CHAPT 20

Always BE THERE

After a fierce stare at Tian Ming, Jun Xuan looked away and walked past Tian Ming without saying anything. On the other hand, Tian Ming didn’t look at Jun Xuan when Jun Xuan walked past him, instead he stared ahead coolly and walked into the house with Ai Eng safely on his hand. Tian Ming carried Ai Eng to the sofa and put her down onto the sofa gently. Tian Ming knelt down to take a look at Ai Eng’s. He took off Ai Eng’s high-heel shoes carefully. Then he touched her ankle and asked,

“Is it hurt?”

Ai Eng shook her head with painful expression on her face which she couldn’t hide no matter how hard she had tried. Then Tian Ming got up and walked to the kitchen to take some ice cubes and put in a cloth. Ai Eng saw Tian Ming returned with a small pail and a cloth that contained ice cube, and at the same time Yun Xi was sitting besides her and looking at Tian Ming angrily. When Tian Ming took gentle Ai Eng leg’s on his hand above the small pail, he looked up at Ai Eng and said,

“Bear with the pain for awhile. It will not be so painful in a short while.”

Then Tian Ming gently put the ice cubes on Ai Eng’s ankle and gently moved it around her ankle. When Tian Ming was helping Ai Eng to reduce the pain on her ankle, Ai Eng could see the anger that Yun Xi had as she was holding her laps real tight so Ai Eng pulled away her leg from Tian Ming’s hand and said, smiling awkwardly,

“My ankle is not so painful now. Thanks!”

At that time, Tian Ming took Ai Eng’s leg again and said looking at her,

“It needs some time to reduce the pain so just bear with the pain a little while longer.”

Tian Ming continued gently putting the ice cubes on Ai Eng’s ankle and gently moving it around her ankle. Ai Eng spoke so as to reduce the tense atmosphere when she saw Mrs Takeshi standing at a corner,

“Oh yeah! Let me introduce her to you all. She is Mrs Takeshi who will be helping up with our house chores until next week.”
Then Ai Eng said with a polite smile,

“Mrs Takeshi, please feel free to take a seat.”

Then Mrs Takeshi bowed to Ai Enf and went to sit beside Jun Tai. Ai Eng looked at Jun Tai and asked politely,

“Jun Tai, can you please get some drink for Mrs Takeshi?”

Jun Tai looked at Ai Eng coldly and asked,

“Shouldn’t she be the one taking the drinks for us? And why don’t you ask the one who is sitting beside you?”

Ai Eng looked at Yun Xi who kept staring angrily at Ai Eng. Then she looked at Jun Tai and said in a pleading tone,

“Mrs Takeshi has just come here so we should treat her like a guest. Furthermore, she is here to help us to do the house chores so we should be nicer to her. Please go and take something for her to drink. Please……”

“Okay…..”

Jun Tai finally got persuaded after seeing Ai Eng pleading him. But just as Tian Ming was standing up with a reluctant look on his face, Yun Xi suddenly stood up and said,

“I will go and it for all of you all.”

Yun Xi walked to the kitchen with heavy steps. When she was throwing in the ice cubes the glasses without looking at them, she took an ice cube and looked at it angrily, saying,

“Hope this will make your ankle more painful.”

Then Yun Xi threw the ice cube real hard until it bounced back and hit her face. Yun Xi groaned in pain, putting her hand on the face.

Yun Xi put the tray which carried the drinks on the table pretty hard which made Ai Eng jumped a bit. Yun Xi went to sit at the same place after putting the tray down. When Ai Eng saw Yun Xi touching her face, she asked concernedly,

“Yun Xi, what happened to your face? How come there us a red spot on here? Did you hit in something?”

When Ai Eng was stretching out her hand to touch Yun Xi face, Yun Xi just moved her head away and said coldly without looking at Ai Eng,

“I just got hit by an ice cube when it bounced back as I threw too hard.”

Then Yun Xi looked Ai Eng’g leg which was still on Tian Ming’s hand and said sarcastically, smiling,

“Well, it’s not a big deal compares with yours.”

When Yun Xi looked away from her leg and stared at one direction angrily, Ai Eng put back her hand on her lap and looked down sadly. Not long, Ai Eng looked at Tian Ming when he carefully put Ai Eng’s leg down on the floor and asked looking at her,

“Now move your foot a little and see whether it’s still hurt,”

Ai Eng slowly moved her feet and looked at Tian Ming in amazed, saying,

“It’s not so painful now. Tian Ming, how did you know that this method will reduce the pain?”

“Well I am working as a newspaper boy so I have to ride the bicycle to deliver newspapers every morning. One morning, I sprained my ankle during the ride. And there was a nice auntie told me to buy some ice from the ice-cream shop and put into a cloth. Then she told me to put the ice on my ankle and move it around my ankle for sometime. So I did what that auntie told, and I found it really reduced the pain for awhile.”

