233 Not Psychic

Murmuring her acquiesce, she went to her work station.

"If you want to let a woman know that you care about her, you need to say that in a better phrased manner than you just exhibited. What I surmised from Jia Li's face is that she thinks you are overreacting and possibly for the wrong reasons. Nowhere in her head did she register that you said those words out of concern for her," Eric brought Hui's attention away from staring at Jia Li's retreating form.

"And I don't blame her. She is not psychic, who would have inroads to your private thoughts. What exactly have you done to make her come close to you during all these days while I was away?" he continued grilling Hui.

"I… well, she is now involved in each and every project which I am currently working on. And she is picking up the concepts really well. I have really exhibited patience in teaching her," Hui spoke with pride in his voice.

"Congratulations, you have found yourself a successor to the company. Nonsense! Are you grooming her to take over the business from you?" Eric reprimanded him severely.

With a disappointed nod, Eric continued his coaching, "my friend, you need to let the woman know how you feel about her, not through distorted, indirect actions. You ought to leave no doubt in her mind about your love for her. Whether she accepts those feelings or not is entirely up to her and of course, your persuasive powers."

At Hui's downturned expression, he eased up the pressure and said, "luckily for you, I am getting married."

Hui looked at him and said, "haven't you phrased that wrong? How am I lucky that you are getting married? In fact, I am worried that I may lose out on your full time devotion to Earthly Matters, once the lovely Melissa descends upon us."

"Which reminds me, how is her father doing? And what are the marriage plans?" he asked.

Eric was a touch sad when he said, "I have known Melissa's father for a very long time now. It was really sad to see him in the current state. Well, we are doing a quiet ceremony next week. No celebrations for now. Her father can't attend a church marriage and he doesn't have too much time left. So we have decided that we would hold the wedding reception later. As of now, only the two families would be in attendance. I came here to wrap up and delegate a few things before going back. A part of me was feeling guilty about leaving you behind in a sudden lurch."

Shrugging the melancholy, he said, "which is why I said that this is the right time. With me gone for a long period of time, use it as an excuse to emphasise upon the loneliness, ask her out to Tango again, take her for drives where she sings for you…you know what I mean."

He added a wink at the end of the last statement.

Hui laughed at his enthusiastic antics. He didn't think that he would ever be able to play the 'poor me lonely card' but they could go and attend a musical together or maybe an impromptu dinner. Yes, they could definitely do that.

Jia Li was humming a happy song under her breath when her phone rang.

"You are dead… you are so dead when I see you next. Or wait, do I even want to see you ever?" a dearly familiar voice shouted at the other end.

She teared up listening to Li Jie's scolding. Oops, he sounded REALLY angry. God! She had missed him.

For the next five minutes, she only heard him rant and scold her for being AWOL on him for the past many months. She had nothing to say in her defence so she only apologised sincerely.

"I think you know the reasons by now, don't you. I am sure that you would call me a coward for running away at the time but I swear that I felt as if my life was crashing all around me. Yes, Tang had betrayed me, hurt me but somewhere I had had enough of everyone and everything, including myself. I needed to breath without all of it weighing me down, needed to search for my true self, away from all the pressure, well-meaning and otherwise," she tried to put her feelings in words.

"Are you trying to tell me that I was also trying to pressurise you then? There is no need to play the sympathy card. I am not in a forgiving or understanding mode. Deng Chung and I have decided to disown you unless you come and visit us ASAP," he sniffed in the phone.

She smiled through tears and promised him that she would come visit them soon.