Love Me

“Is your head still aching?” Alexander asked as soon as they got inside of Jingfei’s unit. 

“No, it’s not aching anymore. Are you hungry? ‘Cause I am!” Jingfei asked while placing her bag on top of the centre table. Alexander picked it up and threw it at her, “Young lady, you have to place that inside your room. Go change your clothes also, I’ll prepare our lunch. What would you like to eat?” 

Jingfei picked her bag and walked towards her room, “Salad!” She answered before closing the door. 

“Why did I even ask her?” Alexander muttered as he glanced at the wall clock, it was already four in the afternoon, “I should call her!” He mumbled while taking his phone and dialled a number.

While waiting for his call to be picked up, Alexander went inside of Jingfei’s walk-in pantry and took out a few ingredients, and placed them on the countertop. 

“Hello! Brother? Why did you call me?” A weak and drowsy voice of a young lady was heard in the speaker. Alexander frowned, “Alexandria, are you still sleeping?” He questioned while glancing at the door where Jingfei came out. 

“I was, but you called, so I’m awake now!” The young lady answered while yawning and rubbing her eyes. “So why did you call me? Is everything okay?”

Jingfei strode towards Alexander, “Is that Dria?” She asked while pointing at Alexander’s phone. The young man nodded, “Is that Jingfei? Why are you two together?” The young lady asked with a gleeful yet suspicious tone in her voice. 

“Hi pretty Dria, I hired your brother to be my chef for today.”

“Hey! Not only for today. I always cook for you.” Alexander retaliated. Jingfei stuck her tongue out, “Hey, excuse me, Mr. Heroux. You don’t always cook for me so I’m thinking of hiring you for life.” 

“Then marry me!” Alexander muttered and Jingfei flinched in surprise when she heard Alexander’s sister screamed on the phone, Alexandria then asked, “ARE YOU TWO DATING?” 

“Of course not, your brother is just joking, Dria. Your brother is too much for me.” Jingfei uttered while glancing at the young man who was staring at her intently.

“Yeah, I also thought the same thing, he is just too much of a womanizer for an angel like you. Too bad, I wanted you to be my sister-in-law.” The young lady muttered with a disappointed tone in her voice. 

“That’s okay. I can still be your sister without the “In-law”. So, how are you? You still stuck on your bed?” Jingfei asked, as she sat on the counter stool and took Alexander’s phone on top of the table. “You start cooking, I’ll talk to your sister.” Jingfei turned off the speaker.

 “I’m fine! I don’t have anything to do today since last night’s party took all my energy away. Did you attend my cousin’s engagement party last night?” Alexandria’s sudden question made Jingfei remember the groom-to-be’s face again. 

“Hey, Jingfei, are you still there?” The young lady asked.

“Yes, I’m still here. Sorry, I just thought of something for a moment. Uhm! Yes, I went there with your brother. I was supposed to assist his crew with the catering but he dragged me to his table as his partner. I didn’t see you there.” Jingfei uttered. “Of course you won’t see her you dumbass, you were practically staring at the groom’s face throughout the event.” Jingfei thought to herself. She didn’t know how she was able to speak to Alexander while staring at the groom-to-be’s face.

“I was with my other cousins, they didn’t let me leave the table and when the event was done, they dragged me for an after-party. I had experienced the most awful hangover early this morning.” Alexandria explained.

“God! I also feel you, Alexandria!” Jingfei thought as she remembered how bad her hangover was earlier. 

"Have you taken a hangover medicine?" Jingfei questioned. "Yes, I did!" Alexandria answered. 

The two young ladies continued talking until Jingfei bid her goodbye when Alexander was done cooking their late lunch, "I'll talk to you soon when I'm not that busy anymore. And let's go shopping and unwind when that time comes. Bye now, Dria. Take care. Love you!" 