Tian Ming said, while standing up. Then he walked to the kitchen with the pail which contained the wet cloth and melted-ice water. After awhile, he returned, looking around the house in search of something. Then he looked at Ai Eng and asked,

“Where is your aiding box?”

Then Tian Ming continued saying, pushing up his glasses with his finger,

“I can’t find it in the kitchen. Well, I think it’s better to rub some medical cream on your ankle.”

Ai Eng gave a quick glance at Yun Xi and looked Tian Ming. she quickly said,

“Oh! No! ummmm….”

`Ai Eng hesitated and looked away for a few second to think of an excuse, biting her finger. Then she looked back at Tian Ming who was staring at her waiting for her to say something and said,

“Well, I will do it myself later. And I have to let you know I won’t be able to accompany you to meet the international company manager tomorrow because there will be a grand fashion show so I have to go there to work.”

Then Ai Eng smiled and teased Tian Ming.

“Anyway, you have your beautiful girlfriend by your side so who cares it this old lady will go.”
Ai Eng laughed at her own joke but when she noticed that no one was laughing especially Tian Ming who stared at her with those sad eyes, her laughter faded away. She looked at Tian Ming awkwardly and at the same time she could hear her heart beating so fast. Then she asked herself in her heart, putting her hand on her heart area,

“Why is my heart beating so fast?”

Ai Eng looked away from Tian Ming’s stare and thought in her mind, taking a few deep breaths to calm herself down,

“It must be I was running too fast just now when I was rushing to fetch Jun Tai. Yeah this must be the reason.”

When Tian Ming saw Ai Eng was taking a few deep breaths, he was worried about her so he walked towards her. But at that time, Yun Xi suddenly got up and grabbed hold Tian Ming’s arm which made Tian Ming look at her quite surprisingly. Yun Xi turned to face Ai Eng and said, smiling proudly,

“Of course, Tian Ming has me by his side is more than enough. So Auntie, rest assure as I will be able to help him to get this great opportunity.”

Looking at Yun Xi holding Tian Ming’s hand and lied her head on Tian Ming’s arm looking at him in great happiness, Ai Eng slowly looked away and stared at one direction sadly. Tian Ming noticed something when he saw Ai Eng staring at one direction sadly. But he did not say anything and just looked at Ai Eng.

Later that night, Ai Eng was sitting on her beg and rubbing her ankle with cream when she suddenly looked at one area of the bed. She remembered that Jun Xi and she were sitting at the same spot.

At that time, Jun Xi was also rubbing her ankle and said,

“See! Without me by your side, you just can’t take good care of yourself. Now you have sprained your leg”

Then Jun Xi sighed and said shaking his head,

“I think you better die before me. If not how are you going to survive without me?”

Yun Xi smiled cheekily. Ai Eng pinched his nose gently and said,

“Who says so? I still lived happily before I met you.”

“Exactly! All those time without me wasn’t your happiest time that’s why your smile is filled with great happiness now.”

Jun Xi said and got onto the bed. Then Jun Xi looked at Ai Eng and touched her face. Jun Xi held Ai Eng’s chin up and kissed her on her soft lip. When Jun Xi slowly pulled backed his head, he looked at Ai Eng full of passion and said, holding her hands,

“I will always be there when you need me.”

Came back to present, tears rolled down from Ai Eng’s eyes when she said,

“Where are you now, Jun Xi? I need you now.”

When Ai Eng heard someone knocking at her room, she quickly wiped her tears and walked slowly to the door. Before she reached the door, the door was opened. To her surprise, she saw Jun Xuan walking into the door. She held her sleeping blouse tighter when she saw Jun Xuan.


CHAPT 21

Hug me this way

Ai Eng kept moving backwards when Jun Xuan was walking towards her and staring at her passionately. When Ai Eng reached the bed, she fell onto the bed. And when she looked up at Jun Xuan, she realized that his face was just a few distance from hers when he bent over her. Ai Eng looked at Jun Xuan with wide-opened eyes and grabbed her blouse even tighter. Ai Eng then asked,

“What are you going to do?”

Jun Xuan smiled cheekily and said,

“Don’t worry. I will be very gentle with you.”

When Ai Eng saw Jun Xuan’s hand moving closer towards her, she quickly looked away. But later she noticed that Jun Xuan was actually taking the cream bar that lied beside her head. Then Jun Xuan got up and sat on the floor. Jun Xuan pressed some cream on his hand from the bar and took Ai Eng’s leg. When Ai Eng sat up and saw Jun Xuan rubbing her ankle, she heaved a breath of relief. Then Ai Eng looked at Jun Xuan rubbing her ankle so gently, she said with a smile,

“This is the first time I see you being so gentle. Actually you don’t have to be so cool in front of others.”

Jun Xuan did not say anything but continued rubbing Ai Eng’s ankle. Then Ai Eng continued saying when she was observing Jun Xuan,

“Jun Xuan, I think that many girls surely will like the type of guy like you. You are cool and gorgeous with such a good body figure. I believe that there are lots of girls falling for you.”

