*********
CHAPTER 251
DONG! DONG!
"I guess it is time to leave," Ye Cheng broke the silence after the sound of the bell had died down.
"What are you? Cinderella?" Li Jing teased.
Ye Cheng knew that Li Jing was joking, so he could not make a fuss out of it. Rather her smiled charmingly at her.
"Perhaps that is true, Li Jing but I need to go and you also need to rest. You have had a long night."
"I guess you are right." Ye Cheng stood up and helped Li Jing up as well while making sure she was standing properly before letting go of her hand.
"Thank you so much for coming today, Ye Cheng."
"My pleasure, Li Jing."
"I guess this is goodbye?" Li Jing said. With every blink of her lashes, her eyes twinkled, further luring anyone who gazed upon them to be lost in her.
"I won"t take that as a goodbye. You would be coming back. You still have the month in the company or till whenever you want. You know no one is pursuing you away."
"I know. You would now return to looking for a suitable financial secretary."
"No problem with that. I would task Yi w.a.n.g Lei with the task."
"Okay. So good night it is then." Li Jing extended her right hand to him for a shake. It felt weird doing that considering how far their friendship had grown.
She saw this in Ye Cheng"s facial expression just from how he looked at her hand as though it was the first time he was seeing them before.
"Okay." Li Jing began withdrawing her hand seen the situation became awkward but before her hands could fall to her side completely, Ye Cheng leaned down a bit and quickly caught her right hand.
Well, Li Jing was expecting something like a handshake or something, Ye Cheng pulled her by the hands into his embrace.
They remained there for about two minutes just hugging before pulling apart with a smile.
"See you when you come back. Obviously, you would come next week. I would be expecting you."
"Thanks. I definitely need it."
"As should you, Ye Cheng."
"No worries. I should get going now. Do have a lovely night"s rest, Miss Li Jing."
"Good night. See you son."
Taking one last look at her, Ye Cheng gave her his cold look with a hint of warmth in those piercing brown eyes as a way of admiring her.
With nothing left to say or do, Ye Cheng turned on his heels and made his way to his car, and out of the Lin mansion he went.
By the next morning, most of the decorations used for the party were removed, and cleaning began.
Hours pa.s.sed and it was time for the family get-together. A part of Li Jing had been antic.i.p.ating this family gathering as it would afford her the opportunity to meet some of the family members she did not meet while still getting to know the characters of most.
She got dressed in a plain white off-shoulder knee-length fitted gown with flat black cover shoes as well as her family heirloom necklace and a matching bracelet on her wrist to match.
Her hair let down to her neck and packed with a simple white ribbon to the right side of her shoulder, perfectly covering her earringless ears while still giving her a look of simplicity and elegance.
As soon as she heard the first doorbell, she checked through her window and saw that some of the family members had begun arriving.
She took one more glance at the mirror, satisfied by what she saw, she smiled at her head maid, Kai Alix before leaving her chambers and heading down through the elevator to meet with her new family.
All seemed okay, all seemed nice, all seemed good and so it was.
"Oh my, if it isn"t my new favorite niece," a lady exclaimed immediately Li Jing walked into the hall and stood close to the big dining table.
Her face lit up into a smile as she recognized who spoke instantly.
"Point of correction Huilang, she is your grandniece." Li Jing turned towards the source of the voice and her eyes locked with another lady seated opposite of where her grand auntie, Lin Huilang sat.
She looked older than her facially but her body and mannerism as well as how she carried herself never showed off her age but just from how she spoke and Lin Huilang composing herself thereafter, Li Jing could in no wise tell that she was older in age.
From her guess, she could be the wife of…
"Why are you being so corrective this early, second sister-in-law?" Another voice, this time masculine spoke.
As if on cue, Li Jing"s head followed suit, and her gaze locked with the one who spoke, it was her grand uncle, Mrs. Lin Huilang"s husband, Lin Jie.
And his words had only confirmed Li Jing"s thoughts. She was the wife of the second brother.
"And what wrong have I said, Lin Jie? Aren"t I telling the truth?" she countered his statement calmly.
"True, Xiulan but you would make my darling wife feel too old and I do not want that," Lin Jie retorted.
"Whatever you say. My apologies, Huilang," Lin Xiulang apologized.
It was very quick for the topic to be shifted from Li Jing and she was partly glad about that, at the very least it would accord her the time to breathe and study them.
Unfortunately, her time for rejoicing was too soon.
"My, my. Why do you all want to bother the girl with such trivial matters? Tsk, you never learn do you?" A softer, yet calmer and more serene voice spoke. Her voice sounded like music to the ears and although not very loud, it did its best in grasping everyone"s attention alright.
Instinctively, everyone"s head on the table turned to the right side towards the pa.s.sageway and their eyes met with the owner of the voice.