39 Drinking Games (1/2)

Su Li didn't know why Li Rong was avoiding her like the plague for the last few days. He wouldn't recieve her calls, wouldn't reply back to her texts and the day she took the initiative to visit his workplace, he turned her away saying he was busy with work. This had never happened before and she was puzzled by his behaviour. Normally, he would try to stick himself with her at every given opportunity. At first, she hadn't paid it much mind but now it had been close to a month since the party and things were still the same.

She had been informed by Zixi that Yu Yan and Li Rong seemed to be meeting up frequently since the evening of the party. Now, she knew Li Rong wasn't someone who would chase skirts or ditch someone to shove a knife in their back. She really couldn't fathom why he was avoiding her but meeting Yu Yan. Moreover, it wasn't as if he was trying to be sneaky about it. Most people in their social circle knew that the Second Young Master of the Li family was accompanying the spurious daughter of the Yu family. Su Li also could feel people's eyes watching her to see her reaction but she didn't understand how to react?

At the end of the day, they were friends, no doubt best friends. Nevertheless, friends so she didn't have the right to question him about the company he was keeping these days. Moreover, every person had a right to make friends with whoever took their fancy, she couldn't just ask him to stop seeing Yu Yan. From what she knew of him from their talks and all the time spent together, she could see that it was all deliberate but to what end? What was he hoping to achieve? Their company's were already working on two projects together and another one was in the final stages of talks of cooperation so, it couldn't be that he was planning to rob them off as that would be disastrous to his company and reputation as well. She sighed to herself. She really didn't want to spend her time thinking about a person who was ignoring her but he was her best friend, a person she liked spending time with. She really couldn't help herself when her mind ran on the same tracks of trying to find reasons for his bizzare behaviour.

Just as she was about to clock off the company, Zixi entered her office.

”Miss, do you want to go back to the residence or do you have any other plans?”

She really didn't want to go back to the Yu residence and then keep on thinking about the same things all over again, but she didn't have any prior arrangements to meet anyone either. Dithering for a bit she replied, ”Book a table at The Crystal Court. I want to go and have dinner there. Book it for two. Today accompany me for a meal.”

He replied in the affirmative and they left to have a taste of the good food at The Crystal Court.

Reaching the place they were shown to their table. It was a bit off the centre. Not too conspicuous but not even at the fringes of the space. She thought it was a good spot to have a relaxing meal. If someone known saw her and was close to her, they could come and make some polite talk but if she wanted to ignore the other person, she could simply say she didn't notice since not many people would choose to sit by this side.

She asked Zixi to place the order for both of them. She was too tired physically and mentally to bother with formalities tonight.

Yu Yan was ecstatic. For the past few weeks Li Rong had gone out with her to numerous places and she knew they were on the road to being friends and more later on. But that would have to wait for the time being. She didn't want to scare him off with her eagerness and her advances. Therefore, she had decided to take it slow. Today she had booked a table at The Crystal Court for dinner. It was a place frequented by most of the elites and she wanted everyone to see her with the so called 'best friend' of her sister and what better way than to go to a place where Yu Yue and Li Rong used to go once or twice a week without fail.

As soon as she entered the spacious restuarant, she could see people watching the both of them from the corner of their eyes. She tried to wind her arm across Li Rong's but to no avail. Though he didn't pull away from her but he looked at her with a gaze that clearly told her not to cross her boundaries. She slowly withdrew her hand from the crook of his arm. Just as they were about to pass by an aisle she saw something wonderful. Yu Yue was sitting with Zixi at a table not too far from where she was standing. She really hadn't known they would be here but it all worked in her favour so, she turned towards Li Rong and said, ”What a coincidence. Yueyue is here as well. Let's go and eat with her.”

When Li Rong heard Yu Yan's words his instinctive reaction was to look towards the direction she was tilting her chin towards. It had been so long since he had a proper talk with Yueyue but he curbed his thoughts. Just as he was about to decline, he saw princess sitting there with that damnable Zixi and talking as if everything was fine and dandy in her world. As if the fact that her best friend hadn't talked to her in so long didn't affect her in the slightest. He saw Zixi saying something to her and she laughed a full throat laugh as if she had heard the best joke in the world. Even though it had been he himself who hadn't responded to her overtures, seeing her being so happy and unaffected lit a fire in his heart. Without a word, he took Yu Yan's hand, placed it in his arms and walked towards the two people.

”Hello, princess, Zixi.” He gave a faint smile to her but all he could manage towards Zixi was a polite nod.

Su Li turned towards them and when she saw him and her sister standing together, she didn't have a single ripple in her eyes. This really disappointed him. ”Hello, Brother Li. Hello, Yanyan.” Yu Yan just inclined her head which could be taken as a greeting.

”It looks like the three of us me, princess and Zixi are fated. No matter what we do or wherever we go, we bump into each other.” Li Rong knew his voice had an acerbic tone to it but he couldn't help himself.

”Oh! Here, last time you forgot your cigarette lighter with me.” Su Li took it out of her purse and returned it to its owner.

”Small things. Don't pay mind ” Even though he said that he was somewhat happy to know that she had kept it with her all this time.

Yu Yan couldn't stand Li Rong paying all his attention to Yu Yue so she spoke, ”Let's eat together. Li Rong, sit.”

Li Rong turned his eyes towards Zixi and saw that he wasn't comfortable having dinner with Yueyue while he and Yu Yan were present.

”What's the matter? Are we not welcomed?”

Zixi gave an appropriate reply but it really left him without a chance to counter - attack. ”How is that possible? Just now you said us three were fated. Since fate has us meeting by accident then let's just eat together.”