“Are you jealous?”

Jun Xuan asked and looked at Ai Eng with a smile. Ai Eng quickly said,

“No, I am not. Why should I get jealous? I will be happy to see you bring home your girlfriend one day and introduce her to us. Wouldn’t it be nice that way? To see Yun Xi and you have found someone you love.”

Ai Eng smiled at her thought. Jun Xuan looked at her and said,

“I have found someone I love but that person was someone I shouldn’t love.”
Ai Eng knew who the person was so she asked,

“Since you know that you and her are impossible, why don’t you just let go of your feeling you have for her, and try putting your love to another girl who is worthy for your love?”

Jun Xuan looked at Ai Eng angrily and said,

“I will never let go my feeling for her. And I don’t wish to let go. No one can stop me loving her. Not even her.”

When Jun Xuan got up from the floor, Ai Eng looked at him feeling bad for him. Before Ai Eng could say anything more, Jun Xuan bent down and carried her up on his hand which gave Ai Eng a shock at that time. Then Ai Eng looked at Jun Xuan and asked,

“Why are you carrying me again?”

Ai Eng struggled to get down and said,

“Put me down now.”

“Stay still!”

Jun Xuan shouted and looked at Ai Eng fiercely. Ai Eng got a shock when Jun Xuan shouted at her so she stopped struggling. Jun Xuan walked a bit further up to the top of the bed and put Ai Eng down on the bed. After putting Ai Eng down, he took her head up a little to adjust the pillow and pulled the blanket up to Ai Eng’s shoulders. Then Jun Xiuan gave her a good night kiss on her forehead and said with a smile,

“Good night.”

Jun Xuan walked out of the room. After Jun Xuan closed the door, Ai Eng looked at the sailing and touched her forehead, asking herself worriedly,

“Why is my heart beating so fast again?”

One morning, when Ai Eng was walking into the kitchen, she jumped up when she saw a knife pointing at her. Then Ai Eng saw Mrs Takeshi holding the knife so she looked Mrs Takeshi, feeling scared. When Mrs Takeshi saw Ai Eng looking at her in great fear, she quickly put down the knife and said, bowing to Ai Eng,

“I am sorry I forget I am holding a knife. Really sorry to give you a fright.”

Looking at Mrs Takeshi bowing to her, Ai Eng gently grabbed her upper arms so as to stop her from bowing, and she said with a smile,

“It’s alright. You don’t have to apologize because you didn’t do it deliberately.”

Mrs Takeshi looked at Ai Eng and said with smile,

“Actually I just want to ask you what you would like to have for breakfast.”

Then Ai Eng let go of Mrs Takeshi arms and crossed her hands, looking at one direction and thinking what she wanted to eat. Then Ai Eng looked at Mrs Takeshi and said, nodding her head,

“You decide what you want to prepare for us. We are not choosy about food so we will eat anything you cook.”

Then Mrs Takeshi said, bowing again,

“Yes!”

Mrs Takeshi returned to cut the vegetable on the chopping board. Then Ai Eng opened the refrigerator’s door and took out a jar of orange juice. After pouring some juice into the glass, Ai Eng put back the jar into the refrigerator and walked out of the kitchen. When Ai Eng was walking out of the kitchen, Mrs Takeshi looked at her with the eyes filled with hatred, while cutting the vegetable.

On one raining evening, when Tian Ming and Yun Xi were walking along the street and holding the umbrella with both their hand, Yun Xi suggested,

“We shall go to a nearby café to have dinner tonight.”

Tian Ming looked pretty shock and said in a worried tone,

“But I don’t have so much money to pay for the food.”

“I will pay for it then.”

Yun Xi said with a sweet smile and held Tian Ming’s arm. Hearing this, Tian Ming stopped walking and looked at Yun Xi unhappily, saying,

“It’s not that I don’t like you paying all our expenses. But I just feel bad for you to pay for everything.”

“Well, don’t feel bad. I am willing to pay. Anyway you have already signed a two-year contract with the modeling company. They say that will provide you a department and a car with a driver. So you will become a top model pretty soon and earn lots of money. Until that time comes, you will be the one paying everything. I think I won’t even have to bring my wallet along when I am with you at that time. And everyone will be envious of me having a supermodel boyfriend.”

Looking at Yun Xi saying those things so happily, Tian Ming smiled and suddenly thought in his heart,

“Will Ai Eng be so happy for me when she knows I got this contract?”


When Tian Ming and Yun Xi reached the café door, they realized that it was closed. Then Tian Ming said,

“I think that it is heaven’s will telling us to go to your house to have dinner.”

Yun Xi looked at the café in great disappointment and said,

“But I want to have dinner with you alone and have our time alone. If not, we can go to another café.”

“But there is no other café nearby. So I think it’s better to eat at your place.”

