6 Fur coats are beautiful (1/2)

Following a somewhat unfulfilling Christmas in New York, Valerie flew back to M City determined to have a serious talk with Richard.She was royally pissed when her calls and messages went unanswered. He had seemingly forgotten about her ever since she left and went to Venice for her movie shoot.

The New York trip was unplanned, deliberately omitted from his knowledge because she wanted to punish him for his cavalier attitude towards her. But it backfired big time since not only did he completely ignore her, he didn't even look for her while she spent Christmas alone with her mother's new family.What really set her off when she arrived was to be told by Richard's secretary that he was missing in action as well.

Not even Du Lu knew where he was. When she learned from a mutual acquaintance that An Ning had mysteriously vanished from the rounds of social activities that usually launched the Christmas festivities, her suspicion was triggered and she immediately did something even she knew was stupid by driving to her lover's parents' house in the middle of a snow storm.

Anger and resentment spurred her, however.She cannot and will not believe that Richard was playing her. It was usually the other way around. Look what happened during that auspicious wedding day.

She came, he saw and was subsequently conquered by her with nothing but a light, flirtatious smile on her part. She knew he loved her but she really couldn't understand what's keeping him from immediately marrying her.

An Ning was gone. His parents' objections seemed to her like flimsy excuses from a lover who supposedly will give her anything she wanted as long as she stayed by his side forever and ever.

Valerie pouted frowningly. He wouldn't even let her stay in his new apartment overnight even when she begged him to. He acted like he didn't care if she moved in with him or not. Valerie was too conceited and self-absorbed to explore the reasons for this estrangement so she self-confidently parked her car outside the ancient gate of her lover's ancestral house and rang thebell.

The visit would have gone well if not for Richard's mother. Although the old lady was polite and gracious, she was exceedingly even icily cold, her thin and exquisitely dressed frame positively vibrating with disapproval. She remained exceedingly polite yet glacial, not moving a muscle even when Valerie threw a tantrum and screamed Richard's name at the top of her lungs.

It was only when Valerie narrated her and Richard's first meeting that the old lady showed a response. Her lips thinned in a smile which was not actually a smile but the mere movement of the upper and lower lips.

”You say Richard fell in love with you at first sight during his wedding?” she said., sipping daintily at her cup of tea. ”I didn't know my son was so romantic. Who would have thought?”

So soft were the words, so gentle, spoken in the measured well-educated voice of a lady used to command yet it halted Valerie's light-hearted prattle. She found herself stammering an apology, her checks flushing with embarassment as she stared at her opponent who can conquer opposition with the mere flicker of her lashes.

”Erwina, give Richard a call for me, will you?” she said to a middle-aged lady standing quietly by her side. This middle-aged person looked at Valerie expressionlessly then took her phone out and dialed a number. Richard's voice came on the line, raspy and somewhat listless.

”Sir Richard, Ling Ling wants to talk to you,” Erwina said. The phone exchanged hands and the first thing that came out of Richard's mom's mouth were these words: ”There is a young lady here who said the two of you fell in love at first sight during your wedding and that An Ning knew about it. Is that why she kicked you out?”

She didn't even wait for an answer, merely handed Erwina the phone and went back to sipping her tea. Ten minutes later, a somewhat dishevelled Richard entered. The old lady stood up and threw Valerie an indifferent glance.

”It was nice meeting you, Valerie. We will not be meeting after this, I think. Richard, I want to talk to you when you have the time.” She walked out without another word, leaving a silence behind her that lasted for several minutes.

A somewhat deflated Valerie collapsed on the sofa with a sigh. ”My god, your mother is scary.She almost made me pee my pants!”

”Why did you come?” Richard asked, taking the chair opposite hers.

Valerie was surprised. His voice almost rivaled his mom in its inflexible coldness.His expression was equally glacial, his eyes looking at her with mild curiosity and nothing more. Valerie forced laughter from her parched throat, her skin tautening as if aware of the presence of a sudden yet hidden danger about to spring its trap.

”What do you mean? I haven't seen you in nearly two months. Even Du Lu didn't know where you were. Of course, I was worried.”

Richard took out a slim cigar and clicked open a bronze lighter to light up. Valerie was stunned.

”I didn't know you smoked. When did you take up the habit?”