by Diana Ma
“If you’re done dissecting my clothes, hair, and voice,” I say tartly, “I’ll be going now.”
“Wait!” he calls out. “If you’re not Alyssa, then who the hell are you?” His expression is completely baffled. “I could swear you look just like her.”
I don’t bother to answer, but because I, unlike this guy, have manners, I add, “Thanks for getting me out of there” before spinning on my heel and stalking away. Unfortunately, I only get about two steps before I realize I have no idea where I am. There are willow trees and greenery everywhere, but no discernable landmarks other than the Forbidden City, and I’m not about to go back there. No need to panic. All I have to do is find the moat and follow it back to where I got dropped off. Then I can call a studio car, crawl into bed, and pretend this day never happened.
Mr. Cute-guy-in-a-suit strolls up to me. “Lost?”
“No.” Yes, dammit. Where the hell is the moat?! How could I have lost a frigging moat?!
He grins like he doesn’t believe me, and then he has the audacity to hold out his hand to me. “I’m Eric Liu.”
“Gemma Huang.” I ignore his proffered hand. So much for my manners, but I don’t care. This guy rubs me the wrong way.
“And Gemma Huang is . . . ?” He trails off invitingly. Oh, so now he’s being nice because he’s curious about who I am? Well, he can just go ahead and wonder.
When I don’t answer, he asks, “What’s on the agenda for the next place to start a riot? The Great Wall?” His mouth quirks up.
Adjusting my glasses firmly over the bridge of my nose, I start walking in a random direction, hoping this will lead me back to the park entrance. “Where I’m going is not your business. And I can handle myself.”
“Right.” He follows me. “Maybe I should stay close in case you do start a riot.”
I ignore him.
“Come on. Just tell me where you’re going so I can point you in the right direction.” He adds reluctantly, “Or I can take you to where you’re going. My car’s nearby.”
“Ha.” I stop and jab a finger at his chest. Which, admittedly, feels pretty solidly muscled for a guy in a suit. To cover the flush rising in my face, I say, “I’m not stupid enough to get into a car with you. For all I know, you’re planning to kidnap me for ransom!”
Eric throws up his hands in mock surrender. “Not a kidnapper, I swear!” His smile is crooked, and his teeth aren’t perfectly straight, so no one’s going to cast him in a toothpaste commercial anytime soon. But when he smiles, he looks a bit like my dream boyfriend—Simu Liu’s Jung in Kim’s Convenience. Simu (in my head, we’re obviously on a first-name basis) plays a Korean guy on the show, but in real life, he’s Chinese like me. And like this annoying but cute Eric Liu.
“Yeah, well, that’s exactly what a kidnapper would say.” I don’t care that this guy happens to have an adorable crooked smile—I’m not about to get into a car with a complete stranger.
“Listen, when I thought you were Alyssa . . . I might’ve been a little rude.”
“A little rude?” My steps slow. “You accused me of starting a riot on purpose and wouldn’t even listen when I told you that I’m not your Alyssa!”
Eric’s eyes hood over. “She’s not my Alyssa!”
“So, you two don’t have a history together?” If he were a jealous ex-boyfriend, it might explain why he was being so rude. Though it would still make him a jerk.
“History?” His forehead wrinkles. His English is perfect, but it’s clear he doesn’t get my meaning.
“Like a romantic history,” I clarify.
“No! Absolutely not.” He actually sounds revolted by the idea. Which doesn’t do a lot for my ego, considering how alike Alyssa and I look.
Now my curiosity is piqued. “Then what is your history with her?”
“Unless you want to walk right into Tiananmen Square,” he comments, “you might want to turn around.”
“Tiananmen Square is where I’m going next.” Refusing to get sidetracked, I say, “You didn’t answer my question. What’s your deal with Alyssa?”
“We go way back,” he admits with a grimace. “Every few months, the tabloid sites try to spin the angle of a forbidden romance because our families don’t get along, but we’ve never actually been involved. In fact, it’s safe to say that Alyssa dislikes me as much as I dislike her.”
This hint of gossip about my cousin is way too juicy to ignore. “If that’s true, then why did you go to the trouble of rescuing her from a mob?”
