Fan Fiction |
by chrysanthemum
Xiao You ate silently, still not at all relishing the fact that she was sitting right next to Ximen Zhong Er Lang - the master playboy and heartbreaker of F4. The man she just absolutely resented.
When everyone gathered at the table, they all instantly knew where they were supposed to sit - like it had been planned beforehand. Of course, that was most probably the case. And naturally, the couples sat next to each other. Xiao You sat beside Shan Cai and naturally the last available seat was the one beside her.
Xiao You had been trying so hard to ignore the fact that Ximen was sitting next to her but the others never failed to give her a hard time. The two of them always appeared to be the ones in the spotlight. And strangely, Ximen didn't seem to mind.
"Xiao You, how long will you be staying here?" Xiao Qiao asked.
"Three... four weeks tops. Approximately a month." Xiao You replied.
"Oh, that's great! You might still be here when I give birth!" Shan Cai exclaimed.
"Yeah, I do hope so." Xiao You gaily agreed.
"You have a family business in Canada, right?" Lei asked.
"Yes. It's a telecommunications company that my father started about seven years ago."
"But you're the one managing it now?" Jing inquired.
"Mhmm. Right after I graduated from the University of Toronto. I took up a business course because I always knew my father would need help with the company one day." Xiao You narrated before taking in a spoon of sorbet.
"And I heard it prospered big time when you took over. Congratulations." Mei Zhuo remarked.
"Thanks."
She didn't really like discussing her achievements. She's had a lot - beyond the corporate world even - but she still preferred to keep it on a low.
"You know, I always knew you'd do great in whatever profession you choose. But I never really thought you'd be this successful a businesswoman. I'm proud of you." Shan Cai earnestly said.
"Thank you, Shan Cai." Xiao You said with a sincere smile.
"By the way, Ximen's a major contender for the Businessman of the Year title. This would be, what, your third year in a row?" Dao Ming Si spoke.
"Fourth, actually. But we don't know about that yet. Warren Zheng seems to pose a big threat. Not that I'm worried." Ximen responded calmly.
*Not that I'm worried??* Xiao You repeated his last words in her head. *Egotistic bastard!*
"The two of you, you're both so good at business." Jing noted.
"I agree. I bet if you two came together - for work, I mean - you'd make any racket thrive." Mei Zhuo affirmed.
Xiao You only smiled at them. It was one of their many 'you-two-have-so-much-in-common-you're-so-made-for-each-other' talks. She'd expected to get a lot of that. She and Ximen would always just smile in response. But this time...
"Probably. It would be nice to work with you some time." Ximen agreed as he looked at Xiao You.
*What?* Xiao You wondered incredulously.
'It would be nice to work with you some time'??
Just that afternoon Ximen had warned her about their friends' plan to get the two of them together. And now, it was like he was actually voluntarily giving in to their efforts. Ximen's behavior was dead confusing her.
Xiao You noticed that everyone was looking at her, awaiting her reply.
*Work with you? Not if my life depended on it.*
"Yeah. That would probably be nice." She replied and forced a smile.
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Xiao You tapped her finger on the glass of wine she was holding. She needed a distraction. She needed it badly so she'd forget that all her other friends were on the dance floor, leaving her at the table alone with Ximen. Xiao You tried to appear completely nonchalant as she watched the three couples dance to the beautiful melody, secretly hoping one of them would get tired and go back to the table already.
Ximen reclined in his seat, his arms crossed in front of his chest and his left ankle resting on his right knee. He knew their friends were trying to make the two of them dance and he knew that Xiao You was aware of that as well. However, knowing Xiao You, she'd probably refuse if he asked her to dance. And so he thought he'd initiate a conversation first then work his way from there.
Ximen straightened up in his seat and prepared to get into chitchat-mode.
"May I ask what you're back here in Taiwan for?" He casually began.
