Chapter Eight
1211 Words
“Never mind, you don’t need to know. Anyway, James has no chance with her. Come on, let’s eat.”
The fragrant aroma and joyful laughter surrounded James, but his mind was still stuck on Emily’s case. He remembered Richard’s repeated words in Osmanthus Garden about having no ulterior motives for approaching Lily. What had Richard really meant? Were there hidden implications in his words?
“Big brother, this restaurant is amazing! When did you find it?” Twelve took a deep breath of the osmanthus fragrance as she settled into a seat at Osmanthus Garden.
“Yeah, the decor is so unique,” Chloe agreed, admiring the restaurant’s interior.
“That’s why I brought you here— to experience something different.” James tried to restrain himself from scanning the room for a certain someone. How would Lily react to seeing him? He’d brought two sisters along as company, hoping to avoid misunderstandings. God knew he was only worried about the Gao sisters’ affairs, not pursuing Lily for himself.
“Mr. Wang!” Lily greeted James with the excitement of a long-awaited reunion, almost rushing up to him.
“Hi.” James’s voice trembled involuntarily. Her reaction made it seem like she’d been expecting him.
“This is perfect! I was just worrying about how to find you.”
“Really? I forgot to leave my contact info last time.” So that was why he’d heard nothing from her. James smacked his forehead in **.
“Oh, so big brother is here to hit on someone?” Twelve whispered to Chloe.
“Yeah, why not just say so? The girl is more proactive than he is.” Chloe sized up Lily with interest. Oval face, delicate willow eyebrows, a perfect manga-style nose, full and sexy lips, and a short haircut that complemented her face. Standing about 165 cm, she was easily an 80 out of 100.
Not bad, not bad. The Wang family didn’t need a perfect 100-point daughter-in-law. As long as she had a kind heart, she was qualified.
“Hello, I’m James’s third sister.”
“I’m his youngest sister.”
Chloe and Twelve introduced themselves, not wanting to be left out.
“Right… they’re my sisters,” James stammered, suddenly sensing an odd atmosphere.
“James, who’s this? Why don’t you introduce us?” Chloe elbowed him.
“I’m Lily, nice to meet you.” Lily introduced herself generously.
“Hi, what’s good here?” Chloe asked.
“Everything at Osmanthus Garden is osmanthus-themed. My sister and I developed all the recipes ourselves, and I think every dish is delicious.” Lily’s eyes sparkled with confidence. She was extremely proud of this restaurant, which she and her sister had opened to honor their parents’ legacy.
“Great, we’ll leave it to you then.” Twelve closed the menu and handed it to her.
“Alright, please wait a moment.” Lily turned to go, but after taking a step, she looked back at James. “Sorry, could I have a word with you later?”
“No problem, no problem.” James was eager for a private conversation. He didn’t even consider how quickly he’d agreed might raise eyebrows.
“Thank you.” Lily hurried back to the counter.
“Big brother, when did this happen?” Twelve propped her head on one hand, eyeing him sideways.
“When did what happen?”
“Cut it out. Look at how antsy and coy you are. You must have been moping around at home because of her.” Chloe looked like she was enjoying the show.
“What are you talking about?” So that was the strange atmosphere— they’d misunderstood his relationship with Lily. “It’s not what you think.”
“Come on. Dare you say you haven’t been spacing out and sighing like an i***t these days because of her? Spill it.” Chloe was like a judge.
“Ugh, will you stop jumping to conclusions?”
“Who’s jumping? Just answer me: have you been thinking about her these days?”
“Huh?” He had been thinking about her, but only because of Richard. He’d been debating whether to tell Lily that Richard already had a girlfriend. That was all.
“Yes or no?” Chloe pressed.
“Well… yes, but—”
“That’s all we need to know.” The sisters exchanged a knowing look and started chattering away, no doubt gossiping.
Ah, well. Let them think what they want. They were right— no need to explain further, because no one would believe the truth, and believing it would only cause more alarm.
“Any news about my sister?” Lily asked eagerly.
“I’m sorry.” James hated to dampen the hope on her face, but he had nothing to tell her.
“Oh.” Disappointment spread through Lily’s entire being.
“Are you okay?”
“Does it matter?”
“Don’t say that. Emily was most worried about you. If you loved her, you should take care of yourself.” Perhaps because Lily looked so much like Emily, James felt as if he’d known her for years. Seeing her sad made his heart heavy, and he felt a strong urge to comfort her.
“It’s all my fault. I encouraged her to go hiking with friends.” If she hadn’t persuaded her sister to go out, Emily wouldn’t have had the accident.
“This isn’t your fault. Emily told me herself that hiking was her favorite pastime— it was her passion, not your doing.”
“No, it is my fault. I killed her.”
“Don’t get stuck in that mindset. Emily would be heartbroken if she knew.”
“Mom and Dad are gone, and now my only family is gone too. How can I not be sad?” Lily bit her lip, fighting back tears.
“I’m here. If you don’t mind, you can consider me family or a friend. Come to me if you have troubles, or share your thoughts with me, okay?” Seeing her pain, James blurted out the words without thinking. All he wanted was to make her happy.
Lily looked at him with tear-filled eyes.
“I don’t know why, but I feel like I can trust you.” It was irrational— they’d only met twice— yet she felt he was a friend she could trust deeply, maybe because he’d known her sister.
“Really? I’m glad you feel that way. Let’s be friends, then.” James held out his pinkie, a habit from childhood when making promises with his siblings. Even as adults, they still used this little gesture to seal agreements. Without thinking, he offered his pinkie now.
At the sight, the tears Lily had been holding back spilled over.
“What’s wrong?” James was alarmed, fearing he’d said something wrong.
“Nothing.” Lily choked out the words, hooking her pinkie with his.
It must be fate. This familiar gesture was one she’d often shared with her sister while playing. The memory surged up, overwhelming her.
Perhaps he was an angel sent by God to take her sister’s place. Why else would he feel so natural and familiar?
- Writer
