3 THE THING CALLED sFILIAL PIETY” IS A LITTLE OVERRATED (1/2)

Hua Zhendan watched Shen Rui as she wiped the corners of her mouth with a napkin as they ate dinner together at a sushi place. After several failed promises from him, he had finally agreed to have dinner with her.

As Shen Rui wiped her mouth meticulously, Hua Zhendan immediately reconciled her image with that of Xuan Tianmei whom he had watched working several times over the past month, wiping off makeup in the same manner.

Hua Zhendan suddenly felt stupid. The reason Xuan Tianmei kept giving him déjà vus a little too often was that she was a carbon copy of his mother. Surprisingly, this uncanny semblance wasn't limited to their faces. It extended as far as their facial expressions and comportments.

At one point, he had noticed the similarities between both of their demeanors. It was the reason he liked Xuan Tianmei a lot after all. The problem was he didn't realize until now that they had the same face.

”Ma?” he called.

”En?” she answered.

”I just realized that Tianmei Xuan... Looks exactly like you, when you were younger.” Hua Zhendan's tone was almost accusatory.

Shen Rui smiled wryly. Listless, she asked, ”She does, doesn't she?”

”How did you two meet?”

”I was visiting a friend in Pingjing on the eve of the Spring Festival. I bumped into her.”

”Oh?” Hua Zhendan muttered.

”Yes,” Shen Rui said. ”I was struck by how much she resembled me. I offered her a modeling and acting job. She refused both. Finally, she told me she was looking for a job as a makeup artist, so I referred her to you.”

Suddenly realizing something, Hua Zhendan furrowed his brows. ”You were in Pingjing on Spring Festival eve?”

”Yes,” Shen Rui said. ”Why?” she asked.

Hua Zhendan gave her a calculating stare. For a moment, he thought she might have followed him. It didn't seem like she did though. She probably hadn't even known he was there himself.

”If you were in Pingjing, why did you say you prepared a big feast in anticipation of my return?” Hua Zhendan asked.

Shen Rui laughed lightly, her voice silky, and pleasant to the ears. ”Oh, that! I was trying to guilt trip you into coming home. Or at least, having dinner with me.”

Hua Zhendan frowned. He hated how manipulative Shen Rui seemed to be. It was the reason he was mad at her in the first place. It had taken him three months after the Chinese New Year, but he had finally caved in to her guilt tripping and consequently taken her out to eat.