The dishonour

It happened in Tang Wei Sheng's second year in senior high school. 

He was in the prime of his teenage, a period when the adolescent hormones commence their magic. And obviously Tang Wei Sheng's good looks and charming personality made him stand out in everyone's eyes. 

 However, Tang Wei Sheng had his eyes on only one person- Li Juan.

There were hundreds of girls in the school, but she was the only girl who could tighten strings of his heart with a faint smile. 

Though she barely uttered a word, the way her big black eyes looked at him almost made Tang Wei Sheng swim in unknown ecstasy every single time they met. 

Tang Wei Sheng believed that whatever he felt towards Li Juan was just an infatuation that is bound to happen among teenagers. However, the day Li Juan visited the Tang mansion for the first time, all his theories and beliefs were proved wrong.

It was the day of the annual board meeting of Tang corporations where the entire family members were supposed to be present at the headquarters, except the children.

Since Tang Wei Lan was left alone, she invited Li Juan over to her home for a company.

She was excited to spend the entire day with her friend, but unfortunately, her piano instructor ruined their plans in the name of her upcoming piano recital.

"Watching you play the piano is the best way to spend my holiday." Li Juan pacified her disappointed friend with sweet words. "And Miss Song is not going to make you play the entire day. So be a good girl and go, practice."

"Hmm. Only if you say so." Tang Wei Lan reluctantly agreed and took Li Juan into her home studio, where she often practices.

Within a few minutes, the entire room got filled with a breathtakingly beautiful melody.

However, Li Juan, who got hit by a stinging wave of pain, couldn't focus on her friend or the song.

When Tang Wei Lan demanded her to come over, Li Juan rushed to the Tang mansion, despite the painful first day of her period. 

Once the pain started getting stronger, she had no other choice but, regret her decision to overlook her condition. 

"Lily, are you alright?" Tang Wei Lan abruptly stopped playing and asked Li Juan, who appeared ghostly pale.

"Yes...it is that time of the month." Li Juan gritted her teeth to curb the pain and continued with a faint smile. "I'm alright. You, go ahead."

"Alright?" Tang Wei Lan stood up and strode next to Li Juan to check her condition.

"You look devasted. Let me ask the maids to prepare some medicines."

Within a few minutes, a maid came with medicines along with ginger tea and a hot bag.

"Lily, drink the tea and rest in my room." Tang Wei Lan suggested when she saw her friend in a terrible state.

"No, no, I don't want to lie down." Li Juan sipped the ginger tea and rejected the idea of lying down. Since she slept late last night, she feared that she might sleep through her precious holiday.

"It's just a period cramp. Lanlan, you act like I am dying."

"This girl!!!!! You should have told me earlier if you are not feeling well. I would have come to your house. " Tang Wei Lan was fuming with anger when she heard Li Juan's words.

"Uffoo..you are worrying too much...I will be alright in a couple of minutes."

"No. It is not going to be alright. Let's go and lie down in my room."

 Tang Wei Lan grabbed Li Juan's arm and stepped outside the studio.

"Young Miss, your teacher is here." A maid notified them.

"Oh no, tell her to wait for a minute. Let me take Lily to my room."

"Lanlan, you go and practice," Li Juan assured her friend that there is no need to worry.

"No way. You can barely stand." Tang Wei Lan refuted back.

"It is because you are holding me." Li Juan argued in the same tone.

"Shoo, you talk a lot, Li Juan. Shut up, and let me take you to my room." Tang Wei Lan pouted and put her hand on Li Juan's mouth to prevent her from arguing.

"Is everything alright, Tang Wei Lan?" Miss Song, Tang Wei Lan's piano teacher asked as she walked into the living room.

"Miss Song!" Tang Wei Lan greeted her instructor with a gentle bow. "Can you wait for a moment? my friend is not well, let me take-"

Before Tang Wei Lan could finish her words, Li Juan stopped her.

"Lanlan, where is your room? I will go myself. Please go and start practice." Li Juan affirmed with a smile that left Tang Wei Lan in absolute confusion.

"Please don't make your teacher wait. I'm alright. It doesn't ache anymore." Li Juan assured her.

Tang Wei Lan contemplated for a minute and opened her mouth to agree with her friend.

"Okay then, my room is upstairs, left to the sunroom. I will come back after the practice. Miss Huo, please take care of Lily." She gave the instructions to the maid as well as to Li Juan before accompanying her teacher to the studio.

As the maid led Li Juan towards the giant and regal looking staircase, the telephone in the other room rang out of blue.

The maid halted her steps and looked at Li Juan in confusion.

