Chapter 161 - Social Worker

Like a roller coaster ride,Xaio Ai dragged Yang Mei alongwith her,straight to a restaurant's private room. Once seated,Yang Mei,who had been dying to talk to her little sister for so many years was at a loss on what to say

She had imagined so many scenarios ever since she found her but this was not that most certainly. However Shi Ai had no such qualms and was already getting comfortable to Yang Mei as she thanled her once again. Grasping Yang Mei's hands across the table, Shi Ai once again solemnly thanked Yang Mei.

Embarrassed at this,Yang Mei gave a small smile and said,"Please don't be so formal Madam.. I mean Xaio Ai..As I said,it is my duty.."

But Shi Ai interrupted her in a serious tone as she said,"Thank you for volunteering to take my place in that dangerous operation."

Yang Mei was once again stumped at this. She had not expected Ah Hai to tell little Xaio about this. Yang Mei wanted to tell Xaio Ai that she would do anything for her but calming her heart said," There is still no need for thank you.CEO must have rejected the request. So I have not done anything for you to be thankful for."

Shi Ai realized that her gratitude was making Yang Mei uncomfortable so she decided to change the topic. She had also detected an edge of bitterness at the end of the last sentence.

"Miss Yang.Actually I am here to discuss soething related to that operation itself but first let us order some food."At that precise moment,a server knocked on the door before opening it to take their order.

Yang Mei had never been picky over food so she ordered a simple dish of honey and soy noodles while Xaio Ai did the same. Grinning,Shi Ai clinked her glass with Yang MEi's befroe saying,"Our tastes match perfectly,Miss Yang."

Yang Mei gave a small nod and a smile before picking up the glass of water and sipping it. But just then,Shi Ai said something that caused Yang Mei so much shock that she actually choked on water and it entered her wind pipe,making her cough violently and her eyes to tear up.

Finally able to get her breath back,Yang Mei said,"I am sorry. Um what did you just say?"

"I asked if I could call you Elder sister?"

Shi AI had been wondering how to start the discussion for this detail when her heart suddenly made her blurt this out. And she felt that it was right to do so because as per their new plan,she was going to ask Yang Mei to pretend to be her sister. So once Yang Mei had caught her breath back,Shi ai started to outline the entire plan while Yang Mei listened intently.

As she heard he detailed analysis and scenarios,Yang Mei,first breathed a sigh of relief. When Xaio Ai had wanted to call her sister,Yang Mei had felt as if she knew the truth. The second thing she felt admiration for the CEO. She had offered to participate a few hours back and hebhad already thought out an entire plan as well as a past background for her. And she knew that even at this moment,his people must have already started working on it. 

As Xaio Ai finished her explanation,the waiters brought in the trays of food and the two women waited quietly,each lost in their own thoughts. Only when the waiter had left,did Yang Mei ask something that had been bothering her since she found her sister."Xaio Ai,if youndo not mind,can I ask you a personal question? You can choose to not answer if you are uncomfortable.."  At Shi Ai's nod,Yang Mei continued,"I have heard rumors that you and the CEO are childhood sweethearts but you just told me that you were brought up in an orphanage so how did your paths cross? And he is none years onder than you so di you not find the age gap too much? He should have chosen someone nearer his age. Or of he truly loved you then he should have waited for you to grow up. Please don't take offense I don't mean anyhing by it."

Though Yang Mei said she meant nothing by it,in reality these were tha factors that made her oppose Shi Ai being the CEO's wife.

Yang Mei's question brought a nostalgic smile on Xaio Ai's face as she reminisced, "Actually we are not really childhood sweethearts. I met him when he was twenty two. You see the orphanage I was in,had a volunteer called Sister Alicia. She is now Ah Hai's sister in law. Like me,sister Alicia was also an orphan and considered all the children in our orphanage as her family. To honour this bond,Long Ryu invited all of us to their wedding. That is where I saw Ah Hai and fell for him. I think he was hurt then since he was limping but even then he was kind to me and everyone around him. To me,he felt like a prince. He even saved me from bullying and endured teasing from everyone when I proposed to him and asked for him to wait for me to grow up. But he did not get angry at me and simply endured the teasing. I was going to die soon so I was happy that I had found someone. Even as a little girl, I felt that if he promised to wait for me then I will be able to fight death.."

Yang Mei had been listening intently to the story but her hands shivered when she heard that Xaio Ai had been going to die. Her hands that were clutching the spoon trembled and she asked in a shaky voice,"Ggg going to die?"

Shi AI who was lost in thought did not notice the tremble but simply continued to explain,"You see I had been diagnosed with a heart disease and pronounced that I did not have much time to live. When Ah Hai heard of this he was quick to promise me that he would wait for me to grow up. After that, he arranged the best doctors for me and had me transferred here for treatment. The doctors worked hard and I too had a reason to live now so I put everything I had in me in order to survive so that I could meet him when I grow up. But once again we were fated to meet when I was at death's door. When I was sixteen,some boys turned mischievous and to have their way with me,they drugged me. But the drug reacted with my medications and I was hospitalized. I had not known that he had kept tabs on me throughout so he had known that I was in danger and once again come to save me. I would be killed myself that night if he had not come there on time.

Yang Mei tried to control the flow of her tears but failed. She shuddered to think what would have happened to her little sister if she had not found Ah Hai Long. In thos moment,Yang Mei lostbher sister not once or twice but three times. Yang Mei had thought that Shi Ai was safe in that place but never would have expected this to happen. But how did such a little girl have a heart disease? As far as Yang Mei knew,there was no history of any such medical deficiency in their family. Then how? But she could not ask and only prayed that Xaio Ai would continue with her story so that she could find the answers. But Shi Ai had come back to the present and seeing  the tears flowing down Yang Mei's face,she felt guilty and said,"Aiya,but sister,you have such a tender heart. How can you cry for something that is in the past. Come on,let us move on from these sad topics. Do you want to have a competition? An ice cream eating competition.  This restaurant has delicious ice cream and we must try it. If I just order little after all the sweet I had earlier then I will feel guilty but if we have a competition then I can see it as participating in a sport so please Sister let's have ice cream."

Yang Mei let go of her melancholy thoughts and smiled at her little sister. She never had been able to say no to her puppy eye look even when they were kids...