Xiao You looked at him and Ximen caught a slight trace of uneasiness. He took it as a good sign. Maybe she wasn't as 'immune' as she claimed to be. That could make things a lot easier for him. But the apprehension disappeared just as quickly as it emerged.
"Business." Xiao You curtly responded. She looked away as she took a sip from her drink.
"What kind of business?" Ximen asked some more, hoping to keep the conversation going.
"The kind that's none of your." Xiao You responded stonily, not even bothering to look at him.
Ximen could feel the irritation bubbling up in his chest. He's never had any woman treat him like that and ignore him that way before. He had to look away and take a deep breath to control his temper.
"You really have changed." Ximen noted.
"At least one of us has." Xiao You remarked under her breath. She put her drink down and faced Ximen.
"Listen Ximen, I'm going to be frank with you. We both know that we're in no buddy-buddy status. There's no sense of camaraderie between us whatsoever. You can't force what's nonexistent." She seriously spoke.
Ximen was undaunted. He just wordlessly looked back at her. He met her fiery stare with a calm and emotionless one.
Xiao You had absolutely no idea what was running through Ximen's mind. He wasn't exactly the predictable type since he always wore a composed and self-assured expression on his face in most circumstances. Xiao You wasn't being all icy and unfriendly to him because of bitterness over their past. She was pretty much convinced that she's gotten over that. She was being that way because that's the treatment she thought men as arrogant and callous as Ximen deserved. That was all, really.
Ximen was simply astounded by this 'new' Xiao You. He'd underestimated her way too much. She was the typical no-nonsense, executive type now. She was, in a way, sort of like him. Who would've thought that such a young, sweet, innocent and gentle girl would grow up into this straightforward and indomitable (yet attractively so) woman?
Earlier that night, he had planned on trying to win Xiao You over somehow. But, of course, not to the extent of making her fall for him again because that would only make things more complicated than they already were. He only wanted to try to win her friendship and rebuilt some sort of amity with her. Judging by the events that afternoon, he had a feeling that it wouldn't be easy. But only now did he truly realize just how much work he had cut out for him.
Ximen looked down and chuckled silently.
*He chuckles? I spit out a harsh statement and he chuckles?* Xiao You said mentally, feeling even more irritated than before.
*Well, desperate times call for desperate measures.* Ximen thought to himself.
Ximen stood from his chair and held out his hand to her.
"Would you like to dance?"
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"Look! Look! They're talking!" Shan Cai whispered to her husband as they danced.
"Yeah, I see that. But why does Xiao You look... uninterested?" Ah Si whispered back.
"Maybe because your friend's not as lady-magnetic as everyone thought he was." Shan Cai replied with a frown.
"What?! Are you dumb? That can't be possible!" Ah Si fought back, making a face.
"I'm not dumb, you dimwit! And why can't it be possible, anyway?"
"Ximen is F4's renowned playboy. Do you even really believe what you said? You know Ximen nearly as well as I do."
Shan Cai silenced to think. Ah Si was correct. Ximen's charm with women had been proven so many times.
"Well... okay, maybe not."
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"They're talking. That's a good start, right?" Xiao Qiao spoke softly as she and her husband swayed to the music.
"I guess. Ximen needs to move a little faster, though. He has roughly a month."
"Oh, you don't need to worry about that." Xiao Qiao said with a grin, her eyes still fixed on the two people left in the table.
Mei Zhuo glanced their way and saw Ximen stand from his seat and offer his hand to Xiao You. Mei Zhuo's lips formed a lopsided smirk.
"I guess I don't."
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"He's finally asking her to dance." Jing whispered to her fiancé.
Lei looked at the two and a small smile crept up his face.
"You think they'll really end up together?" Jing asked.
"I think we still have a lot of work to do." Lei knowingly responded.
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Xiao You looked at Ximen's hand then up at him. He was asking her for a dance?
"Did you even hear what I just said?" She questioned, not budging in her seat.
From the looks of it, Xiao You wasn't going to give Ximen her hand, and so he took the liberty of taking it, himself.
