Chapter 50: Chapter 50
TangShi had a physical reaction to her words and the way she was wrapping herself around YuZhi, turning her face away as her heart constricted in pain. She knew this was because of her own stupid feelings for YuZhi, and even though she genuinely liked Rhea before this. In this moment though she resented her presence and wanted her to leave. Resented the way Rhea just wanted to toss TangShi away like she was a worthless rag and no part of YuZhi’s life.
“No. I agreed to his deal. I’m not doing that to TangShi either. Imagine the shame this would cause her and her family. The press would go crazy, and she would be labelled a home wrecker. It’s just drama, Rhea. It would damage Leng Groups reputation too and my grandfather would hate you more.” The fact she couldn’t see that made him irritated and unable to sympathize with her like this.
“I don’t care. You’re supposed to love me. So prove it.”
“Stop it. I’m not doing this. If you’re not leaving, we are. I won’t do this tonight.” YuZhi caught hold of her hands and tugged them off his clothes, pushing her back to stand her on her feet so anyone lingering wouldn’t have an opportunity to take pictures. He turned to wave at ZhengLi in the distance and motioned a call sign with his hand, implying he should call her a driver, and then turned back catching a quick glimpse of TangShi stood solemnly by the bathroom door.
TangShi’s face was pale, her expression nervous with wide eyes and yet she stood silently and patiently out of the way so as not to make this worse. YuZhi immediately wanted to scoop her up and hug her, especially with the painful imprint of Rheas hand on her delicate face. She was killing him by looking vulnerable and wounded, without even trying.
“ZhengLi will make sure you get home. Go sleep. I’ll call you tomorrow.” YuZhi commanded her with a tone he reserved for dealing with employees who were making him angry. Motioning for TangShi to follow him. She did so at speed and skirted around Rhea in a wide berth to make sure she wouldn’t reach her a second time, afraid of angering her further. YuZhi lingered close to Rhea until TangShi passed him too, in case he had to intervene, and then followed her out the door without looking back.
“You walk away, and we really are done, YuZhi Leng! You hear me? You leave now, with her, and go screw a future with me. I’m not playing.” Rhea screamed after them, desperation taking over and killing her sanity, shrew like in her screaming. She picked up her bag and the spilled contents of makeup, keys, money and phone and threw them after him in a childish tantrum.
“I’m not biting. Go home.” YuZhi turned and shrugged her way, aware she had always been a spoiled diva type. Pushing open the door with one hand and holding it so TangShi at his side could leave. He made sure not to touch her or do anything to provoke Rhea further and then followed TangShi outside and let it go. He knew he shouldn’t just abandon her when she was like this, but he had no alternative. He wasn’t about to leave TangShi alone to get home and staying would make things worse.
“Are you really leaving her there?” TangShi asked with a trembling voice, her whole body shaking with adrenalin at what just happened. She was shellshocked and emotional, like she had just encountered something traumatic.
She shivered and then flinched away in guilt when YuZhi automatically slipped off his jacket to put on her and glanced back at the club in case Rhea followed them.
“Uh uh. She won’t like it.” She shook her head and pushed it away cautiously. Rattled by Rhea’s behavior and intimidated that she might erupt again if she saw. It had been harmless and innocent tonight, but now she felt like she behaved in the worst way and caused all of this.
“Yes, and I didn’t ask for her opinion on who I give my jacket to. It’s cold, and you need it.” YuZhi ignored her gesture and forcefully put the jacket around her before tugging her forward to close the buttons so she couldn’t shrug it off again. “She’s drunk and being unreasonable. If I stay, it will erupt, and I can’t deal with her like that. I’ll say things I don’t mean like she has just done.”
He knew Rhea was spitting venom to make him react how she wanted and could brush it off. She had always been a control freak in her own way, and this was her emotional blackmail to get him to toe the line. She had used similar over the years when they fought, and it no longer worked. He also knew her temper and what she was like drunk, that staying was the worst case scenario. He pulled out his cell and text ZhengLi to make sure he would see her home, worried that she might refuse to let him once YuZhi was gone.
“I’ll get us a car.” He muttered to the bewildered looking TangShi and opened the app to do that while waiting on ZhengLi’s reply, glad to see there was an uber a minute away and their wait would be minimal. The best thing for both of them right now was to go home and get out of sight.
ZhengLi responded with assurance and told them to leave. That he had Rhea in a seat and was calming her down with some honey water and Kleenex, but that Linlin had stormed off to the bar in a rage and was refusing to sit with her. He didn’t tell TangShi though as she would want to go back in to retrieve her friend and the situation would erupt again.
“Let’s go home and sleep. It’s going to be okay. I’ll talk to her tomorrow, and she’ll apologize to you for this. You didn’t do anything to warrant this so stop stressing over it.” He reached out and gently stroked her face, in two minds about calling Cheng to come out with an ice pack when the taxi rounded the street and pulled into the carpark. He hesitated, looked at her face and then the car and decided he could better tend to it at home.