Tian Ming said and held Yun Xi’s hand. Yun Xi looked at Tian Ming angrily and asked,

“Why do you always want to come to my place? Don’t you think we should spend more time alone together? And don’t you like to be with me?”

Yun Xi pulled away her hand and started walking away from the café, leaving Tian Ming behind. Tian Ming caught up with her and grabbed her arm. To his surprise, Tian Ming saw Yun Xi crying. Tian Ming wiped her tears away and said,

“Yun Xi, I am sorry. Don’t cry anymore. I am really sorry. If you really don’t want to go home now, we will go else where to find a café and have our dinner there.”

Yun Xi looked at Tian Ming passionately and hugged him tightly, saying,

“Tian Ming, please hug me as tight as you can.”us

Then Tian Ming hugged Yun Xi tightly. Yun Xi closed her eyes and smiled elatedly in Tian Ming’s hug, saying,

“Just hug me this way forever.”

Tian Ming just looked at one direction sadly, while hugging Yun Xi.


When Yun Xi and Tian Ming reached their house gate, Yun Xi slowly let go of Tian Ming’s and waved to him. Yun Xi quickly ran to the door so as not to catch any rain even she was already soaked al over, and she looked back at Tian Ming who was waving to her with smile. Then when Tian Ming saw Yun Xi closing the house door after she went inside, his smile slowly faded away. He looked up at Ai Eng’s room window, hoping to see her. But he waited for ten minutes and couldn’t even see a shadow of her so he walked away sadly.

At Ai Eng’s house, when everyone is having fruit serving at the dinning table one night. Ai Eng looked at Tian Ming and Yun Xi and asked,

“So did you get the deal with the modeling company?”

Tian Ming smiled and wanted to tell Ai Eng about the happy news. But before Tian Ming could say anything, Yun Xi said coldly without even looking at Ai Eng,

“Yeah, he got a two-year contract.”

“Oh. That’s great.”

Ai Eng said with an awkward smile and looked away. Tian Ming looked at Ai Eng disappointedly as he expected to see her happy reaction after knowing about the good news. Then Tian Ming saw Jun Xuan stretching out his hand to Ai Eng’s mouth with a piece of orange in his hand. Ai Eng looked at Jun Xuan awkwardly and asked,

“What is this?”

“Just open your mouth and let me put this piece in.”

Jun Xuan said and moving the piece of orange nearer to Ai Eng's mouth. Ai Eng looked around and quickly bit it from Jun Xuan’s hand. Then she looked down embarrassingly. Jun Xuan smiled and asked,

“Is it sweet?”

Ai Eng nodded her head without looking at anyone. Then after eating a piece of orange, Jun Xuan smiled and said shaking his head,

“It’s not as sweet as your saliva.”

Ai Eng choked when she heard what Jun Xuan said. Then Jun Xuan quickly got up and patted Ai Eng’s back and said,

“Eat slowly. No one will snatch it.”

Looking at this, Tian Ming couldn’t stand it anymore so he got up and went to the kitchen toilet. In the toilet, Tian Ming punched at the wall a few times. After punching, he heaved out a breath of relief. He got out of the toilet and saw Mrs Takeshi looking at Ai Eng hatefully at one corner near the kitchen so he walked closer to her. When Mrs Takeshi noticed someone was looking at her, she quickly turned to look at Tian Ming. Tian Ming could sense something eerie about this woman when she looked at him with devil eyes. When Mrs Takeshi saw Tian Ming looking at her, she quickly looked away and walked into the kitchen. Tian Ming stared at Mrs Takeshi and asked himself,

“Why do I have this dangerous and eerie feeling when I see Mrs Takeshi?”



CHAPT 22

Extra Ingredients

At the studio dressing room, Ai Eng was taking the cosmetics out from the cosmetics box and put them on the make-up desk tidily. At that time, she was chatting with one of the crew there who called Xiang He. Xiang He told Ai Eng,

“Do you know what, Ai Eng? There is a new-comer model for today shooting.”

“This is quite strange because normally they won’t ask me to come for a new-comer model simply because my charge is pretty high.”

Ai Eng said puzzled and continued arranging her things. Xiang He moved closer to Ai Eng and said,

“I heard that this new-comer has the potential of becoming a top model so the company will spend a large sum of money on him in order to bloom him. I also heard that many famous magazine production companies have made deals with his company to shoot for the cover page. Well I think that guy is really lucky to have this opportunity. Not like me seldom get this opportunity.”

Xiang He sighed in despair and shook his head. Looking at Xiang He sighing, Ai Eng gave a pat on his shoulder and said with a smile,

“Well! Xiang He, don’t be despair. At least now you have a work to do and survive. There are many companies are retrenching their workers so as to cut the cost. So just be contented with what you have now; and don’t compare with others. I believe that you know that there are many others who are poorer and suffer a lot more than us. So we must help them whenever we can.“

“Yeah… Mrs Big Charity, I know you always donate a large sum to those charity organizations every year that’s because you earn that much so you can afford. I am just a assistant of the photographer who help him to carry all his things around so how I can afford to do charity.”