"Please attend the call. I will go myself." Li Juan suggested and continued climbing the stairs without anyone's help.

 As she began to search for Tang Wei Lan's room on the second floor for the first time in her life, Li Juan missed her tiny house. 

The staircase led her to a long bifurcated corridor that appeared like a maze connected to numerous rooms.

After roaming here and there for a long time, Li Juan somehow managed to find the sunroom.

Since she strenuously climbed the stairs and roamed around, her abdominal pain has escalated and it almost started to knock her out of senses.

"The next room must be LanLan's." Li Juan opened the room right opposite the sunroom.

The room had a minimalistic decor with natural colour tones, monochromatic artworks and modern furniture. However, it was the fluffy floor mats and plushies in the room, affirmed Li Juan that it was indeed her friend's room and encouraged her to lie on the soft fluffy bed.

The air conditioning in the room was a bit high for Li Juan, who was prone to cold. So as soon as she lied down, she hesitantly covered herself with the thick blanket and snuggled to the pillow to ease her discomfort.

As she lied cooped on the soft mattress, it didn't take much time for Li Juan to fall asleep.

After a while, Tang Wei Sheng, who returned from his basketball practice, walked into the room while checking out his cell phone.

He removed the sweaty T-shirt and went to the bathroom without noticing the person lying on his bed.

As soon as he came out of a quick shower, his nostrils picked up an enticing smell lingering inside the room.

"Huh! Did they change the room freshener?" Tang Wei Sheng mumbled as he dried his hair with a towel and slowly ambled in the direction of his bed.

It was only then he found the tiny teeny body quietly sleeping under his comforter.

"Li Juan?" Tang Wei Sheng couldn't believe his eyes when he saw the familiar figure snuggling to his pillow.

"Am I dreaming?"He climbed into the bed with a pair of surprised eyes and took a closer look at the girl who slept like kitten.

How can someone be this cute?

"Sweetheart." Tang Wei Sheng softly called her and touched her arm.

When his warm palm came in contact with Li Juan's skin, her eyebrows slightly winced, and her body tilted towards the newly found warmth.

 It took a moment for the truth to sink into Tang Wei Sheng consciousness.

"It's real. Li Juan is here. She is in my bed..."

Tang Wei Sheng's almond eyes sparkled like stars when he saw her up close for the first time.

Though he always found Li Juan attractive with her signature honey-coloured skin tone, he never knew that her facial features were so sharp that they complemented her exquisite beauty like no other.

"Was she always this pretty?" Tang Wei Sheng wondered for a second, and the next moment, a random thought flashed in his mind.

"Don't tell me she purposefully makes herself look ugly in school uniform?"

While Tang Wei Sheng's thoughts wandered around, Li Juan moved closer to him and held his arm like a pillow.

When her hot breath brushed over his skin, Tang Wei Sheng was jolted awake from his thoughts and looked at the girl who was snuggling to his arms.

 At that moment, he figured out the pleasant fragrance that engulfed his room was arising from her.

"How can someone smell so good?"He subconsciously took a whiff of her scent that reminded the fragrance of a wildflower that was engraved somewhere in his memory. It felt familiar as well as enchanting at the same time.

As he tried to stay calm, Tang Wei Sheng's eyes involuntarily got hooked on her red lips.

The pair of soft cushiony petals of her lips looked so appealing and kissable.

Even before he could think coherently, his heart started throbbing as if trying to jump out of his rib cage.

All he could see was her plump lips.

Gulping a mouthful of saliva, Tang Wei Sheng tilted his head and closed his eyes as he leaned to taste her juicy lips.

"Mine!!!" A loud voice rang in his head like a warning tone.

Tang Wei Sheng pulled open his eyelids just before his lips touched her.

"What the hell are you doing?" He cursed under his breath and moved away from her.

"No. You cannot do this to someone like Li Juan." He almost snarled and clenched his fists to control the raging desire in him. 

"No. It's wrong." He repeated as he stood up and stormed out of the room.

Soon after that incident, a guilt-ridden Tang Wei Sheng tried to avoid Li Juan in every possible way. However, no matter how hard he tried to avoid her, a part of him yearned for her.

As time went by, his heart silently chased her everywhere, up to a point where he had to admit the fact that he had fallen in love with Li Juan.

Though he dreamt of confessing his love without making a fuss at the school, unfortunately, his confession became the most extraordinary thing that Silver Oak has ever witnessed.

-----------------------

A week later, Silver Oak High school's library. 

"Lily, the drama club is conducting an audition." Tang Wei Lan informed Li Juan, who buried herself on the thick books on the desk. "Let's go and watch it."

