THE FOLLOWING WEEK

I was getting ready to meet with Auntie Jade and Uncle Liu at a nearby restaurant with Meizuo then we were meeting up with Ximen and Lei at Shancai's house after. Apparently, she was staying alone because her parents had gone to live with her aunt at a fishing village because her dad's boss had run away with the company funds. They were planning on still staying cause her mom still had the food delivery service and her dad could look for another job but her uncle was really sick and her aunt was having trouble taking care of him so she asked if they could come and help take care of him. Ah Si wasn't answering our calls so we didn't bother since we figured he was busy with Xiaozi.

"Ready Shui?" Meizuo asked as he popped his head in the doorway, just in time for me to grab my oversized dark blue pinstriped blazer and wore it over my matching tube top which was tucked into my white pleated trousers. My hair was straightened and I had on some small silver hoop earrings and black suede heels.

"Stop it." Meizuo scolded and I looked at him in confusion.

"Huh? What do you mean?" I asked and he walked closer and cupped my face with his hands.

"Stop being so pretty. I might have to put a mask on you to keep away other guys." He said and I laughed, moving his face away from me.

"Let's go." I said as I placed my phone in my pocket and grabbed Meizuo who continued to pout before looking down at my right hand's ring finger. He smiled and looked at the twinkly silver band before bringing my hand to his lips, placing a tender kiss on it.

I smiled as I intertwined my fingers with his and headed downstairs.

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We arrived at the restaurant shortly after. When we got inside, I looked around for Uncle Liu and Auntie Jade.

"Shuijing!" I looked around and saw Auntie Jade waving as I smiled, holding Meizuo's hand as we walked to their table.

"Auntie Jade!" I said as I gave the old woman a hug which she returned. I did the same with Uncle Liu before sitting down.

"Ahem." Uncle Liu suddenly cleared his throat and my eyebrows quirked up in confusion. Uncle Liu then gestured to Meizuo and my hands which were still clasped.

"Uhm- Uncle Liu-" I started but Meizuo cut me off.

"We're dating Uncle Liu." He said and my eyes widened. Uncle Liu and Auntie Jade were the closest thing I have to family. Except for the F4 of course.

Auntie Jade and Uncle Liu looked at each other in silence for a few moments before slowly breaking into a smile.

"Oh! How wonderful!" Auntie Jade exclaimed as she tightly hugged us both. After she pulled away, Meizuo and I looked at each other in confusion.

"You know what, I always knew you two would end up together! Meizuo, did you know? Shuijing had a huge crush on you when you were kids. She always said that when she grew up, she'd marry you and you'll live happily ever after." She revealed and I blushed in response. Uncle Liu laughed as I covered my face in embarrassment.

"Auntie Jade!" I said as I felt my cheeks becoming hotter and Meizuo playfully smirked at me.

"Shuijing, you know if you want to marry me, all you have to do is ask." He said and I glared in response, causing him to raise his arms in surrender and Auntie Jade & Uncle Liu to laugh.

"Okay, let's eat." I said as I elbowed Meizuo, causing him to groan as he sat down beside me. I called over a waiter and proceeded to order for all of us.

After 15-20 minutes, the food arrived and we talked about random things. We laughed and laughed until I remembered something.

"Auntie Jade? Uncle Liu? Can I ask you guys something?" I asked and they looked at me curiously.

"What is it dear?" Auntie Jade asked. I looked at Meizuo nervously who grasped my hand in comfort.

"Do you know anything about my birth parents?" I asked and Auntie Jade and Uncle Liu looked at each other before looking at me.

"Shuijing.." Auntie Jade started as she grasped my free hand.

"I wish we knew but- "She continued but Uncle Liu cut her off.

"Enough. It's time she knew about her real parents." Uncle Liu said and my eyebrows furrowed.

"We know who they are Shuijing, your father- I mean Mr. Tengtang made us burn any trace of who you were." Uncle Liu continued.

"But Jie said that there wasn't any indication to who I was because I didn't have anything except a blanket." I said and Auntie Jade shook her head.

"That's not true Shuijing. Jing didn't see anything because she was quite young when you first arrived at the house and your father made sure to remind her that you were her baby sister so that Jing wouldn't be suspicious." She said as she took something out from her bag and handed it to me. It was a small pink blanket with the sides slightly burned. I turned over the back and saw the letters 'SJ' engraved in faded gold color.

As I continued to hold the blanket, I felt tears falling down my face and sniffled. Meizuo pulled me closer as I continued to sniffle as he rubbed my arm.

"Is this the only clue I have left? Not even a trinket or a letter?" I asked through tears and Auntie Jade shook her head which made me whimper.

After a few minutes, we had finished eating and I was seeing them to the door.

"I hope you find them dear. I'm sorry I can't be much help." Auntie Jade said as she hugged me tightly.

"No. Please. This is more than enough. Thank you so much." I said as I gave her a kind smile before she walked out of the restaurant.

"Shuijing?" Uncle Liu said which made me turn to him.

"This may not be much but I hope it helps." He said as he handed me a piece of paper that had a solid gold wax seal engraved with the letter BE in cursive at the very top. The letter ended just a few lines after the salutations because the rest of the paper was burned off.