"I will. You too, Jingfei. And please look out for my brother. I don't want to be an Aunt yet if one of his women is the mother. Love you. Enjoy your super late lunch. Bye" Alexandria hung up immediately and at the same time, Alexander placed all the dishes he cooked on the countertop, “Eat up and we will talk later. I will answer your question earlier when we were at the restaurant.”

Jingfei just nodded her head as she placed some rice and dishes on her plate, “What did you two talk about?” The young man curiously asked but Jingfei just stared at him, “Not gonna tell you. It’s a girls thing.” She said and continued stuffing food in her mouth.

    While Jingfei was enjoying her food, Alexander was also enjoying his view, “She looks like a hamster.” 

    “Your food is on the table, not in my face. Stop staring at me.” Jingfei mumbled while filling her spoon with chicken soup. Alexander did what Jingfei told him, the two then ate peacefully. 

    Once they were done, Jingfei stood up and helped in cleaning the countertop while Alexander did the dishes. The young lady then walked back and forth from her living room to the kitchen to help her stomach digest the food.

    “So what did you do to your women that they bombarded you with messages.” She asked as soon as she sat back on the stool.

    Alexander, who was still doing the dishes, glanced at Jingfei before answering her, “I cut ties with them!” 

    “Ahhh you cut- Wait what? You did what?” Jingfei stood up from her seat. 

    “I said, I cut ties with them. I officially ended my relationship with those women, even though our relationship is not of that girlfriend and boyfriend thing.” The young man honestly confessed.

    With a worried and baffled look on her face, Jingfei spoke, “Why did you do that? Do you know what will happen to me because of what you did?” 

    “Don’t worry, you will never be hurt again because of them.” Alexander uttered with assurance. He immediately finished washing the dishes and once he was done, he sat down on the chair opposite to Jingfei's seat. 

“So why did you cut ties with them?” Jingfei asked curiously. When she found out that Alexander had a long list of women, she was surprised at first but as time passed she got accustomed to it since it was his life.

As Jingfei waited for Alexander’s reply to her, she could feel the young man’s intense gaze on her, “Because last night, I realized that I should change myself so that I could court you properly and heal your heart that was shattered by your first love. I want to be the man who is worthy to stand beside you. That is why last night, I asked my secretary to cut my ties with those twenty women whom I would call whenever I’m pent up.” 

Jingfei frowned, “How did you know about my first love?” She asked and Alexander almost slapped his mouth, “Dammit!” 

“How did you know about my first love?” Jingfei asked again in a calm and composed manner. She was not frowning anymore and there is no expression seen on her face. 

“Uhmm. I kind of lied to you when I said you didn’t do anything when you got drunk last night. You started talking about your ex-boyfriend, who suddenly disappeared seven years ago and how uncanny is their similarity, of my cousin’s face, Lucien and your ex-boyfriend.” Alexander confessed leaving the kissing part. 

Jingfei raised her hand and the young man anticipated that she would hit him but to his surprise, the young lady slapped her face. “Why did you slap yourself?” Alexander asked as he held her reddened cheek.

Jingfei just smiled, Alexander could see the sadness in her eyes. It was not the Jingfei whom he met two years ago or maybe all this time, the real Jinigfei is this one, who is in front of him. 

The young lady sighed and she opened her mouth to speak, “Cause I was being stupid last night. Why did I even drag you to the bar and drink with me? Why did I even think that your cousin was my ex-boyfriend who left me without saying anything, not even goodbye or let’s just break up? And after all these years, why am I still having these feelings for him, the feeling of love, longing and hope. I came here to not only follow my dream but also move one and hoping, to find the person who is destined for me but my plan was shattered when I saw your cousin last night.” Jingfei confessed, her plans and the feelings she had been hiding were shattered at that very moment when she saw him at the centre stage. 

Alexander stood up and hugged Jingfei, “It’s okay, Feifei.” Alexander could feel the young lady’s sadness as she cried her heart out. “Will you ever love me if I’d say that I wanted to court you.” Alexander thought as he comforted the young lady who was crying in his arms.