BZZZT! BZZZT! BZZZT!

Alarm ringing but she kept snoozing it.

Woke up late like usual because it was Summer break. Mani Yu, with her eyes and face swollen because of sleeping too much, came downstairs. It wasn’t a big house but it surely had lots of stairs. Downstairs was her mother waiting for her to have breakfast so she could do some other house chores and get ready for the party at her sister’s.

“Finally you’re awake!”

“Huh?”

“What do you want for breakfast?”

“Just boil an egg for me, mom”

“Any thing else?”

“Nah mom... I don’t feel like eating a lot.”

“Ok. It will be ready in 5 minutes.”

“Thanks mom!”

As soon as her mom went in the kitchen, Mani got a videocall from her dad.

“Hi Dad!”

“Hello and good morning! How is my baby girl doing?”

“Not good! You should come back very soon, please”

“hahaha... does my baby miss me?”

“yeah dad.... so come back quickly”

“The business trip is 2 weeks long\~ but\~”

“But?”

“But the CEO said that I can go back tomorrow!”

“Really?! That’s great!”

“Yeah... now let me talk to your mom”

“okay dad”

Mani went in the kitchen, giving her mom the phone to talk to dad, she took the egg her mom had boiled for her. She sat down with her mother. Soon later their call ended. After doing some house chores, Mani’s mom told her about the party Mani’s sister, Aizi Yu, was throwing at her house. It was a small house party with only close relatives and friends.

Soon it was the time for Mani and her mom to go to her sister’s. Mani was wearing a black full length dress with a V shaped back. It was nothing much fancy. She wore silver long earrings and a pair of beautiful black heels. It made her look really elegant.

They took a cab to her sister’s. Outside was Aizi waiting to welcome Mani and her mom.

“Good to see you mom!”

“Good to see you to my daughter. You look lovely today!”

“You too mom. Are those the earrings dad gifted on your birthday?”

“Yeah they are!”

“Hey Sis!”

“Finally you came to realise I came with mom.”

“Hhaha... I’m sorry. Next time I will greet you before mom. Ok?”

“Yup!”

“How’re you doing?”

“Great. What about you?”

“Me too. I’m doing great too!”

“You look king of paler than usual!? Doesn’t brother in law take good care of you?”

“ No no. it’s nothing like that. It must be just your thought. And don’t say anything wrong about your brother in law or I might get angry”

“yeah yeah of coarse He’s all yours. How dare I say something like that?”

They all went inside the hall room.

Aizi Yu was 5 years older than Mani Yu. She was married to a man named Wang Yin, she met him in the office she worked at. Soon it was found out that Wang Yin was the son of the CEO, whose secretary was Mani and Aizi’s dad. It was a long and complicated relationship but everyone was happy with it.

In the Hall room, Aizi’s mother-in-law was standing with her sons, Wang Yin and Lay Yin. When all the greetings were over, everybody chose a dance partner. Mani’s mom and her sister’s mother-in-law danced a light dance because both their husbands were on a business trip. Aizi danced with her Wang Yin. Many other people chose each other. There were very few people left waiting to be offered to dance or to offer someone a dance. Mani was one those waiting to be offered a dance. Sitting on the opposite end to her was Lay. They made a an eye contact. Heart beat got faster, not because he was handsome but because he was staring at her.

‘Shoot! I made an eye contact. I’m crazy! What was I looking at him for. It’s awkward’

On the other hand, Lay got up frop his seat. Coming towards her, getting closer and closer.

“Ms. Mani Yu!”

“huh?! ah- Yes?”

She being nervous had a lisp. Lay , reaching out his hand, staring deep into her eyes offered Mani a dance.

“Would you like to dance with me?”

“Ah- Yeah! Sure!?”

Both their hands enlocked with eachother. Lay put his hands on Mani’s waist. The heat of his palm and those long slender fingers on her tiny waist made her blush. Her ears turning red. Lay asked out of concern “do you have a fever?”

“N-No! what made you think that?”

“Your ears are all red like fresh strawberries”

Realising she had been staring at his face and thinking about his hands and blushing, she suddenly turned her face to look the other way.

‘What even am I doing? Staring at him. Now he’s gonna think I’m a weirdo.’

Lay looking at Mani getting all flustered about her red years made him chuckle and he had a slip of tongue.

“Cute”

“What? what is cute?”

Lay, realising he said his thought quite out loud, made him blush too. Both the young people, eachother’s dance partners, blushing because of each other, danced through the night, Not realising their feelings might grow. How foolish the young love is?!

The party was going smoothly. When everyone sat down after dancing, Aizi went to the middle of the hall room with Wang, hand in hand.

CLINK! CLINK!

Wang Yin tapped on the champagne glass with a spoon to quiet down everyone in the hall room. Once there was silence, Wang and Aizi started their speech.

“Thank you for coming everyone. We are so glad that you all came, even though it was on short notice.”

“I and Mr. Wang Yin invited you all to this party to tell you something huge.”

