Clearing his throat loudly, Mr. Liang said, "if your reunion is finally finished, can we get on with the proceedings?"

He was an impatient, unforgiving sort of a man.

Xie Tang broke apart from Cheng Jia Li guiltily while Zheng Li Jie said with a smile, "yes, of course. We are sorry to have caused the delay".

He was covering up for his friends' awkward behaviour.

The three of them got down from the podium and stood on one side.

"She is gorgeous", exclaimed Jia Li to both the men standing next to her.

"And also a sn.o.b! Didn't you notice her lack of reaction to your introductions", hissed Li Jie.

"Here we go again. I know you don't like women altogether but this is Xie Tang's fiancée and you can't judge her or make a.s.sumptions on the basis of nothing. It is a big day for her and I am sure she has thousand other things on her mind", she defended Liang Mei Zhen.

"I like you and last time I checked, you are a woman. As for her, if you want me to not speak the truth just because she is Xie Tang's fiancée, then say so", huffed Li Jie.

Born to a decently rich family and the youngest of three sons, Zheng Li Jie had always relied on his words than muscle to achieve everything in life. Medium height, slim built and fair colouring hid the sharp, sarcastic tongue that he had. He had finally established himself as an editor for a highly coveted Men's fas.h.i.+on magazine. Settled in Beijing, Zheng Li Jie did prefer male company to their fairer counterparts.

Jia Li was one of the rare women whose companions.h.i.+p he enjoyed, not just because they were childhood friends. Jia Li had always been non-judgemental and immensely understanding during the period when Li Jie went through an ident.i.ty crisis. He had ended up sharing more with her than anyone else in his life during his painful growing years.

The bond had been cemented on the various ups and downs that they went through in their lives. They may not have been able to help each other with actions but the silent support had made a lot of difference.

Since the time Jia Li had married and moved to Beijing five years ago, their friends.h.i.+p had grown stronger, more matured.

"Guys, don't you think Xie Tang is looking a little green around the edges, as if he is ready to puke any moment now", said Deng Chung wryly.

He always had been the most observant person out of the group, which is why he had realised Xie Tang's love for Lin Jia Li even before Xie Tang himself could, all those years ago.

"My dearest Deng Chung, have you forgotten your own pre-wedding jitters. Xie Tang may be looking nauseous, but in your case, both Li Jie and I spent your entire engagement cleaning up after your throw-up bouts", shuddered Jia Li dramatically.

Deng Chung turned to look at his friend. Barely reaching his shoulders, she looked resplendent in an s.h.i.+mmering green evening dress. The auburn hair was set beautifully in a casual bun and her face needed no artificial enhancement with those bewitching eyes and flawless complexion. She had a distinct mole on her upper lip and it had been a source of fantasy for most of the boys in their high school.

He smiled fondly at the memory, "well it couldn't be helped. If you were marrying Deng Le, you also would have been nervous".

His wife of two years was a teacher and a wonderful person but believed in using her disciplinary skills at home as well as school. Deng Chung was not only in awe of her but also a little scared.