Chapter 116 - Business dinner or blind date?!

Thankfully, Lina didn't bump into any more trouble as she made her way back to the main hall. The maid was already there looking around for her frantically in the other passageways. She wasn't supposed to let outsiders wander alone in the house. 

"Miss! What were you doing over there?!" she almost cried out seeing that Lina was exiting the old master's main chambers. 

"Oh, I'm sorry! I got lost while coming back from the guest bathrooms! I realised I was wrong immediately and came back here though!" Lina covered, not wishing to alarm the little maid any more than she already was. 

The last thing she needed right now was a big fuss. 

"I'm feeling much better now, so don't mind the medicine! Can you just bring me back to Miss Lila's chambers?" Lina asked cutely. 

The maid looked at her with some confusion for a moment and then turned around and walked towards Lila's chambers. 

"Follow me, miss." she said curtly and Lina followed behind, angered at the adamant way in which she was being treated. 

When she reentered Lila's room, Mei was uncomfortably overdoing the compliments to flatter Lila who was trying on a different dress now.

"You look like a fairy from another world, Miss Lila" Mei was saying, but Lila was clearly disinterested in her words, and simply perusing over her look in the mirror. 

"Ah, you're back! Are you better?" she asked Lina directly, without even looking her way, her eyes still glued to herself in the mirror. 

"Uh..yes..Miss Lila." Lina said, trying to hide her annoyance.

"Ok well, then, what do you think of this dress on me?" Lila asked, finally wrenching her eyes away from her own reflection to give Lina a little twirl. 

Lina was trying to stop herself from rolling her eyes, as she opened her mouth to spew a compliment she really didn't mean. 

But she was saved by the bell! 

A maid hurried in quickly, calling to Lila. 

"Young miss, young miss, we have a special guest for dinner. The young master and old master are requesting your presence." the maid said hurriedly. 

Lila looked slightly disturbed. She took a deep breath, as if burdened by the greatest troubles in the universe. 

"What is it now?" she snapped at the maid.

"I don't know young miss, but the young master said to say you would definitely want to be there for the dinner tonight." the maid rambled on, trying to get herself out of hot water with Lila. 

Lila sneered. 

"What does my stupid brother know about what I want?" 

'She also has a brother here!' Lina's eyes perked up. This was still more information than she had before. She shared a meaningful glance with Mei, who nodded at her subtly. 

"Young miss, he said that he wants you to meet a potential husband." the maid smiled shyly as she said this. 

Suddenly, Lila's eyes widened. Her brother knew who the only man she was interested in was....Shen Moshi. 

'But isn't he married?' she asked herself, internally conflicted. 

'But Loren is offering him up to me on a plate? Does this mean I can still have him? Maybe he doesn't actually love that...Ayu.' Lila's thoughts were running wild. 

"Okay, tell young master, I will be there soon to welcome the guest." Lila informed the maid, smiling dreamily. 

Lina had to stop herself from sighing. 

'Who's this self-abosrbed princess thinking about now?' she asked herself. 

******************

Outside, at the main entrance of the Lim villa, Shen Moshi pulled up in his car. 

It was the first time he was going to meet the secretive family he was working with. The first time he would meet the eccentric heir, and perhaps his father, the old master. 

'Perhaps the old man will temper his son, and things will go smoothly' Shen thought to himself, hoping more than ever that this one thing would be easier than the rest of things in his life right now. 

As he got out of the car, a butler opened the door for him and ushered him inside to the main hall, where the father-son pair were waiting to greet him. 

"Good evening, young master Moshi!" an older man said, with an overly-enthusiastic smile. 

The main was an older version of casually dressed, tall man standing next to him. The younger Lim looked playful, but unpredicatable. 

He flashed Shen a lazy smile and held out his hand to shake. 

"The youngest Moshi...it's a pleasure to finally meet you." he said, in a low voice. 

His hair hung lose on his shoulders, and his eyes held mischief. Shen upped his guard. He was right - this man couldn't be trusted. 

But he put on a face for the two Lims. 

"Hello, young master Lim." he politely shook the younger Lim's hand. 

And then Shen turned toward the older man and bowed politely. 

"I'm honored to meet you old master Lim." 

The older man smiled at him widely. 

"You should just call me Ren." Loren said to Shen. 

He still didn't want to reveal his name. But this wasn't a lie either. His mother used to call him Ren for short. 

Shen nodded politely at Loren. 

"Feel free to address me casually too, then." 

They were both clearly putting up fronts. And both Loren and Shen were aware of it. Neither could, nor wanted to trust the other. 

"Please, Shen, accompany us to dine, then?" Loren said.

"My pleasure." Shen followed the two Lims to the dining room. 

It was elaborately set up. The crockery was immaculate, and the floral arrangements were lavish. The table was set for four people, however. 

Shen frowned, and then looked up at the two who were taking their seats. 

"Is someonse else joing us?" he asked, trying to remain casual. 

Shen hadn't prepared for these unforeseen variable. 

Loren laughed. 

"Oh yes, don't worry too much, Shen. My lovely sister Lila will be joing us for dinner tonight!" 

Shen plastered a smile to his face and took his seat. 

'Right, they don't know about Lina. They are still trying to persuade me to marry that woman.'