Why are you there?

Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, business, events and incidents are the products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Book Cover Photo credits to: @katie.one

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

A young lady was busy looking at the table while instructing one of the staff to move the platter of dessert on the centre when suddenly her phone rang interrupting her from what she was doing.

"Tell them to hurry up. We only have an hour left, the party will start at exactly eight p.m." She uttered to one of her staff before walking towards a corner to answer the call.

"Yes, Huahua?" Jingfei spoke.

"Feifei, what are you doing? I hope I have not interrupted you." Lihua uttered on the other side of the phone.

Jingfei slightly smiled as she glanced at the time, her best friend never failed to call her at seven in the evening.

"I was just instructing my staff when you phoned me."

"Wait are you busy? Oh God, I'm so sorry if I have interrupted your work." Jingfei could sense her best friend's worry.

"No! No! It's fine Huahua, it was also my fault for not telling you that I have work today. I'm happy that you call me every day at the exact time."

"Of course, I would never miss a day to call you even if we have a time difference now. I miss you Feifei."

"I missed you too, Lihua. Tell the kids that their Aunt Jingfei misses them too." With a loud voice, the young lady spoke as she glance at the stage when the music started. Jingfei opened the glass door and slipped out of the venue.

The chilly wind brushed off on Jingfei's shoulders, as her feet brought her to the garden. The moon was bright enough for her to see a bench near the fountain, she walks straight and sat comfortably, not even thinking that she was wearing a knee-length dress.

"Hello? Feifei are you still there?"

"Yes, I'm still here. I just went out of the venue because the music started playing. Were you saying something?"

"Oh? You have some kind of event there? I thought you were at the restaurant." Lihua asked out of curiosity.

"Well yes, I am here at a private villa, Alexander's restaurant was chosen to cater for this event, it's a private engagement party. I was just helping him tonight since he also got invited as a guest."

"Oh! So, are you also his partner?" Lihua teased.

"Of course not, I am just here to help him with the foods and not to be his partner. So what were you saying a while ago?"

Lihua didn't ask any questions knowing that Jingfei would always deny it, "I said when are you coming back here to P country? It's almost two years since you decided to live there in France. You will be missing the Grand Opening of your restaurant here." Jingfei rolled her eyes when she hears her best friend's worried voice because she cannot attend the opening of her restaurant.

"I know you'll be doing fine in handling my business there, Huahua. And besides, I still have some important things to do here."

"Oh know that it was your dream to have your restaurant here and now you are telling me that I - Mwiwi, bwid thiter, pwudying!" (Mommy, Big Sister, Pudding!")

Jingfei let a chuckle when she heard Lihua sighed, "Mwimwi pwudying!" A small boy clung to Lihua's neck as he was on the verge of crying.

"Was that my little prince?" Jingfei asked as soon as she heard the familiar small voice of her godson, who can't speak well yet.

“Yes, he was complaining that his elder sister took his pudding.” Lihua uttered while gently tapping her lap to let her son sit.

"You just ate two puddings a while ago. I will give you your pudding later, after dinner." Lihua uttered as she consoles her son not to cry.

"Here, Aunt Feifei is on the phone. Say hi to your Aunt Feifei!"

Jingfei heard Lihua saying and a tiny voice greeted her ear, "Pwetty Queen, hewow!" (Pretty Queen, hello!)

Jingfei almost let out a squeak as soon as she heard Lihua's third child talk, "Hello my prince! How are you? Pretty Queen misses you so much."

"Pwinth ith fwine! Pwinth mwith pyetty queen. Pwudying Mwimwi." (Prince is fine! Prince misses pretty queen. Pudding Mommy.)

"Yes, yes! Mommy will give you one after I talk with your Aunt Feifei." Lihua uttered.

"I guess he loves pudding more than me." Jingfei mumbled when she heard Lihua calmly told her son not to run.

Lihua let out a chuckle, "I guess he got the love for food from you. This child is also fond of eating but Pudding is his favourite."

"Then I'll ask mom to make some pudding for that child so that his elder sister won't steal his pudding."

"Auntie Xu visited us yesterday and she brought puddings for the kids. Your mom misses you so much that she and your father wanted to adopt another child because their two biological children don't have time for them anymore." Lihua mumbled and Jingfei just sighed, "I know you are telling me this on purpose but I still cannot go home. I also miss my parents but you know the sole reason why I moved to France right?"

"Yes, I know! You need to stay away from here to move on but it's been seven years since- Huahua, I'm so sorry but I need to go now. The party is about to start within twenty minutes." Jingfei interrupted her best friend when she saw one of her staffs waving at her.

"Oh, okay! We'll talk again tomorrow if you are not busy. Then goodbye Feifei, have a great night. I hope you'll find him there." Lihua jokingly uttered. ‘’You can end this now. I love you, goodbye.’'

"Geez! I'm here for work, okay? I'll hang up now. Byebye Huahua. Love you too." Jingfei turned her phone into silent mode as soon as the call ended. She then wore her heels again and ran towards the venue to see if everything is ready.

As soon as Jingfei got inside, a man dressed in a black suit was standing beside the table as he stared at the young lady who is approaching his direction, "Where have you been?" The man asked.

Before answering the man, Jingfei peeked at the huge hall that was slowly being filled with the guests, "I've got a phone call from my best friend. Do you need anything? You should be joining the other guests over there." She asked as she stared at the man´s forest-green eyes. She had always been captivated by those eyes when she first met him and until now, she still is.

"Why can't I be here when my partner is staying here?

"Where is she?" Jingfei uttered while roaming her eyes sight around to see if a woman was also staying near them.