"I did. But I just want to dance." Ximen said with a smile and gently pulled Xiao You up.
"But I don't..."
"...know how to dance?" Ximen finished for her. Xiao You wrinkled her forehead at him.
"I know how to dance. You should know. We..." Xiao You stopped when she realized what she almost said.
One very special night six years ago, right after a candlelit dinner by the beach, Ximen and Xiao You danced the rest of the night away, barefooted, enjoying the feel of the sand beneath their feet and the cool breeze from the sea. It had been a magical night. And Xiao You definitely didn't want to bring that up now.
She could see in Ximen's eyes that he remembered it as well. And like her, he was unwilling to bring back anything from their past. But since it already happened, he decided to just appear nonchalant about it.
"Right. I do know. But perhaps you could reaffirm your claim?" He dared.
"I don't have to prove anything to you." Xiao You coldly stated.
"Sorry, but I'm not taking no for an answer." Ximen said and led her to the dance floor, not making any room for more arguments.
They stood face to face, Xiao You's hand still in Ximen's. She instinctively stepped backward until they were so far apart that another person could pass through the space between them. She tried to get her hand back but he wouldn't let her go. Ximen stepped forward to close the gap between them but Xiao You only stepped back again.
Ximen fought the urge to roll his eyes at her in frustration. She was still so stubborn. Since she wouldn't let him come close to her, he gently pulled Xiao You's hand so she'd step towards him instead. Ximen wrapped his left arm around her waist before she could even attempt to withdraw again. He could feel Xiao You try to struggle a little, but in the end she just gave up. With Ximen's physical strength, she knew she couldn't win.
*This is not right. This is so not right.* Xiao You repeated in her head over and over.
She knew she just had to get away from him. Fast.
"Ximen..."
"Can we not talk just for now?" Ximen spoke, interrupting her statement.
"Let's just dance." He pulled her a little more closer to him, his other hand still holding hers.
Xiao You didn't bother resisting. Clearly, Ximen had absolutely no intentions of letting her off the hook. She still didn't want to dance with him but she knew she'd look stupid if she just stood stiffly in his arms. And so with all the skepticism and hesitations building up inside of her, she brought her hand up against Ximen's back and started moving to the soft music with him.
Xiao You found herself enjoying Ximen's scent. He smelled of fabric conditioner and sweet vanilla. He was never a perfume-enthusiast kind of guy but he still managed to smell good all the time.
Ximen was liking Xiao You's fragrant redolence. She smelled of flower-scented shampoo and candy. It was sweet and innocent - like the Xiao You he once knew. It was almost hypnotizing.
*Snap out of it, will you?!* A voice screamed in both of their heads, instantly pulling them out of their trance.
Ximen remembered his plan again. This was all just a part of it. And it better just stayed that way.
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Everyone, except Shan Cai of course, had their last round of drinks before deciding to call it a night.
"Xiao You, do you have a ride?" Shan Cai asked.
"I'll just hail a cab." Xiao You replied.
"You can ride with us if you want." Ah Si offered.
"No thanks. Shan Cai and the baby need lots of rest now." She politely declined.
"Ride with us instead, then. It's already late. It might not be safe for you to be alone in the streets at this hour." Jing spoke.
"I'll be fine, really. Besides, I know you all want to spend time with your spouses, or future spouses, alone, don't you?" She reassured them with a smile.
"Not all of us, actually. One person here doesn't have a significant other to spend time alone with." Mei Zhuo teasingly said.
"Oh, that's right! Ximen, why don't you take Xiao You to the hotel?" Shan Cai cheerfully asked.
Xiao You slightly panicked. That entire night was already too much for her to bear. All she wanted now was to get as far away from Ximen as possible.
"But I'll be fine, Shan Cai. Really. You don't...."
"I'd love to." Ximen replied with a serene smile.
*Oh, crap!*
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The two waved goodbye to their friends as they drove off.