Xiang He said with a sad look. Ai Eng looked at Xiang He and said,

“Well you don’t have to donate money. You can always go and do voluntary work like visiting orphanage, old forks’ home or disabled school to help up or accompany them. I used to go to these places when I was free. But I just could not find the time to go nowadays. I wonder how they are doing now. I just miss their happy and simple smiles which make my days filled with happiness when I see them.

Ai Eng said with a delightful smile. Just as the door was opened, Ai Eng looked at the person who opened the door surprisingly and said,

“Tian Ming, it’s you!”

Tian Ming smiled and walked towards Ai Eng. Ai Eng looked at Tian Ming with an unbelievable expression and said covering her wide-opened mouth,

“So you are the new-comer who has the potential to be the future top model. Oh! This is great! I am so glad to see you here.”

Ai Eng smiled delightfully which made Tian Ming smiled contentedly. Then Xiang He looked at both of them and asked Ai Eng scratching his head,

”Ai Eng, do you know him”

“Of course I know him. He is my daughter’s boyfriend.”

Ai Eng said smiling when she looked at Xiang He. But when Tian Ming heard the words “my daughter’s boyfriend”, he just looked away sadly. Tian Ming quickly looked back when Ai Eng introduced Xiang He to him. Ai Eng said,

“Tian Ming, let me introduce this funny man to you. He is Xiang He who is the assistant of today photographer. He is my good old friend too.”

“I am not that old, okay!”

Xiang He said pretending he was not happy. Ai Eng then said,

“Okay, Okay. You are still very young.”

“Of course I am still young.”

Ai Eng looked at Xiang He combing his hair and giving a funny seductive look on his face, she laughed out and said,

“Stop playing, will you!”

Tian Ming just smiled happily when he saw Ai Eng laughing contentedly.

At the shooting area, the photographer handed Tian Ming a photo and told him,

“During the shooting, hold this photo and kissed it passionately. This shooting portraying a man who has a crush on a woman but he can’t say out he feel for that woman so he just can kiss her in the photo which has high colour quality. The photo looks so real to you that you just can’t control your feeling anymore. Well you know Camera advertisement is like that. Just do your best.”

The photographer patted Tian Ming’s shoulder and went back to his position. During the shooting, Tian Ming had kissed the photo over thirty times but the photographer wasn’t satisfied. The photographer always said,

“More passion. I want more feeling.”

Tian Ming had tried his best to do what was wanted but it was just unsatisfactory so the photographer told Tian Ming with a unhappy look,

“Go and get some rest. We will continue later.”

When Tian Ming was in the dressing room, Ai Eng was putting some makeup for Tian Ming. Ai Eng could see Tian Ming was very troubled by not being able to do the work well. Ai Eng put the makeup on the table and asked,

“Were you too nervous just now that’s why you couldn’t give your best shot?”

Tian Ming looked at Ai Eng and said sadly,

“No, I just don’t know how to kiss initiatively.”

“Didn’t you kiss Yun Xi before?”

Ai Eng asked and looked away embarrassingly. Tian Ming also looked down on the floor embarrassingly and said with a shy smile,

“Every time it’s her who kiss me initiatively.”

“What? My goodness! I did tell Yun Xi to take the initiative first but you should also take the initiative to kiss her. You just can’t let a girl do everything. As a guy, you must do these things first so as to show her how much you love her. You don’t have to put in words but at least put in action.”

Ai Eng looked at Tian Ming, feeling a bit annoyed. Tian Ming suddenly stood up and stared at Ai Eng which shocked her a little. Tian Ming asked,

“Can she really feel if I put action?”

Then Tian Ming looked at Ai Eng passionately and moved his head closer to hers. Ai Eng was stunned at that time so she didn’t move away. Tian Ming gently kissed her on her lip. For almost ten seconds had past, Ai Eng regained consciousness and moved backwards.. Ai Eng looked at Tian Ming shockingly and asked in an angry tone,

“Do you know what you were doing just now? Even if you want someone to help you to try kissing, shouldn’t you ask first?”

“No. It wasn’t a demonstration. It’s…..”

Tian Ming hesitated and looked down. Ai Eng looked at him angrily and said, feeling a bit happy inside,

“Don’t do this again.”

Then when Ai Eng was walking to the door, Tian Ming grabbed her hand and stared at her with watery eyes. Ai Eng stared back at him with a look filled with mixed feeling of guilt and touch. When Tian Ming was about to say something which Ai Eng had waited to hear, a person opened the door and called,

“Mr Yu, it’s time to go back to the shooting area.”

Ai Eng quickly pulled back her hand and turned around facing her back at Tian Ming. Ai Eng held the hand that was held by Tian Ming and seemed very troubled. Tian Ming who was still standing behind Ai Eng looked at Ai Eng sadly but he seemed to have sensed that Ai Eng also had feeling when he asked himself in his heart,

“Why is she so nervous when I grab her hand? Does she begin to feeling for me?”

