"Mi Lu," Yang Zi blurted after she finished unwrapping the painting. She turned and stared at him suspiciously.
"Yes, she is the one," Yifeng said, staring at the painting. The painting reminded him of how happy the three of them normally played around the entire flower field. He could recall how happy they were, but sad ones replaced all those happy memories when she died. Her death dealt a tremendous blow on him. He only survived by luck.
"From the first time I saw her picture on the internet, I knew she was pretty, but why do I feel like she is prettier here?" Yang Zi asked, sounding jealous. "You spent a lot of time making her look so beautiful. Why is that?" Yang Zi asked, giving Yifeng a suspicious glare.
"Does she look prettier here? I never noticed," Yifeng said, his gaze on the painting. He could read jealousy over her. He really loved seeing her like this. It made him feel like she loves him dearly and that she is not willing to share her man with any other woman.
"Did you spend so much time to make your first love prettier so she won't get mad at you?" Yang Zi said, taking slow but steady steps towards him. Yifeng walked backwards as she approached him.
"I... I...," Yifeng stammered, as he kept walking backwards.
"Why do I feel you purposely showed me her painting to brag about how much you loved her?" Yang Zi asked her gaze on Yifeng, whose back was now pressing against the wall with no escape route.
"You know that is not true. It's just a coincidence that her painting was the one you picked," Yifeng defended himself meekly.
"Since you loved your first love, tell, is she the first woman to have a taste of your delicious lips?" Yang Zi asked. She did not give heed to Yifeng's words.
"No, she isn't. Some weird girl stole my first kiss away from me," Yifeng replied, staring into her eyes. The way they stood at the moment made him recall how some bold girl who was chased by thugs kissesd him out of the blues just to evade her pursuers.
"She isn't the one?" Yang Zi asked in surprise. "So somebody else tainted my man's lips? Tell me who that gutsy girl is?" Yang Zi asked boldly.
"She is no other than this beautiful damsel standing before me. She is the gutsy girl who dared to taint the lips of an innocent boy back then," Yifeng said, as he quickly turned around and made her stand in his former position.
"Me!" Yang Zi asked in total bewilderment as she pointed her index finger at herself. "The first time I have ever set my eyes on you physically was the first time I set foot into your office, so how is that possible?" Yang Zi asked, still in awe. She did not believe what Yifeng said.
"Do you remember when I asked you what is the craziest thing you've ever done when we played the whisper game in your apartment when I got shot?" Yifeng asked curiously, his gaze focused on her.
"How could I not recall the game we played back then? I can recall that was the first time I felt genuinely happy after a long while, and that day was the first time we talked and played like friends," Yang Zi relayed smiling. She always laughed her heart out whenever she reminisced about that day.
"Yes, that day was also the day I felt genuinely happy. If I am allowed to choose whether or not to still get shot that day. I will choose to get shot a thousand times and your apartment will also be the one I will also choose because that day made me realise that my hot-tempered Secretary was a rare gem. An angel in human form," Yifeng praised, as he caressed her face affectionately.
"And I would also choose to treat your injuries because that day holds a special meaning for me," Yang Zi said, stroking his face too.
"Do you still recall the answer you gave me for that question I asked you?" Yifeng asked meekly.
"The craziest thing I have ever done was when I kissed a guy I have never met before on the road just to evade my pursuers," Yang Zi said, staring at his face inquiringly. "That was my reply right?" Yang Zi asked when Yifeng did not speak.
"Yes, that was your reply?" Yifeng paused. This further aroused Yang Zi's curiosity.
"What does my answer has to do with how you accused me of stealing your first kiss?" Yang Zi asked curiously. She was so eager to hear what shocking revelation Yifeng had to make.
"What will you say if I tell you I am the one you molested that day?" Yifeng said, staring at the stunned Yang Zi whose mouth had now dropped open.
"That is impossible, or is it not?" Yang Zi asked, staring at Yifeng in bewilderment. Never in her wildest imagination had she thought that she will set eyes on the strange boy she randomly kissed.
I now understand why people always say that this world is small. For destiny to have made me crossed path with him, she agrees with the adage which states that "This world is a small world".
"Don't move a muscle. I have evidence to show you of how you took advantage of the innocent me back then," Yifeng said, as he hurried to where a painting was kept at the extreme right corner of the room. Without wasting time, he tore the wrapping paper at once. He hurried back to meet her afterwards.
"Inspect this painting and tell me you are not the one," Yifeng said, holding the painting for her to look at.
Yang Zi stared at the painting with keen interest. A mixture of surprise and shock visible on her face. She could still vividly recall what happened that day.
After stabbing the Mafia leader whom she befriended just to avenge ten ladies whom he brutally raped and afterwards murdered. She had escaped from his heavily guarded Mansion after successfully killing ten of his men who tried to capture her. The remaining of his men had pursued her, and she had to run for her dear life.
Just when she thought all hopes were lost for her, she saw a guy standing in between the gap of two buildings. Without wasting a second, she hurriedly loosened her hair and rushed towards the oblivious boy. Yang Zi kissed him without even asking for his permission.
She could still remember she was nineteen years old and in her last year in the university back then. She had a lot of experience on how to kiss and flirt with men, so she used her skills on the innocent boy.
When she released him after the thugs left, she was surprised to see the guy all stiff and in shock. She didn't bother to even stare at his face; she ran off instantly after apologising.
"To have recalled all these trivial details in this painting, you are a superb artist with no doubt. In fact, I have always known that you were a superb artist when I saw your painting collection called 'MOTHER'S LOVE' in an exhibition house three years ago. I remember shedding tears after seeing how you portrayed the sacrifices mothers make for their children. It reminds me about the ultimate sacrifice my birth mum made just to keep me alive," Yang Zi said, as tears whelmed up in her eyes.
She recalled the story her grandmother told her about how her biological mother insisted on giving birth to her, despite the doctor's warning that she was going to die if she did not abort the baby. Even though her mother did not meet her, she had said for her beloved baby to live she was more than willing to sacrifice her life for her, and she did.
"All parents are wonderful. Some parents will go to any length for their children. Mother's love collection was a theme I came up with to celebrate mother's day. It was my little way to show mothers that despite not voicing it out that we love them deeply," Yifeng said soberly.
He dropped the painting and moved closer to her to clean her tears. He did not need to ask her questions to know how she felt. Although he did not know what happened, he understood her silent tears.
"I said no tears today. I will castigate you if you break the rules again," Yifeng said, embracing her.
The story of his family's butler's wife whom his mother narrated to him inspired him to paint the mother's love collection. He drew ten different paintings of the many sacrifices that mothers make to celebrate how wonderful and significant mothers are to their children. He drew the painting when he was 13 years old and the collection won a lot of awards. The painting held a powerful message, so he wasn't surprised to hear that it was still in existence after all these years.
"Ok, I promise I won't cry again," Yang Zi said, forcing a smile on. She wasn't the type of lady to easily shed tears but she could not control her emotions today. Everything Yifeng showed her today brought back her memories. Memories that held so much importance to her.