Meilei paused and stared at him long and hard. Her stubborn side wanted to tell him to buy her something gold and sparkly then, but her heart couldn’t bring her to say the words. Somehow, his buying her jewelry was worse for her emotions than his buying her clothes. It seemed more personal and something she might attach sentimental value to and wear daily. Seeing it on her would make Meilei sick. Especially as jewelry was something he often surprised her with back then. She still had a hidden box she hadn’t been able to open in five years that held all the treasures he had once gifted her. The mere sight of them had been too painful.
“I want to see it on .. go try it.” He commanded, serious and blank-faced, and Meilei glowered at him.
“I hate you,” Meilei muttered under her breath, reaching around to grapple to reach it and stormed into the dressing room. She was angrily wriggling to get it unhooked before she disappeared inside.
Kai shook his head and exhaled. His mood wasn’t great, and he dreaded dinner with his father after this because he knew the main topic would be his marriage. His parents were applying pressure as he got older, and his father especially had to bring it up anytime he saw him. He was stubborn and headstrong, wanting his remaining children to produce grandkids. More so since losing his youngest child. So far, Neither Minhui nor Kai had any interest in settling down.
He had flown in this afternoon for an update on the West side projects they had in process, including OTS, which meant letting Meilei loose first. Much earlier than he intended.
To return to her ‘someone.’
That thought made him scowl.
Turning to wander off and browse, he checked his watch. He was already bored. Shopping was not his thing, even for himself.
Kai wandered to a row of jackets and glanced around to see if they had any menswear. Seeing nothing, he turned and casually strolled to suits once more and flicked a couple to the side, mentally picturing Meilei in them. He was having fun using her as a dress-up doll lately, and the more uncomfortable and restrictive-looking the outfit, the better. He had seen her wearing everything he had bought already, and she needed more, as none of it was hindering her ability to run around on command. Not even those deathtrap shoes he knew Meilei of the past had never favored.
Looking down at a grey pinstriped set, he flinched as a tiny head popped out between the pant legs and almost headbutted him in the knee. A small, chubby-cheeked, mischievous grin on a dainty face bubbled up at him with an infectious giggle.
“Boo. I found you!” The girl stared at him, and Kai faltered.
“You again? So you can talk!” he recognized her immediately. The cute kid from the toy store and he leaned down to chastise her.
This was another sparkly pink princess dress; this time, she had a fluffy bolero to match. Her hair was down and a silky veil to her shoulders, but she had one pink bow on her head as though dressed for a party. She was an unusually immaculate child for her age, and his gut said that this little girl liked to be this way daily. Yue pulled out her dolly from the clothing rack and held it up for him to see.
He vaguely recognized it as the one he helped her reach.
“So, who brought you to the mall if not your mommy?” Kai was starting to worry that this kid might be completely alone and had found her own way here. Only one or two other customers were browsing here, and neither seemed to be missing a child. They didn’t look like the parental types.
“Mr. Xuchen?” Meilei’s voice echoed his way, and he leaned up to see her coming out of the changing room in the dress he asked her to try. Struggling to walk as it was skin tight around her thighs and pissing her off. She looked around for him, and he let go of the kid to stand up and wave her way.
“Come here.” He motioned for her to come, ignoring that she was dressed in something seductive, knowing a woman would be less weird in helping this kid find her guardians. Children felt more at ease with them, and it seemed safer not to drag someone’s little girl around alone.
He got agitated when she threw him a questioning look without moving.
“I need you over here.” He repeated with a firmer tone, an angrier furrowed brow, and looked down to check on the little sparkly one.
Only she was gone.
Kai’s head darted side to side as he checked the floor around him and the aisle, and anxiety rose in his stomach. He leaned down, parted the clothes, thinking she had returned to her hiding place, and ducked in, but there was no sign of her.
Kai was mildly panicked, growing in heaviness by the second, and stood to forcefully separate the hangers on the rack. Pushing them wide and finding nothing, he moved to the next and checked.
“Yes, sir, how can I help?” the young girl smiled politely as she reached his aisle.
Meilei was wandering his way too, slow and with difficulty, given that her legs were bound, and she seemed annoyed that he was making her parade around in a short dress with nothing much to it. She felt exposed.
“What’s going on?” Meilei had only caught the tail end of the conversation and followed his erratic pulling and storming around. Watching him frantically search.