"When did they start organising open auditions?" Li Juan inquired in a barely audible voice. 

"It's for the Silverbell fest. So anyone can audition for the roles."

Silverbell fest, the annual interschool fest hosted by Silver Oak High school, where students from different schools participate and showcase their talents.

"This is time they are performing Romeo and Juliet. I don't know why these people are so obsessed with that cringy love story of two stupid teenagers." Tang Wei Lan scrunched her face as she spoke.

"Lanlan, you must be the first person to call a classic work cringey." Li Juan retorted with a flabbergasted look when she heard her friend's words.

"Oh, then I'll take it as an honour." Tang Wei Lan twitched her shoulders and continued. "Drama club is looking for students who can 'Act' as well as speak English. Are you interested?"

"No." Li Juan replied without averting her eyes from the book that she was reading. 

"Why not? I'm damn sure that no one in this school who speaks English any better than you." Tang Wei Lan, a fan of Li Juan's English speaking skills, tried to sign up her friend for the auditions. 

"There is your brother." Li Juan casually replied.

"Among girls, I say." Tang Wei Lan rephrased and leaned closer to Li Juan to persuade her. 

"There are students who are interested in acting and dream of being a celebrity. Let them act."Li Juan made her point even before the other could say anything to contradict. Though she liked plays and musicals, she was never interested in performing, especially in front of the students at Silver Oak.

"At least attend the audition for playback singing," Tang Wei Lan snatched the book from Li Juan and suggested. "If they don't find someone-they might put my name instead. I'm already busy with my piano sessions." She pouted her lips and complained.

"Do you want our school to fail in the competition?" Li Juan sarcastically asked and grabbed the bottom end of the book. "It is better that I will remain seated among the audience and cheer for you."

"But you sing well." Tang Wei Lan let of the book and tried to compel her friend, once again.

"No. Not good enough to sing for a competition." Li Juan smoothly tried to get away from Tang Wei Lan's demands. 

"Fine, don't participate then. But can we at least go there and watch the auditions?" Tang Wei Lan requested in a childish voice. "Pretty please, my darling?" 

Li Juan, who got a weak heart for Tang Wei Lan's cute little tantrums finally, agreed to accompany the latter to the auditions. 

-----------------

"How come none of you can speak a complete sentence in English and act at the same time?"

The teacher in charge of the drama club shared his disappointment loud enough to reach the ears of the girls who were auditioning for the role of the female lead. 

"Having a pretty face is not everything when it comes to acting. There is something called talent. Talent has to be there." Annoyed by the fact that none of the participants is good enough to play the character of Juliet, the teacher was on the verge of a mental breakdown. 

"The club members seem so worried." Li Juan pointed out as soon as she stepped inside the audition hall. 

"Lily, you stay here. Let me go and check what is happening." Tang Wei Lan told and walked towards the organisers, leaving Li Juan in a lonely corner. 

"Why is she here?" A girl from the participant group inquired when she noticed Li Juan in the audition hall.

"Don't tell me she is auditioning for the female lead." Another girl exclaimed loudly, 

"That Country bumpkin, how dare she show up here with that ugly face ?"

"What is wrong if she auditions for the role?" Tang Wei Lan, who heard their resentful words, aggressively retorted. 

"After all, she is more genuine than plastic dolls like you."

"What did you say?" The girl who started the conversation shouted at Tang Wei Lan.

"You didn't hear it? Do you want me to announce it through the microphone?" Tang Wei Lan haughtily replied as if she was not at all bothered by the other.

"How dare you? You may be the young miss of the Tang family. But I will show you who I am." The girl furiously huffed and tried to block Tang Wei Lan's way.

"What are you going to show me? Your makeup-free face? No thanks." Tang Wei Lan let out a sarcastic grin and walked towards Li Juan, leaving the girls fuming with anger.

Being thrashed before everyone, the mean-looking girl stormed her way to the centre.

"Shishi, your sister-in-law is too mean." She complained to a girl who sat among others, like a queen.

It was a well-known rumour among the students that Ye Shishi, the young miss of the Ye family, was one of the top candidates to be the daughter- in-law of the Tang family. Even though it was just a rumour, everyone treated her as Tang Wei Sheng's girl.

"My sister in law?" Ye Shishi, who was scrolling her phone screen, lazily looked up and asked.

"You mean Tang Wei Lan?" The girl next to Ye shishi added in doubt.

"Who else? She called us plastic dolls. She used to be a crack head and-" The girl went on with her rants, but Ye Shishi, who was uninterested in the topic, went back to her business.

