Just A Step Away From You

CHAPTER III: That Attractive, Regal Man Wearing a Silver Engagement Band

"Hey, Mai Ding cut some slack will you? It's break time already." Someone tapped on his shoulder, telling him this.  It was his officemate, Qian Lei.

"How could I, It's already lunchtime and still so many paper works to do." He sighed stretching his arms to remove away the stress he's feeling.

Qian Lei just shrugged, He had known Mai Ding for a while now, He saw Mai Ding as a hardworking person, and however, he noticed something odd. This officemate noticed that Mai Ding just works to hard until he collapsed.

 'It was like he wants to keep himself busy in order to stop thinking about something.'  Qian Lei wondered.

Shaking his head the officemate continued. "Anyway, before I forget. Boss called you."

"Me? Why is he asking for me?" Mai Ding pointed at himself not knowing why he was called. Did he do something wrong, were the documents for the next project not properly well thought-out, where the clients not satisfied with their presentation?

"I don't have the exact details but I think it has something to do with a new project." Hearing that, the younger bespectacled guy was filled with surprise.

" Aiya, come now let's eat already" Qian Lei smiled and grabbed Mai Ding's forearm to eat. He was still his senior, if he doesn't take care of Mai Ding who knows when would this stubborn guy die from hunger?

***

 "Boss" Mai ding entered the office after knocking on the door.

"Oh, you are here!" His boss said with a big grin on his face.

The person on the sofa looked at the door... "Zhou Ge?" Mai ding was surprised.

 "Long time no see, huh." The man who was wearing a black suit stood up and smiled.

 "Your Company has a joint project with us and when I heard about you, I personally asked them to make you the representative for this." He continued.

 "What? What are you planning?" Mai Ding replied confused about the matter.

"Let's just say it's my way of helping you take back what was lost." Zhou Ge smiled gloomily.

"Huh, I really don't seem to understand your drift?"  Mai Ding doesn't understand what the other man was saying and why this person acting likes he'd done something despicably wrong to him.

***

 " Ding Ding, did you prepared everything that you needed for the flight?" His mother asks.

 He was sighing "Ma, stop worrying already. How old do you think I am?"

"It can't be helped; you're full-pledge adult but still acts like a kid at heart. How cannot we worry like this?" His father stated.

Mai Ding just scratches the back of his head and didn't say a word again.

His mom begins again "I am just so happy for you and maybe this can help you forget your worries. Ever since that day you came home that Christmas...you have become strange. I know that you and you're girlfriend broke up but..."

"Mama, let's not talk about the past, this is our son's big break, who knows he might bring back a foreign girl to be our daughter in law and give us grandchildren already." She was cut off by her husband.

'Baba, what the heck are you saying, this is for work." Their son retorted.

They were at the airport, it has been already a week and his business trip to America was sealed and approved by his boss; "Come on, I'll give you a big bonus for this one, you're one of my best employees after all!"  

Mai Ding was coaxed nonstop for this due to the persistence of a particular person (Zhou Ge). 

In spite of this, the man in question had left beforehand not waiting for him. This added to the bespectacled man's irritation to it all.

"Ah, it's time."  The announcement for his flight departure has been said, Mai Ding needs to board the plane already. He hugged his parents one last time and with that he bid them farewell.

***

CALIFORNIA, USA   FREYINTERNATIONALAIRPORT 8:00 PM

Right after he arrived, a dark blue car was already there to get him. The driver told him that Zhou Ge has ordered to fetch him to bring him at the hotel.

"Ah, okay." He agreed and now entered the car together with his baggage.  It was a 45 minute ride from the airport.

After some time, he was brought to a place called "Fairmont Hotel". His things were lead to his room.  An employee called for him and led him to the meeting area.

There was rather a gathering that's currently happening on the private grounds.

"By the way, aside from Mr. Zhou, there's another shareholder that's waiting for your appearance too." The employee said to him with enthusiasm.

"Oh, I see."  Mai Ding was puzzled. He was never informed that there would be an additional person for this matter. Even so, he continued to walk towards the lively crowd, still looking for the two people he was expecting to see.

Then he heard someone gossiping on the side:

"I can't imagine that he's here, that executive looks handsome as ever."  An elegant woman wearing a burgundy evening dress said to her friend.

"Yet, he's taken. I can't believe that man's with somebody else now, how lucky!" The friend said, the one wearing an emerald long slit gown as she drank the wine she was holding.

"I don't mind being the other woman though, sharing one's goods isn't so bad."  The elegant woman giggled at her friend provocatively.

'Is this how foreign girls think?'  He can't believe what he was hearing; people in a foreign country had made him shock in one way or another.

Not far off, he saw Zhou Ge and noticed that he's talking to a tall and slender person. They were laughing joyfully. 

Mai Ding can't see the other person's face for his back was facing him but he definitely feels that... 'He looks someone?' he thought.

Then Zhou Ge noticed him.  "Ah, brother I would like you to meet the representative of their company. His name is Mai Ding; he will be helping for this project' success." He doesn't know why but his heart began to thump loud.

The person turned to him. One can really say how attractive and regal this man is.

"Hi, it's very nice to meet you. I hope that our partnership will bring good results."  The tall man extends his right hand as he was smiling to him. Up close, one can really see the intricate silver band on his ring finger.

Mai Ding didn't know what to do. He was standing there still stunned, His breathing became laboured and his throat began to run dry.  He feels dizzy all of a sudden.

"Are you alright, you look pale." The man said, concern could be seen from his face.

"An...Ziyan?"   Mai Ding exclaimed shaken.

Then and there before he discerns what's happening, his surroundings have begun to fade to black.

TBC