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“You did well,” Mushu says.
I glance at her. “Yeah? You think they’ll like it?”
“Objectively, those cocktails are delicious, and I don’t even like whiskey. Everyone is going to love them, and if the Lis can’t get their heads out of their butts long enough to see it, then that’s not on you.”
I shake my head, snorting. “Mushu, what would I do without you?”
“Nothing good.”
“Agreed.”
We spend the next half hour chatting on the chaise longue and listening to the growing noise of the crowd outside. Then the sounds of hundreds of people chatting and laughing turns low and is replaced by someone speaking into a mic.
“I think it’s safe to go inside now,” I say.
We leave the bathroom and slip back into the ballroom, where we find our assigned seats. Brooke and Alicia have kindly put us two tables away from the Wutai Gold table. Far enough away not to be spotted, but close enough for me to be able to watch them.
I recognize Shang before my mind catches up, like my entire being is poised to spot him. I know it’s him before I even see his face, from the now-familiar figure of him, the way he sits, the shape of his head, and the broadness of his shoulders. He’s wearing a tux, and damn it if he doesn’t look good.
I swallow and pick up my water glass, willing my heart rate to slow down. I hope he doesn’t see me. Not yet. But I also will him to see me. I want to see the look on Shang’s face when he takes me in wearing this dress. I want to know if I’ll still have an effect on him the way he does on me.
Alicia is up on the stage, thanking everyone for coming.
“Tonight, we are excited to celebrate the most dynamic, the most exciting, the most influential women entrepreneurs,” she says, her voice loud and clear over the speakers. Everyone cheers and claps.
Well, almost everyone. I can see that the Li uncles are openly confused, looking around while frowning. Uncle Hong leans over and says something to Auntie Chuang, who for her part looks like she’s enjoying herself. James looks bored as he swipes at his phone with one hand, his other arm slung over the back of his chair. Even the way he sits is somehow douchey. How does he do that? Sit in a douchey way? Does he try hard to be douchey, or does it come naturally?
“Judging by the sneer on your face, you’re looking at James,” Mushu says.
I startle and uncurl my upper lip, turning my attention back to Alicia.
“The women we are honoring tonight have not only excelled in male-dominated industries but also made the world a little better for other women,” Alicia says. “The success of their businesses will pave the way for future generations so that hopefully by the time our children enter the workforce, they won’t have to deal with as much patriarchal bullshit as we did, huh?” She winks at the audience, who clap and hoot.
The Li family is now looking markedly uncomfortable. Uncle Hong is looking around warily, like he’s expecting something to come out at any time to ambush him. I suppose that, technically, this is a sort of ambush.
“Before we start giving out the awards, I’d like to take a moment to thank our sponsors. Tonight was made possible thanks to the following companies: Pigeon and Heart, Small Galaxy Travel…” As Alicia reads out the list of sponsors, everyone cheers for them. “And last but not least, Wutai Gold, who have kindly donated the fine whiskey, which I trust we are all enjoying?” More hooting, though there is also a confused murmur scattered around the ballroom, presumably from people who are familiar with Wutai Gold’s alpha male ad campaigns.
“And now, for our first award: Most Promising Brand of the Year goes to Rabbit Habit!” Alicia announces to an enthusiastic round of applause. “Who doesn’t love their ethical, cruelty-free products.…”
As Alicia continues talking, some of the tension leaves my shoulders. I watch the CEO of Rabbit Habit climb onstage to accept her trophy. For a while, I lose myself in the moment, savoring this night, this event that celebrates women who have worked their asses off to break through the glass ceiling. I clap hard when the CEO of Rabbit Habit finishes her acceptance speech, cheering along with everyone else in the audience. More awards are given out, and each time, I applaud vigorously, grateful to be present here.
When all the awards have been given out, the waiters glide out with appetizers. I get up from the table and move away from the side of the ballroom where the Lis are seated. Instead, I visit other tables, talking to many guests and asking if I could record a short video of them. Everyone here is kind and supportive and hyped up, and before long, I have enough footage. I go back to my table and open my video editing software. With Mushu’s help, we come up with a one-minute-long video and upload it to every social media platform we can think of. Armed with her phone, Mushu begins the work of sharing it, tagging every influencer she knows, which is a lot of influencers.
I watch the view count go up, slowly at first, steadily, then blowing up rapidly, growing exponentially, and I lick my dry lips, unable to believe that it’s working so well. By the time the meal is over and people stand up to move onto the dance floor, the view count is at over two hundred thousand, and I am ready to face the Lis.
CHAPTER TWENTY
It is Shang who spots me first. He’s standing at the bar, holding a glass of Wutai Gold punch and frowning at it thoughtfully as he sips, when he glances up and sees me. He does a double take, his mouth slowly opening as his eyes widen, taking me in. His gaze is surprised and admiring and intense all at the same time, and he places his glass down at the bar without even looking at it before walking toward me.
“Was this your doing?” Shang says.
I nod, searching his face for clues as to how he feels about all of this. Is he angry? Disappointed? Betrayed? “We’d mentioned it when we were brainstorming for ideas on how to reach a new audience.” There is a slight tremor in my voice.
“We did,” he says softly.
“I ran it by your mom, and she loved the idea.”
Shang tilts his head back for a second and makes anoohsound. He looks down at me again. “So that’s how you got enough whiskey for the banquet.” He looks over his shoulder to where his family is sitting. Auntie Jiayi lifts her cocktail glass and winks at him. Shang snorts. “She’s not even trying to hide the fact that she’s watching us.”