LMA – Chapter Four

Han Ting Hua jumped in front of Luo An Hai’s car outside Luo’s Hotel, and sat in her car.

‘Han Ting Hua, are you crazy?’ she asked. ‘I’ll kill you if you dented my car.’

He ignored her and buckled his seat belt.

She would have kicked him out of her car if she didn’t worry about causing a scene in front of guests.

After suppressing her frustrations, she drove a block away from Luo’s Hotel and parked her car on a side street.

‘Get out,’ she said.

He got out of her car, but he grabbed her car key before she could press the accelerator.

She was forced to get out of her car to retrieve her car key. Damnit, why couldn’t he stay a short little boy?

He tossed her car key in the direction of Luo’s Hotel.

‘Han Ting Hua!’ she said. ‘Hurry up and go get my car key back.’

‘Why?’ he asked. ‘Finding your car key is your business. Besides, I’m not free to go look for your car key.’

‘Han Ting Hua-‘ she said.

‘What?’ he asked. ‘Are you upset? What you said to uncle Luo upset him too. Today is uncle Luo’s birthday. Even if you can’t stand your father, at least be civil toward him in public.’

She admitted she hurt her father out of anger. But she didn’t want to hear a lecture from Han Ting Hua.

‘Have you said enough?’ she asked. ‘I don’t need you to lecture me about my relationship with my father. If you love lecturing, why don’t you lecture your own mother? All she knows is how to be a homewrecker.’

‘Luo An Hai!’ he said. ‘In the past my mother hurt you. But you should respect your elder-‘

‘My elder?’ she asked. ‘Does she deserve my respect?’

‘Fine,’ he said. ‘Continue your hate parade.’

She watched him walk away. When he was out of sight she put her guard down, and leaned against her car. Why was she so stubborn? Why couldn’t she let go of her pride? It was tiring holding onto resentments. She didn’t mean to hurt her father. Why was it hard for her to apologize to her father? She left to cool down, but didn’t expect Han Ting Hua to chase after her.

It was hard for her to pretend Han Ting Hua didn’t exist. Every time they were in the same place she couldn’t resist lashing out at him, because he was Mai Fang’s son. She wanted him to hate her and for him to find a woman to love. His interest in Angel was a good step, because in her first lifetime he never let women stand close to him. It didn’t matter who he chose to love as long as he forgot her existence, because she didn’t want to be haunted by the image of him holding her photo.

She walked over to the patch of grass where he tossed her car key. The street light didn’t help her spot her car key. She had to crawl around the patch of grass to find her car key.

When Han Ting Hua returned to where Luo An Hai parked her car, he was surprised to see her crawling on the grass. He had expected her to hail a taxi home.

In his eyes Luo An Hai was the most beautiful woman in the world. It didn’t hurt his eyes to see her firm bottom up close.

‘Shit!’ she cried out.

He didn’t need x-ray vision to see that she didn’t step on her car key.

She heard laughter and turned around to see Han Ting Hua laughing at her expense. His dog shit free hand dangled her car key in front of her.

***

‘Han, this is the plan for our assignment,’ Angel said. ‘Han, are you listening?’

‘Huh?’ Han Ting Hua asked. ‘Plan? You decide.’

It was the final year before graduation. Angel was surprised Han Ting Hua had been spacing out during the most important year.

‘Han, lately you seem happy,’ Angel said. ‘Did you receive good news?’

Happy? The memory of Luo An Hai’s face on the verge of exploding when he dangled her car key in front of her was priceless. He gave her a bottle of water to wash the dog shit off her hand.

‘Your hand is dog shit free now,’ he said and towel dried Luo An Hai’s hand.

‘My car key,’ Luo An Hai said.

He returned Luo An Hai’s car key and she sped off like a lightning bolt disappearing.

A week later, he couldn’t wipe off the smile on his face thinking about the first time he witnessed Luo An Hai falling off her pedestal. It must be karma rewarding him for the years he put up with her sharp tongue.

He forced himself to stop smiling. Angel was an outsider. He wouldn’t divulge Luo An Hai’s dignity lapse to outsiders.

Angel was disappointed Han Ting Hua put up his guard again. Why didn’t he want to share good news with her?

‘Han, your big sister… I mean Luo An Hai,’ Angel said.

‘What about her?’ he asked.

‘Have you heard about her scandal?’ Angel asked.

‘What scandal?’ he asked.

He hadn’t seen Luo An Hai since she moved out of the Luo Mansion a week ago.

‘I heard she dumped Hunter,’ Angel said. ‘She’s been spotted on dates with the CEO of Hawke and hanging out at Queen with a model.’

Queen? He frowned. Why was Luo An Hai hanging out at a bar notorious for red light hosts and hostesses?

