Before he could regain his composure from the overwhelming astonishment, another woman appeared at the door of his room. A plump woman in her mid-forties, also adorned in a vintage dress.
"Wen Qing was right. You're not dressed yet, San." There was mild anger in her voice. With a quick motion, she pushed the door of the room shut. She went toward him. Before Zhan could react, the woman bent down, grabbed both hems of his oversized T-shirt and lifted it off his head. "Looks like I'm the one who'll catch your dad's wrath for this."
She tossed Zhan's shirt right onto the bed. Zhan instantly covered himself with his hand, his expression a mix of surprise and disbelief.
"W-who are you?" Zhan asked.
Right when the old lady was about to open his closet door, she froze and gave him a questioning look, her eyebrows raised in confusion.
"What are you talking about, San?" She turned to the closet and opened the door. She picked out a suit and laid it on the bed. "I'm going to help you get ready, and your boyfriend was just asking about you a while ago."
Boyfriend? A what? Zhan whispered
Zhan barely managed to say, "I-I'll get dressed," as he stared at the clothes lying on the bed.
The old lady stared at him closely. " San, are you not feeling well? What's with that expression? You look kind of dazed and pale— San!"
"San is not—". He was about to say but then trailed off. He gazed at the old lady, clearly confused. What was going on? Where did these people come from? And why did it sound like there was a party happening just outside?
A warm, understanding smile began to form on the old lady's lips as her deep gaze softened.
"I can see you're feeling anxious, San. It's totally normal. Your dad's about to announce your engagement with Wangyin." She gently stroked his hair. "I understand how you feel, son," she said softly. Then she grabbed the suit and passed it to him.
Oh, God... oh, God! He tried to protest, but nothing came out. It was like he was frozen in place, unable to take a step. And he changed his clothes quietly.
"How fast time has passed, San. I can hardly believe that the little kid I used to look after has grown into such a handsome young man. If only your mom was still alive and see you now... Her voice cracked a little, and Zhan could swear he saw a sparkle of tears in the old lady's eyes.
"Wangyin is so lucky to have you," the old lady continued. She stared at Zhan's reflection in the mirror. "And you're lucky to have him too. He's a great guy, well-educated, and comes from a good family. Above all, you know each other well..." She pulled him close and brought him in front of the large mirror on the dresser.
"Why is your dark hair turning red, San?" He frowned when the old lady touched and stroked his hair. (A/N: Just to be clear, it's not really red; it's more of a brunette color, but I can't find the right phrase in English.)
"I-I-I-put some... p-coloring..." His voice finally came back to him.
"Hmm... suits you," the old lady agreed. "Just a moment, let me comb your hair..." She made him sit on the dresser stool. Zhan felt like a robot, just following orders. The old lady grabbed a comb from the dresser and started styling his hair, Zhan's amazement. It was only did he noticed that there was something on top of the dresser. There were some perfume bottles with brands he didn't recognize, and they definitely weren't there when he walked in with his grandpa's lawyer earlier today.
