Meilei hesitated, pausing before answering him because she hadn’t expected him to initiate a conversation that didn’t involve him somehow being a jerk.
“Can I run? To the park.” Yuelin looked up, not listening to them as she was too easily distracted by the sights and sounds around her. She had spotted the swing beside the food court. Pointing at the tiny fenced-in area.
“Not far. Stay where I can see you.” Meilei let her go, and Kai, without thought, stepped in beside her to keep pace and watch Yuelin hop ahead in a little happy world of her own. That child’s constant cheery disposition always tugged a smile from his mouth.
Kai nodded in thought, eyes fixed ahead, a pang of regret and bitterness swirling in his chest as he glanced at Meilei, catching an unreadable, longing gaze. She was focused on Yuelin as they walked and seemed almost sad at recalling the memory.
He shrugged it off.
Thinking about the pink, yellow thing, he found himself laughing at it. He shook his head as he headed that way and couldn’t shift the genuine smile on his face, but a flicker of memory hit him, killing his smile and bringing a heavy lump to his chest.
He guessed the weirdness didn’t fall from the daddy tree.
He had been just as clueless back then about the inner workings of the female mind until he saw Meilei’s girl-only dorm room on a video call, and everything in there had been lilac.
He shook it off and walked up to the stall, asking for banana ice cream, pushing the thoughts away, then hesitated, seeing the raspberry ripple one below it, and knew that was once her go-to flavor. He glanced back over his shoulder, spying Meilei at the park, watching Yuelin, and frowned.
“Gimme the raspberry one too, and a chocolate.” He didn’t believe he was standing buying ice cream for the girl he had no reason ever to be nice to again, but he had to keep reminding himself that their relationship was for Yue. The past had to stay out of this for now. He had to be mature and build some common ground between them. He didn’t want it to get ugly and ruin his relationship with Yuelin.
He paid for their cones and stared at them as he walked back towards them, somewhat annoyed that he still remembered the flavor she liked and tried to dismiss it as unimportant. He had a good memory, nothing else, and it was unfortunate he had retained details about her preferences.
As he walked up close, he stopped, seeing Meilei had slid inside and was on the swing next to Yuelin. She was pulling her by the chain as they gently swayed, and could hear Yuelin giggling about something. It was a happy, heartfelt, joyous laughter, yet even though Meilei was smiling, it never reached her eyes.
She used to smile constantly. She was always as happy as Yuelin was now and carried an air of sunniness around her that he had always felt when near, like standing in the early morning sun and slowly warming you to the core. Anytime he saw her, she would have a bright face, sparkling eyes, and a genuine smile, which was one reason he fell for her the first time he met her. Yuelin’s energy, inquisitive innocence, and the prettiest smile were only amplified in a woman who seemed to carry no woes. She had seemed unjaded by life and unaffected by the world back then.
He hadn’t seen that once since he came back.
Kai gritted his teeth, a surge of anger at his confusion irritating him, and he shook his head. In disbelief that his mind had gone that way for a second and an inkling of doubt or some weird concern had raised its dumb head.
She was a manipulator who did it to him once before with a huge level of success.
He should be aware of how responsive he was to it and avoid letting her get under his skin again. He needed to remind himself how much he hated her and that he still intended in some way to make her pay for what she did once he knew what his secure future with Yue looked like.
Tian waved down the familiar four-by-four, relieved to see it, and opened the door before it came to a full stop, chucking in his case and sliding in after it.
He also still had to throttle that woman for taking his favorite shirt and belt for his remaining outfit of the conference and came home in one he had already worn on the flight there. She was something else.
“Here.” Qian took one from the passenger seat gym bag and turned to hand it back. Tian leaned forward to reach it. “it’s unopened.” Qian had been on his way to the gym when he texted and came immediately.
Tian leaned in, grabbed the bottle, and froze as the familiar scent he had imagined all day swirled around him, bringing back a wave of gag-worthy images.
“Smell what? Alcohol?” Qian leaned in to sniff him, getting nothing but shower gel, aftershave, and a slight hint of toothpaste. He shook his head.
“Nothing, forget it.” Tian pushed him back, slumping back on the seat, and closed his eyes before sliding down and blowing out air. He felt like he was dying, and even food hadn’t helped push the washing machine nature of his stomach to a gentler cycle.
What the hell did they drink?
He hoped she was suffering more than him.
“Must have been a killer mixer if you’re this fucked up. You have more drinking ability than me, and I have never seen you suffer from a session.” Qian was impressed that Tian had got smashed at a business event and then legged it home like this. It was unheard of, given he was the more serious, business-minded, and focused of their trio.