Burning Passion

CHAPTER 187: SAVE FROM EMBARRASSMENT

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Outside the Banquet hall, Nina takes a walk around the pool area. The place became a lounge for the youngsters, who like her got bored in the banquet.

And she is not used to any high society gathering. She often left home, but tonight, her parents begged her to come with them.

The celebration turned out to be a business matter. She got so bored hearing and watching the adults discussing and talking, or asking, 'how is it going with your business?' blah, blah...

Anyway, it makes Nina realize one thing. Two years from now, she has to attend a university to earn her degree. But she cannot decide yet which course she must take, and something she loves and has a passion for it.

However, she has a feeling that it should be a degree that would help to run their business. 

And it seemed she cannot say no to her parents. No one would inherit their business but her. And when she gets to marry in the future, it should be someone she could entrust their family business.

Speaking of someone to marry. She dreamed of him being her husband. But it seemed she was not pretty enough for him to spare a look at her. Nina heaves a long sighed.

She looked around to find the way toward the library. The last time they came for a visit, she hadn't passed to this area. Nina notices a few men standing around, and she believes they were Shang's bodyguards.

She walked toward the guy standing in the right corner of the pool area, but she halted when she recognized Lilian among the group close to the man she plans to ask for a direction. Lilian is Harry and Steven's cousin. She feels the contempt atmosphere, Lilian, giving her every time they cross paths lately. Lilian is in senior year in the academy she attends to.

They were not close, but a stranger in the school. But before summer, Lilian suddenly showed that she hates her. And it left her confused why. And tonight, she has no choice but to walk past Lilian's group. 

"Hi, Nina!" Lilian greeted her.

"Hello, sister Lilian," Nina returned, pushing a timid smile on her lips. 

Lilian's company was scanning Nina from the head down to her white three inches high heel shoes. It could perceive the envy in their eyes. Compared to her silk pink floral cheongsam, they were wearing faded colors, which made Nina standout to most of the girls at the party. She was also wearing a jade and gold bangles both to her wrists. 

She doesn't like jewelry, but everything she wears tonight is a gift from her father. Every time he travels to the other side of China for important business matters, he always brings a presence for his princess.

Being the only child, they spoiled her with everything. But it is not what she dreamed to have, but a happy, complete family. And having everything is only the second reason she offers praises to heaven. 

Nina nods at Lilian's group before she resumed pacing toward the Shang bodyguard. But Lilian halts her. 

"Nina, wait!" 

Nina turned around to face the girl. "Sister Lilian?" 

"I saw something in your hair." 

"In my hair? What is it?" Nina reaches her head and touches her hair. But there is nothing on there, but a beautiful jade and ruby headdress. 

Lilian came forward to Nina and said, "Let me take it for you." Lilian placed her right palm on Nina's left shoulder, while her left arm reached something on Nina's head. 

"Here, it's a bug." Lilian shows Nina the bug on her palm. 

But Nina is not stupid. She already noticed that Lilian was holding something in her hand. The bug is not from her head. Nina guesses that Lilian is up to. 

And she was right. Lilian casually pushed her. 

The crowd gasped and cheered. 

"My god! Is she planning to swim?" 

"Isn't it cold?" 

"What was she thinking?" 

It is what everyone's comments and laughs at Nina. They are mocking at her. Lilian plans to push her in the pool and become a laughingstock tonight. And she succeeded. 

Nina gasps for air. Good thing she knew how to swim. She floated in the pool; she looked at Lilian, she who grins mockingly at her. Lilian played well. 

"Oh, my god, Nina! Are you planning to swim tonight? Don't you have a pool in your house?" 

The crowd laughs. But Steven, who saw what happened, he approached Lilian and confronted his cousin. 

"What are you doing, Lilian?" 

"What? I'm just asking Nina. Why do you sound like you are accusing me, Steven?" Lilian glared at her cousin. It pissed her to foresee that her dear cousin seemed to have a plan to be a hero. And she was correct. Steven ignores her now but turns his attention to Nina, who swims away.

"Nina…" Steven hasn't finished when someone jumps on the pool. 

Nina, who swims toward the other side of the pool; it shocked her when Harry jumped on the pool. 

"Steven!" Harry shouted at her twin brother. "Pool party time!"

Steven tore a wide smile. He kicks his shoes and jumps to the pool. Hanging near the pool area, Garry and Raymond were flirting with a group of girls. The older brothers look at each other.

They run toward the pool and jump while shouting while, "Pool Party!!!" 

Lilian dropped her jaw, watching her cousins playing in the pool. She narrowed her gaped at Nina, who was giggling when the boys splashed water at her. 

"Yeah! Pool Party!" Steven shouted.

The other boys are excited to join and jump in the pool. A few girls also joined, and the pool was filled with teenagers. 

Lilian clenches both of her palm on her side. It upset her that her plan to make Nina as a laughingstock just turned out to be the beautiful princess playing with the princes. Her group left the pool area, and she was sulking for gaining defeat. 

Meanwhile, the adults heard a commotion from the pool area. They went outside to find their children enjoying and swimming in the pool. 

"Pool Party!" Steven and Raymond shouted to their parents. 

Mely slaps her head. "My goodness." 

Jerome furrowed his brows. Tomorrow, he must lecture her sons. And why was Nina also in the pool? Jerome panicked that Li got angry to find their daughter in the pool. He explained to Nelson and the other guests who were major shareholders of their corporation. 

"I'm sorry. It happens, my sons are always invited to a pool party in our neighborhood. It was a common party in the States," Bowing, Jerome explains to the guests. He sighed with relief when no one got mad toward his sons and to him. 

Instead, they commented on how fun it was and how nice to be in youth.