Fan Fiction |
by manggang_hilaw
***
“What’s this?” Lei asked as he took the envelope Yu Min had placed on the table. The other man had called and asked him to come by the Xu mansion ASAP.
“You tell me.” Yu Min answered, staring intently at Lei as the younger man sat down on the chair in front of him.
Lei opened the envelope and saw the pictures. “Where did you get this?” he asked calmly, betraying no emotion at all.
“Someone hand-delivered it here this morning.”
“Did you see who it was?” Lei asked, although he doubted it.
“No. Care to explain?”
Lei threw the pictures back on the table and met the other man’s gaze squarely. “What’s there to explain?”
“Do you still intend to marry my sister?”
“What has that got to do with this?”
“My sister hates my guts enough as it is. I do not want to add insult to injury by giving her cause to be embarrassed in public.” Yu Min’s voice had taken on an hard edge.
“Are you sure that was your real concern?” Lei couldn’t help but ask.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You’ve been sending her flowers.”
Yu Min had the grace to blush. “So what?”
“Nothing. I’m just telling you to back off. She’s taken.”
“By you?” Yu Min sneered.
“By Ximen. They’re engaged.” Lei answered calmly.
Yu Min looked stunned for a second, and then laughed. “So that’s why…” he murmured to himself.
“I’m guessing he’s already warned you?” Lei couldn’t help but smile at the thought.
Yu Min sighed loudly. “He accused me of persuading our fathers to send him off to New York so I can take over his company here…I should have known it was about her.”
Lei considered asking him about the trouble at Ximen’s New York office but reconsidered. Whatever Yu Min’s faults were, Lei knew sabotage wouldn’t be among them. “I’m glad to see you’re not heart broken.” Lei observed instead.
The other man shrugged philosophically. “She enchanted me.” He admitted. “But I do not poach on another man’s property.”
“I’m sure my friend will be glad to know that…although she might not appreciate being called his ‘property’.” Lei smiled.
Yu Min nearly smiled but then remembered the reason for the meeting. “You still haven’t explained why someone would send me this.”
Lei thought about it before answering. “I would have thought it was someone out to stop my engagement to your sister but nobody knows about it except us and our parents so that couldn’t be it.”
“Nobody knows about my interest in Xiao You too.” Yu Min offered.
Lei froze as he recalled Shan Cai and Lin’s confession that morning. “Xiao You’s other admirer does.”
***
“Ma! Pa!” Ximen exclaimed in surprise at the sight of his parents standing outside his apartment. “What are you doing here?”
“What? Can’t we visit you anymore without advanced notice?” Mrs. Ximen teased her son.
Ximen blushed at his mother’s rebuke. “Sorry…I was just surprised. Come in.” he moved to allow them entry. He was glad they were both here anyway. He hadn’t had the chance to tell them about the engagement yet and now as a good a time as any.
“Are you alone?” Mr. Ximen asked as they all took a seat by the living area.
Ximen looked at his father in surprise. “Yes I am.” He answered. He’d gone home to change after he’d dirtied his pants from kneeling on the rooftop. He was supposed to meet her later after she and Shan Cai and Lin had finished shopping. Ah Si had been their designated driver after Lei had been called away on an emergency.
“How is she by the way?” Mrs. Ximen asked as she looked at her son intently.
“She’s fine.” Ximen answered with a smile, and added, “We’re both doing fine. Very good actually…” He was about to tell them about the engagement when he noticed the look his parents exchanged at his words. “What’s wrong?”
Ximen’s mother sighed as she took out an envelope from insider her bag and placed it on the table.
“You tell us.” Mr. Ximen answered as he pushed the envelope towards his son.
Ximen looked at them first before reaching out for the envelope. He slowly opened it and saw the pictures. The fear he’d experienced that morning when he and his friends had thought Xiao You missing suddenly resurfaced with a vengeance.
The two older Ximens looked at their son in alarm as they mistook the reason for his sudden pallor.
“I’m sure there’s a perfectly reasonable explanation for that…” Mrs. Ximen was quick to answer, forgetting about her own doubts in an effort to reassure her son.
The older man didn’t say anything but just look at Ximen intently.
Ximen looked up and realized what his parents were probably thinking as he took in their worried looks. “You honestly didn’t think she and Lei…” he stopped and shook his head. “Ma! She’s like Lei’s younger sister!”
“Are you sure?” The question betrayed his mother’s doubts about the relationship.
Ximen laughed. “Positive.” He answered with certainty. He completely trusted Xiao You and Lei.
“So why would someone think to send your mother those photographs then?” Mr. Ximen asked.
The question reminded Ximen about Xiao You’s caller. He’d underestimated the bastard! “I don’t know. But I’m going to find out!”
****
A/N2: Boring update I know. But humor me. =)