"Tsk! Why are you looking for yourself?" The man named Alexander uttered as he held Jingfei's hand which the young lady immediately retrieve from his grip.

"And who says that I will be your partner tonight? You only asked me to help you look out for your staff and the food that will be served." Jingfei uttered while glaring at the man.

"My partner ditched me." Alexander mumbled but the young lady just scoffed, "Your partner did what? Ditched you?’’ Jingfei asked and Alexander hurriedly nodded his head.

‘’The Great Alexander was ditched by his partner! That is new to me. I believe that every woman will be willing to be your partner and no one will dare to ditch you.’’

‘’Believe me, she really ditched me, Feifei!’’

‘’Yeah right, your lie won't work on me, Alex. I have a list of your woman's name written and hidden on my table's drawer- they are very willing to be your partner for tonight." Jingfei uttered sarcastically as she rolled her eyes and was about to turn around when a man in his fifties approached the two of them.

The man in his fifties held his hand out towards Alexander, "I didn't expect to see you tonight Mr. Heroux." The man spoke as he waited for Alexander to grab his hand and shook it but to his dismay, the young man didn't pay any attention to what was in front of him.

"I'm the groom's cousin. Why wouldn't I be here?" Jingfei's hand almost landed on the young man's back when she heard what he just said.

"Is he crazy?" Jingfei thought as he glanced at the elder man in front of her.

The man looks like a wealthy businessman who could take down their restaurant if he wanted to.

As she was lost in her dreadful thoughts, Alexander pinched Jingfei's back when he felt that the young lady was not even listening to her, "Ouch! Why did you pinch me?"

"What were you thinking? Your face looked horrified!"

"Where is he?" Jingfei asked when the elder man was nowhere to be found.

Alexander stared at the hall that was already filled with lots of guests. "He left while you were lost in your thoughts. What were you thinking?" He asked out of pure curiosity.

"Why did you speak to him like that? What if he would ask someone to destroy your restaurant tomorrow." Jingfei uttered with a worried expression painted on her face.

"Pffftt hahahahaha!" The man let out a laugh when he realizes what the woman beside him just said.

''Did you just get fooled by his appearance? You still have a lot to learn from me, darling."

"He is not that power to destroy my business. That man is just one of those few businessmen who leeches to others for their benefits. He was planning on venturing into the food industry and I was just about to get scouted." Alexander mumbled and was about to get a dessert when Jingfei slapped his hand.

''That's for the guest to enjoy. The party has not yet started and you are already stealing some dessert."

What Jingfei had said became a cue when suddenly the lights were turned off and the spotlight was focused on the centre stage.

"I guess it is about to start!" Jingfei mumbled when she saw that the host was already standing on the stage.

Jingfei slowly turned her back and was about to go back to the kitchen when Alexander tight grabbed her wrist and gently drag her towards the front table where he was assigned to sit.

"Why did you bring me here?" She whispered while pinching the young man's leg.

"I told you that you are my partner tonight." The young man whispered back and Jingfei was about to say something when the host spoke, "Good Evening everyone. I hope you are enjoying your time as we wait for our lovely couple, I am Louis, your host for tonight."

Jingfei frowned as she began feeling uneasy and her heart was beating fast, "I think I should go back to the kitchen and supervise your staffs." She uttered and stood up but Alexander stopped her from leaving again.

"Just this once, please do me a favour and be my partner for tonight. Jingfei." Alexander muttered and Jingfei just heaved a deep sigh as she sat back on her chair, "Just this once okay? You know how I hate being in the spotlight." She mumbled and Alexander just nods his head.

Ten minutes have passed and the host was back again on the centre stage, "Everyone, I know you are all waiting for our two lovely couple for tonight and without any delay, may I present the soon-to-be groom and bride" and with a huge smile on his lips, he announced the couples name, "Monsieur Lucien Alarie and soon-to-be Madame Alarie, Mademoiselle Oceane Delisle."

Everyone's attention- except for Jingfei and Alexander who were still, shifted when the huge door of the hall suddenly open. The guests were awed when they saw the lovely pair, the man was dress in a white tuxedo while the young lady was wearing a white floral dress. The applause got louder as the couple started walking towards the centre stage.

"Aren't they perfect?" One of the guests- who is also seated at the table where Jingfei and Alexander are- stated.

The other guests, who are seated at the same table agreed to what the woman has said, while Jingfei was still busy pinching Alexander's waist for not letting her leave the table, "You should stop that darling." Alexander whispered and again Jingfei pinched him.

"I'm not your darling, you womanizer!" She whispered back, not minding what was going on. "Let me leave, I am not supposed to be here. And you are not even interested in this engagement party."

"Well, I am interested now, the bride and groom have already arrived. You should also be interested in them." Alexander mumbled as his eyes landed on the stage where the engaged couple are already standing and smiling at each other.

"And why should I, I don't even-" Jingfei paused as she felt her breath escaped from her lungs and her heart beats faster as her gaze landed on the man who was standing on the centre stage all smiles at the lovely young lady beside him.

Alexander glance at the woman beside him when he felt her froze. Her pale face and shocked expression made him worry, "Hey Feifei? Are you alright?" With a gentle yet worried voice, Alexander tapped Jingfei's shoulder as he tried to get the young lady's attention, but Jingfei didn't move an inch, she just stared at the stage as memories from the past flashed back to her mind like lightning.

"Wh- why are you there?"

Alexander frowned when Jingfei mumbled something and her eyes began to water, one by one, tears rolled down to her cheek as she mumbled the name whom she thought her lips will never mention again, "Li Guang"