Chapter 7 - Something Old

Feng Lizhao sighed as he made his way to the glass doors of The Kingly Hotel. He was to see his daughter, Feng Xuan. He had just came from a four-hour long meeting. This was the reason why he wanted to retire and leave everything to his daughter's husband.

Feng Lizhao was on his early sixties and he would really just want to be able to enjoy a long vacation without thinking about anything. He wanted to live the rest of his days just lounging somewhere away from the city, toasting under the sun with a cold drink in his hand, and a cigar on the other.

If he were being honest with himself, he was nervous about Feng Xuan. She had always been a head-strong child even when they were a thousand miles away. She did what she wanted. He was scared that his daughter did not want to get married at such a young age. That was why he was so surprised when Feng Xuan agreed without a fight.

The business was already something to think about, but the mafia too... it was time-consuming. Even though he and Qing Zihao had hired associates years ago, the two of them still had to handle a lot. Qing Zihao had reassured him that Qing Chen was already ready to take on the position of being the president and the head of the mafia.

It would be hard to believe that such a young man would be able to balance everything well. Upon seing Qing Chen for the first time, Feng Lizhao's first thought was that he seemed... sad. He did not smile much and remained quiet most of the time, like his thoughts were somewhere else.

It was no wonder he would be a fitting new CEO of their company. Hell, Qing Zihao told him that Qing Chen had been managing The Kingly Hotel for the last three years. The boy would have only been twenty-one years old at that time. But even with his impressive management skills and transcripts of records with flying colors, Feng Lizhao worried for his daughter.

He wouldn't want to marry off his daughter to someone so brooding. The only thing that made him say yes to this was because he knew his daughter had a way with people. She was easy to get along with, that was why she had no trouble fitting in overseas even though she was foreign. Besides, Feng Xuan was a likable person. There was no way that she wouldn't be able to get along with Qing Chen.

They did not need to love each other instantly. They just needed to be compatible and be able to stand beside each other for the marriage to work. Love and everything else could follow afterwards.

He knocked on his daughter's hotel room and waited a few seconds before the door opened and revealed Feng Xuan in an oversized white shirt, hair still a little wet as if she had just finished showering a while ago.

"Father!" the girl smiled and opened the door wider.

Feng Lizhao had taken in the scene in front of him. His daughter had not unpacked her bags, with only one baggage half-opened by the bed. The rest of the room was clean as if she had not really been living there for more than a week already. "How are you?"

"I am doing good," Xuan answered him. They both sat in the dining area. "What are you doing here, Father?"

"Oh!" Feng Lizhao said and his hand immediately went inside his coat pocket. There he pulled out a black velvet box. It was rectangular in shape and looked expensive. "This had been your mother's. She had worn them the day we got married. I was thinking you would want to wear some of them tomorrow."

Feng Xuan's eyes sparkled with delight as her father opened the box. A mirror rested on the other side and on the left, the intricate pins were secured by an elastic band. There were eight hair pins inside designed with flowers and pearls. She might even says those were rubies on the pair of earrings.

"These are beautiful," she said and took one from the band. She twirled the pin on her fingers and it caught the light. The sparkle of the tiny flowers made Feng Xuan's lips smile wider. "I chose a rather simple dress, but I will make sure to use some of them tomorrow."

Feng Lizhao nodded and felt that his throat had gone dry. His little Feng Xuan was getting married tomorrow. A sudden melancholy feeling stroke his heart and turned his smile into a frown.

"Is everything alright, Father?" Feng Xuan asked, her eyes stringed with worry.

"Yes." He cleared his throat. "I just... I think your mother would've loved to help you get ready tomorrow."

Feng Xuan's mouth immediately clamped shut and she turned away from her father. But Feng Lizhao saw the tears already brimming her eyes. And just then, he felt like he wanted to cry too.

He reached over the table and held his daughter's small hand. "Your mother would've approved of your fiancee too. He is a handsome young man. A leader in the making. He will give you and your future family a good life."

Probably, that was what just every father wanted: for his daughter to find someone or to marry someone who would be able to provide for their family. And he had given Feng Xuan just that.

Feng Xuan cleared her throat and sniffed. Her fingers closed against her father's. "Is he a nice person?"

"I..." He did not know Qing Chen that much. But Qing Zihao had assured him many, many times that Qing Chen would do nothing to endanger Feng Xuan, and that Qing Chen would protect his lovely daughter. "He will take care of you."

Feng Xuan nodded and swallowed the rest of her tears. "Is he easy to talk to?" she laughed, just to get the sadness away from her.

"Ehhh..." Feng Lizhao appeared to be thinking. "He's an okay conversationalist."

"That works for me," Feng Xuan smiled.

"Are you sure you don't want to know who he is? You still have a few hours to research if you want. You can look him up so you wouldn't be so surprised tomorrow."

Feng Xuan used another hand to hold her father's massive one. "I'll meet him tomorrow."

Feng Lizhao nodded. "Okay. Well, I better get going."

They both stood up and walked towards the door. Feng Xuan gave her father a kiss on the cheek before sending him on his way. As the elevator started to go down, Feng Lizhao thought about his daughter. She didn't even shed a tear earlier.

Feng Lizhao smiled, happy in his heart, knowing that sending his daughter away was the best decision he made even though it broke his heart. How could he not regret it when it had made his daughter stronger?