She was a tough one. But he had to toughen up and start listening to his consciousness, as the guilt didn't do well to anyone.

He reached for her hair and gently stroked them not disturbing her. How could he explain to his mother the deep love he had for her? Why wouldn't she understand? But he knew at the back of his mind that she was an adamant woman, very vane and fixed in her thinking. She rarely understood his feelings…

His mind went to the party and he wondered whom was Wu Lina waving at. Who was Lai Mingxing? He gripped her hand softly as a pang of jealousy hit him again.

---

His mind went back to the time when he saw Wu Lina at Ying Yue's party. This was during the third month of her employment at the Yang Corporation.

Ying Yue had called him for a party at her place and he didn't want to go. She had invited him via email, which he had declined. The email was:

'Dear Yang Xinyu,

I am celebrating yet another successful project. Would request your company for dinner. Please join me at my place Moonlight Residence, Bungalow No 5.

Best Regards,

Ying Yue'

---

When he saw the email in his office, he became furious about the fact that she dared to contact him. He picked his coat and went out of the office to feel better. He strolled towards Wu Lina's cubicle and found her reading some documents. His lips curved upwards and his feet dragged him closer to her. He went and stood near her leaning against the wall behind her. Wu Lina turned back to see him and shuddered. She stood up from her chair. He wondered whether she had started hating him to the point that he was repulsing her. The thought pricked his conscience and he lashed out his anxiety at her.

"When will you finish the project at hand?" he asked with hands in his pockets.

"It will take a few more days CEO Yang…" she had replied afraid even more.

"Do you think I am paying you to loiter around? Can't you manage one simple project? If you think you cannot do it, send me your resignation!" he almost barked at her.

Wu Lina had stood rooted to her spot unable to make any sound. She looked down at her desk and started rubbing its edges.

Yang Xinyu left her standing there. He went back to his office and wrote an email back to Ying Yue:

'Sorry, I cannot come.

Regards,

Yang Xinyu'

A few days had passed and he had regretted shouting at Wu Lina. He wanted to talk to her but she would steer clear of him.

One day when he was in the office his secretary Zhou Zhili informed him that Ms. Ying Yue was with her and was demanding to see the CEO.

Yang Xinyu panicked, as he never wanted Wu Lina to see Ying Yue. He asked Zhou Zhili to get her in his office.

He was repulsed to see her. He wanted her to go to the far end of the world. He wanted to get over with it as soon as possible.

Ying Yue waited for Zhou Zhili to leave but Yang Xinyu stopped her. "You can say what you want to in front of Ms Zhou. She is my secretary."

Ying Yue shrugged, "Okay. I know you hate me for leavi…"

"Ms. Zhou, you may leave us," his sudden order left Zhou Zhili surprised. She walked out.

Yang Xinyu looked at Ying Yue with anger once Zhou Zhili went away. His face was red, "How dare you even come in this office?"

"I know you are angry because I left you… but I am here to make mends," she replied.

Yang Xinyu laughed at her. "Mends? Do you think I feel the same for you? Then go and take a look at yourself in the mirror! Now get out of my office and this building," he shouted at her.

But Ying Yue didn't budge. She sat in the chair opposite his and kept her arms on the table. "Yang Xinyu please don't be mad at me. Whatever I did was on an impulse. Please give me one more chance," she said fluttering her eyelashes.

Yang Xinyu smirked and he couldn't help comparing her with Wu Lina. 'What a pretentious woman! How could I even love her?' He berated himself silently.

"Look Ying Yue, I don't want to be involved with you in any way. It would be better if we don't create a spectacle in front of the employees," he said in a low seething voice.

"Okay how about this – you come to my lunch party on Sunday and I'll leave you. But I am sure that we can both start again," she smiled at him.

"We will never start again even if you are last woman on this earth. You act as if I owed my love to you but in fact all you gave me was apathy. I don't remember you coming to me when I needed help. It was me who would always go to you. Our relationship was morose now that I think of it in retrospect. Now that I have fallen in love again with the most beautiful woman I've ever met, I don't want to go back to you. Only God know how much I love her and how much you repulse me. When were the last time you looked at me as if I was the only person you could stay forever with? You never showed me the yearnings of your soul, the vulnerable you. Instead you stared at nothing… you dismissed me always, and I like a fool held onto you," spoke Yang Xinyu.

Ying Yue stared at him. Those words were not for her - they were for his new love. She found him too immature and restrictive in the past. But the person standing in front of her was entirely different. She was stunned. She was jealous. She wanted to meet the woman who had changed him.

"Yang Xinyu, I am glad that you have found pure love. Can I meet her?"

"Leave, Ying Yue."