Xi Fang looked at the papers stacked in front of her. All of them where the possible marriage proposals for De Longjun. "Ha.... I should write replies for each and every one of these... I am tired." She rubbed her temples.
"Son..... Please come and help your mother." She looked at De Longjun, who was sitting in the sofa and working in his laptop.
"Just few more minute mom. I will be done." He was doing some transfer procedure. And like he said, he stopped in few minutes and took the stack of proposal cards.
"Aren't you going to look at them?!" She asked.
"No! I am not interested in any of this girls." He answered.
"Okay." Xi Fang never pressed further. "Then what about these....." She took another stacked cards.
"What is this?!"
"It's dance proposals. Select one." She gave that to him.
He took it in his arms and kept it other side.
"From this too.... Are you not taking any of it?!" She asked.
"No mom."
"Then..... We can cancel marriage proposals. But not banquet partner. You have to select one girl!!" She reminded him. "And if you are not interested in anyone else.... Can I recommend you someone?!"
"Who is it?!" He asked. I knew that person.
"What about Chang Mingxia? You know her and you don't have any other girl with you!!"
De Longjun smiled. I know it mom. It would be her name. "Mom.... You are misinformed."
"WHAT!! WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" Xi Fang is baffled.
De Longjun stood up. "What I said is that you are misinformed.... I have a partner." He smiled again and walked outside.
"Son!! Wait!!" Xi Fang stood up and called him. "Tell me who is that?!"
"No mom!! It's a surprise!!" De Longjun already reached the door.
"That.... De Longjun..... Listen up...." She called after him. But he was no longer there.
"What is it honey?!" De Yating came down the stairs and asked his wife.
"Our son has a dance partner!!"
"WHAT!! HE HAS A DANCE PARTNER!! Who is she?!" De Yating shouted but reduced his voice. He came near his wife. "Is that true?!" He asked.
"Yes!! He told me!! I don't know that girl!! Oh my god!! What would I do?! What if she was a poor girl?! Gold digger? Not from a prestigious family? What would I do????" She began to panic.
"Wait! Wait! Wait!" De Yating shook his wife's shoulder. "Don't panic honey. I am sure that he won't do anything like that! He is a De. So he understands that!!" He consoled his wife. "Don't you believe him?!!"
Xi Fang paused. "Yes! I do believe him." She took a deep breath and calmed her mind.
"We should wait for the girl who is coming as his partner." He patted her shoulder.
"Yes...." She also agreed.
***
"So did you arrange the dress?!" De Longjun asked.
"Yes. Young master. Everything is arranged."
He got answered. Then I should take care of the surprise. De Longjun called another number.
After arranging all that, De Longjun called another person. "Feng Delun. Where are you?!" He asked.
"I am in my home." Feng Delun answered.
"Didn't you forget... Right?!"
"What?!"
"You have to give me something...."
"Yes....." Feng Delun sadlylooked at the small bottle of serums in his table. My babies.... You are going to go away from me.... "I didn't forget about it."
"Good. Then bring that in my coming of age ceremony."
"Mm.... Okay....." Feng Delun aadi reluctantly and hung up the call. My babies.... He wiped his imaginary tears and began to put them in a box.
***
Night. Zan villa.
A car stopped infront of Zan villa. A boy came out from the car. He looked at the villa and dialed a number. "Yingying!! I am outside." He said.
"Big brother Jun!! Are you waiting outside?!" Zan Guiying sat up in the bed. Beside her, Zan Mengyao stirred. She slowly patted her sister back to sleep. "Big brother Jun!! Why are you here?!" She hushed.
"I told you that I will come to your home." He answered.
"But you said you will come in daytime!! Not nighttime!!" She countered. She switched on the light and opened the curtains.
"Yes. I know. But I have to give you this." He looked at the room and showed a box.
"What is that?" Waving her hands, she asked him.
"It's your dress. I told you.... I will gift that to you." He said.
"My dress!! Wow!! But how could I come outside? I can't open the door!!"
"Who told you to open the door? Open your french windows." He smiled.
"Oh!! I forgot!! She took a key from the cupboard and opened the French window.
De Longjun jumped the wall. Without anyone noticing, he climbed the ladder and jumped inside Zan Guiying's room.
"Don't make any voice. Yaoyao is sleeping with me!!" She covered his mouth.
He nodded. Both of them sat in the chair.
"It's for you." He gave her the box.
"Thank you!!" She took it from his hands and opened the box. Inside it, there was a lavender coloured organza dress.
"Wow!! It's so pretty!!" She touched in carefully. "I like it!! Thank you big brother Jun!!" She hugged and kissed his cheeks.
"So... Did you tell anyone that you are my partner?!" He asked.
"Oh! No! I forgot about that!!" She slowly slapped her temples.
"Then Yingying.... Don't tell them. We will do it as a surprise!!"
"Surprise!! Its a good idea!!" She paused. But.... How can I come without my family?!"
"No problem! I will come to fetch you in the morning. Okay?! Then after that we would make a grand entrance. How is that?!"
Zan Guiying thought for sometime. "Mm... I agree it to. So I should store this dress away without anyone noticing."
"Yes...."
She took her dress and opened the almirah. "Donyou want something to drink?!" She asked.
"No. Thank you. But I should leave now. And you should sleep too."
She nodded.
They both wished goodnight.
"Then lock your french window." He opened the glass and climbed down the ladder. When he reached his car, he turned and waved at her. She waved back and closed the curtains....
And the days passed..... The day of De Longjun's birthday banquet arrived.....