"Here he is!" the simultaneous shouts of the people. A photographer who first had the chance to photograph him inside the room walked backwards down the hallway as the camera clicked nonstop at him. Zhan swayed. He tightened his grip on Zanjin arms, his mother's trusted friend. Zhan felt dizzy as he gazed at the ocean of faces below.
"I-I don't think I can make it to the stairs, Zanjin..." Zhan said slowly. "Of course, you can," Zanjin encourage him. "Don't mind those paparazzi."
It is impossible for Zhan to ignore those media people. They were around him and their cameras are flashing.
He looked back at the room he came from. Somehow, he wanted to stay behind rather than face the people below.
But that is impossible. Sitting in the middle of the bed, a handsome American Jeffrey Moore, forty years old, and a well-known television producer and director. He was bending over and running his hand through his hair. Zhan had no idea if he had something on underneath the white sheet that covered half of his body.
Meng Ziyi was also there, a model like Zhan. And Jeffrey's fiancee. She was crying hysterically while hurling names at him.
Although his mother does not give him the opportunity to socialize with his colleagues except for the day and time of the show, he became friends with Meng Ziyi. Although she was born and raised in America, her mother is a Chinese-American and she knows how to speak Mandarin.
"Xiao Zhan, look this way!" shouted a reporter as the camera flashed. The flash was blinding him. He didn't know what to do. If it wasn't for some security guards blocking, he was sure he would have been mobbed by paparazzi. Zhan wished some miracle would happen. That he would just disappear from that place. But miracles don't happen. He has to face and overcome this and pass by the people below.
Zhan felt like bursting into tears. For the first time in his life, now he feels that he needs his mother. If only Ziyuan was here none of this would have happened. His mother would take care of everything, his brilliant, smart, charming, and relentless mother.
But his mother is currently confined to the Mayo Clinic for another series of tests. She was found out to have terminal illness. And earlier tonight, Zhan didn't even feel like attending this party. He wanted to take care of his mother first but she herself refused.
"I don't want you here, Zhan," Ziyuan said sternly. "What are the nurses doing in this expensive hospital?" "Mommy..."
"Zanjin will take care of you-"
"Mom, I can postpone the show. The management will understand me because you are sick." He didn't want to tell his mother that he didn't like what her friend had been doing since his mother's got sick. That Zanjin had been talking to a lot of people, wanting to find him another contract.
"You will not do such a thing!" she barked. "Go home, Zhan. Get some rest so you can look your best for the fashion show tomorrow night. Zanjin will videotape the show and I'll watch it on TV."
The protest died in his throat. He could see that it was difficult for her to speak at length. However, his mother's voice still has the authority and command despite her condition. And he can't do anything but follow what she says... just like other times in his life where Ziyuan is the one deciding everything for him.
For the past three weeks Zanjin has been doing things that Ziyuan should have. Zanjin had become his temporary manager.
The party that night was held at Jeffrey Moore's mansion where many of his fellow models were invited. They went there after a successful fashion show. And according to Zanjin, one of Gucci's bigwigs was at the party and wanted to talk to him.
