“Where are you going?” She turned on Meilei with a snappy tone and unveiled irritation. The group inside the small space stared, unsure why there was sudden hostility, and fell completely silent around them. Hushed whispers at the rear only added to Meilei’s growing anxiety.
“I was told to come see someone on this floor.” Meilei tried to sidestep, unsure why she was being this way, and she was blocked by Anna a second time.
“Who?” Anna’s stomach was clenching, and her nerves tightened, knowing she was causing a scene, but she couldn’t stop herself. She hadn’t slept in days, and this was making her crazy. Kai told her nothing after that night and that she should butt out, and now he was summoning his ex to his floor.
Anna stood clenching her jaw, tapping her nails on her cell, and watched her for a second before her feet propelled into action and let the elevator go.
“What a coincidence. That’s where I am going.” She announced after her, fakely cheerful, that she was changing her plans to return to her office and followed Meilei to Kai’s instead. She wasn’t about to leave them alone together for some cozy one-on-one time in her building.
Meilei walked quickly, aware she was being followed, and knocked directly on his closed door. The receptionist didn’t try and intervene, so she assumed she had been told Meilei was coming.
“Come in.” The familiar voice from the other side made Meilei stop to take a courage-finding breath and swallow down her nerves before she pushed it open to walk in, but Anna barged past her first. Making her stumble sideways and shoulder bang the wooden surface.
He was in no mood for whatever this was. His hands froze over his laptop, and he had to stop himself for a minute to self-cool before reacting.
Kai wasn’t in the mood to fight with Anna or deal with this hormonal tantrum, and he could see Meilei glancing the other woman’s way with an obvious expression of unease. As far as Meilei knew, according to office gossip, Anna was his current girlfriend, and Kai got a sense of smugness that maybe that would bother Meilei. Maybe letting Anna stay for a few minutes would set Meilei’s mood off.
“Whatever… Meilei, sit.” He dismissed Anna’s presence with a shrug, using it only as a weapon to put Meilei in her place, and knew what he had to talk about would get to Anna’s ears anyway. His sister would make sure of it.
Meilei shuffled sideways to the closest seat facing him and sat down, aware Anna was messing with coffee canisters and distracting her. She didn’t want her here even though she had no clue why Kai asked her to come. Anna seemed to be marking her territory loud and clear, even though Meilei knew she had nothing to fear. Kai would never look at Meilei with anything other than hatred for the rest of her life. It still sucked to see them together this way and confirm what she feared was true between them.
“Oh.” Meilei didn’t know what to say to that. She hadn’t expected this so soon.
“Dinner? On a weeknight? Without me being there?” Meilei was trying to process his request, finding only refusals lingering in her mouth. Her stress levels rose at the thought of Yue being subjected to meeting a room of strangers in a place she had never been without her there to look after her. Especially those strangers, that vile woman, and she squirmed in her seat.
Meilei’s face fell at the mention of that house. They still owned it after all these years, even though Yuelin died there. There was no way she would ever want to set foot back in it. The thought of it made her shudder.
Kai was staring at his laptop, avoiding both completely, and slammed it shut in annoyance.
He was on the losing side though, as his mother had always been a harsh and colder presence when it came to defying her wishes. She wanted to see Yue tomorrow night and would force her way regardless, even if it affected Yue. She had done many things in their youth that she perceived as beneficial for their family, which had hurt her children, and she was unapologetic about it even now they were grown.
He wouldn’t let her use the same methods to hurt his little girl. She hadn’t been raised in that environment and wouldn’t take it how he had as a child. Yue was sweet and sensitive and someone precious to him that he had to protect.
It was only Tuesday.
She might not accept it at all. His mother was raised rich, spoiled from birth, and had never been denied anything in her life. She didn’t take kindly to being told no.
Meilei stared at her lap, tying her fingers in knots, and thought it through while curbing the urge to tell him no right out.
Kai turned and stared at her with a weird ‘what are you talking about’ furrowed brow frown. Too incensed with her statement to give it an actual response. Anna was doing his head in.
Meilei shifted uncomfortably, wounded by what she said, and it swirled a heavy, bitter pang inside of her. She finally gazed at Anna with more strength than her normal shy persona allowed. Fuelled by something deep and heavy that had her almost fighting tears.
Maybe it was the admittance Kai loved her.
Girlfriends were not to be met until Meilei said so. She had to retain the security and stability of Yue’s life. She didn’t date and bring around men near her, so Kai couldn’t either.