“Yeah! Some might not find this news very huge but it is a big and a happy news for me and for my wife as well.”

Somewhere from the crowd a voice came, “Just tell the news already, You are getting us all nervous as if it’s some kind of result announcing ceremony.”

“Hahah, Yes we are about to announce it. Would you like to say the news Mrs. Wang?”

“Yes. The news is that I...Am..Pregnant!

and the doctor said that It’s a girl.”

There was a silence. Some were shocked and some were so happy that no words came out of their mouths. Suddenly Mani started clapping out of excitement and other people joined her. It was a huge thing for Mani who was going to be an aunt soon. There were cheers for Aizi and Wang along with the applause.

After the announcement of Aizi’s pregnancy, many of her friends started gathering around her and Wang to congratulate them. Mani was waiting for those people to go away so she could congratulate her sister and her brother-in-law.

‘Who would think she’s pregnant when she’s that thin and pale?? and she didn’t even tell me. Me? Her sister?! we used to share all our secrects with each other. I think it was SISTERS BEFORE MISTERS’

Suddenly Mani felt a presence of someone behind her back, Someone tall. Shadow of a tall handsome guy fell on the back of Mani. A familiar yet unidentifiable person.

‘Why does it feel like someone is standing right behind me?’

Suddenly a disembodied deep voice whispered in Mani’s ear.

“That could be US someday... you know?!”

A voice that would make any girl blush and reach 100% on their blush meter. And the words he just said would make any girl’s heart burst due to beating so hard.

Mani’s heart was beating hard. She was startled by someone’s presence. but she was blushing so hard that her face was a red as a beet. She turned around to find it was Shen! Mani’s cousin...and someone she had a crush on for a really long time.

“What??”

“It was just a joke! What are you all worked up for?”

A little disappointed about the joke but still Mani got a hold of herself.

“The Heck?! Who is getting worked up for what? That was the most stupid and cringe stuff I have ever heard! A. S. S. H. O. L. E.”

“That hurts me. You broke my heart.”

“Somebody get this actor an oscar for-“

“Don’t say it! You will make me shy”

“For THE WORST ACTING I HAVE EVER SEEN. I will get eye cancer by looking at your acting.”

Mani and Shen were really close with eachother. Shen was mostly raised by Mr. and Mrs. Yu, as his parents had to go out of city most of the time. He was the same age as Mani, just a few months older than her.

Lay was seeing Mani and Shen talking with eachother. Laughing and getting all playful and close. It was nothing wrong for Mani and Shen, but for some reason Lay didn’t like it at all. He got really frustrated when Shen put his arm around Mani’s shoulder.

‘What does he think he is doing?’

In a fit of fury, he got up from his seat, marching towards Mani and Shen, taking large steps. Just when he was about to reach them, a group of old women gathered around him. Blocking his vision.

“Young man, are you married?”

He got really annoyed but he still tried to keep his cool and talked to the old ladies in front of him.

“No I am not”

“That’s good to hear. I have a daughter who is your age. You should meet her”

“Hey don’t try to match make your daughter with him. He’s gonna marry my daughter

“Young man, promise me you are going to marry may daughter and not that old wrench’s”

“Who are you calling old!?”

“You, of coarse”

Just when those old ladies started quarrelling with each other Lay tried to look for Mani. But she had disappeared from his sight. She and Shen had left the place where they were before.

“Sorry Aunties but I have to go!”

“Don’t call me aunty, call me you mother-in-law”

“Sorry!”

Appologizing to the old ladies, Lay left them and started looking for Mani and Shen.

“Hey, Brother have you seen Mani?”

“ah- yeah, she was just here congratulating me and Aizi. I think she went to the balcony with Shen.”

“Thanks brother!”

“Good Luck”

“Huh.?!”

Lay was confused by Wang’s good luck but he didn’t pay much mind to it. When he was just outside the balcony, he heard Mani talking to someone.

“Who does he think he is? Weirdo. First her startled me by staring at me and now he was trying to approach me?”

‘With whom is she talking? Is it Shen?Wait- Is she talking about me?’

Lay thought to himself. Freaking himself out He hid behind the door that opened towards the balcony. The situation Mani just described to someone was similar to what happened just now. Lay realised that he had been staring at Mani throughout the party and he had tried to approach Mani too!

‘Who asked her to be so pretty, not my fault I wa staring at her. Anyone would stare at her mesmerising face and such deep eyes’

Lay thought to himself.

“That A**hole, Xingi”

‘Phew! It wasn’t me... But who is she talking to?’

Lay decided to look in the balcony through the glass paynes. He peeked out through the glass to see there was no one with her and she was just talking to herself. It was a good opportunity for him.

...!AUTHOR’s CORNER!...

...—————————————————...

WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK LAY WILL DO?

A. Find her creepy because she is talking to herself and runaway?

B. There is someone out in the balcony that lay didn’t see.

C. She’s talking over the phone.

D. Something else.

—————————————————

...💝...

Finding that as a good opportunity to talk to Mani, Lay came out in the balcony. Tapped lightly on her shoulder so she would be aware of his presence but *AAAAAH* little did he know that she would scream her heart out.

