrugged.

She put her finger on her lips immediately and whispered, "if she hears you, I will be thrown out of the place tonight itself."

Saying so, she dragged him along and opened the door to her tiny apartment.

"Mind your head," she cautioned him.

Tang entered what looked like a doll house. Everything was neat and orderly but cramped. There was hardly any place to move around. His heart ached terribly at the thought of her living here in such conditions, all by herself. But he quickly controlled his facial expressions.

"So, will it be alright if I sat on the bed, since the chair looks as if it won't hold my weight?" he asked cheekily.

She gave him a black look and nodded. Her stomach was grumbling and if he had been waiting for her for so long, he wouldn't have had dinner either. Switching on the induction stove, she put out some noodles to boil. She could feel his eyes on her. Ignoring him, she went to the bathroom and swiftly changed out of the work clothes, freshened up. Donning her pyjamas, she came out. The noodles were almost ready. She turned to face him and tell him to wash his hands…

Tang was fast asleep??? She crept up to see if he was pretending but his gaping mouth and soft snores couldn't have been fake. He would have probably died of mortification than been caught snoring. Jia Li tried to hold in her laughter which was bubbling up inside her.

Putting a hand on her mouth, she moved back slowly and went to shut the induction stove.

"What? You can't be serious. This is great news. Many congratulations. When are you coming back. This calls for a huge celebration," Hui exclaimed in the phone.

Eric had called him to inform that he was getting engaged the next day, to his long term girlfriend, Melissa. He had urgently left for America two days ago because Melissa's father was terminally ill and wanted to see his only child married before death took him away. As a result, they had decided to hold the engagement asap.

Eric informed him that he would be back within the next three days. Hui put down the phone and found his thoughts straying towards a particular woman, the one who had started to invade his life in more ways than one.

There was something which was troubling her for the past few days. She was either sad or lost in her thoughts. He was feeling powerless for the first time in his life. He wished that there was some formula which he could concoct to take away her troubles.

First step - find what's bothering her!!