Few days pa.s.sed by, Lifen was all engrossed in preparing herself for her departure. She has decided to let her heart practice to omit all thoughts regarding Deming.

In these few days, Lifen has received several calls and messages from him but all the calls remained unanswered and the texts remained unreplied.

Deming also tried to meet her, but he can't visit her at her home so he went to the college. But there he got to know that she hasn't appeared in the college for a quite long time now. He sighed unable to understand what's wrong with her. He decided that no matter how, but today he will have a clear talk with her.

Life was all busy in her room. She has received a few projects files of Li Corporation on which her grandfather wanted her opinions and thoughts. At this moment, there was a knock on the door. She stood up and walked to open the door. Mother Wu was standing at the door, holding her hand phone.

"Mumma, is there anything?" she asked. She knew her mother won't disturb her until and unless there is something important.

"Hmmm. There is a call for you", Mother Wu has received a call asking Lifen to talk.

"Someone called on your number to get through me. Who is it?" slightly confused she took the phone to answer it. Mother Wu left the room after handing her the phone as she was still have customers in the coffee shop to attend.

Lifen looked at the number and as expected it was an unknown number, she had never come through, "h.e.l.lo! It's me Lifen. May I know, whom I am talking to?" came her soft polite tone.

"So you still know how to answer the calls. I thought you have long forgotten it", a familiar voice which she has been avoiding came to her ears with a mocking tone.

"Deming?" she was utterly shocked. She has been avoiding his texts and calls for the last previous days. She never thought that he would call on her mother's number just to talk to her.

"Oh! What a pleasant surprise, you still remember me", his voice held some pain and anger. He has tried more than thousand times on her phone but she never answered. Hearing her voice now felt like a surreal dream to him

"Why did you call?" she asked nonchalantly as if she is talking to some stranger.

"What's with your tone? Are you mad at me? Why aren't you picking up my calls? Why aren't you visiting Carnations Hills? Why haven't you been to college? Is there any problem bothering you? When are you meeting me?" he blurted all the questions in one go. He expected her to answer all his questions one by one but he fear that she won't be listening to his words like the last time and will hung up the call without giving him a chance to ask all his question.

A long time pa.s.sed but she didn't replied. "Are you there, Lifen?"

"I am busy", came her reply which single handedly knocked down all his questions. And without waiting for his next words, she disconnected the call.

Once disconnected, she patted her chest gently. Only she knew how hard it was for her to be this cold to someone for whom her heart has felt warmth for almost half of her life. She shrugged off her thoughts of heart which again started to think about him and again drown herself in the project of Li Corporation.

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Deming was all confused in the last few days and has buried himself in his business. He has avoided to visit Carnation Hills as much as possible. He doesn't know why but he was not comfortable around Jie. Her behaviour was making him feel that she wasn't.... He wanted to ask her about why she got addicted to drugs and why but at this moment the only thing he can think was all about Lifen.

He sighed internally and picked up his jacket to walk outside. He mumbled to himself, "That's enough. I am not going to talk to her if she isn't interested in talking. Why should I bother asking her when she isn't want to tell me herself? She is busy, let her be. I am more busy than her".

When he was walking out, everyone politely stood up and bowed their heads to show him their respect. "Boss", Murphy called out.

Deming paused and turned to look at him. He knew what he was about to ask so he said casually, "I have some work. Push rest of the meetings to tomorrow". He said and walked out of the building.

He has decided to visit Carnation Hills today and ask Jie about her addiction. After that as mentioned by Dr.Yang, he will ask her to join the rehabilitation centre.

When the car reached Carnation Hills, he walked out and directly went straight to her room. Jue was casually flipping the pages of a fas.h.i.+on magazine, when she heard solid footsteps walking towards her room.

She looked up and Deming's slender but well built body came to her sight, "Brother Ming! You came today, I missed you so much". She jumped off her bed and ran to hug him.

She wrapped her arms around his waist and dug her head deep into his chest, enough to hear his beating heartbeats. Her heart felt an unease when he didn't hugged her back.

She looked up from his embrace, " Are you upset with me, Brother Ming? Did I do something wrong?"

Deming didn't answer her, he just pulled her a little away from him to create a small distance between their bodies, "I have many thing to know from you. Get ready, we will go out for dinner".

Jie was puzzled at first but hearing that he was taking her out for dinner, her heart overjoyed. She nodded and went straight to get dressed.

When she turned back to look at Deming who was leaving the room, she asked "Brother Ming, where are you going?"

"No where. You have to change so, I will wait for you in the living hall".

"It's okay, Brother Ming. I won't mind your presence. You can wait here in the room. You know I love you and.....", she said with a sheepish innocent smile on her face.

"No, I would wait for you in the living hall, get ready and come downstairs ", he said and exited the room. He never wanted to compare her to Lifen but at this moment he heart compared them without his permission. Lifen has said something such outrageous even when they were in a relations.h.i.+p. She has always been in her limits, never crossing it.

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Lifen was still working on the doc.u.ments when she received a call. It as from Daiyu.

"h.e.l.lo"

"h.e.l.lo, Lifen. Girl, get ready in 20 minutes. We are coming to pick you up. Don't try to deny, otherwise no one will be worst than me", she said in a stern voice leaving no windows for any escape.

Lifen laughed, "Okay I won't deny but where are we going".

"I won't tell much, just get ready for the restaurant. Please dress as you have dressed for a date. Don't make conclusions out my words because I am not setting you on a blind date", saying that she disconnected the call, leaving Lifen all baffled but there was a soft smile on her lips .