"You will catch a cold. Give me your hand," for someone who was sh.e.l.l shocked a few seconds ago, he now looked remarkably composed.

She gave him an uncertain smile and climbed out, ignoring his outstretched hand. Picking up her towel, she wrapped it around clumsily.

"May I ask why are you playing by yourself with toys meant for little kids? That too in the night," his voice held a hint of laughter.

She made a face at him, "they belong to Hua. I was playing with him earlier. What are you doing here?"

Ignoring her question, he asked her his own instead, "Chung is also here? What is the occasion?"

But as he spoke, he realised his mistake.

"It is your birthday…" his voice trailed off.

Her ears felt disjointed from her other senses. She was so busy taking in the new grooves near his eyes, new frown lines on his forehead that she barely registered what he said.

He abruptly turned and walked away without a word. She didn't know what to make of his sudden departure and started walking slowly towards her room. The next instant, another towel was draped across her shoulders.

"You have wrapped a wet towel around you. Don't you realize that you are s.h.i.+vering?" he admonished her, coming from behind.

She turned around to face him and repeated her question, "what are you doing here, Tang?"

"Mei Zhen's close friends are celebrating their fifth anniversary in this resort. We are here for the weekend," he answered neutrally, his eyes never leaving her face.

"Oh, I see. Enjoy your stay. I...I am going to my room now," she said.

She barely managed to turn a corner out of his view before her legs buckled and she sank onto the carpet in the hotel corridor.

"Who was the mermaid that you were flirting with a minute ago?" someone clapped at Tang's back with a laugh.

Scowling hard at the man whom he had been introduced to him a little while ago through Mei Zhen and whose name he couldn't remember, he replied savagely, "keep your eyes and thoughts to yourself."

"Whoa, someone is acting all possessive about a woman who is clearly not his own wife," the man goaded.

Unable to control his emotions, Tang held the irritating man by his s.h.i.+rt collar, "one should know when to back off lest something regrettable occurs."

Not trusting his own actions, he walked off before the situation escalated.

"It is as if my thoughts conjured her up. Has her husband planned this party for her? No one even bothered to inform me about it, forget invite," he muttered to himself, walking in no particular direction.

Jia Li reached Chung's room finally and knocked, "did any of you mention about our travel plan to Tang?"

Chung took in her pale pallor and replied, "you know us better than that. Why do you ask?"

She lapsed against the wall, "he is here…with his wife. I don't think I am ready to face him yet."

Le took her cold hands in hers and said gently, "you will never be ready. Does that mean you will run away every time? Maybe if you faced the truth head-on, it can help you move ahead in life as well. But if you think it is not possible at this juncture, we can find ourselves another hotel and move out first thing in the morning."

Li Jie came into the room, having received Chung's message, "I am in complete agreement with what Le just said. It is high time you faced your inner demons and quashed them."

"But I had booked this section way in advance. How can you give it away just because they are a bigger group? This is highly unprofessional," Wei argued with the restaurant manager downstairs.

"Sir, I understand your point. I a.s.sure you that the corner we are giving you, has the best view of the sea. It is equally secluded from the main dining area and perfect for a party of six people," cajoled the manager.

"This is a surprise. Fancy seeing you at this place," Mei Zhen addressed a stunned Wei.

Mind whirling, he debated telling her about the people he was with but decided against it. Giving her ba.n.a.l responses, he tried to excuse himself as quickly as possible.

"Why isn't she picking up my call?" frustrated Wei dialled Li Jie's number.

"We know about Tang and Mei Zhen's presence here already," Li Jie explained calmly to Wei who had rushed to Chung's room after the call.

He looked at Jia Li's ashen face and told her, "why don't you go and change into something warm."

She looked up in surprise, just realising that she was still in the now dry bathing suit. Without a word, she walked out of the room.

"I propose we find another hotel. I will put my agent to it right away," Wei spoke the minute Jia Li left the room.