“I didn’t. I was rescuing you, remember?”
I flush. “You know what I mean, and I didn’t need rescuing. I would’ve managed just fine even if you hadn’t decided to manhandle me out of there.” No need for him to know about my admittedly shaky sense of direction. Well, he’s probably figured that out by now.
“I happened to be nearby.”
“Right.” My tone is skeptical. “You just happened to be sightseeing on a Saturday in a suit.” Eric can’t be much older than me, but the tailored suit, shaved face, and short hair screams corporate guy who works all the time, even on weekends. So different from Ken’s sexy scruffiness—which makes Ken totally my type. Unlike clean-cut Eric, who probably spends his days looking for tax loopholes or something.
“I had a lunch meeting nearby,” he explains, “with a scientist whose work on sustainable energy has me pretty excited about its application to the fashion industry.”
“Fashion industry?” That would explain his sleek, perfectly fitted suit. More doubtfully, I ask, “Sustainable energy in fashion?”
Eric smiles. “If you think about how cotton, silk, and other fibers get produced and how garments are transported, you’ll see why the fashion industry needs to reduce its carbon footprint.”
OK, maybe he doesn’t spend his days looking for tax loopholes. “That still doesn’t explain what you were doing in the Forbidden City.”
“The scientist I was having lunch with follows Alyssa on Weibo, and he told me that Alyssa had been spotted in the Forbidden City. I . . . uh, had something I needed to talk to her about.” His strides lengthen.
“Something to do with your family feud?” I ask, keeping pace with him. My irritation fades as my curiosity grows. “Come on, you can’t blame me for wanting to know more about Alyssa! This is at least the third time I’ve been mistaken for her.”
“You can read about the feud on gossip sites.”
My face goes hot. “I can’t read Chinese.” And there are limits to translation programs. Who would have thought I’d regret dropping out of Saturday Chinese school?
Eric sighs and stops walking. “Look, it’s going to sound silly. My grandmother snubbed Alyssa’s grandmother by not inviting her to some society charity event, and in retaliation, Alyssa’s mother didn’t invite my grandmother to some other charity event.” He runs a hand through his short, bristly hair. “My grandmother and Alyssa’s mother have been at it ever since.”
He’s right—that does sound silly. “So,” I say, trying to wrap my head around this, “your grandmother is fighting with Alyssa’s mother over who gets invited to . . . charity functions?” I almost say that it doesn’t seem very charitable, but I stop in time. He does see the irony, doesn’t he?
“There’s more to it.” He pauses. “It was only in the last two decades that my father made his fortune and improved our family’s social standing. Nai Nai, my grandmother, was finally admitted into the same circles as Alyssa’s family. Maybe she shouldn’t have snubbed Alyssa’s family, but Nai Nai had her reasons.” A muscle twitches in his jaw. “After all, Alyssa’s family was responsible for—” He bites the words off.
Ah ha! I knew there was more than just snubs over charity events between the two families. “Responsible for what?” I prompt.
“Nothing.” He starts walking again.
I start walking too. Obviously, it’s not nothing. But I’m willing to let it go as long as I can get some answers about my cousin. “So, are you goi
ng to tell me at least why you wanted to talk to Alyssa so badly that you rushed from a lunch meeting when you heard she was spotted in the Forbidden City?”
“I guess I owe you some explanation.”
“You do,” I agree.
“I wanted to talk to Alyssa about my little sister, Mimi.” He glances at me as if he’s gauging my reaction.
“Go on.” I’m not about to let him stop when he’s finally opening up about Alyssa.
Eric blows out his breath. “Mimi used to think that Alyssa and her crowd were pretty shallow—just like I do—but last year, her attitude changed. She started talking about how we’ve misjudged Alyssa. I thought it was strange, but I was away at college in the U.S., so I didn’t know what was really going on.” College in the United States—that’s why his English is so good. “But when I got back from college a few weeks ago, I found out that Mimi’s been partying with Alyssa for the past year like the feud between our families never existed. Even without the feud, I’d still be worried about Mimi hanging out with a thrill seeker like Alyssa. Mimi isn’t exactly naive, but she’s only nineteen.”
