| Fan Fiction |
by Kaiyrah
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Ya Lun lifted the lid and closed his eyes as he took a whiff of the aroma. The sauce smelled divine; the perfect blend of tomatoes, garlic, basil, mushroom, and a small bit of cayenne -- his personal touch.
He hadn't inherited his mother's ability to cook Taiwanese dishes, but he liked to think that his skill for Western food was decent. He checked on the pasta -- still had a few minutes to go until al dente.
Suddenly his doorbell rang and he started. Who could that be? He was not expecting any visitors... "Who is it?"
Ying Jie stood at his porch. She offered a small smile. "Hey. Sorry for stopping by unannounced. Can I come in?"
Ya Lun blinked and stood aside to invite her in. "Sure. I'm cooking dinner right now. Have you eaten yet?"
"Nope," she responded as she wandered into the dining nook. "Smells delicious though!"
"I didn't know that you could cook too," she noted, seating herself at one of the counter stools. "You're amazing."
Her words made his cheeks flush ever so slightly. "No, it's just something that I whipped up really fast."
The rest of the cooking time and dinner went like that. They exchanged pleasantries and the usual banter, and while the quality time with her was nice, Ya Lun couldn't help but notice that throughout their entire conversation, Ying Jie had been somewhat distant, as if she were there but not fully.
She also hadn't smiled, hadn't truly smiled.
Then he remembered that today was the day she was supposed to tell Wang Zi of her feelings. Comprehension washed over him as he glanced over at Ying Jie one more time before approaching her on the couch. He set down the two tea cups gently on the coffee table and sat down next to her. "Gui, why are you here?"
She gave him a look. "Am I not allowed to be?"
"That's not what I mean," Ya Lun shook his head. "I assume you told Wang Zi."
Her entire body tensed.
"What happened?" He watched her hands grip the hem of her sweater. Her knuckles turned white.
At first she said nothing. Then, "Nothing happened that I didn't expect. I told him and he rejected me. End of story."
Ya Lun's brows furrowed in concern as he took in her trembling shoulders and her down-turned gaze. This poor girl. The entire time she was over, she had been holding in her emotions. This girl wanted to stay strong... when what she really needed was to let it out. Carefully he took one of her hands in his own. He noted how her fingers automatically curled around his, as if he were a security blanket. "Gui..."
She made some unintelligible noise of affirmation.
"You can cry if you need to."
She sighed heavily. "Okay, don't automatically assume that I want or even need to cry. I'm a big girl." At this point, her voice began to crack. Ya Lun rubbed the pad of his thumb across her knuckles in a soothing gesture. "I can handle it when someone says they don't like me."
"Gui," he spoke, and she hesitantly looked up at him. Her eyes were red-rimmed and rapidly filling with liquid. "You don't have to pretend around me. I'm your friend."
"I don't need to cry," she repeated, even as the first tear rolled down her cheek. Several more followed suit. He had seen her cry before, and the sight had brought an ache within his chest. That feeling returned now, but this time it was somewhat stronger, somewhat... more painful.
He gently squeezed her hand. "Just let it out," he said quietly. "Trust me."
She stared at him for a few long moments before she leaned forward to rest her head on his right shoulder, her arms wrapped around his torso. "I like him so much, Ah Bu..." she mumbled into the crook of his shoulder and his neck.
Ya Lun sank into the couch and allowed Ying Jie to follow him. Her tears dampened his shirt as he held her securely with his right arm while his left hand gently stroked her hair. Ying Jie was always such a happy and cheerful girl. She just was not meant for crying.
He felt his resolve building as Ying Jie caught his free hand and cradled it to her chin, treating it like some precious gift. No, as long as he was around, she would no longer shed any tears. He would make sure of that. She would always be happy and smiling.
After all, a girl like her deserved only joy.
For a long time they sat just like that, Ying Jie crying into his shirt, and him gently assuring her that it was alright. He was not sure how much time had passed before her sobs quieted and all he could hear was her gentle breathing. He angled his gaze down to see that she had fallen asleep on his shoulder. With a small smile, he pulled her closer and closed his eyes briefly to get some rest.
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Xiao Xun had barely stepped into her room from the shower when her mobile phone went off, buzzing on her desk. She raised an eyebrow as she looked at the clock. It was close to midnight. There was only one person who would call her this late.
Looking at the screen confirmed her thoughts. "Hello? Ying Jie?"
However, it was not her friend's voice echoing from the speaker. An unfamiliar male answered, and Xiao Xun froze.
"Hello. Xiao Xun, isn't it? Ying Jie's told me all about you. You're good friends, right?"
She frowned. "Who is this?"
The man on the other line laughed sheepishly. "Oh, sorry. I'm Ya Lun, Ying Jie's friend. I work for her dad."
"Oh, right!" Xiao Xun exclaimed. "Her childhood friend. She'd kill me for saying this, but you're all she ever talks about nowadays."
Ya Lun's voice sounded embarrassed. If they weren't talking on the phone, she'd be positive that he was blushing. "...Really?"
Xiao Xun smiled. "Oh yeah. ALL the time. So what's up?"
