She nodded her head and asked him to wait while she got ready . Standing in front of the mirror, she stared intently at her reflection, as if seeking guidance .

Wei sat down on the comfy chair next to her bed and breathed a quiet sigh of relief . Jia Li's behaviour during the past fortnight had been perplexing . First she had refused to let him travel to London, then she had started to avoid his calls .

He had been worried that something had gone wrong with her and decided to surprise her by landing at her doorstep, this morning . He had breathed a relieved sigh when she had opened the door to him few moments ago, looking normal .

"This has gone on for too long . I had promised myself not to procrastinate but I am doing it again . I need to tell her, want her to know how I feel, how I have been feeling for all these years . Dad is right . Gotta man up and say it to her face," he had pumped himself before flying down to London, the previous day .

Wei had thought hard about how to approach the whole situation . He had landed on Sat.u.r.day and spent the entire evening planning everything before coming to Jia Li's residence on Sunday morning .

Now sitting and waiting for her to emerge from the washroom, he could feel his guts tremble .

"This is embarra.s.sing . I was known as the Casanova of Shanghai, not too long ago in the past . If any of them saw me today, they would laugh at me . Why the h.e.l.l am I so nervous? It's not as if I am telling her about my feelings for the first time . I am simply bringing them out in the open," he told himself .

Jia Li stepped out, dressed in a plain lemon coloured knee length dress and zero make-up . She had braided her hair in a simple plait, which fell well below her shoulders . Wearing mute gold gladiators on her feet, she smiled and told him that she was ready to go .

"You resemble a vibrant b.u.t.tercup," Wei told her, placed his hand behind her back and walked out of the tiny flat .

Jia Li was unusually quiet while heading towards the tube station . They had decided to go to Camden Town, as per Wei's suggestion . The place was slightly far but was famous for its Sunday market and delicious, varied food options . Cheerful road side stalls added to the charm of this quaint little place .

"A Yuan for your thoughts," he joked, referring to the Chinese currency .

She gave him a smile in return and shook her head, "nothing, just a little tired, I guess . "

"Of course, you are . After all, being a Boss lady isn't easy, right? Don't let Earthly Matters ground you into the Earth with the extra work load," he continued with his word play .

He was feeling really nervous and her silence wasn't helping the matters .

She looked at him, the precious man with a warm, generous heart and a beautiful face . She was so grateful to G.o.d for having sent him into her life .

"Uh, why are you looking at me like that? Is there anything stuck on my face?" he asked, self-consciously .

Her intense gaze was unnerving him, more so under the current circ.u.mstances .

"Thank you… thank you for being all that you have, all that you have done for me, all these years," she spoke in a soft voice .

"Uh huh, what prompted the thanks suddenly?" he asked warily .

"Nothing, just counting my blessings and appreciating the good things in my life . Very often we take those people for granted who have done the most for us . They are the ones who keep us going, even in our darkest time," she replied with a tiny smile .

Wei looked at her in concern, "all through these days, there has been something off about you . I thought that I was over imagining it but now I am sure that I wasn't . What is wrong, Jia Li? Tell me and I will beat up whoever it is that has put you in this melancholic mood . "

She placed her hand over his and said, "I am learning how to stand on my own two feet . Don't tempt me to use you as a crutch anymore, please . I am gaining this att.i.tude after a really tough lesson . I don't want to lose it . "

After listening to her words . Wei pondered over the wisdom of his plan, this morning . He was sorely tempted to cancel it . After all, there was no hurry .

No!

He wasn't going to be swayed by the procrastinator inside him, not today . There will always be some issue or the other, holding him back . But he was determined that he wasn't going to shy away from showing his true intensions towards the woman he loved!