I almost choke on that. “Only nineteen?” The way Eric was talking about his little sister, I thought she was like fifteen or sixteen and way younger than Alyssa—who, according to her Instagram, just turned nineteen as well. “I’m only eighteen! And if you just graduated from college, you must be about twenty-two. That’s not much older.”
“Twenty-one,” he says. “I graduated from high school early.”
“OK, then. You’re just two years older than your sister and telling her that you don’t approve of her friends. Got it.”
“It’s not just that,” he protests. “Mimi has a promising future ahead of her, and Alyssa could ruin that. Mimi’s young, but she’s already starting a career as a fashion designer. A year ago, she had a chance to show her debut line at a fashion show here in Beijing. Alyssa was there. And she bought Mimi’s entire collection. All of a sudden, Mimi’s career took off.” He doesn’t sound happy about his sister’s success. “Alyssa’s a fashion influencer, and whatever she wears gets noticed. So, Mimi got noticed.”
“So, that’s a bad thing because . . . why exactly?”
“Because people like Alyssa don’t have friends—they only keep around people they can use. Alyssa could easily exploit Mimi’s talent, build up her career, and then pull the rug out from under her feet.” He sounds agitated. “If that happened, it would completely destroy my sister’s confidence.”
My heart turns over as I remember how it felt when I realized that I got the Butterfly job because of my resemblance to Alyssa. How much worse would it be for Mimi to think that her success was because of a nasty prank by her so-called friend? “OK, that would suck,” I concede, “if that’s what Alyssa is up to. But don’t you think Mimi would know if that’s what Alyssa plans to do?”
“The Mimi I knew would know better than to trust Alyssa Chua, but Mimi is so different these days.” Eric is breathing hard, and I don’t think it’s from physical exertion, even though he’s walking fast. “It’s like Mimi thinks she needs Alyssa’s help to succeed as a designer. And the worst thing is that she’s lying to my parents and grandmother about it! They don’t know she’s become friends with Alyssa.”
Guilt twinges in me. Mimi’s not the only one lying to her parents. “Maybe Mimi doesn’t think your family would understand.” I think about my hotel upgrade. Bribe or gift? I still don’t know, but there’s a chance that Alyssa’s motivations were sincere. “And maybe Alyssa bought Mimi’s clothing line because she wanted to make up for whatever bad blood is between your families.”
“No, that’s not it.” Eric’s eyes are blazing and hard. “And even if that’s what Alyssa intended, it’s too late to fix what’s between our families.” Yeah, there’s definitely more going on than Eric’s telling me. “The reason I wanted to see Alyssa,” he says coldly, “is to warn her to stay away from my sister.”
To my horror, I burst into laughter. I can’t help it. Not because it’s funny, but because it’s such a bizarre twist. “I’m sorry,” I gasp, coming to a stop. “It’s just that Alyssa came to see me. To warn me to stay away from her family!”
He stares at me in surprise and also stops walking. “Why would Alyssa want to keep you away from her family?”
“I’m Alyssa’s long-lost cousin.”
Eric pales, horror etched on his face.
My heart plummets. Oh right. Being related to Alyssa automatically makes me an enemy in Eric’s eyes. “I never even knew Alyssa or her family existed until two days ago!” The alarm in his face recedes a bit, and I breathe easier. Why do I even care what Eric thinks of me? “And it’s not like Alyssa laid out the welcome mat.” A pang of conscience stings me as I think of the hotel upgrade. “She implied that her grandmother would die from shock if she found out about me.”
“From what my grandmother has said, Sung Mei Tian isn’t the type to die from shock.” Eric eyes me speculatively. “So, you’re Alyssa’s cousin, huh?” It looks like he’s recovered from the surprise of finding out I’m related to Alyssa.
I decide that I might as well lay out the whole truth. “My mom was cut off because of some scandal, so she’s never mentioned her family in Beijing to me. Apparently, my mother is Alyssa’s mother’s twin sister.” I have to ask. “Do you know what happened with my mother?”
