novelraw Chapter 500: Fashionably late
Chapter 500: Fashionably late
The clock showed eight-forty, yet there was no sign of Jia anywhere. The guests began to get restless and ask questions."I wonder what’s taking them so long? It’s already an hour past," a guest whispered to another.
"Are we still waiting for someone?"
"No way. Who would dare to be late at the Yang family’s party?"
Meanwhile, Huojin had been trying Jia’s number since eons now, yet came no response from her. He scratched his chin.
Don’t tell me she got so buried in the paperwork that she lost track of the time?
It was when he messaged Xiyang, just in case he knew anything, that he got the true picture. He read his message, his gaze serious.
Someone is not gonna be happy about this...
He walked back to the group and said, "Well..."
"Did sis answer?" Lihua asked worriedly.
Mingshen stared at him, the same questioning look as everyone else held.
"She got wrapped in a case...Actually, it seems like two cases. One a college girl threatening her boyfriend and the other a child kidnapping," he gave them the gist. "She is currently tracking both the college couple and the little girl with her ’supposed’ father. So well...probably, the cases will hold her for quite a g-good time," he sweated.
"Aish!" Yang Bingqing came trotting by. "My Jia is such a hard worker! There is no time for her to rest at all."
"Okay," Mingshen shrugged. He was restless at first but now visibly relaxed.
"Okay...what?" Huojin asked cautiously.
"We will wait for her to return, what else?"
A collective gasp escaped the guests, exchanging stunned gazes.
"Wait? But the other guy just said she’s too busy with two cases."
"Yeah, God knows how much time it would take for her to sort it out. How long are we supposed to wait?"
"But who are we waiting for anyway? Who is this woman? Why would Yang Mingshen go this far?"
Despite the intense stares and gazes, Mingshen stayed where he was - on the couch. Then he looked up.
"Should I go to help? I am bored here anyway."
The guests - "..."
It’s your own birthday celebration. How could the birthday boy leave his own party?
Yang Bingqing pouted. "You will only bother her work, nothing else. Stay put and play with the twins."
"Jeez, Mom. Your love for me moistens my eyes."
She clapped her hands in delight. "Until Jia returns, how about we all take pictures?"
Shock took over the room yet again.
How is Madam Yang entertaining this delay? It’s just one woman! Could we not begin the party without her?
The atmosphere gradually became stranger with every passing minute. At first, the guests had treated the delay as a minor inconvenience. Now it had become a heated topic of discussion.
The clock ticked towards nine, then nine-fifteen. Groups of guests stood together, exchanging looks.
"Surely they don’t intend to postpone the celebration for one person?"
"Who exactly is this Inspector Song?"
The whispers floated through the room and Mingshen heard every single one, and ignored them. He sat on the couch while Weiyun and Limei happily climbed all over him, decorating him with colorful stickers Yang Bingqing had supplied them with.
"Mishen unicorn now!" Limei declared, giggling.
Mingshen said, expressionless. "Wonderful."
His eyes drifted toward his phone again. Still there were no messages or calls. He thought about the cases - the kind of cases Jia would throw herself into without hesitation. His jaw tightened slightly.
Wei noticed. "Want to check again?"
"No."
"You looked at your phone seven times in thirty seconds."
Mingshen glanced at him. "That’s called boredom."
"Sure."
Before the conversation could continue, one of the businessman’s wives approached.
"Dr. Yang," she smiled diplomatically. "Perhaps we should begin? Your guests have been waiting for quite some time."
The surrounding conversations quieted.
She continued. "Of course, we understand the person you are waiting for is important, but making everyone wait indefinitely seems a little...It’s close to ten now..." Her voice trailed off.
"Then leave."
The room went silent.
She blinked. "...N-No, I don’t mean to offend you."
"If you are tired of waiting, leave," Mingshen’s voice remained calm. "Time is golden. Nobody knows that better than a doctor. A delay of merely a few seconds is enough to take someone’s life away. So respect your time and leave. I don’t recall chaining anyone to the furniture. I never cared about this celebration anyway. Mom forced it down my throat."
"Heyyy!" Yang Bingqing exclaimed with grievance, now playing with the twins.
"Besides, you wouldn’t want me - or any doctor for that matter - to walk out from the middle of your family’s member operation just to attend a party, now would you?"
"Th-That I mean, of course not. You would be in the middle of surgery..."
"She is also in the middle of a case where a little girl is abducted. She is also in the middle of saving a life. Should she disregard that girl and enjoy some damn party of wine and drinks? You expect justice from the cops and miracles from doctors, but you don’t know what it takes to do their jobs, do you?"
She froze.
Nobody laughed, not even a little. The wife swallowed. "I really didn’t mean-"
"You did," his gaze shifted across the room across every guest. "Anyone who wishes to leave is free to do so."
Nobody dared object further after that cold, final response.
Across the room, Yang Bingqing covered her mouth. "Aww. My devil of a son is finally becoming a fine man," she sniffled.
The clock continued ticking. Nine thirty. Nine forty-five. Finally, the hands struck ten.
The celebration remained frozen. The guests no longer complained. Now they simply watched - watched the mighty Dr. Yang who had spent an entire evening waiting for someone.
Then a commotion sounded near the entrance. It was small at first. A few heads turned, then some more. Someone moved inside and suddenly, a familiar voice echoed through the room.
"Sorry! Sorry! I am sorry!"
Mingshen froze. His head snapped toward the entrance and there she was.
Standing beneath the golden lights of the chandeliers, still in her police uniform. Her hair was slightly messy and ruffled up. Dust stained her sleeves. There was a faint scrape near her wrist. Despite looking like she had spent the last several hours chasing criminals through half the city - she was smiling.
The tension that had dominated the evening shattered all at once.
Jia’s gaze darted around the room and guests and wondered what was so wrong.
Oh damn yes, my clothes! I look do ugly and dirty!
Also, why is there no music? This doesn’t look like a party at all.
Nevertheless, she walked straight towards him, ignoring everyone’s intense, piercing gazes.
The crowd unconsciously parted to make way for her. Everyone saw Mingshen rise from the couch and watched him in stunned silence.
For the first time all evening, the birthday boy was finally smiling.