章 6: Rehearsal Dinner

After greeting her half-sister and Bai Han, Xia Yanmei turned to the crowd and said, "Thank you so much for the warm welcome. I came here at my father's and my sister's request. Apparently, my appearance here is supposed to uplift your perception of her. Thus, here I am."

There was utter silence in the Bai family after her revelation. Xia Zihao, for one, was furious at her words. Yanmei could see her father trembling in anger.

"Anyhow, since I have already shown my beautiful face before you, I hope you can now fully accept Xuxu into the Bai family. If you will excuse me. I am really busy. I have to start working for the Royal Dragon tomorrow morning."

Yanmei looked into the eyes of those who were envy and highlighted, "Yes, my distant yet so near cousin, one I consider my brother, the new CEO of the company will be personally training me. I had to leave my work in the States because Xia Ting insisted for me to join his side."

It was not like her to boast, but she knew where it hurts the Bai family the most. She looked at the watch and said, "My it's getting late and I just got here. Haha! Well since I have done my purpose, sis, and father. I hope I did a good job. I shall now take my leave since I am assured that my sister is happy."

After giving her piece, she smiled at everyone and gave thumbs-up to her father and half-sister before leaving with grace.

They all watched as she walked out of there confidently with her chin up. Even Bai Han, who was earlier in a daze from looking at Yanmei, was taken aback. His fiance earlier told him that it was Yanmei who insisted to join the rehearsal dinner. He asked himself, 'How come Yanmei was so eager to leave?'

Yi Meixu saw her fiance's cousins and aunts whisper to each other. She could tell she was a hot topic once more. While some kept it to themselves, there were a few who voiced out their curiosity.

"I thought she wanted to be here? How come she just left like that?"

"Xuxu, I thought it was Yanmei who insisted to attend the party? Why did she say you requested her to come?"

Bai Han's father who had already lost all hopes of reconnecting with the Xias could not help but be affected that he asked, "Is it true that she will be training for Xia Ting himself?"

It had been five years since any of the Bais had connections with the Royal Dragon. Not even as a mere employee, they could not get inside the company. It was thanks to the engagement party that Han Bai ruined.

Since then the Bai Industries have lost its previous esteem. From being the fourth largest company in the country down to the tenth.

Yi Meixu never expected it to turn out like this. She knew there was no holding Yanmei to the event, but she at least hoped that Yanmei would stay to eat and she would get the chance to humiliate her further. She wondered what prompted Yanmei to tell on her and her father. In the end, it was her that was put to shame and not Yanmei.

"I don't know exactly what happened to her. Oh gosh, she is confusing me. She tells me one thing and does another. That is how it has always been every time we talked over the internet - "

"But I thought you never spoke to each other, Xuxu?" Bai Han interrupted her.

Yi Meixu's mouth was left hanging at her fiance's probing, but she managed to say, "Ah, a few times. It's really irrelevant. Anyhow." She quickly turned to everyone saying, "I'm sorry for disrupting the party. Let's just carry on without my sister."

Bai Han frowned. Somehow, the pieces did not fit at all to him.

If Yanmei's announcement was not enough to ruin Meixu's evening, her fiance walked out of the venue all of a sudden. She called him out, but he did not seem to listen. "Honey! Han? Where are you going?"

"You stay here Xuxu, I need to speak to Yanmei." His words were like daggers sent to Yi Meixu's heart and those who heard him looked at her significantly.

It was nine o'clock sharp when Bai Han arrived at the hotel lobby of the Sheraton but to his dismay, there was no Yanmei. He wondered if he came late. He asked the front desk if a woman in Yanmei's description was waiting in the lobby, but they said; they had noticed no one.

Unfortunately, there was no way of reaching out to her either. He called his soon to be father-in-law to get Yanmei's number, but Xia Zihao said, "It's best not to speak to my daughter now, Han. She may only make-up stories. It's enough that she nearly ruined your dinner rehearsal."

Despite his pleading, Xia Zihao refused to give Yanmei's number until he finally gave up.

In the days that followed Bai Han looked for Yanmei in social media accounts, but after sending her a message. He was blocked immediately.

Once, he waited at the Royal Dragon main office and even asked the receptionist to call her attention. He was asked to wait, but still, she never came down to see him. He was there for five long hours only to be told that she had left the office.

Bai Han was in his office pondering. He did not understand himself. He was affected by the fact that Yanmei was ignoring him completely.

For years, Yi Meixu had told him that Yanmei was still holding on to him and that was why she refused to talk to her. He believed his Xuxu but now he realized, how would she know if they never spoke to each other and during their rehearsal dinner, she revealed that they apparently had talked a few times?

He was staring at his phone blankly. His wedding was about to happen in three days.

Letting out a heavy sigh, Bai Han called his fiance and said, "Xuxu, I need time to think things through. Can we postpone the wedding, please?"