At home, when Mrs Takeshi took out a tray of dessert in the glasses and put on the dinning table, Ai Eng asked looking at dessert,
“What’s that?”

“It’s pumpkin mousse. It is a very healthy and tasty dessert. I have also added some extra ingredients in to make it taste even nicer. I am leaving tomorrow so I think it will be good if I could make some dessert for you all.”

“Oh yeah! Mrs Takeshi, it’s already one week you are here to help up with our house chores. Times just passed so fast without us realizing it. Thanks for coming here to help us and the dessert too. Please feel free to come over as a guest whenever you want. We will definitely welcome you. Yummy! I think the dessert look great.”

Ai Eng said with a smile, looking at Mrs Takkeshi. Mrs Takeshi bowed and said,

“You are welcome. And I will give you all a visit when I have the time. I hope that you will like the dessert that I have made.”

Tian Ming looked at Mrs Takeshi suspiciously and looked away when he saw her looking back at her with those dangerous eyes.

Jun Tai grabbed a glass and had a spoonful. Then Yun Xi and Jun Xuan also took a glass each. Then justas Ai Eng and Tian Ming were so coincidentally taking the same glass even though there were two left on the tray, Ai Eng looked Tian Ming and quickly pulled back her hand. Ai Eng looked away awkwardly. Tian Ming took that glass and put it in front of Ai Eng. Ai Eng nodded her head with an awkward smile without looking at Tian Ming and took the glass. Ai Eng started eating and looked down at the dessert not daring to look up. Yun Xi saw everything but she just stared at one direction angrily. Then Jun Xuan finished his and snatched Ai Eng’s glass. Ai Eng looked up at Jun Xuan who was eating her share and saying,

“Let’s share this. I have finished mine.”

“You can have it if you want.”

Ai Eng said in low tone and stood up to leave the table. Before she left the table, Jun Xuan grabbed her hand again and said smiling with a cheeky smile,

“I just want to share it with you.“

Ai Eng looked at Jun Xuan with an annoyed look and said,

“I said you can have it. I have had enough.”

Ai Eng pushed away Jun Xuan’s hand which made him quite surprise. But of course Jun Xuan wouldn’t let Ai Eng go so easily. Jun Xuan grabbed back Ai Eng’s hand and asked in a lazy tone,

“Why are you so annoyed today? Who makes you so annoyed?”

Jun Xuan looked at Tian Ming with a sarcastic smile. At that time, Jun Tai dropped his head on the table which scared everyone. When Ai Eng was about to rush towards Jun Tai, she sat down on the chair as she felt giddy and collapsed on the table too. Jun Xuan shook Ai Eng worried and also collapsed on the table. Followed by Yun Xi who dropped the glass on the floor; she also collapsed. Tian Ming who did not eat the dessert was shocked to see every at the table had fainted except him. Then Tian Ming gently shook Yun Xi who sat besides him and asked worriedly,

“Yun Xi, are you alright.”

Then Tian Ming looked at Ai Eng and was about to stand up. But when he looked at the glass of dessert, he sat down again and took the glass up. As Tian Ming was looking at the glass suspecting something, he could feel someone standing behind him so he turned around. When he was turning around, he saw a badminton racket moving towards him. The badminton racket hit Tian Ming’s head and caused him to lose consciousness. When Tian Ming fell down onto the floor, Mrs Takeshi looked at him and smiled wickedly with the badminton racket in her hand.

CHAPT 23

BETTER LIFE

When Ai Eng opened her eyes, she slowly got up from the table and shook her head a little touching her head. Ai Eng got a shocked to see everyone was tied up to the chairs except Tian Ming who was lying on the floor motionlessly, Mrs Takeshi who sat opposite the table peeling an apple with a knife and lastly was she herself. Ai Eng looked at Mrs Takeshi with puzzled look and asked,

“Mrs Takeshi, can you tell me what is happening now?”

Mrs Takeshi looked at Ai Eng and smiled wickedly, saying,

“At last you are awake. So is the extra-ingredient Pumpkin Mousse tasty?”

Ai Eng realized that it was the dessert that made her faint when she gave a glance at the glass which contained some leftover dessert and asked with a puzzled look, looking back at Mrs Takeshi,

“Why are you doing this to us?”

Mrs Takeshi laughed eerily which made Ai Eng remembered something so she looked at her with a wide-opened eyes and said, standing up,

“It was you who made those weird calls for the past four months.”

“I think you are not as clever as I thought. Not then discover is a bit too late.
Mrs Takeshi said sarcastically and gave a sarcastic smile. Then Mrs Takeshi looked at the apple in her hand and continued peeling. When Ai Eng knew that Mrs Takeshi was the mystery caller, she quickly asked worriedly, walking towards Mrs Takeshi,

“What did you do to my husband? Where is he now?”