“No,” he admits. “I never even knew that Alyssa’s mother had a twin sister.” Then understanding dawns in his eyes. “No wonder Alyssa’s scared! But she’s not scared for her grandmother. It’s her own interests that she’s trying to protect. Alyssa stands to inherit an obscene fortune from her grandparents, and Alyssa—maybe her mother too—is afraid you’re here to collect your share.”
“That doesn’t make sense,” I protest. “Alyssa didn’t seem like she was exactly hurting for money.”
“You don’t know how the super rich think. No matter how much they have—they always want more.” His mouth twists. “And your grandparents’ money is the kind most people can’t even imagine. Trust me—Alyssa will do anything to keep that inheritance to herself.”
That would explain Alyssa’s efforts to soften me up with a hotel upgrade and expensive champagne. But that doesn’t quite ring true to me. As an actress, I’m pretty good at reading people, and Alyssa really did seem afraid for her grandmother. “I need a moment.” I sit down on a nearby park bench, trying to wrap my head around what I’ve just learned.
An inheritance most people can’t imagine. Alyssa and my aunt trying to keep me from that inheritance. Oh, and a mysterious family feud involving one Eric Liu—let’s not forget that. Whatever my mom’s reasons are for keeping me out of Beijing—it’s definitely not the poor air quality.
Eric sits down next to me. “You know, if you want that inheritance, I can help you.”
“Because it would stick it to the family that your family hates?” I ask wryly. “Yeah—as much as I’d love to be a pawn in your feud—no thanks.”
He nods like he knew I’d refuse. “How about this, then? Anyone who gets under Alyssa’s skin is someone I want on my side. And I might be able to help you get the answers you want.”
“How do you know what I want?”
“You could have walked away anytime, but here you still are, asking me questions.” He gives me a sly glance. “I can’t imagine it’s because of my charming personality, so it must be that you want answers about your family.”
I grimace. Guilty as charged. “It’s definitely not your charming personality. If you remember, you insulted me as soon as we met.”
“To be fair, I thought you were Alyssa.” He sounds totally unrepentant.
I sigh. “You know, in America I’m mistaken for other Asian women all the time. I just thought that I’d avoid that in China of all places!”
“Did the women you were mistaken for look like you?” he asks curiously.
“Not in the slightest.”
“Good. I�
��d hate to think there were more Alyssa clones around.”
“Alyssa clone?” My voice goes dry. “I happen to have a name and an identity of my own.”
“I’m sorry,” Eric says. “I’m sorry, Gemma.” He smiles. “See. I get that you’re your own person. Totally different from . . . um . . . what’s her name again?” He cocks his head to one side and squints as if he’s trying hard to remember.
My irritation fades, and despite myself, I start to laugh. “OK, I forgive you. Just this once.” Smug, know-it-all Eric is easily resistible. But this funny, charming Eric? That’s the kind of irresistible that could get me into trouble. The problem is, I’ve never been one to shy away from trouble. “So,” I say, “are you proposing an alliance across enemy lines?”
“Something like that.” His imperfect smile spreads over his face.
My breath snags in my throat, and I tell myself sternly, You. Have. A. Boyfriend. Then a sly voice whispers, Yeah, but Ken’s not here. And you’re both allowed to see other people, remember? But even if Ken weren’t in the equation, there are more than enough reasons to run as fast as I can from Eric Liu.
Slowly, I get to my feet. “Let’s do it.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Tiananmen Square isn’t what I expected. Of course, the square isn’t crowded with protesters. But I just didn’t expect it to seem so ordinary—especially since the thirtieth anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre was just two months ago. Today, everyone seems to be on their way to somewhere else, most of them barely glancing at the monuments all around them—not even the looming Gate of Heavenly Peace that Tiananmen Square is named for—a huge structure of red pillars, a gold roof, and hundreds of broad stone stairs. But grand as the Gate of Heavenly Peace is, even it doesn’t distract me from thinking about what happened here thirty years ago. I expected Tiananmen Square to be a place weighted with history and revolution, maybe with bloodstains still on the ground. Instead, it’s just a big square paved with gray stone. No blood in sight.
“Do you want me to take a picture of you?” Eric asks, having walked me here after we exchanged contact information. He doesn’t seem to be in a hurry to leave.