After her husband's death, Marta was struggling with the restaurant. That was when she met Nian Tian for the first time. She was like an angel to her. She bought her restaurant, giving it a new life.
Marta saw her struggle not only with the restaurant but with her life. The way she dealt with everything; it was clear to Marta that she was in the outside world like this for the first time. She was hurt from inside. She was like an emotionless robot.
She was a pure-hearted, hard-working soul, struggling alone. She needed someone to love her, to look after her.
**
"Thank you for your vote on my side." Mu Yuehan smiled and took out a pen from his shirt pocket. He then wrote down his number on a napkin.
"Can you pass her my number?"
"What an old fashion way?" Marta mocked. "Why don't you give her your number by yourself?"
Mu Yuehan looked at her with a dreamy gaze. "Sometimes, it's fun to do things in the old way."
"Crazy." Marta chuckled and picked up the napkin.
Marta entered the kitchen and passed the napkin to Nian Tian. "He sent his number for you."
Nian Tian fumed angrily. She picked up the napkin and tore it into a million pieces, imagining that she was tearing him and his smile into pieces.
"What have you done Nian Tian?" Marta gasped and looked at the napkin. She then grinned and produced another piece of napkin. "He knew you'd tear the first one, so he wrote his number on two napkins."
"God no." Nian Tian groaned.
"I am again telling you; you should give him a chance. He is such a good man. He…"
"If he is such a good man then why don't you give his number to your daughter?" Nian Tian interrupted her. "Marry is coming back, isn't she? I am sure she will love to have a boyfriend like Zhan Wei."
"Nah, he is not for her. Marry is rowdy, a bad boy in the attire of a girl but that man is…what should I say, I think he is an angel. I could see slyness in his eyes but not in a bad way. I feel that he has a heart of gold." Marta talked about Mu Yuehan with a dreamy gaze. Nian Tian rolled her eyes.
"If he is so good then marry him. But stop troubling me." She snatched the napkin from the hand of Marta and again tore it into many pieces.
**
"Have you saved my number?"
Mu Yuehan asked Nian Tian on their way back to their apartment.
"Why should I? You are a stranger to me and I do not save the number of strangers on my phone." Nian Tian replied arrogantly. Mu Yuehan looked at her with amazement filled expression.
Girls died to get his number on their phone and this girl….! Hash! One day he would have his number saved on her phone for sure.
"You should save it. What if you get in any trouble? You see these streets are not safe for you. If you have my number, you can call me anytime." Mu Yuehan spoke in a matter-of-fact tone.
"Are they dangerous?" she asked.
"Yes, they are very dangerous."
And the next second, Nian Tian pulled out a pepper spray from her bag and sprayed it on the eyes of Mu Yuehan. It all happened in the blink of an eye that Mu Yuehan was not able to protect himself.
"You…" Mu Yuehan gritted his teeth and covered his eyes, feeling irritation and burning.
"I know how to protect myself from every danger."
He rubbed his eyes. He blew air on his handkerchief and pressed it on his eyes to give them some relief. When he opened his eyes, Nian Tian was long gone.
"Women, this woman…" he gritted under his breath and then chuckled. "My women, she is my women. She knows how to protect herself."
**
Mu Yuehan made it his routine to follow after Nian Tian in the morning and then during the night. Nian Tian was hell irritated by his presence, especially his noisy mouth which never kept quiet.
Like a tape recorder, she had heard many things from his mouth repeatedly. So many times she wished to tape his mouth, to shut it.
By now, she knew his favourite food was food cooked by her. His favourite colour was red because she looked good in it. His favourite place of vacation was Juju island because here he saw her.
She knew all his favourites and they all started and ended with her.
How cliché!
"Don't your boss say anything to you when you arrive late at your work or when you leave before your working hours are over?" Nian Tian questioned. Her tone was full of vexation.
"Why will he, when he knows I am pursuing the love of my life?"
And here it came, his megawatt smile. Nian Tian shook her head and turned her face away before his smile could again affect her.
"You should stop wasting your time. You are not going to get any success in it."
"And says who?"
"Me. I am not weak. I am not going to be a fool in your hands. I know your type of man. You all only know how to hurt a woman."
Mu Yuehan felt rage pulsing in his chest when he heard her. Was she ignoring him because she compared him with other men? Could she not see that he was very determined to pursue her, he was true to her?
The fire burnt in his eyes.
"I don't know what type of man you have seen in the past but I am not them. I will not stop pursuing you. My feelings are sincere for you." He gritted his teeth. He held on the shoulders of Nian Tian and turned her toward himself. "Nian Tian, I like you. I like you very much. Mark it in your mind, I am not the one to throw 'like' word at anyone."
He then placed his hand over his heart. "My heart is crazy about you and I will do anything in my power to make your heart crazy for me. Good night, have my dreams."
With that said, Mu Yuehan made his way toward his apartment, leaving Nian Tian alone with her thoughts.
Nian Tian clenched her fist and looked in the direction where he went. Her heart was thumping hard in her chest.
Her heart and mind both conflicted, not knowing what to do after his confession. He looked so faithful and true to her; his confession felt true!!
But what to do, she was scared! Her experience with men and love was not good!