Fan Fiction |
by YukLing
"Qian???"
Qian blinked profusely for several quick seconds then smiled with great happiness as she recognized the man, "Ron? Oh My Gosh!! I didn't expect to run into you.”
"Uh, excuse me, are you guys going up or down?" asked someone standing outside the elevator door.
"Down." said Qian.
Ron was suppose to exit at the current floor, but he decided that he would stop by Ray's office another day.
Both Qian and Ron stepped aside as other people started to enter the elevator.
"It’s such a wonderful surprise to you again, Qian. How long as it been since we last saw each other?" asked Ron.
"Um...6 years? I think?" Qian replied then gave a small giggle. Ron remembered Qian's giggle too well.
The elevator had reached the ground level; everyone had exited the elevator except for Qian and Ron who were still standing inside. Both were not talking anymore but only stood silently gazing at each other's eyes with smiles on their faces.
Ron broke from his silent gaze and spoke, "Oh we're here. Let's get out. So what were you doing up there?"
"I had an interview."
"Oh? For a job?"
"No, an interview with a publishing company. It's for my book."
“With Metromedia Publishing Corp?”
“Yeah, but I think I just blew my chance of getting my book publish.”
"What happened up there? Don’t tell me they rejected you?? I don’t’ believe it." Ron asked.
“Well….it’s kinda of a long story. But let’s just say I got upset with the person doing the interview and left before it even got started.”
“You did say Metromedia Publishing Corp, right?”
”Yeah.”
“Who did you get the interview with? Jessica Hsuen?”
“No, it was a guy.”
The first person that came to his mind was Ray, “Ray Lam?”
Qian gave Ron a curious look, “Yes. Why?? ….do you KNOW him?”
Ron couldn’t help but started to laugh.
”What’s so funny?”
”Oh it’s nothing. Yes, I know Ray. We were colleagues….Listen, let me talk to him and see if you could go back for that interview.”
“Thanks for the offer, Ron. But no thanks. I’ll just find another publishing company that will publish my book.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, I’m sure it’s just a misunderstanding between you and Ray. BTW, what did happen?”
”I don’t want to mention it. Anyways, enough about me. How about you, Ron?"
"I’ve just opened my own Law Office. My office is just above Metromedia. And I’m getting married in a month. To Myolie. You remember her don’t you?"
"Of course I remember Myolie; I was the one who introduce her to you. Hehehe…In any case, that sounds wonderful, I’m very happy for you Ron." Said Qian. So she had been right the night when she saw them together outside the club, they were still together. And now they are getting married.
If Ron had detected any conceal emotion that Qian had been trying to hide, he didn’t seem to show it.
As they both walked outside the building, there was a moment of awkwardness for Qian as she fell silent and short of words for conversation.
“Well, I should be going. The next bus shuttle is in fifteen minutes. It’s nice seeing you again, Ron.”
Not waiting for Ron to reply or say goodbye, Qian turned and started to walk the other way.
“Wait, Qian.”
Qian stopped and turned back to look at him, hoping that Ron did not ascertain any of her thought. “Yes, Ron?”
“It'd be our honor if you can come to our wedding. I think Myolie would be really happy to see you again and I would too.”
“I….I’m not sure if I can, Ron. You said it's another month away, so I really do not know if I can make it.”
"We are still friends, are we not?”
“Of course we’re still friends, Ron.” Qian smiled.
”But not like we use to be.” Replied Ron. Qian could hear the sadness in his voice. “I’ve always wondered why you never wrote back or kept in touch after yours and Myolie’s graduation. Did something happen? Did I do anything wrong?”
“No. No. Don’t be absurd Ron! After grad, I was just caught up with my own life and been busy since. I didn’t have any time to keep in touch with any of my friends.”
Ron wasn’t sure if Qian was lying or not because he could no longer read her expression. He and Qian had been friends since they were young, even before he met Myolie. His family used to go to the Orphanage Homes and contributed to charity. They met at the playground outside the Orphanage’s church. She was only 7 at the time, and Ron was 10. Ron took pity on the poor little girl without any parent and befriended with her. From then on, she followed him everywhere and always looked up to him. Ron had taken her under his care. There wasn’t anything that Qian felt that he couldn’t have guessed. But all that changed after his trip to Australia during his last year at High School. It was after he came back that he noticed Qian had changed; the cheerful and free-spirited girl he once knew and understood was no longer the same. Today when he saw her in the elevator, for a few short moment when Ron saw her surprised look and happy tone of voice as she called his name, he thought at last he had found the same Qian he once knew years ago. But the moment didn't last long as he could sense Qian had rebuilt back the walls between them.
