Chapter 4: Plan B

"Is Aylin back?"

"Mom."

"Can I talk to you for a moment?" She asked from upstais.

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"Did you go with Shiyang today?" She asked after we were in her workroom.

"Yes, we went shopping and doing some stuff."

"Hmm. Are you free tomorrow?" She asked, looking at me. 

"I don't know. I don't have any plan yet. Why did you ask?"

"Then come with mom. We will have a family meal tomorrow with aunt Li's family."

"Is he going too?"

"Yeah. You don't want to go?" She asked, afraid that I disagree.

"No, why not? I will go." I agreed.

"Really!?" My mom kinda surprised with my answer.

"Yes. I'm going. It is not like I can run away forever. I think it is better to talk and know each other."

"You think so? I'm happy." She finally showed her smile.

"Then, mom, I'll go to my room first. I'm going to take a shower. Please tell me when dinner is ready. I want to eat with you." Then I got up from seat, ready to leave.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you this yesterday." I turned back and gave her a blew kiss." I miss you so much." 

"I miss you too. Now go." Madam Fang shaked her head, looking at her daughter blew-kiss posture.

"I'm sorry, mom."Aylin said after she closed the door.

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Next day

I paid more attention to dressing up today as I would be meeting with my mom's friend and that person. The first impression is important.

We'll be meeting in a Japanese restaurant at 1 pm. It took us about 45 minutes to get here.

And right now, my mom and I are in front of the room as the waitress has led us.

The beautiful waitress wearing kimono opened the door as we walk into the room.

"Sorry for keeping you waiting." My mom said as we walk toward the beautiful couple inside.

They must be Mr. and Mrs. Li.

I'm surprised. They are such a match and; they looked young for their age.

"Hello, uncle. Hello, aunty." I said as I bow politely.

"We just arrived, too. Are you Aylin? You grow up so beautifully." Aunty said, holding my hand lovingly.

"Don't be so polite. We're a family. Come sit." Aunty Li said as she led me to the table.

"Yes."

"Hubby, look at xiao Lin. She becoming more and more beautiful." She continued praising me.

'I think I'm starting to like aunty now.'

"Emm. She looks beautiful just as you and her mom." Mr.Li said with a straight face, but you can't ignore that smiling in his eyes as he looks at his wife.

'Uncle, you just want to praise your wife, don't you?'

Hearing her husband's praise, she hit her husband's arm trying to hide her shyness.

They have a cute relationship. Looking at them make me wonder what kind of a person their son is.

'Wait. And where is he? I didn't see him here.'

"How long have I not seen her? I remembered that one time I baked cookies for her. And she looks just like a rabbit when she eats it." She talked to my mom and laughed as she remember the past.

"Yeah. It has been soo long I can't remember."

"It's good that you come back. Now we can meet more."

"Oh, now that I think about it. I also recalled there was a time when she kissed little YiYi and said she will marry little YiYi when she grew up. Haha." My mom said as she recalled.

'Pfft! Little Yi Yi? don't tell me it Li Yi Han?' I almost laughed out loud.

'Wait!... Did mom said I...Did I kiss him? And I said I would mar...marry him!?'

'There's no freaking way I would do something like that, right??'

"Right. Right. It was so funny at that time." Mrs. Li clapped her hand, excitedly.

"Look at her face. She must have not remembered it." Aunt Li said teasingly.

Did I really do such a thing? I don't recall any of those. Now that I think about it. I don't remember meeting them much. Am I too young at that time to remember anything?

And so they continue joking around and that how half of an hour goes by.

"Right, where is little Yi?" Madam Feng asked.

I want to thank God. Finally, they remember why we came here in the first place.

"Ah, look at me totally forgot about him. Hubby, call for your son. Where is he? Why is he not arrive yet? What wrong with this child. Let us old people wait for him."

"Ok, I call him now." He said as he got up and went to the corner to make a call. He tried to call but, it seemed like the other end didn't pick up.

Mrs.Li's face started changing. She looked very angry right now. As she couldn't wait anymore, she walked up to stand near her husband.

And no one knows if he can sense his mom's anger or not but, the other end finally picked up his phone.

Mrs. Li snatched the phone from her husband. While doing so she accidentally touched the loudspeaker.

"Hello." A deep voice answered.

"Son, when are you coming? You can't possibly forget that you suppose to meet Aylin today, right?" She asked, trying to stay calm. 

"I don't." The man replied.

"Alright, come quickly then. Don't let your aunt and Aylin waited too long." She signed with relief.

"But I can't come. I have a match today. Have fun today, mom. I gotta go now. It is my turn. Bye, love you."

"Eh? wait! what do you mean you can't come? You promise me already. hello...hello?"

The call has ended.

"This darn son."

"Honey." Mr. Li tried to say.

"He wants me to have fun? This is his date, not mine. How he said that?"

"Honey, calm down first." Mr. Li tried to calm her down but to no avail.

"How can I calm down? This all because of your son. He really wants to see his mother die from anger."

"Don't say such thing."

"Now, what should I tell Xiao Lin?" She turned toward her husband, asking for advice as she didn't know how to face her friend and her daughter.

'Should I just tell them my son can't come because he has a match? What a ridiculous.'

"I think you don't have to tell her at all."

"What do you mean?"

"You speak on a loudspeaker. Everyone heard it."

With her husband's words, she felt like a bomb has blown on her. She turned toward the table where they sit and saw her friend smile back as if saying that it is okay.

"Why don't you tell me sooner. It's so embarrassing." She whimpered to her husband.

"I'm so sorry for wasting your time like this Yun Xie and you too, Xiao lin." 

"I didn't know he would sell his parent out like this." She apologizes as she felt very guilty right now.

"It is okay, aunty. It is not your fault. You don't have to say sorry at all." I reassured her as I don't want to see her sad face and, as I said, it was not her fault at all.

"And I have a great meal with aunty and uncle today. It's good enough."

"Yes. Don't think too much. We have more time to meet in the future." Madam Fang also reassured her friend.

Actually, she kinda felt relief for some reason. She felt like her daughter gonna do something she didn't want; since she agreed to today's meal so easily. Now it's also good that he didn't come.

"Thank you. That why I said having a daughter is really different from having a son."

I smiled sweetly but my hands cleached. 'Hehe, he thought his match was more important than having a meal with my family. Is he looking down at me?'

I was planning on using today's meal; to state clearly how this arranged marriage is not possible between us, but now what?

Although I felt relief that he also didn't want this marriage to happen, too, I did not want him to reject it this way. I felt more humiliated that he didn't even give my mom any face.

It seemed like I have to change my plan. And that is ' Revenge.'

I mean it when I said it is okay, but will he be okay or not? I'm not quite sure either.

Let us wait and see LI YI HAN.