“You seem to fear my talents. President Zhou.” Lily chortled. Leaning on the couch, Lily started leisurely sipping on her tea. “I am a woman of many talents. Some of these talents are obviously scary but my cooking is not one of those.”
“That— that is not my point.”
Lily responded with another chuckle before shaking her head. “I know. You only want to have my cooking for yourself. That’s quite selfish, but I love it.” Lily said as she laughed. His adorable reactions every time she brought this topic up was just…. too cute.”I will gift my bags and you gift your paintings. Now… let’s talk about the schedule that you just told me earlier.” Her face turned serious. “I thought you would be accompanying me in Luxembourg?”
“I will.”
“What do you— “
“I am coming with you. I will also arrive on the fifth. But only you know this.”
Lily raised an eyebrow. “What exactly do you want to see?”
“I just decided to only tell you my schedule. Not a big deal.” Shrugging, he smiled at her. “No need to worry. I just want to practice unpredictability.”
For a few seconds, Lily was silent. Unpredictability, huh.
…………………….
For both Lily and Zhou Jingren the Christmas season was one of the busiest times of the year. It had a lot of events, invitations and sending gifts to companies in collaboration with them. Both had their own companies to handle and both needed to attend some events and functions for the holiday. Aside from this, a lot of magazines had already scheduled some interviews with them to discuss the next year’s events and their plans for the company in the coming year.
Soon, Christmas eve came. With Zhou Jingren’s parents, Zhou Jingren, Lily, Qin Yuanfeng, Bei Tian, Yang Mi and Secretary Go enjoyed a sumptuous dinner followed by a joyous exchange of gifts. Each of them had given each other a gift. After that, they had a quiet night with everyone under the huge Christmas tree. Chatting and drinking some alcohol while Lily had some tea.
Two days after Christmas, Fernando and Li Shanshan arrived in Hong Kong for them to spend the new year’s with everyone at The Peak.
“You are buying a house in France?” Lily smiled when she heard Li Shanshan’s news. “What’s wrong?” she asked. “That’s not the face of someone who is going to buy a house soon.”
“I will be away from you.” Li Shanshan pouted in response. “I was originally planning to stay with you while you gave birth and help you take care of the baby.”
“But? Is this even about the house?”
“Well… partly. I am going to direct a film, a Hollywood one. I am using the funds for the payment of the house.”
“Wait…wait…. Hold on. Let me get this clear. ” Lily squinted her eyes as she continued. “Payment.” For a few seconds, Lily stared at her friend’s face. “You mean… Fernando is not going to pay for the house? That man is loaded! What are you talking about?”
“Hey! Before you chastise me, you should hear me out!” Fernando chimed in from the side where he was drinking with Zhou Jingren and Bei Tian. “That friend of yours insisted that we each pay half the price. It’s a mansion located on a hill! It’s not cheap. It will eat away everything that she had saved over the years. I told her that I can take care of everything but no… you know how her brain works. You should convince her and just let me pay for everything.”
“Heh,” Li Shanshan took a sip of her juice. “You talk as if I’m crazy. I am an independent woman of the twentieth century! I don’t need your money!”
Lily immediately burst out laughing when she heard the exact words that she once said to Zhou Jingren. “So you are going to spend all your savings for a house because of your pride?”
Li Shanshan immediately gave her an unamused look. “Don’t you dare tell me that you haven’t uttered those words towards your husband.” She said. “We are independent women in the twentieth century. We should— “
“I suggest you let him buy the house and put it in your name.” Lily beamed as she intentionally made her voice louder. “In fact, he should transfer all of his properties under your name as a gift!”
“You profiteer!” She heard Fernando shot from the side.
“Stop eavesdropping, you dummy!” Lily responded before laughing. “Being independent does not mean we should act like men. Shanshan ah, we deserve to be pampered. You— Really…” Lily shook her head. “I don’t know what I would do with you. You should ask him for his black card, the slick one! I heard he has some properties in Maldives? Maybe he can transfer those under your name too!”
“You are a bad influence Lily! Stop it. Oi Jingren… tell your wife to stop this nonsense.”
“Stingy!” Lily responded before laughing. “I am not telling her to do it. This is only a suggestion. Shanshan… why don’t I show you everything that Zhou Jingren gave me just for me to agree to marry him? He gave me a blue diamond. Millions worth of shares among many other things.”
“Hey! Oi Jingren… stop her!”
“What can I do?” Zhou Jingren shrugged. “I can’t just tell her to lie, can I?” He smirked as he raised his chin.
At Zhou Jingren’s statement laughter echoed inside the mansion.
“You men should learn from Zhou Jingren.” Lily said while smiling from ear to ear.
“What are you talking about? You should stop comparing everyone to your husband.” Fernando said. “I am only happy that Li Shanshan is not a fox like you, ah.” For the umpteenth time, laughter echoed. The group continued talking and joking around until their stomach hurt from too much laughter. Their conversation then shifted to Lily’s plan on giving birth in Switzerland and how Fernando and Li Shanshan would definitely visit her after she gives birth to her little one.
Then it shifted to the gender of the baby. Lily said she didn’t know but Zhou Jingren insisted that it would be a boy. The discussion soon turned into a debate on which gender was better. It was followed by another banter and laughter.
It was already near midnight when the group decided to end the night so the men could rest as they were scheduled to cook for their new year’s dinner the next day. Of course, this was Lily’s idea too. After all, husbands should pamper their wives, especially pregnant wives like her. Li Shanshan might not be pregnant now but she would be soon. For which Fernando needed to practice.
