Games That People Play

Chapter 19 Back at 9th Avenue

Aunt Feng was worried at Xinli's thinness. "Child, what have you been doing to yourself? You have become thinner!" She hugged her and motioned for her to sit at the sofa.

"I'm fine, Auntie... just tired." She replied.

Aunt Feng raised an eyebrow, "The Yues are obviously driving you to your limits! Look at you..." She shook her head and stood up to head to the mini kitchen in the shop. She called Xunan who was at their residence apartment, unaware of Xinli's sudden arrival.

When Aunt Feng finished cooking the porridge, she cooked some mushroom soup with white meat bits. Xinli needed more nourishment to put on some weight.

This girl was working herself to death. She really didn't need the money since she was well off herself and can support the servants at home with just the income from the farms in Jiangnan. She couldn't grasp Xinli's mind.

She was making her way to the small studio where Xinli usually did her designs, she saw her daughter Xunan tiptoing towards her.

"Sshhh... she's fallen asleep on the couch, Mom." Xunan said in a whisper.

Aunt Feng looked over her daughter's shoulders and saw Lia lying on the couch with one arm draped across her eyes. Xunan covered Lia with a clean quilt. She looked at her cousin's small face, she has lost much weight but she still looked beautiful and her skin was smooth and fair. Her nose was more pronounced and her brows arched attractively over her slightly deep set eyes. Her hair was still shining healthy strands in their deep brown glory.

Xunan loved Lia like a real sister and she was also hurting at the way she bottled up whatever emotions she had. Lia was a very private person and she has never opened her heart to anyone since her parents died. She and her mother decided long ago, after the funeral, to just let Xinli be and support her decision to stay in Jiangnan with her two trusted servants who served her parents since they got married. Aunt Feng was officially appointed as Xinli's direct guardian being the only biological sister of her mother.

"Ok, i'm on my way!" Yuanrou was excited to see Lia but he was more concerned about her health. Xunan told him she dropped from exhaustion, he didn't waste more time. He bought fruits and cooked noodles with braised beef and season vegetables which was Lia's favorite dish.

Yuanrou decided to make a proposal to Xinli once she has recovered from exhaustion. He knew she had an important work at HLY company, but he didn't imagine she would drive herself to her limits. He shook his head, these business tycoons obviously know how to squeeze their employees energy in exchange of high salaries. HLY was noted to pay its employees at a rate 10x higher than the usual minimum wage set by the government.

Yuanrou read the road sign: 9th Avenue. He parked the car at a parking lot nearest Aunt Feng's shop.

Xinli was still in a daze when she slowly opened her eyes... she heard low voices outside the studio. She stood up and peeked at the silkscreen which served as a divider. She was a little surprised to see Yuanrou and Houbin at the shop. She looked at her wristwatch and was shocked to see that it was already 6pm!

Gosh, I must have slept a full four hours! Xinli never realized how exhausted and drained she felt til now. After a deep sleep, she felt refreshed and hungry.

"Hey guys! Any food there? I'm starving!" Xinli called out brightly. All three heads turned in her direction. She pretended to look puzzled then put on the guilty look. "Ok, i overslept... i've been working at the HLY offices most hours, so i felt tired and didn't notice that i dozed off..."

Xunan stood up and hugged her cousin. "Lia, we've been so worried about you. It was good that you called Mom to let us know you didn't board the plane bound for China."

"Yes, that was a last minute call. There was an emergency at the HLY..." she tailed off and smiled at Yuanrou and Houbin who were thoughtfully eyeing her.

"It was really the biggest surprise of my life to see you at Excelsior after dropping you off at the airport." Houbin laughed. "I thought i saw your doppelganger!"

Xinli laughed with Houbin and said softly, "that was another emergency..." then she turned towards Yuanrou and hugged him "Hey, lonely guy! You're here too! Come, let's grab some food at The Hotpot, i'm really starving." Yuanrou held her shoulders briefly and noticed her protruding bones under the thick layer of her clothes. He could sense that something was troubling her. He has become accustomed and sensitive to Lia's character.

"I've brought some foods and Auntie is cooking them right now..." He informed Xinli with a look of concern. Just then, Aunt Feng appeared on the doorway and invited them all to the dining room.

"Hmmn, nobody cooks homemade mushroom soup like Auntie..." Lia exclaimed after tasting a spoonful.

"Lia, this is your favorite noodles and braised beef," Xunan said as she put more food on Xinli's bowl.

Yuanrou was also putting some vegetables on Xinli's bowl while Houbin watched. There was something off about Lia and the CEO, he thought. He recalled that incident in the lift when Lu Jinian stood beside Lia and seemed to block anyone to get close to her. He, Houbin wanted to stand beside Lia because he was curious and wanted to get her attention secretly, but the CEO threw him an icy glance, so he just stood in one corner behind Lan Chen, HLY's corporate secretary.

They all had a sumptous dinner and Lia ate all that was served in her plate. Houbin and Xunan volunteered to wash the dishes while Aunt Feng bade them goodnight. Xinli and Yuanrou were left alone at the receiving room watching the news.

"Have a cup of tea, Lia" Yuanrou poured some tea in a cup. Xinli smiled her thanks and accepted the tea. For the first time in almost two years, she studied his face. He had a handsome straight nose, smiling eyes and straight mouth that seemed to summon his dimples when he smiled. His forehead was narrow and a thick thatch of black hair covered part of it. He was extremely good looking. His temperament was gentle and he always has a sunny disposition.

"If you continue to look at me like that, i will think you have fallen in love with a lonely guy...?" Yuanrou's mouth quirked and soon became a big smile. Xinli playfully slap his arm and laughed. It was so good to be free to laugh aloud, not to feel hurt, to feel light hearted... but deep down in her core, something was painfully throbbing. In the most hidden part of her heart, an image resides there, willing her to acknowledge his presence, wanting her to breathe his name in her reality...