"You're still not willing to talk to me?" Zhu Liang asked Heya as they continued to dance.

Ever since he offered her his hands for them to dance together, she had taken it yea, she hadn't said a word to him. Neither did she look at him.

His hand around her waist tightened and he pulled her closer to himself. That action made her stiffen up and shoot him a dead glare.

"You should stop doing that" She raised her head to warn him.

"If that's going to make you talk to me." He said with a sad smile on his face.

"I'm sorry. You were probably uncomfortable with the way I made my intentions known to your parents and mine. Forgive me will you?"

Heya looked at him for a bit before turning to look at the side. She must admit he was good looking. And a very direct person.

She wasn't exactly mad about what he did, but she was just a bit uncomfortable. It was the reason she had refused to say a word.

Maybe it was a mistake on her part for agreeing to dance with him in the first place.

"Why do you like me? We've only met twice." Heya looked at him and asked.

He was quiet for a bit before shaking his head "I don't know. I'm just very attracted to you."

When he saw the confused look on Heya's face, he suddenly laughed.

"Sorry. I guess I am really bad at this. I don't know how to woo a woman. Pardon me"

Heya cocked a brow to look at him in disbelief.

'Hard to believe. You look like a playboy' Heya said in her mind as she looked intently at him.

Aside from the fact that he was a pretty boy, the gold earring he always wore made him look like a gigolo.

"So you've never been in a relationship before?"

"I have. My parents arranged it." He admitted with a nod.

"So...what happened?"

"Well, I didn't like her. We only lasted a month and that was it."

"So now, you think you like me? You didn't even ask whether I had a boyfriend or not"

Liang chuckled and gently pulled her closer to him again, but not in the annoying way and so Heya did not react.

"Then too bad."

"Bad for who exactly?"

"Bad for him. Cause he's about to lose his pretty girlfriend. Sorry, but I do not like to share"

Something about his attitude seemed to remind her of her brother. They were so alike;

The casual way he spoke about his feelings, his possessive attitude, and the way he smiled. He was so similar to Li Muchen.

"I didn't say I want you." She finally said something to him after thinking for a while.

"It doesn't seem like you do not want me though. Tell you what, if I kiss you right now, you wouldn't push me away" He teased.

Heya's eyes bulged out as she stared at him.

How could he say something like that so carelessly? Why would he even think about kissing her in this kind of crowded place?

Plus, she had never kissed a person before!

The only thing she could remember ever kissing was her pillow whenever she tried to imagine how kissing felt like.

Liang paused and stared at her wide eyes.

"You've never kissed a man before." It was more of a statement than a question.

"I...I...ha..ve. I have" Heya swallowed hard before letting the words out in a stammer.

"You have not." He smirked.

"But do not worry Princess. When you're ready, let me know. I don't want to force you."

"You are a playboy aren't you?" Heya voiced out the words on her mind.

She had known Minde for long to easily tell who was a playboy and who was not.

"Ouch... That's cold" He placed a hand on his chest and made a show of being hurt.

"You are. Your look, the way you talk, the way you smile." She paused.

"You can have fun dancing with me, but do not think about anything else." She said with a straight face.

She wanted him to know his place and not try to cross the boundary.

He remained quiet for a while and continued to dance with her in silence.

"I probably may have had a couple of flings in the past, but I meant it when I said I wanted to court you. We're still both young. So you can take your time studying me."

He stopped dancing, kissed the back of her hand, and left the dance floor, crestfallen.

***

"You haven't told me yet. How many kids would you love us to have?" Muchen asked Sara.

Sara suddenly paused and her eyes widened.

"Kids?"

It then suddenly struck her that they were now married. And it was only normal for them to have kids.

"Oh my God! I am going to be someone's mother?" She looked at Muchen in shock.

Muchen just studied her reaction without saying anything.

"We...we have to..you know..tonight.." Sara gasped.

He finally understood what she was thinking and began to laugh.

"Oh... Because we didn't...you know... While we were dating, did you think we wouldn't do that now?" He teased with a wink.

It made him remember that they both did not have any sexual intercourse at all; which was by the way, the right thing to do since they were not married right?

He had probably been too into their friendship that he didn't think about sleeping with her. Or maybe he did, but he didn't go through with it.

