Fan Fiction |
by chrysanthemum
Ximen arrived at the mansion thirty minutes later, still slightly groggy and now a little hungry.
"Young Master Ximen, your friends are waiting for you at the lounge." The butler dutifully informed Ximen, bending his upper body slightly as a sign of respect, as soon as he stepped into the house.
"They are?" He couldn’t help but wonder what they could possibly be doing there that early.
"Yes, Young Master. In fact, they’ve been here since seven this morning."
Ximen looked at the butler in puzzlement as he absorbed what he was telling him and then decided to just go and see for himself. When he arrived in the lounge, sure enough, all his friends were there. Dao Ming Si and Mei Zhuo were sitting with their wives, Shan Cai and Xiao Qiao, on one couch. Lei and his fiancée, Teng Tang Jing, sat on the other couch.
"Finally he decides to grace us with his presence!" Mei Zhuo remarked as soon as he spotted Ximen.
"Where have you been? We’ve been waiting for you for more than an hour!" Ah Si yelled, looking and sounding like he was so ready to beat the hell out of him.
"Sorry, I was out." Responded Ximen with a slightly sheepish shrug.
"We noticed." Lei spoke with a tinge of sarcasm in what little emotion his usually deadpan tone possessed.
"What are you all doing here, anyway? You guys should’ve told me you were coming." Ximen asked, purposely ignoring the irritation in his three best friends’ tones.
Shan Cai stood from the couch. "If we did then it wouldn’t have been a surprise anymore, would it?"
"Surprise?" Ximen looked at her quizzically.
"Yes. You didn’t think we’d forget your birthday, did you?" Xiao Qiao responded.
"Oh."
"What’s the matter? Don’t tell me you forgot your own birthday?" Jing laughingly questioned.
Actually, he didn’t really forget. It just... sort of... slipped his mind.
"See, the problem with you is that there are only two things always on your mind." Mei Zhuo spoke even before Ximen could utter a word to explain himself.
"Women and work." Ah Si and Lei said at the same time, finishing Mei Zhuo’s thought.
"Hey, hey, It’s my birthday, isn't it? Stop ganging up on me!" Ximen argued in exasperation.
"Alright, alright. Enough of that, you children." Shan Cai cut in.
"Who’re you calling children?!" Ah Si demanded.
All the rest started rolling their eyes and giving each other looks that said, *Oh, boy! Here we go again!*
"Oh, be quiet you pighead!"
"You..."
"Okay! Enough! Let’s go eat!" Mei Zhuo interrupted before World War 3 broke loose.
"Right. We already had the chef make some breakfast." Xiao Qiao gaily spoke to get the light atmosphere going again.
"You guys go ahead. I’ll just have a quick shower." Ximen said.
He left the living room and began to walk towards the staircase, shaking his head upon hearing Dao Ming Si’s demanding voice call out...
"You better make it quick or I’ll break your neck! We’ve waited for you long enough! I’m hungry!"
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"Ximen’s back in his playboy ways again?" Shan Cai asked as they all took a seat in Ximen’s dining area.
"So what’s new? It’s like a cycle for him. He’d stop fooling around for a while to concentrate on work and when that's done, he'd go back to being Ximen-the-playboy again." Ah Si answered.
"I know, but he’s almost thirty! Doesn’t it bother any of you that while the rest of you are already married, or engaged at least, Ximen’s still living by his one-woman-a-week policy? I mean, isn’t he ever going to settle down?"
"You know, she has a point." Xiao Qiao agreed.
"Settle down? Ximen? I don’t really know about that." Mei Zhuo skeptically said.
"As far as I know Ximen, he’s not going to change unless something or someone makes him." Jing chimed in.
"You mean we need to force him?" Mei Zhuo asked, wrinkling his forehead.
"No. I mean he needs to fall in love."
"How would that happen? We all know Ximen. He’s not the type to fall in love." Ah Si expressed disbelievingly.
"It’s not impossible. If I remember correctly, there was someone who made him stop womanizing for a while." Lei spoke.
"Oh..." Mei Zhuo mumbled, holding his chin as he thought. "... you mean..."
Shan Cai gave a small jump as her mobile phone vibrated at her side and the shrill ringing sound reverberated in the vast hall.
"Wei?"
"Wei, Shan Cai. It’s Xiao You."
"Xiao You! How’ve you been? You changed your number again?" Shan Cai recalled that only numbers flashed on the screen of her phone.
