I had a feeling Lila Wei had already fallen for Hugh Pei.
That was much faster than in my past life. Was it because of my interference?
I wanted to 'like' the post, but I was worried. Lila Wei was probably friends with Hugh Pei, and if he saw my seemingly malicious 'like,' she might come looking for trouble.
Whatever. They were destined to be together anyway. I put down my phone, settled Bubu for the night, and went to bed. Before I could fall asleep, Evan Yu sent me a video call request.
I hesitated for a moment before accepting. The background looked like a hotel room. Evan Yu was sitting in a rattan chair, drinking coffee. When he saw me, he asked, "How's Bubu? Is he behaving? Are you managing okay?"
I never knew Evan Yu had such a paternal side. Bubu was like his precious daughter, and he was the doting father.
And the way he asked his questions gave me the strange feeling that we were an old married couple discussing how to raise our child.
"He's fine. Very well-behaved. He even knows how to use the litter box," I replied lazily, rolling over onto my stomach.
"That's good. If you have time in the next couple of days, take him to the groomer for a bath and his regular deworming treatment." Evan Yu's face filled the small screen as he casually gave me instructions.
"Are you treating me like your nanny?" I glared at him, trying my best to look fierce. "I'm not doing it. You want to bet I'll sell your cat online?"
Evan Yu actually laughed. Like Hugh Pei, he was the type who looked cold and aloof when serious, but whose smile could light up a room.
Fortunately, I had seen my fair share of handsome men and had built up some resistance. I simply marveled at how good-looking he was for a moment before snapping back to reality. "What are you laughing at? I'll really sell him."
"Try me," he said, as if he didn't believe me.
I rolled my eyes at him. "I'm hanging up. I need to sleep!"
"One more thing I need to tell you." He didn't hang up. Instead, his tone turned a bit more serious. "Hugh Pei and Lila Wei are here too. I heard Lila Wei came with her school orchestra for a performance."
I was silent for a few seconds before replying, "Okay, I got it."
I ended the video call, rolled back over, and stared blankly at the brilliant crystal chandelier on the ceiling.
I was finding it harder and harder to figure Hugh Pei out. In my past life, I felt like I understood him better. He had loved Lila Wei, madly. But now, I was confused. He seemed to like her, but his behavior toward me had changed. Just the other night, he had been so tender and passionate with me, even building the snowman I wanted. And today, he was off in another city with her.
Hugh Pei must have been right there with Lila Wei when she posted that. It suddenly dawned on me: Lila Wei had posted that specifically for me to see.
She was showing me just how special she was in his heart.
I slept terribly that night. When I woke up the next morning, the dark circles under my eyes were frightening. The maids couldn't help but ask if I was alright, but I just waved them off, not wanting to say a word.
The snowman was still standing in the cold wind outside. Its scarf had blown off and was lying on the ground. I went out, put it back on, and patted its nose with a bitter smile.
Just as my mood was hitting rock bottom, my phone exploded with a call from Ginny Deng.
"Zoe, my dad has lost his mind again!" Her loud voice made my eardrums vibrate.
"What?" I asked, startled.
"He's trying to make me go on a blind date!" As a serial dater, Ginny couldn't stand the idea of an arranged meeting. She vented her frustration to me. "There are so many single men out there! If I get married, think of how many heartbroken suitors there will be! They might do something to harm society."
I sighed and rubbed my forehead. Ginny was completely against the idea of marriage. She wanted to date forever. But at her age, her family was putting immense pressure on her, and she was clearly starting to crack.
"Then just go through the motions. Take a look and leave. You've been on blind dates before, haven't you?" I tried to soothe the frantic Ginny.
"No way!" she yelled. "The guy's a bald geezer! If you sent him to a Shaolin temple, they wouldn't even need to shave his head. They could just brand the dots on and ordain him."
I almost burst out laughing. Ginny truly had a gift for insults.
"Come out and meet me. I need to eat some coconut chicken to cool my inner fire!" Ginny demanded.
"Alright, alright. Where are we eating?" I asked.
"Dong's Place. See you in half an hour." She gave me the address and hung up.
I grabbed a coat from my room and headed out.
When I got to Dong's Place, I found that Ella Li and Tilly Ouyang were there too. The restaurant was warm and cozy. I took off my coat, set it aside, and sat down next to Ginny. "So, you're really not going to meet with the abbot?"
Ginny was drinking lemon water and nearly choked when she heard me. She clutched her stomach and roared with laughter. "Hahaha… Zoe, I think 'abbot' is the perfect word for him, haha…"
Ella Li and Tilly Ouyang, who had clearly already heard the story, giggled at the nickname I'd come up with.
After she finished laughing, Ginny wiped tears from her eyes, still catching her breath. "No… I'm not going. I told my dad that if I'm going to get married, it has to be to a handsome man."
"Not just handsome. He has to be from a family of equal standing," Ella Li added.
Ever since her ex-fiancé, He Kang, cheated on her and the engagement was called off, she had become incredibly pragmatic. She no longer believed in whirlwind romances. Marriage was a partnership, not a charity case.
"Of course. By the way, He Kang hasn't been bothering you lately, has he?" Tilly Ouyang asked.
The smile on Ella Li's face faded. She shook her head, then looked at me with a worried expression. "Zoe, He Kang hasn't caused any more trouble for me; he wouldn't have the nerve. But I heard from a friend that he can't find a job anywhere and is about to be driven out of A-City. He must have taken a huge hit, and he's blaming you for it. He's mad that you told me the truth…"
Before I could say anything, Ginny exploded. "What the hell? What kind of scumbag is he? He's the one who did something despicable, and he won't let anyone expose him? If he dares to do anything to Zoe, I'll hire someone to skin him alive!"
"Calm down, calm down. Weren't you trying to cool your inner fire?" I quickly patted Ginny on the back to calm her down. She was the most loyal friend but also had the shortest fuse.
Hearing my words, Ginny immediately picked up her spoon, ladled a bowl of the coconut chicken broth, blew on it, and drank it down in one gulp.
When I had taken the photos and videos of He Kang cheating, I had already prepared myself for the possibility that he would hold a grudge against me, so I wasn't surprised.
Although he wasn't in my league and it wouldn't be easy for him to hurt me, desperate people do desperate things. Ella's warning was a good reminder. I would need to be more careful from now on.