Chapter 33: Chapter 33
“But dating her??? I mean….” The two women exchanged odd glances as though this was all a little suss to them. “You really didn’t care?”
“Why not? He’s single, there’s no regret between us, and she’s awesome. What better thing than to see my two besties hit it off and have an attraction. And they look so good together.” Rhea was laying it on thick with her Oscar worthy performance and TangShi could only sit and smile and hope she didn’t look as forced and uncomfy as she felt. She wanted the ground to open and swallow her whole as the lies just kept pouring out. The heavy weighing pain in her heart at the deception, and the guilt that Rhea was being hurt by all of this. TangShi didn’t feel good at all.
“And you and Lu Jeng? You two came together and seemed cosy, right up until he went to sit with Trey. Are you dating him? Does YuZhi not care?” More doubts, more prodding from pointed face.
TangShi turned to where they nodded and caught sight of a tall and handsome guy sat down nearby, animated in his conversation with another man. She recognised his side profile as being someone in a drama she watched with Xiaosu so figured it must be him. The friend who would play her adoring date. He was wearing a suit jacket in a blue, over a light tee and had similar jeans on to YuZhi. A casual stylish outfit over a fit body. Gorgeous as well, with nice hair.
“Things are blossoming and I’m not unwilling to see where it goes. YuZhi and he are friends and he gave us his full blessing. I swear, we truly are okay with this. It’s a relief to be free.” She played coy and broke into a smile as the two women also mellowed and began grinning too.
“I mean, he’s not YuZhi, but he’s hot too, and I guess I can see why you would go for him. He’s a bit of a mystery guy and I like that.” Pointed face brushed back her hair and made fluttering lashes his way, eyeing him up with a predatory lick of her lips and then back to Rhea to show her approval.
“It’s early days. Much like for TangShi here. Don’t scare her away while YuZhi is only just starting to win her over. She might run. You know how aloof and cold he can seem, and she’s only been seeing him the shortest time.” Rhea jested, trying to play interference but YuZhi picked up on hearing his name. He leaned their way resting his arm back on the rear of TangShi’s seat, so he caged her in and came painfully close. His knee pushed against hers as he slid his hand on her thigh in a way which screamed ‘mine’. TangShi’s stomach lurched over and the butterflies therein all died of shock.
“Did I hear you say you’re trying to make my new girlfriend run away? Can’t have that, I have zero stamina for chasing tonight. It’s been a hard week.” He smiled naturally, charm on the full offensive as he leaned in smoothly and pecked TangShi on the cheek with a chaste kiss. A soft brushing of his lips against her skin that sent tingles electrifying every pore on her body.
She almost jumped with the unexpected touch and managed to keep herself still while clenching her hands together and pasting a smile on her face that seemed real. The two women visibly melted and swooned at his show of affection and Rhea pulled off a convincing grin and patted TangShi on the other knee.
“When you two get married, I want to be the maid of honour and tell the world how I was the one who pushed you together. Your first daughter better be named after me.” She winked, leaned in and kissed TangShi on the other cheek, pressing hard and with less grace, lingering for a moment, before getting up and motioning towards the dancefloor.
TangShi felt trapped and suffocated. Not just by them one either side, hemming her in like she was some weak prey stuck in a weird game, but by all of this. The mirrored touches and the heavy messages shooting between YuZhi and Rhea that only TangShi was picking up. The pretence, the show they were putting on and how easily they did it. She had never been one who could lie or be deceitful and her only way to deal with this was to smile, blush, and say very little. They were born performers who were used to the public eye and twisting the truth for the benefit of their image. TangShi felt sick, her anxiety peaking because this wasn’t her at all and she was aware her own lack of ability could smash this ruse.
“Come, come, I want to dance with you.” Rhea motioned with a grabby hand, offering a way out and some respite from YuZhi’s invasive presence. He was causing havoc to her hormones and her heart rate. Rhea pulled TangShi up without waiting on a reply and away from YuZhi’s clutches with a tug that almost sent her falling forward onto the table. She wasn’t entirely sure it was an accident.
YuZhi was quick to catch her with one hand, his reflexes had always been good. He caught her by the waist and straightened her to upright before letting her go and watching her walk off with Rhea. Once again, the moon eyes of watching women going all gooey at how he was so tuned into his woman that he couldn’t bear to see her fall.
He leaned back and rested his head against the padded seat as he took a long slow swig of his beer and heard ZhengLi chuckle in his ear. Lowering his voice so only the two of them would hear.
“This is going to be an interesting night. Show’s only just staring and already it’s entertaining. I’m impressed your acting skills.”
“Shut up.” YuZhi nudged his knee against ZhengLi’s but got only a laugh in response. That eternal mischievous nature of his best friend was rarely compressed.
“Rhea is jealous, and your wifey looks terrified about being here. I never expected her to be such a pure lily-white virgin type. I feel bad for her, knowing how your mean ass has been treating her these past two months. She looks like a lamb being led to slaughter.”
YuZhi didn’t reply. His eyes fixed on the two of them navigating the crowd, followed closely by the two women they had been chatting to and another girl from the seats beside them. He couldn’t help but see how much, even in a cocktail dress, TangShi didn’t fit into his crowd or this scene. Despite being a rich Lei daughter, she really had no awareness of how to blend into this type of affair. She was nervous, uncomfortable, and seemed like a fish out of water who had no desire to be here. Her acting skills were almost non-existent and for the first time he regretted throwing her into this shark pit full of biters. He had legitimate doubts about her being the manipulative girl he first pegged her as when faced with the reality that she sucked at lying or pretending and if it was pushed, she would probably cave.
Rhea could handle anything thrown at her, especially when it came to this group of people, but TangShi looked like a kitten that had been abandoned on a motorway. The only thing he could do to keep this ruse intact was to cling to her until tonight was over, smother her with attention and stop anyone else getting close or chatty with her before taking her home before someone got her drunk. They only had to do this once, and then it was plain sailing once the news broke that they were a couple and the netziens outraged panned out.
He just had to hold onto that and then get ready for taking her as his date to every public affair he could in the next month or two. Every passing week was a step closer to this ordeal being over and two years coming to a closer end.