"I’m doing okay. And yes, I changed my number, which is part of the reason I called. How are you?"
"I’m great! We’re all great! Lee just started school last week." Shan Cai’s eyes sparkled at the mention of her and Ah Si’s first-born son.
"Really? That’s wonderful! Um, Shan Cai, I’m sorry I can’t stay long on the phone." Xiao You said, her voice growing a little frantic.
"That’s okay. I know you’re a busy woman." Shan Cai said lightheartedly. She heard Xiao You chuckle.
"Yeah, well, I was just going to tell you that I’ll be coming to Taiwan in three days."
"You are? That’s terrific! We’ll pick you up, then. What time?"
"No, no, you don’t have to. I just wanted to tell you. Thanks anyway. Um, hey, I really have to go."
"Okay. I’ll see you in three days then."
"Yeah, I’ll see you. You take care. And give Lee a hug and kiss for me, okay?"
"Will do. You take care, too."
"Okay. Thanks. Bye."
"Bye."
Shan Cai flipped her phone off with a giddy smile and stuffed it into her bag. When she looked up again, all eyes were glued on her.
"What?" She asked, her smile suddenly replaced by a confused frown.
"Was that Xiao You?" Dao Ming Si asked.
"Yes. She said she’ll be coming to Taiwan in three days." She replied, matter-of-factly.
"Really?" Mei Zhuo muttered, a mischievous smile playing on his lips.
"Well, yes..." One by one, she glanced at the five faces all looking at her with meaningful grins.
"Why are you all looking at me like..."
Finally, a certain comprehension dawned on her.
"...oh... wait. No! No way! Over my dead body! I won’t allow it!” Shan Cai exclaimed, suddenly realizing what was on their minds.
"But it’s perfect! We all know Xiao You was the only woman who ever made Ximen stop playing around. It might have not lasted very long but it has got to account for something." Mei Zhuo eagerly justified.
"But Xiao You’s my best friend!" Shan Cai argued.
"And Ximen’s our brother. But hey, aren’t you the one who brought this whole thing up in the first place?" Ah Si countered, meriting him a glare from his wife.
"But I didn’t mean for us to do something like that! Besides, what if Xiao You already has a boyfriend?"
"You’re her best friend, right? If she did have a boyfriend, don’t you think she’d tell you about it?" Lei spoke.
That made Shan Cai pause. "She’d better." She mumbled to herself.
"Wait! Lei, you agree to this?" Shan Cai exclaimed incredulously.
"Truth is, I know that although the four of us are closer than real brothers, that’s no excuse for us to have the license to interfere with each other’s business."
"There you go! I'm finally hearing some sense around here!" Shan Cai exclaimed, throwing her hands up animatedly.
"But," Lei went on, making her freeze in uncertainty. "In this case, I’m willing to make an exception." He spoke, lips slightly curving in a playful manner.
"You can not be serious." Shan Cai frowned.
"Shan Cai," Jing turned to her with a sympathetic smile. "I understand where you're coming from, but at some point in the past we know that there was something between those two. Perhaps they could use a little push to give it a second chance. If this could lead to something fruitful, which I believe it actually could, don’t you think it’s worth a shot?"
Shan Cai dropped her gaze. She could see their point. But she was afraid of exposing her best friend to the risk of getting hurt. She knew about what had happened between Ximen and Xiao You six years ago. And in all fairness to Ximen, he’d always warned Xiao You about him and his tendency to be a complete jerk. But her best friend was too stubborn to give up – a trait which she learned from her, perhaps.
Shan Cai knew very well that Ximen had felt something for Xiao You way back then. His behavior after Xiao You had left for Canada pretty much proved it. Only, he was too afraid to admit it to anyone. Including himself.
Maybe if they did give them a little push they’d realize what they truly felt for each other, and then finally end up together.
Maybe... just maybe.
Shan Cai let out a defeated sigh.
"Alright. Fine. But if he breaks Xiao You’s heart, I’ll make sure he doesn’t live to see the next daylight." Shan Cai sternly said.
"Great!" Mei Zhuo exclaimed with a clap of his hands.
"Okay. So now how do we begin with this?" He wondered out loud, getting a bit contemplative.
And so they chatted away, formulating their master plan.
Unknown to their occupied attention...
...hiding behind the wall, only a few steps away from where they were gathered...
*Plotting against me right at my own house?*
He smirked.
*Big mistake.*
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