"What are you doing, shishi? Why can't you keep that little sis-in-law of yours at her place? She fought with me on behalf of that blacky."

"Blacky is here for the audition!!! Woahhh?" Someone from the group commented. "Is she crazy?"

"Yeah, we said the same thing, and Tang Wei Lan bashed out at us." The mean-looking girl explained.

"First of all, that stupid girl took your class topper title and then Tang Wei Lan. Last day, I saw her checking out Senior Tang. What else she plans to take away from you? 

"Yes. Even I've seen Li Juan chumming around Senior Tang. Why don't you teach that wench her place? She is acting almighty because of Wei Lan." The girls tried to provoke Ye Shishi, who appeared cool-headed at the situation. 

"JingJing, do I look like a pushover to you?" Ye Shishi glared at the girl who started the conversation in the first place.

"I like Tang Wei Sheng, not his sister. If you have a problem with Tang Wei Lan, solve it on your own, don't drag me into your mess. And that Li Juan, I don't give a shit about her."

Ye Shishi's harsh reply left the girls speechless.

Ye Shishi was the topper of their class and the renowned beauty queen of Silver Oak. By the arrival of Li Juan, she got pushed to second place, and on top of that, Tang Wei Lan, whom she tried to befriend only because of their family status, ignored her and chose Li Juan as a friend. It was typical for everyone to think that Ye Shishi had animosity toward Li Juan, who happened to be her contender.

However, Ye Shishi, on the other hand, hated the idea of comparing her with a lowly life like Li Juan.

"Are there anyone left for the role of Juliet?" The teacher in charge's loud announcement came through the microphone.

"Yes, there is one more person- Li Juan." One of the organisers read out the last name on the list.

As soon as the name got announced, it started a commotion among the students.

"Lanlan, what have you done?" Li Juan looked at Tang Wei Lan in incredulous disbelief. She never thought of the possibility of Tang Wei Lan slipping her name into the list of auditionees. "I am not going." She crossed her arms over her chest and huffed. 

"Li Juan, where are you?" the teacher called her name,

"Li Juan is here, sir." Tang Wei Lan called out and pushed Li Juan, who was actually searching for a way out.

" Come forward." The teacher invited her to the stage.

 Since everyone's attention fell on her, Li Juan hesitantly walked to the stage with Tang Wei Lan.

"Are you prepared?" The teacher asked her as soon as she got on the stage.

"Teacher, I am no-" Li Juan paused and tried to find an excuse to get away from this awkward situation.

"You can start whenever you are ready." The teacher gave her a moment to get herself into the character.

Li Juan glanced at Tang Wei Lan, who was beaming at her with confidence.

 "You can do it, Lily!" Tang Wei Lan loudly cheered for her friend. 

"There is no way I can back off now. Let's go for it." Li Juan repeated in her mind and tried to calm herself.

Since many talented girls can perform better than her, Li Juan was not worried about getting selected. She selected a random scene and played without any hesitations as if she was sure about the results.

However, Li Juan's performance turned out exceptionally well enough to impress the entire audience.

"Brilliant! Li Juan will play the role of Juliet." The teacher gave the final validation.

"No." A loud objection echoed in the hall, shifting everyone's heads to the direction of the sound.

 It was from Mo Yan, the one who was chosen to play the role of Romeo. He was already an idol trainee and happened to be one of the heartthrobs of the Silver Oak.

"Teacher, if she plays the female lead, then I won't act." He shared his opinion loud and clear.

The teachers and the rest of the audience looked at him bemused as he continued.

"How can you select someone ugly to play the role of the beautiful Juliet?" Mo Yan asked and gave a loathsome glance at Li Juan, who stood next to Tang Wei Lan.

"Where are your manners, Mo Yan?" The teacher snapped back at an arrogant Mo Yan who blatantly threw shades at Li Juan.

"She is not fit for the role. Please try to understand." Mo Yan argued back.

"I'm the one who is in charge, and I say Li Juan is perfect for the role. Mo Yan, if you want to be a part of the play, you have to listen to me or you can leave. We will find someone else to play Romeo." The teacher gave his final verdict and looked around for any objections.

"let's meet tomorrow at 5 pm for the first rehearsals." 

The news of Li Juan's pairing with Mo Yan spread like a wildfire in the school and created a huge uproar among his fans.

In their opinion, the role of Juliet has to be done by someone pretty and talented, not by Li Juan, who had no fitting qualities to stay beside their idol.

Some of his fans even felt it was a dishonour for Mo Yan to pair him with the hideous looking girl in the entire school.