Chapter 13 - Dinner (2)

In the dining hall, the faces of Long Jie's grandparents appeared to be cold and distant. They both had grey-white hair and ageing lines next to their almond-shaped eyes.

They stared at her unimpressed, and she was suddenly conscious of her appearance.

Long Jie bowed and greeted them while Song Luli mimicked his movements. "Hello," she said to them.

Grandmother Long gave her a long, weighing look before she asked, "You're Long Jie's wife?"

"Yes. I'm Song Luli," she confirmed.

"A Song?" Grandmother Long said more than questioned, and Song Luli couldn't tell what she thought.

Long Jie then gestured her to take a seat across him from the table, so she sat next to his mother.

Some of the servers stopped by and starting to give them the courses of their meals. It didn't occur to Song Luli that only six people would be present. She wondered why others have not attended.

Silence filled the room thick like smoke, and she hoped that someone would speak and grant mercy out of her misery.

Grandmother placed a mouthful of fish soup in her mouth before saying, "Are you in school, Song Luli?"

"I just graduated," she answered promptly.

"Oh?" said Grandmother Long. "What did you graduate from?"

"Business Management," Song Luli responded.

"Mhm," Grandmother Long said, unimpressed. "My Long Jie has two degrees in Information Technology Management and Mechanical Engineering."

Song Luli wasn't sure how to respond. Long Jie is, indeed, impressive when it came to academia, but she studied business management because her family ran an entertainment company. But then perhaps it was the Entertainment Industry that his grandmother wasn't particularly fond of.

Silence filled the space between them again, awkwardly, until Long Jie's grandmother continued to press, "I hear your mother is a lawyer."

"Attorney and Managing Partner," Song Luli corrected. Her mother was the owner of a Law Firm with over twenty years of experience; she didn't want Long Jie's grandmother to think that she was anything less, though being a lawyer was a high position itself.

Grandmother Long paused, narrowing her eyes due to Song Luli's slight impertinence.

"Do you play the piano?" Grandmother Long asked.

Song Luli was taken aback; she smiled grimly at her and said, "I am not very good."

Grandmother Long gave her an assessing look. "You don't play the piano? But you're part of the Entertainment Industry? Do you not have any talents associated with it?" She asked.

Song Luli curled her fingers into fists, pursing her lips. "I mainly focus on producing films and the managing aspect of the company. I oversee everyone," she began. "I can play the piano, but I'm not very good at it."

"Show me, then," Grandmother Long said.

"I can't."

"As I thought. How can a girl with no talent inherit the company? I heard your sister was—"

"Enough," Long Jie interrupted. Song Luli flinched, but when she glanced at him, he wasn't looking at her. For a moment, she thought that his anger directed at her. But his brows knitted, and his pale-blue eyes darkened as he stared at his grandmother disdainfully.

"Song Entertainment is a well-respected company that passed down for generations. They have maintained integrity within the industry from lack of scandals and rumours, and I have no doubt, now, that Song Luli would boost quality film productions," Long Jie said.

Song Luli's eyes widened as Grandmother Long tapped her fingers along the table, having a quiet battle with her grandson.

Song Luli pursed her lips, abruptly standing. She then walked towards the white grand piano, sitting on the bench. She ensured the lid was propped; the music rack held music sheets, and she lightly brushed the keys beneath her fingertips.

Song Luli wanted to ease the tension of the night. Even if she embarrassed herself, it was better than trying to recover the mood. She tapped the keys, and her slender fingers and feet on the pedals began to produce music that resonated in the air. Though she followed the sheet music, there were some notes she missed or played off-key. She didn't sound terrible, but it wasn't a sound that rang as beautiful as experienced pianists.

Half-way, Song Luli didn't realize that Long Jie stood from his chair until she saw him step to the side of the piano.

"I thought you said you didn't play," he said low and deep.

Song Luli smiled, missing a note on the spot due to the distraction. "I don't play well," she said, emphasizing the last word, fully stopping. She glanced up at him, and it stunned her. Though he wasn't smiling, Long Jie's face appeared soft, almost as if he was trying to understand her, but couldn't.

"You're not bad. But some parts need some work," Long Jie said. But there wasn't teasing in his tone; he sounded genuine as if he wanted her to improve.

He then sat next to her on the piano bench, and she shifted to the other end. He placed a foot on the pedal, and he began to play the same piece she was playing, but it sounded perfect.

"How did you learn?" she asked, watching his graceful hands.

Without missing a chord, he said, "When I was a child, I spent most of my summers at my aunt's house, and she taught me to play. Though I prefer the violin."

Song Luli pursed her lips. "How are you good at everything?" she asked him.

Long Jie's lips curled without glancing at her. "That's a common misconception," he said. "I'm not 'good' at everything. There are things I can't do well, but others can, and there are things I can do, but others can't. Either way, it balances."

He then stopped the music. "I'm sorry for what my grandmother said to you," he said low enough that the other's couldn't hear.

It surprised her.

Long Jie looked down at her with a serious expression, holding some underlying concern as he met her gaze.

"Beautiful," his mother said, applauding from the table, interrupting them. "You both did great, Luli and Jie," she said encouragingly.

Long Jie then rose from the piano bench with his hands in his pockets. Just as he started to walk away, he paused, lifting one of his hands from his pockets, holding it out for her to take it.

He waited until it clicked in her mind. She slipped from the piano bench as she took his hand, hesitantly at first, but then her fingers brushed him, and he held it.

He guided her back to the dinner table, almost announcing that she was his wife. His mother then began to ask her questions that didn't make her feel uncomfortable. The mood lightened as the night went on, and she realized a few things: Long Jie's parents were kind and light-hearted, but his grandparents weren't. She also wondered, just what kind of man she married?

He was respectful, and some parts of him were considerate.

It frustrated her that she still knew nothing about him, and she wondered why she even cared to know.

Song Luli parted ways with Long Jie's parents after hours, and they asked her to visit them at their home someday.

As much as she could manage, she also parted with his grandparents respectfully, but they kept mum.

Afterward, Long Jie drove them back to the house. On their way, she began to notice that the air between then felt more comfortable, not awkward and tense.

It was silent again until Long Jie said, "My grandparents never approved my mother," he said.

Song Luli faced him as he kept his attention towards the road ahead of them. "But your mother is a famous Fashion Designer. I see her brand everywhere," Song Luli said.

"Mhm," Long Jie answered. "But they never considered any other careers that didn't involve science and technology as 'real jobs,' but they're entirely wrong."

Song Luli smiled to herself. She was used to it. Many often assume that people in the Entertainment Industry went in because 'they weren't good at anything else,' but it required hard work and commitment, too. However, even Long Jie was able to respect her career, which made her happy.

At the house, it was dark and quiet. Long Jie flicked on the lights before going their separate ways. Song Luli felt awkward again. Should she tell him 'goodnight?' Does she keep walking towards the room and go about the night as if the evening never happened? What are they?

Internally, Song Luli felt like pulling her hair at the frustration.

Goddamn! She thought. Marriage was tough, but marriage with someone she barely knew was even harder.

She ascended the stairs with heavy legs until Long Jie paused, turning his neck slightly. "Goodnight," he said before walking down the east wing of the floor.

She was momentarily stunned. "Goodnight," she responded softly, suddenly realizing, they've made some progress towards a possible, unlikely friendship.