229 Dinner and unexpectedly more...

Wrong flat!

She stepped inside and then went out again to confirm that it was her house. How was this possible? She had left an ordinary looking apartment at 7:30 this morning. How did it transform into this miniscule version of a trendy upscale place. The entire setting had been changed to put in a lot of new stuff yet look more spacious than before. The bed had been replaced, and a new comfortable one with a gorgeous coverlet sat there, inviting her to sink in. The appliances were brand new, so were the fittings.

A post-it was stuck at the new full length mirror, next to the bed. It said – Thank You!

She didn't know whether to get angry at his presumptuous behaviour or be touched by his thoughtfulness. She opened the fridge and found it stocked with all possible options for someone who lived without a functional kitchen. He had spent a great deal of thought on what to order.

There was another post-it inside, which said – You need to eat healthy!

She grinned and took out a bottle of freshly squeezed orange juice from there. Chugging some, she opened her closet to survey the options to wear that night. Taking out a black halter dress, she went to the washroom to get ready. The mirror in there had been replaced with a new one. It had lights fitted at the back.

The last post-it note had been stuck right in the centre of the mirror – You are gorgeous!

Standing there, she imagined him writing the note and sticking it in here for her to find. There was something deliciously intimate about the whole scenario. That evening, she didn't need to use any blush on her cheeks. The colour of consciousness was refusing to abate from her face. She pulled her hair into a messy chignon, highlighting the bare gleaming back. Leaving her ears unadorned, she wore a simple bracelet on her right hand. Adding some gloss to her lips, she walked into the cloud of her favourite perfume.

Jia Li reached the swanky place where Tang had invited her for dinner. It was a formal dining restaurant, famous for its chef's bold, fusion meals.

He was sitting by the window seat and got up when he saw her enter the room. Dressed formally, he had taken some time to coif his otherwise careless wavy hair. His eyes showed their appreciation when they took in her appearance.

Guiding her to her seat, his hand left a warm imprint at the bare back.

"Thank You"

"Thank You"

The two of them looked at one another and spoke the words in unison.

She forged ahead and said, "thank you for your attention towards my health and comfort. The place looks amazing."

Tang's heart was joyed by the fact that she recognised his thoughts behind putting together the list of things which he wanted in her flat. He was also grateful that she hadn't rejected or reprimanded him for doing it.

"I am glad you liked it. Thank you for accepting the gift. Before anything else, I want you to know that I am really sorry for last night. The events from the previous two evenings caught up with me and led me to err, falling asleep at your place. I am really embarrassed," he said sincerely.

"I am sure you are embarrassed. But if you think that by saying sorry, I would delete that video and let you go scot-free, you are sadly mistaken. I have been thinking about how to use it best and in the most effective manner," she replied impishly.

Tang looked at the naughty gleam in those bewitching green eyes and couldn't help himself. He reached for her hand which was placed at the table. He turned it and pressed a moist kiss on the inside of her palm. He could hear her sharp intake of breath. She withdrew her hand quickly and placed it demurely in her lap. Looking at her struggling to stay impassive, he took mercy on her and changed the topic.

"I got introduced to Zheng He recently. He is my maternal aunt's son. Ever since mom started mingling with her side of the family, we have been getting exposed to a new set of cousins almost every week. I didn't know that she had a huge set of cousins. You should see how my father dreads the weekends now," he started to speak with a smile.

He had her attention.

"I met Zheng He nearly the same time, when I got to know your whereabouts. He approached me for advice for his recently started business. I saw an opportunity and decided to invest. The idea to collaborate with Earthly Matters was his, the finance was mine. As per the original plan, only he was going to visit you guys but he got nervous at the last minute since this was his first big investment and he wanted another pair of eyes to help him analyse his decision," Tang explained.