‘Hunter followed her to Queen,’ Angel said. ‘He tried to drag her out of Queen, but ended up flat on his back after she kicked him. What a strong woman.’

‘What happened next?’ he asked.

‘Hunter had a melt down and cried like a baby,’ Angel said.

‘What?’ he asked.

‘He got on his knees, crying and begging her to take him back,’ Angel said. ‘Here, take a look at the magazine photos of the incident.’

He glanced at the magazine headline, ‘Hunter begs ice beauty for a second chance.’ But it was the photo of Luo An Hai chatting happily with a man he didn’t recognize at Queen that made his blood boil.

‘Looks are deceiving,’ Angel said. ‘How can an ice beauty be this strong-‘

He picked up his ringing phone.

‘Mother, what’s wrong?’ he asked.

‘Xiao Hua, you need to come home now,’ Mai Fang said. ‘Hunter’s parents came here for a visit. They told Cheng Hua about what happened to Hunter last night. Cheng Hua called An Hai to come home. I don’t want Cheng Hua and An Hai to fight.’

‘Mother, I’ll come home now,’ he said.

After he ended the phone call, he apologized to Angel. ‘I’m sorry. I’ll leave the planning to you. I have an emergency.’

‘Wait,’ Angel said and sighed. ‘My magazine…’

Outside the classroom, Han Ting Hua chucked the magazine into a bin.

***

Luo An Hai was fed up with the rumors about her. All she did was meet up with her friend Lily and Lily’s boyfriend at Queen to celebrate Lily’s birthday. But the paparazzi took photos of her sitting opposite Lily’s boyfriend at a small table when Lily went to the bathroom.

Later, she was caught in the middle of Lily and Lily’s boyfriend fight. Then a drunk Hunter showed up, he tried to drag her out of Queen but she kicked him away from her. Hunter’s crying and begging gave her a headache. But Lily was her first priority so she took Lily home and listened to Lily’s heartbreak after a woman in the bathroom showed photos of Lily’s boyfriend two-timing Lily.

When she finally arrived home in the morning, she received a phone call from her father summoning her home, which was why she ended up driving to the Luo Mansion.

At the front door of the Luo Mansion, she received a phone call from Lily informing her that last night’s incident was reported on every online news site. She sighed and understood why her father summoned her home.

She opened the front door and received her father’s anger.

‘Luo An Hai!’ Luo Cheng Hua said, throwing a hot teapot in Luo An Hai’s direction. ‘You finally decide to show your disgraceful face here!’

Han Ting Hua hugged Luo An Hai before she could move out of the way. The hot teapot smashed onto his right arm.

‘Xiao Hua!’ Mai Fang said, running toward Han Ting Hua. ‘Are you hurt?’

‘Mother, I’m fine,’ Han Ting Hua lied and hid his bleeding right arm.

‘It’s good you’re not hurt,’ Mai Fang said. ‘Luo Cheng Hua, even if you’re angry, you shouldn’t throw a hot teapot at An Hai. If Xiao Hua didn’t shield An Hai, she could have been injured.’

‘I…’ Luo Cheng Hua said.

Luo Cheng Hua regretted throwing the hot teapot at his daughter’s direction. He was grateful Han Ting Hua shielded his daughter.

‘Stay away from me,’ Luo An Hai said, pushing Han Ting Hua off her. ‘I don’t need you to butt into my business.’

Han Ting Hua lost his balance, and his injured right arm fell onto the shattered teapot pieces.

‘Xiao Hua, you’re bleeding,’ Mai Fang said.

‘Luo An Hai, haven’t you caused enough trouble in public?’ Luo Cheng Hua asked. ‘Do you want to injure your little brother at home too?’

Luo An Hai didn’t mean for Han Ting Hua to fall, but she hid her concern.

‘It’s his fault for losing his balance,’ Luo An Hai said.

‘Luo An Hai, get out of my sight,’ Luo Cheng Hua said. ‘Starting today, never step foot here again.’

‘Luo Cheng Hua, have you lost your mind?’ Mai Fang asked. ‘An Hai, don’t listen to your father’s nonsense. Xiao Hua, wait here, I’ll go get the first aid kit.’

Luo An Hai ran outside the Luo Mansion. She wasn’t concern about her father’s angry outburst. It was the sight of Han Ting Hua’s right arm bleeding that traumatized her.

When she reached her car, she didn’t expect Han Ting Hua to appear, snatch her car key from her shaky hand and sit in the driver’s seat.

‘Han Ting Hua, get out of my car,’ she said.

‘Get in,’ he said. ‘I’m giving you three seconds before I drive off.’

She glanced at his right arm bleeding and sat in the passenger seat.

***

End of Chapter Four