Chapter 334 - James and Zeng

Footsteps crunched on the shell paved path.

"Suyin."

Her body stiffened, fists clenching around her dress. "What?" without turning, she asked. Soft steps approached, and now the man was standing facing her. He reached to lift her chin up, but she firmed her muscles, keeping her gaze down. "I-I was talking to mom. Got emotional."

Unknown to her, Honey shook his head at Wang Shi, mouthing. 'Aunty Mei.' It was he who had called Wang Shi when he saw Suyin's expression change. Upon sneaking on her, he heard her taking Xiu Mei's name.

Wang Shi lifted her chin with added force and she saw him sweating, gasping for air. Honey standing with him, wearing a look of equal worry. 

Her gaze drifted to the building ten floors tall, without a lift and Wang Shi works at ninth Tears welled in her eyes. "You ran all the way here? For me?"

"I got worried when honey said you are crying in the garden." His thumbs c.a.r.e.s.sing her cheeks as softly as ever, "What happened, love. What did Mei sa--" Her body acted on its own and the next second she jumped into his embrace with such a force his steps staggered backwards. Her hands wrapping around his waist, squeezing him. Getting the hint, he squeezed her back. The tightest hugs that she always prefers. 

And she couldn't stop crying and he wouldn't stop making shushing noises, stroking her back. This tenderness was too much for her. And the more he gives, the more it hurts.  She wants to scream at the sky, break something, tear something before the inner struggle breaks her.

Honey rubbed Suyin's back as far as his hands could reach. 

Shocked yet comfortable silence filled the space between them. Neither of the two men questioned her.

Sometimes it's best not to question.

Sometimes it's okay to cry.

Sometimes....

.....

.....

Standing in an inconspicuous place in the garden, Zeng took a step, but James stopped him. "Don't go. Let her be." 

Zeng's gaze dropped at the winning trophy in his hands, and then at Suyin. He had come to El Sandrios after two months to surprise Susu, but in return, he gets to see her crying. "She loves him. She does. Then why isn't she accepting him? Why this pain? Why the denial? Will she forever be like this?" He rose his hand to throw the trophy but James held his wrist.

"Why not ask the questions to mom?"

Zeng's eyes went sharp. "How is mom related to this?"

James took the trophy, marvelling at the design and its splendour. "British Grand Prix. Congratulations." His calm demeanour flared Zeng's anger.

"Fu*k your congratulations. I asked you something."

"Susu will be proud of--" Zeng held James by the collar, teeth-rattling with violence as he pinned him to the tree and threw a punch. James smiled between bloodied teeth. "Ask those questions to mom first. You will get all the answers."

"Mom has nothing to do with it." Zeng exhaled.

"Just put mom at Suyin's place, and dad at Wang Shi's and ask her why isn't she accepting dad even after his constant apologies and efforts." 

Zeng let go of James. His eyes searching James's face as he tries to understand him. "Because dad wasn't there for Susu."

"So as you. But you got the apology. So what exactly is holding mom back? Do you know she still loves dad and sleeps with his photograph under the pillow? And here everyone can see Suyin loves Wang Shi, yet she's not accepting him. Why?" James set the trophy down on the floor, and took an aggressive step, and threw a punch. "This is for hitting me."

As he turned, Zeng held James's wrist. "Susu and Mom, both are dear to us. If you know the reason, then tell me. We can't just watch them like this, or can you?"

James shook his head. "This is skirting very close to the things about Suyin's life that I cannot tell you. Can't break my promise."

"You can't break your promise but you can see her like this." Zeng's grip slipped from James' hand. He let out a bitter laugh, "Anyway, why would you bother? Not like she's your real sister. It was just a friendship of convenience. Now you have Evan, have opened two new restaurants, inherited Ricci family's fortune and aren't you both planning for a baby next? Life's just too good, isn't it? My Susu can just go to hell. Or even better, she should be like that woman--" James's followed Zeng's gaze at dishevelled Amara sitting lost in the garden while Evan tries to feed her. "Numb."

After Luo's death, Amara was just a hollow body, waiting for death. The solace that she had found in Luo after her husband and kid's death died along with him. No treatment, no medicine, no psychiatrist were working on her. Her body deteriorating everyday.....

"You just go, make love with your hubby--"

James threw Zeng off and pinned him to the ground as the tension spiked. "That's one hell of a dirty trick you played."

"Dirty it be. Either help me or get out of my Susu's life." James's mouth thinned, and Zeng understood he had hit the right spot. "Prove it you are really the brother she never had. Prove it, by knocking some sense into my stubborn blockhead sister's brain."

James looked in the direction where Suyin was standing, wrapped in Wang Shi's arms. A moment later he got off from Zeng and gave him his hand. "We need to talk to Dad about it."

*******

"Do I really have to wear this?" Suyin stood in front of the mirror and stared at clothes. White shirt and camouflaged shorts that's too short for her liking, especially when it's just a Sunday picnic, not a club party. 

Honey had shoved a packet into her hands, asking her to wear it for the picnic. He refused to listen to her when she tries to reason. Like mother, like son. Thinking of that, how did he know of her size? He's just six!

"Of course, you have to." Suyin gulped at the sight of Wang Shi's dashing figure as he stepped out of the bathroom wearing camouflaged trousers and a white shirt, perfectly fitted. The clothes look like they were off to an Indiana Jones adventure in the jungle instead of a picnic. "Honey had made long plans for this picnic. Aren't you excited?"

"Is this is really a picnic?" She dangled a fake moustache that's included with the clothes, another forced thing from Honey. "I'm a woman. Why do I need a moustache?" she pastes the moustache on Wang Shi. "See, it's for you."

Wang Shi jutted his lips upward, squeezing moustache between lips and nose. He looked at his reflection, "Hm, Handsome. I should keep one. Show me how you look." 

She holds the second moustache between her lips and looked in the mirror. "Ridiculous."

"Cute."

"Are you two done?" Honey poked his head from the door.

Suyin winced, head snapping at the door. "Two minutes." She dashed to the bathroom and closed the door. She pretended she didn't hear the soft whispers where Honey asked if she's okay and Wang Shi replied. 'She is. She will be. She has us.'

********