Mani, on the other hand, thought it was Xingi, the a**hole that was trying to hit on her throughout the party. She was glad it was not Xingi but on the other hand, embarrassment came flooding on her face as she realised who it was and what she did!

“*ahem* My apologies for startling you.”

“o-N-No - No, I just thought it was certain someone so I got startled. but I’m glad it was you.”

A light blush could be seen on Lay’s cheeks even in the dark starry night.

Realising what Mani said, she thought to herself

‘I have actually gone insane. what did I just say to him. Glad it was him. Like what the hell is wrong with me.’

Even though it was summer and the days were cozy and warm but the night was cold. Lay asked Mani,

“So what were you doing in the balcony when it’s so cold out here.”

Mani, deep in her thoughts and calling herself insane, didn’t hear Lay’s question. “I’m sorry but I didn’t hear your question. Could you repeat it again?”

“What I asked was nothing important but You kinda look and sound kinda preoccupied.”

“Hahah... no, it’s just I have a lot of things on my mind.”

“So you’re really THOUGHTFUL, aren’t you?” Lay asked while smiling at Mani.

Lay had a really beautiful smile. He had a really handsome face and when that handsome face gave a smile, anyone would fall for them. His smile was warm like hot cocoa during winter, his body figure was like delicate leaves during autumn, his personality and character was like beautiful flowers in spring and and he himself was radiant like a dazzling sun during summer.

He would make everyone fall for him, if not with his face then with his personality. He was a type of person no one could imagine wearing an angry face.

Lay’s mesmerising beauty made Mani question him.

“Are you trying to seduce me?”

“What?”

“I asked if you were trying to seduce me with your smile?”

Lay was speechless. That was a really straightforward question. He became nervous by that question but he came up with a good answer.

“then, did I succeed?”

Without even flinching at the counter question, Mani replied,

“Congratulations. you did. Mr. Lay Yin. Now it would be good if you turn around or I would drown in your hansome face.”

Blushing so damn hard after hearing that from Mani, He wondered to himself if she was even a girl.

“How can you say something like that to a boy? Are you even a girl?”

“Well what. do you expect me to behave like those girls going around and blushing next to a handsome man and and being like, ‘OMG, he’s so hot I might die from his hotness’”

“Whahhahaha— what was that just now? Hahahaha”

Mani mimicking anime girl’s voice made Lay laugh really hard. Seeing Lay laugh heartily, Mani also started laughing. Then suddenly a voice came from behind them.

“What are you both laughing so hard at?”

“Huh?”

“Huh?”

Both said it together as Mani and Lay were both confused by sudden interruption. The person came out of the shadow and on the balcony. It was the Wang Yin.

“Umm- brother! What are you doing here?”

“I should ask that. what are you two doing here? And Lay you were supposed to be entertaining those old ladies. We made a deal didn’t we?”

“but brother-“

“No buts”

“Brother! They were trying to matchmake me with their daughters. You should deal with them because you are married!”

*PFFFT-*

Lay whining about the old ladies to his brother made Mani laugh. Lay and Wang, both looked at Mani laughing.

“I apologise but he was whining like a kid. I’m sorry for interrupting *pfft* I will leave you two alone. See you later\~”

And with that Mani left the balcony laughing.

“So are you-“

Wang was about to say something to Lay when he saw something in his eyes, it was not the ordinary look that you have in your eyes when someone leaves you. It was more than that. It looked like he was sad yet he had love filled in those blue eyes.

‘She’s beautiful’ Lay thought to himself not realising Mani had long gone.

“Come down to the hall room and entertain those old ladies or our deal is off.”

“k”

Lost in the thought of that smiling face, Lay nodded. He didn’t know what Wang had said to him, but ge just nodded. He was falling foolishly for her. He had not realised his feelings yet but he knew that there was something wrong whenever he saw Mani. Or he would think about her for hours. They have never had that many encounters in their life but he was just falling for her.

“Goodbye! It was nice having you here at the party.”

It was almost 11 o’clock at night. People were leaving. Aizi and Wang were seeing off people at the gate.

“Goodbye, Mom and sis Of course. Thank you for coming.”

“Thank you for calling us and for giving me a really great news. Take care of your health. Take meat stock and fruits for your baby.”

Hugging her sister goodbye, Mani said to Aizi.

“I told you, there was something wrong. You looked paler than usual kind of sick but who new you were hiding the presence of another person in your stomach .”

“Hahah yeah of course. You are my sister so you should have noticed.”

“Well goodluck to you, Young mom to be.”

“Thank you!”

“Bye”

“Bye\~”

and with that everyone left the house. Lay didn’t come to say goodbye. Nor could Shen be seen.

‘Lay must still be with those old ladies. I wonder what deal were they talking about.’

.......................

Hello Readers! It’s me, MEW.

Thank you for reading. If you like the story then don’t forget to subscribe for the new updates. Also like the chapter!

...Thank you!...

...💝...

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