Never say never

" I can't take this anymore. I'm calling him. He can't be the cause of me going to bed with an empty stomach, never, not possible," he said, bringing out his phone from his pocket. Just then, someone called out.

"Brother! you're back, we've been waiting for you," the young lady voiced out.

"Finally," Xander said under his breath waiting in anticipation for his brother to sit down so that he can start devouring the food.

"So what's the important work you had to attend to," Lin Baozhai asked Xavier when he sat down. "Does it involve my future daughter-in-law," she asked in a teasing manner, and the other two choked on their food. The young lady whose name was Qin Zhan widened her eyes in shock.

"D-daughter-in-law, brother Muchen?!" Qin Zhan asked her brother in surprise as she turned to face her other brother who was close to licking the plate clean. "Brother Yuhan, what's happening?"

"Oh, Xiao Zhan, so much has happened today, I can't say," he said, already reaching out for a dumpling. "You'll find out sooner or later, right now I'm busy," he said as he started eating the dumpling.

"Mom you have to quit thinking about that. Your first daughter-in-law is never coming from me and will never," Xavier said and those words played in his head again, 'Let's get married... seven days,' he shook his head slightly when he remembered those words.

"Never say never, brother," Qin Zhan said.

"Yes, brother, you'll never know," Xander chimed in.

Xavier massages his temple in frustration and started eating nonchalantly.

"Brother, you're eating as if you're not hungry given the fact that we didn't get the chance to eat at the hotel because of the incidence."

"Incidence? what happened?" Lin Baozhai asked, turning to face Xavier. "Does it have to do with my future DIL?" she asked, she had already abbreviated the word.

"I'm wondering, what's so special about this mysterious lady that mom is head over heels for even when she hasn't met her yet," Qin Zhan asked she was holding her chopsticks of fried rice ready to put it in her mouth.

"That's because she's special and unique. She's the one and only President and CEO of Li Corporation, Ivy Li," Xander replied.

Xavier shot his brother a hard, devilish glare, Xander gulped and he mouthed a 'sorry'. He was so scared, the aura alone... he wished the ground could open up and swallow him.

The other two widened their eyes and their mouths were left hanging. They both looked like statues.

"Oh my..." they both said

"Jeez... brother such a huge golden fish you've found," Qin Zhan spoke after a while.

"V... oh my," Lin Baozhai exclaimed and her hand quickly flew to her mouth. "No wonder I felt a strange feeling that this girl is no ordinary person. OMG!" she gasped, cupping her face. "When you two get married, I'll have a grandchild and he or she will have black hair and her green Emerald eyes. Her eyes are so beautiful..."

" I think it's time to go to bed," Xavier looking at his watch. "It's past 9. Besides I have work tomorrow."

"Tomorrow is Sunday brother, what are you thinking? there's no work tomorrow," Qin Zhan looked at him with confusion written all over her face.

"I still have some work to attend to," he said, standing up and going upstairs to his room.

He entered his room and the words kept playing over and over in his head again. 'Let's get married... you need my help... seven days... future DIL... never coming from me... never say never, brother.' As those words kept playing in his head, he ran his fingers through his hair. He approached the bed and the figure of the lady suddenly popped up in his head.

He gently laid on the bed and he got a whiff of her scent. It seemed natural, she didn't use any perfume, and it smelled like vanilla. He subconsciously inhaled her scent and when he realized what he did, he quickly shook his head. 'No, you can't think of this woman. She's crazy, she didn't know what she was saying, she'll come back to me and apologize for her unruly behavior, but...'

He shook his head again and closed his eyes in hopes to fall asleep but those words kept playing in his head like a song. After what seemed like a long while he finally drifted off to sleep.

***

"Where's your father," Lin Baozhai asked.

"Probably in some other country looking for an innocent life to take," Qin Zhan answered so casually while her mom fumed in anger.

"That bastard," she said through gritted teeth. Who would have thought that this cheerful woman had this side of her?

"..."

The other two just gave each other a knowing look because they knew what was going to happen next.

Lin Baozhai suddenly stood up and headed to the bar. They couldn't do anything because it won't change a thing, at least they were at home not some other place.

She was standing at the bar now and reached out for a bottle of champagne and a glass. She went back. She went back to the dining room and handed the bottle over to Xander giving him a head signal to open it for her.

"..."

When she saw that he wasn't going to open it, she suddenly snatched it from him and opened it, and a loud 'pop' resounded in the room.

She poured a certain amount into the glass and gulped everything in one go. After a few glasses, she was drunk.

"Ha, life is... funny, isn't it?" she asked looking up at the glass as if she was directing her question to it instead of the other two. "Usually, people... take champagne to celebrate but... I'm using it to grief," she laughed a bitter laugh and then directed her gaze toward them.

"I'm half American... and half Chinese. My English name... is Farrah and my Chinese name, ... Baozhai" she said as she chuckled lightly. They didn't know where she was going with this and why she was saying this.

"I gave each of you an... English name. Muchen... Xavier, Yuhan... Xander, Xiao Zhan...Ava," she hiccuped a few times before she continued. "it's my fault, I... I'm responsible for your condition my dear children. I'm sorry," she had already taken four glasses and was about to take another one when Xander stopped her and took the bottle away from her.

"Mom stop, you've had enough for today and you're certainly not responsible for any condition of ours"

"No! I need some more... give it to me... just... one more, please," she pleaded.

"Mom no," Qin Zhan stood up to support her mom when she was about to fall. She fell unconscious after struggling for a while.

"I'll take her up to her room," Xander said and carried her while Qin Zhan nodded in agreement.

He was heading towards the stairs then paused in his tracks and turned, " And also go to bed it's getting late,"

"Mm," she replied and he went up with his mom in his arms, Qin Zhan followed them shortly.