”H-hey…” Liam awkwardly stood up, his knee hitting the table, making Ying Sheng slightly giggle as she saw his clumsiness.

”A-are you alright?” Liam then got his handkerchief from his pocket as he reached out to her face to wipe her tears that had stained her cheeks.

”No… but I’ll do my best to be okay. Not now, but soon,” she answered in all honesty, her hand holding Liam’s hand that was on her face. “I confessed to him.”

”Oh…” There was sadness in his tone, but still, he forced out a smile, not wanting to show his pain in front of Ying Sheng. “I see,” he flatly added.

Ying Sheng then held his hand as she intertwined her fingers with his. A smile that reflected freedom appeared then on her face, as she beamed at Liam, her words comforting his worried heart.

”And I decided to let him go so I could focus on loving myself to pick myself up again.”

”Oh!” Now Liam’s reaction could no longer mask the sudden excitement he had felt hearing her words. “Th-that’s good! I-I mean… self-love, I mean. That’s big!”

Ying Shing laughed out loud as she listened to Liam stammering in his excited voice. She knew that the man tried his best to mask his excitement so that he could look cool for her.

”You’d help me, won’t you?”

”Is that even a question needing an answer? Of course!”

Liam squeezed her hand that was in his as he smiled sweetly at the woman he vowed to make her fall for him.

”I’ll always be there for you. I promise. Even when you don’t need me to.”

With that, the two had left the hotel as Liam felt in his heart a glimmer of hope of making him win over Ying Sheng’s heart.

******************

”Popsicle!” Ying Sheng suddenly exclaimed excitedly in the car making Liam turn to look at her. He followed her gaze and saw her staring at a man selling popsicles.

”Do you want one?” Liam asked with an amused look on his face.

”Yes!” Ying Sheng answered quickly with her eyes swimming with excitement.

”It’s been such a long time since I had one.” Ying Sheng explained with a small pout on her face, making her look like a child.

Liam sighed helplessly and parked the car.

”Okay, wait here. I will park the car and buy us some.”

Ying Sheng beamed when she heard him and nodded.

Liam smiled and opened the door to buy them the popsicles. Few minutes later, he appeared holding two popsicles. Liam gave her one, “Here.”

”Thank you!” Ying Sheng said as she began to devour her popsicle.

A peaceful silence fell between them as they both licked their popsicle with a smile on their face.

Ying Sheng stole a glance at Liam and her eyes met his. She stiffened at being caught but the emotions in Liam’s eyes made her more shocked.

Ying Sheng cleared her throat and looked away.

”So….” She trailed off.

”How are you planning on making me fall in love with you?”

Liam blushed when he heard her question. Honestly he doesn’t even know the answer to that question. He will have to ask Lucas for help.

”Um…I….you have to wait to find out.”

Ying Sheng chuckled when she heard him.

”Hmm..” She mumbled and turned her gaze back on the streets.

”Are you sure you won’t give up on me?” Ying Sheng asked nervously.

”No. Never.” Liam replied instantly.

”Never huh?” Ying Sheng’s lips curved into a slight smile as she gazed outside the window.

”What are you thinking about?” Liam queried as he stared at her beautiful face.

”When you fell in love with me.” Ying Sheng said as she turned to look at him.

”The first time I saw you?” Liam confessed shyly.

”Ever since I saw you, you were stuck in my head and I knew you were the one.” Liam said softly as he gazed into her eyes.

Ying Sheng searched his eyes for confirmation of his words and the emotions there nearly consumed her. She stared at him in a trance as she felt her heart beating.

She has never seen so much emotion in a person’s eyes before. Ying Sheng had not felt so loved, so wanted or needed in her life before. Never.

”Why are you so good to me?” Ying Sheng blurted out.

”Because….I want to see you happy. Seeing you happy does things to my heart. Good things of course.”

Ying Sheng chortled and shook her head. She always sees a different side of Liam every day. At first she thought he was a sweet innocent guy but now she knew he was much more than that.

He was just a shy cute good boy……now he was her strength, her best friend and the light in her dark little world.

Liam noticed Ying Sheng’s gaze on him, making him feel conscious as his brows almost connected, wondering if something was on his face to make her look at him.

”I-is there something wrong? Something on my face,” he asked consciously, making Ying Sheng giggle as she smiled at him, the man worriedly touching his face if something was on it.

”No, nothing… I just wonder what I could have done to make you love me,” she said her thoughts aloud, answering Liam’s question.

”Oh! W-well…”

Liam did not expect what Ying Sheng said. He smiled embarrassingly, but still, he answered her question truthfully, not wanting Ying Sheng to doubt his feelings for her.

”It’s like what the quotation says, I guess.”

”Oh?” Ying Sheng cocked her head to the side in wonder. “What quotation?”

Liam smiled at her as he said the quote aloud, his words traveling through her veins on the way to her heart to pull her heartstrings.

”Meeting you was fate. Being your friend was a choice. But falling in love with you, I have no control over.”