Sara sucked in air to help calm her nerves. After calming down a bit, she answered.

"I don't know. Probably two or three? But I would like to have a son. A son with a cute dimple just like you"

"Nah. I prefer a daughter. I want to see how a little Sara looks and acts like."

"Little Sara would be boring. But she'll be respectful and cute" She said with a big smile, but when she remembered the process to make a 'little Sara', her anxiety came back in.

"I really hope so. Look there. I think a lot of people are hooking up on our wedding" He turned Sara's attention towards Minde as Kim Eva took the seat beside him.

---

Minde had been sitting quietly while watching the others dance. When he was tired of watching them, he went online to see the trending news all about Sara and Muchen's wedding, including the news about Sara's mum being Song Changyu, and her marriage to Jianjun Wang.

He was pleased with how everyone seemed to wish them well while also cussing Mo Jinyong and Liu Weiyoung.

As he looked up at all the couples that were dancing, he felt a sharp pain in his chest region like his heart was being squeezed.

He looked from Muchen and Sara to his parents, to Muchen's parents, to Sara's Aunt and parents, and every other person there.

Now he knew why his life had been so messed up. He thought there was no better feeling than being with the person you love. That one person.

The one he could also dance with.

He had a lot of ladies in his life, but he felt very lonely right now. A lot of ladies had also approached him to ask for a dance or just to strike up a conversation, but he wasn't in the mood. His mind was not settled and nothing seemed to excite him.

Nothing at all!

When he thought a tear was about to escape his eye, he heard a familiar feminine voice behind him, causing the tears to run back in.

"Hi!"

He saw Kim Eva appear in front of him, probably to remind him of how pretty she still was in a simple knee length yellow gown and silver heel. Her black hair tumbled elegantly as she took the seat opposite him.

"You've been here?" He asked in surprise since it was the first time he was seeing her there.

"I had something to do so I came late. But I've been here for a while."

"Cool." Minde remained quiet and turned his attention back on the dance floor.

He was still hurt by all she said to him that night. Even though she had been right and had opened his mind to a new life, he still felt sad whenever he remembered it.

"Hey. I just wanted to say I'm sorry about the other time and what I said to —"

"It's fine." Minde interrupted.

"It's really okay. I do not hold it against you." He added.

"You sure? Cause I think I might have said a lot of mean things to you that night."

"It's really cool." He forced a smile. "I probably should thank you for that."

"Oh... O.kay" She said awkwardly before getting up to leave.

"And... Emma is not my girlfriend. She's my childhood friend and she has a boyfriend."

After she said that, she turned her back to leave.

It took a couple of seconds for Minde to register what she had just said.

"You are not a lesbian?" He asked rather straightforwardly which made her cheeks flush in embarrassed.

"I. Am. Not.." She shook her head.

It still made her laugh whenever she remembered how he had told her he didn't mind if she liked girls and it would be fun for him.

"So....you like men?" Minde stood up and moved closer to her.

Eva thought the questions sounded weird but she still nodded.

Minde could not help but scoff. So she had always been into men? And she had not liked him?

His old narcissistic self gradually began to come in again.

"Something wrong?" She asked him curiously.

"I...really don't know." He answered before offering her his hand.

"Want to dance with me Miss Kim?"

Eva laughed at the formality before nodding.

"Hmm.. Okay." She slowly took his hand and followed him to the dance floor.

"You still have that look on your face. What are you thinking?" She asked Minde as they began to move their bodies slowly.

"It just feels weird. I was suddenly sad and now I feel... happy." He admitted with a smile.

Eva smiled back and remained quiet.

She had decided to put the past behind her. Truthfully, she kind of like Li Minde. Even though he was a lazy ass, he was fun. And very handsome also.

She had paid off all of Emma's family's debt in one go. She wanted to begin this New Year afresh.

No more guilt, no more sulking.

"If I become a director, would you...like me?" He asked in an uncertain voice.

"It's not about being a director. It's about you doing something meaningful for yourself and for your family."

He paused and then rephrased his question.

"So...if I become someone useful, would you like me then?"

Minde could not believe he was being nervous right now. He was Li Minde for crying out loud!

Eva smiled and turned her head to the side.

"Probably" She admitted.