"You don't have to do this for me, you know." Xiao You spoke.
"I know." Ximen responded as he began to unlock the car door.
"So don't."
Ximen looked up to meet her gaze.
"I'm not doing this for you." He spoke, his voice steady.
Xiao You looked at him, confusion reflected in her eyes.
"Hop in." Ximen said, ignoring the look Xiao You was giving him, and got ready to get into the driver's seat.
"No." Xiao You sternly said.
Ximen looked at her and saw that she was dead serious. He heaved a sigh and closed the car door again.
"Do you want me to beg?" He asked, frustration evident in his voice and expression.
"Very tempting, but no." Xiao You replied. "I need an explanation. Why are you doing this?" She asked.
Ximen let out a breath.
"Alright." He conceded with a slight nod of his head.
"I have a plan."
"What plan?" Xiao You asked curiously.
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"I think you're crazy." Xiao You remarked after Ximen explained his scheme as they drove to her hotel.
"You want us to fight their plan by actually giving in to it? That's ludicrous." She added, shaking her head for emphasis.
"Well, do you have a better idea?" Ximen dared, keeping his eyes on the road.
"Why can't we just say no? Why can't we simply tell them that we know what they're planning to do and tell them to stop it?" Xiao You suggested.
"Do you think they're the type of people who'd give up that easily? Just take Shan Cai, for instance." Ximen opposed.
Xiao You paused pensively. He was right. Shan Cai was anything but a quitter. Xiao You's silence connoted Ximen's triumph.
"As long as they're convinced that we're right for each other, they won't give this up." He added in support of his stand.
"But you're asking me to lie to my best friend." Xiao You said, still reluctant to cooperate.
"I'd be lying to my brothers. I don't have it any easier than you do."
Ximen was slowly beginning to coax Xiao You into consenting. All Xiao You wanted was to get it all over and done with. She just wanted to go on and live her life. The one that Ximen was not a part of. She'd been okay even without him. She'd learned to move on. It was a long and painful process but she got through it. And she just wanted things to stay that way.
Xiao You could sense that Ximen felt the same way. That he didn't really want her back in his life, either. Somehow, knowing that both saddened and relieved her. Then again, she guessed that they were really better off without each other.
"So what do you suggest we do?" She asked after a few seconds of thought.
"Simple. We'd make it appear as though we're getting along very well and eventually make them believe that we've fallen in love. And in the end, you go back to Canada." Ximen explained casually.
"And then?"
"That's it. We're going to convince them that despite all our efforts, as well as theirs, to make it work, it just can't happen. That could only mean that we're not really meant for each other, after all. They'd surely quit on us after that. Then we can go back to living our lives like before."
He tried to sound as if he thought it would be a piece of cake. But deep inside, he knew it would be a lot more difficult than that. After all, the ones they were supposed to pull an act for were people who'd known them nearly all their lives. That means that this whole plot required Oscar-worthy acting. Plus the fact that if they were going to pull this off, they should always be together and be close and sweet and stuff. He knew that could be dangerous. But he was confident that they could do it. Kind of.
Ximen didn't pressure Xiao You into agreeing to his plan. He gave her the rest of the trip to think about it. After ten more minutes, Ximen was pulling over right in front of Xiao You's stop.
"I won't ask for your answer now, but I hope you think about it." Ximen spoke before Xiao You got out of the car.
"I already have." Xiao You said.
Ximen looked at her, surprised by her words. He didn't expect her to have an answer right away.
"And?" He tried not to look or sound too eager.
Xiao You faced him, her expression calmly staid. The pause seemed so painfully long for Ximen. The look on her face was unpredictable. Was it a 'no'? Was it a 'yes? He had no idea.
Xiao You delayed her response on purpose, just to let Ximen suffer a little. She found that she enjoyed torturing him sometimes. Then finally, her shoulders loosened and her face lightened up a little
"Okay."
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