"The letter that was attached to your crib had this seal on it. When your father told us to get rid of everything, this was the only piece that was saved." He gestured to the paper in my hands.

"Thank you Uncle Liu." I said as I gave him a hug which he returned.

"I hope you find your family soon Shuijing." He said as he patted my back before heading outside where Auntie Jade was waiting.

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Meizuo and I dropped by a convenience store to buy some snacks and drinks for Shancai then we were picking up Lei and Ximen at a nearby café.

Meizuo drove us to Shancai's place where she cheerfully welcomed us. I helped her pour the drinks while the boys took out the snacks from the car.

I sat beside Meizuo who had his arm around my chair while Ximen and Lei sat across from us and at the head of the table was Shancai.

"Cheers!" We all cheered as we clinked our glasses together and drank the juice.

"You're staying alone. You should change to a safer lock." Lei stated as he held up the box he brought.

"Thanks." Shancai said as she gave him a grateful smile.

"How's the safety here? Is it safe to live alone?" Lei asked.

"It should be okay." Shancai answered as she opened a small packet of sweets.

"The street light looks broken." Ximen commented as he chewed a piece of candy.

"The landlord has reported it. It'll be fixed soon." She explained and Ximen nodded in understanding.

"Where is Ah Si? He should be here. He's the only one missing." Meizuo said.

"No." Shancai rejected and we all looked at her.

"Why? Did something happen?" I asked.

"Why what? My house is too small. There's no space. The floor is already shaking with the four of you. Having one more person here will probably cause an earthquake. There are too many people." She explained but I hardly believed that was the reason.

"Anyway, I wonder what Ah Si is up to. He's been missing." Meizuo stated.

"Ah Si and Xiaozi are progressing well, right?" Ximen wondered out loud as he thought of the self-proclaimed leader of the F4.

"Hey, Shancai, how are they doing?" Meizuo asked the younger girl who looked lost in thought.

"You should ask Daoming Si, not me." Shancai rebutted. My eyebrows furrowed and just as I was about to ask her about Ah Si, there was a knock on the door.

"It's probably Ah Si. Open the door." Meizuo told Shancai as the younger girl looked unsure.

"Hurry up." Ximen pushed which caused Shancai to stand up and walk towards the door, opening it. Lei and I looked over at the doorway, expecting to see Ah Si walk in but instead came in Daoming Feng. Lei and I abruptly stood up, earning weird looks from Ximen and Meizuo who looked to the door and stood up as well.

"Hello, ma'am." We all said as she looked at us.

"Mrs. Daoming. Why are you..." Shancai trailed off as she turned to face the matriarch of the Daoming family.

"Shancai. I thought we wouldn't see each other again. But there's something I want to ask you. What exactly did you do to split Xiaozi and Ah Si apart? How much longer are you going to get in Ah Si's way?" She accused the younger girl who stood back in disbelief.

"You can't just accuse me. I didn't do anything." Shancai defended.

"Simply accuse? I know you won't admit it. What I don't understand is why such a nice girl would do something so despicable." She spat out and Shancai looked visibly shaken.

"Ma'am. Aren't you acting below your dignity here?" Lei interjected.

"Shancai would never do something like that. You're being unreasonable." I added furiously.

"Sorry. Are you talking to me? Are you criticizing me?" She said as she turned to face the boys before setting her eyes on me.

"And you, you nameless orphan. Don't butt in other people's business." She spat and my eyes widened. Meizuo turned to me and moved to speak but I grabbed his arm, stopping him as I shook my head. He frowned and he grabbed my hand, intertwining our fingers together.

"Ma'am. I think it's probably a misunderstanding between Ah Si and Xiaozi." Ximen said.

"I know very well whether or not it's a misunderstanding. You can shut up." She said.

"Shancai. Let me make something clear. You and Ah Si belong to different worlds. Your family background, lifestyle, and way of thinking are completely different." She spat.

"Imagine this. If he takes you to a business forum, will you feel inferior because you can't participate in the technical discussions? If he takes you to a royal banquet, are you going to be embarrassed because you don't know proper table manners? Even if you marry into our household, you won't get used to this sort of lifestyle." She continued to insult the younger girl and it was taking all of my patience not to slap that woman across the face.

"I never wished for that kind of lifestyle. I know where I stand. I know I'm not suited for those supposed high-society etiquette." Shancai stated.

"Then why are you sticking to Ah Si? Obviously, you're a gold-digger." Daoming Feng stated.

"I'm not the one sticking to your son and I have no interest in your money." Shancai defended.

"Hypocrites are the worst kind of people. How much do you want? No need to beat around the bush. By the way, I heard your parents went back to the village. If you had known, you should've accepted the money. That would've solved the problem." She said before her turning her attention back to us.

"You brought these boys to your house so they could defend you? And an ex-heiress? This must be one of your tactics too." She accused. I glared at her in retaliation, hearing her say ex heiress still hurt.

"Don't think you could bully me just because I'm young, you old hag!" Shancai shouted and we all looked at her in shock.

"What did you say? Say that again." Daoming Feng threatened.

