"What...?" Mr. Fang's gaze trailed off.
He was about to cold her until he saw her red nose and tear stained face.
He was shocked.
'S-she is crying?' he looked surprised at that revelation.
It was a first for him to see tears on her face. Other times, there has always been a smile on her face, or a frown when she didn't like his response or actions.
"Why are you crying?" He asked.
"Mr. Fang," Zhang Liling called out as a tear dropped from her eyes and fell on her stained face.
"My mum is seriously ill." She revealed a moment later.
Black lines appeared on his forehead as he thought back to Song Jujing's healthy figure when he met her at her graduation ceremony.
But seeing her sorry state, and with her crying profusely, he couldn't continue dwelling on his thoughts.
He immediately hooked an arm over her shoulder and led her away.
Some minutes later...
Zhang Liling was still crying while sitting beside him at the foot of his bed.
"You don't need my permission to travel down to Paris, your mother is gravely ill, you should go and take care of her." Mr. Fang said to her with a gentle tone as he passed her anither handkerchief.
The white one in her hands had already been ruined, so he had to get her mother one.
"Mr. Fang, what am I going to do?" Zhang Liling asked in a hoarse voice as more tears flowed from her eyes which were already red at the moment due to much crying.
Fang Bingwen raised an eyebrow in confusion. He didn't know what she was talking about as he had already asked her to leave for Paris.
Zhang Liling knew he did not understand her. She first sniffed into the handkerchief in her hands and folded it before taking the new one from him.
"I was supposed to report to your company on my first day of work tomorrow. Also, we are yet to start dating. We were supposed to go on a date this weekend, but now this..."
As she said that, more tears flowed from her eyes.
'Is that her problem?' Mr. Fang thought as he stared hard at her in surprise.
Sniffing, she continued, "I really want to take care of my mother myself, and I also want to be with you. What am I going to do? I don't know how long I will be staying in Paris for..."
Zhang Liling still had in her mind about the date she was supposed to go on with him. She was not yet his official girlfriend and yet, fate was trying to drive them apart.
'Does she like me so much?' Mr. Fang thought with created broeuss he brought his hand behind to pay her back.
"Forget about me, you should go and look after your mother." He said in a quiet tone.
"What?!" Zhang Liling exclaimed in shock. Apparently, she didn't bother to read meaning into his words and just burst out in another series fontesrs without warning.
"Mr. Fang, how can y-you ask m-me to forget you?" She cried out loud.
"You..." Mr. Fang said speechlessly. He had finally confirmed that she had misunderstood him, and hurriedly tried to explain.
"It's not what you think. I mean that your mother is more important, go back to Paris first."
Zhang Liling dabbed her tears with the handkerchief and said in a cracked voice, "But I don't know when I will return. Can you wait for me?"
Without waiting for his response, she continued as she held his arms with a desperate look.
"Mr. Fang, I like you so much. I have seen most of your flaws and I wholly accept them. I don't know if you like me as much I do, but please wait for me. Don't give up on me without giving me a chance."
Mr. Fang released a sigh as his gaze followed the fingers that clung to his exposed arms.
Shifting his gaze back to peer into her eyes, he read a her emotions and thoughts from them.
He could see fear, sincerity, love, and desperateness in them.
Another soft sigh escaped from his lips as he said, "I never said I was going to give you up."
"R-Really? Y-You w-won't give me up?" Zhang Liling stuttered in surprise as she peered intently into his eyes.
She tried to see if she could find any lies from his gaze, but she didn't.
She still had it at the back of her mind that Mr. Fa g was a pro at hiding his emotions, so she didn't know of to believe and trust him or not.
Mr. Fang could sense the need to assure her, but he said to her first as he pried her hold off him.
"Clean your tears first, I'm not going to date you if your state remain this pitiful."
Zhang Liling hurriedly brought the handkerchief to her face and wiped her tears with them.
"Mr. Fang, will you really wait for me?" She probed while still engaging in her actions.
"I will."
Immediately, she felt a sense of belonging as soemthing bloomed in her heart.
For the first time in almost an hour, she felt a sense of relief wash over her, and the joy in her heart.
Feeling touched with his assurance, her eyes turned teary again and she leaned in to embrace him without warning.
"Thank you so much Mr. Fang." She uttered with her trembling lips as she clung unto him tightly, as if afraid he would change his mind.
A soft sigh escaped Fang Bingwen's parted thin lips as he slowly brought his hands to wrap them around her as his hot breath fanned the top of her head which she couldn't feel.
Zhang Liling felt her tensed nerves start to relax as she burrowed herself into his embrace. Fortunately, he didn't push her away hurriedly which she was grateful for.
About 2 minutes later, he had to push her away as he urged, "Your flight is by 10 am, you need to start packing your things."
She reluctantly let go off him before reaching out with with her sleeves to dab the corner of her red eyes as she sniffed.
If not for time, she would have loved to remain in his embrace throughout the night but unfortunately, she couldn't do that.
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