Qian felt a guilty pang in her chess for lying to Ron just now. It was not her nature to lie but she knew she must. She thought she had recover and overcame this pain over the period of six long years, but today when she saw him again – all the pain that she had managed to suppress had suddenly come back.
Both people stood in silence again, neither of them had noticed that a girl with floral dress was running across the street breathing sporadically.
“Hey!! Hey!!!” Said the girl.
“Myolie! What in the world are you doing running across the streets like that! The lights were still green. You could have gotten killed!” exclaimed Ron when he saw Myolie..
“I….I…..” Myolie tried to reply but she was still busy trying to catch up her breath. “Qian…..Let…me breath first…..”
“Hi Myolie. Hehe, just take your time and breath.” Qian said and gave a small laugh. Myolie was still as beautiful and delightful as Qian had remembered.
Ron helped Myolie to sit down on the bench next to where they were standing. “Myolie, you shouldn’t have crossed the streets like that.”
Myolie rolled her eyes, “There wasn't any traffic, Ron. You worry too much.” She exclaimed. Then she stood back up and gave Qian a warm embracing hug. “Oh my gosh, I was so happy when I saw you across the streets, Qian. I had to run as fast as I could.”
Qian laughed at Myolie’s innocent and amiable nature. This was still the exact same Myolie she met in 9th grade, except she was even more beautiful and cheerful now. Probably she has everything in the world to look forward to, especially her marriage with Ron.
“Qian, I still can’t believe it’s you! I had been hopelessly trying to find your contact. Thank God, we bump into you today.”
“I know, we’ve just bump into each other in the building. Ron has just told me you guys were getting married in a month. Congratulation Myolie.” Qian said. She really did mean it. There was no one else who deserved as much happiness as Myolie. Although Qian's heart was hurt but she was also truly happy for the two people who had been very important in her life. Qian looked at them with admiration in her eyes. She knew that they were still in love with each other now as much as they were 6 years ago -- she could see it in their eyes.
“Oh Qian, you have to come to our wedding now that we’ve finally found you! I’m so happy!!” Myolie said with enthusiasm.
If Qian was to overcome her past feeling, then knew she needed to face reality and accept the present. She was no longer the teenage girl, who used to run away – she must attend their wedding order to accept this fact. She must lay her heart and desire to rest for once. “Of course, I come to your wedding Myolie.” Qian replied.
Ron looked at Qian, but she avoided his eyes.
“That's great!! Then you must come to our yacht party this weekend too. It's a family gathering with just a few close friends. It'll be a good chance for me to introduce to you everyone again before the wedding....Please...please say you'll come. I have so much I want to catch up with you, Qian.”
Some things never changed, even with time, as Qian nodded and gave into Myolie’s plea. Qian had never been able to refuse or say no to Myolie.
“Good! Then it’s set!”
=== AUTHOR'S CLARIFICATION ====
I appologize if I wasn't specific in the previous chapters. I wasn't sure to put all this information so I'm just gonna tell you about it instead of feeding it into the story (which would probably make it too boring, I think) =)
Q: "What does Ray do and what's his company?"
A: Ray and Jessica are part of Metromedia Publishing Corporation (which specializes in multi media publishing of Books, Magazine, Advertisement Ads..etc). They have just won a contract with another company called Novellie Book Production. Jessica is of higher authority than Ray. Ray is more of an Excecutive Sales Rep (i.e. He talks to other company and convince them to contract with Metromedia).
Q: "Why do they need to interview new authors?"
A: Since Novellie Book Production will now be contracted with Metromedia, it falls on Metromedai's responsibility to interview potential new authors. Old authors are already on list, so they just need to publish those books for them. Where as new authors (such as Qian) still needs approval and therefore needed to be interview to see if her book is "good enough" to be part of their production and publishing.