"Old hag! Yes, I'm calling you that. If you worry about your precious son, you should put a collar on him and latch it onto your waist so you can bring him anywhere you go." Shancai added.

"Are you done? Uneducated as expected, talking to me like that." Daoming Feng haughtily commented.

"I don't need you to decide whether or not I'm educated. Maybe for you, I am just a weed in the garden. But I never betrayed my conscience. I've never done anything that would stop me from holding my head high. Honestly, right now, I feel bad for you. You are the worst person I've ever met in this world. In your eyes, there are only you and your son. You don't treat anyone else as humans. You're not welcome in my world. Get out." Shancai stated but Daoming Feng stood still and stared at the younger girl.

"I said leave!" Shancai repeated which made the older woman huff and turn to the door and leave.

Shancai slammed the door shut and walked back towards us. Ximen,Lei, Meizuo, and I then applauded. I was in awe of this girl, she really wasn't scared of anyone.

"Shancai, you're incredible. Did you guys see the expression on her face?" Ximen excitedly said as we laughed.

"She looked like she was about to burst a vein." Meizuo teased.

"Shancai, you always call yourself a weed. The explosive power of the weed is awe-inspiring." Lei stated and I nodded in approval.

"That's right." Meizuo chimed in.

"Because I couldn't take it anymore." Shancai tiredly said.

"So Ah Si and Xiaozi broke up?" Ximen asked.

"I didn't even know they started dating." I said confusedly.

"I had a feeling they won't last very long but it ended really quickly." Meizuo stated as he looked to Lei.

"Shancai. What are you doing to do now? Ah Si's mom will not just let this go. " He told Shancai.

"Lei is right. You need to prepare yourself. You can't keep running away." Ximen added.

"I'm not running away. I won't admit defeat. The more she tries to bully me, the stronger I must be. I will unleash the spirit of the weed and fight until the end." Shancai proclaimed as she sat down and we followed suit. I slightly frowned.

"Shancai, I hate to be the negative Nancy in this situation but how are you doing to do that? She's the superwoman of Asia's best hotel chain. Not to forget, the empress of Daoming Group." I stated.

"So what? She's still human." Shancai proudly stated.

"You're too naive. Shuijing's right. She's powerful enough that she could squash you like an ant." Meizuo said as he pulled me closer to him.

"Squash? With a blink of an eye, you'd turn into dust." Ximen said as he turned back to me and Meizuo before looking back at Shancai.

"Stop beating me down. One moment you're supporting me, the next you're scaring me." Shancai complained.

"We're not trying to scare you. We're just outlining the situation so we can find a solution." Meizuo said.

"Well... How about this? I'll think of a way to become a woman she's happy with." Shancai said and we all scoffed and shook our heads, turning our attention back to the snacks.

"What kind of reaction is that?" Shancai complained.

"What do you think about going out with Ah Si?" Lei suggested.

"I have no intention of doing that." Shancai answered.

"Good idea. First, date Ah Si and then tell his mom, "I, Dong Shancai, am serious

in my relationship with Daoming Si. Don't even think about ruining our happiness."" Meizuo suggested and I laughed, making him turn back and kiss my forehead.

"Good idea." Ximen commended.

"What?" Shancai asked, clearly annoyed with the idea.

"Next, you can give birth to a baby. That's how you win." Meizuo added confidently.

"Don't you think Ah Si's mom will throw their kid off a bridge?" Ximen asked, concerned.

"You guys are talking nonsense. I never thought about wanting to be with Daoming Si." Shancai said and we all sighed in disappointment.

It went silent for a few minutes before Shancai spoke up.

"Hey. Did I say something really bad?" Shancai cautiously asked and we all nodded.

"You said, "I might be a weed but I won't let anyone belittle me. You're not welcome in my world. Get out. I said, leave." You said that." Meizuo said as he repeated what Shancai had said earlier.

"Do you think I can take it back? Can I pretend that I didn't say it?" Shancai asked nervously.

"Spoken words are like spilled water. There's no turning back." Meizuo said.

"As long as Ah Si likes you, confrontations like these are inevitable even if you didn't say that earlier. Don't worry. No matter what happens, we will support you." Lei said.

"Yes, do your best." Meizuo interjected.

"Yes, we will support you. All the best." Ximen said and cheered one more time.

It was silent for a few more minutes before Lei spoke up.

"By the way Shuijing, is there any luck on finding your birth parents?" Lei asked which caused Ximen and Shancai to look at me and I shook my head.

"No, but I met up with Uncle Liu and Auntie Jade and they gave some clues." I said as I gave Lei the blanket and Ximen the piece of paper.

"What's this seal Shui?" Ximen asked and I shrugged.

" I don't know but it looks kinda familiar don't you think?" I said and Ximen nodded.

"Yeah. It does. I just can't remember where I've seen this from." He said as he delicately traced the engravings on the seal.

I frowned as I leaned into Meizuo who offered me a smile and kissed my forehead. I looped my arm with his and intertwined our fingers as he lifted my hand and kissed the back of it.

"Don't worry Shui. We'll figure it out." He said and I nodded, smiling at him.

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