"I need you to do a favor for me, if it's not too much trouble," Ya Lun answered. "Ying Jie is... well, something upset her and now she's here at my place. I'd rather not wake her. Could you call her dad and tell him that she's staying over with you tonight? If I call, I'm sure that it'll be... awkward, me being a guy and all."
She blinked. Ying Jie was upset? What happened? Deciding that she would ask Ying Jie about it later, she answered, "Sure, no problem. Is she going to be okay?"
"Yeah," he paused. "She just needs to rest."
"Alright. Take care of her."
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Sunlight filtered in through the curtains as Ying Jie began to wake. She felt... warm. Oddly warm, but not uncomfortably so. As if she was sleeping on an extra-warm blanket.
Then she realized that her blanket was breathing. Her eyes flew open.
Oh... it was Ya Lun. Her movement hadn't stirred him; he simply shifted in his sleep, never loosening his grip around her.
Memories from yesterday rushed into her head. Her confession to Wang Zi. His rejection. Her coming here last night, crying to Ya Lun... He had been there for her. He had encouraged her to let out her feelings, comforted her when she wept.
He held her.
A mixture of gratitude and mirth overcame her as she gazed fondly at his handsome face, so tranquil in sleep. She truly was blessed to have him in her life.
"Thank you," she whispered, and brushed her lips softly against his cheek in a feather-light kiss. "Thank you so much." And she lay back down to snuggle against his chest to catch a few extra minutes of sleep.
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Enough was enough.
Ya Lun paced back and forth in his office as he waited for his guest to arrive. It would be any minute now. He glanced up at the clock -- there was only fifteen minutes left before the appointment. Why wasn't he here yet?
...Perhaps he was overreacting. Fifteen minutes was still quite a bit of time.
And though he was anticipating this upcoming meeting, he was also dreading it.
"What will he say?" he pondered, rubbing his chin in thought.
A few minutes passed, and Ya Lun's anxiety only grew more and more intense. "Shit," he swore. "I'm not ready for this."
"Not ready for what?" came a voice from the doorway.
Ya Lun froze. He was here. Still he forced a smile. "Hey, Da Ge. Come on in."
Da Dong grinned at him in response and sat down on the office couch. "Well this is rare. You never call me in to talk. Something on your mind?"
Ya Lun swallowed thickly. This was it. "Uh... yeah. It's about the plan. I wanted to discuss it with you."
"Sure. What's going on?"
He knew Da Dong had a fiery temper. Hopefully he wouldn't have to see it today.
Maybe that was asking for the impossible.
"Listen, Da Ge... maybe we should let it go."
A beat of silence.
"What?" Da Dong spoke one word, but his voice was so tight that Ya Lun took a step back.
"The plan," Ya Lun elaborated, and he forced himself to look away. The floor, the walls, anywhere but Da Dong's eyes. He didn't have to be looking at his friend to know how furious he was. "I think we should forget about it."
The tension and animosity that grew in the air was suffocating. Ya Lun was almost tempted to step outside for air.
The explosion that he had dreaded had finally arrived. "WHAT!" Da Dong screeched. "You're fucking kidding me. Why, Ya Lun!"
"Calm down," Ya Lun feebly attempted to soothe him. "I just... I don't think it's a good idea anymore."
"Don't you remember what that asshole did to your father? Why the fuck would you want to back out now? We're this close already."
Ya Lun very well couldn't tell him that he had befriended the chairman's daughter and the guilt at hurting him -- hurting her -- was eating at him now. "I know that this is all going to blow up in our faces one day. Let's stop it now."
"How will it backfire? It's foolproof, Ya Lun," Da Dong spat. "They have no idea that their stocks are practically flying out of their hands. I'm in charge of that, remember? And they have no idea who the new shareholders are. What are you afraid of?"
Clearly Da Dong was not listening to him. "I don't know!" Ya Lun answered, and he raked his hair in frustration. "I don't know. Maybe I have a guilty conscience after all. Maybe I just don't have the balls to get revenge. Maybe I don't give a shit who gets the title of chairman anymore!"
The room went silent.
But it was too late to take back his words now.
Da Dong spoke in a low, dangerous, almost feral voice. "That bastard betrayed your father's trust. He lost him this company. He's the reason why your father is a vegetable. He's the reason why your mother hung herself."
Each comment was like a blow to the head. Each one hurt. Each was more deadly than the previous.
"Ya Lun, you remember what happened when my parents died?"
Ya Lun looked down. "My parents took you in."
"Yeah. They did. And when the chairman betrayed them, he didn't just betray your parents... He betrayed mine, too. Don't you dare back out now, Ya Lun," Da Dong stood, his eyes narrowed. "If you do, I'll make you regret it."
The door slammed shut. Ya Lun took a deep breath. When that did nothing to calm him down, he sent his fist crashing into the wall.
That didn't go the way he wanted. At all.
What the hell was he going to do now?
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Preview for Chapter 10:
The music was indescribable. His fingers floated over the white and black keys like a skilled magician, and the trick that emerged came in the form of a beautiful melody.
One that would stay with her forever.
"With you by my side, breathing the same air you breathe, this is happiness.
Ti amo, te quiero
Falling in love with you everyday, thinking of you, deep into my dreams
Every morning when I wake up, the first thing I think of is you."
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tbc
uploaded 6 November 2009