A Billion Dollar Exchange

Liling could hear some shuffling and then the light under the door dimmed a bit, showing that someone had sat down, at that moment she knew she had no choice but to open the door.

''Are you alone?''

She asked; her right ear on the door to know if there were other people there.

''I'm alone '' Liling felt her heart sink, as though her hopes were smashed; she had actually wanted him to be there.

Slowly, she unlocked the door and Xin Yong stood up pushing it open, she walked into the room, her hands at akimbo.

Liling locked the door and turned to look at her friend, who was still staring at her and not speaking, as though shocked at her present state.

''I just drank a little, '' Liling said, as she noticed that the room was so messy.

Her statement made Xin Yong look towards the floor and she scanned the floor with her eyes, ''Twelve bottles is little. I see. ''

''It wasn't at a time. '' She walked to the bottles and tried picking them up, but her strength failed her,  so instead she sighed and walked towards the bed and sat down.

''What happened? ''

She didn't need to go into details, she was sure that Liling knew what she was talking about.

There was a brief stillness, then a drop of tear fell from Liling's eye, then another before it became a downpour. Xin Yong walked to the bed and sat down, she waited for her to finish crying, not saying a word.

''they have my father. ''

At the mention of father, Xin Yong's initial anger melted away, her brows arched immediately.

''Who? Who has your father? Wait… your father who chased you away you mean or is there another I don't know about? ''

Xin Yong inched closer to understand her explanation better;

''Yan Ran , she has him. I know she doesn't have so much money as to do all those stuff, so I'm sure she teamed up with Da Xia. They threatened me to leave him else they would kill my father; I didn't know what to do. My original plan was to obey them, then come back and tell Liu Wei, I feared that Liu Wei would go after them when they had him in their custody and he may die in the process, although he chased me away from his home, I couldn't bear to let him die. But when I left the country, thinking that they would let him go, they didn't go according to plan…

''So you mean they still have your father? ''

Liling nodded, tears pouring from her eyes.

''You're so funny. So this is what made you leave your husband for another country, all for some bunch of crazy women? Even though you were afraid, you should have told someone, at least, you should have told me! Now the media is blown up with some crazy ass news and you are going for a gala tonight with no obvious date, thus giving the reporters what to prey on the more. ''

As Xin Yong spoke, more tears flowed from Liling's eyes, at the point of making that decision, everything seemed right in her eyes, she was so sure that her plan would work, now it seemed that she had been foolish all along.

''Have you spoken with him ever since? ''

She shook her head; Xin Yong sighed.

'You got Liu Wei so worried; he's always calling and asking if there is any news from you; he says you told him not to worry and trust him, but here you are in the city yet you haven't contacted him, so much for trusting you, huh? ''

''What do I do? They threatened to hurt him. I was so helpless. ''

''You could have at least told someone, we could have thought of something. Two heads are better than one. Now what are you going to do? It's been over a month and although he trusts you, you acted so foolishly, besides that man abandoned you when you needed him the most, you can't sacrifice your happiness for him!''

''Xin Yong! He's a human being and he was my father for years, I can't abandon him like that…''

''Now, what are we going to do? ''

Xin Yong asked and the room grew quiet, their minds raced through different thoughts.

How would they find them, get out her father alive and teach those bitches a lesson?

''You just have to call him, its' the only way. ''

After a few minutes of thought, Xin Yong spoke;

''I'm sure he has a way; Liu Wei always has a way. ''

''What will I tell him? ''

''He's your husband, he loves you more than you think, he just needs you to call him and tell him what is wrong. ''

Liling shook her head; ''I don't want to speak to him on phone, can you get him to come to the gala?''

''Sure! Now this has been settled, it's past five and your hair is a mess! I'm sure you've not taken your bath?''

Liling forced a laugh; she stood up and walked to the bathroom, ''give me a minute. ''

When she was in the bathroom, her thoughts raced back to Liu Wei and the woman she saw him with at the hotel, she had the urge to ask Xin Yong about her, but after several thoughts, she decided against it.

Some things were better left unsaid.

Xin Yong helped Liling dress up for the gala, she wasn't good at makeup, so they hired the services of the hotel makeup artist; by the time she was set, she looked so amazing.

''By the time Liu Wei sees this look, he would forget that you left him; he would just do anything you say. ''

She teased and Liling chuckled;

''Do you think so? ''

 ''Absolutely; let me call to know if he has an appointment tonight. ''

 'Wait! ''

Liling stopped him; she figured things might be awkward if they met at the gala with eyes staring at them and obviously, those two bitches who would be on the lookout.

'I'll meet him after the gala, I don't want to make a ruckus. ''