“Stay where you are! If not I don’t know what I will do to him.”

Mrs Takeshi said and pointed the knife in her hand at Jun Tai who was still unconscious sitting besides Mrs Takeshi. Ai Eng quickly stopped walking and said in a frightened tone,

“NO! Okay, I will not move anymore. Just please put your knife down.”

Ai Eng looked at Mrs Takeshi swallowing hard and asked in a careful tone,

“What do you want from us? And can you please tell what did you do to my husband?”

Mrs Takeshi looked at Ai Eng and said with a wicked smile,

“Oh! What a loving wife you are. Being so worried about your husband. If I were your husband, I will not even bear to leave without a word unless he has found some other woman.”

“What do you mean by that?”

Ai Eng said with an unbelievable and shock look on her face. She stepped a bit backwards and asked again in a very angry loud tone which made everyone awake where Tian Ming also stood up touching his head painfully,

“TELL ME! WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY MY HUSBAND HAS FOUND SOME OTHER WOMAN?!”

Everyone was shocked who had just regained consciousness was shocked to see Ai Eng shouting at Mrs Takeshi. They were even shocked to see Mrs Takeshi pointing a knife at Jun Tai who seemed very scared. Then Mrs Takeshi said with a fake sad look on her face,

“Don’t shout. See! You have wakened them up. But anyway, it is the right time for them to be awake as I will need them to view a good show later.”

Looking at Ai Eng’s fierce stare, Mrs Takeshi said with an innocent look,

“Don’t get this wrong. I am not your husband’s woman. In fact, we are not related to each other. It’s just so happened that day I saw him getting into a taxi with a woman carrying a luggage outside your gate when I was spying you. They seemed very close. Like a couple. Well, I feel sorry for you to have such a womanizer husband.”

After hearing this, Ai Eng looked else where unbelievably and moved backwards shaking her head until she almost fell onto the floor. At the nick of time, Tian Ming again grabbed hold of her and pulled her up. Tian Ming held her two upper arms so as to support her because Ai Eng was too sad that she looked at one corner motionlessly. Her tears started rolling down like rain pour down from sky.

Looking at Ai Eng like this, Jun Xuan closed his eyes and turned away. Then he opened his eyes and looked at Mrs Takeshi, asking puzzlingly,

“Why were you spying Ai Eng that day? And who exactly are you? Why did you tie us up?”

Mrs Takeshi looked at Jun Xuan with a devil look on her face and said in a hateful tone,

“I will tell all of you everything since you all want to know why I am doing this. I was abandoned by my Japanese parents in Korean when I was seven years old. Then I was put in an orphanage by the policemen who found me in the street. The life in the orphanage was like hell to me because all other children bullied me and didn’t want to make friend with me because I am different race. And the sisters there were all very strict and fierce so every night I would hide under my blanket and cry without any noise. Then after two years, I was so happy to know that there would a rich couple wanted adopt me. They had come a few times to visit me. They were very nice to me and had promised to give a better life. They were like angels to me who would bring me to heaven from hell. But during their last visit, they saw a girl fainted at the garden and went to see what happened. And they brought that girl out of the orphanage. From there onwards I never saw the girl and the couple return. Then after that, I was told that someone who wanted to adopt the girl would like to adopt me instead.”

“It’s good for you to be able to find another person who wanted to adopt you so soon, wasn’t it?”

Yun Xi asked, looking Mrs Takeshi. Mrs Takeshi looked at Yun Xi with an insane looked and threw the apple in her hand at Yun Xi which hit her head. She said in an angry tone,

“Good! You call this good. When you were adopted by a monster who forced you to serve those dirty men so as to earn money for him to gamble when I was just ten years old, will you still call this good?

Mrs Takeshi looked away from Yun Xi and said with tears in her eyes, smiling sadly,

“Even though those days were the worst, I had never given up hoping for a better life in the future. Then after that, I got married with a rich man who didn’t know about my past. He and his family treated me very well. We have a boy who is the most adorable child in the world. At that time, I really thought that my life would change to a better one but when my husband and in-laws knew that I was a prostitute last time, they threw me out of the house. My husband divorced me and don’t allow me to see my boy because they said that I am a bad influence to him. I have no choice but to go back to serve men because I have no alimony and no qualification to get a decent job.”

Then Mrs Takeshi looked at Ai Eng in great hatred and said angrily,

“Furthermore, I need to earn a huge sum of money to hire someone to find that girl who had caused me so much suffering and misery. She has snatched my good life from me. I hate her as much as I hate that monster! They have ruined my life. So I must avenge them.”

Mrs Takeshi laughed out eerily and said,
“I had avenged that monster by telling the loan shark where he was. I was so happy when I heard the news that he was beaten to death. And now it is your turn now!”

Mrs Takeshi looked at Ai Eng angrily and pointed the knife at her from a distance. Then Ai Eng looked at Mrs Takeshi with very cold eyes and wiped her tears. Ai Eng pushed Tian Ming’s hands away and walked towards Mrs Takeshi, saying in a very calm manner,

“If you want to avenge me, just do it right now.”

Ai Eng was standing right in front of Mrs Takeshi and waited for her to stab her. At that time, Mrs Takeshi was pretty shocked to see Ai Eng like this. Not only Mrs Takeshi was shocked but everyone was shocked especially Jun Xuan who struggled to free himself from the tie-up. Then Jun Xuan looked at Tian Ming who was too shocked to do anything, and he shouted at him,

“HEY YOU! DON’T JUST STAND THERE AND LOOK! GO THERE AND PULL AI ENG AWAY!
When Tian Ming heard Jun Xuan shouting at him, he suddenly jumped up and saw Ai Eng was just a few inches away from the knife so he quickly ran to pull her away. Ai Eng struggled to get rid of Tian Ming’s grip but she couldn’t because Tian Ming was too strong. Ai Eng stopped struggling when she heard Mrs Takeshi shouted,

“ENOUGH!”

Then Mrs Takeshi smiled wickedly and said,

“Don’t worry. I won’t kill you. But I want you to feel miserable the rest of your life.”

Mrs Takeshi held the knife near Jun Tai’s throat which made Ai Eng shouted in great fear,

“NO! DON’T HURT HIM!”

“Who says I am going to hurt this cute boy? I am just using him to make you obey me. If you don’t do what I say, I can’t promise you that my hand won’t lose control and cut his throat.”

Mrs Takeshi said with a wicked smile. After hearing this, Ai Eng heaved out a breath of relief and touched her heart, and she said,

“Just say what you want me to do. I will obey you. But with one condition.”

“Name your condition.”

Mrs Takeshi said, looking at Ai Eng. Ai Eng insisted, pointing at Yun Xi, Tian Ming, Jun Tai and Jun Xuan,

“I want you to release them first.”

Mrs Takeshi shook her head and said, smiling wickedly,

“No, no, no. They are my audience and actor so I need them to be here.”

“Alright but please promise me that you won’t hurt anyone of them here.”

Ai Eng said and looked at Mrs Takeshi with a serious look. Mrs Takeshi then said,

“I can only promise that I won’t hurt them physically but not emotionally.”

Everyone looked at Mrs Takeshi puzzlingly. Then Mrs Takeshi looked at Tian Ming and told him,

“You carry her and put her on the table. And have sex with her.”

“WHAT?!”

Tian Ming and Ai Eng shouted loudly and looked at each other shockingly. Jun Xuan and Yun Xi gave out a worried look when they looked at Ai Eng and Yun Xi Then Ai Eng looked Mrs Takeshi furiously and asked in a very angry tone,

“Do you have any ideas what you have said? Are you a pervert or what?”

Mrs Takeshi laughed out loud. Then she stopped laughing and looked at Ai Eng hatefully, saying

“I just want you how it feels to have sex with someone when you are forced. Well, at least I am kind enough to let a guy who loves you do it.”

Mrs Takeshi looked at Tian Ming who looked away embarrassingly. Ai Eng gave a quick glance at Tian Ming and Yun Xi who looked away angrily and said,

“Sorry I just can’t do this. Why don’t you just use the knife to stab me? This is a better way.

“Don’t say so much! If you are not doing it, then this cute boy’s throat will be cut.”

When Ai Eng saw the knife was about to cut Jun Tai’s throat and Jun Tai was trembling in fear, she finally said with much reluctance,

“Okay! I will do it?”

Jun Xuan closed his eyes in despair and nodded his head real hard so as to vent his anger. Then when Ai Eng walked to the table and lied down on it staring straight up at the ceiling, Mrs Takeshi looked at Tian Ming and gave an eye signal to him telling him to lie over Ai Eng. Then Tian Ming really went on top of the table and knelt over Ai Eng because he had no choice. When Tian Ming and Ai Eng were face to face looking at each other, Ai Eng just closed her eyes sadly which made Tian Ming not wanting to hurt her furthermore so he just froze there. When Mrs Takeshi saw that they were not doing anything, she asked angrily,

“ARE YOU GOING TO DO IT? If not……“

Before Mrs Takeshi finished her sentence, Ai Eng grabbed Tian Ming’s blouse and lifted her head up to look at him passionately. Then Ai Eng put her hand around Tian Ming’s neck and gave him a hot kiss. After a while, Tian Ming hugged Ai Eng dearly and kissed her back, touching every part of her body. Looking at them doing this, Jun Xuan shouted.

“WAIT!”

Then Ai Eng and Tian Ming stopped and looked at Jun Xuan who looked at Mrs Takeshi and asked smiling wickedly,

“Don’t you think it is more interesting to see her having sex with two guys? Isn’t it it more torturing for her to have sex with her own stepson?”

Ai Eng looked at Jun Xuan unbelievably. She just couldn’t believe her ears and what she had just heard.